For anyone who missed our staffing announcement last Sunday, please read below.
It is with great sadness and joy I communicate with you today staffing for 2022.
On January 16th, 2022, Bronwyn Herd will retire from the Ministry Coordinator role, after 7 years in the role. (I think perhaps my greatest regret of 2021 is to not be able to successfully clone Lyn and now Bronwyn in order to have them continue to serve in our staff team). Bronwyn, like Lyn, is a ‘breath of fresh air’. Her smile is like a warm hug. Her love for Christ overflows in her deep care of God’s children, particularly ‘the down and outer’ and ‘the battler’. She is not condescending. She doesn’t heap things on you. She doesn’t make you feel uneasy. She is an encourager. She carries your burdens. She puts people at ease.
And if Lyn gave her ‘heart’ to SCPC, Bronwyn has given her ‘hands’. Sticking. Typing. Carrying. Shopping. Printing. Folding. Laminating. Binding. (Do you know she even created a tool? A long stick with a tea spoon on it to clear the muck in the pin hole of the gates at LHS to ensure the gates would shut and lock securely!). The work of her hands is everywhere over SCPC. Bronwyn has given us seven sweet years of service in a ‘sweet spot’ between grandchildren being born and parents in reasonable health. Those days are now over, with aging parents requiring more care and more and more beautiful grandchildren being born. Now is the time for her to give her ‘hands’ to these important endeavours.
Thank you Bronwyn for your ‘hands’. Your hands that have carried an immense load at SCPC. Your hands have always been so quick to serve. Your hands remind me of our saviour. Whose hands took nails because he didn’t come to be served, but to serve and lay his life down as a ransom for us. Bronwyn, thank you for mirroring our saviour! Bronwyn will have her last Sunday with us on Sunday 16th January 2022 with a morning tea following our Sunday Gathering that day to celebrate Bronwyn’s servanthood as our Ministry Coordinator for the last seven years.
And it now it is with joy that I announce that Peita Patch will step into the Ministry Coordinator role three days a week, with Gabby Allen serving in the role on Sundays. Peita has done a heroic work two days a week in Kids Coordinator role in 2022. She has a gift for systems, organisation, planning, scheduling and design. She and our admin assistant Jill, have a remarkable ability to learn how to use…stuff! Peita will be interested in some way to tackle something and will keep at it, and at it, and at it, until she works it out. And we are the beneficiaries of her labours. Gabby will serve with the same tenderness and empathy that she has brought to the Youth Admin role in Term 4 this year. Peita and Gabby would have their first Sunday Jan 23, 2022.
Finally, and perhaps not surprisingly, Eliza Faulkner will move in to the Kids Coordinator position. There had been a bit of wrestle to work out how to allow her to complete her apprenticeship and then transition but the time is right with Peita moving into the Ministry Coordinator role. Her apprenticeship will be pealed out somewhat in consultation with MTS.
But the surprise may be that Jess Egan, a recent graduate in Education from Sydney will take on Ian’s role one day a week executing the Sunday program and overseeing the East Lismore kids church team, while Eliza does the same weekly for Southern Cross Goonellabah. Jess has completed a Diploma of Theology through Anglican Youthworks and, more recently, she completed her final prac in the district, working alongside Peita and Ian in a local public school, with her prac supervisor and teacher being our very own Gavin Henderson. Ian, Peita and Gavin speak highly of Jess, as do her church leaders in Sydney, so we look forward to Jess working with, and leading, our Kids Church team. Jess’s first Sunday will be Jan 30th, 2022. We will have some more info about Jess available this coming Friday 10th December.
The speed of love can be difficult to measure. Sometimes things work so slowly. Some work so fast. But we are thankful for God’s love and leading over the last 6 months. It has been a season of change in our staff team. Many of which at the beginning of 2021, were not on the horizon.
Please continue to pray for Leadership Team and our committee of management as we have worked through these staffing changes. Pray that we might have clarity, care and efficiency as we welcome these new roles that they might be able to hit the ground running in 2022 and join us in our mission in: The Speed of Love, but that together we would know often love takes time and so be kind, and considerate, and understanding as our new staff members adjust to their new roles in 2021.
Stew Playsted