At its final meeting for the Year on Tuesday of this week Church Council received and discussed feedback from Table Groups at the recent annual meeting of the Community [November 15^th].

That feedback addressed three questions:

1. What is new in this?
2. What is ‘stand-out? And
3. What gives you hope?

Your (community) comments included:

• A consolidating year after a difficult couple of years financially. Good to not be stressing about the budget – a workable budget.
• Blackwood is fortunate to be well-served by its current staff of Phil and Jacqui with Tyler coming ‘on board’.
• How do we build a community rather than provide programs?
• In 2015 Blackwood has added another level which has been event based, for example the ‘Occasional Series in Spirituality”. We should build on this because people can get a lot out of a single event.
• Need interaction between the people who participate in programs, or hiring the property and the Church. They need to feel that their ideas are valued and that they are listened to e.g. Playgroup mothers felt ramp wasn’t wide enough, therefore we will do something about it.
• Hope: Along with the basic ideas let us keep pursuing a closer amalgamation with the Church of Christ
• Need for more people to help move furniture. Maybe we will need to pay in future?
• Stand out: The commitment of people, amount of work done and community involvement.
• The Occasional Series on Spirituality has been excellent. How can this be developed to include these practices in our personal and communal lives?
• Surprise expressed that so much council time has been spent on the western wall. We haven’t seen this as an issue. Is it an issue for many?
• The reflections in the notices each week before the following Sunday Service mentioned as a highlight.
• Look forward to continuing leadership in our spiritual journey – particularly the follow on to spiritual practices.