Month: December 2017

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Stories & Feature Articles

Practising Reformation

By the time you read this the 500th anniversary of the beginnings of the Reformation may well have faded from your memory.

For a week or so in late October and early November, suddenly we were made aware of our history. Most Protestant churches paused to remember what a mild mannered Augustinian German monk did on 31 October 1517. He nailed, some argue pasted, his defiant ‘95 Theses’ to the Castle Church door in Wittenberg.

He brazenly charged the church with corruption. He fiercely objected to the practice of the faithful throwing a coin or two in a coffer to buy their way out of purgatory or worse. He probably had no idea of the seismic effects his protest would have on the European church and politics.

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Categories
Social Impact

Editorial

So much has been going on in Australian politics in the lead-up to printing this edition of Revive. In a landslide victory, Australia has voted yes in the marriage equality postal survey, and crazy things are happening around our Federal MPs concerning dual citizenship.

But a horror situation is also unfolding on Manus Island.

I’ve struggled to keep up with news on this situation, I think because I feel utterly helpless. But as Revive goes to print, around 600 men have been abandoned by the Australian Government at the Manus Island Detention Centre. They fear for their safety if they leave. Their food, power and water has been cut and I can’t even imagine the mental anguish they must be going through.

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Categories
News & Announcements

Beryl Grant: a lifelong carer

An appropriate appreciation of the life and contribution of Beryl Grant in a brief space cannot hope to
succeed. Beryl passed away on Saturday 4 November.

Her chosen career was the caring profession of nursing. In 1958, shebbegan her long and most significant work as Matron of Ngala. She continued in that caring role until 1980, having influenced many, many people – nurses, babies, children, mothers and adoptive families.

Her contributions to our broader West Australian society were recognised with an OBE in 1976 and an AO in 1990. Amongst other things, she served as a magistrate of the Perth Children’s Court; the Chair of the Child Care Service Board; and Chair of the State Government’s Inquiry into Prostitution.

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Categories
News & Announcements

A Day of Lament

A Day of Lament, in response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse will be held on Saturday 9 December, 3.30pm, at McCallum Park in Victoria Park, Perth.

The event has been organised by an ecumenical group of lay Christians, who lament the fact that there has been so much silence on this issue. They also acknowledge the pain of survivors, apologise, pray for healing and commit to
justice for survivors.

Dr Alison Atkinson-Phillips, member of Victoria Park and Districts Star St Uniting Church, is on the organising committee for this event. She said the service is a response from members of the Christian church.

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Categories
News & Announcements

Championing ministry for the generations

Uniting Generations is officially the new intergenerational ministry model adopted by the Presbytery of WA.
At the recent meeting of the Presbytery of WA, held on Saturday 5 November, members agreed to the new
model which will encourage and resource churches to engage in intergenerational activities.

Moving on from First Third Ministry, which was adopted in 2007, Rev Luke Williams, a member of the First Third Committee, believes Uniting Generations is the obvious next step.

“I think the first ten years of First Third Ministry gave us an opportunity to go from very little focus on ministry with and to young people, to an opportunity to try and do something,” Luke said.

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