THE DIOCESE OF BUNBURY
“CAREY PARK PARISH PROFILE”
Currently in an Interregnum
Part 1 – Who we are and our mission
1.
Vision Statement
“We as the body of Christ in the Anglican Parish of Carey Park are committed to
honour, praise and love God, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, seek to grow in love
and unity and to serve the wider community.”
2.
Introduction from Priest and / or Churchwarden
We are a diverse, multicultural people of God whose strength is our acceptance of all
those who visit and we pray, by God’s grace, choose to join us. While we may lack in
affluence, we willingly give generously to many mission projects and are always there
for each other in the happy and the hard times. We are truly a family as we love
openly and strive for honesty in our dealings with each other.
3.
Brief outline of the Parish Council’s plans for the future
Plans for our future will include an expansion of the ministry to both the young and
the elderly of our congregation, a search for ways to encourage men to join our
worship, promotion of better communication and the continuing of equipping people
to minister effectively in their chosen / gifted areas.
4.
Diocesan focus on “Every Member Ministry” and how it is implemented within this
Parish
The Mission Statement for the Diocese of Bunbury is:
We are a Diocese Family
Growing into the likeness of Jesus
All owning the ministry of Christ.
It is the vision of the Diocese to see every Parish transformed into a "Ministering
Community in mission": where every member is valued as an important member of
the Body of Christ: and is encouraged to identify their God given gifts, and then step
out in faith to use their giftedness as part of the ministry and mission of the Church.
Carey Park Parish encourages “every member ministry” and a large proportion of our
members take a leading role in the weekly services and in the other activities as listed
below.
As a regular worshipping community we endeavour to serve God through a variety of
ministries including prayer, healing, internal and outward reaching pastoral care, small
home study groups, aged care, and programmes for the young. Morning tea following
the Sunday service provides an avenue for fellowship.
Outreach has a strong focus through an Opportunity shop, weekly provision of
Devonshire teas, pensioner reduced haircuts, pastoral care to the housebound,
services to the elderly in three aged care facilities, hospital visiting, an After Lunch
Club and craft. Monthly meetings include Mothers’ Union, and interdenominational
men’s breakfasts. Many parishioners are also involved in Elijah House ministry and
Cursillo.
Every member ministry is greatly encouraged. Most parishioners are involved in the
life of our Parish and/ or our outreach. Every ministry is valued whether it be through
preparation for Sunday worship, music, healing prayer, hospital visiting, working with
children, the leading of a home group, communication etc. Where training is required,
it is given. An exciting music programme is continually developing to enhance
worship.
5.
Brief History of the Parish
Many priests have come and gone over the years, each bringing their own style of
preaching and teaching.
The building which is now our Opportunity Shop was our church when I first came to
the parish in 1963. I didn’t realise at the time that it had only been built and opened in
1954. I think Rev. Rodney Williams was the priest in charge then, but I don’t know
when he was actually appointed. The first parishioners meeting I attended was when
Bishop Hawkins attended and announced that as the parish wasn’t bringing in enough
income to pay the stipend of a priest, Rodney could no longer stay. Needless to say,
all present were devastated as they worked so hard to get a church and ultimately their
own priest. Presumably services were then taken by clergy from the Cathedral, but
this wasn’t every Sunday.
In 1962 St Boniface Cathedral opened and St David’s church, which was in Spencer
Street, was closed down. Their hall, known as The Duce Memorial Hall, was
transported and placed on our land. It was in this building that my son was baptised in
1966 by the Rev. Ray Hodge. This Hall was turned into our church and the original
church (now our Op. Shop) was used as a Hall and also accommodated the Op. Shop.
Rev. William Copland was then appointed as our Parish Priest, followed by George
Harvey who worked from the Cathedral Parish. Soon after that, Boyd Trott was
ordained as a worker priest, taking services on a Sunday but working in his day job at
La Porte during the week. He and wife Marjorie had been members of the Church
Army. (I always remember their son Basil calling in after school one afternoon to tell
me that his dad had been made a bishop!)
After that Rev. John Simpson, with Rev. Colin Holden as assistant, was in charge of
the Parish which comprised St Elizabeth’s, St Mark’s, St Patrick’s at Rathmines and
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St Nicholas’s at Australind. Rev. David Whatley, the chaplain for the Mission to
Seafarers, assisted them. That was a time of growth and the Focolare Movement
(Word Life) was introduced to the congregation by Fr John Simpson.
Rev. Joe Hopkins must have been our next priest. It would have been at this time that
the Rectory was built, a huge undertaking, and Joe, Wendy and family were its first
residents in 1985. It wasn’t long before Joe saw the need for a Practical Assistance
Centre. He was able to get assistance with finance for the project from the Lotteries
Commission and Alcoa. Before the building could go ahead, the Duce Memorial Hall
(our church) was moved out to Australind to be used as their church and we moved
back into the original church. We were able to rent the Uniting Church Hall in Lowe
Street so the Opportunity Shop operated from there while the new building was
erected. It was during this period that St Patrick’s Church, Rathmines was sold to the
Church of Christ (non-denominational) where it still operates from. Needless to say,
this was a very upsetting time for many as St Patrick’s had opened in 1908. I was
always pleased that it wasn’t demolished and is still a place of worship today
When the new building, the Practical Assistance Centre opened, the Food Barn was
located in the area we now know as our Community Centre and a Financial Counsellor
(John Kirk) was located in what is now our photocopier room. Prior to that a
Financial Counsellor, Mrs Rae Snell, worked from the little room that now stores the
Op. Shop books.
The Hairdressing was carried out where it is today.
Cooking Classes were conducted on a Monday by Mr Athol Marsh in this same area.
This was to teach people how they could prepare cheap, nourishing meals.
The Opportunity Shop was moved into the area which is now our church.
John Meagher must have been our next priest, later joined by his wife Rev. Sue
Meagher (Barnes), and in due course this brought big changes. He felt that the place
of worship should be in the new building and the Opportunity Shop should be located
in the original church building and this is ultimately what took place, as the Food Barn
was no longer viable. and closed down. This area was then made our Community
Centre. John also started the After Lunch Club for Seniors. It just seemed incredible
all the changes that had taken place in such a short time!
Rev. Cliff Parish and his wife Nola were our next carers and then Rev. Carol Morgan
and her husband Chris.
Over the years our Parish has helped with the training of a number of people who have
become Priests and Deacons. These include Rev. Alan Taylor, Rev. Lance Kershaw
(Deacon), Rev. Terry Pickersgill, Rev. Terry Page, Rev. Sue Barnes (now Meagher),
Rev Stella Beauchamp, Rev. Gail Donaldson-Stiff (Australind) and Rev. Ann Frost
(Deacon).
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An Opportunity Shop seems to have been part of the Parish from its early days. I
seem to remember Mrs Lil Taylor ran this on a Saturday morning from the little room
now used to display our crockery etc. in the present Opportunity Shop.
St Elizabeth’s Parish certainly has much to thank God for.
Joan Paisley
Parishioner 1963 – 2014
6.
List of Parish Leadership
We have been greatly blessed in the last decade to have stable, vibrant leadership
which has increased our knowledge and understanding of how we should be God’s
people in our Parish and Diocese. It’s always easy to be so involved in “doing” that we
forget to take time just to “be”. The encouragement given in our Parish is to keep our
actions focused on Jesus and His example of how to live our lives.
Priest’s warden St. Elizabeth’s
People’s warden
People’s warden St. Mark’s
Deacon
Secretary
Councillors
Vincent Cooney
Phillip Markham
Anne Lee-Steere
Ann Frost
Ann Busch
Sandie Cargill
Colleen Hartzer
Lynda Howe
Annette Ryder
Janet Smith
Within this leadership is our deacon, Ann, who among other services, co-ordinates a
wonderful pastoral care programme “Love in Action” (LIA). There are those
responsible for prayer ministries, aspects of worship, the Parish pew sheet, those who
produce a high quality Parish paper, “The Hearth”, those with leadership in the
Children and Youth ministry, those with responsibility for Op Shop backup, catering
(for Parish events) and maintenance of our buildings.
Our Mission Secretary is dedicated and efficient, leading one of the strongest aspects
of our Parish – our mission giving. The development of this ministry over the past
years has seen us grow from having a monthly gold coin collection for a nominated
mission, to also having an annual focus for a specific mission to provide for such as
rickshaws for India, a water well in Africa, support for Anglicare and in 2013, a focus
on Anglican Board of Mission, a mission agency of the Anglican Church of Australia.
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7.
General Information about the Community
The City of Bunbury is positioned on the coast of the Indian Ocean, and a gateway to
Western Australia’s beautiful south west region, Bunbury is a lovely provincial port
city, positioned some 186 Km from Perth, the Capital of Western Australia. The port
is busy all year round with exports of mineral sands and wood chips being the
predominate export commodity. Our Parish has close ties with the Mission to
Seafarers and several of our members are volunteers at the mission. The population of
the greater Bunbury area approximates 85,000. The hinterland produces fruit and dairy
products including well known world class wines. Other activities are mining for
mineral sands and coal. Daily drives are possible to the many wine growing regions, to
rich farmlands and a wealth of scenic bush walks and wildflowers.
The City of Bunbury is well provided for with excellent medical and dental facilities
including hospitals, which include specialist doctor’s clinics, x-ray center and
coronary unit.
There are numerous government and independent primary schools, high schools, and
senior colleges. There are further education options at the South West Institute of
Technology and Edith Cowen University. There are schools within walking distance
of the rectory. The Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School at Gelorup is recognised as
one of the top country co-ed boarding schools in Australia.
Bunbury enjoys a regional entertainment complex, art gallery, and extensive sporting
facilities and we are less than 2 hours from Perth along a dual highway or one can
enjoy relaxed travel by daily bus or train services.
Bunbury is the administration centre for the Diocese with the Cathedral and residence
of the Bishop situated near the CBD.
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8.
Map – showing the location of the Parish and Churches
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9.
Information on each of the worship Centres and Parish buildings
We have two worship centres in our Parish. The mother Church of St. Elizabeth of
Hungary is in Carey Park, and the historical Church of St. Marks is in Picton.
St Elizabeth’s comprises the Church, a community centre with a well equipped
kitchen, several offices and the Opportunity Shop. The rectory, a 4x2 family residence
with a separate study/office, and is adjacent to this Church.
St. Mark’s, the second oldest country Church in WA has been preserved and restored
over its 170 year history. It is the subject of a Conservation Plan and is a listed
Historic Building.
Set in its grounds are an old graveyard for which a conservation plan is currently being
prepared, and a memorial rose garden for the interment of ashes. The cost of
maintaining the garden is met from the interest on a bequest. There is much potential
for outreach through this little Church as an historical precinct which attracts many
visitors.
St Marks Church in Wollaston
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St Elizabeth’s Church and Parish Centre in Carey Park
St Elizabeth’s Op-Shop in Carey Park
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The Parish Rectory
Parish Ministries and Groups
10.
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On Tuesdays at 11.00am there is a Parish prayer time when some of the congregation
meet for prayer.
Also on most Tuesdays at 12.00pm, the Bunbury Ministers’ Fellowship meets at St.
Elizabeth’s for community prayer for the City of Bunbury and God’s work in our
wider community.
Extended Communion services are held alternate Fridays at Bunbury Gardens and
Forrest Gardens nursing homes with weekly services at Bethanie Fields aged care
facilities.
God@4 is a children’s service and fun time and held on the 4th Sunday of each
month. It is a programme incorporating a Holy Communion service and the fun
times are based around the biblical theme for the day. In all aspects possible, this
service is run by the children. Children from neighboring Gelorup sometimes
combine for this service.
Monthly MU Australia services and meetings are held on the 2nd Tuesday.
The men hold a ‘Men’s breakfast’ on the first Saturday of each month. Attendance at
this gathering is jointly shared with men from the Uniting and Catholic churches and
is based on fellowship over a cooked breakfast. Visiting speakers are sources from
many and varied fields of interest. Attendance numbers vary from 15 to 25.
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Through Cursillo and Happening we have developed a relationship with the Church of
St. Francis in the Highveldt of South Africa and donations are given weekly for
K.I.C.K, Kids In Christ’s Kingdom, the programme assisting impoverished children in
the Highveldt. The generosity of our parishioners has been unbelievable. From a
congregation of mainly pensioners, thousands of dollars have been donated for these
beautiful children.
Youthcare, the chaplaincy programme in schools, is another major focus for our giving
and we are pleased to be able to offer a high level of support locally to this important
ministry. One of our parishioners is a chaplain in two of our special needs schools in
the area.
Five Home Groups meet regularly and follow programmes determined by the leaders
in conjunction with the Parish Priest and incorporating Diocesan studies. These groups
are trusting environments with their inner bonds of friendship and caring for each
other, providing a strong basis for the fellowship within our Parish.
11.
Some Parish Statistics
As with most Parish rolls, the numbers recorded belie the actual numbers of
worshipping members. St. Elizabeth’s would average congregations of 50-60 and St.
Mark’s an average of 18-20. The population of each is largely middle aged to elderly
with children’s numbers hard to generalise.
As not all members attend each Sunday, the numbers shown in the graph indicate
attendances for each month. These numbers do not show attendance figures for the
mid week services on a Thursday.
The average attendance for a Sunday is 41 with an average of 38 taking communion.
Average attendance and communicants for the mid week service is 12 in both cases.
It should be noted that some of the peaks are the result of a Sunday service that
incorporated a baptism either at St Mark’s or St Elizabeth’s.
ATTENDANCE
COMMUNICANTS
Attendance Graph for St Elizabeth’s
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A similar graph is shown below for the attendance and communicants at St Mark’s.
ATTENDANCE
COMMUNICANTS
Attendance Graph for St Mark’s
St. Mark’s is a Church of choice for brides but even so, there are not a great many
marriages celebrated annually. In 2012 there were 11 Baptisms at St Mark’s. Most
funerals are held at the crematorium chapel rather than in our Churches.
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Current Sunday service programme
Our weekly services include Sunday Holy Communion at both churches:

St. Mark’s 8.00am and St. Elizabeth’s 9.30am.
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Holy Communion is also celebrated on a Thursday at 8.30am, with a Healing
Service held at 9.30 am following the Holy Communion. This service has
proved to be a wonderful source of comfort, an insight into the workings of the
Holy Spirit and shows how God works through prayer, honouring the prayers of
persistence, trust and faith. People from other denominations and all walks of
life are known to attend these services.
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Once a month, on the second Sunday, the 9.30am service is a Children’s
Liturgy.
Should you wish further information concerning our Parish please feel free to contact
any of the Wardens by phone or email and we would be delighted to have you join us
for worship any time and may God’s blessings be upon you and your families.
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The Parish finances are the responsibility of the Parish wardens in accordance with
the Diocesan Statutes. The treasurer is a warden and manages the accounts and
financial records with due diligence. Following is the budget for the Year ending
2014.
BUDGET 2014
actual 2013
INCOME
Collections
Rent
Mission
Opportunity Shop
Donations
Rector -share of
expenses
Media
T/f ex Gen telenet
T/f ex Garden telenet
T/f ex Diocese Ann
St.
Term deposit interest
ATO refunds
Sundries
Loan
$68,000.00
$4,800.00
$6,700.00
$25,500.00
$1,000.00
$2,300.00
$650.00
$2,000.00
$1,440.00
proposed
2014
$70,000.00
$6,500.00
$24,000.00
$1,500.00
$650.00
$3,000.00
$4,500.00
$2,700.00
$900.00
$6,000.00
$2,000.00
$129,490.00
$104,650.00
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EXPENDITURE
Stipend
Deacon
Assessment
Mission
Insurance
Building maintenance
- facilities
Sanctuary
Vehicle - fuel
- insurance
- RAC
- servicing
Rates
Cleaning
Power/gas-centres
Loan repayment
Power/gas-Rector
Telstra
Security
Gardens
Media
Copyright
Stationery
Photocopier
Op Shop
Youth
Teas
T/fers - gard telenet
- gen telenet
-purchasing
acc
Sundries
Capital
Solar panels balance
actual 2013
proposed 2014
$63,000.00
$5,250.00
$9,650.00
$8,300.00
$4,800.00
$54,000.00
$5,250.00
$9,650.00
$6,500.00
$4,800.00
$1,320.00
$430.00
$300.00
$300.00
$700.00
$100.00
$300.00
$2,600.00
$2,400.00
$1,600.00
$550.00
$2,350.00
$1,400.00
$400.00
$1,600.00
$1,100.00
$350.00
$800.00
$200.00
$1,200.00
$1,500.00
$1,100.00
$4,500.00
$4,000.00
$3,000.00
$600.00
$400.00
$3,000.00
$1,600.00
$126,700.00
$3,500.00
$1,000.00
$700.00
$100.00
$1,000.00
$2,600.00
$2,400.00
$1,000.00
$600.00
$2,000.00
$1,250.00
$400.00
$100.00
$1,500.00
$350.00
$900.00
$220.00
$1,200.00
$1,000.00
$1,200.00
$5,250.00
$5,250.00
$131,950.00
$107,220.00
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