Category: Stories & Feature Articles

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Stories & Feature Articles

15th Assembly theme: Abundant Grace, Liberating Hope

Newly installed President of the Uniting Church in Australia, Dr Deidre Palmer, outlines why she chose ‘Abundant Grace, Liberating Hope’ to be the 15th Triennial Assembly theme.

As the Uniting Church we have been greatly blessed by the abundant grace of God, calling us into being and shaping our life and mission.

For the 15th Triennial Assembly and the following three years, this theme, ‘Abundant Grace, Liberating Hope’ invites us to live by God’s abundant grace – reflecting God’s generous and overflowing love, in our relationships with one another, in our local community contexts and in our relationships in the wider world.

In a time where we could focus on scarcity – fewer people and less financial resources, God’s gift of abundant grace calls us to be a people who share our gifts, resources, time and energy generously. In a time where our world is overshadowed by violence, hatred and suspicion of the other, the church is called to live an alternative narrative of hope, reconciliation and love.

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Church installation at Toodyay Fibre Festival

If you are looking for a quiet life in retirement, don‘t move to the country. However, if you wish to be part of the community you live in there is no better place to live than a small rural town.

Toodyay is such a place.

During the year in Toodyay there are four major festivals plus a monthly Farmers Market, and then of course there are four churches and numerous clubs which you can join.

A casual comment was made one Sunday that perhaps Toodyay Uniting Church could think about contributing to the displays at the upcoming Fibre Festival, which was held recently in June.

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And God saw it was good…

At the very beginning of our scripture, we find God creating a world that is ‘very good’. It is clear from the first chapter of Genesis that God created a world for humans, plants and animals alike. God saw to it that all the creatures and human beings were provided for, with the human being charged with being a steward of God’s good creation. This is particularly clear in Genesis 1–2.

Keeping the creation as ‘good’ can be reasonably interpreted as not poisoning or polluting it, as giving due care to the natural needs of domestic food animals, and as preserving the habitat of wild animals. This is further reinforced in Genesis 8, where God makes the same covenant with animals as humans, promising never to destroy the earth again.

It is a sad truth that in our modern, civilised world, we have not kept the creation good. We have allowed synthetic created chemicals to poison our air and our waterways; we have destroyed natural habitats so animal and plant species face extinction; Indigenous peoples have been driven off their land to satisfy large corporations requiring mono crops and oil supplies; and we have allowed the over-fishing of many species.

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A mandarin is not a failed orange

What do Katanning WA and Lincoln NZ have in common?

During April, both hosted gatherings of people passionate about ministry in rural settings. One over-arching message is: small and rural matters!

Setting the scene for the 100 delegates in Lincoln for the International Rural Churches Association (IRCA), Dr Rosemary Dewerse told us the story of Parihaka. This Maori village was being claimed  by colonisers. In 1881, as armed cavalry rode in they were met first by children sitting in the road singing, then teenage girls skipping and then gifts of food. Eventually two Maori chiefs, Te Whiti and Tohu, along with many others, were imprisoned, but their commitment to nonviolent resistance did not waver.

Te Whiti’s conviction was that taking up arms would lead to more deaths, so instead they persistently pulled up surveyors’ marker pegs, built their own fences and ploughed up the settlers’ roads.

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Beth Shalom celebrates Fakame

In Tonga, the first Sunday in May is dedicated to the children of Tonga. This is a special Sunday where Tongans in the Kingdom of Tonga and anywhere in the world celebrate their children. It is referred to as ‘Fakame’, ‘White Sunday’ or ‘The Children’s Sunday’.

This year, Beth Shalom Tongan Uniting Church, in South Lakes here in WA, was no exception to what was happening in Tonga on this special Sunday. The children from our church dressed in their absolute finest and performed for their families and friends. It was a special day for Beth Shalom and our Tongan Community in Perth to acknowledge and celebrate our children by hosting a  special program for them. The whole service was conducted by the children with the main purpose of thanking the Lord for their lives and blessings.

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Behind the tourist dollar

Twice a day, Wayan and his son Gede head up a hill with a load of greens hacked from the surrounding area, to tempt the palates of their hungry goats, who are giving back to the family in more ways than one.

The goats will eventually be sold to provide income for medicine, school fees, cooking oil and household items. In the meantime, they’re providing (literally) heaps of manure that can be sold off to the local coffee farmer.

High in the mountains north of Denpasar, Indonesia, Wayan and his wife Puta are part of a community left behind by the tourist dollar. They’re landless small farmers, cut out of the tourist industry and literally struggling to survive. If you’ve ever visited Bali, you’ll know how important you are to the local economy. But for local people without the means to work in hospitality or its associated industries, life in Bali is increasingly difficult.

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Transform Tranby, transform lives

When ‘Big Kev’ found himself down on his luck and without a place to call home, he turned to UnitingCare West’s (UCW) Tranby Centre. All he wanted was a simple breakfast, a hot shower and someone to listen to his story. He was homeless, but at Tranby he found a spark of hope. That spark became a flame when our team was able to connect Kev with vital government services and eventually, to secure a small unit – his own home.

Fast forward two years and Kev still visits Tranby most days, offering advice and listening to other people’s stories. He is one of a group of people from all walks of life who have, or are still  experiencing homelessness, working with UnitingCare West on an ambitious project to ‘Transform Tranby’.

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Deidre’s discipleship

Dr Deidre Palmer chooses her words carefully when asked about her call to church leadership.

“I’m probably more called to discipleship than leadership,” she says. “As an educator, as someone who contributes to people’s formation in faith, I see leadership arising from inviting people into a deeper relationship with God. So, I actually think leadership grows out of discipleship.”

Youth worker, Christian educator, academic, theologian, social worker, counsellor, Assembly Standing Committee member, Working Group Chair, Moderator. From 8 July 2018, Dr Deidre Palmer will extend her invitation to discipleship to the whole of the Uniting Church in Australia and beyond in the role of President. When Deidre receives the symbols of ministry from outgoing President Stuart McMillan at St Michaels Collins St in Melbourne, she will become the Uniting Church’s 15th President and the second woman to take-up the role. Dr Jill Tabart being the first, serving as President from 1994 to 1997.

‘Abundant Grace Liberating Hope’ is the theme Deidre has chosen for her term.

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Open doors in the city

For many years, churches in the Perth CBD have been opening their doors and offering a place of sanctuary where people can take time out of their busy day to pray, meditate, nurture their spirituality and seek assistance as needed.

The three Uniting Churches, Wesley, Trinity and Ross Memorial, which make up Uniting Church in the City (UCIC), are open to the public every weekday to provide an oasis of peace in the midst of a busy city. Uniting Church in the City’s vision to be vibrant and distinctive worshipping communities working collaboratively to touch hearts and transform lives through Christ is evident in  this simple, but much needed, missional activity.

Workers, residents, shoppers, tourists and people seeking historical information visit the churches regularly. Many come seeking a quiet space whilst others come to view the architecture of the buildings and to trace family histories. Some come seeking assistance or just a kind, listening ear. Volunteers offer a welcoming face; greeting visitors with a friendly smile, answering questions and giving directions.

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Period of Discernment: time between you and God

A Period of Discernment (POD) with the Uniting Church WA is an opportunity to take some time to think seriously about God’s call on your life.

Sione Leaaetoa recently undertook a POD, finishing up the year-long process last year. He began the process after studying a Bachelor of Ministry at the Perth Bible College. Sione had known for a  long time that he wanted to work for the church, and since he, his wife Ana and their three children attend Scarborough Uniting Church, they decided to explore Sione’s call to ministry through the Uniting Church WA’s POD process.

Ana is now also undertaking a POD herself.

Sione feels that his POD cemented his calling to ordained ministry, meaning he is now going into the candidating process with a stronger knowledge about life in ministry.

“We knew that we wanted to be involved in the church, but to actually have that formal time of thinking and praying about it is actually good because you’re not just making the decision out of your own ego,” Sione said. “Through the POD, my calling to ministry was cemented because I feel like this is the right place for me to go. This is the right decision.”

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