Month: September 2015

Exploring the deep with Odd Fish

Post author By revivewa
Post date September 10, 2015

On Monday nights in a cosy corner of the historic Fremantle Wesley Uniting Church, a handful of people come together to eat, pray, and share in the Gospel in a spiritual space.

They call themselves Odd Fish, referring to their nature of going against the status quo of contemporary society and choosing to walk the path of Jesus, sharing love with the outsider. Each Monday evening they share a simple meal together before taking part in a casual liturgy and discussion on a variety of topics.

Paul Montague, First Third specialist for the South Metro Region and one of the group’s founders, said that the group is a space for people to explore their spirituality and connection to religion, including missional activities.

“Most of the core group are in their 20s and 30s,” said Paul. “I don’t think it’s really about boundaries of age, though. Older people who identify as a bit of a free spirit but have an affection for the tradition of contemplation or mysticism, or have a leaning towards ‘Christian humanism’, would fit right in.

Tags Church and Community

News & Announcements

Immediate sanctuary required for refugees fleeing Syria and Iraq

Post author By revivewa
Post date September 8, 2015

The Uniting Church in Australia is today calling on the Government to commit to a significant increase in Australia’s refugee intake as a response to the crisis in Syria.

“While we welcome the Federal Government’s commitment to increase our refugee intake from Syria, the scale of this crisis requires a much greater response,” said Stuart McMillan, president of the Uniting Church in Australia.

“I am pleased that politicians and political parties across the country are recognising that Australia has a moral duty to respond to the Syrian refugee crisis.

“We have seen the human face of this tragedy and we can no longer turn our backs.

“As one of the wealthiest and most secure countries in the world, we have an obligation to respond generously,” said Stuart.

Tags Refugees and Asylum Seekers

Stories & Feature Articles

Getting curried away

Post author By revivewa
Post date September 6, 2015

This June, 100 people from Uniting Church in the City (UCIC) sat down to a delicious lunch of six different Sri Lankan curries, prepared by Maru, one of our Tamil friends. Maru’s childhood and education was severely disrupted by the 27 year old war in Sri Lanka, as he and his family were forced to move seven times to avoid the bombing raids carried out in the Tamil lands in the north.

His mother taught him to cook, so that whatever happened in those uncertain times he could feed himself and those around him. In July 2014, I had the great privilege of travelling to Sri Lanka to attend the Sri Lankan Methodist Church’s bicentennial celebration of 200 years of Methodism in Sri Lanka, and seeing the many projects being run by the church there as they seek to rebuild people’s lives after the war. To mark this momentous occasion, a celebration service was held in a great cathedral in Colombo, attended by 9,000 people, a government stamp was printed and a book on the history of Methodism in Sri Lanka was published.

One chapter in that book entitled Rethinking Mission in Sri Lanka was written by Rev Dr Albert Jebanesan, the president of the Methodist Church in Sri Lanka, and has particular relevance for us in Australia, posing such questions as, ‘How can the church in Australia engage with the culture around it?’ and ‘Can we acknowledge and embrace the beauty and truth of other cultures and ideologies around us as expressions of the ceaseless creativity in the natural world and in human cultures which we call God?’

Tags Church and Community, International

Stories & Feature Articles

Craft group adds warmth to Perth charity

Post author By revivewa
Post date September 6, 2015

For the past seven years Wembley Uniting Church has been running a Craft Group, which meets at the church on the first and third Friday mornings of each month.

Although, in the beginning, the idea was for each member to choose their own craft, one particular project soon became the focus of the group’s activities. This was crocheting rugs and knitting teddy bears for the local not-for-profit charity, Wheelchairs for Kids.

Initiated by the Rotary Club of Scarborough in 1998, Wheelchairs for Kids consists of a large team of volunteers who assemble wheelchairs in a warehouse in Wangara. These are then distributed free to disabled children in almost eighty under-resourced countries. To date, they have made over 30,000 wheelchairs. The rugs are a valuable addition to the machines, which also go with soft toys and small tool-kits.

Tags A Helping Hand, Church and Community

News & Announcements

West Timor students welcomed

Post author By revivewa
Post date September 2, 2015

A Women’s Welcome Breakfast for three students from West Timor was held at Nedlands Uniting Church on Saturday 4 July. In 2012, some members of the congregation visited West Timor and have since supported students at The Christian University in West Timor, Indonesia, through scholarships. Three students from the university were invited to spend some time in Perth for an English language immersion.

The students lived among host families and spent time each weekday in English classes, which will help them further their studies and share what they’ve learnt with others back home.

Whilst in Perth, they have explored the city as well as taken part in a range of church activities such as Kids’ Club, Bible studies, lunchtime Christian activity at the local school and the Young Adults’ Group studies and outings.

Sherly Nesimnasi, one of the visiting students from West Timor, said that the skills she has learnt in the program will be beneficial back home.

“English is very important,” she said. “In West Timor children need education about English and the knowledge that I get here I will share in my town. Education is very important.”

Tags Church and Community, International, Youth

News & Announcements

Nauru Detention Centre must be closed

Post author By revivewa
Post date September 2, 2015

The Uniting Church is renewing its call for the immediate closure of the Nauru detention centre after another damning report into the centre’s operations.

The Senate Select Committee’s report released on Monday describes a disturbing lack of transparency and accountability about what is happening in the centre. It raises serious issues about the safety and wellbeing of people and concludes that the detention centre is ‘not adequate, appropriate or safe’ for asylum seekers.

Mr Stuart McMillan, president of the Uniting Church in Australia said, “It is Australia’s moral responsibility to ensure that asylum seekers are safe in these centres. But they are not safe. How many reports and allegations of the abuse and sexual assault of women and children do we need before the Government takes action?”

“The Uniting Church has long been calling on the Australian Government to close the detention centre on Nauru and bring everyone to Australia. The Government should act immediately on the Committee’s recommendation that all children and their families be released,” said Stuart.

Tags Refugees and Asylum Seekers