Assembled for fellowship at Rowethorpe Uniting Church recently, about forty retired ministers and spouses heard Vaughan Harding, Chief Executive of Juniper, a Uniting Church WA aged care provider, outline present trends in an ageing population, government initiatives in facing these challenges, and the ways that not-for-profit agencies like Juniper are accepting the task of planning for the future needs of our senior citizens.
Vaughan, who will retire later this year after 29 years with Juniper, drew attention to practical issues facing ageing people who wish to relocate, and in particular the financial issues of entering an aged care facility.
“Shop around,” he said, “and there are qualified staff at Juniper who can give useful advice.”
Rev David Kriel was inducted into his new ministry role with Trinity North Uniting Church on Sunday 4 March at St Stephen’s School Duncraig.
Rev Greg Ross led the reflection. He handed out a piece of plasticine to members of the congregation, inviting them to shape it, meditatively, how they please. He then gave examples of people responding to God’s call to do something different, people who were brave enough to step out of their comfort zones and into the unknown, while holding the hand of God.
He shared the story of Florence Nightingale, “who lived out her lifelong calling or mission to change her society so that it truly reflected the prayer of Jesus – may your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven,” Greg said.
“Moses,” Greg continued, “that historical figure who had his life completely transformed from being an adopted royal Egyptian prince who committed murder in a fit of supposedly justified rage to being the fearless leader upon which the nation of Israel was built, is one such figure from the foundation stories of our Judeao Christian faith who demonstrated that your life could be transformed, and that making change and being a leader of people was incredibly frustrating and exhausting.”
Rev Sophie Lizares was ordained as a Deacon at Willetton Uniting Church on Saturday 3 March.
Having come to Australia from the Philippines, Sophie was raised in the Catholic church and was a leader in the ecumenical youth and student movement, passionate about working for justice. Sophie worked for the Catholic Bishops Conference in the Philippines and was the founding Executive Director and Editor of a weekly newspaper. She has completed two Masters theses’; one in social development and the other in ministry. During this time she became involved with the United Church of Christ in the Philippines, a Uniting Church partner church.
Sophie then became engaged internationally with the Christian Conference of Asia and the World Council of Churches. In 2000 she was elected into the Council of the United Evangelical Mission which is made up of churches from Asia, Africa and Germany, and in 2003 she was appointed Asia Secretary, consulting with 11 church denominations in Indonesia and Sri Lanka.
Rev Mitch Fialkowski was inducted in Meekatharra as Patrol Minister, or ‘Bush Chaplain’, in the Remote Area Ministry Murchison Patrol in December.
Mitch has been working in the region for around five years with Frontier Services. His role was previously under the umbrella of the National Assembly of the Uniting Church, however recent changes at Frontier Services mean Mitch’s role is now within the Uniting Church WA, and is supported by fundraising though Frontier Services.
Rev Steve Francis, Moderator of the Uniting Church WA, and Rev David de Kock, General Secretary, travelled up to Meekatharra for the service, where Steve preached. Rev John Dihm, Remote Area Minister based in Tom Price, made the seven and a half hour drive to Meekatharra to attend the service and present Mitch with a beautiful stole.
Aboriginal and Islander members of the Uniting Church have boosted resources for youth work, mission and evangelism at the triennial United Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (Congress) National Conference, held from Saturday 13 to Thursday 18 January in Geelong, Victoria.
Congress will employ a full-time National President and a full-time youth worker for the next three years, to build on the strong work being done by young Indigenous church leaders in local communities around the country. Congress also rang in a number of generational leadership changes, electing Rev Garry Dronfield to the new role of National President.
Garry is a Bundjalung man in placement at Sylvania Uniting Church in Sydney, who served as Deputy Chairperson on the previous Congress National Executive. Garry is well known for his association with the God Squad motorcycle group. At his installation service, Garry preached on Daniel 3:1-30, The Golden Image and the Fiery Furnace, urging Congress members to stand firm in their faith and be confident in their belief in Jesus.
A good crowd gathered for the first event for the local Uniting Churches in the Albany region to be held in the new Beryl Grant Community Centre in Lockyer for the Induction of Rev Corina van Oostende into the congregations of Lockyer, Albany, Mount Barker and Denmark. This centre is the first stage of aged care services to be run by Juniper, an agency of the Uniting Church WA.
After several years without a minister in placement, the atmosphere of the service reflected joy and our gratitude to Corina for responding to the needs of the local congregations. We were delighted that the Uniting Church WA Moderator, Rev Steve Francis and his wife, Kim, were able to attend and support this momentous day.
It is no secret that the mining boom in Western Australia is over. The resource industry has slowed and hundreds of former fly-in-fly-out (FIFO) workers are struggling to adjust to life after FIFO, still more remain on resource projects in remote Western Australia. So how do FIFO workers who are still on projects deal with the pressures of a slowing industry, along with isolation and increasing money problems?
Rev John Dihm provides services as a chaplain to FIFO workers at a number of Rio Tinto mining camp sites in the Pilbara, with the Uniting Church WA’s Remote Area Ministry, Tom Price. John moved to Tom Price three years ago from South Australia where he ministered to people living on stations.
“I thought I’d be doing station work again, and very little mining work. I met the mining manager here and we became very good friends,” he said.
Three months into his time there, his manager friend called John to ask for his help; one of the mine workers at the site had died by suicide. This was the beginning of John’s ministry to FIFO workers in the Pilbara.
According to John, “FIFO workers talk to you about three things: one is their relationships back home, two is about their financial situation, and the third one is about their anxiety of being on site.”
God speaks to us through the words of Scripture, as we celebrate the sacraments, as we open ourselves to God in prayer or worship, as we engage in the world around us, through the words of friend and stranger and the voice of the church.
Sometimes God’s word is one of comfort or encouragement, forgiveness or hope. Sometimes God’s word challenges us out of our comfort zone and leads us in new directions.
Through the ages, God has called people to particular responsibilities. God called Moses through a burning bush to set God’s people free from slavery. God called Isaiah as he was worshipping in the temple to speak God’s word as a prophet. Jesus called fishermen and tax collectors to join in his mission in the world. Jesus called Paul on the road to Damascus to become apostle to the Gentiles. To all of these people, responding to God’s call took them in new and unexpected directions in life.
God still calls today. Each disciple is called to a particular ministry which builds up the body of Christ and serves God’s people and the whole of creation. Because each of us has distinctive gifts, the particular ministry God calls us to will differ, but all ministries are part of the ministry of Christ.
While kangaroo tails are cooked and smoke billows above an inner city church courtyard on a balmy summer’s evening, stories are told by indigenous people. During morning worship, chairs are stacked in a haphazard pile to express sorrow over injustices experienced by the marginalized. Encouragement is given through Biblical stories of women and men who show their faith in Christ by listening, serving and forming new worshipping communities.
These are a few examples of the diverse and enriching experiences of the Deacon Intensive (for candidates) and the national DUCA (Diakonia in the Uniting Church in Australia) Conference that was held in February in Adelaide over two weeks.
The candidates were a diverse group, including two indigenous leaders, an Irish pastor, a Filipino journalist and an African-American woman, as well as several Australians, all with long experience of diaconal ministry. The candidates in the first week participated in worship, Bible studies, discussions, and immersion visits to a prison, refugee place of welcome and a community garden. Evening sessions, facilitated by Rev Dr Steve Taylor, Principal of Uniting College and Senior Lecturer at Flinders University, further extended their engagement with mission and community service.
Rev Mark Illingworth has recently concluded his placement at The Billabong Uniting Church, after 15 years of service. Rev Luke Williams will continue ministry with the congregation. Christine Iacobellis reflects on this journey.
Once upon a time, there was a green pool of water with minnows, frogs and turtles in a kingdom called Canning Vale. The land around was wild where rabbits roamed and snakes slithered. God had plans for this land and sent a family to begin carrying them out. This family could see a glimpse of what God saw. They imagined what beauty the land held and saw how it could be a real hub in the kingdom of Canning Vale and even other kingdoms beyond.
The Illingworth family from left: Anneliis, Rebekah, Deborah, Mark and Zachary.
This family saw past the littered car bodies and burnt out shed and saw a meeting place for people who wanted to worship God. With twinkly eyes and big ideas, this family thanked God for a chance to transform and use the gift of the land. The family gathered with others to see the land.
“Look”, they said, “can you see what it will be like when the community comes here and gets to see God in what we do?”
Some said “No, not really, are you mad?” but others said “Yes, I can kind of see what you mean.”
And so together they set about cleaning up, constructing, landscaping and transforming. For many years, the family changed the lives of other subjects and even in other kingdoms further away. They held feasts, celebrations and erected great tents, encouraging others to look to God and live like the great King Jesus. They lent a hand, prayed regularly and took time to know those around them. They did this always with willing hearts and big smiles.
Like all good adventures, things didn’t always run smoothly. There were times of despair and hardship, but through all the years, the family clung to God. Eventually, the pool of water changed and is today no longer on the land because another, bigger house for God is being built.
God has now chosen a new little family just starting out to continue to do God’s work in the kingdom of Canning Vale.
We at The Billabong and under our Heavenly King, thank the twinkly eyed family for their faithfulness. Mark, Deb, Anneliis, Bek and Zac; we thank you for shining the light of God outwards to us in all that you do. We thank you for being steadfast and standing alongside us as we wait for our happily ever after.
Christine Iacobellis
Image: The site of the Billabong Church in Canning Vale.
