Roster Update
In response to our current season and new rhythms as a small church, we have adapted our Sunday Roster to better define the roles and responsibilities required for our Sunday services, including some changes to expectations for supplying morning tea.
Please take time to read the descriptions and pray and think about how you can regularly serve, either for yourself, as a couple, or by inviting your children to join with you to serve as a family. You will notice we have included a pre-service prayer time at 9.35am — this is an open invitation to join us in prayer for the service — perhaps the most important 'job' of all!
During this time of being a small church our hope is that everyone will be part of the team on Sunday mornings to assist with the smooth running of the service. This not only lightens the load for those who currently do these jobs each week, but it grows our sense of belonging as church, helps us have a culture of serving alongside each other, and is a practical way we can love others during our time together.
In short, it is one way we live out our church values together! Thanks in advance for joining with us and signing up below!!
Love always,
Lisa
Role Responsibilties
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Arrive 9.15am, set up sound and laptop
Be ready for prayer together at 9.35am
Take care of sound during service and assist Aaron/Julia with media as needed
Use laptop for lyrics display during worship
Assist children who want to help with media
Pack down media gear after service and put away
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IMPORTANT ALLERGY INFO: NO peanuts and 1x Gluten Free option please
Supply milk (2L, full cream) and morning tea for approx. 24 people
Food guidelines - think simple but yum! Such as baked goods from the supermarket bakery department - 2 dozen biscuits or muffins or donuts; or a plate of cheese, crackers & fruit. If you prefer to bake that’s great, but a trip to Woolies on the way to church is just as appreciated!
Arrive 9.15am, put on the coffee urn and hot water urn; set up tables with tablecloths, decorations, tea and coffee supplies and food (keeping GF option separate from other food)
Be ready for prayer together at 9.35am
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Clear up the food and drinks tables, including both urns and any other items used for morning tea.
Collect all dirty dishes
Wash and dry dishes using the sterilizer in kitchen
Pack up all morning tea supplies and put away (take note of anything that needs to be replaced/refilled and tell Lisa)
Take tablecloths and tea towels home to wash and return for following Sunday service
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Arrive 9am, assist with setting up chairs and tables required for service
Bring out gear and tubs from the store room, put in correct areas for kids church, morning tea, welcome table and media.
Be ready for prayer together at 9.35am
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Arrive approx 9.30am or earlier - stand near entrance of building and greet people as they arrive
Visiting people or first timers - accompany inside and invite them to make a tea/coffee or introduce them to someone to chat to (if appropriate)
Let Admin (Lisa) know if we need more welcome/new person chocolate for Welcome Table
Come in and join service at approx. 9.55am in case people arrive later than start time
Help with pack up and put away gear from Welcome Table
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Must have all Child Safety training and requirements up to date
Arrive 9.30am to meet Kid’s Church leader and get plan for the morning
Join prayer together at 9.35am
Make sure all parents sign in their children as they arrive at kid’s church
Assist Kid’s Church leader, adhering to all Child Safety Procedures throughout service
Stand at door and wait for parents to sign out their children BEFORE any child leaves the room at the end of the service
Help tidy up and put away Kid’s Church tubs
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Purchase juice, bread and GF crackers for communion
Arrive 9.15am to set up communion supplies and fill communion glasses
Be ready for prayer together at 9.35am
Assist with cleaning up and putting communion supplies away after the service (take note of anything that needs to be replaced/refilled and tell Lisa)
The way out of Lockdown for WVC.
Dear Church,
First, a moment to say ‘Well Done’ - we’re out of lockdown, we survived!
And ‘Thank you’ - Westgate Vineyard has strengthened throughout this season as a community of hope, encouragement and connection. Each one of you has contributed to that in different ways and it brings us great joy to reflect on all the ways you have “been the church” to one another and to your neighbourhoods over the last (nearly) two years of COVID-19!
So, where to next? Let’s take the next tentative little step out! We’ll do it together!
Plans for the next step
This Sunday (31st of October) we will continue to meet for our Sunday service on Zoom.
On Sunday the 7th of November we will take our first step towards being together again by welcoming 40 fully vaccinated people to our in-person service.
There are two ways you can be part of Sunday morning church during this “first step”
Continuing to tune in on Zoom or,
Register online and attend the building in-person.
In person:
The current government regulations will require us all to wear face masks and, of course, practice social distancing. Also, we’re required to confirm the vaccination status of anyone attending Sunday services in-person, so we’ll do this by asking you to show your vaccination certificate when you sign in to the building.
On Zoom:
We will be doing our best during this time to ensure a sense of connection particularly for those participating from home via Zoom. We will have the camera set up close to the front so that the person speaking is easily seen, and when speaking from the front we will be mindful to address both the people in the room and people on zoom, we will hook up the church sound system to the Zoom broadcast for quality audio, and we will still utilise breakout rooms within the Zoom meeting so people joining in from home have a chance to connect, pray and catch up with others.
It’s a tricky time
We want to acknowledge that even while we’re excited to be taking steps towards everyone eventually being together again, there are complexities and compromises in the steps towards that goal, and until everyone is allowed to gather together, we remain a “wounded body”!
As we each return to church gatherings in-person, at different times, we may feel like we are limping a bit... but we are trusting that in time, as restrictions continue to lift, we will heal and grow as a body and begin to run again! The allowances and restrictions that have been made in the State Government's Roadmap affect each person in different ways, and while outlining the practical steps that we as a church are taking within that, we also just want to acknowledge these steps impact each person in particular ways. Please speak to us about how you are going as things are opening up more, and particularly how we can help you remain connected, or reconnect, with church family as things transition again.
Looking forward
We are really glad that as Christmas approaches we’ll be able to offer more opportunities to be meeting together in person, and we’re looking forward to sharing with you more about our Summer Communion Picnics that are going to form the basis of our gatherings in January.
Again, we’d love to hear how you are processing this time of change, and especially if these new regulations will keep you from joining us in-person, we are here to help and offer extra support where needed and however we can!
We have so much love in our hearts for you Westgate Vineyard Church, and we thank you for the grace, patience and love that you extend to us and each other!
Love,
From Aaron and Jules
(With the support of the Board & Eldership Teams)
Chocolate Gift for teachers
We're saying thanks to some real local heroes!
If you'd like to join in on the fun and bless some schools, play centres or kindies near you, you can download the label, print it*, wrap it around a block of chocolate and deliver it!
*If you don’t have access to a printer, get in touch with Aaron and you can pick up some from him :)
