Uniting Church in Australia - 🙏 Called to serve: Meet Rev Dr Amos Leana, join Act2 Focus Groups, Intergenerational resources + more in UC National Update 9-15 August

9-15 August 2023 National Update Your weekly snapshot of the Uniting Church in Australia

Our Featured Story HUMANS OF THE UNITING CHURCH  Enlivened by faith in Christ This week in our Humans of the Uniting Church series, we meet Rev Dr Amos Leana who was ordained as a Deacon in the Uniting Church in Australia in June. Originally from Papua New Guinea, Amos experienced a strong call to work amongst First Nations people in Australia and is currently part of the Ministry and Theology team at Nungalinya College in Darwin. In a video filmed for the ‘40 Stories Project’, Amos speaks about the privilege of listening and learning alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.   “Coming from a society like Melanesia, where we have similar cultural beliefs to the Indigenous people, as we worked together, we would find God’s fingerprints in our cultures and see God at work in these Indigenous people.” Nungalinya College is a hub for the development of First Nations theology and ministry. It celebrates 50 years on 19 August. Watch this video to see its Yolŋu translation class in action. In our Q&A profile, Amos shares what enlivens his faith and what excites him about his ministry.  Do you know someone in the Uniting Church with a great story to share? Email us your suggestions for the next Humans of the Uniting Church profile.    Meet Amos ACT2 PROJECT Act2 Focus Groups are back Do you have a vision for the life of local Uniting Church communities of faith in the years ahead? The Act2 team is looking to hear from people in every type of Uniting Church community through a second series of 12 online focus groups. Whether you belong to a small or large community, an online community, are part of a network or are experimenting and church planting, there's an opportunity to share what's important in your context and what can help you flourish. Find your focus group and register now. UNITING FOR THE VOICE "It's something that's got to be tried." This week's message on the Voice to Parliament comes from former national Chairperson of the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress and Congress elder Rev Dennis Corowa. Dennis says the Voice will be representative of First Nations people from different areas, be well-balanced and carefully put together. Put simply, he says, "I'd love it to work." AROUND THE UNITING CHURCH "The anchor here is Jesus Christ" In this inspiring story from Crosslight, read about the life of Dr Jacob Atem who, along with his brother Gabriel, fled war-wracked Sudan as a child in 1991. From a perilous journey through Africa and a childhood spent in a Kenyan refugee camp to being honoured for outstanding humanitarian work as an adult, Jacob says deep faith has been a constant companion on his remarkable journey. The Southern Sudan Healthcare Organisation, founded by Jacob in 2008, continues to be supported by Footscray Community Uniting Church where Gabriel is a member. INTERFAITH New WCC resource for interfaith solidarity The World Council of Churches has launched a new booklet outlining five key principles and 10 practical tips for those who engage in interfaith dialogue and joint work with people of other faiths. 'Building Interreligious Solidarity in our Wounded World' is the fruit of a 2021 WCC conference that discussed how experiences of 'common formation' among people of different faiths can be transformative for individuals and their religious communities. Read the booklet and watch the launch video.  INTERGENERATIONAL 4 new papers on Being Intergenerational Here is the next installment of papers on "Being an Intergenerational Church". Re-released by the Assembly, the papers are a resource for those who share the dream of a church comprised of lifelong followers of Jesus of all ages, caring, praying, celebrating, learning and serving faithfully together. The latest papers cover intergenerational discipleship, worship, preaching and embedding 'intergenerationality'.  UNITINGCARE AUSTRALIA Let's end loneliness, together Nearly one in three people are lonely, with 18-24 year olds reporting the highest levels of loneliness, according to new research from Ending Loneliness Together. The team from UnitingCare Australia were at the launch of the first Loneliness Awareness Week in Canberra on Monday with Co-Chairs of the Parliamentary Friends of Ending Loneliness, MPs Andrew Giles and Bridget Archer and others. UnitingCare Australia is a founding partner of Ending Loneliness Together. See their post on Facebook.

Voice to Parliament Q&A with Noel Pearson It's just one week before this Q&A online webinar with Indigenous leader Noel Pearson in conversation with Uniting Church President Rev Sharon Hollis about what a Voice to Parliament would mean for Australia. Hear also from constitutional lawyer Dr Shireen Morris who has worked alongside Noel for many years. A great  opportunity to learn more ahead of the referendum. Submit a question when you register. Join us on Wednesday 16 August, 7.30pm AEST, 7pm ACST, 5.30pm AWST.  Register now Worship New With Love to the World The new edition of With Love to the World is now available, spanning the second half of the season of Pentecost from mid-August to mid-November. This issue covers the Season of Creation and includes a diversity of voices, including Anaiwon/Gomeroi man Nathan Tyson and UCA contributors of Pasifika heritage. The cover art (above), titled Hands of Resistance, is by Malia Patricia Akanisi Vaurasi from the Pacific island of Rotuma. Read more from Insights Events Inaugural healthcare conference Early Bird tickets are now on sale for Uniting South Australia's inaugural conference, 'Awakening Compassion: Igniting the Future of Healthcare'. Connect with leading experts and practitioners from around the world, collaborate and be inspired to imagine the future of compassionate healthcare at this one-day event for anyone engaged in healthcare design or delivery. 'Awakening Compassion' will be held on Wednesday 18 October 2023 at Adelaide Oval. Register now Act2 Project "Yet many areas need renewal" Over the next four months, people across the Uniting Church are being invited to discern about concrete future directions for our Church put forward in the latest Act2 report. Having these conversations well requires us to listen deeply to the insights of the report itself which follows six months of intensive engagement. As we continue grappling with the report and what we're learning, we've asked members of the Act2 Steering Committee to share their own highlights. Richard La'Brooy kicks off the series. Read it now Frontier Services Hope and home in Buchan The town of Buchan in East Gippsland, Victoria, was devastated by the 2019/20 Black Summer bushfires. Recently, a team of Outback Links volunteers along with Disaster Recovery Bush Chaplain Rev Peter Harvey visited local resident and cattle farmer, Mick, to offer practical support in the ongoing recovery and to ready his property for a long overdue homecoming. Read Mick's story and meet him in this great video. Read now Resources MediaCom mid-winter sale Run, don't walk - MediaCom Education is having a mid-winter sale with 20% off full-priced stock from 4-15 August. Operating for over four decades, MediaCom produces and stocks a range of quality materials for worship, Christian education, spirituality and faith formation, including Uniting Church resources. Pick up a fresh resource for your ministry, begin preparing for Advent or read some new-release theology! To access the sale use code Winter23. Shop now

Positions Lay Ministry Worker - The Wayside Chapel As a Lay Ministry Worker, you'll play a vital role in addressing the spiritual and pastoral care needs of the Wayside Chapel community, including visitors, congregation members, volunteers, and staff. Manager, Pastoral and Spiritual Care - Juniper, WA Juniper, an agency of the Uniting Church in WA, seeks a passionate and experienced Manager to have oversight of its pastoral and spiritual care services. Based in Balcatta, a suburb of Perth. Upcoming Dates 9 August: Act2 Going Deeper online session (exploring the Options in the report) 10 August: Facebook Live - Act2 Q&A 16 August: Nungalinya College 50th anniversary celebrations 24 August: Act2 Going Deeper online session (exploring the Directions in the report) 24-27 August: Uniting Church National Historical Society Conference (Darwin) 1 September: Season of Creation begins (worship resource coming) Check out more dates across the year Join us in prayer for Uniting Church young people as we mark International Youth Day on Friday. May we continue to make space for the next generations to transform our Church and communities with their passion, insights and leadership. Those currently experiencing homelessness, and those who support them, as we mark National Homelessness Week. Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea as part of the WCC Ecumenical Prayer Cycle. What enlivens your faith? Email us! Our weekly PowerPoint with stories, resources and prayer points for use in your weekly worship. Cleck 'enable content' to play video.