News, Notices & Prayer points - 12 December 2018

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News & notices – 12 December 2018

Below are the news and notices from congregations, the SA Synod and the wider Uniting Church submitted for the Wednesday 12 December edition of UC e-News.

 

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Prayer Points for the week

  • For the Safe Harbour SA launch project, that it raises awareness of the unjust treatment of asylum seekers and that it brings an end to detaining asylum seekers offshore.
  • To be reminded of the gift of Jesus Christ at Christmas time and for the sharing of gifts that spread joy and goodwill just like the gift of Jesus.

 

Verifying UCA police check Identification documents

Please be reminded of the following when verifying UCA police check identification documents. All Ministers, UCA employees and Church Council members are authorised by UCSA to verify ID documents when presented with a police check application and must remember the following:

Verifiers must:

  • Compare the information written on the application to the ID presented (e.g. names and addresses, date of birth, signature, passport number written)
  • Confirm that the ID presented is authentic and be aware of possible fraudulent activity relating to identity documents.

A factsheet outlining the information above is available here:  https://sa.uca.org.au/safe-church/screening-process

Voices for Justice

President of the Uniting Church in Australia, Dr Deidre Palmer, has urged Australian Christians to raise their voices for a more just world. Dr Palmer encouraged a 200-strong crowd of members from the Micah Australia movement, gathered in Canberra last week, to lobby their local federal politicians to do more to alleviate extreme poverty.

“As Christians who follow the way of Jesus, our values are shaped by God’s vision for all people and the whole creation,” said Dr Palmer. Read the whole article here.

L'Arche Adelaide 2019 Community Weekend

L’Arche Adelaide’s annual Community Weekend will occur on January 19-20, 2019 at Rosefield Uniting Church, Carlton Street, Highgate. The Saturday programme will run from 9am-9pm. The Sunday program will occur in Highgate Park chapel, Fisher St, Fullarton from 9.30am-2pm.
The two day program includes: craft, worship, concert, future planning. For more information, please contact Rev Dr Trevor Whitney by email: Turn on Javascript! or phone 0403 711 653.
L’Arche Adelaide is part of an international federation of faith communities where people with & without intellectual disability share life together. 

Thank you for keeping us in your prayers

The South Australian Council of Churches (SACC) has requested their Prayer Circle to specifically pray for the Uniting Church in South Australia during the month of December. The Uniting Church SA are thankful to the SACC, its member churches and our brothers and sisters in Christ for keeping us in their prayers this month. Thank you too, to every congregation and member in our denomination for the many prayers of strength, unity, wisdom and blessings.

Growing Young Conference

If you are a ministry leader keen to involve and retain young people in your congregation or faith community, you may be interested in attending the Growing Young Conference. This conference will focus on some of the key ways that growing churches are engaging 15 to 29 year olds and will offer both leadership strategies and practical ideas for reaching younger generations in a way that breathes life into the whole church.

Growing Young Conference will be held on Saturday 16 February at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Para Vista, with guest speaker, Jake Mulder. For more information contact the Intergen Team by email: Turn on Javascript! or visit the website. Register online here before Friday, 1 February 2019.

Sally Stamp says "thankyou"

Sally Stamp wishes to say a big “thank you” to all the church members, businesses and groups who had collected stamps during 2018. Please keep up the good work and continue to send your stamps to the Church Office.

Maxine Haines, who heads up the Sally Stamp operation, reminds everyone that one of the best places to get stamps is the local Doctor's surgery, “so please ask if they will save the stamps,” she says.

This year, Sally Stamp has helped South Pacific School Aid to send pallets overseas and helped with a container being sent to Papua New Guinea. If you have books that are no longer required, or old stamp collections, please contact Maxine by calling 0427 972417 or send her an email: Turn on Javascript!.  

Watercolour for Novices

The Centre for Music, Liturgy and the Arts (CMLA) is planning a whole-day painting workshop on Tuesday, 8 January 2019, with local artist Karan Hudson, at Brougham Place Uniting Church. Spaces are limited. Book online here.

The CMLA is also still selling its Australian nativity resource “Right-side-up Christmas” for $20 each. Send them an Turn on Javascript! to order a copy.

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Didn’t read the last “News & notices”? The items below are ones you might want to catch up on.

 

Special Presbytery Meeting date announced

At the 15-17 November 2018 meeting of the Presbytery and Synod, a request was received to hold a Special meeting of the Presbytery as per Reg. 3.5.5 (ii). Noting that  Reg. 3.5.5 (b) requires at least 14 days notice be given for any special meeting. The Business Committee decided the special meeting of Presbytery is to be held on Saturday 5 January, 2019 at the Adelaide West Uniting Church, 312 Sir Donald Bradman Drive, Brooklyn Park. The Business Committee is aware this date may not suit all members, but it was subject to the availability of venue, Presbytery staff and other required personnel. A letter was sent to members as notice to convene the meeting. The meeting will commence at 9.30 am and conclude no later than 1.00 pm. More information can be found on the website here.

Break times for New Times Online and UC e-News

UC e-News will take leave from Wednesday 19 December, 2018 until 16 January, 2019. During this period there will be no weekly UC e-News email. Any submissions for the online diary for publishing in the Feb/March edition of New Times will still be accepted up to Friday 21 December. Diary submissions received between 22 December and 3 January will have to wait for approval (and online publication) until Monday, 4 January 2019.

Is your church or place of worship heritage-listed?

As part of its comprehensive Built Heritage policy, the South Australian Government is establishing a Heritage Grants Fund. The Fund will be for vital conservation works for State Heritage-listed places. It is anticipated that a call for applications for grants from the Fund will be advertised in February 2019. If you would like to be informed the open date for applications, please contact Heritage South Australia. For more information on the Heritage Grants Fund, visit this website.

Support Lifeline Adelaide and save lives this Christmas

Christmas can be a really difficult time of year for some people. Feelings of isolation and loneliness can be overwhelming. The suicide rate goes up and the calls to Lifeline go up too. More than 422 calls will go unanswered on Christmas Eve. That's more than four hundred people reaching out in despair, unable to get through to someone who can help them.

Any wait on hold is too long when you’ve decided to end it all. Uniting Communities have asked in their Christmas Appeal this year that we all support Lifeline Adelaide. Lifeline simply MUST be able to answer more calls more quickly, and the only way they can do that is through the generosity and support of caring people.

You can help with donations through their website.


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