UC National News 30 June-6 July - NAIDOC Week, Living the Covenant, Meet the Members of the 16th Assembly, stories of Intercultural Worship and more

Living the Covenant: NAIDOC Week 2021 As we approach NAIDOC Week 2021, the Uniting Church Assembly launches its first Covenant Action Plan. UCA President Dr Deidre Palmer and Interim National Chair of the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (UAICC) Pastor Mark Kickett jointly welcomed the plan and encouraged UCA members to think about how they can live out the covenant in their own local contexts.  “The ACAP rightly places First Peoples, through the UAICC, at the heart of who we are as the Uniting Church and calls us to deepening relationships as First Peoples and Second Peoples living in this ancient land,” said Dr Palmer. Palawa woman Alison Overeem and National Consultant Covenanting Stuart McMillan have provided prayers for you to use during NAIDOC Week from 4-11 July.  Meet the Members of the 16th Assembly For 20 days in the lead-up to the 16th Assembly, we're featuring 20 members who will be joining the online meeting from 17-18 July. Drawn from every Synod across the country, they speak of their hopes and expectations as they prepare to gather with others to discern the Spirit's leading for the Uniting Church nationally. Six Weeks of Dwelling in Prayer Join others across the UCA in our Six Weeks of Dwelling in Prayer for the 16th Assembly meeting. In Week 4, Rev Sandy Brodine shares this prayer in Chinese. Worshipping together in an Intercultural Church As we continue our series on being an Intercultural church, this week we consider what it means to worship together in a way that is inclusive and celebrates the rich cultural diversity of our Church. We share some wonderful examples of Intercultural Worship in the UCA. We would love to hear about your experiences too. Exploring the UCA National Conferences A panel of speakers including Virginia Lavaki, Rev Dr Tony Floyd and Rev Eseta Meneilly as Moderator, explored the history and witness of the Uniting Church’s National Conferences in the second in a webinar series hosted by the Becoming a Multicultural Church Circle and Assembly Resourcing Unit. Listen to the recorded webinar, and continue the conversation in the Being a Multicultural Church Circle. Redress Scheme Review The Uniting Church has welcomed new recommendations for the National Redress Scheme after a two-year independent review found rapid reforms were needed to ensure the Scheme remains accessible, efficient, and survivor-centered. Lay Preaching Unleashed Find out about and register for the National Conference of Lay Preachers which will be held on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland from 10-13 September 2021.  Children and Families resources Looking for resources for the children and families in your community? Check out the July update shared by Chris Barnett from the VIC/TAS Intergenerational Ministry team and for daily updates follow our Children and Families Facebook Page.  Never growing old Hear from QLD Uniting Church Minister and aged care chaplain Rev Harold Kilah on the ABC’s God Forbid program who joined a conversation on how we value people as they get older. Rev Kilah says we shouldn’t only focus on the physical aspects of ageing but the personality and spirit of the individual. If this is something you or your congregation are passionate about, consider joining Uniting Friends of Ageing. Contact Warren Talbot Help get volunteers where they are needed most This is Kingoonya, a tiny outback community in central SA with a population of 10. It is also where a team of Outback Link volunteers with Bush Chaplain Sunny Kadaparambil have been deployed this week to bring much-needed practical support. Help make more trips like this happen by donating or volunteering with Frontier Services.

Presbytery Minister: Mary Burnett Presbytery The Mary Burnett Presbytery reaches from the Glasshouse Mountains on the Sunshine Coast to Eidsvold in the west and Burnett Heads north of Bundaberg. A Presbytery Minister is needed to provide pastoral oversight and intentionally missional leadership. Mallee Rivers Regional Team - Intergenerational Explore the placement vacancies in the Synod of Victoria and Tasmania, including this role supporting a cluster of diverse rural congregations in the Mallee Rivers region.

JOIN US IN PRAYER FOR: A deepening of relationships as First and Second Peoples in this land and in our Church. The members of the 16th Assembly as they prepare for the meeting and gather online in community groups for the first time this Sunday. Those working to contain the spread of COVID-19, those who are sick with the virus, people who cannot work and all those feeling afraid, anxious and alone. Copyright © 2021 Uniting Church in Australia, All rights reserved. We're sending you weekly updates because you opted into news from the Uniting Church in Australia. Our mailing address is: Uniting Church in Australia Lvl 4 262 Pitt St Sydney, NSW 2000 Australia