2

Hymn singing festival raising funds for Perth homelessness project

Posted on by in Faith in Action, News and tagged .

The latest copy of The Big Issue states that “more than 116 000 Australians don’t have a place to call home each night – and more than 8 000 of these people are sleeping rough”.

Indeed, I’ve noticed an increase in the number of rough sleepers in the doorways, parks, alleyways and on pavements in Perth’s CBD over the past year or so. Many of them depend on the charity of passers-by and/or charitable organisations for the wherewithal to continue living.

How can we be so hard-hearted to see these unfortunate human beings struggling to keep alive, whilst doing so little to help them, in what is claimed to be a nation built on Christian values?Continue Reading

National History Society Conference: Finding a home in the Uniting Church

Posted on by in News and tagged .

The Uniting Church National History Society Biennial Conference took place at the Centre for Theology and Ministry in Melbourne from 7 to 10 June.

The theme of the conference was ‘Finding a home in the Uniting Church?’ We reflected on what it means to belong to the Uniting Church in this day and age.

Over the two days 20 papers were presented by members of the society and interested historians. These papers covered a wide variety of subjects.Continue Reading

40 years of friendship and CARE

Posted on by in Faith in Action, News and tagged , .

Yesterday, Tuesday 11 June, Bicton Uniting Church celebrated the 40th anniversary of their CARE Centre. As past and present friends and volunteers of the program gathered and shared memories, it was clear that this program means so much to many people.

The CARE Centre (Christian Action Requires Empathy) is a friendship group for elderly people in the community. For one morning a fortnight, volunteers pick up people in the local area, by a bus gifted from Fremantle Wesley Uniting Church, and bring them back to the centre for entertainment, craft, memory days, laughter and love. Continue Reading

Let them settle here

Posted on by in News and tagged .

The Australian Churches Refugee Taskforce is urging the newly elected Federal Government and Prime Minister Scott Morrison to resolve the plight of the 1000+ refugees in Manus and Nauru, some of whom are now in Australia.

In a letter signed by numerous religious leaders across Australia, they write: “Let them settle here.”Continue Reading

Trek for Timor raising much needed funds

Posted on by in Faith in Action, News and tagged , .

Around 30 passionate people took to the Perth hills on Sunday 19 May to take part in the Trek for Timor. Walking from Kalamunda Uniting Church to Foothills St Martin’s Uniting Church in Forrestfield, the group were raising money for Lafaek Diak’s mobile health clinic.

Lafaek Diak translates in English to the Good Crocodile Foundation. It works towards providing access to quality education, healthcare and sustainable food security for people in Timor-Leste, and is one of the Uniting Church WA’s international partner organisations.Continue Reading

Seeing, naming and participating: the work of school leaders

Posted on by in Theology and tagged , .

One of the great challenges of the work of Uniting Church school chaplains and school principals is to be receptive to God’s Spirit moving in their communities. Our schools are full of the joy of children and the energy of youth. When you meet at a school you can feel the vitality of youth throbbing through the culture of these important places.

However, schools are not only celebrations of youth and places for learning. Clearly, learning is central to the work of schools; however they are also places where the Spirit of God moves among the community. We know God moves ahead of us and that faith and the values of the Gospel are gifts and graces from God (Eph 2: 1 John 4). Continue Reading

Free parenting course in the city

Posted on by in News and tagged .

After their successful Alpha Course, Uniting Church in the City (UCIC) is now turning its focus to parenting. The Perth congregation is running two new parenting courses, Parenting Children and Parenting Teenagers. The ten week courses are free for anyone who is seeking advice on this popular topic.

The Parenting Children course is aimed at parents or carers with children up to ten years old and will focus on a range of topics such as building a strong family, meeting children’s needs, setting boundaries, healthy relationships and long term aims.Continue Reading