News, Notices & Prayer points - 13 March 2019

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News & notices – 13 March 2019

Below are the news and notices from congregations, the SA Synod and the wider Uniting Church submitted for the Wednesday 13 March edition of UC e-News.

 

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Prayer Points for the week

  • We pray for strength and inspiration during Lent.
  • For all those in small communities and large towns across Australia who are recovering from natural disaster and for the people who are walking alongside them.
  • For the work of the restructuring task groups as they meet to prepare recommendations for the restructure of the Presbytery and Synod in South Australia.

 

Last day for KCO registrations

Today is the last day to register leaders or kids for attending this year’s KCO at Victor Harbor, happening 23-24 March. For more info and to register, go to the KCO web page here.

 

Singing a “New Song”

Australian churches now have access to a new worship resource - Songs of Grace - the newly-published supplement to the ecumenical worship hymnal Together in Song.  

Songs of Grace is a 54-song collection and marks the fruition of many years by the Australian Hymnbook Company’s Editorial Committee of discovering and discerning “new song” for the diversity of Christian worship in Australia.   

Former UCA President, Rev Dr D’Arcy Wood, who is the Australian Hymnbook Company Board Chair, officially launched the book in Melbourne on 2 March. He was joined by UCA President, Dr Deidre Palmer and a large gathering of people inside the University of Melbourne’s Trinity College Chapel for the launch, which included singing several songs from the book. 

Read the full article here.

 

Mapping remote area ministry

The Uniting Church’s Remote Area Ministry Working Group met in Sydney at the end of February to map a vision for ministry in remote parts of the nation.

The group included representatives from Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (UAICC), Frontier Services, Synods and Presbyteries and UnitingCare Agencies working in remote areas.

They explored the ways the Uniting Church is currently serving people and communities in remote areas and looked at the possibilities for this work to be expanded into new areas. They also focused on how further collaboration can be explored between the different parts of the Church which are tasked with remote area ministry, for example building on connections between the Frontier Services Bush Chaplains and Regional Councils of Congress.

The working group offered a prayer, which can be accessed here, that you might like to use in assisting them with their work.

 

Fringe shows at Scots Church

Scots Church on North Terrace in the Adelaide CBD will be the venue for two shows during this last week of the Fringe Festival. On Friday, 15 March, a Scottish folk band called Sycamore Road will present a night of story told through contemporary Scottish music with their show “A night with the Jacobites”.  Read more here.

A magical kids music show called Silly Galahs will feature over the weekend in three time slots. Find out more here.

 

In Memoriam

Rev Dr Kevin John Smith passed away at home on Wednesday, 6 March. He was the founder of Truth & Liberation Concern, Care & Communication Concern, Values for Life, St Martin’s Community Churches, Concern Australia Welfare Ministries, and the founding President of God’s Squad Christian Motorcycle Club, Melbourne.

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, 23 March, at The Wave, Ocean Grove Baptist Church in Ocean Grove, Victoria, at 2pm, after which there will be a ride to Point Lonsdale pier to scatter John’s ashes. An email address has been created for any tributes or messages to the family: Turn on Javascript!.

 

Leaders to Go Conference

Leaders to Go, a conference aimed at those involved in children’s and families ministry leadership, will be held on 11 – 14 June in NSW. The conference focuses on issues such as the challenge to reclaim and prioritise family, to reconnect and prioritise community, and to survive and thrive in a digital world. For more information go to the conference website here.

 

2019-2020 Bible Lands Study Tour

A waiting list is currently being compiled of people wanting to participate in the upcoming 2019-2020 Bible Lands Study Tour, “Inspired by the Acts for the Apostles”, to Turkey, Israel and (optional) Ethiopia. It is led by Dr Michael Trainor and organised through Phil Hoffmann Travel.

If you wish to go on this tour, please get in contact with Cris Henriksson on 0419 865 598 or Turn on Javascript! before Monday, 25 March. Final travel costs and dates will be supplied in early April; an expression of interest does not, at this stage, commit you to the tour.

 

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

 

Reminder: Nominations for Moderator

Mission Networks and Congregations are invited to submit nominations for Moderator-elect. Nominees do not need to be contacted prior to nomination.

Send advice of nominees to:

Moderator Nominating Committee Convenor Turn on Javascript!

or

Associate General Secretary, Turn on Javascript!

Please note that nominations close on Friday, 15 March, 2019.

 

Intercultural Leadership Forum - “Culturally Intelligent Leadership for Cross-cultural Ministry”

An evening with David Turnbull, the Head of Intercultural Studies at Tabor and State Director for Global Interaction SA/NT. David will explore with us his doctoral research on leadership within the Uniting Church and Baptist Churches in South Australia and ways forward for missional intercultural engagement.

To be held at 212 Pirie Street, on Tuesday, 2 April, 2019 from 6pm to 9pm. RSVP by 29 March by calling Bev Freeman on 8236 4243 or email to Turn on Javascript!.

 

Fiji calling

All members of the Uniting Church in Australia are invited to join President Dr Deidre Palmer at her first President’s Conference. The conference will be held in Nadi, Fiji from 13-17 July. Themed “For the Whole of Creation”, the conference will explore how we can grow in our Christian discipleship through deep conversations on Creation, climate and gender justice.

To find out more and to register, please visit this website.

 

In memoriam: Rev Professor Denis Edwards

The ecumenical academic community mourns the loss of Rev Professor Denis Edwards, who died suddenly on Tuesday, 5 March, after a short illness. As a Catholic Priest and Theologian, Denis helped in the formation of many Uniting Church ministers and lay leaders when the Adelaide College of Divinity hosted three denominational colleges. He was an early champion of eco-theology, an outstanding international scholar and author, and committed to receptive ecumenism. His Funeral Mass was conducted at St Francis Xavier Cathedral, Adelaide at 11am on Tuesday, 12 March. 

 

Endless Praise in SA

The music team ‘Endless Praise’ are coming to South Australia in April and has a number of dates available when they can visit congregations, schools, youth groups or community outreach projects for individualised presentations and workshops.  If you are interested please contact Sandra Maletin on 02 4998 0312 or Turn on Javascript!. Visit their website for more information on the group and their 2019 Tour, or follow them on Facebook.

 

NCCA’s March Assembly

The National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA’s) March Assembly will focus on the selection, training and screening for ordination candidates and church workers, including best practice in psychological testing. The Assembly will be held on Thursday, 21 March, in Sydney. Registration is available online here. For any enquiries please contact Noelene on 02 8259 0800 or Turn on Javascript!.

 

Earth @ Peace Conference

A conference for all who care for the earth and humanity’s future will be held in Melbourne, 23-24 April 2019. The multi-faith Earth @ Peace Conference has the subtitles: A Just and Ecologically Sustainable Peace, and The ethical imperative of our time. It is supported, among others, by the University of Divinity, the Australian Research Theology Foundation Inc, Pax Christi, Religions for Peace and more. Register here.

 


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