Category: News & Announcements

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News & Announcements

Freedom to decide on marriage

The 15th Assembly of the Uniting Church in Australia has agreed to hold two equal and distinct views on marriage to honour the diversity of Christian belief among its members.

Meeting for the first time since last year’s change to Australian marriage laws, members of the church’s national decision-making body, the Assembly, resolved to allow its ministers the freedom to conduct or refuse to conduct same-gender marriages.

“This decision follows many years of reflection, prayer and discernment, and I want to thank Assembly members for the way they have responded with grace to what is a difficult conversation for many people of faith,” said Uniting Church President Dr Deidre Palmer. 

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Review: Joy Interrupted: A memoir of depression and prayer

by Geoffrey Lilburne, Garratt Publishing, 2018

Statistics say about one in eight men and one in six women in Australia experience depression at any one time, and this number rises in older people. Yet, many sufferers feel shame, even in the church.

The stigma about depression in the wider community is also present in the Christian community. This ought not to be. Depression exists and people live with it, still having full and accomplished lives.

In his book, Geoffrey Lilburne shares his story of depression and how he has managed as a Christian. Geoffrey frames his discussion in the context of faith and shapes his reflections using Psalms. Many Psalms allow a person suffering from depression to find, in Scripture, familiar feelings and thoughts.

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New residential care delivered in Perth’s south east

Juniper, a Uniting Church WA agency providing residential and community aged care, has opened its latest residential aged care service in one of the metropolitan area’s most rapidly ageing suburban areas.

Vaughan Harding, Juniper Chief Executive, said in the next 20 years the number of people aged over 70 years in the Gosnells-Armadale area is expected to grow by more than 115 percent to nearly 26,000.

Opening Juniper Hayloft residential care facility in Martin yesterday, Vaughan said the new centre brings 100 much-needed additional high care beds to Perth’s south-east.

“The Gosnells-Armadale area takes in more than 177,000 people or 7.2 percent of WA’s total population with an annual population growth of 58 per cent in the south-east, exceeding the 40 percent growth predicted for Perth and the remainder of the State,” he said.

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Uniting Church gives thanks for long and dedicated service

A service to mark the conclusion of employment of Dr Suzanne Boorer and Dr Nancy Ault with the Uniting Church WA was held on Friday 29 June at the Murdoch University Worship Centre. After the withdrawal of the Uniting Church WA from the Perth College of Divinity, Suzanne will continue as Academic Chair Religion and Nancy as Senior Lecturer in Religion at Murdoch University.

Suzanne and Nancy asked Rev Margaret Tyrer to preach at the service, on Proverbs 8:22-32 and John 1:1-18.

In a sermon called ‘Grace and Truth’, Margaret noted the importance of truth-telling that is not self-justifying to both the Wisdom of God in Proverbs and the Word of God in John. There can be no true reconciliation with it.

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New life for restored church

In 2012, the Uniting Church WA sold land, including a church building in Donnybrook, to the Shire of Donnybrook Balingup. The land is situated behind the Shire’s administration building so was purchased in case of future development.

The old church building was unoccupied for a few years. In 2016, the Shire’s administration space expanded and the decision was made to revitalise the historic building and turn it into Council Chambers.

Leigh Guthridge, Manager Development and Environmental Services at the Shire of Donnybrook Balingup, said about $200 000 went into the building. The building was assessed by a structural engineer and a local heritage architect was engaged to make sure it kept its historical significance.

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Making decisions amid God’s abundant grace

Uniting Church members from around Australia will come together in prayerful community at Box Hill Town Hall in July for the 15th Triennial Assembly meeting.

On Sunday 8 July, members of the 15th Assembly will install Dr Deidre Palmer as President, the second woman in the history of the Uniting Church to hold this leadership position. Deirdre has chosen ‘Abundant Grace Liberating Hope’ as the theme for the Assembly and the triennium. Read more about Deidre in our profile story here.

Deidre will be installed as President in a service at St Michaels Collins Street Uniting Church on the first night of the Assembly meeting. From Monday 9 July, the Assembly’s 265 members drawn  from across the councils of the church will decide the church’s national priorities for the next three years. The first tranche of reports and proposals were sent to members at the end of April. They cover a dauntingly diverse set of issues.

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UnitingWomen: Weave wisdom and wonder

Uniting Church women from across Australia will attend the third UnitingWomen conference in Brisbane in September. Registration is open and planning for UnitingWomen 2018, a biennial conference hosted by the Uniting Church in Australia, is well underway. The conference will be held from Thursday 27 to Sunday 30 September at Somerville House, located in the South Bank  precinct of Brisbane.

Queensland Synod General Secretary, Rev Heather den Houting says that while the location for UnitingWomen changes, the essence of the conference remains.

“UnitingWomen is about Christian women coming together in God’s name, finding acceptance, encouragement and inspiration,” said Heather.

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Vale Geoffrey Dimmock

18 November 1927 to 7 April 2018

Geoff Dimmock grew up in NSW and completed his formal education at Sydney University graduating with a degree majoring in Soil Science. One of the common themes of those who spoke at Geoff’s funeral service on 19 April at St Aidan’s Uniting Church Claremont was his great ability to mix with a variety of people and discuss aspects of soil science along with those of life in general — family matters, gardening and music.

Geoff became a member of the Organ Society of WA in 1973 and remained a staunch supporter of the society through to 2015 when developing illness prevented his attendance at functions.

As a member of St Aidan’s Uniting Church Claremont, Geoff became fully involved in the life and activities of parish life. One of these activities was as organist, the St Aidan’s organ being the first  of Cecil Clifton’s five organs and built between 1875 to 1879. Geoff’s deep understanding of the place of the hymns in the liturgical setting allowed him to make appropriate choice of hymns and  tunes for any service. Importantly, he played in a manner that supported and enhanced congregational singing.

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Church leaders stand #WithRefugees on World Refugee Day

dramatic portrait of a little homeless boy, dirty hand, poverty, city, street

Rev Steve Francis, Moderator of the Uniting Church Western Australia, today called for the Australian Government not to remove support for people seeking asylum in our local community.

Echoing the calls made by refugee advocates across Australia, Western Australian churches are disappointed and concerned to see the Government progressing with plans to remove fundamental support for vulnerable families in the local community.

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U-Team at Emerging Youth Games

On Saturday 28 April, a team of around 20 young people and leaders from various Uniting Churches in Perth attended the annual Emerging Youth Games, held at Warwick Stadium.

The event was a great opportunity for young people between the ages of 11 to 15 to get together with other churches, play sport, build relationships, and learn more about Jesus. There were games for everyone; ranging from the more docile Connect 4 and Uno, to the high-energy basketball and dodgeball. The U-team’s success came in Nerf Wars (involving the infamous Nerf guns)  and badminton, where we came first and second respectively.

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