Uniting Church in Australia - ✝️ The 2024 Easter message from President Rev Sharon Hollis is OUT NOW in UC National News 13-19 March

13-19 March 2024 National Update Your weekly snapshot of the Uniting Church in Australia

Our Featured Story PRESIDENT'S EASTER MESSAGE 2024 "A grace that cannot be defeated" The 2024 Easter message from Uniting Church in Australia President Rev Sharon Hollis is now available to download and share! As communities of faith open the Gospel of Mark this holy season, President Rev Sharon reflects on how the briefest of the four gospels does not shy away from the harder edges of the Easter story or the failings of the people around Jesus. It’s shorter on details and ends abruptly - with fear. Yet it gifts us news of God’s limitless grace and a story that continues with us. 'God's resurrection grace keeps being offered to each of us over and over again, drawing us into awe filled silence for all we have been given. Resurrection life invites us to respond to God's gift of grace with such joy at what God has done that it overflows...' The Easter message was filmed at Northbridge Uniting Church on the lands of the Cammeraygal and Wallumedegall people in north Sydney. It's now available to download from Vimeo or to watch on our website. Check back as we add the messages from Uniting Church Moderators. This holiest of church seasons, may you know the hope of new life and God’s resurrection grace "that cannot be defeated" and which is "offered to each of us over and over again". “Dwelling in the heart of love that is God, may we live as Easter people who are being made whole because God raised Jesus from the dead.” Watch and Download 17TH ASSEMBLY A website for everything 17th Assembly The Assembly is excited to launch a new website for the 17th Assembly meeting, which will be gathering from 11-16 July in Parramatta. The website will be a port of call for information about the meeting, its key events and business, and for the public livestream. Right now you can watch the welcome video from President-Elect Rev Charissa Suli and Assembly General Secretary (Interim) Rev Lindsay Cullen. Stay tuned as we add to the site over the coming months. HUMANS OF THE UNITING CHURCH Meet Abbey Sim The Assembly is delighted to welcome Abbey Sim as the new Communications Officer within the Assembly communications team. A gifted communicator and writer, Abbey will be supporting the Assembly's communications work in the lead up to the 17th Assembly meeting. Meet Abbey in our latest Humans of the Uniting Church profile, where she shares how she found a home in the Uniting Church, what she's looking forward to in her new role and her passion for justice-seeking communities. You might also like to read this lovely piece Abbey wrote for International Women's Day, published by Common Grace. THIS IS MY UNITING CHURCH "God feeds our heads and our hearts" In the latest in our This is My Uniting Church series we're travelling to the inner north of Naarm/Melbourne to catch up with Northcote Uniting Church which sits in the heart of a bustling High Street. Northcote became a congregation in 2020 after two decades as Cafe Church, meeting in pubs and cafes across the inner northern suburbs. Minister Rev Alister Pate shares how this vibrant community is seeking to follow God's call through periods of growth, change and challenge, from church plant to established community. LENT EVENT Week 5 of UnitingWorld's Lent Event Heading into the fifth week of Lent Event, we pray together with Esther Venina Tali from Cobram Uniting Church that those impacted by disaster will find recovery, community and support. In the video for week 5, Bishop of the Protestant Christian Church in Bali Rev Nyoman Agustinus speaks about inspiring the next generation in the fight against climate change. You might want to check out these ideas for taking action for creation this Lent. INTERFAITH Uniting Church-Jewish dialogue meets The 53rd meeting of the interfaith dialogue between the Uniting Church in Australia and the Executive Council of Australian Jewry took place online on 27 February. The first meeting without long-time Jewish representative Jeremy Jones and with some changeover in leadership, it was a gathering of beginnings and endings. Yet the desire to continue working and sharing together endures. Death is conquered with the resurrection of Jesus, reflects the 2024 Easter message from the World Council of Churches (WCC). “Some of the disciples and many of his followers thought it would all end there – with a dead Jesus,” writes WCC General Secretary Rev Prof Dr Jerry Pillay. “They forgot about the promise of Jesus that, on the third day, he will rise again ... Christ is risen and death is conquered." Read in full on the WCC website. Looking for a fantastic all-in-one resource to help you plan interactive and intergenerational Easter worship? Check out this new release from Intergen. Written by Rev Sandy Brodine in the Synod of Victoria and Tasmania, the resource covers Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday and includes ideas for engaging with the Bible, activities, craft and prayer. The resource is free but donations toward the work of Intergen are welcome.

Uniting in Prayer Calling all creative pray-ers! There's only two weeks left to submit a prayer for Uniting in Prayer, taking place between Pentecost and the Uniting Church Anniversary (19 May-22 June 2024). Submissions are now open for the daily prayers which will be shared across the 35 days, and creativity is encouraged! You can express interest to submit your own prayer (or poem, artwork, video...) by emailing the Act2 team or use the Uniting in Prayer sign up form on the Act2 website if you're yet to register. Sign up Events Regos open for SoulCare 2024 The SoulCare Conference 2024 will energise and inspire you to bring transformative pastoral care to your ministry context. To be held from 12-13 September at Wesley Conference Centre in Sydney, it will feature workshops, panels and Rev Dr Jane Leach as keynote speaker. SoulCare is an event of the Synod of NSW/ACT in partnership with Uniting NSW.ACT and Wesley Mission. More information Around the Uniting Church Celebrating our church plants Happy 1st birthday to Seeds Kurralta Park, which recently celebrated one year since being planted from Seeds Uniting Church in South Australia. Church planting is an endeavour of courage and faith which is bringing new life, growth and joy to many Uniting Church congregations. Read more about this thriving place from the Synod of South Australia, watch this fun reel of the celebration and join us in praying for them and for all newly seeded communities. Read more Resources Australian Women Preach On International Women's Day, the Australian Women Preach podcast celebrated its third anniversary and a full three-year lectionary cycle of women's voices preaching on the Gospel. The weekly podcast shares the insights of women from a rich diversity of backgrounds, cultures, perspectives and denominations, including a number of Uniting Church women!  Listen now

Positions Digital Content and Administration Officer - Parramatta City UC Provide clerical, administrative and website management support for the Parramatta City Uniting Church and Parramatta Nepean Presbytery. Executive Assistant to the National Director - UnitingWorld Play a key role in the operations of UnitingWorld through invaluable administrative, tactical, and logistical support to its National Director, Board, and Committees. Upcoming Dates 24 March: Palm Sunday 29 March – 1 April: Easter weekend  Check out more dates across the year Join us in prayer for The Assembly Standing Committee meeting in Sydney this weekend. The Uniting Church's enduring dialogue with the Jewish community in Australia and its leaders through which we find common ground and build understanding and friendship. Our Christian siblings in the Orthodox Church who begin their observance of Lent on Monday. Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden as part of the WCC Ecumenical Prayer Cycle. Our weekly PowerPoint with stories, resources and prayer points for use in your weekly worship. How is your community celebrating Easter? Email us! Share Tweet Forward