Month: June 2016

Black Pearls shine brightly in dark times

Post author By revivewa
Post date June 30, 2016

The Uniting Church WA Black Pearl Network has just returned from another fascinating trip to the land of Papua, a place of both hopeful and troubling developments. Geoff Bice, justice and mission consultant at the Uniting Church WA recently traveled to West Papua with the Black Pearl Network. He reflects on his journey.

Whenever we say we are going to West Papua, people often think we mean Papua New Guinea (PNG), but we don’t. It’s close in a number of ways, but an entirely different place. It’s on the same landmass, its people are of a shared ethnicity, and it’s roughly equivalent in size to PNG; but it lies within the borders of Indonesia.

Whenever we go we do so at the invitation of our partner church – Gereja Kristen Injili Indonesia (GKI) di Tanah Papua – an amazingly courageous and gentle collection of Christians who are always wonderfully friendly and hospitable to us.

Whenever we come back we are always a little bit different. In a good way.

As always, it was a delight to meet with previous students from the Australia Papua Cultural Exchange Program (APCEP). We are always sure to take up a selection of children’s English books for them to use in running their own English classes with other young Papuans. It is so encouraging to see our small contribution multiplied by the students as they pass on their knowledge to others in their community.

Tags Faith In Action, International, Multi-Cultural, Multicultural

News & Announcements

Perth fire-bombing condemned

Post author By revivewa
Post date June 29, 2016

The Uniting Church Synod of Western Australia and the Anglican Diocese of Perth condemns the fire-bombing overnight of a vehicle in Thornlie outside the College and Mosque.

The Moderator of the Uniting Church, Rev Steve Francis and the Anglican Archbishop of Perth, Roger Herft, extend prayers of concern and solidarity to the Islamic people of Western Australia and unequivocally condemn such violence.

Moderator Rev Steve Francis said, “In this holy season of Ramadan, we stand with the Islamic people in WA and in particular the Australian Islamic College and Mosque in Thornlie.”

Archbishop Herft said, “We offer our prayerful support to the children, teachers and school community as well as the worshipping community at the mosque.

“The Anglican Diocese of Perth and the Uniting Church Western Australia assure the Islamic community of our prayers for peace and our commitment to the promotion of understanding for all in the Western Australian community.”

Tags interfaith

News & Announcements

Sharing the peace at KCO

Post author By revivewa
Post date June 28, 2016

The Uniting Church is a proudly multicultural church with congregations made up of people from many different cultures and ways of life. This year was the first year a contingent of youth from the Samoan Uniting Church Faith Community attended Kids’ Camp Out (KCO).

Speaking with their youth co-ordinator, Hanamoa Vaitogi, it was clear that the young people of he Samoan Faith Community are an active and eager group. The Youth Group often performs cultural dance and songs together for community and church events, with the younger kids joining the young adults for performance and fellowship.

Hanamoa explained that the youth and young adults of the community usually spend time together as a large group.

“Nearly every week they do sports in the park or I’ll book a hall and they’ll perform together,” she said.

While it was an unusual experience for the youth to strike out on their own, Hanamoa said they really enjoyed it.

Tags Multi-Cultural, Youth

News & Announcements

Ten years of growth

Post author By revivewa
Post date June 26, 2016

On 1 July this year, UnitingCare West will celebrate its 10th anniversary. UnitingCare West is an agency of the Uniting Church WA, delivering a range of community services to some of the most vulnerable people in WA.

The organisation has experienced a huge amount of growth in these years, and has become an important part of life in Western Australia. Of course, the history behind UnitingCare West goes back long before 2006, as many of the services run by the agency began their life in Uniting Church WA congregations. Some go back prior to the 1977 union of the Uniting Church in Australia.

In 2005, fourteen Uniting Church WA congregational community services considered joining together to become UnitingCare West, with eight finalising the agreement. Over the years, more have come on board and services have grown. Chris Hall was the first Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of UnitingCare West, with Rev Des Cousins the first chair of the UnitingCare West Board.

As our social environment changed, three of the original programs which came into UnitingCare West at its formation have ceased, two of which because government picked up the service and it was no longer needed.

Sue Ash AO, current CEO of UnitingCare West, came into the role in 2011. She explained that the formation of the organisation has been successful in its intention to grow service delivery in WA.

Tags Our People and Agencies

News & Announcements

A meaningful week at Willetton

Post author By revivewa
Post date June 24, 2016

On Good Friday this year, about 50 members of Willetton Uniting Church were treated to hot cross buns with their usual coffee after church, at Lois and John Murdock’s home in Shelley.

It was a very meaningful week for the congregation, beginning with the choir working hard to sing at two of the services, and the final Bible Study session “The Gift of New Creation – Lent” by Thomas L Ehrich.

The study is based on the Revised Common Lectionary and provided six weeks of thoughtful discussion led by our minister, Rev Lorraine Stokes.

Tags Easter

News & Announcements

Celebrating the life of Ailsa Maley

Post author By revivewa
Post date June 21, 2016

In December 1946, I attended my first Presbyterian Fellowship Association (PFA) Christmas-New Year Camp as part of the Subiaco Church PFA Group. Ailsa Maley (nee Lyons) was one of the three Lyons sisters who came from Scots Church Fremantle. Several Churches had groups of about 30 young people who mostly attended camps and other events including Scripture Union. Many people, including me, went on to become ordained and other leaders in the church.

I remember especially the Easter Camps because with Ailsa I became one of the leadership team. We progressed from being on the committee, to assistant leader and then leader – Ailsa and I did these in different years. This also included the high jinx, including midnight feasts in the hall where we all slept on the floor, or in tents that leaked as it “always rains” at Easter.

Ailsa married Bill Maley who was a ministry student, and they went to NSW to complete his studies. Bill was ordained in 1954. They served together in several places, including West Leederville, Northam, Peppermint Grove, Kalgoorlie, Bunbury and Busselton.

Tags Church and Community

News & Announcements

Watermans Bay celebrates history

Post author By revivewa
Post date June 16, 2016

For the past three years, Watermans Bay Uniting Church has held a Harvest Festival service on the first Sunday in May. Food that is collected is donated to Uniting Aid. This year there was an another reason to celebrate, as on 1 May 1976 – 40 years ago to the day – Euroka Village, as it is now called, was dedicated. Watermans Bay Uniting Church is part of the village complex.

The early history of the Methodist Church in Watermans Bay is quite a story. The first church opened on the corner of Margaret Street and Flora Terrace on the first Sunday in January 1938.

The block of land was donated by estate agent Mr Milner and the adjoining block was bought by Ladies Guild. Sunday school was conducted in the church each Sunday – numbers grew and a separate Sunday School Hall was built and opened in February 1955. As years went by it was felt the church could better serve the district by building accommodation for the aged.

Tags A Helping Hand, Church and Community

News & Announcements

Joan’s dedication rewarded as aged care’s finest

Post author By revivewa
Post date June 15, 2016

Embleton multi-skilled carer, Joan Stevenson, has been named WA’s top aged care employee in this year’s prestigious Excellence in Care Awards announced by the sector’s peak body, Aged and Community Services WA.

A passionate and dedicated Juniper staff member, Joan works within the Memory Support Unit at the City of Bayswater Hostel, a friendly and much loved 70-place residential aged care facility, operated and staffed by Juniper.

Vaughan Harding, chief executive at Juniper, said Joan is a widely respected employee and the award acknowledges Joan’s huge contribution to excellence in care.

“Joan has a natural ability to calm, nurture and connect with residents who have limited means of communication. Her initiative, artistic talents and creativity have also resulted in a much improved living environment for our residents. We are delighted to see Joan’s work celebrated by the aged care sector,” he said.

Among her many achievements, Joan designed and personally created a new Sensory Room for residents – transforming storage space into a calming sanctuary with forest-themed decorations, artificial grass on the floor, massage chairs and aromatherapy diffusers.

Tags Ageing and Community