2005 ANNUAL REPORT
MESSAGES FROM THE MINISTERS The search is on... Immediately after Christmas, in the season of Epiphany, we seek to include the familiar characters of the Magi into our Nativity. As a church family, we embark on a New Year and new journey. In the old, old story of the foreign travellers searching to worship the king of kings, we are reminded that wise people still seek Him! So we continue year after year to search for the in-dwelling of Christ into our lives. Oftentimes, we see the presence of God only in hindsight, so the reports
in this docket serve to remind us of the times and events that we
celebrate as the people of God. Times when we, too, were led by the Light
of the World which burned brightly or flickered tentatively leading us on With some sadness, we bade farewell to Rev. Marion. We miss the excitement, energy and boldness of the light she shared with us. We wished her well as she travels a new path with a new congregation. That led us to the settlement committee again and brought us a new light as Sharon Earle-Marshall joined our walk. We appreciate her gifts of preaching and worship leadership and have made inroads in welcoming her and sharing our light with her as she journeys through the IMPO program. Being reminded of our encounters with Christ, through this docket, we like the wise men go home a different way. We go home changed, renewed, refreshed and encouraged. We have seen God and head home with hopeful anticipation that God will continue to be faithful as we seek new leadership, both ordained and lay. The search is on for another team minister to join me in the paid accountable ministry of this busy, loving and exciting charge, but we also seek committee leaders for the work of the church in our community! Come and offer your gifts and talents to the Christ who is born anew in every step of our journey, if we are only ready to recognize him! Terry Kelly, a Nova Scotian musician and a friend of mine, sings a piece
called Safe Home, the second verse of which is particularly appropriate
travelling music for us as the ever journeying people of God. May there be a star to guide you on. Safe Home! Rev. Stephanie
Time has such a strange way of passing. I arrived here in Gander in August and it’s so unbelievable that I’m half way through my settlement here with you and will be leaving for my studies again in June. I wish to express my thanks to the pastoral charge as a whole for the opportunity of journeying with you this past year. This year has brought many personal and professional changes and I want to thank you all for your kindness and consideration during my time here. I want to thank you for your many skills as a teaching pastoral charge. Each and every member of this pastoral charge has assisted in my educational journey. I want you to know your gifts are deep and vast. I celebrate this faith community and thank God for you all. Gander is an interesting town with much to offer those who choose to spend some time here. Likewise, the Gander Pastoral Charge is a most interesting place to be with many wonderful gifts to offer those who choose to journey with you. The pastoral charge, as the town itself, is rich in history and story. While I have only begun to come to know the story of this pastoral charge, I sense it is a story of rich history filled with many wonderful faith celebrations and, as with all pastoral charges, some painful times as well. I pray that as you continue to dare, as you continue to grow and stretch the bounds, that you will cherish and celebrate your story. Our roots are of significant importance to who we become. Never should they limited or determine what we can accomplish, but rather they should feed and nurture who we desire to become. The United Church of Canada has spoken a great deal this year about ‘Daring to Be’, and I offer up praise for all the times you have as a pastoral charge lived these words. As you look forward to a brand New Year celebrate who you are, celebrate who you have been, and with God’s guidance celebrate and look forward to pushing the limits just a little farther. May the blessing of God Almighty, the mystery of the Trinity, be amidst all that you dream! May the strength of our Lord ground you in who you are! May God’s riches blessing pour over your energy as you dare to be the Gander Pastoral Charge in 2006! In closing, the words of a hymn in Voices United [#381] come to mind: God Bless! Yours in the Service of Christ, Sharon Earle-Marshall
MARRIAGES 2005
BAPTISMS
FIRST UNITED CHURCH
FIRST UNITED CHURCH
FRASER ROAD UNITED CHURCH YOUTH CONFIRMANDS Robyn Elizabeth BOWERING ADULT CONFIRMANDS Michelle Caroline CLOUTER
RECEIVED BY TRANSFER OF MEMBERSHIP Audrey CURNEW, New Minas UC, New Minas, N.S. TRANSFER OF MEMBERSHIP OUT William D. & Barbara PENNEY, to Orleans, ON MEMBERSHIP REMOVED BY DEATH GLENWOOD/APPLETON CONFIRMANDS Tina Rebecca TIMMONS
RECEIVED BY TRANSFER OF MEMBERSHIP Diane Pinkston BEST
FIRST UNITED CHURCH No confirmands or transfers
APPOINTMENT OF CHAIR AND SECRETARY APPROVAL OF MINUTES It was moved by Cator Brown, seconded by Veneta Anstey, that the Minutes of the Congregational Meeting of October 31, 2004 be accepted as printed. Motion Carried. BUSINESS ARISING CORRESPONDENCE – Nil CONSIDERATION OF ANNUAL REPORT for 2004 Corrections to Report Page 5 – Margaret Hender’s name should be included under Session. Page 8, under “Marriages” – July 17 Dean Austin George Janes and Tara Lynn Wells were married at First United Church, Glenwood, not at Fraser Road United. REPORTS The reports of the various Committees, Groups, Choirs, Sunday School and the Financial Report/Budget were highlighted. Most Committee Chairs were present to respond to any questions re their Reports. Some discussion arose around the item in the Christian Development Committee’s Report regarding the possibility of folding the Scouting Program at Fraser Road United in favour of a less expensive, Church sponsored Youth Program. In the absence of the Chair of that Committee, Rev. Steph responded and explained why such a discussion had taken place and emphasized that it was a discussion only. Brian Tremblett requested an apology on behalf of the Group Committee. Several members of the congregation gave affirmation of the value of the Scouting Program at Fraser Road United. They were assured that no decisions would be made without consultation with the Group Committee and the congregation. Motion – It was moved by Ken Slaney, seconded by Gerry Clouter, that in future, all Committee Reports for Annual Report be approved by Committee concerned before going to print. Motion Carried. Report of Finance Committee Financial Report and Budget for 2005 ADOPTION OF THE ANNUAL REPORT NOMINATING COMMITTEE REPORT FOR 2005 NEW BUSINESS The process of becoming an Internship Site was explained to the congregation and they were informed that application had been made for Gander Pastoral Charge to become a Site in 2005/06. NEW MEMBERS FOR SESSION VOTES OF THANKS ADJOURNMENT Meeting adjourned at 3:50 p.m. Rev. Marion closed the meeting with a Benediction ___________________________ ___________________________
The congregation of Fraser Road United Church met in the Sanctuary of the Church on Monday, April 25, 2005 at 7:00 p.m. There were 44 members in attendance, as well as our Pastoral Relations Agents, the Rev. Miriam Bowlby and the Rev. Heather Sandford. The Chairman welcomed everyone. Rev. Bowlby opened the meeting with Prayer. Purpose of this meeting is to accept the Report of the Joint Needs Assessment and the recommendation of the Church Council regarding the process we will follow for our change in Pastoral Relations. Recommendations of Joint Needs Assessment Committee 2) The four priorities of Ministry are: 3) The Joint Needs Assessment Committee has completed its mandate. The Rev. Miriam Bowlby and the Rev. Heather Sandford, Pastoral Relations Agents, West District, have been appointed to assist the Charge. Members of the Joint Needs Assessment Committee may become members of the Joint Search Committee and the congregations shall have the opportunity to appoint others. 4) The Pastoral Charge will request the Settlement Committee to settle an ordained Minister in the Gander Pastoral Charge or, failing that, a one-year appointment of a retired Minister or a Lay Pastoral Minister. MOTION Meeting adjourned at 7:30 p.m.
___________________________ ________________________
CHURCH COUNCIL
- yours truly succeeded Claude Hender as Chair of Council. Our thanks to Claude who worked diligently on our behalf for the past six years. - Rev. Marion Davis moved from our Charge as she accepted a call to Gower Street United in St. John’s. - Ms. Sharon Earle-Marshall, an IMPO Student, was appointed to this Charge for one year (July 2005 - June 2006). - Geof Wells was engaged to become our full-time Facilities Manager and Custodian. - A Search Committee was established and a search begun to fill the Ministerial vacancy on the Charge. - The Council accepted a recommendation from the Manse Committee to dispose of the manse in 2006, keeping the land and paying a housing allowance to the minister instead of providing a manse. You will be asked to vote on this recommendation at our Annual General Meeting on Feb. 5/06. - Our Charge, in 2005, once again joyfully supported, both financially and spiritually, the various ministries offered. Growing congregations are wonderful and we are thankful for the leadership provided. Your continued financial support is required to maintain and upgrade our programs and our facilities, including the paving of the parking lot. - The one negative area continues to be the lack of volunteers to serve on Church Council. We struggled through 2005 without a Vice-Chair, a Chair of the Stewardship Committee, or a Chair of the Property Committee. Many phone calls were made to recruit people for these positions but without success. The need for 2006 is equally as great so we encourage you to consider your gifts or talents and made a decision to offer your services by joining the Council this year, thereby helping to continue the work of the United Churches on this Pastoral Charge. We will endeavour to match your talents with the job. It’s been a great year! We will continue to celebrate God’s presence with us and sing with joy as we see the smiles and hear the laughter of all ages worshiping and working together. John Elliott
SESSION Time has swiftly passed by and once again it’s time to write one more report. Meetings have been held in the evenings at 7:30 p.m. and have worked out quite well for all committee members. We trust our discussions and decisions have been for the betterment of our Church. In the past year we have confirmed four youth and four adults. Eight members have been transferred to Fraser Road United Church and four were transferred out to other areas. Twenty new children were baptized and our Ministers have married eleven couples. Communion Services continued on the same schedule as last year. Lay visitation continues at the Hospital and the Seniors Home. We express our grateful appreciation to all the volunteers who share in this project. A date for the vote on same sex marriage will be announced at a later date and because of this, Confirmation classes will be held in the month of January 2006, so as to give those members of our congregation an opportunity to become full members of our Church and an opportunity to vote on important matters in our Church. We can still use new members on our committee and would welcome youth to join us as well as any other interested persons. If you are interested please call the Church office 256-3000 or Cator at 651-2532. To those people who work very hard behind the scenes we extend a sincere thank you. Sheila Woolfrey for taking care of flowers Graham King and his helpers for funeral preparation May blessings, peace and joy be yours in 2006. Cator Brown
The year began with the Ministry and Personnel in search for a Chairperson, it was not until May before the Committee became active. The M & P year began with the selection process for the Joint Search Committee, through the need for M & P input I was elected to the Chair of M & P. Our committee continued through the year with interviews with both Ministers, Rev. Marion’s exit report, Rev. Stephanie annual review and Ms Sharon job description review. The year ended with a proposed budget for the fiscal year 2006. William West
OUTREACH AND SOCIAL ACTION COMMITTEE “You will find as you look back upon your life that the moments when you have really lived are the moments when you have done things in the spirit of love.” - Henry Drummond Your Outreach Committee has had a busy and productive year and I feel that all the work has been done in a spirit of love and concern for our church, our community and our world. We had been without a Chair for a year but Rev. Stephanie kept the committee together and we kept regular programs operating. It was good to get the Committee meeting regularly again and we were pleased to welcome three new members – Bonnie Adams, Marilyn Boone and Aileen Leyte. One of our first tasks was to package and mail 350 kits of toiletries and school supplies to an orphanage in Guatemala. Their thank you letter brought joy to our hearts. Our regular weekly programs include “Parents and Tots” and “Time Out for Women”. These programs are well attended and appear to meet a need for friendship and interaction. We continue to support the Food Bank and the School Breakfast Program. The congregation’s assistance program is being looked at to see if there is a better way we can use our resources of time and money. We supported Loon Bay Camping Centre by making “Loonie Cabins”. We invited this congregation, and challenged others, to drop in a loonie a week while the camp was open. This effort raised $100 within our congregation which was forwarded to Loon Bay. On October 2nd we had our second annual “Walk for Water”. We were very pleased with the outcome of this event as we raised $1366.75 to support a program which drills wells providing access to safe drinking water in countries where there is none. Robert Hampson, the Pop Tab King, visited churches in our area and was a guest speaker at the Youth Forum in November. To help him with his campaign, we had flyers printed and delivered to many businesses, schools and churches encouraging others to save their pop tabs as well. In December we had our annual Reverse Offering and had several boxes of groceries donated to help with the Food Bank’s Christmas Hamper Program. Members of the committee also delivered letters to businesses inviting them to Adopt a Family for Christmas. Tapes of our worship services and large-print bulletins are available for shut-ins or others who request them. Also, Bill Burry has kindly consented, once again, to arrange transportation for anyone needing a ride to or from Sunday morning services. Thanks, Bill. Lorraine Elliott
COMMUNICATION AND MEMBERSHIP The Communication & Membership Committee have continued working on the Fraser Road United Church Newsletter with two issues being produced in 2005. Our committee is again requesting that you take advantage of this newsletter by letting us know of any items of interest that you would like see printed in the newsletter. Four deliveries were made in 2005 which included two financial statements, the church envelopes and our two newsletters. The Committee sends a big thank you to our delivery people for the excellent job they did last year and hopes their support can be counted on again for the coming year. We would also like to thank the many people involved in the publishing of our newsletter. It takes a lot of hard work to publish this newsletter and we are very grateful for everyone’s time and effort. The people involved in the publishing of our newsletter are:
If you haven’t done so already, be sure to take a look at our web site for church announcements, events, photos and more. Our web address is: www.unitedchurchgander.ca Respectfully submitted, Oswald Anstey
PROPERTY 2005 has been relatively trouble free year from the perspective of major repairs, maintenance and upkeep at the Church, with the major renovations to the sanctuary and chancel as well as interior painting being completed in 2004. Some areas that required attention were:
A decision to dispose of the manse in favor of a housing allowance will mean decisions about how to dispose of that property and how best to utilize the extra space. The parking lot is badly in need of repairs and could possibly be expanded and upgraded as soon as the manse is removed. The furnace in the old part of the church has been an ongoing area of concern, becoming costly with repeated repairs and breakdowns. This will need to be looked at with regard to possibly replacing it with a more modern furnace. We are again participating with other churches in the tender of joint purchases for heating fuel. This joint purchasing power has realized substantial savings to our ever-increasing energy costs. Wayne Hynes has again been contracted for snow clearing of our parking lots. He has offered efficient and timely work over the past number of years and is paid an hourly rate only for actual hours of snow clearing. The absence of a Property Chair is still an issue we are attempting to resolve. It is becoming increasingly difficult to ensure the needs of all church property are adequately maintained without an active property committee and chair. Many people avoid volunteering for chair because they feel they are not “qualified”, when in reality the position is mainly to coordinate and organize the resources and qualified members of our congregation. Our church is full of talented individuals who are willing to offer their expertise and time. Hopefully, this year will see someone offer their time to chair or co-chair this committee Geoff Wells
CHRISTIAN DEVELOPMENT I assumed the position of Chairperson less than a year ago, and being completely new to this committee, the learning curve has been very steep!! I have really appreciated the dedication and support of the committee members and all of their hard work on this exciting and challenging committee. The following are some brief comments about some of the youth groups which are supported directly by Christian Development: Sunday School – It has continued to offer an active and participatory program using curriculum, including The Incredibles and Agent Advent, developed at our church. The number of enthusiastic children at church each Sunday morning is, indeed, “incredible”. Scouting – They have had a busy and amazing array of activities this Fall. There are approximately 30 Beavers, 16 Cubs and 13 Scouts registered. Youth Group – This energetic group held a youth camp in August at Loon Bay, attended “YC” in October at St. John’s, held a wake-a-thon to raise money for the Guatemala trip, and helped to plan a youth camp with a “Survivor” theme at Loon Bay in November. They have approximately 12 “regulars”, several of whom are becoming active in other areas of our church. Some of them are also now in the process of preparing for confirmation. Vacation Bible School – The enthralling theme this past summer was Faith Express – On the Right Track to Jesus. We are hoping to get a planning committee for VBS in place earlier this year. Children’s Sign Choir – Two of the events that they participated in the past year include the Kiwanis Music Festival and the ecumenical Christmas service held at our church this past December. Other groups supported by CD through funding and communications are the United Church Women, the Guitar Group, the Men’s Fellowship Group, the Lectionary Study Group, and the adult Sign Choir. CD has been directly involved in the planning and implementation of many activities that have made our church so vibrant. These include:
Our committee has made several purchases this year, including:
Under the insightful and innovative guidance of Rev. Steph, there are several other initiatives that we are hoping to implement in the upcoming year, including:
In summary, it is an exciting time to be a member of this church as many new families have joined our church family and many new ventures are being undertaken. Respectfully submitted, Paula Waterman
FIRST UNITED SCOUTING 2005 was another great year for Scouting at 1st United. The program continues to grow in leaps and bounds with our numbers up for both youth and leaders. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the volunteers who make the programs possible. Whether it be as a leader, serving on Group Committee, or helping out during the many events that take place during the year, Scouting would not be possible without your help. All three sections ended the 2004-05 year on strong notes. The Beavers had visits to the Forest Protection Centre as well as the Thomas Howe Demonstration Forest. In Cubs, the boys completed the requirements for the red and black stars. They had a winter camp and a trip to St. John’s where the highlight was seeing the St. John’s Maple Leafs play in one of their last games. They also went to Wall Nuts for rock climbing and then stayed and toured the Newfoundland Science Centre. In June they returned to Camp Nor Wes for summer camp, the place where they got rained out at Cuboree 2004. This year however, conditions couldn’t have been better and everybody had a great time. The Scouting program ended off last year in June with a weekend canoe trip up Terra Nova River near Glovertown. They arrived Friday evening and set up camp in the pouring rain. The following day after the sun came out and dried them off they hiked up to the salmon ladder to just below Grant Falls. It was an exciting time for all involved and they couldn't have ended the year on a better note. All three programs began a new Scouting year in September. In Beavers, it has been a very busy year. They have 28 youth registered along with 7 leaders, including 4 new leaders and 2 parent helpers. So far they had one sleepover at the church hall with a campfire and marshmallow roast. They also have had several outings including to the Nightingale Manner at Christmas. Something new for Beavers this Spring will be an overnight outing to Camp Hancock at Square Pond which has not been done before. The Cub program has also had a very exciting first half of the year. Attendance is strong with 14 Cubs & 9 Leaders. Some of the events so far include a hike at Thomas Howe, Appleday, the Remembrance Day Parade, a visit to the Gander & Area Food Bank, and a Fall Camp in November. They also visited with Veterans at the Royal Canadian Legion and handed out thank you badges to the Veterans. In addition to the above the Cubs are working on their purple and tawny stars as well as various other badges. This September in Scouts, they added 7 new members with the majority coming up from Cubs. They have concentrated all Fall on pioneering projects and have had a lot of fun building things like flagpoles, camp gadgets, and they even built their own catapults and shot tennis balls from them. Plans are well underway for taking a delegation to the Canadian Jamboree in Quebec in the Summer of 2007. Consider this fair warning to be on the lookout for our fundraising projects. Yours in Scouting, Blair Sparkes
The Fraser Road United Church Guitar Group continues to meet in the choir room every Thursday at 7:30 to 8:30 pm. This time of fellowship together is a lot of fun as we play along to all types of music such as popular hymns, country music, as well as some old classics that are familiar to us all. Members sometimes bring along song sheets that are of interest to them and the group will attempt to play these various selections. It’s a great evening of playing and singing with a few jokes and stories tossed in to enrich our time together. This year we have performed at the Nightingale Manor and the Golden Legion Manor as well as at the Glenwood United Church. We love performing and anytime anyone needs the guitar group to take part in any special church event or other, don’t hesitate to contact any member. We have maintained our membership of approximately fourteen members (10 men and 4 women). We lost Rev. Marion Davis to St. John’s and we miss her valuable contribution to our music. We are open to accepting new members so if you own a guitar and can play a little (not a lot) and want to brush up on your skills, come and join us. We presently have a piano accordion, a button accordion, and a bass player and we would love to have a drummer and a keyboard player join the group. As the group’s leader I want to thank all members for their contribution and loyalty over the past year. I look forward to our practices every Thursday evening. Special thanks to Vicki Lear for taking on the tasks of secretary for the group. Also, thanks to Frank Tibbo who helps with all aspects of running the group. Last but by no means least I want to thank Rev. Steph, Rev. Sharon, the congregation, Sylvia and Geoff for all of their support. May God richly Bless you All, Yours in Song
SENIOR, MEN’S AND HANDBELL CHOIRS 2005 was another busy year for the Senior, Men’s, and Handbell choirs of Fraser Road United Church. For the most part these choirs took turns providing anthems for the services and most of the time two anthems were prepared. All three choirs took a summer recess but did come and sing on two occasions during the summer. In addition to the regular Sunday anthems, special anthems with combined and individual choirs were prepared for special services such as; Easter Sunday, the Choir Memorial Hymn Sing, the 80th Anniversary service, the Pastoral Care Conference, the Masonic Christmas service, and of course the Choir Christmas service for which the choirs prepared a special Christmas cantata called “Come to the Manger” by Mark Hayes. There are many ‘thank-you’s to be said at the completion of a full and active year. First, a big thank-you to each choir member for your long term dedication to your choir(s); a choir’s success depends on that. Thank-you to our ministers, congregation, and many church volunteers for your support throughout 2005. Also, the choirs and myself are very thankful for the many donations towards the purchase of choir music in Memorial Gifts. . . . . and keep in mind . . . new members are always welcome! Karen Nevin
SOCIAL CLUB The Social Club is still going strong and as in the past we meet the last Saturday of each month except July and August. As stated in previous reports the main purpose is to have fun and fellowship among our Church family. There are no fees, so if you are looking for something to do or a place to go, please join us for an evening of fun and relaxation on the last Saturday of each month. We have one fund raising event each year (a bean supper) the proceeds of which is used to buy something that is needed for the Church or Church Hall. Last year’s funds are still in the bank as we are working on a project that will take us time to build to the required amount in order to make the purchase possible, However, we did buy a new lawn mower for the Church. Some of the things that kept our group interested are:
Keeping the above in mind we would sure like to share the fun and fellowship with new members. We extend best wishes for a happy and prosperous 2006 to all members of our congregation. Blessings Cator & Jean Brown
FRASER ROAD UNITED CHURCH WOMEN Our unit meets at the United Church Hall on Fraser Road every third Tuesday of each month at 8 pm except for the months of July and August. It is open to any member of the congregation who would like to come along for fun and fellowship and service. Our meetings begin with worship followed by business and fun time which could include games, presentations videos or special speakers, this is followed by a cup of tea and snack. Why not come along and join us it may be just the thing you would like to pass the time on those long evenings in fall and winter. You will also have the opportunity to meet with other groups in the district if you so desire by attending Rallies and/or District meetings. We presently have 47 members on our roll, which includes 24 Life members. This past year Jean Smith and Ida Winter received their life membership and we congratulate them for all their work in the past years. Some of our members have moved to seniors residence, we wish them well in their new homes. Programs at our unit meetings were as follows:
Community and Church
Donations
Fund Raising Projects
Time out for women is still ongoing every Monday from 1:30 to 5pm. Anyone is welcome to come and join us for the afternoon or for whatever time you can spare. You can also join us at our UCW meetings if you so desire, we are always looking for new members. During the past year we have continued to be very active in our friendship and visiting. A total of 154 visits were made, 44 phone calls, 49 cards, 2 teddies, 23 carnation bowls, 9 cakes and several trays of food. Thank you to all the people in our congregation who so willingly helped us during the year. It makes things a whole lot easier and with everyone working together we have had another successful year, and thanks to everyone for your continued support in 2006. God’s Blessings to you all. Faithfully submitted Betty Hodder
GLENWOOD – APPLETON BOARD OF MANAGEMENT Yes, 2005 is gone and already we are into 2006. Every year seems to go faster or else we are getting slower and it’s hard to keep up. 2005 was a regular year for the Glenwood and Appleton congregation – no big things happening but keeping up with the times. We built a new shed to house the lawn mower and other things. The two Ministers Sharon and Stephanie are doing good. It’s too bad that more people don’t come out to hear them. There are a lot of changes – after all it’s 2006 and what can we expect. The piece of land we had in town has been sold and the money will go for upkeep and repairs to the church. I take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped in any way to make 2005 another successful year. May you all have a Happy New Year. Scott Thompson
FIRST UNITED CHURCH - GLENWOOD/APPLETON Our Session Group has met regularly throughout 2005 and we have had the distinct pleasure of having Sharon Earl Marshall meet with us. Both Rev. Steph. and Sharon have led us into a deeper commitment for Church service and the importance of good leadership and understanding of the needs of the Congregation. This year, Session instituted a “Quilting Bee” which has resulted in several members (and non-members) of the Church meeting in the Church basement each Wednesday afternoon where Rev. Steph. taught (and is still teaching) us the basics of quilting. Upon completion of the first two quilts a fire disaster took place in Gander and we were very happy to be able to donate these to the needy family. We now have two more on the go, one of which is already destined for another need in the Gander area. Hopefully as we progress in the skills and learning necessary, we will be able to have several quilts on hand at all times for use in cases of immediate need. We miss Rev. Marion, especially her leadership with the Choir, but our loss was another’s gain and we do appreciate Rev. Steph’s and Sharon’s interest, enthusiasm and very willing help not only at our Session meeting, but in every aspect of Church activities. We really appreciate the faithfulness of the members of our Sessions Board and their input at our meetings. It is very obvious that they have the welfare of the Church and congregation in their hearts, To all Session members, a big thank you. May 2006 be our most fruitful year yet. Shirley Pelley
FIRST UNITED CHURCH Once again we find ourselves rushed with the task of year end reports. Creatures of habit we leave things until the last minute. This year our small group of ladies has been very active. With only eight registered members we find ourselves very busy, and even sometime discouraged, however we always put our chins up and trudge through, and always have a great time! Our monthly potluck family services are still going ahead, the attendance is sometimes low, but the social value is always high priority, and the informal atmosphere is a welcome relief in our hectic lives. We have been very busy with catering, anniversaries, weddings, monthly teacher’s luncheon our fall sale and lunches provided to families after funeral services. Come Home Year Celebrations were held in the communities of Glenwood/Appleton. 1st United hosted the Ecumenical Service and it was a huge success. Rev. Stephanie had a lovely service which I am sure will remain in our hearts for years to come. The UCW marked the occasion with a cookbook, compiled with recipes from our potluck dinners and traditional Newfoundland dishes. We changed our Christmas potluck dinner this year, we cooked for the congregation, this was our way of saying “thank you” for all their help and support over the past year, the meal was excellent (toot, toot) we had our usual sing song and gift exchange. Everyone had a great time As always we welcome new members, and thank the members of the congregation who come out to support and help us with our catering. We have a few men who help us faithfully and without their help catering outside the church would be next to impossible. Again, Thank You! Good Bless, Michelle Stuckless FIRST UNITED CHURCH Another year has come and gone, and it’s time to write a report. Last year was a busy and rewarding year.
Netta Nippard
FIRST UNITED CHURCH Our Church has now been reopened for a year. There has been twenty two services held with an average attendance of fourteen people. The Guitar Group from Gander came out and took part in one of the services and then there was a pot luck supper. That was enjoyed by all. Diane Best plays the organ for us and for this we thank her very much. I am now going to do a history of the Church starting from the time that it was turned from a school to the church to present day. Hopefully by September I can have all the information that I need to do this. So if any one has any facts or information that may be useful you can call me or send them to me. This should be an interesting and worthwhile project. There are now sixteen families in our congregation. Many thanks to Rev. Marion Davis for showing us the way in getting our Church back to being opened again instead of having to closing it for good. It was sad to see her go and we wish her well at her new Church. We welcome Sharon Earle-Marshall and hope her stay is a pleasant one. She has been doing home visits in Benton and these are greatly appreciated. Rev. Stephanie McClellan, thank you for getting the younger members involved and taking part in the church services. Everyone working together makes for a very successful year. There has been seven fund raisers and we have raised $3,694.00 to help pay for the repairs that were done. One of these was a walk-a-thon where we walked from Gander to Benton. We received a loan from the United Church of Canada for $3,000.00 and we are paying that back in monthly payments. They also gave us $300.00 to help with the repairs that we did. The final payment from HRDC in the amount of $570.00 was received. I want to personally thank everyone for all your support, prayers, calls and cards during the time that my Mom was sick and in her passing away. This made a very difficult time easier to get through. Genny Osmond
FINANCE The Finance Committee, through the Church Council, is responsible to the Congregation for:
Our Church’s programs and activities have been very successful throughout the year, and attendance at services seems to be increasing steadily. However, the Church has been experiencing a slow, but significant decline in contributions throughout the year. This trend, together with steadily increasing costs for labour, fuel and general maintenance necessitated close monitoring of the budget and access to our line of credit to ensure bills were paid in a timely manner. Government assistance in the form of a grant for labour was helpful in supporting the M&P budget, however, in future years this cost will be borne solely by the Church. It should be noted that the Hall debt has been reduced from $50,500 at the beginning of the year to approximately $34,000.00. Income from all sources totalled $261,694.29, short of the projected amount by only $3,815.71. Priorities for 2006 will be elimination of the deficit and reduction of the Church debt. Highlights
THE 2006 BUDGET A deficit of approximately $16,500 is projected for this year if contribution rates continue as in the past several years. Once again, M&P costs are projected to increase significantly, with little room to find offsetting savings in other budget areas. It should be noted that a cost sharing agreement with HRDC regarding our maintenance person expires in the spring. This cost will adversely affect the M&P budget, however, the benefits to the Church far exceed any saving achieved by hiring an outside contractor. As well, the projected increase in housing allowances compare equally to the cost of Manse repair. Though a balanced budget has not been achieved, the requirements of the various expense centres have changed little, except as noted. The addition of several new families as contributors, increasing attendance and an aggressive education and fund raising campaign should reverse the trend of annual deficits. A commendation is extended to all Committee Members, the Church Secretary, the Recorder, Counters, and all the Volunteers who assisted in fund raising or other activities throughout the year. The Treasurers report, which follows, details the amount and sources of income, and the actual expenses for 2005. As well, a projection of the revenues and expenditures for 2006 is provided. Don Curnew
IN MEMORIAM FRASER ROAD UNITED CHURCH
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