UC National News 22-28 June - Happy Birthday UCA 🎉! Also this week, Celebrating Refugees, Innovation in Lane Cove and more

Happy Birthday UCA! Today we celebrate the 45th birthday of the Uniting Church in Australia! We give thanks to God for the courage, energy and insight of those who formed the Uniting Church, for the faithfulness of Uniting Church communities all over the country, and for the Spirit in our midst, leading us into the future. UCA President Rev Sharon Hollis shared this video message for the anniversary, featuring members of the 16th Assembly sharing what they love about the Uniting Church. We have also delved into our archives and uncovered a wonderful collection of photos celebrating the Uniting Church through the decades. You can also watch the videos that were made at the 10th and 20th anniversaries of the UCA.  We would love to hear about your UCA anniversary celebrations! Please email us or use the hashtags on your socials #HappyBirthdayUCA #AllOfThisIsUs  See our photos and videos Celebrating Refugees As we mark Refugee Week, we celebrate refugees - their strength and resilience, and the many contributions they make to our communities. Read three examples of Uniting Church people and communities who are advocating for a more compassionate response to refugees and providing practical support for people seeking asylum. Image: Tiono and Fatima Lim, members of Camberwell Uniting Church in Melbourne who came to Australia as refugees from Timor Leste. Innovation in Lane Cove: Community chaplaincy What does it look like when your chaplaincy field is the whole community? In our next story on innovation in the Uniting Church, we hear from Rev Karen Paull who has been the Lane Cove Community Chaplain for almost eight years. An innovative outreach of Lane Cove Uniting Church on the north shore of Sydney, Lane Cove Community Chaplaincy is nurturing community, combating loneliness and helping people seek the sacred in the ordinary. ICYMI: UCA President reflects one year on Last week Rev Sharon Hollis gave a reflection on her first year as President of the UCA as part of the Albert Street Lecture Series from The Cooperative. Rev Kaye Ronalds, Convenor of the UCA Defence Force Chaplains Committee, provided a response. A recording of the lecture is now available to watch. The presence of God in times of disaster: Three faiths reflect President of the National Council of Churches Rev John Gilmore offers this reflection on the most recent meeting of the Australian National Dialogue of Christians, Muslims and Jews. Assembly Associate General Secretary Rob Floyd is a NCCA representative on the dialogue.  A new General Secretary for the World Council of Churches The Uniting Church warmly congratulates newly elected General Secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Rev Prof Dr Jerry Pillay. Rev Dr Pillay is a member of the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa and Dean of the Faculty of Theology and Religion at the University of Pretoria. He will take up his position as ninth General Secretary of the WCC in January 2023. Book launch: A Gospel for All Ages A new book on intergenerational preaching, A Gospel for All Ages: teaching and preaching with the whole church, will be launched in Australia and New Zealand on Tuesday 12 July at 10am AEST/midday NZST via Zoom. The launch will be joined by the author, David Csinos. Express interest. Asian Churches mourn the loss of CCA Moderator Archbishop Willem T.P. Simarmata We join with the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) in mourning the passing of Archbishop Willem T.P. Simarmata, the Moderator of the CCA. Archbishop Simarmata was the Ephorus (supreme head) of the largest Protestant church in Indonesia, the Huria Kristen Batak Protestan (HKBP), from 2012 to 2016. UnitingCare welcomes boost for lowest paid workers UnitingCare Australia has welcomed a decision of the Fair Work Commission to increase the national minimum wage by 5.2%, as current cost of living pressures and rising inflation disproportionately impact vulnerable low-income workers and households. JOBS Community Development Coordinator - Bayswater Uniting Church, Melbourne Bayswater Uniting Church has a unique and rewarding opportunity to join its team as the Community Development Coordinator for Elm St Mission, coordinating a range of activities that promote connection, engagement, friendship, community and wellbeing for people experiencing mental illness or social isolation. Minister - Pittwater Uniting Church, Sydney Pittwater congregation is seeking a second Minister to join its vibrant team with an all-age congregation on the northern beaches of Sydney. Join us in prayer for The Uniting Church in Australia as, with deep thanks to God, we joyfully celebrate 45 years of worship, witness and service, and look to the future with hope. Refugees in Australia who enrich our communities with vibrant diversity, gifts and contributions. May those who seek safety across the world find hope and welcome. The Christian Conference of Asia and its member churches as they mourn the passing of CCA Moderator Archbishop Willem T.P. Simarmata. The South Australian Synod as it prepares to meet this weekend. Malawi, Zambia as part of the WCC Ecumenical Prayer Cycle. What’s your favourite Uniting Church memory? Email Us

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