Celebrating the survival of Australia's First People - and more in the first national snapshot of the Uniting Church in 2023

25-31 January 2023 National Update Your weekly snapshot of the Uniting Church in Australia

Our Featured Story "In confronting truth, we may discover justice and healing" Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (UAICC) Interim National Chair Rev Mark Kickett and Uniting Church in Australia President Rev Sharon Hollis encourage UCA members to mark 26 January with respect in a shared Survival Day video message, urging Australians to listen to the wisdom and voices of First Peoples in their struggle for justice and healing. "This day marks the survival of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, the First Peoples of this ancient land. We've been here for millennia. We are people with a long history, rich culture and deep spirituality. We have a wisdom and a story to share. And so today, we celebrate our resilience," says Rev Kickett, a proud Noongar man.  Rev Hollis says that as Second Peoples in the Uniting Church, we affirm the sovereignty of First Peoples and honor their custodianship of the land. She encourages all Australians to commit to listening to the truth of this land, particularly as we move towards a referendum on a First Peoples Voice.   "We pray that this year might be a moment of reckoning in our nation, when we face the truth of the past and the present of our nation in ways that promote healing and justice." “ We invite you not just to vote yes, but to be part of the campaign, to have conversations with others in ways that might open the possibility of a new story for our nation,” says Rev Hollis. We encourage you to watch and share this message as we stand with First Peoples on this day.  Watch Walking together as First and Second Peoples Day of Mourning Thank you to the many Uniting Church communities who held services to mark the Day of Mourning on the Sunday before 26 January. We love these photos you have shared of your creative and meaningful worship spaces! Humans of the Uniting Church SAM GLEDHILL "What enlivens your faith?" The Uniting Church is full of wonderful stories.  Across the country, there are thousands of faithful people and communities sharing in life and faith, growing disciples, nurturing faith and making God’s mission in the world a reality.  In a new regular series this year, we’re excited to be telling these stories as we invite different people and communities each week to share in their own words about faith, community, the Uniting Church and how we can pray for them. If you know of a person or community with a great story to tell - contact us and nominate them to be featured. This week, we hear from Sam Gledhill, proud Murri woman and Senior Adviser - First Peoples for UnitingCare Australia. Ecuemical news NCCA President's Reflection National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA) President Rev John Gilmore shares this reflection as we mark 26 January on what it might mean to walk together as First and Second Peoples for a better future.    Resources 2023 Assembly Calendar The Assembly is excited to share this new calendar of key dates for 2023. It includes dates we mark nationally across the Uniting Church (and where a resource will be provided to help you celebrate), various UCA events, key liturgical and ecumenical dates and some broader cultural dates. We hope this will help you and your community plan your year! Do you have a date or event to add? Let us know. Events 3 days until NYALC Online The first online National Young Adult Leaders Conference is this Saturday 28 January from 2pm-4pm AEDT. Come hear President Rev Sharon Hollis share on leadership and help shape the full in-person NYALC in 2024. Act2 Project Drop-In with the team The next series of dates for Act2 Zoom Drop-Ins are now live! Meet the Act2 team in a relaxed online environment, find out more about the Project and how to get involved.

Frontier Services Worst floods in living memory Frontier Services Disaster Recovery Chaplain Rev David Jackson reports on the flooding disaster and bushfires across WA and the support needed as people recover. Photo: AAP/Andrea Myers Read more UnitingCare Australia Consumer protection In its first submission for the year UnitingCare Australia gives feedback to the government on new or future regulation to bring the Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) industry under the National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009.   Read more UnitingWorld Lent Event 2023 UnitingWorld’s Lent Event seeks to help us refocus our lives through prayer, simplicity and generosity. Lent starts on 22 February, so start planning today!   Get involved! Working for Justice  Nuclear Ban Anniversary Two years after the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) came into force, the potential for nuclear war remains as great as ever. Read this Canberra Times article from the co-chairs of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) Australia.  Read more

Jobs Teaching position - Pacific Theological College A teaching position in the department of History of Christianity is available at Pacific Theological College in Suva, Fiji. General Secretary - Synod of South Australia An exciting senior executive leadership role in the Synod of South Australia. Join us in pray for First Peoples for whom 26 January is a day of mourning, loss and reflection. Hearing God's call to justice, may we walk together as First and Second Peoples seeking to create communities of justice and healing.  Students, parents, carers, teachers, school chaplains and all who are returning for a new school year. May they know God's presence throughout the year.  Cyrpus, Greece and Turkey, as part of the WCC Ecumenical Prayer Cycle. Do you have a story to share? Email us! Share Tweet Forward Copyright © 2023 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