26th March 2021

Hi Everyone, lots of notices today!

Thank you for booking prior to 8:00pm Saturday and learning what life is like under COVID Normal.

Please continue to book via this link.  

Please plan to arrive 10 minutes before the beginning of the service to help with flow of traffic into the church as you check in upon arrival.

As more and more venues adopt this it will become easier to check-in and help improve Victoria’s contact tracing system. To save time, you can download the Services Victoria app and install it on your smartphone – the new QR code will be there ready to scan.

For those who do not use a smartphone, the alternative system will be pen and paper to fill in your name and phone number.

We plan to provide a gluten free option for the crackers only those who need it. Please return any wrappers to the bin on your way out of the church.

At last week’s General Assembly of Victoria there were some decisions made about ‘where to next’ regarding the government’s ‘Change or Suppression (Conversion) Practices Prohibition Bill’ that passed recently. As you will see below, consideration is being made of the implications for all of us.

The Assembly resolved to:

Appoint a committee consisting of the Moderator, Clerk, Law Agent, a member of the Board of Investment and Finance appointed by it, Rev Chris Duke (or alternate appointed by the Church and Nation Committee) and Rev Neil Chambers to consider the denomination’s response to the passing of the suppression legislation, that consideration to include:
a.     Obtaining legal advice about the ramifications of the bill in relation to possible liabilities and risk arising from current PCV biblical pastoral practices and teaching and the potential for allegations to be made that these may infringe the provisions of the legislation;
b.     Determining the extent of professional indemnity cover for PCV ministers, elders, chaplains and members who conduct counselling under our existing public liability cover and whether that cover needs to be revised;
c.     Considering the process ministers and members should follow if made the subject of an HREEC complaint and the provision of assistance by the denomination in such circumstances;
d.     Considering how the PCV might engage other denominations and the public in resisting any restriction on the proclamation of the gospel and the teaching of Scripture;

The committee will report to the October 2021 General Assembly. If you can please pray for all involved, for the wide ranging implications and for the cause of the gospel.

Further reading on this matter:

Good Friday Appeal

If you would like to contribute, please do so via internet banking ( details here ) with the reference HCCC .