Burnie Parish journey
Mary and Bob Harbod at the closing of St David's Cooee.
Joan Harvey with the Revd Doug Edmonds who started the process of change in Burnie as indicated in the article.
Bishop John Harrower at the reopening of St George's, Burnie.
Building a means to an end
An extract from the overview given by Ken Moore during the dedication and reopening of St George's, Burnie
Some time ago the Parish came to a realisation of the challenges that confronted us. What with stretched resources, human, physical and financial, and buildings that were not meeting the needs of ministry in the current social climate, it was decided that something needed to be done if we were to address the trend of declining and ageing congregations.
Led initially by the Revd Doug Edmonds, the Parish began this journey to see where God would take us. Over the past 10 years, with the help of the Revd Canon Dr Stephen Ames, the Venerable Jill McCoy and Mr Alan Foster and with many, many hours of meetings, we have at long last reached an important stage in our journey to become a mission focused congregation.
It has not been an easy time. Sadness and pain always comes with closing congregations and churches.
For many this may be a joyous day but we also need to acknowledge that it is also a time of sadness for some. We believe that together as God’s people, through prayer, we will journey on, seeking God’s will that we may be faithful to him just as he is to us.
Our vision is to become a church that is united in purpose to engage the community: bringing hope, growing faith in Christ and relevant in today’s world.
Ken Moore continued…
So what do we see as we sit here and look around this newly renovated building?
Firstly we have the Gothic arch as a common theme in the design of all the timber furniture which includes redesigned furniture from all past churches in the parish. This symbolically fits in with the theme of unity.
At the back of the church we have a fellowship area and greater visibility from the street, so those on the other side of these walls can see us enjoying ourselves and be eager to join us. We have the flexible, comfortable seats that we trust aren‘t so comfortable that you will start to nod off during the sermon.
I feel it only fair to warn you that we took the opportunity to electrify the seats with the control button up here on the lectern…only kidding.
We have all the audio/visual electronic gadgetry including multi-channel mixer, a hearing loop under the carpet and the projector pods behind me. Those of you who are movie buffs will know where I‘m coming from when I tell you that I‘ve nicknamed them ET and his twin brother!
Over this side, and this is where you need to use a bit of imagination, this will be our Memorial Wall when it’s completed, which together with a Memorial Book will enable us to acknowledge our parish history, to recognise where we have come from, but to do so in such a way that we are not clinging to the past.
Over the other side we have both a meditation and prayer corner as well as an area set aside for children.
All in all we have a building designed to provide an effective base for ministry in the 21st century. And it’s important for us to remember that this building is not an end in itself but a means to an end.
It is but one step in our journey as a parish and that journey now moves on to where God leads us.