CHAIRPERSON ' S REPORT
Sometimes the clearest way to make a point is to mangle a cliché : Time flies regardless of what you are doing ! It is hard to comprehend how rapidly the last three years seem to have passed since commencing in the position as Chairperson of the Elders Council . And this time has been so incredibly full ; as each significant task before the council was completed , or a milestone was reached , God immediately and purposefully had another one for us to work on . It has been very apparent that God has been stretching the council , growing our faith and leadership experience .
One example of this is in the search for pastoral staff - the search for an Executive Pastor and Youth and Young Adults Pastor will make 4 staff I have been directly involved in searching for , and 5 since my time as an Elder . This is wonderful evidence of God at work in growing His kingdom ! This growth has come because God is drawing more and more people to himself . And He is giving his people eyes to see where work needs to be done , and faithfully raising up workers to meet these needs . Please pray for those serving on the search committees , it is such a vital task requiring faithful prayer and a sacrifice of time to ensure they diligently seek God ’ s chosen people , for the glory of His name and the good of the church .
Another example of God at work has been in the process of preparing , discussing , revising and ultimately adopting our new constitution . It is hard to convey the sense of satisfaction ( and relief !) that accompanied the vote at our October meeting ; yet even greater is my gratitude for those who have spent much time on this project ( many thanks to Ian Elliss , Bob Lunn and everyone else who contributed to the process !). Praise be to God for bringing to completion a task that could not have been accomplished without His guidance and wisdom , and giving us a framework that will bless the church as we navigate the road ahead .
One last , incredibly significant example of faith and leadership has been demonstrated by Lead Pastor Dan Beasy , Worship Coordinator Mike Harris , and Manager , Ministry Support Peter Beck . Their Spirit-inspired leadership and faithful hard work ( along with the hard work of many others !), has allowed us to continue being community together despite a global pandemic ! This year has not been without glitches and hiccups , and many in our church family have found this year to be a very tough one , but it is fair to say God has done amazing things , and will continue to do so !
Please pray for all who serve on the Elder ’ s council ( Dan Beasy , Ian Elliss , Julia Fong , Jocelyn Lim , Dave Lucas , Myf Pang , Craig Priest and Katherine Yuen ) and in the Administrative Services Group ASG ( Peter Beck , Cathy Flower , Mel Hutchinson and Greg Waldeck ) as they continue to seek God , provide effective leadership and wisely steward the resources God has given for the work of sharing and glorifying his name .
As I reflect on this past year , I cannot help but praise God for his continued mercy , his generosity and his unrelenting work to grow his Kingdom . Our theme for 2020 has been “ Following King Jesus Together ”; Jesus is key to this theme , but the point is that we follow him together , in unity of heart and mind . The family chat night in September was an incredible example of this Spirit inspired unity , and it is my fervent hope that we would continue to strive together as a family towards all that God has for us , hearts filled with compassion , grace , joy and excitement for what God has next !
Jamie Botten