Patrick Lencioni wrote a book called "Death by meeting".
They are, none the less, essential parts of running any sort of organisation, including a church.
This week there have been quite a few worth noting. Yesterday we attended a time at Golden Grove Corps to welcome new officers into our Division and witness the installation of new Divisional staff. We appreciate the work and support of our divisional team that assist us to operate in our centres. Today, Nathan and Jenny are attending an orientation meeting to introduce them to the working of our Division.
Also, today, we shared in our quarterly staff meeting. It is mandated by law in South Australia that businesses and organisations that have a workplace the size of our Corps centre at Seacombe have a quarterly opportunity to consult on Workplace Health and Safety matters. We push our meetings further than this.
We were able to introduce new staff and volunteers and explain how Greg's new role will work. We were able to introduce everyone to new programs, including our Beyond the Classroom workshop coming up for High Schoolers in March, our parenting program operating in February and our new small groups program that Sally Varidel is leading.
Most importantly we were able to thank everyone for the work they do in forwarding our mission. We are shining God's light in Adelaide's south, and as last Sunday testifies, others are joining us as disciples of Jesus Christ.
Wednesday 25 January 2012
Angels
There are angels in our midst. Some of them are known to us, some not.
Yesterday a man arrived at our centre, in his wheelchair, affected by the heat. The simple act of providing him with a cup of cordial was angelic. The hospitality shown to him was a blessing. He in return blessed us with a donation of significant size.
While we don't seek adulation or donations in this regard, it was gratifying to see the way that the hospitality shown by members of our team was received.
Heb 13:2 - Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers for some have entertained angels without even knowing it!
Yesterday a man arrived at our centre, in his wheelchair, affected by the heat. The simple act of providing him with a cup of cordial was angelic. The hospitality shown to him was a blessing. He in return blessed us with a donation of significant size.
While we don't seek adulation or donations in this regard, it was gratifying to see the way that the hospitality shown by members of our team was received.
Heb 13:2 - Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers for some have entertained angels without even knowing it!
Thursday 12 January 2012
Just Gifts Christmas Appeal
Thank you to everyone in the Corps that supported the Christmas Appeal this year. You may recall that as a Corps we are supporting an education project in Kenya.
Over the two Christmas offerings that were made - one at the Pioneers breakup and one during the Christmas morning service - $1630 was given. Your generosity is going to make an eternal difference in the lives of people, but just as importantly will have an immediate impact in the lives of children in Kenya through education, opportunity, confidence, socialisation and community. Bless you for giving!
Over the two Christmas offerings that were made - one at the Pioneers breakup and one during the Christmas morning service - $1630 was given. Your generosity is going to make an eternal difference in the lives of people, but just as importantly will have an immediate impact in the lives of children in Kenya through education, opportunity, confidence, socialisation and community. Bless you for giving!
Summer Adventure Camp
For many years The Salvation Army has run 'Adventure Camps' in South Australia at Victor Harbor. These camps, divisionally run, are for primary aged children who would otherwise not experience any sort of camp or holiday.
This could be for a number of reasons. Perhaps they are ill. Perhaps their parents can't afford a holiday or trip. Perhaps they've been in foster care. Perhaps they've lost parents. The list of potential reasons for being referred to the camps are endless. Referrals are recieved by The Salvation Army from Corps, Community Support Services, hospitals, school chaplains and other agencies.
This year, the camps are being supported by particular Corps, with a focus on certain geographic areas. The hope is to be able to link families into Corps in their area following the camp. The summer adventure camp is being particularly supported by Marion and Noarlunga Corps.
To this end many of our team will be at Victor Habor next week as part of the camp staff. This includes Peter Campbell from our children's ministry, Tim from our youth group and myself (Brad). Please pray for the kids and also for the relationships that are built between the children, and between the children and the staff. We certainly hope that in future days we will have the capacity to connect with their families and offer ongoing community, faith and support.
This could be for a number of reasons. Perhaps they are ill. Perhaps their parents can't afford a holiday or trip. Perhaps they've been in foster care. Perhaps they've lost parents. The list of potential reasons for being referred to the camps are endless. Referrals are recieved by The Salvation Army from Corps, Community Support Services, hospitals, school chaplains and other agencies.
This year, the camps are being supported by particular Corps, with a focus on certain geographic areas. The hope is to be able to link families into Corps in their area following the camp. The summer adventure camp is being particularly supported by Marion and Noarlunga Corps.
To this end many of our team will be at Victor Habor next week as part of the camp staff. This includes Peter Campbell from our children's ministry, Tim from our youth group and myself (Brad). Please pray for the kids and also for the relationships that are built between the children, and between the children and the staff. We certainly hope that in future days we will have the capacity to connect with their families and offer ongoing community, faith and support.
Retreating
Retreating is a funny term. In a military sense it usually means backing up, or being on the defensive. But it can also mean to regroup, refresh and resupply. Organise regular resupply is critical to any mission.
To start the year off, our Corps leadership team has retreated. Usually, once a month, the key leaders of the Corps have lunch together and meet for planning and training. This year, for our January meeting, we thought it better to retreat, regroup, refresh and resupply.
To this end we spent a number of hours today at Stillpoint Spirituality Centre in Belair. This was a chance for us to hear from God, spend 2 blocks of time in silent prayer, meditate and rest. While it was a surprisingly cool start to the day, I think it has provided a refreshingly warm start to the year.
To start the year off, our Corps leadership team has retreated. Usually, once a month, the key leaders of the Corps have lunch together and meet for planning and training. This year, for our January meeting, we thought it better to retreat, regroup, refresh and resupply.
To this end we spent a number of hours today at Stillpoint Spirituality Centre in Belair. This was a chance for us to hear from God, spend 2 blocks of time in silent prayer, meditate and rest. While it was a surprisingly cool start to the day, I think it has provided a refreshingly warm start to the year.
Monday 9 January 2012
Staff changes and program restructure
Over the next week or two, a program and staffing restructure will occur in the way that we organise our church. It won't affect operations, we hope, and it certainly won't affect our purpose, vision, mission or values - except that it will hopefully help us be more effective in the way we pursue these.
With the arrival of Jenny into the officer team this week, the breakdown of officer responsibility will move. Each of us will take on new or ammended roles according to our skills and gifts - and what needs to be done. We met with our CSM, Wendy, to speak through some of these last week, and will announce specifics to our leadership team on Thursday at their first 2012 meeting.
In summary, however, I (Brad) will lead the leadership, administration and community services teams. Angela will look after discipleship, generational programs and volunteers. Nathan will look after worship and outreach activities. Jenny will look after pastoral care and prayer activites. Within each of these groups are the different sections and teams and we will speak to each individual leader about where we think they fit after Thursday.
Some budget restraints and staff decisions have led to further restructures beyond the officer team.
We are creating a new "Community Services" team that includes all of our CSS programs (including counselling, financial counselling, emergency relief, doorways program etc) and our thrift shops. At this stage, that excludes our food van outreach, Munchiez, which will sit with Nathan as an outreach becuase of the nature of the partnership we have with the other two churches involved. Greg Varidel has accepted the new position of Community Services Manager and will oversight these teams. Kerryn, to date our community support services manager, has asked if she can step away from that position. She will join our doorways team as a caseworker concentrating on longer term engagment with clients that enter our programs. Please pray for Kerryn and Greg during the time of transition and change, and pray for each of their teams, especially Helen as she continues to develop the new ministry at Ascot Park.
Finally, on January 3 this year, Lynn Wann's employment with The Salvation Army came to a conclusion. The nature of her departure needs to remain a confidential matter between Lynn and The Salvation Army and we ask that everyone respect that. Lynn chose to finish up early and her last day in the centre was just before Christmas. This leaves us with some decisions to make about how we proceed with our families and childrens programmes from this point forward. Please pray for Angela as she has taken responsibility, with support from Wendy, to propose a way forward in this crticial area of our church life. Please also pray for the children. I know as a parent that the kids are still asking when they will see Paul again; having a second children's leader leave within a year is going to have some impact.
With the arrival of Jenny into the officer team this week, the breakdown of officer responsibility will move. Each of us will take on new or ammended roles according to our skills and gifts - and what needs to be done. We met with our CSM, Wendy, to speak through some of these last week, and will announce specifics to our leadership team on Thursday at their first 2012 meeting.
In summary, however, I (Brad) will lead the leadership, administration and community services teams. Angela will look after discipleship, generational programs and volunteers. Nathan will look after worship and outreach activities. Jenny will look after pastoral care and prayer activites. Within each of these groups are the different sections and teams and we will speak to each individual leader about where we think they fit after Thursday.
Some budget restraints and staff decisions have led to further restructures beyond the officer team.
We are creating a new "Community Services" team that includes all of our CSS programs (including counselling, financial counselling, emergency relief, doorways program etc) and our thrift shops. At this stage, that excludes our food van outreach, Munchiez, which will sit with Nathan as an outreach becuase of the nature of the partnership we have with the other two churches involved. Greg Varidel has accepted the new position of Community Services Manager and will oversight these teams. Kerryn, to date our community support services manager, has asked if she can step away from that position. She will join our doorways team as a caseworker concentrating on longer term engagment with clients that enter our programs. Please pray for Kerryn and Greg during the time of transition and change, and pray for each of their teams, especially Helen as she continues to develop the new ministry at Ascot Park.
Finally, on January 3 this year, Lynn Wann's employment with The Salvation Army came to a conclusion. The nature of her departure needs to remain a confidential matter between Lynn and The Salvation Army and we ask that everyone respect that. Lynn chose to finish up early and her last day in the centre was just before Christmas. This leaves us with some decisions to make about how we proceed with our families and childrens programmes from this point forward. Please pray for Angela as she has taken responsibility, with support from Wendy, to propose a way forward in this crticial area of our church life. Please also pray for the children. I know as a parent that the kids are still asking when they will see Paul again; having a second children's leader leave within a year is going to have some impact.
Building works
It was planned that over the new year period we would have some minor building works commencing.
A new airconditioning system will be installed on the first floor in the Loft youth lounge. There will be some painting at the rear of our hall with a new anti-grafitti film for the back of the shop. A new storeroom will be constructed behind the Marion room.
And obviously, there will be repairs done to the front of the building where we experienced significant storm damage on the weekend. At this stage we are still awaiting a response from our insurers as to the way forward. Obviously our insurance will cover the repairs, but as is often the case, the process has not proven to be straight forward to date. Either way - expect builders, engineers, plumbers, carpet cleaners etc to be through the front of the building in coming days.
We apologise for inconvenience these works may cause to sections and staff. We will do all that we can each day to make a workable situation for everyone.
A new airconditioning system will be installed on the first floor in the Loft youth lounge. There will be some painting at the rear of our hall with a new anti-grafitti film for the back of the shop. A new storeroom will be constructed behind the Marion room.
And obviously, there will be repairs done to the front of the building where we experienced significant storm damage on the weekend. At this stage we are still awaiting a response from our insurers as to the way forward. Obviously our insurance will cover the repairs, but as is often the case, the process has not proven to be straight forward to date. Either way - expect builders, engineers, plumbers, carpet cleaners etc to be through the front of the building in coming days.
We apologise for inconvenience these works may cause to sections and staff. We will do all that we can each day to make a workable situation for everyone.
New People
Even over these quieter New Year Sundays we are finding that every service at our Corps is being attended by new people or visitors. God continues to bless us with new and fresh faces to welcome. We need to be alert and invite them to join us on the discipleship journey.
It is timely also, to take the chance to remind everyone about some of the simple things that we can do to make visitors welcome.
We can make sure that the parking spaces closest to the building are left for visitors. You will notice that on Sundays, in particular, Angela and I park on the gravel. We can walk across the car park, where many others can't - and many visitors won't want to.
We can make sure that the aisle seats and back seats are free for visitors. Noone wants to sit front and centre when the first visit. Visitors need to be able to slip in and slip out if they wish. They certainly don't want to be embarrassed if they arrive a bit late and have to move down to the front in front of everyone.
We can make sure that we each take responsibility for personally welcoming visitors. This is not someone else's job. It is also good to make sure they have been introduced to a few other people. Judith will look to get their details so that we can send them a welcome letter, too.
We can make sure that families know where the children's activities will be taking place and introduce them to our CSM, Wendy, or one of the children's workers so that they can start to build a relationship with the children prior to KidsChurch beginning.
We can make sure that the visitors get the first pickings at morning tea - and even offer to fetch them a coffee or tea.
We can make sure that any rubbish or other unsightly things are removed from the car park, entranceway or foyer.
We cannot make a second first impression. In fact, research suggests that within the first 15 minutes of arriving, people will decide whether they will ever come back to our church. God expects our communities to be ones of faith, unity, grace and love and people that are visiting need to experience each of these.
We do well. Our church would not have grown in recent years, as it has, if we weren't. But we can always improve.
It is timely also, to take the chance to remind everyone about some of the simple things that we can do to make visitors welcome.
We can make sure that the parking spaces closest to the building are left for visitors. You will notice that on Sundays, in particular, Angela and I park on the gravel. We can walk across the car park, where many others can't - and many visitors won't want to.
We can make sure that the aisle seats and back seats are free for visitors. Noone wants to sit front and centre when the first visit. Visitors need to be able to slip in and slip out if they wish. They certainly don't want to be embarrassed if they arrive a bit late and have to move down to the front in front of everyone.
We can make sure that we each take responsibility for personally welcoming visitors. This is not someone else's job. It is also good to make sure they have been introduced to a few other people. Judith will look to get their details so that we can send them a welcome letter, too.
We can make sure that families know where the children's activities will be taking place and introduce them to our CSM, Wendy, or one of the children's workers so that they can start to build a relationship with the children prior to KidsChurch beginning.
We can make sure that the visitors get the first pickings at morning tea - and even offer to fetch them a coffee or tea.
We can make sure that any rubbish or other unsightly things are removed from the car park, entranceway or foyer.
We cannot make a second first impression. In fact, research suggests that within the first 15 minutes of arriving, people will decide whether they will ever come back to our church. God expects our communities to be ones of faith, unity, grace and love and people that are visiting need to experience each of these.
We do well. Our church would not have grown in recent years, as it has, if we weren't. But we can always improve.
The power of our brand
It was evident yesterday just how God uses us as a church, and how recognisable The Salvation Army brand is.
Some of our soldiers were travelling home from the morning service via public transport. Their uniforms were recognisable to the other travellers. One lady on the bus sought them out because she was suicidal. It turned out that she was on day release from hospital and in desperate need of help.
God had placed a Salvation Army uniform in that place, perhaps to save that woman's life. She is safe in care now thanks to the compassionate response of his people.
Some of our soldiers were travelling home from the morning service via public transport. Their uniforms were recognisable to the other travellers. One lady on the bus sought them out because she was suicidal. It turned out that she was on day release from hospital and in desperate need of help.
God had placed a Salvation Army uniform in that place, perhaps to save that woman's life. She is safe in care now thanks to the compassionate response of his people.
Tuesday 3 January 2012
Happy New Year
2012
Is it the start of something big and new? We believe so. We believe that God is already at work among us fulfilling his mission in the world. We have a great opportunity this coming year to jump on board and see amazing things happen around us.
God is working to bring about transformation in our community through the life of our church. We will continue to grow into the multi-campus, multi-congregational, multi-cultural church, serving all generations in Adelaide's south, that he is calling us to be. We will continue to do this by ensuring his light shines in this community, through us, so that others join us as disciples of Jesus Christ.
The strategy hasn't changed.
We will, in 2012, KNOW God. This is about ensuring our relationship with God is right and also helping others to have their lives transformed by God.
We will, in 2012, GROW in God. This is about our own discipleship, and we look forward to training days and new small groups, coordinated by Sally Varidel, to help. It is also about making disciples of others, inviting them to join us in church, in memebership and in ministry. Judith Lear will continue to coordinate our membership classes and Angela will continue to coordinate our volunteers. We also have great guest speakers coming to worship this year who are going to bring fuel for our journey, including Andrew Evans (January 22) and Rod Denton (April).
We will, in 2012, SHOW God. Our caring ministries will be restructured this year under our new community services manager, Greg. Greg will now be responsibile for our CSS, Financial Counsellors, Counslling, Shops, Community Care and any of the outreach, social ministries. Kerryn has asked to step back into a casework role, which she takes up from January 16. Of course, beyond our professional services, we are all responsible for caring in our community and I thank those that are part of our pastoral council and team for their work that will continue into 2012.
We will, in 2012, GO in God as well. We will be participants in the changes in our society that we want to see.
This is going to be a great year. Please pray for the leaders in the church and for the changes mentioned above. There will be a few more restructures and ministry reviews as we go - and the whole Corps will be reviewed by the Division in March. This will be a great opportunity to take stock of where we are at and look forward to the future.
Look out this year for new things - new Messy Church, new shop days, new caring ministries, new training opportunities and most of all, new people joining us on the discipleship journey.
Is it the start of something big and new? We believe so. We believe that God is already at work among us fulfilling his mission in the world. We have a great opportunity this coming year to jump on board and see amazing things happen around us.
God is working to bring about transformation in our community through the life of our church. We will continue to grow into the multi-campus, multi-congregational, multi-cultural church, serving all generations in Adelaide's south, that he is calling us to be. We will continue to do this by ensuring his light shines in this community, through us, so that others join us as disciples of Jesus Christ.
The strategy hasn't changed.
We will, in 2012, KNOW God. This is about ensuring our relationship with God is right and also helping others to have their lives transformed by God.
We will, in 2012, GROW in God. This is about our own discipleship, and we look forward to training days and new small groups, coordinated by Sally Varidel, to help. It is also about making disciples of others, inviting them to join us in church, in memebership and in ministry. Judith Lear will continue to coordinate our membership classes and Angela will continue to coordinate our volunteers. We also have great guest speakers coming to worship this year who are going to bring fuel for our journey, including Andrew Evans (January 22) and Rod Denton (April).
We will, in 2012, SHOW God. Our caring ministries will be restructured this year under our new community services manager, Greg. Greg will now be responsibile for our CSS, Financial Counsellors, Counslling, Shops, Community Care and any of the outreach, social ministries. Kerryn has asked to step back into a casework role, which she takes up from January 16. Of course, beyond our professional services, we are all responsible for caring in our community and I thank those that are part of our pastoral council and team for their work that will continue into 2012.
We will, in 2012, GO in God as well. We will be participants in the changes in our society that we want to see.
This is going to be a great year. Please pray for the leaders in the church and for the changes mentioned above. There will be a few more restructures and ministry reviews as we go - and the whole Corps will be reviewed by the Division in March. This will be a great opportunity to take stock of where we are at and look forward to the future.
Look out this year for new things - new Messy Church, new shop days, new caring ministries, new training opportunities and most of all, new people joining us on the discipleship journey.
Temple Days
Hi Everyone
Just a reminder to the Marionites that we have our annual temple days this coming week. From January 3-6 our services will be closed but our centre will be open so that we can clean it up! If you have any spare time in the next few days, please call in, sign up, choose one of the jobs listed at reception and help prepare our facilities for the year ahead.
Just a reminder to the Marionites that we have our annual temple days this coming week. From January 3-6 our services will be closed but our centre will be open so that we can clean it up! If you have any spare time in the next few days, please call in, sign up, choose one of the jobs listed at reception and help prepare our facilities for the year ahead.
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