The Parish Council initiated a planning process in 2022 where we set some planning principles. We arranged a day in October 2022 to draw people together and dream about the future for St Philip’s.
We are keen to make sure that everyone who would like to has a chance to dream with us, add your input and ideas and join the thinking.
Please read this planning briefing to learn more.
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December 2018
Key Points from December Parish Council MeetingParish Council is grateful for the good response from parishioners for the watering roster for the garden over summer. There are still two slots to be filled at the end of February.
Pandora’s will be closed from 1pm on Saturday 15 December and will re-open on Friday 11 January 2019.
This year’s Carol Service will be held at 7.30pm on Sunday 16 December. It will be followed by supper. Please bring a plate to share.
Christmas services will follow the pattern of previous years. On Christmas Eve there will be a 5pm Children's Service, Carol Singing at 11pm and an 11.30pm Sung Eucharist. On Christmas Day Holy Communion will be at 9am.
The 2019 Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held at 11.15am on Sunday 24 February. Reports for the AGM should be submitted to Rev’d Martin no later than Sunday 3 February 2019.
Parishioners wishing to, or thinking of, serving on the Parish Council for 2019 should talk to Rev’d Martin well before the AGM. Please note that some current Parish Councillors will be stepping down so the need to fill these roles is great!
Parishioners are reminded that voluntary parish roles are renewed after each AGM. If any parishioners would like to take on a voluntary role in 2019 or are thinking about doing so, please talk to Rev’d Martin or any Parish Councillor. These roles include Banking role, Sacristan, Events & Food Coordinator, Parish Office etc.
Our annual Market Day will be held from 9am to 1pm on Saturday 23 March 2019
November 2018
We will start the Advent season with the “Thank You” Happy Hour at 5pm on Saturday 1 December and the Advent Dinner in the courtyard at 6.30 pm - followed on Sunday 2 December by the 8am service and the Family Service at 10am. The Happy Hour and Advent Dinner are always a wonderful celebration of our parish community. Please bring a salad or dessert to share. Please come and join us.
Repairs have been carried out on the roof of the Kindergarten and the roof of Pandora’s to address some persistent leaks.
There will be a Working Bee on Saturday 17 November from 9- 11am to ready the church and garden for the Advent season. If you are able to make available even a small amount of time, this would be appreciated and can make a difference in spreading the load.
Despite the welcome recent rain, we are still set for a very dry summer. The garden has already suffered from a dry winter. Parish Council is therefore seeking volunteers for a watering roster over December, January and February. If we had thirteen volunteers, we could manage a weekly hand water of the garden over this period. The commitment would only be for one water of the garden beds (not the grass) over the summer per volunteer. The watering could be done at any time during the week at the convenience of the volunteer. There will be a roster notice and further details on the noticeboard in the foyer if you are able to help.
Parish Council has agreed to hire the church to Canberra Opera for an end of year concert on Friday, 7 December 2018.
Ocotber 2018
Revd Martin reported to Parish Council on the Goulburn Synod.
This year’s Spring Fling was a great community event. Parish Council would like to thank the whole Parish for its support in making the Spring Fling such a success.
St Luke’s Day will be celebrated Thursday 8 October, 7pm with a Sung Eucharist, followed by supper.
October is our International Mission Month. The international mission project for 2018 is ABM’s Myanmar Education Project. Envelopes for donations are available in the foyer.
A new lockable “post box” has been installed in the foyer near the water cooler. It is to be used for new or amended Parish Permissions Forms and any other mail or papers that require more privacy than the open mail trays.
There will be a Working Bee on Saturday 17 November from 9-11am for a general clean-up to prepare the church and grounds for Advent and Christmas.
Canberra Opera will hire the church and Lamerton Centre for an end of year concert on the evening of Friday 7 December.
September 2018
Parish Council has begun discussion with St Philip’s Kindergarten on the renewal of the lease of the Church Hall for a further five years from 2019.
This year’s Spring Fling is now very close. It will be held from 10am to 2pm on Saturday 22 September. The Spring Fling is our major annual fundraising and outreach event. Support from parishioners is essential for a successful event. If you wish to contribute or have any questions, please speak to Leighton or Revd Martin.
Parish Council have agreed implementation procedures for the new Parish Permissions Forms to enable compliance with the wishes of parishioners and to improve protection of the personal details of parishioners.
October will be our International Mission Month. The international mission project for 2018 is ABM’s Myanmar Education Project. Envelopes for donations will be in the foyer in October. The next AGM in February 2019 will designate our local, national and international mission projects for the next two year period. Suggestions from parishioners can be passed to Rev. Martin or any Parish Councillor.
Parish Council have agreed in principle to hire the church to Canberra Opera for an end of year concert in November/December 2018. Details have yet to be finalized.
August 2018
The Confirmation Service will be held at 10am on Sunday 12 August. Bishop Stephen Pickard will celebrate. The service will be followed by a special morning tea with parishioners asked to contribute something.
Parishioners are reminded to complete the new Parish Directory and Permissions form by Sunday 19 August and place it in the marked box in the foyer. Copies of the form are available in the foyer.
August is our National Mission Month. The national mission project for 2018 is the ABM program “Youth Engagement across Top End Remote Communities”. It is a very worthwhile project and continues St. Philips’ ongoing support for reconciliation. Envelopes for donations are in the foyer.
Parish Council is working on a number of maintenance items. The globes in the non-functioning lights in the church are being replaced. The window ledge on the wall facing the courtyard will be thoroughly cleaned and a barrier to exclude pigeons from both sides of the church will be installed. A handrail will be installed outside the pulpit door. Advice is being sought on the replacement of a number of cracked window panes in the church. The reverse cycle units in the Lamerton Centre are to be serviced.
Planning has started on this year’s Spring Fling to be held from 10am to 2pm on Saturday 22 September. The Spring Fling is our major annual fundraising and outreach event. Information on the various stalls is now available for parishioners to indicate how they would like to contribute. If you have any questions, please speak to Leighton or Rev’d Martin.
Due to unavailability, there is a vacancy in St. Philips’ representation at the Synod in Goulburn from 7-9 September. Anyone interested in attending should speak to Revd Martin.
July 2018
As mentioned last month Parish Council has been reviewing how we handle the personal details of parishioners in the pew sheet and on the Parish website and on Facebook as well as the question of photographs and video clips taken at St. Philips. The purpose of the review has been to ensure our processes comply with the law and meet new Diocesan standards in respect of privacy.
A new personal particulars form has been developed. It is a combined Parish Permissions Form and a personal information form for compiling the Parish Directory. An explanatory note from Parish Council will be available with the new form in the foyer.
Parish Council would be grateful if all parishioners could complete the form by Sunday 19 August and place it in the marked box in the foyer so that we can start the new practice with an updated database.
Parish Council have recently and unexpectedly received a cheque for additional funds from the Carola Parke estate. These new funds will be handled in accordance with the decisions by successive AGMs concerning this bequest.
The three Parish mission projects for 2018 are the Northbourne Community Centre ministry of Revd Robin Moore, the ABM program “Youth Engagement across Top End Remote Communities” and the ABM Myanmar Education project. The Northbourne Community Centre program, as we have known it, has come to an end. Pandora’s has generously contributed $1000 to the final expenses of the program.
The month of August will be our national mission month focussing on the Top End Remote Communities project and the month of October will be our international mission month focussing on the Myanmar Education project.
June 2018
Bishop Stephen Pickard will visit the Parish for a Confirmation Service, 12 August, 10am
For a number of months Parish Council under the leadership of Rebecca Palethorpe has been reviewing how we handle the personal details of parishioners in the pewsheet and on the Parish website and on Facebook as well as the question of photographs taken at St. Philip's. The purpose of the review has been to ensure our processes meet new Diocesan standards in respect of privacy.
A new Media Permission Release Form is being developed which will be integrated in future with the Parish Directory Form. More details will be provided over the next few months.
The Parish Directory has been updated and copies are available in the foyer.
An ordination gift of a green chasuble and stole has been acquired for Revd Peter Kuot who has a close connection with St Philip's. Anyone wishing to make a small donation please let Revd Martin know.
A “Fix My Street” request has been submitted to the ACT Government for the footpath at the corner of Macpherson and Moorhouse Streets. The gradient to the roadway is non-compliant for wheelchair use.
A Winter Working Bee on the garden will be held from 9-11am on Saturday 23 June.
May 2018
Following discussion at the AGM in February Parish Council has reviewed the food parcel giving and plans to reinvigorate it. Our program will now be more closely aligned than in the past with St John’s Care and their needs and all foods not required for use by St. Philips will be passed more regularly to St John’s Care. Further details will appear in the Pewsheet.
The Parish Directory will be updated by the end of May.
There remains an opportunity for voluntary assistance in the Parish Office as well as for more assistance with the gardens. Parish Council is very appreciative of the time Jeanette Dundon-Tunks has been able to give to the front garden but additional assistance would be most welcome. Anyone willing to assist with these duties should speak to Rev’d Martin or a Parish Warden.
This year the sacristan duties are being performed by a Sacristy team.
The work on the courtyard drains has been completed and the courtyard is fully accessible again. The damaged “tactiles” at the access points to the Lamerton Centre deck and ramp have been replaced with a more durable product.
Saturday 22 September from 10 am to 2 pm has been set as the date for this year’s Spring Fling.
April 2018
Parish Council is very grateful for the parishioners who have taken on, or who will continue to serve in valuable parish roles until the next AGM in 2019.
Many thanks to all who contributed to the Holy Week and Easter festivities. The worship was beautiful, the music was sublime, the food was wonderful, the flowers stunning and the fellowship warm.
As mentioned at the AGM in February work needs to be done on the courtyard drains. This work will commence on Monday 16 April and continue for up to 10 days. While the work is in progress access to the church will be through the front door only. Access to the Lamerton Centre will be via the path and gate behind the building and up the side ramp. The Kindergarten and Pandora’s will continue to function and there will continue to be access to the toilets but there will be no access across the courtyard. As background there are three stormwater drains. One tracks along the path by the Kindergarten and was renewed some years ago. The drain to Macpherson Street was renewed during the construction of the Lamerton Centre. It is the middle drain down the centre of the courtyard that is original from 1957 and is causing the problems that now have to be attended to.
The courtyard will be fenced off. Please take care around the work site and follow the signs.
March 2018
The new Council elected Ian Cousins as Chair, Shane Woodburn as Treasurer and Rebecca Palethorpe as Secretary. Points of contact responsibilities have been allocated amongst the new Council members and a revised note will be placed on the Noticeboard.
There is an annual survey of the membership of parish sub-groups - the Liturgy Committee, the St. Philip's Care Management Committee, Pandora's Management Committee, Food @ St Philips and the Children and Youth Ministry Support Group. Parishioners wishing to serve, or to continue to serve, on any of these committees should make their interest known to Rev. Martin, a Warden or any other Parish Councillor.
The Parish Council will also survey the valuable roles performed for the Parish by various individuals, such as Youth Group Coordinators, Parish Office, Newsletter/Pewsheet, Website, Parish Calendar, Banking, Rosters Coordinator, Linen, Flowers Coordinator and Spring Fling Coordinator. Parishioners wishing to serve, or to continue to serve, in any of these roles should make their interest known to Revd Martin, a Warden or any other Parish Councillor.
Key priorities for Revd Martin and the Council this year, in addition to the normal running of the Parish and stewardship, will be: Revd Robin’s Northbourne Community Centre ministry, the Aged Care ministry at Kankinya and Morsehead Village in Lyneham, the Youth and Family ministry and pastoral care. On maintenance, the courtyard drains are a priority.
Parish Council has renewed the arrangement with the Tongan Uniting Church congregation for the hire of church facilities every Sunday from 1pm to about 3pm. The Tongans have been model partners and have advised that they are interested in using the facilities for the long term.
February 2018
At its meeting on 7 February, the Parish Council considered the agenda and papers for the Annual General Meeting (AGM) to be held at 11.15am sharp on Sunday 25 February.
After the normal business and elections, the AGM will have two general business items:
- Carola Parke Bequest
- Designation of 2018 Local Mission
Parishioners wishing to, or thinking of, filling vacancies on the Parish Council for 2018 should talk to Rev’d Martin well before the AGM.
Work on the Rectory Renovation Project was essentially completed during December/January with just some final painting and a bit of work on a small section of eaves remaining.
The replacement of the church and kindergarten fascia boards was completed in December and the courtyard tree was pruned. In January, a bee infestation in the vestry was removed, the dishwasher in the Lamerton Centre repaired and the waste from the trimming of the courtyard tree was removed.
The St Philip’s Autumn Market Morning will be held on Saturday 14 April from 9am to 1pm.