Over the last 12 months the Church leadership have been wrestling with the question ‘God what next?’, or ‘God what are you calling us to?’. The previous 2-3 years has been a time of pruning and challenging times with leadership challenges followed by COVID. Through these times there has bene a firm belief that God is calling us into something and we need wisdom to discern the way forward. We have been drawn back to re-affirm our core values of
- Fervent Prayer We will always and in all seasons, pray, knowing that only God’s direction, in God’s time and in God’s way can we be the people God has called us to be.
- Healthy Relationships At our heart we are called to build and nourish healthy relationships with God, with each other and with our community.
- Christ-like Growth As disciples of Jesus we are called to become more and more like him, modelling our life on his.
- Transforming Worship We will creatively worship God with all that we are and all that we do, passionately seeking to find expression for people’s spiritual gifts to honor God and transforming people’s lives
- Intentional Outreach We believe that intentional outreach is a calling for all followers of Jesus. We will also seek to share the gospel out of genuine love with everyone we come into contact with in our everyday lives
For the last year we have focused on fervent prayer and healthy relationships knowing that discerning and following the Holy Spirit’s leading and building strong relationships with each other are the core of who we want to be. That we are called to be a relational church building strong relationships with each other and with God. Our four ‘e’s, exalt, explore, embody and engage, give us direction and focus as we try to do that. As Church Council met last week we started looking towards next year and what it will hold. It was very clear that we need to hold to and encourage our core values. That we want to be a church who grows disciples who grow disciples. It was also clear that now is the time to invest in that future and so you will hear a proposal in church tomorrow about future staffing for 2023 that focuses on how we encourage and grow our people, our families and our young people to become more like Jesus. To live out what God is calling us to. It will involve stepping out in faith and responding to what we hear God saying to us. We look forward to sharing more developments as we move forward.
Shalom
Brian
What's happening at Emmanuel
2 September Elders nominations begin
3 September Men's Breakfast 7am
3 September Eisteddfod Prize Winners Concert 6.30pm
18 September Elders Discernment concludes
23 October Congregational meeting
Front and Centre
This week the Church Council met with the Presbytery Consultation Team to discuss the initial results from the recent consultation survey. Some 44 people completed the survey. Following this meeting a final report will be written that will be shared with the congregation. The survey was positive in that it affirmed the things that we do well and indicated some gaps that we need to work on. What we are doing well? The survey indicated that we have a strong sense of our mission and purpose and that people are encouraged to live this out. That being real people with relevant faith for our community, and being a people who want to grow disciples who grow disciples was not only well known but was also something that we encouraged people to try and live out. That there was a high level of respect and trust for our leadership and trust in the way decisions were being made, as well as the actual decisions being made. There was a transparency in decisions being made which enhanced that trust. The gaps identified is that we need to look at how we welcome new people and help them become active and fully participating members of our church community, and how we integrate our pastoral care and discipleship programs to ensure that we are seeking to provide for people’s pastoral needs. Though we have plans in both of these spaces we are not yet doing them as well as we would like. It is great to see the increased volunteerism across the roles and activities of the church but there is still too much being done by too few. Overall the discussions were very positive and reflected well on a church that knows where it is going and is seeking to move in that direction. Though not reflected in the survey the implementation of The Story is increasing our connectedness, has increased our explore group ministry, continued an integration of teaching across all of our ministries and will increase our biblical literacy and understanding. Under the last few years COVID has made life difficult but as we come out from the spectre of COVID, The Story will help us re-build in the right direction. Thank you to everyone who took part in the survey and to the Presbytery team that helped us reflect on these results.
Shalom
Brian
Sunday 21 August 2022 -
The Story Week 1
Face to face Worship Services at 8:00am and 9:30am
9.30 Sunday School
Both services will be live-streamed on our website and on Youtube.
What's happening at Emmanuel
15 August The Story small group studies begin
6 August - 3 September Enoggera Eisteddfod continues
22 August Church Council meeting with Consultation team 6.30pm
3 September Men's Breakfast 7am
3 September Eisteddfod Prize Winners Concert 6.30pm
Front and Centre
Welcome to ‘The Story’. Today is our official launch. It has been a long build-up as we are getting ready and looking at how we can share the Story across all of our ministries. Why am I so excited about the Story. For me it meets one of the key desires and needs of people within our church. The Story makes the bible more accessible and helps people better understand history as God’s story and what God’s plan is all about. It takes the many stories and events of the Bible and helps us see them as a part of a unified whole. To better understand God’s plan for the world. The Story joins the dots and allows us to put it all together. As a whole of church approach, the Story provides us with the resources and the encouragement to deepen our relationship with God. It encourages us to read the bible (in a way that is more accessible and easier to understand), to pray and to meet with other Christians. These are the three practices at the core of our relationship with God. They are also at the core of the Story program. If you have not done so yet, you can still sign up for a small group. Talk to one of the leaders and get on board. If you don’t do bible studies can I encourage you to read the book, and talk about it with some friends. Everything starts this week. In all of this we need to remember that the Story is a resource or a tool. Our aim is not to read the Story. Our aim is to know God better, deepen our relationship with him and deepen our relationship with each other. Relationships is the key in all of this. Healthy relationships continues to be a core value, and one of the foundational building blocks of this congregation. The Story gives a better opportunity to do this better. I hope you are as excited and enthusiastic as I am.
Shalom
Brian
What's happening at Emmanuel
14 August The Story launch -BBQ lunch
15 August The Story small group studies begin (see below)
6 August - 3 September Enoggera Eisteddfod
22 August Church Council meeting with Consultation team
3 September Men's Breakfast
The Story
Its exciting that we begin this week. Don't forget to come for lunch. Bring your copy of the story with you as there will help with some of the activities that we will be doing. Hopefully people have already started reading and preparing by reading chapter 1.
Books are ready to be collected and paid for if you have not done so already. Small group leaders should have been in contact with you. If you have not yet organised your small group and your resources please try and do so this week and let Nathan know who is in your group. Come along for a BBQ with sausages bread and onion supplied with people asked to BYO other things to share. Starting from 11am.
The Story Launch - BBQ lunch
To celebrate the launch of The Story you are invited to a shared lunch at church. For those who want to come dressed as their favourite bible character you can (there will be a prize for the winner.) Sausages, bread, onions and sauce will be provided. Please bring some salad or dessert to share.. It should be an awesome day gathering after church from 11am till 1pm on Sunday 14 August.
The Story Small Groups
Haven't found your small group yet. Below is a list of our small groups, when they are on and who is leading them to help you if you haven't found your niche yet.
Day and time Leader/ Contact Venue
Monday 12.30pm Judy Briscoe Alderley
Monday 7.30pm Claire Hoole Everton Park/Online
Tuesday 2.00pm Robyn Battley Church
Tuesday 7.30pm Dom Chan
Thursday TBA Ross Heyde Church
Thursday 6.00pm Jess Pinkerton Church
Thursday 7.00pm Christine Manning Mitchelton
Thursday 7.30pm Martin Fisher Online
Sunday 8.00am Sally Nahak TBA
What's happening at Emmanuel
24 July - 7 August Presbytery Consultation
6 August - 3 September Enoggera Eisteddfod
14 August Story Launch and BBQ
The Story
Most of The Story material has arrived and is available to pay and pick-up on Sunday. We will launch the Story next week 14 August with a BBQ lunch. Come along for a BBQ with sausages bread and onion supplied with people asked to BYO other things to share. Starting from 11am.
The story is a journey that will take us through Scripture from Genesis to Revelation over most of a year. It is an amazing journey that we hope you will be apart of. The more involved you are the more you will get out of it. We will be using this series in our worship each Sunday, for our small groups, Sunday School, even playgroup and Tiny Town.
The Story Launch - BBQ lunch
To celebrate the launch of The Story you are invited to a shared lunch at church. For those who want to come dressed as their favourite bible character you can (there will be a prize for the winner.) Sausages, bread, onions and sauce will be provided. Please bring some salad or dessert to share.. It should be an awesome day gathering after church from 11am till 1pm on Sunday 14 August.
We are hiring - Emmanuel Communications officer
Emmanuel Uniting Church is seeking an experienced Communications Officer to develop and grow the Church’s marketing and social media presence. You will manage the Church website, and assist with promotion and bookings for Church activities through effective use of Emmanuel’s social media channels and Church management software.
The position works with a range of stakeholders including Church staff, members of the congregation and the community to promote messaging and activities.
Key duties will include producing the weekly newsletter, social media posting, setup and scheduling of events using Church management software and providing training and assistance to church staff and congregation members.
Enquiries in relation to the position and the position description can be made via email to Brian Hoole brian@emmanueluca.org.au or 0435 242 000. Closing date Friday 12 August 2022.
Enoggera Eisteddfod 2022
The 2022 Enoggera Eisteddfod starts today and will go till Saturday 3 September. Are you interested and available to help out? Please contact Melissa Herron. Feel free to attend any of the sessions to hear some amazing musical talent.
Presbytery Consultation
Every 3-5 years the Presbytery conducts a consultation to assist the congregation to assess how it is going so as to strengthen the life and witness of the congregation. The hope is to guide the congregation into careful reflection of itself, its culture, assumptions and practices, in order to then create a clearer image for the leadership, so that it may be able to adapt or develop meaningful paths for the congregation to grow in Faith, Love and Hope. It further assists the Presbytery in understanding what needs the congregation may have, in order to develop those paths.The more people who complete the form the better picture that we have of the congregation. The results of the consultation and information from the NCLS survey earlier in the year help us as a church make better decisions as we plan for our future. The survey link is https://forms.office.com/r/shskL2mcFw or you can use the QR code. Please help us by filling in the survey.
Front and Centre
I find myself ‘waking up’ to the realisation that, upon reflection, the experiences that I have journeyed through have formed me for ministry. In preparation for the Worship Workshop that I am leading in early August I was ruminating about my values as a worship leader and how to communicate them well through practical exercises.
One of the exercises I have devised is about journeying through different parts of worship in a way that flows well and encourages continuity. The premise is that as we move from the end of one aspect and into the next, it’s helpful to try to take something from what came before and use it at the start of what is coming up. You sometimes hear this when we quote the start of songs as we lead into them. However, it is also helpful to be conscious of the ‘feeling’ or the ‘sense’ of what came before to be the foundation of what is to come. So if we have a moment where a sermon ends on a more reflective note: it is wise to be reflective as we come out of that space and then shift appropriately from there. If we do it well it creates a sense of flow and continuity, if we don’t do it well we risk trampling on important moments.
I was asking myself “wait… how do I do this? Why do I care? Where did this concept come from?” I realised that it came from my time studying jazz. When we used to learn about improvisation the encouragement was to “try to copy the end of what I do as the start of what you do.” I rarely managed to completely and accurately copy the person who came before me but attempts created a sense of continuity and flow as the ‘general idea’ became my starting point.
I never really thought that it would be a transferable skill, but here I am realising that jazz has helped me to be formed for ministry.
The question is this: how has your experiences throughout your life positioned you to take part in God’s mission of bringing more people into a relationship with him?
Is it a transferable skill?
Is it a passion that helps you relate to others and others relate to you?
Is it a series of experiences that help you to journey alongside others empathetically?
Maybe it is something else!
The last couple of times that I have preached I have focused on the reality that we all have a part to play as part of the body of Christ, and we must trust God with the heavy lifting of ministry. I find myself comforted as I realise that God invites us to take part, but in the end, he is so gracious and loving towards us as we stumble our way through discipleship. God forms us for ministry and I am so curious to see how God uses Emmanuel for the sake of His kingdom in the coming years
Grace and Peace
Dom Chan
Emmanuel Uniting Church is seeking an experienced Communications Officer to develop and grow the Church’s marketing and social media presence. You will manage the Church website, and assist with promotion and bookings for Church activities through effective use of Emmanuel’s social media channels and Church management software.
The position works with a range of stakeholders including Church staff, members of the congregation and the community to promote messaging and activities.
Key duties will include producing the weekly newsletter, social media posting, setup and scheduling of events using Church management software and providing training and assistance to church staff and congregation members.
Enquiries in relation to the position and the position description can be made via email to Brian Hoole brian@emmanueluca.org.au or 0435 242 000. Closing date Friday 5 August 2022.
Sunday 17 July 2022
Face to face Worship Services 8:00am and 9:30am
9.30am Sunday School.
Both services are live-streamed on our website and on Youtube.
What's happening at Emmanuel
18 July Church Council
22-24 July Brian and Claire away at Chrysalis Flight
23 July Enoggera State School Trivia Night
28 July Intergenerate Conference
30 July SMC training
14 August The Story launch -BBQ lunch
Front and Centre
What makes a good church? It's a very difficult question to answer. When I was Presbytery Minister I would often hear accounts from people of the good old days when congregations and Sunday Schools were full, and you would see pictures of Sunday School picnics with hundreds of children. There was a longing for the ‘good old days’. Recent events such as the Royal Commission have shown some of the dark side of that era. The widespread societal acceptance that we are all Christian and that the church is the central hub of our society has gone. The recent release of last year’s census data was the first time that the number of people identifying as Christian was under 50%. The number identifying as having no religion was 39%, only 4% less than those who identified as Christian. Even amongst those who identify as Christian we find that only 10% are regular church goers. They look like pretty sobering figures, and if you base things on figures it might be, but we are in the people business not the numbers business. Jesus started with 12 disciples, and though the Australian figures are challenging, and indeed the figures in most of the Western world, but world-wide we are in the middle of a revival, and there are more people becoming Christian across the globe than at any other time in history. Christianity is not dead. And in fact we are now finding that missionaries are coming from overseas to Australia rather than the other way around. What makes the difference? One of the differences is that we have forgotten how to invite people to come. Research has shown consistently that 75-85% of people come to church because someone asked them. As we seek to be Real people with a relevant faith for our community we need to be just that. Real, with a faith that is relevant and inviting. To be more invitational and welcoming. And this has to be true at a personal level. Its about real people not areal church. Its not about the programs and activities we run. They provide ameans for you to be invitational but it ultimately comes down to you. The strength of this, and any church, is, and always has been its people. Its about you.. The Story provides us with an opportunity to be invitational but it still comes back to you. I started by asking what makes a good church. I think the answer is you. You as a part of the church, as a part of the people of God make this a good church and I encourage you to continue to live it out.
God Bless,
Brian