Pre-Budget communication, July 2020

Dear Wellspring community,

 

We’re entering into an important season for the life of our church, and I want you to come along.

 

As a church, we meet in August each year at our Annual General Meeting to decide on our ministry investments: where we think God is calling us to spend our time, our money and our passion for the year ahead. In the coming weeks, you’ll receive some communication to help you prepare for that meeting, but the upshot is that our year ahead will focus on being a community where people belongbelievegrow and share

 

Today I am writing with an update on where we think God is calling us to spend our money, so that these keywords can become realities. Parish Council have put together a proposed draft 2020-2021 Budget that includes a number of significant changes to decrease our expenditure, so that we are being good stewards of our resources by having a sustainable long-term budget.  (Further detail in relation to the changes is discussed further below).

 

For those who are new to Wellspring or need a refresh, here’s some context. Last year, Parish Council felt God calling us to step out in faith with an ambitious budget, a budget that invested in our key ministries with the prayer that these ministries would grow spiritually and in number to enable an offertory increase of over 25%. 

 

Based on the recent Parish-wide Strategic Planning survey, we note various shortcomings to how we presented our budget last year. In particular, we understand that last year’s budget took some of our church family by surprise, especially surrounding staff expenditure.  We note that some church members did not feel that they had an opportunity to express their thoughts during or outside of the AGM. We hope that this communication about key proposed changes will give insight earlier. 

 

As reported by our Treasurer Gemma Kleywegt in the last Finance Update, as well as throughout the year in the fortnightly church Newsletter, an offertory increase has not eventuated, and as at 31 May 2020 we remain at a shortfall of $157,000.

 

In addition to the offertory observations above, we have also identified the following key factors;

  • Regular Cambodia outreach support has dropped significantly, resulting in Wellspring needing to compensate the shortfall from general funds.  
  • Whilst we have not seen a significant reduction in financial giving from the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic environment as yet, we are conscious that there may be some in our church family experiencing hardship now or to come.
  • The federal government’s Jobkeeper initiative, which all staff employed by the Diocese of Tasmania are eligible for, allows some budgetary relief but is not a long-term provision.

 

As compared to current spending, these are the key expenditure changes proposed for the 2020-2021 Budget:

  • Staffing investments
    • Rector – Rob Imberger – reduces by 1 day per week*
    • University Pastor – Sam Gough – reduces by 1 day per week*
    • Chinese Pastor – Michael Chau – reduces by 2 days per week*
    • Chinese Assistant Minister - Tzu Nin Kwan – reduces by 1 day per week*
    • Children’s Ministry Coordinator – Lynne Grant – begins employment 1 day per week for 5 months (until end of 2020)
    • Children’s Minister (to be employed) – 2 days per week for 6 months (from beginning 2021)
    • Music Ministry Leader – Jessie Whittle – begins employment 1 day per week (this will be funded from the Wellspring Ministry Trust, not offertory giving)
  • Cambodia mission
    • Reduction of $24,000 against last financial year*
    • Continued invitation for Wellspring members to give privately and tax deductibly via Global Development Group

*reduction to occur following the AGM 

 

Let me be clear: these are not easy matters, and your staff team have graciously and willingly agreed that the above be considered. 

 

With all of that said, recent strategic consult feedback also showed the priorities our church family sees in the year and years to come. They include: children’s ministry, international student ministry, local outreach, 10am congregational leadership, and more. 

 

How great would it be to see to see increases in offertory leading to increasing our ability to address such strategic priorities?

 

So please pray for your Parish Council and for our wider church family, as preparations continue to be made for our Annual Meeting. I encourage you to touch base with our Treasurer Gemma Kleywegt or myself if you would like to discuss any points above in greater depth.

 

Your brother in Christ,

 

Rob Imberger

Rector/Senior Pastor

 

 

Pre-Budget communication, July 2020

Dear Wellspring community,

 

We’re entering into an important season for the life of our church, and I want you to come along.

 

As a church, we meet in August each year at our Annual General Meeting to decide on our ministry investments: where we think God is calling us to spend our time, our money and our passion for the year ahead. In the coming weeks, you’ll receive some communication to help you prepare for that meeting, but the upshot is that our year ahead will focus on being a community where people belongbelievegrow and share

 

Today I am writing with an update on where we think God is calling us to spend our money, so that these keywords can become realities. Parish Council have put together a proposed draft 2020-2021 Budget that includes a number of significant changes to decrease our expenditure, so that we are being good stewards of our resources by having a sustainable long-term budget.  (Further detail in relation to the changes is discussed further below).

 

For those who are new to Wellspring or need a refresh, here’s some context. Last year, Parish Council felt God calling us to step out in faith with an ambitious budget, a budget that invested in our key ministries with the prayer that these ministries would grow spiritually and in number to enable an offertory increase of over 25%. 

 

Based on the recent Parish-wide Strategic Planning survey, we note various shortcomings to how we presented our budget last year. In particular, we understand that last year’s budget took some of our church family by surprise, especially surrounding staff expenditure.  We note that some church members did not feel that they had an opportunity to express their thoughts during or outside of the AGM. We hope that this communication about key proposed changes will give insight earlier. 

 

As reported by our Treasurer Gemma Kleywegt in the last Finance Update, as well as throughout the year in the fortnightly church Newsletter, an offertory increase has not eventuated, and as at 31 May 2020 we remain at a shortfall of $157,000.

 

In addition to the offertory observations above, we have also identified the following key factors;

  • Regular Cambodia outreach support has dropped significantly, resulting in Wellspring needing to compensate the shortfall from general funds.  
  • Whilst we have not seen a significant reduction in financial giving from the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic environment as yet, we are conscious that there may be some in our church family experiencing hardship now or to come.
  • The federal government’s Jobkeeper initiative, which all staff employed by the Diocese of Tasmania are eligible for, allows some budgetary relief but is not a long-term provision.

 

As compared to current spending, these are the key expenditure changes proposed for the 2020-2021 Budget:

  • Staffing investments
    • Rector – Rob Imberger – reduces by 1 day per week*
    • University Pastor – Sam Gough – reduces by 1 day per week*
    • Chinese Pastor – Michael Chau – reduces by 2 days per week*
    • Chinese Assistant Minister - Tzu Nin Kwan – reduces by 1 day per week*
    • Children’s Ministry Coordinator – Lynne Grant – begins employment 1 day per week for 5 months (until end of 2020)
    • Children’s Minister (to be employed) – 2 days per week for 6 months (from beginning 2021)
    • Music Ministry Leader – Jessie Whittle – begins employment 1 day per week (this will be funded from the Wellspring Ministry Trust, not offertory giving)
  • Cambodia mission
    • Reduction of $24,000 against last financial year*
    • Continued invitation for Wellspring members to give privately and tax deductibly via Global Development Group

*reduction to occur following the AGM 

 

Let me be clear: these are not easy matters, and your staff team have graciously and willingly agreed that the above be considered. 

 

With all of that said, recent strategic consult feedback also showed the priorities our church family sees in the year and years to come. They include: children’s ministry, international student ministry, local outreach, 10am congregational leadership, and more. 

 

How great would it be to see to see increases in offertory leading to increasing our ability to address such strategic priorities?

 

So please pray for your Parish Council and for our wider church family, as preparations continue to be made for our Annual Meeting. I encourage you to touch base with our Treasurer Gemma Kleywegt or myself if you would like to discuss any points above in greater depth.

 

Your brother in Christ,

 

Rob Imberger

Rector/Senior Pastor

 

 

Jesus Continued - Preaching Series - Jun/July 2020

We resume our long-running series in the Book of Acts.

See below for a breakdown of the weeks ahead, as well as Discussion Questions you may like to use for your Growth Groups.

 

Date

Series

First reading

Second reading

Preacher

Jun 7

Jerusalem council

Amos 9. 7-12

Acts 15. 1-29

Rob

Jun 14

Antioch & beyond

2 Timothy 4. 1-13

Acts 15. 30 – 16.10

Angus

Jun 21

Philippi

Philippians 1. 3-11

Acts 16. 11-24

John

Jun 28

Philippi

Philippians 4. 1-9

Acts 16. 25-40

Noel 

Jul 5

Thessalonica & Berea

1 Thessalonians 2. 1-12

Acts 17. 1-15

Rob

Jul 12

Athens

1 Corinthians 8. 1-6

Acts 17 16-34

Angus

 

Jun 7th questions:

1. How would you summarise the book of Acts so far? Re-read Acts 1:1-8. Where have there been distinct sections that correspond with Jesus' promises?

2. Go through chs. 11-13 to rediscover events in Antiochean church life. What sort of issues have they needed to grapple with so far? Which gospel themes have come across more clearly than others? 

3. Circumcision was a 'Jesus+' condition that certain believers were imposing on the church in Antioch. What are modern-day equivalents of 'Jesus+'?

4. Share together ways you have felt trapped by 'Jesus+' living, and then take some time to pray God's freedom for each member, along the lines of Ac 13:38-39.

 

Jun 14th questions

1. Revisit the earlier part of the Jerusalem Council story in Ac 15:1-29. What new aspects do you notice? In the context of what follows, why is this an important part of the early church's life?

2. In 15:36-41, a disagreement arises between Paul and Barnabas. It leads to disbanding. Read Romans 14:1-13 and discuss how it helps us understand Christian disagreement.

3. In your experience, under what circumstances do Christians disagree? Give positive and negative examples.

4. Ac 16:6-10 includes the Holy Spirit's ministry in "forbidding/disallowing", as well as the giving of a "vision". Discuss what part this plays in the spread of Jesus' good news. Discuss your experience with similar ministry of the Holy Spirit for yourself.

 

Jun 21st questions

1. Make it a task pre-meeting for someone in your group to research a map of the ancient world, including place names in this passage. How does this assist you in imagining Paul's journey and the spread of Jesus' good news?

2. In 16:14, Luke records that "the Lord opened Lydia's heart to respond to what Paul was saying." Is that an adequate or inadequate description of conversion? What might you add or alter?

3. In 16:16-18, the "slave girl" is not incorrect in what she speaks. Why does Paul silence her? Discuss this in reference to examples in the Gospels (eg. Mark 5:7, Matthew 8:28-29) when evil spirits address Jesus.

4. Re-read 16:19-24. It can be easy skip over the suffering that Paul and Silas endure. Spend a moment praying for persecuted Christians around the world. 

 

Jun 28th questions

1. Return to 16:19-24 for the context of Paul & Silas's imprisonment. Note the physical conditions they were in, and then re-read 16:25. What must their state of heart be for this response?

2. In 16:27-34, the jailer undergoes an extraordinary series of events. What may have led him to ask, "What must I do to be saved?" What changed for him immediately?

3. Paul asks for and receives an official apology in 16:37-39. Why was this important to him?

4. Read Philippians 4:1-9 as a window into the life of the church referred to in Ac 16:40. What do you observe?

 

Jul 5th quesitons

1. It says in Ac 17:2-3 that Paul's "usual" practice was to enter a synagogue and preach about Jesus. Give some examples from the Old Testament about how Jesus is the fulfilment of the "Messiah".

2. In 17:7-8, followers of Jesus are referred to as those who "turn the world upside down". What did this mean then and what does it mean now?

3. Re-read 17:10, 13-14. Whilst it's true that the apostles did not avoid persecution, Paul and his companions often escape cities when in danger (eg. Ac 9:23-31). How do we make sense of these two realities?

4. The Bereans are described as those who "received the word with eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so". When was the last time you 'tested' a sermon you heard in this way?  

Regathering guidelines

See attached the Diocesan Roadmap and State Government documents that will help govern our regathering plans.

We also have a survey for you to fill in, which will help us in planning how and when we regather in person.

https://wellspring.elvanto.com.au/form/8375b95b-5f04-493c-95b1-384da392477d

New preaching series | HOPE | Apr-May 2020

HOPE: from the Father, through the Son, by the Spirit

Apr-May 2020

8am and 10am congregations

 

The three letters of John (1, 2, 3 John) are rich with insight and encouragement for our current coronavirus climate.

We will follow the below programme; Growth Group questions are also below.

 

Date

First Reading

Second Reading

Apr 19

1 John 1:1 – 2:2

Apr 26

1 John 2:3-27

2 John 1-6

May 3

1 John 2:28 – 3:24

-

May 10

1 John 4:1-6

2 John 7-11

May 17

1 John 4:7 – 5:5

3 John 1-8

May 24

1 John 5:5-21 

3 John 9-12

 

1 John 1:1 - 2:2

i. In your experience:
  • What things help you keep your eyes fixed on Jesus?
  • What things get in the way of focusing on Jesus?
ii. In the Gospels, what are some of the things that show Jesus was:
  • truly & fully human
  • truly & fully God
iii. Compare John Gospel 1: 1-18 with the first five verses of 1 John.  
  • What themes do they have in common?
  • What do these passages teach us about Jesus?
iv. What place does self-examination leading to confession of sin have in your life?
 

1 John 2:3-27 & 2 John 6

1. If you had only three sentences to sum up what a Christian needs to know during the coronavirus pandemic, what would they be and why?
 
2. What do you learn about the church John is writing to from 1st Jn 2:12-14 (also compare 1:1-4)?
 
3. Re-read 1st John 2:3-11, 15-27. John draws several sharp contrasts. List them out and the reasons why each of the two realities are incompatible.
 
4. Compare 2nd Jn 5-6 with 1st Jn 2:7-11. What is similar? Why might this be significant?
 
5. What enters your mind when you hear "antichrist"? Reading 1st John 2:18-19, as well as 4:1-3, what is the bible's description? Give some examples of 'antichrist' teaching and behaviour.
 
6. What does it mean for you as an individual and us as Wellspring to "walk just as Jesus walked" (1st Jn 2:6)? Spend some time discussing application and then pray for one another, asking the Holy Spirit to apply this verse especially to members of your group and to our church.

 

1 John 2:28 - 3:24

i. When you imagine yourself as a "son" or "daughter" of God "the Father", which words or images immediately leap to mind? Why do you think this is so?

ii. According to this passage, how would you answer the question, 'Who are the children of God?' 

iii. According to this passage, how would you answer the question, 'What do the the children of God do?' 

iv. What does it mean that (3:6), "everyone who remains in Jesus does not sin"? Start by exploring what that does not mean.

 

1 John 4:1-6 & 2 John 7-11

1. If you have them, tell of two experiences when you (or someone you know) 'heard from a spirit': one positive, one negative.

2. Compare 4:1-6 to 1 Corinthians 12:1-3. In what kind of circumstances can you imagine this 'Jesus test' being significant?
3. Re-read the entirety of 2 John. What about it has links to 1 John?

4. In what ways would you like prayer to appropriate 4:4 to your life now, in the midst of coronavirus? 

 

3 John 1-8 & 1 John 4.7 - 5.4
 
1. In 3 John (verses 3 & 4) John commends the Christians he is writing to, for their fidelity to the truth and walking in truth.  
  • What does it mean to be faithful to and walk in truth?
  • Can you think of examples where people are and are not doing these things?
  • How do we encourage one another in this way, and rebuke when necessary?
2. In 3 John 8 we read the Christians John is writing to are told that they can be co-workers for the truth.
  • In what ways can all Christians be fulfil this role?
 
3.  What do we learn about the love of God in 1 John 4?
  • How is God’s love for us to the source of our love?
  • How do our responsibility and the role of the Holy Spirit fit together?
 
4.  Several times in 1 John he repeats Jesus’ command to love one another.  
  • Why do we not always find it easy to love our brothers and sisters in Christ?
 
5.  What place does God’s judgment have in your life as a Christian?
 
 
1 John 5:5-21 and 3 John 9-12
1. What are some things in your life that you find life-giving?
 
2. Are there times when you struggle to believe that God hears your prayers? Furthermore, how expectant are you that God will answer what you pray for?
 
3. Spend some time discussing your prayer life for others, and consider whether this could be an area of growth for you.

4. What idols do you have in your life that make it hard to experience eternal life with God?