A day of gratitude

Posted Dec 12, 2016 in News

On Sunday 20 November this year, Owen Community Church decided to cancel their usual Sunday service. Instead, they held a special community event, “A day of gratitude”, commemorating the Pinery Fire, which raged across the Lower Mid North and Barossa Valley regions from 25 November to 2 December 2015.

The first anniversary of the devastating fire, which burnt 10,000 hectares in an hour, has stirred strong thoughts and feelings in the Owen community and surrounding area.

“Our hope was that the commemorative event would help people get a good perspective on the last year, while providing a caring gathering where people could find a listening ear and compassionate response,” says Rev Dr Phil Marshall, the minister of the Plains Community Churches and the Uniting Church SA Recovery Liaison Pastor.

“It was an opportunity to express thanks for everyone who keeps the community safe, and gratitude for the generosity of others as we recover.”

Phil’s position as Recovery Liaison Pastor has been funded by the Uniting Church SA Relief Fund, which many individuals and congregations contributed to after the Pinery Fire. This Fund has also provided support for Jordan Gauci, who has engaged in pastoral work with farmers around Mallala and the western end of the fire scar, and Emma Christian, who is specifically working with fire-affected children and families across the region.

Approximately 100 people attended the commemorative event, which was followed by a free barbecue provided by the Local Recovery Centre. Volunteers from the Owen and Alma Country Fire Service attended the event in uniform, providing the community with an opportunity to thank them for their service.

The next fire danger season has now started, resulting in heightened anxiety in the community hit by the Pinery Fire. Phil addressed this in his message at the event:

“We should not be surprised that the approaching anniversary of the Pinery Fire stirs up strong feelings. For every person who feels that they are over it, there is another person who is not. But we sit here together today, saying we are all in this together, and we will move forward. We don’t want anyone to be left behind.”

Members from Uniting Church communities and other denominations across South Australia have undertaken training to become Disaster and Recovery Ministries Chaplains. Congregations are encouraged to acknowledge and pray for these chaplains, particularly now the fire season has started. Another two-day training event for potential chaplains will be held in the McLaren Vale on Tuesday 7 and Wednesday 8 March, 2017. For more information, please contact Wendy Perkins on 8236 4284 or email Turn on Javascript!

Note: a previous version of this article mistated the upcoming training dates. The dates listed above (7 & 8 March) are correct.

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