UC National News 8-14 Dec - Lets talk gender equality, Hope 4 Afghan Refugees, Act2 reflections and more

Preventing gender-based violence starts with us As we approach the end of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, we are encouraging UCA congregations and communities to begin a conversation about how our life and worship reflect our Christian belief in the equality of all people. Are the voices of all genders regularly heard in our worship? Who in our community tends to take on responsibility for planning, organising, coordinating and volunteering? Is the image of God we preach and embrace here inclusive and accessible? You can catch up on all the prayers and resources we have been sharing throughout the 16 Days of Activism here. Bring hope to Afghan refugees before Christmas The situation for refugees from Afghanistan is getting worse. UCA President Rev Sharon Hollis has joined the Australian Churches Refugee Taskforce (ACRT) in encouraging people to bring hope to those seeking safety and refugee by contacting their local MP before Christmas asking their support for a more generous response to the crisis.  "Maybe this is the kingdom arriving on our doorstep..." This week Rev Cyrus Kung, from CityView Uniting Church in the Synod of SA, shares some of his thoughts about the future of our commitment to be a multicultural church. Cyrus was one of the participants in our Act2 Circle consultations. Through the Act2 project, we want to hear from you about how we can nurture and grow vibrant local communities of faith into the future. Read the latest Act2 report and have your say. Open Gift #8 Assembly Circles Advent Calendar Have you been unfolding the Assembly Circles Advent Calendar? Each day one of the Circles are contributing a "gift" to help you plan or prepare for worship, or to mark the Advent season in a prayerful and reflective way. Today's gift comes from Melissa Neumann and the Discipling the Next Generations Circle - an all-age prayer activity celebrating God's incredible love. Receive them in your inbox each day by joining any one of the Circles. UCA extends condolences on passing of Rev Dr Salim Sahyouni The Uniting Church is deeply saddened to hear of the recent passing of Rev Dr Salim Sahyouni, who was the President of the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon. Rev Dr Sahyouni was deeply committed to working for peace and justice for all. In 2017, he hosted a delegation from the UCA including the then President Stuart McMillan, pictured with Rev Dr Sahyouni above. Telling the story of "Fanny's Church" A stunning new digital resource has been released telling the story of First Nations Palawa woman and matriarch Fanny Cochrane-Smith. Advocate for the Walking Together as First and Second Peoples Circle Alison Overeem (Smith), who is a direct descendent of Fanny, helps tell the story of "Fanny's Church" in Nicholls Rivulet in the south-east of Tasmania. A series of interviews immerse you in the story of Fanny's life, revealing her resourcefulness, resilience, vision and lasting legacy.  Register your Day of Mourning worship Save the date now and register your participation for the 2022 Day of Mourning to reflect upon and lament the effect of the invasion and colonisation of this nation upon Australia's First Peoples. An updated resource will be released soon.  Last days to order physical gift cards! The last date to order gift cards from UnitingWorld's Everything in Common website is this Friday 10 December. Print-at-home and e-cards will still be available after that date. So, don’t delay! Order gifts that fight poverty and build hope in honour of your friends and family.

Administration and Communications Officer - Redland City Uniting Church, Brisbane An exciting local opportunity has arisen at Redland City Uniting Church for a person with administrative, communications and compliance skills and experience to help build a fruitful, thriving community of faith. Project Manager - Synod of NSW & ACT Reporting to the Director of Innovations and Projects, this exciting position will see an experienced project manager play a lead role in implementing a Church Relationship Management system and a suite of technology enabling projects.

JOIN US IN PRAYER FOR: A generous and compassionate response to the millions of displaced Afghan refugees living in fear and insecurity.  The Christian community in Syria and Lebanon, the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon and all those mourning the loss of Rev Dr Salim Sahyouni. Leaders of worship and faith formation across our Church who are guiding us prayerfully through the Advent season and who are busily preparing for the joyful worship of the Christmas season.  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