UC National News 15-21 Dec - "Jesus brings hope" - President Rev Sharon Hollis shares her Christmas Message, Day of Mourning resource and more

A message of Hope This Christmas, amid the weariness, anxiety and tension in our world, the birth of Jesus brings hope, says UCA President Rev Sharon Hollis.  "Jesus brings hope that God not only witnesses the suffering of the world but enters into it in solidarity. Hope that God is with us, amongst us and alongside us in Jesus." The President's first Christmas message is now available to download for UCA congregations and faith communities to play at Christmas services and events. We also share Christmas messages from Synod Moderators on our website. The President's message is password protected (P/W: Hope2021) until Christmas Day.  Day of Mourning resource now available! The 2022 Day of Mourning worship resource is now available. Join others across the Uniting Church on or around Sunday 23 January in lamenting the dispossession of Australia’s First Peoples and the ongoing injustices faced by First Nations people in this land. We encourage you to register your worship and share your stories and photos with us.  Act2: who's sharing their insights with us? In under a minute and a half, we bring you up to speed on the Act2 consultation so far as we continue to hear thoughts and insights from across the national UCA. We still need your voice! Read the latest Act2 report and have your say. Share the Joy with the Assembly Circles A beautiful reading of the Nativity story. Ideas to mark Advent at home with your family. A spoken word poem. A Nativity icon. A meditation. These are some of the gifts of the 2021 Advent Calendar from the Assembly Circles of Interest! Today's gift comes from Levon Kardashian and the Being a Multicultural Church Circle - discover the secret ingredient in a Lebanese feast! Church leaders share their Christmas messages Read the Christmas messages from 15 leaders of Christian Churches in Australia collected and shared by the National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA)  Epworth House: Growing in Christ together What might the future of the Uniting Church look like? Take a look inside Epworth House, a vibrant Christian student residence in Sydney. Some of its past residents tell us how they survived lockdown together and what it's like to live in a community centred on the love and grace of Jesus. Applications are open for 2022 residents. Find out more information on the Leichhardt Uniting Church website. 'We must be able to do better than this' The first national conversation for Uniting Friends of Ageing (UFA) took place online, providing an opportunity to hear the voices of older people in the Uniting Church on ageing and aged care in Australia. Conversation participant Eleanor reports back and reflects personally on navigating the aged care system during COVID-19. A little pig goes a long way In Maluku, Indonesia, pigs are powerful generators of income, opportunity and peace (yes - peace)! UnitingWorld’s Cath Taylor writes about why they’re a great choice from the catalogue of the Everything in Common Christmas gift program. Willing hands needed! Frontier Services is seeking willing volunteers to call upon when disaster strikes so they can provide practical assistance, wherever and whenever help is most needed. They are also recruiting for group trips to Oodnadatta and William Creek in March and April 2022. Go to the Outback Links website to find out more.

Families Pastor - Unity Hill Uniting Church, Port Lincoln SA A great leadership opportunity at Unity Hill Uniting Church overseeing ministry and discipleship of families, offering pastoral oversight of key leaders and building relationships within the community. Community Development Worker - Newtown Mission, Sydney An exciting opportunity to build creative and compassionate community as part of the work of Newtown Mission, a UCA Parish Mission with multiple sites across Inner West Sydney.

JOIN US IN PRAYER FOR: Those impacted by the latest outbreaks of COVID-19 in the community, including those who are ill, health workers and others caring for them, and those who will need to isolate over the Christmas period. Vaccine equity across the world and for more ambitious investment in programs to deliver vaccines in low income countries. Our church partners across the Pacific, Africa and Asia who are working to break the cycle of poverty, create gender equity, enact climate justice and respond to disasters. 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