The Uniting Church SA is supporting mental health week with a series of different installations inside and around the Pilgrim Uniting Church. The displays will provide a quiet space to reflect on yourself, or someone you care about who suffers a mental illness. 

The displays will be available inside and outside the church, between Monday the 10th and Friday the 14th of October:
•    Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 12 noon – 2 pm
•    Wednesday: 4-6pm

More information: check out the events section of the Pilgrim website http://www.pilgrim.org.au/events

The Kevin Rudd MP, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, has announced the Australian Government’s plans to support Australian NGO’s, including the Relief and Development Unit of UnitingWorld, in their response to the Horn of Africa crisis. 

The Australian Government’s Dollar-for-Dollar initiative will match each dollar donated to appeals run by AusAID-accredited Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) working to alleviate the food crisis in the Horn of Africa from 5 October until 30 November 2011.  

Speaking of the Uniting Church, The Hon Kevin Rudd MP said “I’m proud of the Uniting Church and what it does locally, nationally, and with partners overseas.”

As an AusAID accredited agency and a signatory to the ACFID Code of Conduct, UnitingWorld Relief and Development Unit’s Horn of Africa Crisis Appeal is eligible for this initiative.
The need for assistance remains acute.  

• More than 13 million people require urgent humanitarian aid.

• In Somalia 750,000 people are at risk of starvation and 1.3 million children are acutely malnourished.

• Unprecedented numbers of people are fleeing their homes for neighbouring countries.

• The situation is being made worse by life-threatening cholera and measles outbreaks in the region.

Rev. Dr. Kerry Enright, National Director of UnitingWorld attended the announcement and welcomed the Government’s commitment to the NGO efforts for the Horn of Africa.

To find out more about UnitingWorld’s Horn of Africa Crisis Appeal please visit our website: www.unitingworld.org.au/horn-of-africa-crisis-appeal or call 1800 000 331.  You can donate via the website, phone or by mail, using a downloaded form from the link above.

Walkerville Uniting Church celebrated its 170th anniversary with a thanksgiving service on June 26th, commemorating the formation of the first congregation of Wesleyan Methodists in a settler’s cottage in 1841. Guest preacher at the celebration was Dr. Lynn Arnold AO, the CEO of Anglicare in South Australia and former State Premier.  The service included the culmination of the 2011 planned giving programme, and a cake cutting by the oldest and youngest members of the congregation.

Rev. Geoff Ellery said that the planned giving 2011 theme of “Stepping Up and Stepping Out” had been appropriate for Walkerville in its mission at this time, and had combined well with the celebration of 170 years as a worshipping community. The church was decorated with ladders and shoes to highlight the theme and a celebratory lunch marked the occasion. After the lunch Dr. Arnold spoke of the Christian response to need, and outlined some of Anglicare’s community programmes. He noted with gratitude the level of co-operation that exists between his organisation and the welfare agencies of the Uniting Church.

Rev Sarah Williamson

Suicide is an abrasive word. I don’t even like writing it, let alone saying it.

In 2009, we lost 1633 men and 499 women to suicide. That’s 2132 people with mums, dads, wives, brothers, sisters and children. In the same year, 1507 people lost their lives in road crashes.

I don’t wish to detract from the tragic loss of life on our roads, and the communities whom this affects. But I do wish to point out that, despite the number of people dying by suicide being higher than our road toll, responsible discussion about the issue by the media, and in our own communities, is muted. 

This is partly what has led the Moderator, Rev Rob Williams, and myself to create an awareness campaign called “Suicide: It’s no secret”.

“I want to do something tangible to promote responsible and healthy media and community discussion about suicide so that people can be offered support, grieve - and find hope - together,” says the Moderator, Rev Rob Williams.

Our campaign wishes to say that silence and shame is not the answer: we want to help open up the discussion and the normalising of depression and mental ill health so that lives can be saved.

Growing up in a rural area, I have been particularly keen to see open discussion about suicide be able to flourish in our rural areas – and even more so, I fundamentally believe discussion is the starter for true change and the actual saving of lives.

As a church, we have a central role in many of our communities, especially rural communities. We care for those who are hurting and bury those who die.

Many of our ministers can testify to the incredible sadness of walking alongside another precious life lost to intentional self harm.

Rev Rob Stoner is one Minister who sees the desperation that can set a course of anxiety, depression and, sadly, suicide.

“The rural downturn (drought, and now various circumstances affecting fruit growers beyond our control in the Riverland) has meant for many people whose crops fail, they feel the failure personally,” explains Rob.

“This leads its natural course into depression. Suicide prevention begins by recognising the social needs of the farmers, the bad times they are experiencing and how that leads into depression”.

Our campaign begins on 28 August at Scots Church, Adelaide, with spokespeople addressing the media, followed by a short Service of Remembrance at in the Church at 12.00pm. If you or someone you know would benefit from this opportunity to grieve, remember and find hope, please join us. A symbolic display of black balloons will be at the church, representing the lives South Australia has lost to suicide in the past year.

The following six week period after the launch will see approximately a dozen services held throughout the state in rural areas. Resources will be available to all congregations to run services for their local communities via the website – nosecret.org.au.

For more information, contact Rev Sarah Williamson on (08) 8236 4257, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .