News, Notices & Prayer points - 3 April 2019

Posted Apr  3, 2019 in News

News & notices – 3 April 2019

Below are the news and notices from congregations, the SA Synod and the wider Uniting Church submitted for the Wednesday 3 April edition of UC e-News.

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Prayer Points for the week

• We pray for every congregation and faith community within the Uniting Church to discern wisely on their future Presbytery needs. That they follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit and be open to what God is doing in and through the Presbytery restructure.For
• Uniting Church SA’s Covenanting and International Mission Officer, Sitiveni Rogoimuri, who is recovering in hospital after suffering major heart trauma over the weekend.

Induction of the new General Secretary of the Uniting Church in South Australia

The Presbytery & Synod invite you to the induction of Rev Felicity Amery as the General Secretary of the Uniting Church in South Australia on Friday 17 May, at Blackwood Uniting Church (and Colebrook Reconciliation Park). For those who wish to gather earlier, a special prayer will be held at Colebrook Reconciliation Park at 5:30pm to reflect on the covenant of the Uniting Church with the Uniting Aboriginal & Islander Christian Congress.

Official induction commences 7:00 – 8:00pm. A light supper will follow.

RSVP to Rhanee Tsetsakos by phone 08 8236 4221 or email Turn on Javascript! by Friday 10 May.

Supporting an increase in the Newstart allowance

At the Special Synod meeting of 9 February, 2019, Rev Liellie McLaughlin and Rev Mark Schultz spoke about the difficulties faced by people receiving the Newstart allowance that is roughly $160 per week below the poverty line. Members of the Special Synod meeting agreed that the SA Synod:

• support a letter written by the President of the UCA, Dr Deidre Palmer and the Moderator of the UCA SA, Rev Sue Ellis to the Federal and State Governments, advocating for an immediate increase (of at least $100 per week) of Newstart and requesting an explanation for the disadvantage imposed by Centrelink and Housing SA on recipients of Newstart; and
• that the Moderator seek the cooperation of the leaders of other faith-traditions to assist in helping to recognise and highlight the state of poverty and mental health suffered by recipients of Newstart.

The SA Synod therefore request that you share this information with your congregations and faith communities.

Five Leaf Eco-Awards

At the Special Synod meeting of 9 February, 2019, members of the Special Synod meeting resolved to commend the Five Leaf Eco-Awards to congregations in the SA Synod, as a means to raise awareness of environmental issues.

The Five Leaf Eco-Awards is an Australian ecumenical environmental change program specifically designed for churches and religious organisations which uses a series of non-competitive awards to assist, inspire and reward faith communities for taking environmental action and becoming more sustainable, in response to God’s call to care for creation.

These Awards encourage holistic action for the environment covering five areas - Buildings, Worship, Congregation, Outreach and Community Leadership. To earn an award, churches simply complete actions to fulfil the criteria of that award, and are then presented with certificates of recognition for their achievement.

More details are available on the Five Leaf Eco-Awards website.

Break the Silence Sunday

At the Special Synod meeting of 9 February, 2019, members of the Special Synod meeting resolved to adopt the 4th Sunday in April, or another suitable Sunday, as a ‘Break the Silence Sunday”. This is to provide UCA congregations, faith communities and organisations associated with the Uniting Church opportunities to open up a dialogue within the Church about rape and sexual assault. As a faith community we:

• acknowledge of the reality of rape and sexual violence in our world;
• support survivors by creating a place where they can tell their stories, feel loved and supported, and find encouragement on their healing journey; and
• commit ourselves to the work of changing the world and creating a future.

The SA Synod requests that you share this information with your congregations and faith communities and implement it during April, as described.

UnitingSA celebrates 100 years

UnitingSA, is marking 100 years of service to South Australians next week. The organisation started from humble beginnings in Port Adelaide on 8 April 1919, amid the aftermath of the First World War – a very difficult time in our state’s history.

Uniting SA today operate from more than 35 locations across regional and metropolitan South Australia, while the organisation sports a team of over 1,000 staff. Volunteers support more than 16,000 people each year through the delivery of aged care, housing, community welfare, mental health and employment programs.

To find out about centenary celebrations happening in your area, or to view UnitingSA’s interactive historic timeline, visit unitingsa.com.au/100.

John Bell in Adelaide 8-10 May 2019

John Bell is a preacher, hymn writer, composer, lecturer and broadcaster. He is an ordained minister of the Church of Scotland and a member of the Iona Community. Thanks to an ecumenical relationship between the Anglican, Uniting, Lutheran and Catholic churches of Adelaide, John will be visiting Adelaide for a three-day workshop. This workshop will cover topics such as ‘Songs to enliven communities of faith’, ‘Keeping faith in an age of consumerism’ and ‘Exploring Celtic Spirituality’.

For bookings and info visit: www.trybooking.com/BBNLH

Training ministers for disaster recovery in remote Papua New Guinea

Rev Dr Stephen Robinson has blogged about his experience in the Papua New Guinea Highlands working with Uniting Church partners on disaster recovery and trauma counselling. He was also able to see our partner church's peacebuilding team in action.

"I came away blessed by the kindness, hospitality and warmth shown by our local partners to a stranger from Australia. I learned a great deal as I taught and shared with these dedicated people," writes Stephen in a blog about his work.

Read about Stephen and his experiences in Papua New Guinea in his blog here.

Make better shopping choices this Easter

Too often, the clothes that we buy have been made by people that are overworked, underage, and enslaved. But worker exploitation in the fashion industry can be ended. Baptist World Aid Australia will soon be launching the 2019 Ethical Fashion Guide, which grades more than 400 brands on the strength of their systems to reduce the risks of slavery, child labour, exploitation, and environmental degradation in their supply chains. This way, you can vote with your wallet and encourage companies to do more to protect their workers. To be in the know, register to receive the downloadable guide as soon as it launches here.

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

Grants available for security upgrades

In the wake of the terrorist attack on Muslim worshippers in Christchurch, New Zealand, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that $55 million will be made available for upgrades to security measures at religious organisations as part of the Safer Communities Grant scheme. Grants range from $50,000 to $1.5 million and can include enhancements such as CCTV cameras, lighting, fencing, bollards, alarms, security systems and public address systems.

Uniting Church congregations may be eligible to apply. If you would like more information about these grants or the application process, please contact Malcolm Wilson, Grants and Historical Records Officer, by email: Turn on Javascript!.

Applications close 4 April, 2019.

Upcoming ordinations

The Uniting Church in South Australia is looking forward to two ordinations that will be held in May. On Sunday, 1 May, Peter Morton will be ordained at Seeds Uniting Church at 7:00pm. Lynnette Aird will be ordained on Sunday, 5 May, 1:30pm, at Adelaide West Uniting Church. For more information about either of these ordinations please contact Rhanee Tsetsakos on 8236 4221 or by email Turn on Javascript!.

Think you can be a Chaplain during times of disasters?

Do you have a listening ear? Would you be prepared to offer a ministry of presence, care and comfort to people affected in times of great need? Disaster and Recovery Ministries SA Chaplains provide pastoral and spiritual support for people in the midst of, and after disasters, particularly natural disasters such as bush-fires. If you are interested in this ecumenical ministry coordinated by the Uniting Church SA, you are invited to register for any of the 2 day training session below.

• Wed 1 & Thurs 2 May at Dernancourt UC - Book here
• Thurs 22 & Fri 23 August at The Corner UC (Warradale) – Book here
• Tues 22 &Wed 23 October at Sunset Rock UC (Stirling) – Book here

Sessions run from 9:30am – 4:30pm both days. Sessions are free and all refreshments are provided.

For more information about Disaster and Recovery Ministries SA please contact Coordinator Wendy Perkins on 8236 4284 or email Turn on Javascript!.

Contact detail update request

The Synod office has received feedback that some of the important emails going out have not reached the correct office bearers. To help serve churches better in this time of change, the Presbytery and Synod office requests that contact information is updated for our records. Ministers, Chairs and Secretaries have been sent an email with a link to an online form requesting them to update their details for our records. If you are a Minister, Chairperson or Secretary and do not receive the email last week Wednesday (28 March), please contact Turn on Javascript!.

Gift a new beginning this Easter

If you’re not a fan of chocolate or just looking for an alternative ethical gift this Easter, look no further than the range of meaningful gifts at Everything in Common. UnitingWorld recommends a gift card that will help to lift people out of poverty. Check out Buy a gift, dedicate it to a loved one and you'll help create the kind of world we'd all like to be part of this Easter!

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