Month: May 2015

Save money on food AND eat well

Post author By revivewa
Post date May 29, 2015

Juniper, together with Foodbank and Bentley Community Focus will show seniors how to save money on groceries while also achieving a healthy diet through three weekly free information sessions for seniors.

Utilising FOODcents methodology, the three sessions will cover topics such as food budgeting and meal planning, including how to create inexpensive meal options.

The third week includes a cooking class on a specific meal, a tour of the Bentley Community Garden where herbs and other produce will be gathered for the meal and a free lunch.

FOODcents is an education program from the Department of Health that aims to teach people how to get value for money when grocery shopping while achieving a balanced diet.

Tags Ageing and Community

News & Announcements

Faith leaders target politicians on climate

Post author By revivewa
Post date May 27, 2015

Prominent leaders from diverse religious traditions in Australia are joining calls for more ambitious post-2020 emissions reduction targets, ahead of separate debates on each side of the political divide. Rev Prof Andrew Dutney, president of the Uniting Church in Australia, alongside the heads of the Anglican Church, peak Hindu and Buddhist bodies, and prominent leaders in the Catholic and Jewish communities, state there is a ‘moral imperative’ for considerably higher targets.

In letters to all Labor and Coalition parliamentary members, they write, “We propose 40% below 1990 levels by 2025, and 80% below by 2030, and to increase our offer to the UN Climate Fund.”

The current bipartisan target is 5 percent below 2000 pollution levels by 2020.

“We have a duty to this generation and the generations to come to protect the world around us. To do so, we need to cut pollution in line with the recommendation of scientific experts,” said Thea Ormerod, President of the Australian Religious Response to Climate Change (ARRCC), who co-ordinated the letters. “The current target fails to live up to our responsibilities as a nation. It is fundamentally immoral.

Tags Environment

Stories & Feature Articles

Let your light shine

Post author By revivewa
Post date May 27, 2015

For many of us, being a Christian is easy… on a Sunday, in a church building, in worship, in the company of other Christians, etc. Come Monday morning and the other days of the week, however, and all of a sudden we’re afraid of who we are. Why is that?

If we read Matthew 5:14-16 we will do well to remember that Jesus told us: “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

As followers of Christ this is what we are: ‘the light of the world’.

In John Chapter 1 we are told that “The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.”

This ‘true light’ is Jesus, and ‘his coming into the world’ we celebrate at Christmas time.

Tags Theology and Spiritual Reflections

News & Announcements

100 years of history at Osborne Park

Post author By revivewa
Post date May 10, 2015

September is a big month for us at Osborne Park Uniting Church this year. One hundred years ago, on 5 September 1915, our little church opened its doors for worship for the first time. To commemorate the occasion, the church is planning a number of events over the week beginning with an open day on the actual anniversary date, where there will be an opportunity for the community to see some of the old photos and books from the early years, provided by church members and the City of Stirling.

Although all the plans are not finalised, we hope to have some events over the week from Saturday 5 to Sunday 13 September, when we will hold a Special Anniversary Service at our normal time of 9.30am.

The decision to build the church was made with the help and encouragement of the local Member of Parliament, Mr John Veryard MLA. Those present at the meeting represent many families whose association with the church continued through its history and to this day. The building, it was decided, would be erected on the ground given by the Osborne Park Company. We have a picture of the sales brochure, which is similar in style to the Grenville Church. Originally, an unlined weatherboard building on wooden stumps, with a corrugated iron roof made up of six foot sheets, as was the standard in those times, it had a small wooden spire at the front pointing to heaven.

Tags Church and Community

News & Announcements

State Youth Games: Bring it on!

Post author By revivewa
Post date May 7, 2015

State Youth Games is a weekend of fun, games, sport and friendship for 16–28 year olds, held annually in Bunbury over the long weekend in June. The games provide an opportunity for church teams to come together and compete over the weekend in a range of sports and activities in a friendly and fun environment.

Run by Youth Vision, a project of the Churches of Christ, the games are open to any denomination. Cameron Barnes, State Youth Games co-ordinator, said that the games are structured in a way that is open and welcoming, to give people who aren’t familiar with church an opportunity to hang out with Christians in a casual environment. This also gives young Christians an opportunity to invite their non-church friends along for a weekend of fun.

“I’m constantly hearing stories of people who, by their own admission, would never have set foot in a church building, but were quite happy to come along to a sporting carnival. Through State Youth Games they discovered a community of people they could belong to, and through that community found out about a God who loves them,” Cameron said.

It’s also a way to breakout of the confining structures of youth ministry and day-to-day activities, in preparation for adulthood.

Tags Youth

News & Announcements

Budget should take a long-term view

Post author By revivewa
Post date May 5, 2015

When next week’s Federal Budget is delivered, UnitingCare Australia will be looking for programs and policies that invest in people, to advance Australia’s resilience and productivity.

“The Budget needs to do two things at once. We need to live within our means. And we need to invest wisely to improve future living standards. This means we need to consider increasing government revenue, and ensure that all aspects of the budget recognise the value of upfront investment in people,” said Lin Hatfield Dodds, national director of UnitingCare Australia.

“Tax loopholes need to be closed and investments need to be targeted towards Australians who face barriers to participation in the economy and community life.”

“Adequate payments for recipients of welfare, and provision of access to important services remain key priorities.”

“Funds that support vulnerable people provide a great return on investment. Providing support helps people reach their potential, and yields savings down the track as we prevent social problems from escalating. It also enhances the quality of our collective life, making Australia a better place to live,” said Lin.

Tags Uniting Church

News & Announcements

Emergency Hospitality – WA’s best kept secret

Post author By revivewa
Post date May 4, 2015

One of the best kept secrets of the Uniting Church in Australia is the Emergency Hospitality Project, a program of the WA Uniting Church Adult Fellowship. It started to help country folk coming to the city, faced with fully-booked hotels and huge costs. Willing city hosts provide a bed and breakfast. As ‘kids from the bush’ living close to major hospitals and with good public transport close by, we appreciated this chance to give a helping hand and it has been a gratifying experience.

We have met a wide range of country folk and enjoyed their company greatly. So much so, that we decided to set-up our studio as a granny flat with bathroom and kitchenette, to provide a choice of company or complete privacy. This program is for anyone with an appointment in Perth needing a clean, comfortable bed at a reasonable cost in one of the world’s most expensive cities – not just for medical emergencies.

Disappointingly, this service has not been used as much as expected. For more information call 0447 910 007 or email emergencyhospitality@wa.uca.org.au.

Tags Church and Community

News & Announcements

From the Archives: World War I chaplains

Post author By revivewa
Post date May 1, 2015

Throughout 2015, to mark the centenary year of the ANZAC landing at Gallipoli, Revive will be publishing a series of articles highlighting the men who provided chaplaincy to those who served in WWI.

Rev Arthur Fry was born in South Australia in 1864 and was ordained into the Methodist church in 1887. He transferred to Western Australia in 1894 and was sent to York. After three years in York he served in Coolgardie, Geraldton, Perth and West Perth.

In 1911 he was appointed secretary of the British and Foreign Bible Society, a post he held for 16 Years. On 6 October 1916, at the age of 51, Rev Arthur Stephen Joyce Fry joined the Australian Army as a military chaplain. He sailed to England as a transport chaplain on the HMAT Suffolk.

Tags Archives