Uniting Church in Australia - UCA turns 46! #UnitingfortheVoice messages, Faith at Glenbrook UC and more! UC National News 21-27 June

21-27 June 2023 National Update Your weekly snapshot of the Uniting Church in Australia

Our Featured Story UNITING CHURCH ANNIVERSARY Hearing God's call afresh, 46 years on Tomorrow marks 46 years of the Uniting Church in Australia! In a video message to Uniting Church members, President Rev Sharon Hollis gives thanks for the witness of those who came before us and invites us to hear afresh God's call to us in this time and place.  The President reflects on the generous invitation in the Uluru Statement from the Heart and its call for an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament. She reflects on the call to be shaped by God's inclusive life and to seek to be allies of those on the margins. In our own life as a Church, the President invites us to trust in the leading of God's spirit, even as we face uncertainty and change, "Will we commit anew to sharing with others what life in Christ means to us, to nurturing and growing disciples, to supporting faith to flourish in new ways?" The video is available on the Assembly website or to download directly for those who would like to share it. See below for some great intergenerational ideas to celebrate the Uniting Church anniversary and pass our story onto the next generation.     To all those celebrating the Uniting Church anniversary, may it be filled with joy and hope! Watch the video UNITING FOR THE VOICE What the Voice means to me We are inviting Uniting Church people to share what a First Nations Voice to Parliament means to them and why they support this change. The first video is from Rev Mitchell Garlett from the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (UAICC) in WA. Rev Garlett reflects on what the Church's support for the Voice means to him, saying it will strengthen the bonds between First and Second Peoples, as together we seek to build God's kingdom, serving for justice and peace for everyone.  Don't forget to stay updated with the resources on our website at uniting.chuch/voice. New this week is a PowerPoint version of our two-page resource. There's lots of helpful information to share with your congregation or group! THIS IS MY UNITING CHURCH St Andrews Uniting Church, Glenbrook "Living out of our belovedness" This week we continue our This is my Uniting Church series, telling the inspiring and diverse stories of our local congregations and communities. Next up we hear from Rev Ellie Elia, minister at St Andrews Uniting Church in Glenbrook, reflecting on the life and faith of the congregation which has its home in a small weatherboard church in the Lower Blue Mountains of NSW. Read on for what energises faith there, the new beginnings emerging and what the rest of the Uniting Church can pray for in this place. If you know a community with a great story to tell, be sure to nominate them to be featured. RESOURCES Intercultural Neighbouring Sunday - 2023 Prayer For the first time, the Uniting Church will mark Intercultural Neighbouring Sunday (INS) on 16 July - an opportunity to celebrate the cultural diversity at the heart of our Church and to explore ways to build relationships with people of different cultures in our own neighbourhoods. Published today is the 2023 Prayer for congregations to pray together on INS. Stay tuned for a full liturgy resource, available soon! ACT2 PROJECT Closing Uniting in Prayer with thanks With deep gratitude we mark the end of Uniting in Prayer on 22 June after 26 days of prayer for each other, our world and our Church in this season of change and renewal. As we - with the Act2 Project - prepare to turn to a new phase of discernment and imagination about our future, you might like to read some of the prayers which were offered at the national online prayer gathering last week. We would love to see your photos and hear your stories about how you or your community took part in Uniting in Prayer and what it has meant to you. Please email us or drop us a simple message via the form on the Act2 website. PODCAST A conversation with Rev Salesi Fapula In this next episode on the Dwelling podcast in a series all about prayer, President Rev Sharon Hollis speaks to Tongan-Australian UCA Minister Rev Salesi Fapula, minister at Canterbury Balwyn Road Uniting Church. Salesi shares his journey in the Uniting Church, from mechanic to minister, and his deepening understanding of prayer and a prayer-filled life. Listen now! ASSEMBLY CIRCLES SAVE THE DATE: Yarn for Yes There is a lot of information out there and many declarations going on about the Voice right now... The Working for Justice and Walking Together as First and Second Peoples Circles invite you into some deep dadirri listening on this essential conversation. Come and hear Palawa woman Alison Overeem, Advocate of the Walking Together Circle, Gamillaroi man and comedian Ben Moodie and Uncle Ray Minniecon, Aboriginal Pastor and a descendant of the Kabi Kabi nation and the Gurang Gurang nations join together and YARN FOR YES. Save the date, Thursday 13 July 7.30pm AEST! PRESIDENT'S CONFERENCE Exploring our precarious times The countdown is on to the 2023 President's Conference, with just over a month to go until we gather at Redcliffe Uniting Church near Brisbane for fellowship, learning and refreshment. Rev Dr Cathie Lambert is a spiritual director and scholar of Beguine mystics who will offer two keynote presentations during the first part of the conference - for ministry agents in a placement - focussed on 'ministry in precarious times'. Here, Cathie gives a glimpse of what she'll explore as we reflect on where God is calling us in the midst of our own precarious times. UCA ANNIVERSARY Celebrating with all generations Much thanks to Judyth Roberts for sharing this collection of intergenerational ideas for celebrating the Uniting Church anniversary! Find fun and creative ways to tell the story of the Uniting Church story. Suggested activities involve using felt materials, decorating biscuits and a colour-in version of the logo. Pictured: Fun decorating at the morning tea service at St Paul's Uniting Church in Stafford, Brisbane!

Frontier Services Outback Links changing lives There are hundreds of Outback Links volunteers who will tell you how being a part of Frontier Services has enriched their lives. Most are too humble to mention the even greater impact it has on the people they visit in the bush. Meet Ron and Gwen and read about the life-changing difference they made to farmer Erika whose property was struck by Cyclone Seroja in 2021. Read the story UnitingCare Australia Reforming the aged care system In its advocacy for aged care reform, UnitingCare Australia has made several recommendations for inclusion in the ACCPA White Paper into the financial sustainability of the sector. The submission calls for fundamental, structural reform to ensure financial sustainability, while guaranteeing high-quality care, a skilled workforce, and an equitable distribution of services.  Read the submission UnitingWorld Update from National Director "Together we can make a real difference for people working hard to be free from poverty, free to enjoy the abundant life that God intended for all." UnitingWorld National Director Dr Sureka Goringe gives an update on some of the places where your generosity is making an impact on poverty and explains why right now your tax-deductible gift goes further.   Watch it here 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. Find out more

Positions National Consultants - Assembly Resourcing Unit The Assembly is recruiting for two National Consultants to join the collaborative and interdisciplinary Assembly Resourcing Unit. Executive Assistant to the Associate General Secretary - Synod of Vic/Tas A great opportunity for an experienced administrator to provide support to senior leadership. Upcoming Dates 18-24 June: Refugee Week 22 June: Uniting Church Anniversary 2-9 July: NAIDOC Week 16 July: Intercultural Neighbouring Sunday (resources to come from the Assembly)  26-30 July: President’s Conference (Brisbane) 4 August: National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day 24-27 August: Uniting Church National Historical Society National Conference (Darwin) Check out more dates across the year Join us in prayer for All those grieving the loss of Rev Loni Vaitohi, the former advocate of the Assembly's Working for Justice Circle. We give thanks for Loni's life, his gentleness, compassion and thirst for justice.  The Uniting Church in Australia as we mark our 46th Anniversary. In courageous faith and hope may we say 'yes' to God's fresh invitation into the future, knowing we are guided by the transforming Spirit of true life. For the faithful life and people of Glenbrook Uniting Church; may they know themselves beloved and may God accompany them as they embrace a season of transition and new birth. The Synod of South Australia meeting this week in Adelaide, and for incoming Moderator Rev Peter Morel. The World Council of Churches Central Committee, meeting in Geneva for the next week.  Malawi, Zambia as part of the WCC Ecumenical Prayer Cycle. What is your favourite Uniting Church memory? 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