Month: February 2016

Esperance bands together in bushfire aftermath

Post author By revivewa
Post date February 12, 2016

Two months on from devastating fires in the Esperance region, the town is beginning to recover. Many people have experienced property damage, and four lives were tragically lost. Recovery efforts have been difficult however, due to another fire which spread along approximately 50km of the coast in early January, burning at the same time as serious fires in the south west.

While no serious damage was reported after the second fire, firefighters and volunteers were under extreme pressure as resources were spread across the state. Fear and uncertainty also took over as smoke was once again hovering through the town, with many locals on high alert.

Rev Robert Dummermuth, minister at Esperance and Condingup Uniting Churches, is working tirelessly to help support the local community. As a volunteer with the SES, Robert as on the frontline while the fires were burning. Now as the recovery process begins, he is providing pastoral support and community building opportunities for the local people.

Tags Disaster Relief, Remote and rural communities

News & Announcements

Recovery for the long-term

Post author By revivewa
Post date February 11, 2016

Rev Dr Stephen Robinson, national disaster recovery officer with the Uniting Church in Australia, visited WA’s south west in late January to help local Uniting Church congregations and members work out strategies that will best help people affected by serious fires in the area.

Two people lost their lives in Yarloop when fires destroyed most of the town and threatened areas around Harvey and Waroona. While there is no Uniting Church congregation in Yarloop, congregations in surrounding areas will be offering support to those affected.

Stephen said that recovery is a long-term process. While other agencies are best at assisting as crisis hits, the Uniting Church is committed to, and well resourced, to help with long-term recovery, which could take two to three years.

Tags Disaster Relief, Remote and rural communities

News & Announcements

Preparing to go and spread the word

Post author By revivewa
Post date February 10, 2016

To a packed and joyous congregation, Rev Kim Francis was inducted into Maylands Mt Lawley Uniting Church on Sunday 7 February. Kim was ordained as a deacon on 18 October 2015.

For 19 years, Kim has worked as the children and family co-ordinator at Nedlands Uniting Church; running kids clubs, play groups, a family worship service as well as the children’s program during their Chinese English bilingual service. Prior to working with the Nedlands congregation, Kim worked as a maths teacher.

During her 7 years of candidating for ministry, Kim held placements at Juniper, Uniting Church in the City, Ross Memorial West Perth, Trinity School for Seniors and with the Uniting Church WA Social Justice Unit.

Rev Steve Francis, moderator of the Uniting Church WA, and also Kim’s husband, preached at the service on discipleship as an apprenticeship in the school of Jesus.

“The call is two-fold,” Steve said. “It is to be a disciple of Jesus and to disciple others. And we see that most clearly in the words of Matthew, often referred to as ‘the Great Commission’.”

Steve encouraged the congregation to not let the Great Commission – Jesus’ calling to spread his teachings across the world – to become the Great Omission.

Tags Our People and Agencies

News & Announcements

Harmony and diversity: transforming the church

Post author By revivewa
Post date February 10, 2016

Australia is celebrated as a multicultural country, with around a quarter of Australians born overseas, according to the latest Census data (2011). This Census also confirmed that WA is the most culturally diverse state in Australia, with 31% of Western Australians originally hailing from other countries.

In WA, Harmony Week runs from Tuesday 15 to Monday 21 March. It’s an opportunity to celebrate multiculturalism and for cultural groups to learn and grow from each other. Inspired by the United Nation’s International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Harmony Day and Harmony Week aims to end discrimination by celebrating difference and getting to know each other. While Harmony Week shines a spotlight on our diversity, its aim is that we carry those stories and relationships throughout the year.

Rebecca Ball is the executive director for the Government of Western Australia’s Office of Multicultural Interests. She said that there is a range of benefits to living in such a diverse community.

“There’s a multitude of benefits. It’s realising that where you think there might be difference, in fact we’re all the same,” she said. “To have a society that’s diverse really can only improve ones understanding of other people; it can broaden our minds, accept difference. You don’t have to agree with one another on every point, but at least you can understand one another’s viewpoints. And that is absolutely essential to a peaceful and tolerant society.

Tags Multi-Cultural, Multicultural

News & Announcements

Voices unite: let them stay

Post author By revivewa
Post date February 9, 2016

For the past week Australian news outlets have been promulgating the plight of 267 refugees, including 37 babies, who are currently facing removal to the off-shore detention centre in Nauru. After last week’s high court ruling upholding the legality of Australia’s off-shore asylum seeker process people across the country have joined in protests and offers of refuge and sanctuary.

On Monday 8 February the community group Love Makes a Way hosted a peaceful public action at the office of the federal member for Swan, Steve Irons MP. The public action was orchestrated to hand deliver letters, written by concerned members of the public, to Mr Irons. The letters encouraged Mr Irons to advocate on behalf of the asylum seekers at risk of deportation, by speaking to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Later in the day hundreds of concerned people gathered at St George’s Cathedral in Perth’s CBD to peacefully protest the government’s position on removing asylum seekers to dangerous off-shore processing centres. Rev Chris Bedding oversaw proceedings, beginning by acknowledging the Nyungar elders past and present, he also relayed greetings from Rev Sealin Garlett who was unable to attend the event.

Tags Refugees and Asylum Seekers

Stories & Feature Articles

Uplifted in faith and hope

Post author By revivewa
Post date February 9, 2016

To coincide with International Women’s Day, Tuesday 8 March, Bindy Taylor shares with Revive the story of Khadija Gbla, executive director of No FGM Australia. Khadija will also be the keynote speaker at the UnitingWomen conference to be held in Adelaide this April.

Spending time with Khadija Gbla is an uplifting experience – she is as passionate and as vocal one-on-one as she is speaking to a gathering of 1,000 people. Khadija has squeezed a lot of life into her 27-years, and she feels compelled by God to share her life experiences, both the ups and the downs, to instill hope in others.

At the age of nine, Khadija underwent female genital mutilation (FGM), an unnecessary and cruel act of violence. At the time, Khadija had no idea what was happening to her, but she is now able to name it for what it is – human rights abuse, child abuse and sexual abuse. It is an experience she wants no other girl or woman to go through.

FGM, also known as female circumcision, has no known health benefits and is largely practiced in countries within Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Common reasons given for performing FGM include social acceptance, hygiene, ideas relating to female sexuality, purity and modesty, religion, and cultural identity. While it has been restricted or outlawed in many of the locations where it is practiced, FGM procedures continue to be performed. The dangerous act can lead to ongoing health problems, inability to conceive a child and complications during childbirth.

Tags UnitingWomen

News & Announcements

Uniting Church WA appoints new general secretary

Post author By revivewa
Post date February 8, 2016

The Uniting Church WA has appointed a new general secretary. On Saturday 6 February, Synod members gathered and appointed Rev David de Kock.

David has served as the minister at Merredin Uniting Church, and is currently serving at Lighthouse Uniting Church in Geraldton. He is also a member of General Council and is the chair of the Pastoral Relations and Placements Commission.

Rev Steve Francis, moderator of the Uniting Church WA, wrote to members notifying them of the decision.

Tags Our People and Agencies

Stories & Feature Articles

Seeing with new eyes from the holy land

Post author By revivewa
Post date February 7, 2016

Pilgrims in the holy land at Wadi Rum, Jordan.

During Advent, a group of young adult Christians from Perth became pilgrims in the holy land. A month after their return, they gathered to reunite, filling the room with reflection and laughter as they shared stories, experiences, memories and photos from the trip.

The pilgrimage was led by Rev Dr Ian Robinson, chaplain at the University of Western Australia, and a group of volunteers, and was organised in partnership with Christian Pilgrimage – a Perth based organisation offering Christian pilgrimages in the holy land throughout the year.

The young adults, from a range of churches around Perth, including Carey Baptist Church, Nedlands Uniting Church and Uniting Church in the City, visited a range of ancient and holy sites as well as experiencing life in modern Middle Eastern cities such as Amman in Jordan and Israel’s Jerusalem. They visited churches covered in ancient mosaics, also spending time at a mosaic workshop, learning about a program which gave employment opportunities to people who may not otherwise be able to find employment. They explored the ancient city of Petra, walking around and inside houses painstakingly carved into rocks thousands of years ago, and went four-wheel driving through the Jordanian desert.

Tags International, Theology and Spiritual Reflections

Stories & Feature Articles

Busselton living life to the full

Post author By revivewa
Post date February 5, 2016

Busselton Uniting Church held its inaugural Christmas Carols BBQ in December 19 and, given the response, it seems set to become an annual event.

A major focus for our church this year has been to better integrate the various parts of our church family, and the carols gathering showed we are on the right track. The 100-plus crowd consisted of Sunday morning regulars, Messy Church and Boppin Totts families, plus volunteers and friends from our various outreach activities (community café and op shop.)

As the sausages sizzled, Rev Brenton Prigge, First Third specialist for the South West Region, told the Christmas story, even using some of the children as live ‘props.’ Each part of the story was interspersed with carols, led by a band of young people from church.

Tags Church and Community