GCF Staff

We have just had a great time together at a staff retreat for GCF full time and part time paid staff. There have been a number of changes in the staff during the course of this year. Bronwyn Hatherly left to have a beautiful baby girl. Natalie and Josh Shingles returned to Brisbane where Josh was offered a job in a consultency firm. Neil Kellie took up full time employment in the public service and reduced the time available to work as a youth leader.

God has been so generous toward us as a church. Natalie's job has now been taken up by Graeme and Karen Hush. Graeme is a long standing friend and has worked in ministry leadership with young people in particular in Wollongong, Hobart and Canberra. Karen is from Brisbane where she was part of the staff team of Calvary Family Church. They were married at the beginning of October. They are great people had have shared a strong commitment to Building Monday's Church ministry. I think Graeme has always had a burden for equipping people to make a difference in their community spheres.

Renee Ritchie has taken up the hours that used to belong to Bronwyn. She is doing a terrific job in the financial management of both GCF and Crosslink as well as working in general administration. Renee has a passion to serve Jesus and is involved in Youth and Children's ministry in the church as well as her work in the office.

Geoff and Jess Roberts have been part of the church for nearly a year and are now sharing leadership of the Youth Ministry. They were part of Graeme's Heartland group and are involved in Schools and are generally obsessed with seeing young people saved and equipped for ministry. Goeff is completing an Industrial Design degree at Canberra University and Jess is doing a Music degree. They make up a very passionate addition to the team.

So apart from the new members, we have Claire Ellis still doing a great job with Children's ministry, Neil is still working one day a week in Youth Leadership. Richard Gallagher is still working with Worship, Daryl James in pastoral care. That makes us a ten member team at the moment.

Our retreat time happened at my parents sheep property in Gunning, about 70 km north of here. My brother works the farm these days and my parents still live in the house they built (well most of it). Its a great place to relax and be away from the rush of normal life.

We spend a lot of the time getting to know each other's stories and finding out what drives us and what our hopes and dreams are for serving Jesus.

In between the sessions together we were playing a few games of tennis, swatting mossies and sharing a birthday tea with my Dad who turned 84 on November 30.