India’s COVID-19 surge has overloaded its struggling heath system and is causing thousands of deaths per day.
Uniting Church partners, the Church of North India (CNI), are not immune. Battling to keep people fed as a second lockdown wreaks havoc, and spreading critical health information to help beat the spread of the disease, they’re on the front-line of the response in their communities.
Kerry Povey is the Chair of the Uniting Church WA International Partnerships and Development Commission, and a member at Trinity North Uniting Church. She takes 5 minutes to share some of her passions with Revive.
Cath Taylor, UnitingWorld, shares how gifts from the UnitingWorld Everything in Common catalogue are changing lives.
There are no pigs pictured at the birth of Jesus. Donkeys, yes. Maybe a lamb. Pigs – no. Considered unclean by Jewish people, they’re unlikely to have been among the much romanticised gathering. One fabulous hog, however, has taken centre stage at the birth of a child just to our north, in Bali, Indonesia. The pig is a bit of a symbol for the life changing impact of Jesus’ birth – for everyone.
Dreaming of an island getaway? Add this one to your bucket list.
Before all the restrictions of COVID-19 became a reality, back in July last year, Rev Dennis Doust, retired Uniting Church WA Minister, spent two weeks in a remote village on Ghizo Island in the South Pacific. He shares his experience with Revive.
UnitingWorld have joined with the Micah Australia coalition to urge the Australian Government to provide vital support to vulnerable nations during the COVID-19 crisis. UnitingWorld believes the government can achieve this by protecting the world’s most vulnerable people, strengthening health systems, and kick-starting economic recovery.
A toolkit for churches is available on the UnitingWorld website containing links to video content, sermon notes, facts and statistics, ideas and resources for how to share the campaign with your church, and a letter template and instructions to write to your MP.
Susy Thomas, Moderator Elect of the Uniting Church WA, was invited to attend an annual Christian convention at the church she grew up in, in Kerala India. The conference was held in February this year, just before COVID-19 restrictions came into place. She shares her experience.
Alison Dyall is a member of the Uniting Church WA International Partnership and Development Commission, formerly the UnitingWorld WA Commission. She recently returned from a trip to Timor Leste, where she has travelled a number of times. She shares some of her experiences with Revive.
Rev Steve Francis, Moderator of the Uniting Church WA, and Kerry Povey, Chair of the International Partnerships and Development Commission, have written to members of the church, encouraging them to support the church’s international partners as they deal with the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Not so long ago, a woman bailed me up as I made my escape from a church where I’d been preaching.
“I’ve given to places like UnitingWorld all my life,” she said. Her voice shook a little as she spoke; I could see it had been a good and long life.
“But there’s still so much poverty and suffering in the world! Sometimes I really wonder if it makes any difference.”
Understandable.
The Uniting Church WA has a number of positive international partnerships that congregations and individuals can support through the International Partnership and Development Commission – formally known as the UnitingWorld WA Commission. One of these partnerships is with the Methodist Church of Sri Lanka; the Uniting Church WA has currently agreed to help financially support their ‘Interfaith Preschool Project’.
South Perth Uniting Church and Wesley College recently teamed up to hold a Bollywood Dinner raising funds for this goal – building a partnership, not only with the Methodist Church of Sri Lanka, but with each other. Ten Wesley College students participated on the night, welcoming guests, serving food, clearing tables and selling raffle tickets. The school also provided the venue and decorated it in stunning Bollywood style.