Uniting Church in Australia - Meet some of our 'change makers' in #NationalVolunteerWeek + more

17-23 May 2023 National Update Your weekly snapshot of the Uniting Church in Australia

Our Featured Story Meet some 'change makers'  in the UCA This week is National Volunteer Week (NVW), an opportunity to celebrate those who give their time, energy and gifts to make life better for others. The theme for NVW 2023 is "the change makers", honouring the powerful way volunteers drive change in our communities. Today we share two special profiles in our "Humans of the Uniting Church" series featuring Uniting Church volunteers. Meet Eileen Barnett, who on approaching her 80th birthday, is still volunteering as a pastoral carer, pianist, court support worker and a team member at a mental health drop-in centre.   Our second profile is of Sylvia and Don Wright who are volunteers with UnitingWorld. Between them Sylvia and Don share a love for and lifetime of volunteering, both internationally in various capacities and currently as advocates for the work of UnitingWorld. They say, "Being a volunteer opens us up to the needs of others less fortunate than ourselves in a practical, hands-on way." Read what Eileen, Syliva and Don say about their Uniting Church story, what enlivens their faith and what they want the Church to pray for. If you know of someone with a great story to tell, contact us and nominate them to be featured. Meet our volunteers RESOURCES Your invitation to explore Continuing Witness Embedded within the Uniting Church is a commitment to 'continuing witness' to Christ informed by engagement with contemporary thought. Following the 'Continuing Witness' resolutions made at the 15th and 16th Assemblies, Uniting Church Presbyteries and other interested groups are invited to explore three confessions of faith from other Christian traditions to consider how we might hear the gospel of Christ within them. Resources are available to guide discussion and there is a form to provide feedback. Responses will be collated by the Continuing Witness Task Group in a report to the 17th Assembly.  ACT2 PROJECT Dreaming dreams, seeing visions Next Sunday 28 May begins Uniting in Prayer, 26 days of prayer across the national Uniting Church. Born out of the Act2 Project, Uniting in Prayer is about bringing our Church before God and seeking the leading of the Holy Spirit for our future. A new message from President Rev Sharon Hollis is now available to use in launching Uniting in Prayer in worship on Pentecost Sunday. She says in the video, "As we gather for these days of prayer, may the Spirit pour out upon us, and may we dream dreams and see visions of the future that God has for the Uniting Church." Make sure you're signed up and check out these five ways to participate. NATIONAL HISTORY SOCIETY Recognising 'the power of memory' Members of the Uniting Church National History Society (UCNHS) will soon gather for its fourth national conference from 24-27 August in Darwin, with a focus on the legacy of the Uniting Church (and its predecessors) in northern Australia. Chair of the UCNHS Rev Professor Glen O'Brien invites you to be part of our engagement with the contemporary moment through the lens of history, and reflects on why our study of history still matters: because "the Church’s present mission both flows out of history and makes history." Image: Darwin Memorial Church, set to celebrate its 150th anniversary in August UNITINGCARE AUSTRALIA Mission and Ministry Network gathers in Cairns A recent gathering of the Uniting Mission and Ministry Network (UMMN) took place in Cairns. It was an opportunity for leaders within the missions teams of the major Uniting Church community service agencies to come together and learn from one another, sharing a vision for connecting the Church and community in ways that support abundant life. Hosted by UnitingCare Queensland, the gathering included visits to local services and a “Uniting on Country” walk, led by Kym Korbe, the Reconciliation Action Plan Manager with UnitingCare Queensland.

Voice Together, Yes info session An information session will be held on Thursday 1 June, 2023 at 12pm AEST for Uniting Church members who want to know more about how they can get involved with Together, Yes - a campaign which uses local conversations to help build empathy and support for constitutional recognition through a First Nations Voice. Register here From across the Uniting Church Supporting refugees in Ballina In this great read originally published in Insights (Synod of NSW/ACT), Rev Pablo Nunez writes about how Ballina Uniting Church is taking part in the Government's community sponsorship program, offering a ministry of relationship, welcome and practical help to refugees building new lives in Australia. Get the story Ecumenism Leaders summit in Jakarta Ahead of the upcoming 15th General Assembly of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA), over 100 high ranking leaders gathered for the week-long Asian Church and Ecumenical Leaders’ Conference (ACELC) held in Jakarta. They adopted a communique which recommends the establishment of an Asian Ecumenical Diakonia Forum.  Read more Frontier Services "It doesn't take much!" Bill is one of Frontier Services' remarkable Outback Links volunteers. After undergoing Cancer treatment, Bill is back doing what he loves - helping others. In this video, Bill shares the joy he gets from being present with others who could use the company and a helping hand. Follow Frontier Services on Facebook for more great volunteering stories.  Watch on Facebook UnitingWorld Ending poverty together Our partner church's project to end generational poverty in rural Bali is a great example of the power of working together. A program out of the Protestant Church in Bali is helping people like farmer Komang and his family, whose lives were changed by support and resources to secure a sustainable income. Read more Ecumenism WCC Delegation visits Ukraine A delegation from the World Council of Churches (WCC) visited Ukraine last week to renew relations with churches and religious organisations and to explore possibilities of joint efforts to achieve just peace in Ukraine.  Photo: Ivars Kupcis/WCC   Subscribe to WCC news

Positions Minister - Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand The combined Hurunui Parishes in North Canterbury, New Zealand, seek a full-time Minister for an initial period of five years. Stillpoint Spirituality Centre Development Officer, Unley, SA Be a part of growing and sustaining this ministry which seeks to resource people in the Contemplative Christian Tradition.  Join us in prayer for All those across the Uniting Church who make change by generously volunteering their time and gifts in service to Christ, our church and communities. Unity and shared life for Australia's Christian Churches as together we find our identity and purpose in Christ, and share together in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity from 21-28 May. The rainbow community in the Uniting Church and beyond as we mark IDAHOBIT, a day to speak of LGBTQIA+ discrimination and inclusion. May our Church be a place of welcome and belonging, marked by rich diversity, to which all God's beloved people may belong. Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal as part of the WCC Ecumenical Prayer Cycle. Do you have a story to share? Email us! Our weekly PowerPoint with stories, resources and prayer points for use in your weekly worship. 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