Mission Statement

The Wesley Centre for Life Enrichment strives to be a vibrant centre in the heart of the City of Geelong that offers care, counselling and education to enrich all who come to us for growth and healing – that they may have LIFE and have it more abundantly.

Past Board Members

Paul’s Farewell

(Excerpts from Keith Fagg’s Valedictory Speech for Rev Paul Stephens’ Farewell, 28th June 2009)

In five minutes, it is almost impossible to do justice to Paul Stephen’ significant ministry with us since 1994. Paul has been with us so long that he has seen the Keating Labour government go out, a Coalition government under John Howard come in and go out, and then Labour again under Kevin Rudd. Paul’s time with us even pre-dates the first elected City of Greater Geelong Council! Paul has been with us so long that he arrived in his 30’s and is leaving us in his 50’s!

Together with a number of others, I was privileged to be involved in the selection committee for Paul in early 1994. I knew Paul as a Lara boy from way back but it was really a long time since I had last seen him. Since then, he got himself a chemistry degree, worked as an industrial chemist, was called into ministry, studied for a theology degree and most importantly, he found Jenny (or Jenny found him!). He had indeed progressed a long way since his early school days at Chanel College – the Christian Brothers would be pleased!

We tracked Paul down at Bairnsdale Uniting Church, at what had been his exit appointment. So successful and accepted he had been, that he was still there nine years later. We managed to persuade Paul that God was calling him to Wesley and the rest is history. I genuinely believe that this call was the will of God at the time. What has happened with Paul’s ministry here I think has proven this correct, that our collective discernment for the way ahead was sound.

Let me now again take you back to 1994. Wesley was quite a different place in many, many ways then. The life of the Parish was good but maybe not as vibrant as it is today. The Wesley Centre was active but a much smaller organization. In 1994, the Wesley Singers was only just getting underway as a group and a regular band to play at worship was only a dream. There was not a computer in the place and the only involvement we had with the web was when Ken Worland cleaned them down!

The property in the Parish was vastly different back then too. We had an old caretaker’s cottage where part of the car park is now, there was a run-down service station on the corner of Ryrie and Yarra St., our ‘face’ to Ryrie St. was not very inviting, the shop building was not well tenanted and even worse there was not a coffee machine to be found anywhere there! In 1994, the Albert Renshaw Hall at South Geelong was only a small tennis pavilion.

It was to this 1994 world that Paul came to minister within the Geelong City Parish. Some of you may not realize this but Paul was actually called to two roles here at Wesley: to be the minister to the 9am service and to be the Wesley Centre Director – both were half time ministries, although I hose am sure that both have received more than half at the same time! Juggling two responsibilities must have been difficult for Paul but if it was, he did not show it and he has excelled in both.

Not long after Paul was inducted to Wesley, we had a major planning conference at the Avalon Conference Centre. Some here today may still remember that experience – I sure can, I shared a bedroom with Paul. It was like a church camp for grown-ups! This conference really set the Parish strategy for the next 10 or so years. Looking back, we have achieved many of the visions developed over that weekend. Actually, we are right now again on the cusp of similar, positive changes in our Parish life but it is timely to look back for a moment with a humble sense of achievement and thanksgiving.

Paul has been the Ministry Team Leader for almost all his time here, working alongside his collegiate Ministers Duncan Watson, Ian Williams and Lisa Stewart, and with all the Parish staff who have worked here in their various support roles. There are some interesting statistics of his time with us. In the past 14 plus years, Paul has presided at 52 funerals, married 145 couples and baptised 120 infants, children and adults – at one stage, he even got me to get a Fagg’s Mitre 10 ute to collect a portable baptismal font from the Cloverdale Baptist Church for a memorable full immersion baptism conducted here at Wesley. Paul would have conducted the best part of 800 Sunday worship services and I won’t even begin to estimate the number of coffee’s Paul has had, but there are rumours that Panache is laying off staff in anticipation of his departure!!

Of course, the sum of Paul’s minsistry is not in such figures but in the quality of the gospel preached, the relationships formed and the care given.

Paul has preached to us, led us in worship, prayed with us and for us, ministered to many of us in time of need. Paul has been with us and alongside us as we have struggled to come to terms with events along life’s journey. When we have been personally touched by grief and tragedy – he has been there. He has visited us when we were in hospital or had some other major life event that needed support. Paul has not only looked after those of us who were here in 1994 but has also encouraged many new people to join our community – lots are here today.

He has helped us come to terms with major Australian and international events like the Port Arthur massacre, the September 11 attack, the Boxing Day Tsunami, the Black Saturday bushfires to name a notable few. He has engaged the broader community of Geelong at appropriate times. Paul has lead the Parish staff team and taken the Wesley Centre to a new life as the Wesley Centre for Life Enrichment, as Joan has just shared with us. Paul has been an active part of the Geelong city ministers group, appeared on promotional spots on the radio, been a spokesperson on behalf of the church on key issues and been part of many significant ecumenical events in Geelong.

His humble but strong faith has shone through in his preaching, his prayers and his liturgy. His personal warmth, his listening skills, his sometimes warped sense of humour, his love of history and cinema, his willingness to share his personal life experiences and interests as he preached - these and more have all added so much to his ministry with us. Together with all this, he completed his Masters degree in Theology while he was here.

Just in case my comments cause you to thinking that Paul must be perfect, I can publically say that he is not – he has at least one weakness. Paul loves to sing but, as he told us from day one, he is musically challenged in the voice department! Suffice to say that his invitation to join the Wesley Singers somehow got lost in the mail – and has been for 14 years - and the people in the sound booth have to make sure his lapel mic is definitely off during the songs! At the Church Council last Wednesday night, there was also some concerns raised about his bricklaying and ball room dancing skills, but I wont go into those!

Life and ministry will of course go on in our Parish after Paul leaves since that is what we are collectively called to do. As we move forward, we are truly blessed to have Lisa as a minister and leader amongst us. We all need to genuinely work together, we need to support and encourage Lisa and each other as we move into the next phase of our life as a community of faith.

All of you as members of the Parish will have your own experience of Paul’s ministry and I hope that some of my comments today resonated with you. In preparing for today, I invited people to give me some comments about their experience of Paul’s ministry….. Words used were:

Warm relationship; meet each other for coffee and a chat about life; tremendous source of encouragement; generous to me; reassuring words and his presence and his prayers; quiet strength, reassurance and love; Paul has brought a clearer view of the world and God’s view for us back to our lives.

I am not sure that I can say too much else except that you, Paul, have been our loved minister and our friend. It has been a great journey together. Most of us are a little greyer than we were in 1994 but that might mean, in your case at least, more wisdom and life experience. As one person wrote recently of you, Paul, you most certainly have the temperament, skills and spirit to carry your work forward as a Presbytery Minister with much love and grace. We will follow your future ministry and life with great interest and we will always be your friends. Paul, on behalf of every one in the Parish, I would like to say a very genuine, heartfelt and humble “Thank You” for your significant work and ministry here with us. May God bless you richly in your future ministry and life.

Geelong City Parish - Uniting Church In Australia Wesley Centre For Life Enrichment Minute Of Appreciation

An Acknowledgement and Minute of Appreciation for WCLE Records to the Rev Paul Stephens for his Leadership 1994-2009 as Director of the ‘Wesley Centre’ and the ‘Wesley Centre For Life Enrichment’.

In late 1994, when Paul commenced his position as Director - concepts of mission; of outreach; of the inclusiveness of the Gospel; and the practical interpretations of that Gospel and its Good News –all began to appear in the records and brochures produced by of the Management Committee of the Wesley Centre. Paul chose to build on all that was positive from the existing programs, and with these new insights, the way forward into the future was determined for the Wesley Centre.

Paul’s vision for the Wesley Centre included that:

• It could be a place that equipped members of the church and community to grow in their understanding of God, and of each other
• It could be a response to the unique message of hope, healing and life found in Jesus Christ
• It could be a practical expression in outreach of the faith of the Parish members
• It could be a place of healing, education and care; and a place of sanctuary in the city
• It could be a place where the foundations and bridges in relationships were built, strengthened and sustained
• It could be a place that continues to develop a ministry with people who have experienced the suicide of a family member or friend
• and it could and should be inclusive and non-discriminatory in its relationships with all its clients.Then in 2003, these visionary expressions found new life with the introduction of the Wesley Centre for Life Enrichment. The aims and objectives for this new entity were honed in those early days of Paul’s ministry, and these concepts, goals and priorities are still in use today, having stood the test of time in their practical expressions of outreach, caring ministry and accepting inclusiveness.

These expressions include the “Programs Services” with its activities; the “Counselling Services” with the care and support given by the professional counsellors; and more recently, its “Social Policy and Advocacy Service”. And now there is the proposed new WCLE Service with the working title of “Unexpected Traumatic Death Support Service”, which will extend the vitally essential work of education and support of people who have experienced the suicide death of someone close them; and also through other forms of sudden, unexpected and traumatic death.

The challenging concepts from Paul’s early days have continued to build and evolve over these years of Paul’s leadership, and it is important to acknowledge, that this has often been at the cost of his personal family life. We give thanks for the understanding of Jenny, Emma, James and David’s generosity in these matters.

Paul’s visionary approach to being a minister placed in a church situated in the CBD of the City of Greater Geelong, in the half-time position as Director of the Wesley Centre has seen him demonstrate the many different ways he fulfilled his calling:

• doing “radio spots” and interviews on the various local radio stations;
• standing on the footpath in Ryrie street handing out counselling leaflets to pedestrian traffic on Melbourne Cup day, and as a result, getting into deep and personal discussions with passing strangers;
• being extremely handy to the Geelong Advertiser office whenever they wanted a comment from a religious perspective on current affairs;
• helping people prepare for marriage with marriage preparation classes;
• working with Barwon Health as he sought to ease the plight of people experiencing mental distress and disability;
• Introducing book lovers to new ways of reading and understanding the deeper meanings of life and faith
• working with Deakin University to produce reports on social policy and advocacy projects;
• attending the monthly suicide support group, and sharing in the pain of people who have experienced the suicide of someone close to them
• organising with the United Faculty of Theology theological subjects for people to gain their of Theology degree, without having to go to Melbourne for all their lectures
• looking after the administration involved with being a UnitingCare agency and having contracted counsellors; and the list could go on and on and on…….

Paul, as Chairperson of the Board of the Wesley Centre for Life Enrichment, and on behalf of the Board members, the Wesley Centre staff, clients and donors, I thank you for:

• your deep personal faith in God, and the way you encourage its expression in human relationships
• your leadership and insights into the gospel of Jesus Christ that underpins all your thoughts and actions
• your spiritual insights into practical expressions of mission and outreach for and with people who are hurting, and who are experiencing deep un-met needs
• and your friendship, the challenges, and the fun we have shared in various ways.

We pray God’s blessing on your new phase in ministry, and wish you and your family grace and peace in the days ahead. The Wesley Centre for Life Enrichment gives thanks to God for almost 15years of dedicated leadership as the WCLE Director by the Rev Paul Stephens to that outreach ministry of the Geelong City Parish. We also thank Paul for being part of the team of Board members; his commitment and understanding as he served and shared with people in their deepest pain and distress; his appreciation of the value and dignity of each people’s life; and his empathy with people through his pastoral and spiritual ministry.

Joan Stott, WCLE Board Chairperson, on 28th June 2009.

From the Director, Michael Nolan:

As stated in my earlier report and as I have stated publicly, the Wesley Centre for Life Enrichment is deeply indebted to Joan Stott for the contribution and dedication in time and energy that Joan has given to the work of the Centre. These pages offer a small token of appreciation and tribute to Joan, and stand as a lasting testimony of gratitude for her place in our achievements, past and future.

Joan Stott tendered a letter of resignation to the Board of the Wesley Centre for Life Enrichment on 8th December 2009, both as a member of the Board and as its Chairperson.

In this letter Joan wrote:

“I have enjoyed the challenges associated with 6½ years I have spent on the WCLE Board, and the 2 - 3 years on the Wesley Centre Management Committee prior to the commencement of the WCLE.

I will miss very much being part of the ongoing work of this Parish outreach and its cuttingedge WCLE ministry within the Geelong community and beyond.

I wish Michael, the WCLE Director, God’s richest blessing as he continues to lead and guide the WCLE. I also wish the Board the experience of a deepening sense of the importance of their unique contribution to the life of our Church and beyond. I pray too, that each of you will discover a renewed energy and enthusiasm for the ongoing work of the WCLE.

I am willing to be available as a resource person if required, on any background matters relating to the WCLE and its antecedents.”

This is a copy of the letter to Joan Stott from the Board of the Wesley Centre for Life Enrichment after receiving Joan’s letter of resignation in December 2009.

“Dear Joan

It was with much regret that the WCLE Board received your letter of resignation at our meeting last Wednesday. We understand that at this time, this is what you are led to do.

We would like to thank you for all the years of service you have put into the setting up of the WCLE and its ongoing work. The countless hours, the energy spent in many, many ways. The tremendous leadership effort in transitioning the Wesley Centre into the Wesley Centre for Life Enrichment and its subsequent successful growth and development into a very effective and respected organization is due to your foresight and total dedication to the WCLE.

In due course, when you are physically well, we would like to acknowledge your outstanding service in a very public manner.

Please be assured of our prayerful support for you at this time.

Yours in Christ

Chris Yeaman (Chairperson)”

This is a copy of the minute of appreciation for Joan Stott as approved by consensus at the JCC meeting in February:

“It is with regret that we accept the resignation of Joan Stott from the Joint Church Council. We record our appreciation for her commitment to the life of the Church through her tireless work within the Council. Over many years Joan has made a valuable contribution through her participation on many committees and task groups, and held the office of Chairperson of the Joint Church Council for a term of three years. We appreciate that Joan has accurately recorded in detail all relevant discussion and recommendations in areas where she has been involved. Our best wishes go with her, and we will remember her as a human dynamo, full of enthusiasm for whatever she is doing.”