Don Dowling's Blog

Don's Blog

Hi All,

Last weekend was spent at a Presbytery, which meets every six months. I have to say that all in all it was an enjoyable weekend. It was a two-day meeting and by anyone’s standard that is long, however the meeting was punctuated by special celebrations, presentations, worship and positive proposals. Of most importance was the affirmation of Kay’s appointment as General Secretary for another three years. It was great for Kay to receive the affirmation for the work she is doing. It was also good for me to hear my colleagues and peers offering her significant support. If you would like to see a small video clip I made of Presbytery you can go to… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pPDoWyCSx0&feature=youtu.be

Thanks to Rev Geoff Blyth who preached at worship last week. I really appreciated being able to have someone else step in for me. Which reminds me to say that Geoff is taking over from Jan Carrick as Pastoral Coordinator for a few months. Jan is heading of to England to visit and offer support to her Mother in law. We wish her safe travel and an enjoyable time.

I have enjoyed preparing for Sunday this week as the topic is, “I am the vine, you are the branches”. As part of my preparation I met with two of my colleagues and discussed our particular interpretations. However, the most enjoyable aspect of my preparation was to meet with the Rev Dr John Bodycomb and his wife, Lorraine. Dr Bodycomb was my Dean at theological college and influenced my preaching style quite considerably. He has just produced a book called “Excited to speak, Exciting to hear” which discusses preaching in the church. Part of the book offers a reflection on the text for Sunday and I will be using some of his thoughts as I think they’re very relevant for us.

John the and his wife, Lorraine, Kay and I were able to spend time together over dinner talking about old times, solving all the problems of the world and the church, but mostly catching up on what each one of us was doing now. It was a special time for me as John played a positive part in my formation as a minister and I was able to thank him for his wisdom and insight during my time in theological college, which by the way was over 30 years ago.

My week has been punctuated with many meetings and I have enjoyed catching up with people, hearing of plans for the future and thinking through some of the issues of in our church in the city. The new UCIC Church Council will be meeting next week; this is only our second real meeting with a full complement of people. So as you can imagine we are still working our way through the complex issues of UCIC. It is hoped that we will have a Joint Congregational meeting very soon, particularly as we will need to present the budget for next year. I can tell you that everybody on the Council is working very hard to produce the best outcomes for our congregations in the city. We would value your prayers.

Today Paul Whitfield from City Bible Forum, a group that offers ministry in the city, is using Wesley to present a conversation between a Hindu, an Atheist, and a Christian. The topic is “The Origin of the Species”, and is held between 12 and 1pm. I’ll be interested to see how it goes. Paul, like me, is keen to encourage conversations between people of faith and those who pass by our church every day.

One of the meetings held this week was with representatives from Uniting Care West. They are in the process of renewing their Strategic Plan and asked us for input, not only because we are a significant congregation in the city but also because we still fund many of their activities. It was felt that we do need to develop a stronger partnership and I am now sure that this will become part of their future plans. I think it will also mean that we will hold a special annual service reflecting on the many aspects of their work with people in need in our city. I am looking forward to seeing what comes of our thoughts.

Mal Mohan, who offers teaching to our children each Sunday, has asked me to remind you that we are hoping to involve the children in Mothers Day at Wesley. So if you would like your children, your grandchildren, your friends children, to offer something special to our Mums, can I encourage you to bring them to church on that day.

I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.

Thanks for reading.

From your minister,

Don

Sunday 6th May

8.30am Discussion Group in the Guild Room

10.00am Worship – The fifth Sunday of Easter. Reflecting on “I am the vine, you are the branches”. Holy Communion