Uniting Church in Australia - A National Prayer Chain 🙏, #Dwelling 🎧 with Sarah Agnew, Life lessons from a chaplain and more in UC National Update 7-13 June

7-13 June 2023 National Update Your weekly snapshot of the Uniting Church in Australia

Our Featured Story A chain of prayers across the Uniting Church Today is Day 11 of Uniting in Prayer - 26 days of prayer and connection across the whole of the Uniting Church, as we seek to discern our future and consider afresh God's call on our lives as part of the Act2 project.  As we come to the next phase of Act2, a time of national discernment, Uniting in Prayer is an opportunity to pause, holding our Church before God and upholding each other in love and prayer. One of the important parts of this time in prayer is a national prayer chain - every Uniting Church community is being invited to pray for two others. The prayer chain connects every part of our Church from local communities to our agencies, schools and councils. The list has been sent to local communities by email and can be downloaded in full to find prayer partnerships across the country and ideas for engaging with your prayer partners. We hope the prayer chain will be a reminder of our connection to each other as the Body of Christ. The prayer chain continues to be updated. If you notice any issues, or missing communities, email the Act2 team so they can add and partner them. Don't forget that through this time we are also sharing a prayer every day on social media and by email. Sign up on the webpage to get this to your inbox each morning. Find your prayer partner PODCAST New podcast series: Dwelling in Prayer As we mark a time of national prayer, Uniting Church President Rev Sharon Hollis kicks off a new series on her podcast Dwelling in conversation with people about prayer: how we understand it, how it shapes us, how it informs our ministry, what sustains our prayer lives and how we might begin to or return to prayer. First up, this great conversation with Rev Sarah Agnew, storyteller, poet and minister, internationally acclaimed liturgist, retreat leader, creator of Pray the Story and soon-to-be minister at Christ Church Uniting, Wayville, in Adelaide South.   VOICE TO PARLIAMENT Pledge your vote for 'Yes' To help build momentum for a successful referendum, you are invited to pledge to vote Yes to constitutional recognition and a voice for First Nations people. The referendum is a call from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, through the Uluru Statement, to take a significant step forward for reconciliation. It is the first 'yes' of many to come as we seek to better listen to, learn from and heal with First Nations people. Thanks to all who attended the Together, Yes information session, a request to host small conversations building support for the Yes case. Email us if you'd like to see the recording or simply sign up to be a host. The Australian Government has launched information to help Australians be informed about the referendum, including a community toolkit with translated and accessible resources. Stay tuned for congregational resources from us! Pictured: Engadine Uniting Church members who are keen to advocate for a Voice came together to road test a 'Together, Yes' table talk before hosting them in their own networks.  FROM ACROSS THE UNITING CHURCH  Life lessons from a hospital chaplain In this great read published in The Age, Uniting Church minister Rev Lauren Mosso shares five lessons she has learned about living life well from her experience as a hospital chaplain. Lauren, who is the Chaplaincy Co-ordinator in the Synod of Victoria and Tasmania, describes the the role of chaplains in coming alongside people and the powerful act of listening to someone, especially in the most challenging moments of their lives.  INTERGENERATIONAL Engage Together in Year A Looking for ideas to make your weekly worship more intergenerational? Check out Engage Together, a resource full of multi-age, multi-ability and multi-sensory worship ideas for Year A. Written collaboratively across three Synods and aligning with the Lectionary, most weeks include songs and creative ideas for the call to worship, prayer of confession and Bible reading. For more intergenerational resources, check out the latest Children and Families ministry update from Assembly Intergenerational Consultant Chris Barnett.  POSITIONS Assembly National Consultants Do you have a deep passion for the Uniting Church, love to work collaboratively and have gifts in areas like theology, mission, leadership, intergenerational and intercultural ministry, advocacy and discipleship formation? The Assembly is recruiting for two National Consultants to join the interdisciplinary Assembly Resourcing Unit, focussed on the strategic work of the Assembly. UNITING CHURCH ANNIVERSARY Get it first: UCA Anniversary message The Uniting Church in Australia will celebrate 46 years on 22 June this year! A video to mark the occasion with a message from President Rev Sharon Hollis will be available here in National Update and on the Assembly website next week 14 June for people to use across the Church. Share this link with anyone who might like to subscribe to our newsletter to get the video as soon as it's released.

Ecumenism Remembering Agnes Abuom The Uniting Church joins with the World Council of Churches in mourning the passing of beloved ecumenical leader and peacemaker Dr Agnes Abuom. In 2013, Dr Abuom became the first woman and first African to serve as moderator of the WCC Central Committee. People around the world have paid tribute to her faith, wisdom and commitment to unity since her death on 31 May. Read more from the WCC Events President's Conference Don't miss a great national opportunity to connect, share stories and reflect on God's presence in our Church at the 2023 President's Conference, 26-30 July at Redcliffe Uniting Church in QLD. The first part of the conference is for ministry agents and the final two days for the whole church - with some fantastic speakers across the week. For a discounted rate, apply to be a volunteer! Register UnitingCare Australia Ambition for aged care UnitingCare Australia, representing the largest social services and aged care provider network in the country, welcomed today’s announcement from Aged Care Minister Anika Wells about the formation of a Financial Sustainability Taskforce. Present for the announcement, National Director Claerwen Little, welcomed the commitment to put people front and centre of our future aged care system.  Read the media release Resources World Environment Day This Monday 5 June was World Environment Day (WED). The theme called on governments, businesses and individuals to take action to #BeatPlasticPollution by accelerating the move toward a circular economy. Watch the video or find resources on the WED website or get tips from this Fact Sheet  from the SA Synod's Environmental Action Group.  Facts on Plastic

Positions National Consultants - Assembly Resourcing Unit The Assembly is recruiting for two National Consultants to join the collaborative and interdisciplinary Assembly Resourcing Unit. Disaster Recovery and Uniting Chaplain - Western Region NSW Uniting NSW.ACT and the Disaster Recovery Chaplaincy Network are seeking to call a shared Chaplain. Upcoming Dates 28 May – 22 June: Uniting in Prayer 18-24 June: Refugee Week 22 June: Uniting Church Anniversary (President’s Message coming) 2-9 July: NAIDOC Week 16 July: Intercultural Neighbouring Sunday (resources to come from the Assembly)  26-30 July: President’s Conference (Brisbane) Check out more dates across the year Join us in prayer for The Uniting Church Tongan National Conference, meeting in Katoomba this weekend; may all who attend be inspired by its theme, Ko e 'Ofa ke Fakahaa'i, 'Love In Action'. Uniting Church Chaplains in many contexts all over the country as they embody hope and accompany people in some of the most challenging times of their lives. All those Uniting Church communities praying as part of the national prayer chain; as we uphold each other in love and prayer may we feel our connectedness as the Body of Christ. Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Eswatini 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.  Click 'enable content' to play the video. 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