Author: revivewa

Juniper adds a new dimension to spiritual care

Post author By revivewa
Post date November 14, 2014

Juniper has long had a commitment to providing pastoral support to our residents, clients and staff expressed through Uniting Church Chaplains and arrangements with Uniting Church congregations.
In recent years Juniper has observed the huge increase in diversity in belief systems and spirituality within the Australian community and among their residents, clients and staff.

In light of these changes, Juniper has recently committed more resources to a new dimension of spiritual care by creating a new Pastoral and Spiritual Care Team to respond to the variety of pastoral and spiritual needs of its people.

The team has recently been appointed and comes together with skills, training and experience in chaplaincy, pastoral care and aged care and from different Christian denominational backgrounds.

They work across 17 of Juniper’s residential facilities in Perth and Northam providing one-on-one support for the different expressions of spirituality and spiritual journey amongst the residents and staff.

Tags Ageing and Community

News & Announcements

Juniper salutes Senior Champion of the Year

Post author By revivewa
Post date November 12, 2014

A woman’s efforts to improve the lives of older Aboriginal people in the State’s far north have secured her WA’s premier seniors award.

Leading aged care and community service provider Juniper congratulated Ms Maureen Angus (62) who won the Juniper 2014 WA Seniors Champion Award on 8 November.

Maureen was elevated from a strong field of several category winners who in this year’s WA Seniors Awards were acknowledged for their service to older people.

From personal experience receiving at-home care Ms Angus knew others in her town could benefit from help, so she established a local community care service at Ardyaloon, a community of about 300 people located 2,446km from Perth on the tip of the Dampier Peninsula.

Tags Ageing and Community, Juniper

News & Announcements

Mustard Seed expanding knowledge

Post author By revivewa
Post date November 12, 2014

Mustard Seed, at Glen Forrest Uniting Church, is a program offering computer classes for people in the local community. A reference to the Biblical mustard seed, the program is all about big things growing from the small. Five sessions are run each week during school terms helping people learn more about tablets – such as iPads – iMac, Windows, printing and scanning as well as assisting with any questions or troubleshooting people might be experiencing with their computers.

Running since 2001, Brian Hassell, coordinator of Mustard Seed, said that they are one of the most well-equipped computer learning centres in the region. Operating out of the back room at Glen Forrest Uniting Church, they have 22 computers available for use, including laptops and desktops as well as a digital projector, tablet computers, scanners, still and movie cameras, an audio recorder and a CD/DVD copier.

The building is also equipped with wireless internet for people who bring their own devices. Each session costs $3 a person and the program has been fortunate enough to receive grants from the Uniting Church in WA and the Mundaring Shire. It has been an extremely popular program, mostly with retirees in the area, attracting over 90 enrolments each year and a waiting list of people trying to get into the classes.

Tags Church and Community

Stories & Feature Articles

Moderator’s Column: Listen with the ears of God

Post author By revivewa
Post date November 10, 2014

It has happened. The deed is done. No going back. On Thursday 11 September, by the grace of God, the leading of the Spirit and the goodwill of the Uniting Church in WA, I became the moderator. One of the questions I have been frequently asked over the past few months is what a moderator actually does.

In starting out, one of the things that I am trying most to do is to listen and I am even trying to listen deeply. Listening is often the first step in the healing process. Listening to words, listening to sighs, listening to heartbeats and heartbreaks are part of the art of listening. Listening to tone and to tenor as well as to what is said and not said. Being a disciple means to listen without judgement and prejudice. Listening attentively is one of the most powerful ways to connect with another human being. When we listen to the deepest hurts and hopes of another, we affirm his or her very personhood.

Jesus was the best listener of all. He often listened to others before doing much talking himself. We see this after his resurrection when two of his followers were walking and talking on the road to the village of Emmaus. Jesus “came up and walked along with them” (Luke 24 v 15). Luke then adds “they were kept from recognising him” (v16). Finally, Jesus joins the conversation without them recognising who he was. He listened to the two travellers, but they didn’t seem to listen to him.

Tags Theology and Spiritual Reflections

Stories & Feature Articles

Perth Hills fire response: Small congregations act big

Post author By revivewa
Post date November 2, 2014

On Sunday morning 12 January 2014, a devastating bushfire sparked by a private power pole in Parkerville resulted in the destruction of 57 homes. Many properties were damaged and 386 hectares burnt in the affected areas of Parkerville, Stoneville and Mount Helena. A meeting was arranged with the Uniting Church Emergency Response Team and members of the three local hills Uniting Churches, Mundaring, Glen Forrest and Gidgegannup. Representatives from these congregations formed The UCA Hills Fire Disaster Committee, supported by Synod/Presbytery representative, Rev Gordon Scantlebury, and Metro East regional pastor, Rev Alan Stubbs.

Contact was made with the local schools and the chaplains to let them know of the assistance that we could give. Other local churches, the Mundaring Shire Towards Recovery Centre and, of course, word of mouth in the community gave us many starting contacts. Vouchers were distributed directly by committee members and through the school chaplains. Cash gifts have also been given and we were especially keen to help children continue with their extra-curricular activities, some requiring sporting fees and uniform expenses.

Tags Church and Community, Disaster Relief, Remote and rural communities

Stories & Feature Articles

The time is now: A new way is a must

Post author By revivewa
Post date October 31, 2014

This year, Revive is following a major undertaking of the Strategy and Mission Planning Commission for the Uniting Church in WA. This is the fifth article in the series.

Rev David Kriel, mission planner for the Uniting Church in WA presented to the Annual Meeting of the Presbytery and Synod on its first day of business. As has previously been reported in Revive, David has been conducting a serious review of the Presbytery in response to drastic changes in the church. He painted a picture of the world we live in today. We produce 140,000 cars per day and 3.3 million mobile phones. In this same world, 26,000 people die per day of hunger and 700 million people are without safe drinking water.

We are now living in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world.

“We’re past the industrial age,” David said. “We will not see that again. We now face the digital age. We are called in this world to be God’s people.”

In our churches, we are facing a surging decline and need to act now.

Tags Uniting Church

News & Announcements

Corporates clean up at Juniper Rowethorpe

Post author By revivewa
Post date October 29, 2014

Juniper’s Corporate Volunteers program has enlisted recruits from Bankwest to help give our gardens a welcome spring clean.

A strong team of staff from the company descended on Juniper Rowethorpe in Bentley recently to weed, plant and clean up around the site, much to the residents’ delight.

Juniper’s Volunteer Program Coordinator, Verity Quill, oversees a 500-strong volunteer workforce who help deliver services to thousands of older people throughout Perth and in regional WA.

“Our volunteers undertake many different activities, from office work to home visiting and companionship, driving, gardening, and therapy and activity assistance,” she said.

“Juniper’s volunteers give an invaluable boost to the care we provide to more than 4,000 older Western Australians and without their help many of our services would not be possible.”

Tags Ageing and Community, Juniper

Stories & Feature Articles

Sea Prayers in Samoa

Post author By revivewa
Post date October 29, 2014

To raise awareness of the impact of climate change, representatives of churches, ecumenical organisations and the United Nations (UN) stood together in the sea in Apia, Samoa, in prayerful solidarity with those vulnerable to rising sea levels and extreme weather events.

The prayer was conducted on Thursday 4 September, as part of the OurVoices.net international campaign of people from diverse religious and spiritual backgrounds who are urging world leaders to agree to a strong climate treaty at the UN climate talks in Paris in December 2015. Participants in the prayer included representatives of the World Council of Churches (WCC), the Samoa Council of Churches (SCC), the Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC) and the UN.

Many of those praying were in Samoa taking part in the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Summit, focusing on a group of countries that remain special cases for sustainable development in view of their unique and particular vulnerabilities. Former Granada ambassador to the UN, Dessima Williams, commented that such global actions of solidarity are a reminder that “people around the world care deeply about those impacted by climate change.”

Tags International

Stories & Feature Articles

Movers in thier prime

Post author By revivewa
Post date October 26, 2014

For Monica Phillips, life was not meant for slowing down. Chair of the Gosnells Uniting Church Council, at 82 years of age, Monica leads three Prime Movers classes each week – including at the most recent Regional Gathering for the Metro East Region of the Uniting Church in WA, where Monica led those present in a mini-class to help energise people for the day ahead. Prime Movers is a voluntary organisation running exercise classes for the over 55s.

Monica became involved in leading the classes 15 years ago, after her husband passed away. While he was alive, the couple spent their lives volunteering with the church, including a large involvement in youth work. After joining the classes as a member, however, Monica found that volunteering with older people was a natural progression. As for the fitness side of things, her health has never been better. Despite having arthritis and sometimes having to take time away from the classes for treatment, she is always itching to get back.

Tags Church and Community