Anglican Diocese of Melbourne ANGLICAN PARISH OF ESSENDON CHRIST CHURCH ESSENDON www.essendonanglican.org.au Annual Report 2010 Parish Recorder (Stewardship) ANNUAL MEETING AGENDA 2010 (Bill Howard) EssACC Committee 8. Elections and Appointments 1. Opening Prayer & Welcome A. churchwardens B. members of the vestry; 2. Apologies C lay representatives to the parish Incumbency Committee 3. Reception of the electoral roll of the D lay representatives to EssACC Parish; 9. The electionandappointment of 4. Minutes of the previous annual meeting; auditors; 5. Annual report by the Vicar. (Fr John) 10. Report on Parish Statistics 6. Annual report by the Treasurer; 11. Any other matters of parochial or (Margaret Elsey) general church interest. 7. Other Reports (see attached) 12. FJ’s – the parish year in retrospect Wardens (Margaret Elsey) Vestry (Alan Wilson) 13. Conclusion & Blessing Social Committee (Fr John) Fresh Expressions Committee (Gail Paxman & Fr John) Parish Archives (Jamie Lingard) Men’s Dinner Group (Fr John) Women’s Group (Carolyn Mathes) Opportunity Shop (Megan Rankin) Craft Group (Barbara Szczurko) Flower Guild (Sue MacMillan) Choir (Sue MacMillan) ANGLICAN PARISH OF ESSENDON ANNUAL REPORT 2010 PAGE 1 CRAFT GROUP This is a happy group of ladies who knit or VICAR’S REPORT make cards or create wonderful things with their hands. There is much laughter, talking and friendships made.. Thank you to the organising Committee for the work they do to maintain this important program for our community. Can I say firstly, what a joy it is to be in Essendon and at Christ Church. Thank you LENT & EASTER LITURGIES to all who have welcome my family and I Thank you to all who have faithfully into the parish. attended the Lent and Easter liturgies Thank you also the Wardens, Vestry and especially Palm Sunday, Maundy Op Shop who have worked hard to bring Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil the Vicarage up to scratch. on the Saturday night. These services are important services in the life of the Church CHANGE and in them we see our salvation. If you Change is always difficult to deal with. missed them in 2010—make a priority to However every priest makes small be there in 2011. changes and brings a new experiences with them. Often change is for the good. WEB PAGE I am delighted with the new web page and NEW LITURGIES the way it is developing. Can I encourage New liturgies and booklets have been all to check it out regularly. If you don’t prepared to make it easy to follow the have a computer—talk to me and I can Eucharist. They are specially designed for show you. We have already had people new people coming into our churches as from France and England comment on our they will not have to juggle prayer books web page. Our web page can be found at: and hymn books etc. The new cards www.essendonanglican.org.au reflect modern Anglo-catholic liturgy. PLANNING FOR OUR FUTURE VISITING On Saturday 8th May a planning day was I have visited many in the Parish and will held in the Parish Centre when we dreamt be continuing to visit. Thank you to all who about the church we want in the future. welcomed me into their homes. It has been Many came and shared their ideas. These a real joy meeting and talking with my ideas and dreams were documented and people. Thank you. distributed. Many of the ideas shared will be implemented through our Mission CHRIST CHURCH OP SHOP Action Plan (MAP) Can I acknowledge the wonderful work of the volunteers in the Christ Church Op MISSION ACTION PLAN (MAP) Shop. Many people give up a lot of time to Out of the Planning Day on the 8th May a assist in the shop and it is greatly small group met with Fr John to look at the appreciated. The money raised from the comments of the parishioners and to Op Shop helps the church finances as well develop a Mission Action Plan (MAP). This as donating many thousands of dollars to MAP was distributed for discussion and other church and community groups. was adopted by the Vestry in July. A copy Thank you for your generous time and can be obtained from Fr John or effort.. downloaded from the web on the fresh ANGLICAN PARISH OF ESSENDON ANNUAL REPORT 2010 PAGE 2 expressions page. Our Web page address ARCHIVES is: www.essendonanglican.org.au Jamie Lingard has been exploring ways to This is an important document which spells store and index our archives. The current out the direction and priorities we will be situation is causing archives to deteriorate. taking in the next three years. Please read We now have new cupboards and archives this document carefully. are about to be sorted and indexed properly. If you have old photos, minute EasACC BOWL’S NIGHT books or other historical documents of the A fun night was held at the Strathmore church could you let Jamie or Fr John Bowls Club where members of our Church know and we can either store them or copy played carpet bowls against the members and return them. of Strathmore and Aberfeldie Anglican Churches. This was an enjoyable night BUSH CHURCH AID SOCIETY with Aberfeldie winning the competition. Rev’d Greg Jones from Bush Church Aid Society visited us in August and spoke of PENTECOST SUNDAY the work of the Bush Church. He also Sunday 23rd May a combined EssACC delighted us with his music. Greg was service was held at Christ Church back in the parish for a Jazz & Blues night Essendon at 9.30am. It was lovely to have in October to raise money for the Bush members of the Strathmore and Aberfeldie Church Aid. Churches and their Priest joining us. On this Sunday Abbott Michael King from the ORGANIST Camperdown Anglican Benedictine Abbey Margaret Treadwell, who had been our preached. Abbott Michael is a dear friend organist for the last 20 years, resigned at and it was a joy to have him with us on this mid year. Margaret has been a very faithful Sunday. and dedicated Musical Director / organist. A thank you and farewell morning tea was BIBLE STUDY held on Sunday 29th August after our Two new groups have started in the Par- 9.30am service. ish. One meets on the first and third After much searching Fr John has Wednesdays at 11am after the Wednesday appointed a new organist, Samuel Eucharist. The Second group meets on the McMahon who started on Sunday 5th second and fourth Wednesdays at 7.30pm. September. Samuel is a very competent The groups have been reflecting on Luke’s and experienced organist and is settling in Gospel. All are welcome to join us. You well and working with the Choir. We are in don’t have to commit to every session. need of new Choir members so if you are Come and share and reflect.... interested talk to Samuel. CANDLE STANDS BACK TO CHURCH SUNDAY Two new candle stands to light candles in Back to Church Sunday was held on were blessed on Trinity Sunday (30th May) Sunday 12th September. A number of at 9.30 am. These two stands were people invited past parishioners, friends donated by the Vicar and his wife in and relations to come back to church. It memory of the Fr John’s mother and was fantastic to see the Church look full Carolyn’s Father. One stand was placed at and healthy. Thank you to all who invited the front of the church replacing the old people to Church. We need to continue to plastic stand and the other was placed be a welcoming church as well as an near the baptism font and is available even inviting church. when security is on in the church. ANGLICAN PARISH OF ESSENDON ANNUAL REPORT 2010 PAGE 3 RE-DEVELOPMENT PILGRIMAGE to CAMPERDOWN ABBEY A proposal that was acceptable to the The early Church often went on Spiritual Wardens and Vestry was recently pilgrimages to explore their faith and to promoted. Having since spoken to senior pray. We visited the Camperdown Diocesan officials it was noted that Benedictine Abbey on Saturday 30th although the proposal would be good for October. It was another great day. Essendon, it will not tick the boxes for the Diocese. We are currently talking with the THANK YOU Diocese and answering their questions. Thank you to all who have worked hard Please be patient as we work hard to do over the last 12 months. A special thank the right thing by the Parish and the you to the Wardens: Margaret, Bill and Diocese. We will consult with the Parish Alan and to the Vestry for their support and when we have a concrete proposal that is work. Thank you to Margaret our treasurer acceptable to the Parish, Diocese and and Alan our Secretary. Thank you to all Developer. who quietly do things around the Church from mowing lawns, to decorating the MICHAELMASS at St AIDAN’S church with flowers, helping in the kitchen, On Sunday 26th September we joined with assisting in the liturgy, welcoming or the Clergy and people at Aberfeldie and inviting people to church and so on. Thank Strathmore for a combined Eucharist at you. 9.30 am at St Aidan’s Strathmore. This was part of the EssACC program and it I have only been here ten months and a lot was an enjoyable time. The highlight was has been achieved, however there is much Fr Kenneth’s sermon on Angel’s wings. more to do and I look forward to working with all members of the parish in building COMMITTEES up the Parish and the Kingdom of God.