19-25 June 2024

National Update

Your weekly snapshot of the Uniting Church in Australia

Our Featured Story

COVENANT ANNIVERSARY

Learn more about the history of the Covenant and mark the 30th anniversary in July

Today the Assembly has released new resources to help Uniting Church communities celebrate two significant anniversaries this July: the 30th anniversary of our Covenant with the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress, and the 15th anniversary of the Preamble to the Uniting Church Constitution.

The first resource is an interactive presentation that tells of our covenant journey thus far, and invites you to think about how we can truly live out this commitment in our faith and mission.

Secondly, there are two anniversary edition posters of the Covenanting Statement and the Preamble. We encourage you to print and display these in your communities to begin a conversation about what the Covenant means in your place.

Both posters include original artwork by the talented Grace Williams from UAICC Tasmania.

We hope these resources empower you to celebrate our covenant relationship and to reflect on the work that must still be done to honour this commitment.

We'd love to hear the different ways that you are marking these anniversaries. Please get in touch to share your stories and photos.

Get the resources

UCA ANNIVERSARY

Happy 47th birthday Uniting Church!

This Saturday the Uniting Church celebrates 47 years since Union, which took place at Sydney Town Hall on 22 June 1977. In her final message to the Church as President, Rev Sharon Hollis encourages the Uniting Church community to continue living into its joyful cultural and theological diversity. You can watch the message here, and download the video or a copy of the transcript, to use in worship on Sunday 23 June. We'd love to see photos of your anniversary celebrations!

17TH ASSEMBLY

Meet even more members of the Assembly

We're into week 3 of meeting the members of the 17th Assembly! This week, get to know Rev Gospel Ralte, Rev Sue Page, Daniel Broadstock and Rev Jong Soo Park. In 2017, Crosslight magazine shared more of the story of Rev Gospel and his family. Their journey to find a home in Australia and in the Uniting Church, leaving Myanmar due to persecution for their faith, is an especially timely read as we conclude Refugee Week.

17TH ASSEMBLY

Assembly members gather again online

'Holding the tension of difference' was the theme of the second pre-Assembly online gathering of 17th Assembly members last Tuesday evening. Following on from the first gathering held a few weeks ago, this session stepped deeper into uncovering the joys and wrestling that comes with community. Read the summary and watch the recording.

DWELLING

Final series of Dwelling pod kicks off

This week we kick off a new series of Dwelling, the President's podcast. Over four great conversations, President Rev Sharon Hollis catches up with four ministers who are in the first three years of ordained ministry. This week, hear from Rev Annie Baker and Rev Heewon Chang, and stay tuned for two more episodes next week. Make sure you listen in, as these are some of the final Dwelling episodes to be released.

17TH ASSEMBLY

All welcome for the installation and Cato lecture

With the 17th Assembly meeting fast approaching, there are two exciting public events which all are welcome to attend: the installation of Rev Charissa Suli as the next President, and the Cato Lecture given by Korean American theologian Grace Ji-Sun Kim. Both events will be held in Sydney, and will also be live-streamed. Read more and RSVP to the installation service here and to the Cato Lecture here.

ECUMENICAL

11th NCCA national forum set to begin

The 11th Forum of the National Council of Churches in Australia begins this coming Friday, gathering representatives from NCCA member churches and state ecumenical councils. A celebration of the 30th anniversary of the NCCA's formation, the event will feature keynote speaker and guest Rev Dr Jerry Pillay, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches. While in Australia, Rev Dr Pillay will be speaking at a number of public events. Find all the details here and follow news from the NCCA here.

UNITING IN PRAYER

The final days of Uniting in Prayer

National prayer event Uniting in Prayer comes to an end on Saturday, the 47th Uniting Church anniversary, after 35 days of prayer across the country. It's not too late to use the worship and prayer resources with your community, and catch up on all the prayers on our Facebook page. If you have a great story to tell out of Uniting in Prayer, email us here.

UNITING NETWORK

Uniting Network to celebrate 30 years

LGBTIQA+ members and allies in the Uniting Church will gather online on 6 July to celebrate 30 years since the formation of Uniting Network, which took place at Brougham Place Uniting Church in Adelaide in June 1994. Read more and RSVP here.

Around the Uniting Church

Covenant Prayer put to music

Almost 47 years ago, some 2000 people stood at the Uniting Church inauguration service to share in one of the great prayers of our faith tradition - John Wesley's Covenant Prayer. It is a prayer of total surrender to God. In honour of our 47th anniversary this Saturday, here's a beautiful version from the music team at Newlife Church in Queensland. Enjoy!

Watch here

Around the Uniting Church

"We stand with them"

In the wake of recent acts of violence against women in their community and across the country, male members of Ballarat Central Uniting Church have made a powerful declaration condemning acts of violence against women and committing to drive change. "In making this declaration we wish to let all our sisters know we stand with them..." Read their declaration here.

See the Facebook post

Frontier Services

Keep our chaplains on the road

Have you ever travelled through the outback? The stunning beauty can also mean isolation for those who live there. Our Bush Chaplains are a lifeline for many in remote areas, offering companionship, practical assistance and emotional support. $64 is the price for 400km worth of fuel or the distance from a farm to a nursing home. Donate to Frontier Services today and keep their vehicles running.

Donate now

Act2 Project

For the Future: Act2 illustration

The Act2 Project commissioned this illustration for the cover of the Act2 report and report website from talented Melbourne-based illustrator Cat MacInnes. In her signature bright and whimsical style Cat offered this image to fulfill the brief, 'For the future - the Uniting Church in a flourishing future'. At the centre of the image, like at the centre of our life, stands the cross of Christ. Read more about the illustration here.

See the illustration

17th Assembly

More Assembly papers out

A second tranche of 17th Assembly papers has been released. It includes reports from various Assembly committees, the six Synods, profiles of Chair and Advocate nominees, nomination forms for Chairs, Advocates and Assembly Standing Committee, an indicative timetable and an introduction to the Cato lecturer.

See the papers

National Reconciliation Week

Tasmania celebrates NRW

Reconciliation Tasmania held a hugely successful Reconciliation Week breakfast at the start of June with over 900 people in attendance. Among them was Alison Overeem, member of the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress National Executive (second from the left in the above image). Go here to see more photos and get the link to a video of the breakfast.

See the photos

UnitingWorld

Fight poverty through education

UnitingWorld is fundraising to support the life-changing work of our church partner, the Church of North India, Diocese of Durgapur. Right now is a powerful time to give, because all donations to this appeal will be combined with Australian Government funding to go up to six times further. Help fight poverty through education and create justice for generations!

Donate now

World Council of Churches

Syriac-Aramaic genocide

The World Council of Churches (WCC) marked the 109th anniversary of the Syriac-Armenian genocide this week, in which over half a million Syriac-Aramaic Christians are estimated to have lost their lives. WCC General Secretary Rev Dr Jerry Pillay reflected on our obligation to remember humanity's propensity for genocide, "especially in these times when that propensity is - tragically - once again increasingly evident."

In case you missed it...
News and story highlights from the last couple of weeks

UCA members recognised in the King’s Birthday honours
This is my Uniting Church: All Saints Floreat
Videos from the Act2 report
Register for The Preamble: 15 Years On conference here

Positions

Administration and Accounts Officer - Willoughby Uniting Church

Be the point of contact for enquiries, hirers, volunteers, contractors and congregational members at Willoughby UC, and a vital support for the ministry team.

First Nations Strategy and Engagement Consultant - UC Synod of NSW/ACT

Resource the Uniting Church in NSW/ACT to build empowering and authentic connections with First Nations peoples and communities. This is an identified role.

Upcoming Dates

22 June: 47th Uniting Church Anniversary
6 July: Uniting Network online gathering
7-14 July: NAIDOC Week
10 July: 30th Anniversary of the UCA-UAICC Covenant
11-16 July: 17th Assembly meeting
21 July: Intercultural Neighbouring Sunday (resource coming soon)
4 August: National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children's Day

Check out more dates across the year

Join us in prayer for

All of us across the country celebrating the 47th anniversary of the Uniting Church this weekend. In the words of inaugural President Rev Dr Davis McCaughey, may we continue to "find our bearings afresh" as the people of God in this time and place.
Those gathering in Adelaide this weekend for the 11th Forum of the National Council of Churches in Australia.
Rev Annie Baker and Rev Heewon Chang, as they continue to discover the joys of ministry.
Malawi, Zambia as part of the WCC Ecumenical Prayer Cycle.