Month: December 2016

The fundraising stamping ground of WA

Post author By revivewa
Post date December 29, 2016

Wednesday mornings at Bicton Uniting Church are a hive of activity. At the men’s shed there are men building things and upstairs in the main building there is a tap dance class. In the reception area there are three tables, around which are seated a group of industrious people sorting small squares into piles. This is the Uniting Church Mission Fellowship’s (WA) Stamp Team.

The Uniting Church WA has a long history of raising funds through stamp collecting and selling. While there has been a number of people working at it for a while, it has galvanised more recently into an organised offshoot of the Mission Fellowship. In the short 18 month life of this stamp collecting group they have raised a staggering $8 000 for Frontier Services’ Patrol Ministry in WA.

Bob and Kay Lockley, members at Bicton Uniting Church, took over the running of the group 18 months ago. The group that meets at Bicton every Wednesday (except for the third Wednesday of each month) are the sorting crew. They are responsible for sorting stamps according to their value and type before the stamps are sent off to a bulk stamp buying agency that arranges to sell them on to stamp collectors all over Australia.

Tags Church and Community

Stories & Feature Articles

Agents of Change reunite

Post author By revivewa
Post date December 24, 2016

In January 2017 it will be 10 years since the Uniting Church WA invited young people from all around the Uniting Church in Australia to come to Perth for NCYC 2007: Agents of Change.

The organisation of such an event was supported by congregations of the Uniting Church WA. Hundreds of volunteer hours were given, from dedicated staff and committee members to realise the dream of bringing NCYC to Perth.

If you were part of NCYC 2007 in any way, you are welcome to attend a picnic in the park on Saturday 14 January for a reunion. More information will be available closer to the date and First Third Ministry is endeavouring to contact everyone involved.

Tags Uniting Church, Youth

News & Announcements

UnitingCare West announces next CEO

Post author By revivewa
Post date December 21, 2016

The Chairperson of the UnitingCare West Board, Peter Fitzpatrick, and the General Secretary of the Uniting Church WA, Rev David deKock, take great pleasure in announcing the appointment of Amanda Hunt as the next Chief Executive Officer of UnitingCare West (UCW).

Amanda Hunt comes to UnitingCare West from the position of State Manager, Mission Australia – WA and SA. Amanda will bring energy, enthusiasm and strong leadership and management to the position. Amanda was selected from a strong field of candidates including candidates from other jurisdictions.

“Amanda is well known in the Western Australian community services sector and she has extensive experience in a range of services that are provided by UnitingCare West” Peter Fitzpatrick said.

Tags Our People and Agencies

News & Announcements

A celebration of ministry, leadership and unconditional love

Post author By revivewa
Post date December 21, 2016

Rev Sealin Garlett celebrated his retirement to a packed room on Sunday afternoon 18 December, at Len Packham Hall in Coolbellup. Sealin officially retires on 31 December 2016.

Sealin trained at both the Perth Theological Hall and Nungalinga College, a ministry college for Australia’s First Peoples in Darwin. He was ordained in 1991 to serve at Coolbellup Uniting Church, now Maaman ‘O’ Miya Uniting Church.

Throughout his ministry, Sealin has served with the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (UAICC), both nationally and in WA. He was also instrumental in the establishment of the UAICC WA’s Beananging Kwuurt Institute.

One of Sealin’s passions has been strengthening the covenantal relationship between the UAICC and the Uniting Church in Australia – a journey of working together to bring about reconciliation and forgiveness between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people of Australia.

After a welcome to country from Nyungar elder Uncle Ben Taylor, Rev Dennis Doust introduced a range of speakers from many walks of Sealin’s journey in ministry.

Rev Dr Ian Tozer, acting general secretary of the Uniting Church WA, said that Sealin’s use of Indigenous stories and traditions has helped introduce many people to Jesus Christ.

Tags Church and Community, First Peoples, Our People and Agencies

News & Announcements

Uniting Church WA urges Premier to stop work on Roe 8

Post author By revivewa
Post date December 15, 2016

The moderator of the Uniting Church WA, Rev Steve Francis, and the chairperson of the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress WA, Rev Sealin Garlett, have written to the West Australian Premier urgently asking that the preparatory work on the ‘Roe 8’ site be stopped immediately.

Tags Environment, First Peoples

Stories & Feature Articles

How good is your gift?

Post author By revivewa
Post date December 14, 2016

Australians give a lot of gifts – about $8.9 billion worth last year.

But how good were they? A jawdropping $500 million worth ended up back on e-Bay within a month and quite a few of them are probably nestled somewhere in landfill because really, who needs a Star Wars themed toilet roll holder?

As people of faith, giving and generosity is central to our identity. We Christians are not only good at donating, but at reliably providing mince-based meals in a crisis and giving our time for the school fete. I have a hunch, though, that the early church saw giving as being about much more than ‘one off’ acts of charity. In Acts, ‘everyone was together and shared everything in common, so that no one would have need’ (Acts 2: 42).

This was about choosing to live beside others as brothers and sisters, fully invested in their lives and wellbeing. Life in Christ is not just about good giving. It’s about building long-term relationships that care for people.

Tags A Helping Hand, Faith In Action, International

News & Announcements

A campsite for the journey

Post author By revivewa
Post date December 13, 2016

On Saturday 10 December, the newly refurbished Uniting Church Campsite in Busselton was converged upon by people from near and far to celebrate the commissioning of the newly opened site.

This commissioning service has been a long time coming. Since falling into disrepair and closing its gates in 2012 the site has been sorely missed by many Uniting Church WA members. The Moderator, Rev Steve Francis, welcomed those gathered, including distinguished guests Busselton Mayor Grant Henley and Hon Barry house, MLC.

Rev Sealin Garlett, chairperson for the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (UAICC) WA Regional Office, gave recognition of the land and our Indigenous brothers and sisters. He told a story of visiting the campsite with his family while he was studying at the Perth Theological Hall thirty years ago.

Sealin said that on returning to the site he could feel the spirit in the place and that it was a ‘Koort’ place, a heart place.

It isn’t hard to see that Sealin is right, throughout the time at the campsite, people told their own stories of visiting there in years past and how good it is to have the campsite back up and running.

Rev Hollis Wilson, former convener of the First Third Working Group, acknowledged the work of the Campsite Redevelopment Committee members and volunteers who contributed to the work of refurbishing the campsite.

Tags Church and Community, Our People and Agencies

News & Announcements

Moderator’s column: Do dreams come true?

Post author By revivewa
Post date December 12, 2016

Recently, I had a bad dream; I woke up suddenly believing that I had been attacked by a large army of cockroaches. Thankfully, when my eyes were fully opened, there was not a cockroach in sight.

No doubt, a good therapist could work out why I had such a nightmare. Maybe it was just the curry from dinner taking revenge on my psyche. Sometimes, thankfully, dreams don’t come true. They are usually the product of anxious living.

Does God have dreams? Probably not the kind we have. Some Christians, however, think that all the talk in the Bible about ‘the kingdom of God’ is really talk about God’s dream for humankind. Pick up on most of the Old Testament prophets and you will get this drift. If you read through the long and winding Isaiah or the short and abrupt Haggai, you will catch a glimpse of the hopes and dreams God has for humankind.

Jesus was captured by these Godly dreams when he began his ministry with the words, ‘the time has come, the kingdom of God is near, repent and believe the good news’ (Mark 1 v 15). Notice how Jesus connects kingdom with the words “now” and “arrived.” The waiting was over and it was time for the kingdom to arrive.

It wasn’t, however, what most of Israel expected. They thought kingdom equals a king, land and citizens. The king meant ditching Caesar or the corrupt local king (Herod Antipas) and replacing him with a Messiah. This new king would sit on the throne in Jerusalem and rule the land. The land would flow with milk and honey and everyone would follow the Torah (the Law). The citizens would love and serve the king and the kingdom would expand.

Tags Our People and Agencies, Theology and Spiritual Reflections