News, Notices & Prayer points - 20 March 2019

Posted Mar 20, 2019 in News

News & notices – 20 March 2019

Below are the news and notices from congregations, the SA Synod and the wider Uniting Church submitted for the Wednesday 20 March edition of UC e-News.

 

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Prayer Points for the week

• For our Muslim brothers and sisters in Christchurch, the faith community in Aotearoa, New Zealand and all those directly affected by Friday’s terrorist attack.
• We pray that our leaders and decision makers listen to the youth of this nation and those from around the world to make good decisions regarding the preservation of this Earth for our shared futures.
• For good weather and many discipleship opportunities, this weekend at KCO in Victor Harbor.

 

June 2019 Presbytery & Synod Meeting – Change of Date

The June 2019 Presbytery & Synod Meeting, originally scheduled for 21-22 June, has been rescheduled to a later date. This meeting will now take place on 28-29 June. The meeting will start at 9:00am on Friday, an earlier time than usual, in order to provide enough time to deal with the business of the Presbytery restructure, as well as other business, including the ballot for Moderator-elect.

On Friday, 28 June, the meeting will run until 9:00pm and start again on Saturday, 29 June, at 9:00am to conclude at 4:00pm. The venue will again be Adelaide West Uniting Church in Brooklyn Park, Adelaide.

 

Save the date - Induction of incoming General Secretary, Rev Felicity Amery

Rev Felicity Amery (Deacon) will be inducted into the role of a General Secretary with a special service at Blackwood Uniting Church on Friday 17 May at 7pm. More details will be provided in the coming weeks.

 

Update on the Restructuring Task Group’s activities

On Thursday, 14 March, the Interim General Secretary, Rev Rob Brown sent out Circular 2 on behalf of the Restructuring Task Group and the Non-Geographic Presbytery Task Group. This Circular provides more specific information about the steps undertaken to progress the restructure process. If you did not receive this Circular, you can locate it on the Presbytery Restructuring website here.

 

Called to Care Orientation Session

Called to Care promotes and assists the Uniting Church with relevant information about ensuring a safe physical, emotional and spiritual environment for all people. The expectation is for members of
Church Council and key leaders from congregations to attend. These training sessions provide an opportunity for congregations to gather together to share the experiences of the broader church.

On Saturday, 30 March, Blackwood Uniting Church will host a free Called to Care Orientation Session from 9:30am to 12:30pm. Please register your intention to attend by emailing: Turn on Javascript!, listing your name and congregation being represented. Morning tea will be provided.

 

Induction of Michael Dowling

Michael Dowling's induction service at Blackwood Uniting Church will be held on Friday, 29 March, at 7:00pm. All welcome to share in this occasion and join Michael for supper afterwards.

 

The Shape of Prayer with Tony Eldridge

Next week Tuesday (26 March at 7:30pm) Rev Tony Eldridge will explore the shape of prayer: how do we pray in worship, why do we pray, what do we say, how does praying in community differ to praying alone? The event is hosted by Rosefield Uniting Church and tickets are selling at $10/person or $40/congregation. Buy them online here or get them at the door. For more information contact the Centre for Music, Liturgy and the Arts by sending an email to Turn on Javascript!.

 

Free Pastoral Education Sessions

Rosefield Uniting Church hold a series of free informative sessions to equip lay folk in pastoral care. The next session is scheduled for 25 June, 7:00pm, with Rev Kim Thoday (Chaplain to Eldercare and formerly Defence Forces) themed “When is Rock Bottom Really Rock Bottom”. No bookings are needed and all are welcome.

Other sessions planned for August and October include “The Caring Grandparent – who cares!” and “Aged Care – Where is it at?” More details to follow closer to the time.

 

Just Earth Reflection Group

Christ Church at Wayville has started a ‘Just Earth’ reflection group that meets weekly during Lent to discuss the ‘Just Earth’ Lenten study app. The group meets on Tuesday nights, 7:00-8:30pm until 16 April. If you haven’t started using the app yet, you can download it through either the Apple or Android stores for free.

 

Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability 

The Government has released draft Terms of Reference for a Disability Royal Commission and are seeking feedback by 28 March. We are currently working with the UnitingCare Network to provide feedback on the document which is available online here.

 As yet there are no details of when a Royal Commission will commence or its timeframe.

 

Invitation to prayer vigil service for Christchurch victims

In the aftermath of the Christchurch attack, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community will be holding a prayer vigil service and they have invited the Uniting Church community to join them. The purpose of the event is to remember the fallen, express solidarity with all the victims and pray for the speedy recovery of those injured. The service will be held on Friday, 22 March, 6:00pm, at the Mahmood Mosque in Adelaide (6-8 Toogood Avenue, Beverley).

 

Interfaith Service of Prayer for Peace

An Interfaith service of Prayer for Peace will be held on Sunday, 24 March at 4:00pm at St Francis Xavier’s Cathedral on Wakefield Street, Adelaide. It is a time for lament, solidarity and shared prayer for those affected by the Christchurch tragedy, and our recommitment to Interfaith Harmony. All are welcome to attend.

 

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

 

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.

 

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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