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Agenda for the next Host Group meeting

The Host Group will be meeting on Wednesday, 1st July, from 7:00pm somewhere in Cyberspace. Anyone who regularly attends our church is welcome to be at the meeting (but if you are not usually there, it would be helpful if you let us know you are coming). The agenda is not yet complete, but below you will find your opportunity to comment on things that are already on the agenda, and your opportunity to suggest other matters that you would like the Hosts to address. Please make the most of the opportunity to participate in this way, and be sure to hit the “submit” button at the end so that your responses are not lost.

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1. Reviewing Recent Events – Church Anniversary Covenanting service (21 June)
There was special content at the beginning and end of this liturgy which was intended to be for this year only, but the covenanting rite in the middle is done each year. Do you have any feedback, comments or suggestions for the future that you’d like us to consider as we review this event?

2. Reviewing Recent Events – Open Baptists Conference (13 June)
Nine people from our church participated in this. Do you have any feedback, comments or suggestions for the future that you’d like us to consider as we review this event?

3. Cloud of Voices – our private social media channel
More than half of the congregation have now begun connecting with one another on our new in-house enclosed social media platform, and everyone else is welcome. We will be reviewing how it is going and whether there are any concerns that need to be addressed or improvements that could be made. It is initially being trialed on our website only, but at some point we may look to add a phone app version.
Do you have any feedback, comments or suggestions that you’d like us to consider as we discuss this?

4. Feast of Creation in Christ
For some years there have been discussions and proposals for the incorporation of a season or festival of creation into the ecumenical Christian calendar. The version of this that we have been following is a 4 or 5 Sunday season from 1 September (World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation) to 4 October (Feast of St. Francis of Assisi). We have followed it with some distinctive content in our liturgy, but not adopting the changed Bible readings that some have advocated. After much ecumenical work, an official change to the calendar and lectionary has now been agreed on, declaring 1 September to be the “Feast of Creation in Christ”, as indeed it has been for centuries in the Eastern Orthodox churches. Many churches will transfer it to the nearest Sunday, as they do with Epiphany, All Saints, etc. We could do the same, but it would be more consistent with our usual practice to observe it with a 7pm liturgy on the actual day (except when it falls on a Sunday). Nathan is proposing that we do that, and continue to use the creation themed prayers through to 4 October as we presently do. We will be discussing this and making a decision on it.
Do you have any comments, questions or suggestions you’d like us to consider as we discuss this?

5. Visiting Pastoral Overseers
Philippa Thomson, who was introduced and interviewed in our worship service on June 14th, is willing to serve our Congregation as a Visiting Pastoral Overseer (VPO). For that to happen, her appointment would need to be approved by a congregational vote, so the Host Group will be deciding whether to go ahead with recommending her and arranging a vote. Do you have any comments, questions or suggestions you’d like us to consider as we discuss this?

6. Church Camp
We will be discussing whether to go ahead with a church camp this year, in a similar format to the last few years. The date that has been pencilled in is 9-11 October. Do you have any comments, questions or suggestions you’d like us to consider as we discuss this?

7. Pastoral Care Needs
We always have a brief discussion about any special pastoral care needs that might be happening in the lives of our congregation. Is there anyone who you are concerned about at present who we might not be aware of?

8. Any Other Issues?
Are there any other questions or issues that you would like us to be considering?

Agenda for the next Host Group meeting

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