The Vision

Published for the Kaniva & Serviceton Congregations of the Uniting Church & Church of Christ

Mar - May 2014

Our Shared Ministry Objective: To foster Christian fellowship and Spiritual growth within our congregations and Christian witness in the wider community

Website: kanivachurches.org.au

UCA CHURCH COUNCIL: CHURCH OF CHRIST BOARD: Chairperson: Graham Carter Chairperson: Murray Williams

53931223 53931277 Secretary: Mary Grosser Secretary: Kerryn Dyer 53922207 Treasurer: Alwyn Dyer Minutes Sec: Harvey Champness 53922642 53922910 Ass.Treas: Kerryn Dyer

Treasurer: Ian Champness 53922642

53922253

Ass.Treas: Bevan Rogers 53922645

SERVICETON UCA CHURCH COUNCIL: SERVICETON CHURCH OF CHRIST

Secretary Secretary:

Judith Carter David Wallis

53931223 53931260

Published Quarterly at Baker St., Print Post Approved

Return Address: 12 Baker St., 335476/00002

Key Values Serve Us Well

Spotted in a committee meeting. I was sitting in the

Kaniva College staff room the other day, attending the

Chaplaincy Committee meeting. My eyes wandered to the

signs on the wall above the whiteboard. One word signs.

Respect. Consideration. Endeavour. Co-operation. Resilience.

What a good set of values for a school. The school community that focuses on these values

will be stable and progress and many other related values will be observed and be of great

benefit.

Shared Ministry Key Values. Towards the end of last year, the Shared Ministry Leaders

identified some key values.

Prayer. Integrity. Leadership. Mission. Fellowship.

These values commend themselves and as we focus on them in 2014 the Shared Ministry will

better fulfil the vision that is before us and achieve the goals that have been set.

Joke coming up...but first a few comments on these key values.

Prayer. The Lord tells us to pray. As we pray he will act and we will see what the Lord

calls ‘greater things.’ Ask and we will receive. See John 14:11-13. I have not heard of a

church yet which did not see the Lord do greater things as they persisted in prayer together.

Integrity. It’s not that we aren’t real, consistent, genuine. We want to be more real, genuine,

consistent and credible. When we lack integrity we wound each other and give others less

reason to join us and share the Christian way.

Leadership. Leaders who lead do more than keep the ship afloat. They steer the ship, care

for the crew, keep the vessel safe and ensure the ship reaches its desired destination. New

initiatives in 2014 will see leaders appointed.

Mission. The local church is more than a force for good. It is a mission team. Concern for

others is paramount. The Lord tells us to go to others. Meet need. Make disciples. Love is

always other minded, inherently missional.

Fellowship. Without each other Christians are lonely and easy prey. Jesus formed a

community and all other Christian communities stem from that first band of disciples. We

grow our unity and our capacity to work together through fellowship.

We ought always to pray! This mum was in a spot of bother. Her daughter was ill at school

and needed to be picked up. But at the same time she needed to pick up their younger son

from kinder. Somehow in picking up the kinder child the car doors locked with the keys and

the child inside the car and mum on the outside.

Mum knew that the Lord answers prayer and so somewhat agitated, she prayed. “Lord send

someone who can break into the car and send them quick. Please Lord.”

Quite soon a man passed by and noticed the distressed mum. He pulled over and getting out

of the car asked if he could help. In a jiffy, too quick for the human eye, he had the car

unlocked and the driver’s door opened.

The relieved mum thanked him and told him he was a good man and an answer to prayer. He

shook his head and smiled. He explained that he had just been released from prison that very

day.

“Praise the Lord” the now happy mother said. “He sent a professional!”

All jokes aside……Lord, we thank you that you hear and answer prayer. Help us to focus

and grow in the areas of prayer, integrity, leadership, mission and fellowship. We ask you to

do greater things through us. Fulfil your will and purpose for us in the West Wimmera.

Thank you for each other and thank you for bringing us together. Make us your blessing to

others Lord. Amen.

Mal Collins.

Minister’s 2013 Annual Report

It has been a privilege for Heather and I to be with you in interim ministry. We thank

you for your warm welcome and fine cooperation since we first joined the Shared

Ministry in March. For us it has been a very happy and worthwhile partnership in both

Serviceton and Kaniva.

Some 2013 Highlights

We are well served by our team of oversight leaders. Then there are the leaders

and team members of the various ministries and groups of the SM. Thank you

for your faithful and willing service.

There has been a review of the SM. A new vision has been adopted and goals set

for the year ahead. I believe we are moving forward in worship, fellowship and

mission as God’s people together.

An annual schedule has been adopted which highlights special events throughout

the year including a time of review, an opportunity to refresh the SM Vision

statement and to develop goals for the coming 12 months. This schedule will

help the Leadership to be proactive about vision and mission for the SM.

I said a little prayer for you and I asked the Lord above

To keep you safely in His care And enfold you in His love

I did not ask for fortune for riches or for fame

I only ask for blessings In the Saviour’s Holy name Blessings to surround you In times of trial and stress

And inner joy to fill your heart With peace and happiness

(Helen Steiner Rice, Remembering with love)

Holiday Clubs held in the July and September have been very worthwhile.

Through some good planning the Holiday Club days didn’t clash with the library

or Link holiday activities.

There has been a focus on training this year with Monday night workshops

dealing with effective mission, preaching and worship leading.

Kaniva Youth Group has been happening every 2nd

Friday night of the school

term. Prov 31 and Gen 1 meet beforehand to do Bible study and pray together.

It has been exciting to see just how popular the Youth Group is with young

people. The sports nights in Bordertown have been a highlight for me

The Shared Ministry continues to support Nightchurch which is led and

organised by the Young Adults group. The Young Adults meet together most

Monday nights. The Nightchurch held at Broughton is memorable and the

December Nightchurch held in the dining hall of the bottom pub stands out.

On the first Sunday of each month there is a Communion Service at Karinya.

Gordon and Harvey take it in turns with me to lead. Helene chats with the

residents and Heather plays the piano for some singing of the old hymns. This is

well supported by the residents and we very much appreciate the help of the

Karinya staff.

I have particularly valued connecting with families who have experienced

bereavement. In recent months I have been able to get to know some of the

residents of Serviceton.

In 2013, there has been good fellowship and co-operation with the Kaniva

Ministers’ Association and the College Chaplaincy Committee.

Heather and I have continued the prayer time launched by Tiarnee early in the

year. The Sunday 5pm prayer hour for 3419 and 3420 gives a foundation of

concerted prayer for the life and witness of the Shared Ministry.

In keeping with the SM goals, in the year ahead the SM leaders hope to help the church

in Kaniva to connect more with children and their parents and give greater support to

seniors in life and in faith, and in Serviceton to help the church grow the ministry of

compassionate friendship.

I would like to record that the members of the Shared Ministry are very involved in so

many of the clubs and activities of our community. You truly are salt, light and yeast in

the West Wimmera.

In 2014 let us continue to encourage each other and to pray and work for the salvation,

the well being and progress of the people of Kaniva and Serviceton.

Mal Collins.

Interim Minister.

PS: I am sure to have missed something that should be mentioned. If anything comes to

mind please let me know.

UC Church Council Chairperson's Report

Our UC Council team have been kept bushy throughout 2013 with our regular

quarterly meetings and various projects in between.

The arrival of Mal and Heather Collins has been a blessing for not only our Shared

ministry but also as role models of Christian Witness across our whole community.

We have been able to conduct fruitful discussions at our meetings which then feeds

information and points of view into our Shared Ministry team.

Early in the year the UC were involved in the town garage sale which raised in excess of

$1000. Thank-you to all those involved in this event.

Heather Collins and her team ran several very successful Children’s Holiday Programs

and further work will continue in 2014 on how best to deliver Children’s Ministry in

Kaniva.

As the UC Presbytery representative, Harvey has kept us well informed of events and

decisions further a field, I thank him for his commitment to this position as it requires a

lot of time in travel to attend these gatherings.

My thanks to Ian for his ongoing work as our Treasurer and his attention to detail in

keeping the books.

Thank-you to our Secretaries, Mary – correspondence and Harvey – minutes for your

efforts in keeping us informed and up-to-date.

Finally thank-you to those who support the group by attending the meetings, voicing

your opinions, forwarding reports and helping to promote Christian Witness in our

community.

When surrendered to the Spirit we become inwardly harmonised and hence

outwardly effective.

(Sayings of E. Stanley Jones)

Shared Ministry Report

I am writing this report on behalf of Murray Williams and myself who have jointly

chaired the Shared Ministry Committee throughout 2013. I hardly know where to

begin. Have I mentioned yet (in other reports), that Mal and Heather Collins joined us

early in 2013? Our Shared Ministry and indeed Christian Witness in Kaniva and

Serviceton have been blessed by their arrival.

After our forum/review in 2012, there seemed to be a great sense of wanting to ensure

that our meetings were productive and that as the leaders in the Shared Ministry, an

understanding of the need to develop achievable goals and focus points for us to work

towards would be high on our agenda.

Mal has been invaluable in working with us and members of both congregations to

guide us through a process of developing and agreeing on overall Goals, Mission

statements, an Annual Calendar of events, an Annual forum for review and forward

planning and we are currently working through developing a Church Covenant.

Mal's monthly reports have kept us all informed of his activities as well as thoughts and

plans for the coming months.

A major focus throughout our meetings, and indeed, Mal's weekly messages has been to

identify, and develop, Missional Opportunities in our communities. This has led both

congregations to discuss and identify what is most important for them at this time and

to develop ways that this can be achieved.

On behalf of Murray and myself I would like to thank Kerryn and Harvey who have

shared the Secretary role, to Mal for his leadership and to all members of the

Committee for your commitment to attending meetings and providing opinions and

wisdom.

The Minister's Selection panel will be working throughout the year to secure ongoing

ministry leadership but regardless of success in this area, 2014 will be a year of action

and I look forward to seeing our Shared Ministry grow in confidence at what can be

achieved in the Name of Our Lord.

Kaniva Holiday Club

After successful Holiday Clubs in July and

September last year, it has been decided to

continue these in the school holidays

(excluding December/January).

Last year it was a fun time for all – children,

helpers and Leaders – hearing Bible stories,

puppets, songs, making craft and playing

games. A family barbecue finished up each

club and was well attended. Dates are now

being finalised for two days in the first week of

April.

Uniting Church Elders

We have very much appreciated the ministry of Mal Collins throughout the year, along

with support from Heather.

One of the important roles of elders is pastoral care and we thank all of our pastoral

carers who have fulfilled this vital ministry in 2013.

We have been delighted to welcome Bec Curtis and Millie Carter into membership at

Serviceton, along with the dedication of Olive Curtis.

Some of the items of discussion and action during the year have included; bible study at

Kaniva. The missional initiative DVD from UC Presbytery, church annual letter,

annual schedule, vision and goals statement, service of celebration and forgiveness, and

the review questions for shared ministry.

We are very pleased that Robyn Jewell has been elected for a further 5 years as an

elder.

Thank you to all who have contributed to the life of the church at Kaniva and

Serviceton and we pray that together we can continue to proclaim Gods message and

reach out to our communities with His love and care.

It is very encouraging to see the outreach ministries that are active from within the

shared ministry and we seek to support these as we continue to serve our Lord into the

future.

Graham Carter (Chairperson)

Thankfulness

"It isn't what you have in your pocket

that makes you thankful,

but what you have in your heart."

- Unknown

UC Annual Report - Presbytery

The Presbytery of Western Victoria is the key oversight body for the Uniting Church in

the south-west of the state, and operates through various arms such as the Mission and

Education Committee, the Pastoral Relations Committee and the Standing Committee.

These assist in forming general policy for the region and contribute to the smooth

running of the Presbytery. Chairperson John Diprose and Secretary Jenny Clark have

fulfilled many of the general tasks of the Presbytery, in conjunction with the Presbytery

Ministers David Thompson (Administration), Paul Blacker (Pastoral Care) and Jen

Pretty (Mission and Education). Jen has now moved to Melbourne, and her position is

yet to be filled for 2014.

Presbytery meets four times a year, drawing on representatives from congregations

right across the region, so meetings can be quite large with up to 80 – 90 people present.

Meetings in 2013 were held at Hamilton, Ballarat, Halls Gap and Stawell.

Some of the particular issues dealt with during the year included:

- the “Uniting our Future” proposals and the declaration of “special circumstances”

- the provision of hospital chaplaincy services at Ballarat

- the Fire Services Levy and its impact on congregations.

Meetings also received reports and conducted discussions on various missional activities

that are being conducted across the Presbytery, and the achievements of members in

areas such as mission and education were recognised.

A devotional segment is always a part of Presbytery meetings, and this can sometimes

include a small service. A particular example of note was the service of release for Rev

Jen Pretty, as she vacated her Presbytery Minister role.

It is important to maintain our links with the wider church, and attendance at

Presbytery meetings is an important part of these links. The involvement of more people

in the life of the Presbytery would be highly desirable. A possible “first step” could be

involvement in the cluster meetings that are held in more local areas between the main

Presbytery meetings. Any indications of interest would be most welcome.

Harvey Champness

Presbytery Representative

A father was approached by his small son who told him proudly, "I know what the bible means!" His father smiled and replied, "What do you mean, you 'know' what the bible means?" The son replied, "I do know!" "Okay," said his father, "what does the bible mean?" "That's easy, Daddy," the young boy replied excitedly, "It stands for 'Basic Information Before Leaving Earth.'"

Annual Report - Uniting Caterers

We have had another fairly quiet year for catering in 2013. During the year, we have catered

for a family reunion, Durum wheat growers’ morning tea, an 80th

birthday party and the

Seniors Christmas luncheon.

We also provided a cuppa and sandwiches for a large number of funerals, including some

which involved a light luncheon. A big “thank you” to the catering Committee and a number

of willing helpers who assist at funerals – your efforts are noted and always appreciated.

Fortunately, we have been reimbursed with a substantial proportion of the money we had

invested with Banksia Securities when they went into liquidation.

The current balance in our general catering account is $9266.21.

UC Resources Team Annual Report

During 2013, the Resources Team has been gradually working through a comprehensive list of OH&S

requirements for our properties, and while some things still remain to be done, many have now been

completed. Some improvements have also been carried out at the UC manse, the main one being the

replacement of spouting, with some painting still to be done.

The long term tenants in the manse vacated the premises in mid-December and since then some minor

improvements and cleaning have been carried out with the view to re-renting it in the near future. A

big thank you to those who have helped out with these jobs – your efforts have been much

appreciated.

The new church sign was erected early in the year and maintenance of the church block is on-going. A

new photo copier was also purchased early in the year.

A special thank you to those who carry out a myriad of maintenance jobs around our facilities to keep

things in good condition.

Perhaps you are someone who would be prepared to help out with some of these jobs and lighten the

load on the willing few. If so, please contact Bevan or Harvey.

Serviceton Congregation

The Serviceton Congregation continues to work well with the Church of Christ. Together, we

are the Church of Serviceton with people coming from many different denominational

backgrounds. A large proportion of our congregation are young adults which is very

encouraging. It is also great that we now have two babies regularly coming.

Olive Rose Curtis, daughter of Thomas and Rebecca Curtis was dedicated at a thanksgiving

service. Also during this service we welcomed Rebecca Curtis and Millicent Carter in to the

membership of the church.

We have appreciated the ministry of Pastor Mal and Heather in our services and during the

week. We also thank the lay people who have taken our services and visiting preachers such

as Jan Pederson and Kym and Margreet Diment who have also provided inspiration,

encouragement and challenges to us.

One of the main mission goals of our congregation has been pastoral care. Although this is

already happening through Ladies Fellowship, Sunday School, Kaniva Youth and significant

reaching out to individuals in the community, it was thought we should make a more

coordinated effort. As a result of this we have also had a men’s movie night and a community

barbecue in the Serviceton Park prior to the Carol Service. Mal will be leading a pastoral care

workshop at Serviceton soon.

In October we farewelled Christy Carter for 6 months as she does a YWAM Sports

Discipleship Training School. She is presently doing outreach in Nepal and will be headed to

Malaysia. We pray for Christy as she shares about Jesus.

Graham and Judith Carter

GIVE THE FOLLOWING GIFTS:

To your enemy -- forgiveness, To your opponent --.tolerance. To a friend -- your heart. To a customer -- service. To all men -- charity. To every child -- a good example To yourself – respect

- Unknown

Serviceton Ladies Fellowship

Serviceton Ladies Fellowship had another varied and encouraging year with new members

coming along. At our Christmas/AGM meeting held at Heartfelt, Helen Wallis was re-elected

President, Janet Murphy was elected Vice – President, Judith Carter was re-elected Secretary

and Jenny Tink re-elected Treasurer.

During the year we donated money to Operation Shoebox, Sammy Stamp, Bible Society,

Kaniva Chaplaincy, Frontier Services, Royal Flying Doctor and Wimmera Uniting Care.

Funds were raised through a Bible Society tea, catering and a progressive tea which was very

well supported by the ladies of the community.

Our Syllabus planning meeting will be held at Helen Wallis’ on the 10th Feb at 10.00 am.

Our meetings are generally the 4th Wednesday of the month and open to ladies of all ages.

Judith Carter

Serviceton All Aged Sunday School

Our Sunday School continues to reach out to a number of families within the community.

While we were saddened to have one family leave the district, it is with pleasure that we

welcome the Dixon family to Serviceton and our Sunday School.

Most lessons involve a memory verse, singing, Bible story, games and craft. We have had our

annual picnic at Moree, anniversary led by guest speaker, Sonia Hunt and participated in the

annual Community Carol Service.

Our Sunday School sponsors a family from Varanasi, India. They are Surrendra, Sarita, Sahil

and Angel. It was great to have Margreet Diment share some of their story with us.

Graham and Judith Carter

Serviceton Bible Study Group

Up to eight families meet fortnightly in each other’s homes. We have been studying the book

of Isaiah. We have a time of singing and prayer as well as the study followed by supper and

fellowship. It is a great time of sharing, learning and encouragement. We have really

appreciated Mal and Heather joining us when they can.

We had a break over Christmas and harvest time but will be starting again very soon. People

of all ages are most welcome.

Graham and Judith Carter

Kaniva Youth Group

Kaniva Youth Group continues to grow in numbers and enthusiasm with an average of over

20 high school aged youth. The activities vary including mud soccer, water skirmish, master

chef, movies, ten pin bowling and much more.

The start of 2013 saw the beginning of GenOne the boys’ equivalent of the girl’s group

Prov31. Both groups generally meet for an hour before the activities for Bible Study and

prayer. The youth have all been given Bibles.

2013 was also the first time the Kaniva Youth had their own Hall’s Gap Camp in July. Mitch

Winkel –Davis, from Adelaide was the guest speaker. The campsite has been booked for July

7th to 11th 2014 and everyone is eager for another wonderful week of fun and growing in

their relationships with God and each other. Another first was having their own worship service. Lauren Thomas, from Sydney spoke at

that. Some of the youth and some of the leaders provided the music. Several times during the year the Kaniva Youth went to Bordertown to meet with other youth

groups and sometimes the Bordertown youth came to Kaniva.

Devotions and prayer are an important part of each youth group night. Please pray for all the

leaders and the youth.

Graham and Judith Carter

Happiness cannot be travelled to, owned, earned, worn, or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.

Denis Waitley “Oh1 What a feeling”