FACT
OF LIFE It
is a fact of life in the Anglican Church of Australia that
resources for mission and ministry are not evenly
distributed. Some dioceses and parishes are well endowed and
others are not. A
diocesan bishop who retired from leadership of one of the
rural and remote area dioceses of the Anglican Church of
Australia reported that the parish in the metropolitan
diocese, where he went on to serve as Vicar, actually had
greater resources at its disposal, for its mission and
ministry, than the entire diocese he had left. Furthermore,
this parish had within its own congregation people with
professional skills his former diocese needed, but could not
find within its own boundaries. The
National Home Mission Fund is constantly reminded of this
fact of life in the Anglican Church of Australia when
annually we meet to consider funding applications from the
bishops of rural and remote area dioceses. The applications
far exceed the funds the National Home Mission Fund has
available to it … for it only has available to distribute
what dioceses, parishes, organisations and individuals are
willing to share with the under-resourced dioceses and
parishes of the National Church through the Fund. NHMF
ON THE WEB We
are busy developing a site on the World Wide Web so that
fresh news from the Church in the Outback might be more
readily available. This is just one new initiative among many
… along with this Newsletter … being introduced in order
to keep concerned Anglicans informed about the challenges and
needs of the Church in the Outback.
CHALLENGES
IN THE BUSH Recent
demographic studies indicate that towns with a population of
less than a thousand have a very uncertain future. Many such
towns are found in the dioceses receiving funding
from the National Home Mission Fund. Most of the dioceses
receiving this funding
are trying to address such questions as: “How are we going
to maintain a mission and ministry in these places?” “How
do we resource the people of God in these places?” “What
new shape must the church take in these places?” “How do
we address the needs of the people of these towns if we do
not have sufficient resources for what we are doing at our
own diocesan level? The
exciting news from many of the dioceses working in such a
context, and seeking funding from the National Home Mission
Fund, is that they are willingly to address such questions. New
forms of mission and ministry are coming into being …
including Ministering Communities with Ordained Local
Ministry and Lay Ministries or Lay Pastorates. NEW
CHAIR
WHAT’S
THE OUTBACK FUND DOING IN 2007? It
is providing $103,000 across
five rural and remote area dioceses - North Queensland,
LIKE TO KNOW
MORE? If
you would like to know more, before our web site is up and
running, we can send you a small informative booklet setting
out the details of the projects the NHMF is assisting with
funding in 2007. It is entitled “Anglicans in the Outback?
Well?” “A
SCARY THING!” It
is a scary thing that the NHMF has allocated $152,000
of funding to the projects listed above when we do not have
that money in hand. The Fund operates on faith … faith that
dioceses, parishes, organisations, individuals, and readers
of this Newsletter will recognise their responsibility to
help assist with the mission and ministry of our Is
your diocese sharing some of its resources to assist the
National Home Mission Fund with its work for the Church in
Outback? How about your parish? Can you help? “THE
BAG LADY” Monica
enjoys sewing. She also has a pattern for useful ladies
shoulder bags and an eye for colour. A nearby business
periodically sells off surplus samples books of curtain
materials. Monica buys books which appeal to her, and makes
up bags (about one a day) discreetly labelled Handmade
by Monica, and each one unique. She offers these
for $35 at various parish occasions, and in 2005-6
single-handedly contributed $2300 to the National Home
Mission Fund. Thank you, Monica. You are an inspiration. The
NHMF needs more Monica’s. How about some Martin’s? BISHOP’S
SPEAKING “I
sometimes wonder if the Anglican Church would have been able
to continue in this part of Bishop
Garry Weatherell, Willochra. “On
February 14, I inducted The Reverend John Jenner as the first
permanent Minister in the Parish of Paraburdoo/Tom Price for
four years. What a joy! NHMF is providing 25% of the stipend.” Bishop
David “The
grant from the NHMF means the difference between just
drifting along and building a purposeful life for four of our
small struggling rector-less parishes. They have had licensed
lay ministers and a visiting priest each month, but now they
have a Ministry Enabler who is skilling them up for mission
and building their confidence.” Bishop
Douglas Stevens, Riverina. PLEASE
SEND DONATIONS TO: National
Home c/-
The Anglican Centre FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION: Bishop
Ron
Stone
03
5443 6099 Peter
Shepherd
Armadale
VIC 3143 03
9509 5583
|
