Tag: Our People and Agencies

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News & Announcements

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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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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Stories & Feature Articles

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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Juniper reveals latest in apartment living

Juniper, Uniting Church WA agency providing residential and community aged care, has opened its newest retirement apartments to provide greater accommodation options for people seeking quality lifestyle choices.

Chief Executive, Vaughan Harding, said understanding people’s changing needs and their desire to live a full life are at the heart of Juniper Orana in Menora.

“This initiative represents the best in retirement accommodation where residents can enjoy security, independence and the benefits of community living,” he said.

“Juniper Orana successfully promotes apartments for life and ‘ageing in place’ – a concept where housing and community design enable residents to live and enjoy their home for as long as possible.”

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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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Retired ministers are all ears

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.”

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Discerning the faith journey

Sixteen members of the Presbytery of WA and one member of the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (Congress WA) gathered for a retreat on Saturday 24 February, to give serious and prayerful consideration to the ways that they discern the will of God.

The group included six people who are engaged in a Period of Discernment (POD); one Candidate for a Minister of Word; five Faculty members of Perth Theological Hall; and the convenors and  some members of the Candidates for the Ministries Committee (CMC) and the Commission for Education for Discipleship and Leadership (CEDAL).

The group gathered at Kalamunda Uniting Church for the retreat, facilitated by Rev Gordon Scantlebury. The theme for the day was Discernment. The group used the tools developed by Ignatius of Loyola, to consider how we open ourselves to God’s Spirit, how we seek the leading of God, and how we discern and decide in our faith journey. The retreat ended with participants each sharing the burdens that they felt personally, and their best hopes for their own futures.

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