Tag: Church and Community

Categories
News & Announcements

90th celebrations for wildflower show

The first Busselton Wildflower Show was arranged by the Rev Ernest Bryant in 1925 with the help of parishioners of the Busselton Congregational Church.

The event proved popular and a Wildflower Show has been held every Spring since. Originally a competition, particularly for school children, the show would officially open featuring a concert with items byt the church choir of the time and talented members of the community.

The venue changed for some years to the Youth Centre on Bussell Highway, where it expanded, but logistics of all proportions slowly emerged, and the exhibition was brought back to the then named Busselton Uniting Church.

The Wildflower Show has undergone many changes over the years and has become very popular, attracting many tourists both from interstate and overseas.

Over time, it has been revealed that the south west corner of WA is renowned for having one of the richest and most diverse floras in the world.

75% of the 11,000 species recorded in WA grow in the South West of the state.

Continue reading “90th celebrations for wildflower show”
Categories
Stories & Feature Articles

Exploring the deep with Odd Fish

On Monday nights in a cosy corner of the historic Fremantle Wesley Uniting Church, a handful of people come together to eat, pray, and share in the Gospel in a spiritual space.

They call themselves Odd Fish, referring to their nature of going against the status quo of contemporary society and choosing to walk the path of Jesus, sharing love with the outsider. Each Monday evening they share a simple meal together before taking part in a casual liturgy and discussion on a variety of topics.

Paul Montague, First Third specialist for the South Metro Region and one of the group’s founders, said that the group is a space for people to explore their spirituality and connection to religion, including missional activities.

“Most of the core group are in their 20s and 30s,” said Paul. “I don’t think it’s really about boundaries of age, though. Older people who identify as a bit of a free spirit but have an affection for the tradition of contemplation or mysticism, or have a leaning towards ‘Christian humanism’, would fit right in.

Continue reading “Exploring the deep with Odd Fish”
Categories
Stories & Feature Articles

Getting curried away

This June, 100 people from Uniting Church in the City (UCIC) sat down to a delicious lunch of six different Sri Lankan curries, prepared by Maru, one of our Tamil friends. Maru’s childhood and education was severely disrupted by the 27 year old war in Sri Lanka, as he and his family were forced to move seven times to avoid the bombing raids carried out in the Tamil lands in the north.

His mother taught him to cook, so that whatever happened in those uncertain times he could feed himself and those around him. In July 2014, I had the great privilege of travelling to Sri Lanka to  attend the Sri Lankan Methodist Church’s bicentennial celebration of 200 years of Methodism in Sri Lanka, and seeing the many projects being run by the church there as they seek to rebuild  people’s lives after the war. To mark this momentous occasion, a celebration service was held in a great cathedral in Colombo, attended by 9,000 people, a government stamp was printed and a   book on the history of Methodism in Sri Lanka was published.

One chapter in that book entitled Rethinking Mission in Sri Lanka was written by Rev Dr Albert Jebanesan, the president of the Methodist Church in Sri Lanka, and has particular relevance for us in Australia, posing such questions as, ‘How can the church in Australia engage with the culture around it?’ and ‘Can we acknowledge and embrace the beauty and truth of other cultures and  ideologies around us as expressions of the ceaseless creativity in the natural world and in human cultures which we call God?’

Continue reading “Getting curried away”
Categories
Stories & Feature Articles

Craft group adds warmth to Perth charity

For the past seven years Wembley Uniting Church has been running a Craft Group, which meets at the church on the first and third Friday mornings of each month.

Although, in the beginning, the idea was for each member to choose their own craft, one particular project soon became the focus of the group’s activities. This was crocheting rugs and knitting  teddy bears for the local not-for-profit charity, Wheelchairs for Kids.

Initiated by the Rotary Club of Scarborough in 1998, Wheelchairs for Kids consists of a large team of volunteers who assemble  wheelchairs in a warehouse in Wangara. These are then distributed free to disabled children in almost eighty under-resourced countries. To date, they have made over 30,000 wheelchairs. The  rugs are a valuable addition to the machines, which also go with soft toys and small tool-kits.

Continue reading “Craft group adds warmth to Perth charity”
Categories
News & Announcements

West Timor students welcomed

A Women’s Welcome Breakfast for three students from West Timor was held at Nedlands Uniting Church on Saturday 4 July. In 2012, some members of the congregation visited West Timor and have since supported students at The Christian University in West Timor, Indonesia, through scholarships. Three students from the university were invited to spend some time in Perth for an English language immersion.

The students lived among host families and spent time each weekday in English classes, which will help them further their studies and share what they’ve learnt with others back home.

Whilst in Perth, they have explored the city as well as taken part in a range of church activities such as Kids’ Club, Bible studies, lunchtime Christian activity at the local school and the Young Adults’ Group studies and outings.

Sherly Nesimnasi, one of the visiting students from West Timor, said that the skills she has learnt in the program will be beneficial back home.

“English is very important,” she said. “In West Timor children need education about English and the knowledge that I get here I will share in my town. Education is very important.”

Continue reading “West Timor students welcomed”
Categories
News & Announcements

Roses in the rain

The rain didn’t stop rose enthusiasts turning out to Scarborough Uniting Church for their annual Rose Pruning Demonstration, held by the Rose Society of WA. On Saturday 4 July, members from the local community gathered to watch, listen and try for themselves to learn how to get the most out of their rose bushes.

The event has been running for about five years, with a delicious spread of scones with jam and cream available free to the rose enthusiasts. July is a busy month for the Rose Society, as it is the best time to prune roses as they go dormant over winter.

“In Western Australia [roses] don’t go completely dormant like they do in colder places, but July is the coolest month,” said Robyn Cooper, member of the Rose Society WA.

Chris Blount, member of Scarborough Uniting Church said that the event has been a great way for the church to reach out to the community.

“It’s a bit of community spirit,” Chris said. “It’s a bit of community outreach really on the basis that people are more likely to turn up at something like this rather than church.”

The Rose Society of WA have recently released a publication, The Rose Garden, which is specifically about the care and cultivation of roses in a Western Australian climate. Copies are available from the Rose Society for $5 each. For more information on the Rose Society of WA call 9472 1591 or visit http://www.wa.rose.org.au.

Categories
News & Announcements

Remembering the future

Rev Dr Ian Tozer was inducted into the historic Fremantle Wesley Mission, which includes Fremantle Wesley and Spearwood Uniting Churches, on Sunday 23 August.

Ian was ordained as a minister of the word in the Uniting Church in 1982. He has served in congregational ministry with Wongan Hills, Goomalling, Claremont, Perth Wesley and Pilgrim Uniting Churches. He has also served as an associate chaplain at Methodist Ladies’ College. In the last decade, with the Presbytery of Western Australia, he has been joint associate general secretary (pastoral) and, most recently, associate general secretary (education).

Rev Geoff Blyth preached during the service on Mark 1:14-18; 16:1-7. Geoff and Ian shared in ministry together at Perth Wesley Uniting Church, now Uniting Church in the City.

Quoting from the Bible, Geoff said, “’The kingdom of God has come near.’ With these words Jesus commences his ministry. With these words, Jesus points away from himself and toward God.

“The announcement of the kingdom is followed by the call to discipleship and the immediate response of Simon and Andrew, James and John,” Geoff continued. “The call today is not just your calling alone, Ian. It is a call to the congregation to enter into a new phase of shared ministry in the new thing that God is doing here.”

Continue reading “Remembering the future”
Categories
News & Announcements

News farmers’ market builds community

SCFM Logo3After months of preparation, the St Stephen’s Community Farmer’s Market, an initiative of Carramar Uniting Church, will be up and running with its first market to be held on Saturday 5  September. The congregation meets weekly on Sunday mornings at St Stephen’s School Carramar, a Uniting Church in WA school.

Responding to a need for local people to gather in a relaxed and informal environment, the market will make use of many local market gardens which exist in the northern suburbs, providing  shoppers with a direct link to local growers and producers. As well as fruit and vegetables, Rev Narelle Collas, minister at Carramar Uniting Church and chair of the St Stephen’s Community Farmer’s Market Board, said that the market will showcase the best produce in the local area, including meat, eggs, bread and local artisans.

Business students from St Stephen’s School are also in the process of developing stalls. Buskers and food vans providing meals and snacks will also be a highlight.

Narelle said that the Community Market hopes to promote a healthy lifestyle – physically, socially and spiritually – and that it will help to build a strong sense of community in the local area.

Continue reading “News farmers’ market builds community”
Categories
News & Announcements

New Fremantle Service Centre to help build a stronger community

UnitingCare West (UCW) launched its new Fremantle Service Centre this week over two events on Sunday 16 and Monday 17 August. The new centre will provide vital support services to those who need it most and help to develop a stronger community in Fremantle.

 

There will be a range of services operating out of the Fremantle Service Centre including parenting and family support services, highly specialised children and young people counselling  services, specialist drug and alcohol support services, transitional accommodation services, Indigenous family violence support, and housing services. The operations of the Fremantle Service  Centre will also be supported by regular deliveries of food from UnitingCare West’s Food Rescue service which aims to alleviate hunger by rescuing perishable food and delivering it to not-for-profit  organisations supporting people who are hungry.

Continue reading “New Fremantle Service Centre to help build a stronger community”
Categories
News & Announcements

Papuan students experience WA’s wheatbelt

Eleven students who took part in the Australian Papuan Cultural Exchange Program, hosted at All Saints Floreat Uniting Church, took a weekend away from their studies to travel up to the northern wheatbelt town of Coorow in March and experience some of Australia’s rural lifestyle. The program hosts students from West Papua in Perth while they build up their English skills.

Inez Davies, a member of Coorow All Saints Uniting Church, learnt about the program whilst attending a Summer Spirit event years ago in Perth. The Coorow congregation, a joint Anglican and  Uniting Church, have followed its progress and offered support – this year by hosting the group in their home town for some time out from their busy schedule. The students arrived for  lunch on Saturday 29 March at Inez’s farm, followed by a drive around the property to see some of their crops. Dinner was provided in town by the congregation before an evening of music and  joy.

“We were all just sitting around talking and they all burst into song,” said Inez. “My son took his guitar and he yodelled for them and they were absolutely ecstatic.”

Continue reading “Papuan students experience WA’s wheatbelt”