Annual Report 2009

Sunday 24th

May 2009 Blackwood Church of Christ

BLACKWOOD

CHURCH

� of �

CHRIST

BLACKWOOD CHURCH OF CHRIST

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Sunday 24th May 2009 at 11:30am in the Chapel

AGENDA

1. Welcome and opening prayer 2. Apologies 3. Minutes (1) Annual General Meeting held on 25th May 2008 (2) Half Yearly Meeting held on 16th November 2008 4. Business (1) Ministry Report (2) Elders Report (3) Financial Report (4) Other Reports

5. Constitutional changes

(1) Clause 6.4.4 Replace the existing clause with the following: "Voters shall record the desired votes by marking the ballot papers in the appropriate manner in the square opposite the candidate or candidates for whom they wish to vote."

(2) Clause 6.4.5

Delete the words “located in the foyer of the Chapel” 6. Any other business 7. Closing prayer

Contents Minutes of the Blackwood Church of Christ 2008 AGM Minutes of the Blackwood Church of Christ Half Yearly Meeting 18th November 2008 Ministers Report Elders Report Treasurers Report Secretary’s Report Kids Hope Report Property & Facilities Report Resource Centre Bookworms Reading Group Report Fregon Child Safe Report Vintage Youth Ministry with Seniors Report Extreme Annual Report Basketball Report Shoppers Creche Report Friendship Centre Report Small Groups Report

MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of the BLACKWOOD CHURCH OF CHRIST Held Sunday 25th May 2008 in the Chapel Present: Marcello Botelho, Allison Botelho, Nicola Butler, Dawn Chivell, Janet Combridge, Nina Corlett-McDonald, Jeni Davies, Robert Davies, Janet Fitton, Russell Fitton, Alison Gunn, Elisa Haynes, Don Hemer, Carolyn Hemer, Colin Jones, Helen Jones, Brian Kell, Andrew Knight, Jayne Knight, Denise Knight, Judy Lawrence, Peter Lawrence, Chris Lawrence, Esther Maskrey, Alan Moore, Maxine Moore, Graeme Murley, Peggy Nelson, Verity Riessen, Peter Russell, Margaret Russell, Charlie Shears, Chris Shears, Grant Slade, Cheryl Slade, Linda Sleep, Bette Small, Alice Stephenson, Ailleen Templeton, Ian Templeton, Graham Thomas, Judy Thomas, Andrew Tidswell, Lorraine Todd, Philip Verco, Claire Verco, Ennis Westphalen, David Whyatt, June Will. Apologies: Ross Barclay, Beryl Barclay, Malcolm Beard, Marlene Beard, Trevor Brettig, Jaqui Brettig, Mark Butler, Don Harvey, Aileen Harvey, Mike Haynes, Lorraine Lewis, Meg Murley, Greg Ratcliff, Les Ratcliff, Mark Riessen, Robert Stephenson, Edda Thomas, Ronald Todd, Margaret Whyatt, Ric Williams. Welcome and Opening Prayer by Andrew Tidswell. It was noted that there was a quorum present and also that Mark Riessen was absent due to illness. Minutes of Previous Meetings

Annual General Meeting: Held May 27th 2007 Accepted

Half Yearly Business Meeting: Held November 18th 2007 Accepted

Business

1. Ministry Report Don Hemer spoke to the Minister’s Report in Mark’s absence. He reiterated Mark’s thanks to Jonathan Moore, Lorraine Todd, Phil Verco and Ian & Aileen Templeton all of whom have now concluded their ministry roles but were significant in helping Mark settle in to his new role. Other highlights included:

� Kidzone: Special thanks to Andrew Knight for picking up the vision and ‘running with it’, for his signs, and to the other leaders for their help

� Kids Hope: This is a wonderful way of expanding our vision outside of this church

� Blue Christmas: A moving and much appreciated service � Welcome Pack: Great to see this come to fruition after a long time of

dreaming/planning

Don reiterated the thank you to Sarah and Judy who, along with Mark, are the driving force behind the things happening at Blackwood Church of Christ. Mark concludes with this quote from Nelson Mandela ‘Sometimes it falls upon a generation to be great. You can be that generation’ It was moved and seconded that the Ministry Report be accepted Carried

2. Elders Report

Peter Lawrence spoke on behalf of the Elders. He made mention that the Elders feel it an important part of their role to support the minister(s), in this case Mark and Judy, especially through the period of change in ministry roles over the past year. It was noted that Mark’s Review earlier this year reflected that both Elders and members of the congregation are very supportive of Mark’s ministry. There will be a similar review carried out for Judy in the near future. A Purpose and Value Statement has been adopted by the Elders as a guide for their actions and decisions, and a Code of Ethics developed. Phil Verco and Lorraine Todd finished their formal ministry roles. Many thanks to them for their dedication, commitment and wisdom over the years. It was mentioned that the new format of shared responsibility is working well for the Elders. Those looking for a point of contact with the Elders can feel free to approach any of the Eldership team with concerns or issues and they will be discussed/dealt with. The Elders are having ongoing discussions about how the church operates ie. The roles of Elders, Deacons, Key Leaders etc. Any feedback with regard to this is welcome. Our mission statement was finally adopted after much groundwork being laid by Greg Elsdon and Ruth May. To ‘Do Justice, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly with God’ is central to our role as God’s people in this community. It was moved and seconded that the Elders Report be accepted Carried

Questions: Q/ The Constitution requires an Elder be appointed to chair both Elders and Deacons meetings, and subsequently the AGM. Does it need to be changed to support the current shared responsibility model of Eldership? A/ Elders will look into this. They acknowledged that they may need to reconsider their decision. Should they decide to make a change to the constitution, a motion would be put to the next meeting. Q/ There is still some concern within the congregation with regard to the fact that there is no one nominated spokesperson for the Elders. There is concern with regard to who will handle ‘trouble’/ difficult issues. Also, implications with regard to accountability. A/ The Elders are keen to reflect the wishes of the whole congregation as best they can. Peter Lawrence asked for written submissions from those with concerns. They will be discussed at the Elders meeting and taken into account. Q/ Judy Lawrence was a signatory to the Elders Report. Is she considered an Elder as she was appointed as a Youth Leader not a Youth Minister? Ministers are considered part of the Eldership. A/ The Elders feel that Judy is a very valuable part of the Ministry Team at Blackwood and have encouraged her to attend Elders meetings. ‘We encourage her to be as involved as possible and would like her to be informed about what is happening in the life of the church’.

3. Finance Report

Graeme Murley presented the Finance Report for Year ending 31 Dec 2007.

*An amendment was noted. In section titled Summary the second sentence should read ‘Total income was down by almost $21,000 and expenses were up by $28,000.’ *Re Income: Direct debit income continues to be strong. It was noted that Sunday offerings are down significantly. Therefore budget not quite being met. It was noted that the Garage Sale was not held until 2008. *Re Expenses: Wages reflect that Jonathan finished a little earlier than anticipated. Mark also started a little later than what had been allowed for. *$30,000 has been put into a high interest bearing account. *The Audit was done by Kevin Marsh. It was moved and seconded that the 2007 Finance Report be accepted Carried Looking to 2008: The 2008 budget is much the same as 2007. Receipts based on pledges and history. Graeme was very pleased to announce that we are currently just over Budget in offerings. This, along with the added income from the Garage Sale should significantly reduce the budgeted Loss of $10,000. It was moved and seconded that the Treasurers Report be adopted Carried

4. Other Reports Andrew Tidswell thanked people who had prepared these reports and those partaking in the various activities. Q/ Why was there no Kidzone report? A/ Taken on notice It was moved and seconded that the Reports be adopted Carried

Other Business Change to Voting

Peter Lawrence reported that the Elders are revising the voting system to avoid having to have multiple rounds of voting if there are several candidates. A Preferential System is being looked at. It was brought to the Congregation’s notice that, if need be, they will propose a change to the constitution at the next meeting. Q/ It was mentioned that the next meeting is usually the one where positions are voted on. A/ Elders are aware of this, and will consider this with their decision making.

Meeting Closed at 12.05pm

MINUTES OF THE HALF YEARLY MEETING -BLACKWOOD CHURCH OF CHRIST Held on Sunday 16th November 2008 in the Chapel Present: Carolyn Adams, Trevor Brettig, Jaqui Brettig, Nicola Butler, Greg Caudle, Deborah Caudle, Dawn Chivell, Robert Davies, Joyce Eagle, Janet Fitton, Russell Fitton, Alison Gunn, Don Harvey, Aileen Harvey, Don Hemer, Carolyn Hemer, Colin Jones, Helen Jones, Maxine Kell, Heather Kidd, Andrew Knight, Jayne Knight, Denise Knight, Judy Lawrence, Peter Lawrence, Chris Lawrence, Esther Maskrey, Graeme Murley, Meg Murley, Peggy Nelson, Greg Ratcliff, Les Ratcliff, Mark Riessen, Verity Riessen, Margaret Russell, Charlie Shears, Chris Shears, Linda Sleep, Alice Stephenson, Ailleen Templeton, Ian Templeton, Edda Thomas, Graeme Thomas, Judy Thomas, Andrew Tidswell, Lorraine Todd, Philip Verco, Claire Verco, Ennis Westphalen, David Whyatt, June Will, Ric Williams, Margaret Young. Apologies: Malcolm Beard, Marlene Beard, Kevin Beyer, Jeanette Beyer, Mark Butler, Trevor Gower, Judith Gower, Brian Kell, Andy Lawrence, Annie Petit, Peter Russell, Bette Small, Margaret Whyatt, Mark Yaeger, Derrilee Yaeger, Alan Young. Welcome & opening prayer A quorum of members having been reached, Andrew Tidswell welcomed those present. Meeting opened in prayer by Mark Riessen. Appointment of Scrutineers Colin Jones and Phil Verco nominated to be scrutineers. Carried Elder’s Report Peter Lawrence spoke regarding Elders considering possible changes to voting system. Also looking at what it means to be a Member and Voting Eligibility. Currently in progress. Alice Stephenson spoke about the combined Elders/Deacons Retreat held in August. The Retreat included dialogue about areas such as Governance, Eldership, Ministry, Executive, Administration and Management, and their role at Blackwood. There was emphasis on a Values Based Leadership. Don Hemer advised that there had been a verbal response from the Council with regard to the old Plants Plus site. They stated that they are in no hurry to begin the development and at some stage will have a discussion with us regarding our involvement. Don also thanked Alice Stephenson for her service as an Elder. Alice retires at the end of this year after 12 years as an Elder. Her wisdom and clarity of thought has been greatly appreciated over the years. Ministry Report Mark is currently feeling encouraged in his role as Minster at Blackwood and thanked the congregation for their support. Concern was expressed about the current leadership ‘drought’ in Children’s and Youth Ministry areas. Judy Lawrence, in particular, is feeling the pressure of this. Support either prayerful and/or practical would be greatly appreciated. Next year we may have the opportunity to be involved, through GMP, with a Sudanese community. They are looking at Partnering churches here in Australia with a Church in Sudan. Discussion with Steve Blackett is ongoing.

Ailleen Templeton is coordinating the Emergency Relief Program – BEACON. This is an Inter-Church Council Program that will probably be run out of our building. It is a welfare program providing short-term relief for people in the Blackwood Hills area. Treasurer’s Report Graeme Murley presented the current financial position. Currently our income is down and expenses are up. The increase in income that we’ve been hoping for over the past few years in not happening. Primary reasons appear to be a decreased membership and for many people the ability to increase their giving is just not there. As we present Christ to our community in 2009 we support Jesus ministry by: * Supporting our own Ministry Team * Supporting and extending our Ministry areas within the Church * Supporting Chaplaincy in our local schools * Supporting ministries of our State Conference * Maintaining our physical assets so they can be effectively used. The current level of deficit cannot be maintained, therefore, with the support of the Eldership, Graeme presented a Revised Draft Budget for 2009 as follows. Graeme Murley Put Forward the Proposed Budget for 2009

Draft Budget for 2009

2008 Budget $

2009 BUDGET $

Income

Church Offerings Direct debit Other Income Total Income

Expenses

Conference (dues, missions etc) Insurance/Work Cover Office costs Other Wages * Property, Maintenance Social Outreach, School

Chaplain Power, Telephone, Water etc. Worship/Ministry/Youth Total Operating Expenses Surplus/Loss

67,080

79,140

27,000

173,220

14,080 11,570

7,580

5,570

116,860 10,000

4,500

7,270

6,500

183,930

-

10,710

49,780 79,900 28,000

157,680

9,000 8,000 8,000 2,960

121,400 5,000 4,500 8,530 4,000

171,390

-13,710

* Wages include 1.4 FTE Ministers salaries + Office Administrator Discussion followed. There was disappointment expressed at the decreased Conference giving. It was also acknowledged that there are people within our congregation who are struggling financially. It was suggested that maybe we should look at other ways of raising funds specifically for Mission, for example a quiz night. The cost of the Colour Monthly Messenger was queried, and a suggestion made that perhaps we make greater use of Email to save costs. It was moved and seconded that ‘the Draft Budget for 2009 be accepted’.

Carried unanimously Election of Elders Greg Ratcliff was re-elected as Elder. Election of Deacons June Will was re-elected for Seniors Ministry Andrew Tidswell was re-elected as Church Secretary Ric Williams was re-elected for Property & Maintenance Carolyn Adams was elected to Children’s Ministry (Kidzone). Thanks June Will’s contribution to Seniors Ministry was acknowledged. The Returning Officers, Attendance Stewards and the Scrutineers were thanked for their assistance in the smooth running of the voting and operation of the meeting, as was Nicola Butler for taking minutes. Thanks were expressed for all those who use their talents to good effect in the life of our church community. Meeting was closed in prayer by Andrew Tidswell.

Ministry Team Leader Report I am well into my third year of ministry with you here at Blackwood and as I reflect back on the year gone by, I reflect back with a heightened sense of admiration for this church as I have seen you embrace one another in love. This community seems (in my experience) to have reached a deeper level of care and understanding for one another. However I understand that this is part of the DNA of this church community that has existed long before I became the minister here but certain circumstances have caused this care to be expressed in ways that have made a lasting impression on many. This has been reflected back to me in a number of ways through a great number of people, many of whom are not members of this church but have been impacted by this church’s ministry. In the past 12 months we have said goodbye to some dear friends under difficult circumstances. Last year I had the privilege of journeying with Margaret Hawke and the Keen family through Margaret’s journey with cancer. Margaret passed away in May 2008 and I was fortunate to be able to lead the thanksgiving service for her. More recently we said goodbye to two more friends in the week leading up to Easter this April when Ian Corlett and Rod Todd passed away. I was able to share some special bedside moments with the Corlett family. Both Ian and Ron’s thanksgiving service were held here at Blackwood. I would particularly like to thank all of those who helped with the catering for all three services, this is a phenomenal gift and your ministry to the families at this time is very much appreciated. I remember the middle of last year being a tough journey for all of us as Mike Haynes was diagnosed with Leukemia and Gay Lee and Laurie Burlinson under went more heavy treatment for their cancer diagnoses. The way you all responded to our friends in need was the talking point for many as you not only met pastoral needs of the families but practical needs out of your love and commitment for them. Your actions truly embodied the mission of the church to respond out of our love for God and commitment to follow in the steps of Jesus, by rallying together, pulling our resources together and helping those among us who were most in need. I feel very humbled to be your leader as I participate in this automatically generated response that spontaneously rises up from this community. I would like to that the pastoral care team because without them I would not be able to manage the pastoral care of this church so effectively. Thank you to June Will, Carolyn Hemer, Denise Knight and Maxine Moore who have helped generate part of the pastoral response and co-ordinate practical help. This past year we have had a baby boom in the church with Levi Weymouth, Jemma Rawlings, James Chalmers, Fraser Kennedy, and Sophie Thom all breaking into the world. Along with this comes child dedications which is a great celebration for our church. Already we have dedicated Sophie and we look forward to dedicating Jemma and James in May. We also celebrated a rebirth for one of our members this year when Sarah Reeves was baptized in February. This was my first baptism since commencing ministry here and we celebrate with Sarah as her faith journey develops. Some people who have taken on new roles this past year include Carolyn Adams and Nina Corlett-McDonald. Carolyn has been a huge help as Kidzone coordinator, in keeping Kidzone stimulated with new ideas and helpers. I am grateful to Nina also for taking over the role of Kids Hope coordinator from me. Nina has been able to give this more attention already and with 18 mentors now trained it is a major ministry area of our church also involving 18 prayer partners. Last year I became more involved in some Churches of Christ conference initiatives. I along with Mark Butler, Geoff Payne, Gavin Jones, Steve Blacket and Julie Simpson, make up the new mission resource team (MRT) which is a subcommittee of the state board. Our role is to stimulate conversation around our churches about what it means to create a culture of adaptive, innovative and missional engagement in their local context. We’re only just now starting to find our way about how to do this. I am fining it a helpful learning process and I hope to use what I am learning to lead this church into a new phase.

Last year at the Magarey Lectures I was elected by my peers to be the President of the Ministers Association. This also puts me on the Ministry Work Group so I am involved with some of the policy setting when it comes to professional development as well as developing opportunities for ministers to network and engage with new learning and experiences through the Minister’s Association. The Inter Church Council has kept me busy this year and it is exciting to see that the 15 congregations in our area are doing more and more together. Last year the minister at Blackwood Uniting (Leanne Jenski) and myself pushed the council to respond to the needs in our community in a more practical and organized way. We headed up a small steering committee to explore how we were to be able to provide an emergency relief service that provided food, bill assistance and budget counseling. What emerged was Beacon which opened it’s doors in March this year and is coordinated by Aileen Templeton. Now all the churches are pulling their relief resources together to be distributed from one site which happens to be the Blackwood Church of Christ for now. Wednesday’s are now very busy in the office with volunteers from other churches assisting and people from our community visiting to access some short term relief. I have also worked with the Blackwood and Belair Uniting churches this past year in running Blue Christmas, Ash Wednesday and Maundy Thursday services together. Through my influence with Kids Hope, this ministry firmly made the agenda and we now have 6 churches partnered with 6 schools in our area. 2 new Christian Pastoral Support Workers were added to the team working in Coromandel Valley Primary and Blackwood High. There are now 9 C.P.S.W.’s managed by our churches, working in our local schools. I also developed a website that brings all the churches together and celebrates all that we do together. You can find it at www.mhicc.wordpress.com . Our Inter church council and the ecumenical work that is being generated from it is something to be greatly celebrated in the Blackwood community. Our church website has lay dormant for some time after it was initially set up by Ben Williams. We thank Ben for setting this facility up for us but then it was handed over to the ministry team to develop it but lay dormant for over a year. I found some time last year to have a play and for someone who has never had any education in IT had to learn quickly. What has developed this yet is a new look, interactive, information loaded site that I have just added to and made up as I go. The latest challenge is to get the services in audio form available through our website (one option for downloading is available). I encourage you to send stories and photos related to the church through to the office so we can continue to update the site. Judy and Sarah have been great in contributing to the site which has taken a little load off. Our statistics show that the site is a valuable ministry tool with over 1500 page views in the last 6 weeks from over 500 locations around the world. In the first few days of uploading the Easter services to the site they were downloaded a total of 11 times. The website has the potential to be developed much further by someone who has a passion for this and maybe wants to learn something new., Remember I just learned by experimentation. I on the other hand am going to reclaim some of my Saturdays and do more surfing and less playing with websites. If you haven’t checked it out you can find it at www.blackwoodcc.org.au the members page (password: ‘blackwood’) has the latest in rosters, policies and application forms for ministry areas. Towards the end of last year I took some long service leave so that Verity and I could fulfill a dream and travel around Europe. We thank you for your graciousness in letting us go for 6 weeks while we visited Italy, France, Ireland and the UK. It was also a great reflective and learning experience for us to explore ancient Rome and Renaissance art among many other things. In February this year I had a week annual leave to travel to Melbourne for 2 purposes. One was to attend a UNOH board meeting and the other to speak at an Anglican Church where my friend Etienne was being inducted as a youth minister. I was there in the second week following the devastating bushfires, so I found myself being able to offer myself as a chaplain to bushfire survivors alongside some of my former colleagues. It’s been two years since I went to the USA following an invitation from Christian Projects for a

leadership development traveling conference. This year I have accepted an invitation to a leadership and spiritual development conference of a different sort. World Vision have invited me to a conference in Johannesburg, South Africa. I will be one of 6 Australians attending this conference in June. The hope is that not only will I have an opportunity to learn, grow spiritually, and network, but also to bring back new insights for us as a church to take this next step in our call to serving God through our community and world around us. Speakers will include African theologians and missional church speakers from around the world. World vision will then take me to a country called Swaziland for 3 days where we will visit a HIV/AIDS hospice and engage come of the community development work World Vision are assisting with, topped off with attending one of the churches in Swaziland on the Sunday morning. I’ll be gone for 12 days and how to have much inspiration to share with you on my return. We do have a lot to look forward to as a church. Not only are we welcoming new members among us this past year but more people are getting involved with ministry initiatives we have designated as identifying what the core business of this church is about. We are a busy church with this past year seeing members involved with Kairos, traveling to Vietnam with community of grace, travelling to Fregon, traveling to the Flinders Ranges to pull out Oleanders, Kids Hope, sewing clothes and bags for Kitgum in Uganda, and the list goes on. As we seek to fulfill our vision and purpose we even began to explore what it might mean to upgrade our building and facilities which led us to explore a conversation with Mitcham Council about the use of the site they have acquired alongside the library. At this stage it seems that conversation is on a long term hold. However the elders and ministry team continue to explore ways in which we as a church can engage our community more effectively as we seek to fulfill our mission and the mission of Churches of Christ to be a dynamic and relevant Christian movement in this Blackwood community where we act justly, love mercifully and walk humbly with God. I would like to thank Alice Stephenson for her long service as an elder here at Blackwood. Alice chose not to continue as an elder at the last half yearly meeting. Her insight and articulation of issues will be greatly missed. I also thank Andrew Knight, Peter Lawrence, Maxine Moore, Nicola Butler, Greg Ratcliff and Don Hemer for their hard work and dedication to the role of elder in this church. Thank you particularly to Don who has been the chairperson of our meetings for the past year. Last year we invited Mark Butler to do some work with the elders and admin team on our governance and management structure in light of changes in our leadership personnel. We hope to continue to refine our focus on this in the second half of this year. Thank you also, to the administration committee chaired by Andrew Knight. The committee is also made up of myself, Sarah Reeves, Andrew Tidswell, Graeme Murley and Ric Williams. They do a phenomenal amount of work to ensure all runs as smoothly as possible. I’d also like to thank the volunteers who frequently give their time to assist Sarah, Judy and I in the office. Thank you Joan Marker and Heather Kidd for answering phones, filing, helping to manage the office and the many other things you do. Thanks to David Whyatt who’s here every week doing the banking, Peggy Nelson for her contributions to tidying up around the chapel and office, and to Rob Stephenson for breathing new life, humour & creativity into our weekly newsletter. I look forward to another year taking shape in ministry here with you at Blackwood.

Mark Riessen

Elders Report

The last 12 months have seen our ministry team consist of Mark and Judy with Mark working full time and Judy 2 days a week. Mark continues to challenge us to be involved in our community and this has seen the extension of Kids Hope, and also the development of a joint project with the Adelaide Hills Churches, the Beacon Emergency Relief facility. Following the last AGM, we have continued to look at the question of voting, and the avoidance of a second round of votes where there are more candidates than positions, and at this AGM, constitutional changes have been proposed to allow the use of a preferential voting system if that is required. Also, a slight change of wording has been proposed so that the ballot box does not have to be exclusively sited in the foyer. Elders have met monthly, and have met with several key leaders during the last 12 months, June Will in her ministry to seniors, Chris Shears regarding the resource centre, Jonathan Moore re the Fregon visits, Judy Lawrence spoke to us about her Vietnam trip, and Aileen Templeton with regard the Beacon Project. The Elders received correspondence encouraging our communication with the Mitcham Council in regards to the redevelopment of the Plants Plus site. There has been very little progress on this matter at this stage with present indications being that there may be no further planning done for at least a couple of years. During Mark’s leave, elders started doing ‘essential news in the Sunday services and it has been felt this is a good thing to continue, even after Mark returned. We hope that by doing this, members will be more aware of who we are and feel free to approach us on any matters they wish to discuss. In August, we had a retreat with the deacons, with leadership by Mark Butler, to try and clarify the operating model we felt would fit our needs here at Blackwood Church of Christ. This has resulted in us suggesting we have the following.

1. An Eldership (governance team) responsible for guidance, oversight and vision, to set directions and guidelines, and to provide pastoral care to other teams and the church, reporting to the church regularly.

2. A Ministry Team to be the action team for the implementation of vision, direction and guidelines, through a team of key leaders, reporting to the Eldership.

3. An Administration Team, which will resource the visions and directions, dealing particularly with finance, property and day to day tasks, relating particularly to the secretary, treasurer, and property and maintenance teams, reporting to Eldership.

We were sad to farewell Alice Stephenson from her formal role as an Elder at the end of 2008. We thank her very much for her 12 years as an Elder and we will miss her clear, incisive thinking which so often clarified issues for us. We look forward to seeing her work continue as a member of our congregation. Thank you so much to the elected members of our team, Graeme Murley, Andrew Tidswell, Rick Williams, June Will, Carolyn Adams. As always, we must thank the many volunteers who work inside and outside of our church to make the ministry of this part of the Body of Christ function, and we look forward to the challenges of the future in the sure knowledge of the leading of the God in whom we all trust. Nicola Butler Mark Riessen. Don Hemer Peter Lawrence Maxine Moore Andrew Knight Greg Ratcliff Judy Lawrence

Treasurer’s Report for the Year Ended 31st December 2008

Summary of Financial Performance to 31 December 2008

2008 2007

Total Income 175 360 170 865

Total Expenses (180 165) (180 562)

Surplus/Loss (5 805) (9 697)

Bank balances 2008

End of Year Start of Year

Total bank balances ( includes general account, mutual fund deposit and the high interest account )

73 120 78,914

A detailed breakdown of the bank balances is at the end of the report

A comparison with our Budget for 2008

Actual Budget

Total Income 175 360 173 220

Total Expenses (180 165) (183 924)

Surplus/Loss (5 805) (10 704)

Loan liabilities owed to the Church The Church had one loan totalling $17th owing to it in the form of the housing loan to the senior minister at the end of December.

A detailed breakdown of the finances is provided at the end of the report. Summary – comparison with 2007

The financial statements show that overall both our income was increased and our expenses were about the same compared with the previous year.

Total income was up by almost $4 500, and expenses were down by $ 397 from 2007. This resulted in an overall loss of $5 805 – this compared with the budget estimate of $ 9 697 in 2007. Compared with budget our income was up by $ 2 140 while our expenses were down by $ 3 759.

Income

Our regular offerings composed:

Sunday Collections - $ 56 400 ( budget – 67 075 ) Direct Debits - $ 88 256 ( budget – 79 145 ) Other Income - $ 30 704 ( budget – 27,000)

Our “Other Income” in the general funds included:

Donations to Church 1 689

Facility Use 9 563

Fundraising - church 8 429

Interest Received 2 006

Ministers Loan Interest 1 480

Refunds-Office phone, fax etc. 3 943

Youth Groups 436

Other 3 146

Facility Use: The largest items of facility use were: the Kumon school tutoring - $ 3 376, the Irish Dancing School - $963, the Fitness Classes - $ 1 531, Tritones music - $1 377, Julia Brown remedial massage - $ 1 027. Fundraising: The main fundraising activities were: Garage Sale - $ 4 173, GST Trolley - $1,341, Coffee Machine - $ 1 443, Piano replacement - $ 2 150. Other Income: This item included reimbursements for basketball trophies, refunds from camping trips, insurance refunds and other unspecified income. $ 7 548 was spent on new or replacement equipment for the church.

Some points to consider from the Financial Statements

Giving: The financial reports show that giving, both through Sunday offerings and direct debit contributions, was up on both the previous year, 2007, and on the 2008 budget. Additionally, income from other sources was also up. The ‘other income’ shows how much we rely on the use of our facilities by other organisations.

Annual

budget per week $ 2,812

Av. Annual Offering pw $ 2,782

Av. Weekly variance over year $ (30)

Expenses: Once again our expense categories had costs which were very similar to the previous years. Some items such as The property and maintenance expenses were again considerable, which reflects the aging of our church property and equipment. As stated last year these expenses will continue to rise over the years as the property and facilities age. Staff costs varied from budget due to a higher Conference recommendation for pay increases from that which was budgeted. After salaries the Conference expenses were the largest item with most of the giving being used to support ministry activities. Conference activities are a part of our extended outreach, and they are included in our support for those who do not have the Gospel, who are suffering and who are in need. The reduced expenditure from previous years reflects the smaller number of members at the Church. Other expenses included things such as petty cash, presents, and minor purchases.

Other costs such as office costs & administration costs, utilities and social outreach were not that far from budget, while worship/ministry/youth expenses were below budget. This coming year This year we have accepted a budget which lower than 2008’s. Our average weekly giving has been factored in at $2 494 per week. This again is less than in previous years, but is hopefully a realistic figure based on the level of giving we have experienced. In 2009 we are budgeting on 1.6 ministry staff and 0.6 administration support. Again we are budgeting for a deficit, but if the congregation is faithful in its support we should end up with a deficit which is lower than budget. A quick summary to the end of March: Annual budget Budget to March Actual to March

Income

total actual

Offerings 129,680 32,420 37,562

church offerings

49,780 12,445

14,737

direct debit

79,900 19,975

22,825

Other Income (Church) 28,000 7,000 6,245

Total Income 157,680 39,420 43,807

Expenses

Conference (dues,missions) 9,000 2,250 1,968

Insurance/Workcover 8,000 - -

Office costs 8,000 2,000 1,429

Other 2,960 740 372

Wages etc. 121,400 30,350 29,708

Property, Maintenance 5,000 1,250 3,560

Social Outreach, School Chaplain 4,500 1,125 1,333

Power, Telephone, Water etc. 8,530 2,133 1,178

Worship/Ministry/Youth 4,000 1,000 141

Total Expenses 171,390 40,848 39,689

Surplus / Loss (13,710) (1,428) 4,118

Variance 5,546

Annual

budget per week $ 2,494

Av. Annual Offering pw $ 2,889

Av. Weekly variance over year $ 396

The figures show that at the end of March we are more than keeping up with our budget. This is the first time we have been able to do this for some years. Hopefully we can keep it up. In closing Again in closing I would like to thank David Whyatt, Ennis Westphalin, Peter Lawrence, Peter Russell and Rick Williams who again have assisted during the year in counting, banking and recording, Kevin Marsh for his work in auditing the accounts, and Sarah for her good and accurate work in the office.

Bank Accounts: Start of Year December

Cheque BSA 078302 022640 59 238 52 751

CoC Mutual Fund #1351 19 676 20 369

Cash Management A/c 0 $0

Total funds 78 914 73 120

Graeme Murley

Total Expenses 183 924 181 165 180 562

Surplus / Loss (10 704) (5 805) (9,696)

Variance – Actual to Budget 4 899

Income Statement 2008 Annual budget Annual Actual

Comparison 2007

Income

Offerings total 146 220 144 656 146 623

church offerings 67 075 56 400 65 158

direct debit 79 145 88 256 81 465

Other Income (Church) 27 000 30 704 24 243

Total Income 173 220 175 360 170 866

Expenses

Conference (dues,missions) 14 080 11 037 12 887

Insurance/Workcover 11 574 8 002 9 328

Office costs 7 582 8 496 6 897

Other 5 567 1 898 3 634

Wages etc. 116 855 118 889 122 611

Property, Maintenance 10 000 15 863 10 413

Social Outreach, School Chaplain 4 500 5 573 5 266

Power, Telephone, Water etc. 7 266 7 673 7 368

Worship/Ministry/Youth 6 500 3 734 2 158

Secretary’s Report As required by the Constitution of the Church, the Annual General Meeting was held in May 2008 and the Half Yearly Meeting was held in November 2008. Minutes of these meetings appear in the early pages of this report. Office Holders Elders in 2008

Don Hemer Greg Ratcliff Andrew Knight Peter Lawrence Maxine Moore Nicola Butler

At the November 2008 Half Yearly Meeting, Greg Ratcliff was re-elected for a further five-year term; joining Don Hemer, Andrew Knight, Maxine Moore and Peter Lawrence continuing as Elders. Deacons in 2008

Graeme Murley Treasurer Ric Williams Property & Facilities Andrew Tidswell Secretary June Will Ministry with Seniors Carolyn Adams Children’s Ministry (Kidzone)

At the November 2008 Half Yearly Meeting; Ric, Andrew and June were re-elected for a further two-year term and Carolyn was elected for a two-year term. Administration Committee The Administration Committee met each month during the year to deal with the range of administrative matters that are required to keep the church functioning effectively. Andrew Knight chaired the Committee and provided a valuable link with the Elders. The on-going maintenance that our facilities require to keep them in acceptable condition has been a continuing challenge during the year, and with the great efforts from Ric Williams and his band of hard working volunteers the backlog has been significantly reduced. Thanks Ric and the team. Refer to the Property and Facilities report for more details about this work. Office Administration Sarah Reeves has continued her good work as Office Administrator on three days each week. This has provided an important management role and for co-ordination of our activities. Thanks to Sarah and also the team of volunteers who come regularly to undertake the myriad of tasks that always need to be done. Church Membership Statistics

Active Membership as at 31/12/2007 119 plus Additions during 2008

Faith & Baptism - Transfers in 1 Other additions 6

Total additions 7 less Subtractions during 2008

Transfers out 1 Transfers to Inactive Membership 6 Deaths 1

Total subtractions 8 Active Membership as at 31/12/2008 118

Total Isolated Members as 31/12/2008 2 Total Inactive Members as 31/12/2008 4 Average Weekly Attendance (Sunday am service) 85 Average Weekly Communicants 85

.

–Andrew Tidswell

Kids Hope at Hawthorndene Primary School

Hawthorndene Primary School has been fortunate enough to have Kids Hope running for about 20 months now. In that time, it has gone from strength to strength. We have increased our numbers recently to 18 mentors (plus their prayer partners)! Each of these people are remarkable in their commitment to their child in spending one hour each week of the school year in their busy schedules. Staff had commented on the mentors’ dedication and their creativity in building relationships with their children. Some staff leave a little work for their child and others give the mentor free reign over the session. And mentors keep coming up with creative ideas for their child: dying hard boiled eggs at Easter, making pop stick boxes, origami, video diary of the school year, cooking various things, sports activities… When mentors are away, they tend to email or send postcards to their child. The the children love this contact. One child came to me on the second day of term to ask whether or not I had received an email from her mentor, as her mentor had promised to keep in touch whilst she is away. It so happened that I had, just the night before, received the email, and so we printed it off (in colour because colour photos had been included in the letter) and we read it together. The student then informed me that she has a special folder that she stores her mentor letters in, and this would add to that collection!! A mentor told me that she turned up one day to see her child who gave her a little bit of trouble. But as she walked to class, other students were greeting her by name, as they know who she is and who she sees! The mentor felt accepted. Another mentor was questioning her work with her child, was she appropriate for a growing boy? Absolutely! He gave her a gift and card for her birthday. And yet another mentor, got a hug, out of the blue, from her child one day. I could go on… Kids Hope is a ministry that is a delight to be part of. Mark Riessen, Judy and Graham Thomas, Don and Carolyn Hemer, Jacqui and Trevor Brettig, Kate Nixon, Annie Pettit, Jane Knight, Elisa Haynes, Greg Ratcliff, Fischer Stefan, Ric Williams, Andrew Tidswell, Lorraine Lewis, June Will and Alice Stephenson (and their prayer partners) are a light of Christ within the school community. It is a pleasure to watch them and walk beside them as they give generously of their time and love to one child, for one hour per week.

Nina Corlett-McDonald

Property & Facilities Report – Year 2008 - 2009

It is good to report that the majority of the major maintenance work has now been completed. There are still quite a lot of small tasks outstanding, and little things continually arise. Progress is good. Some of the tasks undertaken during the year, are listed below: • The difficult and ever present task of keeping the outside areas clean and tidy. The winds, the

proximity of the shops, and all the paper and plastic waste that are associated with shops and shopping, and the leaves, present a continual need for attention. My thanks to those who pick up rubbish, water the gardens, pull up weeds, sweep the leaves etc. The gutter and path between the Church and the Shell Garage also requires constant attention.

• The “Friends of the Church” scheme continues to work well. • Much work has been done on our gardens. Ailleen Templeton, Don & Caroline Hemer &

Andrew Tidswell are the “Friends” responsible for the upgrading of the gardens. A difficult job in the present conditions. Some weeks ago we were able to be part of a Christian based “work experience” programme called “Big Week Out”. The young people involved were great fun to work with – incredibly keen to help, and to help well. They were with us for 2 consecutive afternoons – a different group each afternoon- and were able to help us complete a concrete border along the Waite Street garden, to remove pine bark from the “Foodland” car park end of the complex, ready for an extension to the existing paving, and moving it to the Waite Street garden, plant some agapanthas along the fence line, clean part of the roof, and clean the rear path. It was really good to have such a lot of help in that very short space of time.

• New air conditioners have been fitted in the Kidzone rooms, and have been well received. They have significantly lifted the value of this area. These are the rooms that are the most used by our “clients”.

• The Kumon people have supplied a water cooler which has been installed in the hallway outside the kitchen.

• Major work in the form of a much larger gutter, has been undertaken over the Resource Centre and Offices, so that the large volumes of water which come off the Chapel roof, particularly when the rain is heavy, can be successfully carried away. The existing gutters were unable to cope with these large volumes, which eventually led to the water finding its way back under the flashing above the Resource Centre, and into the rear of the Chapel. The new gutter should solve this problem.

As always, my very special thanks to Frank Smith, whose carpentry and “all things building” skills are invaluable and to my old friend, Ennis Westphalen. My thanks also to David Whyatt who looks after all the small electrical problems, and to those who clean the complex each work, the “Friends”, and anyone helping to keep our complex functioning well. There are several groups – Kumon, Irish Dancing, Keep Fit, Tritones children’s music and others - who use our complex weekly, some twice weekly, and are the major source of our “other income”. It is important for us to keep the building fresh, clean and safe, for them and for ourselves. I look forward to your continued support and willingness to assist.

Ric Williams Property Manager

The Resource Centre Once again you are invited to use our Resource Centre, to spend time for personal browsing and contemplation, learning and pure enjoyment. It is situated in the small room in the south western corner of the main chapel. The Borrowing system is user friendly, ask for assistance if needed from Chris Shears, Sarah Reeves and Carolyn Hemer, or follow instructions near the computer and trolley display. We accept notes re titles and Blackwood Church of Christ barcodes details of items you wish to borrow or reserve. The Card and Book trolley in the foyer holds resources that compliment the Minister’s teaching, current events and some new titles, so do check these regularly. A separate notebook is on a shelf of the trolley for you to indicate which item you wish to borrow. We have had some generous donations this past year and now we have most of the popular Nooma DVDs available for personal perusal and group discussion. Additional items in our collection embrace themes such as spiritual growth in ageing, abuse, living with cancer, mental illness and depression. Comic style books covering the Old Testament stories should appeal to the young at heart. It seems Children’s books and videos as well as those books recommended during Sunday Services have been popular during the past 12 months. Your Resource Centre holds a variety of items pertaining to current world events, social issues, youth and early childhood interests, as well as reference and entertainment. Let’s not keep it a secret. When you find a valuable /interesting item in our Resource Centre, share the experience with someone else and encourage him /her to borrow. All members of Blackwood Church of Christ own this collection.

Chris Shears

Bookworms Reading Group –Chris Shears

On the last Friday of every month in the church Resource Centre beginning 1.30 p.m. come and join a lively group of people who share a passion for reading, enjoy discussion and stretching their ideas. “Bookworms” members bring a variety of genre, interests and mediums and this past year has been no exception. We offer our experiences, understandings, life commandments and wisdom and we share in an empathetic and respectful environment. The number of members has grown, only adding richness to discussion and fellowship. Laughter is good medicine and the Bookworms meetings are recommended for personal uplifting, challenging ideas, encouragement and spiritual growth. Records of our wide reading choices are kept in folder format and these are accessible in the Resource Centre.

Chris Shears

APY Land Discipleship Adventure Annual Report 2009 The aims of this project are twofold: (i) to nurture meaningful friendships with people of in and around Fregon on the APY Lands, and (ii) it is a discipleship tour for would-be Christian disciples. Work is done both along the way and prior to departure that is designed to deepen our experience and understanding of God.

Our last trip in September 2008 proved a little more challenging than usual. Still the travelers found it as rewarding as ever.

Second hand clothes were not part of last year’s trip as there is still no practical or affordable way of transporting the boxes to these remote places. The possibility of taking clothes again in the future remain on the agenda but under prevailing conditions their transport is just not viable.

Plans are well underway for our next trip in early May 2009 – our eighth overall. This year I am really looking forward to taking a group of senior women from the church … plus Grant! Carolyn Hemer, June Will, Chris Lawrence, Chris Shears, Jeni & Grant Davies. The first four of these women have been among the projects greatest supporters and fundraisers in previous years. I thought it would be good to give them the opportunity to see what that whole thing is about. Grant Davies has enjoyed a long fascination with the APY lands and once it looked like Jeni might be going he jumped on board as well. Once Jeni walks into the Kaltjiti Arts Centre in the centre of Fregon I fear that it may take the brandishing of a tyre lever to prize her out.

The cost of these ventures is an ongoing concern. Getting to these upper reaches of our state costs more than your average overseas trip. The total cost for a 12 day sojourn is now around $6000. Some have suggested it might be cheaper if we flew! But the gradual journey is an important part of a pilgrims progress.

Along the way the entire group participates in a series of conversations and studies based around different aspects of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Over the years a structured program has been developed. In addition each day every person has the opportunity to address the group on what was good about their day. These reflections about what is “good” provide a doorway into what is “God” about their day. I work hard at building an open and accepting atmosphere in these focused sessions and I have found that each group has its own distinctive way of responding.

For the last couple of years we have produced a pictorial summary of some of the major features of each trip entitled ‘Done & Dusted’. These are freely available on CD and may even be available on the church website soon. Other reports and information sheets are also available from me if you would like to find out more.

The level of ownership of this program by this congregation still runs high. And I find it a very highly rewarding part of my own personal journey. Making the journey to such a remote place seems to open up each member of the traveling group in a unique and irresistible way. Then there is the people we meet. And on top of that the lessons we learn regarding indigenous folk, their culture, the Christian faith and what it means to ‘love your neighbour as you love yourself’.

The recruitment of travelers can be frustrating and last year was no exception. Word-of-mouth seems to be the best method of promotion but it’s hard to switch that on at will! As news gradually spreads of what we are doing I trust there will always be people who would like to get on board.

I feel there is still some way to go with this project. There are more people to meet. There are more options to explore.

The Blackwood Church of Christ congregation is to be congratulated yet again for persisting with this life-giving and faith-enriching project.

On behalf of all who have made the journey since 2004 I say thank you to this church and ask for your ongoing help and prayers. My feeling is that this spirited enterprise is not finished with us yet.

Child Safe Report

Due to state legislation, an audit was initiated by the State Conference late last year to ensure we are meeting all the legal requirements in working with children. All people working through our church in a ministry with people under the age of 18 now have to undergo mandatory a police clearance check, 2 reference checks, Child Safe risk management training and an application process in order to be involved with a ministry with children. I have been appointed as the Child Safe co-ordinator for this church. The ministries we are required to manage under this audit include, Youth Group, Kidzone, Kids Hope, Shopper’s crèche, Boy’s Brigade and Basketball. Our team leaders who ensure members of their teams working with children have completed the appropriate steps are Judy Lawrence, Nina Corlett-McDonald, Peggy Nelson, Ric Williams, Carolyn Adams and Andrew Knight. Nearly all leaders, coaches, mentors and careers have worked through the required process. Those who haven’t are at least well on the way to completion. This process has to be undertaken by a team member every 3 years. All training and checks ensure a safe and responsible working environment for both volunteers working with children and for the children themselves. Our Child Safe audit has been submitted to State Conference. If you have considered volunteering in a ministry working with children, all forms and policies can be found on our website on the members page or can be requested though the office.

- Mark Riessen

Ministry With Seniors Report (50+)

The Ministry to the 50+ members of our church family is mostly a caring one, with visitation, telephone calls, provision of meals and generally giving love and support where possible. There has been a great need over the past twelve months and I thank all who so willingly gave support in this way. The annual beach walk and picnic tea was enjoyed by all who attended, and the weather was perfect too. There have been several fund-raising activities throughout the year in which our church community has been actively involved. It’s wonderful to get together for the many needy causes that we are presented with, and its amazing to see what can be done when we all pull together as one. Again thank you to all concerned. Many of our 50 plus men and women are involved in several of our church ministries, e.g. Kids Hope, Shoppers’ Creche, Bookworms, Friendship Centre, Pastoral Care, Church Maintenance and Grounds, and the recently begun inter-church council initiative, Beacon emergency relief service. Reading that list made me aware of what a great team we have doing God’s work in our local Community. May we continue to do great things with a grateful and thankful heart.

-June Will

Extreme Annual Report 2009

Extreme is the name given to the youth group program run at Blackwood Church of Christ.

Extreme meets on a fortnightly basis and provides a safe non threatening space for youth in years

7 to 12. Activities have included a beach night, pizza and movie night, chill out sessions, pool

party and geo-caching. Currently there are between 12 to 16 youth that attend Extreme’s Friday

night programs and is supported by 4 our four leaders, Judy Lawrence, Elisa Haynes, Jenna

Garvie and Kerin Garvie. Andrew Spadaveccia is our newest leader and fills the position of

Extreme’s only male leader.

The youth room has received a coat of paint in an effort to warm up the room and allow the youth

to take ownership over the space. New pool balls and cues were purchased to replace the

incomplete and broken set. Beanbags have also been added to the room. New artwork has been

added to the existing artwork and is symbolic of the journey we are on as a group. The youth room

makeover remains an ongoing process.

A new monthly Thursday afternoon get together has been organised at Rimini’s for the purposes of

providing an informal space for youth to come and chat. This has proved popular so far and looks

like continuing.

–Judy Lawrence

Basketball Club Report

WINTER SEASON 2008

The AGM was held on 24th February 2008 with 11 people attending. Andrew Knight was elected as President, Derrilee Yaeger as Secretary and Treasurer and a committee consisting of Cheryl Slade, Kerrin Garvie and Chris Lawrence. We entered 6 teams in the competition: 2 men’s teams, 1 women’s team, an Under 14’s and two Under 12 teams. A total of approximately 45 players were involved. Congratulations to those teams who made the finals. Special congratulations to the Under 14 boys who won their Grand Final and to the Under 12 “White” team who defeated the Under 12 “Black” team. It was a win-win situation! A huge thank you to Scott Evans and Simon Lee who were our Club referees. They did a magnificent job umpiring and were a shining light for our club! Thank you also to coaches, parents, supporters and encouragers for being there through the season. Your presence was so important to the development of all the players.

–Derrilee Yaeger

Shoppers Creche Report

Once again it has been a year of changes. Because of the nature of our Community Service, things are changing all the time. Little ones come and go. At present, we have 3 or 4 new girls and boys. Our numbers are usually about 10 to 12 children. We always have 3 helpers. Such a blessing they are. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our very special and willing helpers. Without them, Shoppers’ Creche would not happen.

–Peggy Nelson

FINANANCIAL SUMMARY –Friendship Centre

General Fund Income Expenditure Opening Balance1/01/08 $2,264.61 Christmas Lunch Rec $440.00 Christmas Lunch Pay $277.80 Contributions $986.80 Equipment $3.76 Facilities Use $800.00 Presentations $116.75 Tutor Payments $345.00 Total Income $1,426.80 Total Expenses $1543.31 Balance at 31/12/08 $2,148.10

Petty Cash Fund Income Expenditure Opening Balance1/01/08 $73.95 Afternoon Tea pay $21.20 Total Income $0.00 Total Expenses $21.20 Balance at 31/12/08 $52.75

Small Groups Report

After last years disappointing results trying to grow the number of small groups, when the church congregation showed little interest, it was decided to concentrate on Christian Education. A widening of the scope and role of small groups to encompass activities such as bike riding, walking, gardening etc was discussed with some of the Elders. I do not have the contacts to approach with respect to starting or heading such groups.

Christian Education

I presented a series of 6 Sunday evening discussions on “The History of the Jews from the Exile to the Bar Kochba Revolt” in November – early December 2008. Attendance was an average of 7 who were dedicated and expressed delight with the series. A number of people who are well qualified have been contacted with a view to further presentations without success. Suggested titles were “The History and the making of the Old Testament:, and “The History and Making of the New Testament.” It was projected to follow these with series on “Judaism in the Roman Period”, “Contemporary Judaism”, “The History of Islam” and “Islam Today”

Ennis Westphalen