Stewardship
Good Things are Happening!
Stewardship Response
You are invited to indicate your Stewardship Response on the Respond page: bpuc.org/respond
We invite you to join in the Good Things That Are Happening by contributing to the ministry of Brougham Place Uniting Church.
Each year we indicate which ministry areas we would like to be involved in.
Please note that Safe Church screening applies to a number of these roles.
Ministry areas at BPUC
This is a description of the ministry areas at Brougham Place Uniting Church. Use as a reference as you indicate your Stewardship Response online at bpuc.org/respond or by using a hard copy form.
Discipleship – Adults
Event host – Help host major events at the church. Example: Prayer Vigil. Single short-term commitment.
House group leader – Lead a monthly house group. Annual commitment.
House group host – Host a monthly house group in your home. Annual commitment.
Social ministry leader – Lead a social, community-building event. Example: Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? Single short-term commitment.
Special interest group leader – Start a new social, community-building group or activity, based on common interests. (eg Walking, Cycling, Knitting/creativity with yarn, Arts). Could be based at the Church, in your home, in North Adelaide, or in your local community.
Study group leader – Lead a Bible study group. Example: 5-week study on a particular subject. Single short-term commitment
Discipleship – Children and Families
Children’s music team – Developing music ministry with the children. Annual commitment.
Family event helper – Support a one-off family friendly event. This includes the running of the event on the day. May be in a variety of roles. Single occasion commitment. Example: family picnic.
Family event leader – Lead a one-off family friendly event. This may include advertising, planning, or hosting. Single occasion commitment. Example: swim party.
Sunday school angel – Responsible for being the second leader during Sunday School to support the teachers, provide assistance in an emergency and to oversee children who leave class to visit the toilet etc. Annual commitment (usually rostered once or twice a quarter).
Sunday school teacher – Responsible for preparation of the lesson and activity and supervision of the class on the day. Our teachers have served for a long time and are keen to have more join the team to share this joyful role. This may be a regular commitment or as a relief teacher. Annual commitment.
Discipleship – Young Adults
Young Adult Gatherings – Help re-invigorate our Young Adults ministry. Annual commitment.
Discipleship – Youth
Youth activities – Help out with youth activities on Sunday mornings or at events through the term. These are held on weekends or weeknights. Annual commitment.
Finance
Fundraising – help with fundraising initiatives
Hospitality
Morning tea – Arrive early and set up morning tea. Serve and clean up afterwards. Annual commitment (usually rostered monthly).
Transportation – Transport someone to church or a church event. This may be an ongoing commitment, as a relief transporter, or as a once-off. Annual commitment.
Welcomer – Welcome people at the door before the service begins. Hand out information. Help people access online Order of Service. Support Visitors (show where the toilets are, ensure they receive warm welcome to morning tea, invite them to complete a Contact card). Annual commitment (usually rostered monthly).
Mission and Outreach
Social Justice and Action Group – Join this group which seeks to both keep the congregation informed about social justice issues and also move the community to action.
Office
General volunteer – Help out in the office with copying, mail outs, answering the phones or other tasks and short term projects. This may be once-off or regular. Annual commitment.
IT support – Help with the maintenance of the church’s computers, and tech support for software and website. Annual commitment.
Communications – Help with social media, website, mailings.
Pastoral Care
Card writing – send cards to acknowledge, encourage, support, commiserate and celebrate.
Make meals for people in need – Join the list of willing cooks who are called upon as need arises. Annual commitment (very occasional).
Prayer chain – Join the Prayer Chain. Receive weekly emailed prayer requests and covenant to pray for them. Must abide by Prayer Chain Guidelines, which includes a privacy statement. Annual commitment.
Pastoral Partner – Become one of the pastoral carers in the congregation. Keep in touch with people, pray for them and pass along pastoral needs to the Minister. Annual commitment.
Property
General handy person – Fix a broken tap, replace light bulbs, unclog a toilet. Annual commitment (as need arises).
Verger duties – Help with giving access to the Church Building and turning on lights and heaters, then locking up as required. Sundays and special services. Annual commitment.
Working bee availability – Once a year (generally November) we have a community wide working bee to do a big cleanup of the church.
Worship
Bible reading – Read the Scripture reading/s for the day in worship. Annual commitment (usually four times a year).
Candle Lighting – Light the two candles at the beginning of the service. Annual commitment (usually a family will do this monthly).
Children’s Time – Lead this part of the service. Help children and all ages engage with the text or the theme of the day. Intergenerational focus is welcome. Annual commitment (usually monthly).
Choir – Sing in the church choir. Rehearsals are at 7 PM on Thursdays. Annual commitment (although there are also opportunities to join for particular seasons or services).
Communion preparation – Prepare the communion elements for worship. It would be good to have two volunteers rostered together. Annual commitment (usually monthly).
Communion server – Serve communion during worship. Annual commitment (usually twice a quarter).
Creative worship planning – Join the planning teams for different worship seasons (Advent/Christmas, Lent/Easter, Pentecost, Season of Creation). Annual commitment (may choose to only be involved in one of the seasons).
Drama – Participate in drama productions in worship. Annual commitment (may perform in one or multiple dramas).
Flowers – Arrange the flowers for use during worship. Annual commitment (usually monthly).
Live-streaming – Setting up equipment and running the software that enables live-streaming of worship services. This includes the use of an iPad and Mevo cameras. Annual commitment (usually monthly).
Music Coordination – Join the music in worship coordination team and help coordinate musicians and develop our music ministry.
Musician / Vocalist – Play a musical instrument or sing during worship. This may include piano, trumpet, violin, cajón or other musical instruments. Annual commitment (may be regular or for special services).
Prayers – Lead the Prayers of the People (Intercessory prayers) in worship. Annual commitment (usually four times a year).
Preaching – Prepare and deliver the sermon. Annual commitment (as required).
Sound Desk – Operate the sound system for the church. This includes set up before the service and also packing things away afterwards. Annual commitment (usually once a month).
Worship Coordinator – prepare the service (liturgy and hymn selection) in collaboration with the Preacher. Annual commitment.
Worship leading – Help to lead worship by reading preprepared liturgy. Annual commitment (usually four times a year).
Committees at BPUC
Church Council
The Church Council is elected at the Annual General Meeting of the congregation ordinarily held in February each year. The membership of this group is determined by UCA Regulations and all elected members must be Confirmed Members or Members-in Association of our congregation. Nominations are usually received over January and the names are communicated to the congregation two weeks in advance of the meeting.
Building Strategy and Planning Team
This is a committee that was appointed by the Church Council to help raise funds towards the repair and refurbishment of the building. It was formed in 2017 and lead the congregation through a number of capital campaigns. The makeup of the group has changed over time and the Council has appointed people based on their gifts and skills.
Finance Committee
This is a sub-committee of the Church Council that is comprised of two members of the Council along with the Minister. They are responsible for the management of the financial affairs of the congregation including the preparation of budgets, statements and reports. They also arrange for the annual audit, presentation and examination of the accounts of all the funds of the Congregation.
Pastoral Partners Coordination Team
This is a committee comprised of a number of the Pastoral Partners along with the Minister to manage the Pastoral Partners system of care in our Congregation. This includes assigning Pastoral Partners and ensuring regular education and support for them.
Property Committee
The Church Council of Brougham Place UC delegate the arrangement, management and general oversite of works to care for and maintain the Brougham Place UC property to the Property Committee. In accordance with UCA Regulations, this is an appointed committee of the Church Council.
Social Justice and Action Group
This group is to encourage ongoing participation and integration of social justice and action ministries into the life and service of BPUC. Membership of this committee is voluntary and can be indicated annually during Stewardship.
Sunday School Committee
This committee is comprised of Children’s Ministry leaders and the Minister. They work to ensure that our Sunday School and other family ministries continue to function well.
Worship Committee
This committee seeks to organise the ongoing worship life of the Brougham Place community. This includes creative planning for special seasons within the life of the church (Lent / Easter, Season of Creation, Advent / Christmas), when it can be expanded to include other members of the congregation who contribute specifically during these times.
Music in Worship
This new committee seeks to grow our music ministry and helps coordinate musicians.
Serving the wider Church
Many people in our Church serve in areas beyond our local congregation. For example: Presbytery, Synod, Assembly, UnitingCare, Boards, Committees, Preaching at other churches, supervision or mentoring, preaching, and volunteering.
What does our Regular Financial Giving support?
Ministry with Children
Raising our children in love and faith. We provide resources for effective ministry with children on Sundays and when attending wider church events. We create spaces of love and nurture, and equip leaders and parents for the task.
Ministry with Youth
Journeying alongside our youth as they venture out in faith. Your financial giving helps provide for our Youth Worker who coordinates and leads activities for our young people on Sunday mornings as well as a number of events during the term. We are seeking sustainable funding to make this role 0.4FTE so that our youth worker can invest more time in supporting our young people at such an important stage of their faith formation and develop further our connections with other church youth groups in our Presbytery.
Ministry with Young Adults
Discovering tools for the life of faith. We would love to be able to gather to read the Bible, share our lives and celebrate together. There are also opportunities to participate in wider UCA events.
Ministry with Adults
Exploring life and faith together as a community. We gather together in house groups to ask questions, listen to one another, and pray. We seek to learn and grow both individually and as the Body of Christ.
Worship
Joining together as a community in song, scripture, sacrament and prayer. We share in a rich music ministry through choir, instrumentalists and music with children and youth. We explore faith through drama, art and liturgy. This includes the Worship Committee and the contributions of the Centre for Music, Liturgy and the Arts.
Support of our Community
Seeking to share the love of Christ in our city, nation and the world. We open our lives and our church to community choir groups, community board meetings, and wider church gatherings.
Physical Resources and Outreach
Caring responsibly for the gifts entrusted to us. We maintain and preserve our sacred space for worship, mission and outreach.
Operations
We ensure that we are legally compliant in all we do, offer effective administrative support and provide a safe space for all.
Special Appeals
Extra Mile Giving
Supporting God at work in the community beyond our annual budget:
Gifts ‘n Goodies supporting UnitingCare Food Relief Centres and the Eastern Adelaide Domestic Violence Service.
Lent Event and Everything in Common Gift catalogue (UnitingWorld)
Christmas Bowl Appeal (Act for Peace)
Major Building Works (structural integrity) – works continue on repairing our beautiful building. Projects include repairing flooring, salt damp and cracks in walls.
Special Building Works (for mission and outreach) – updating spaces in our basement for children, youth and outreach ministries.
Youth Ministry – raising funds to add to the Uniting Foundation grant, to raise the current hours from 0.2 FTE to 0.4 FTE (2 days a week). Building up funds so that we can make this ministry sustainable in future years.
You are invited to indicate your Stewardship Response on the Respond page: bpuc.org/respond