Tag: Youth

Sharing the peace at KCO

Post author By revivewa
Post date June 28, 2016

The Uniting Church is a proudly multicultural church with congregations made up of people from many different cultures and ways of life. This year was the first year a contingent of youth from the Samoan Uniting Church Faith Community attended Kids’ Camp Out (KCO).

Speaking with their youth co-ordinator, Hanamoa Vaitogi, it was clear that the young people of he Samoan Faith Community are an active and eager group. The Youth Group often performs cultural dance and songs together for community and church events, with the younger kids joining the young adults for performance and fellowship.

Hanamoa explained that the youth and young adults of the community usually spend time together as a large group.

“Nearly every week they do sports in the park or I’ll book a hall and they’ll perform together,” she said.

While it was an unusual experience for the youth to strike out on their own, Hanamoa said they really enjoyed it.

Tags Multi-Cultural, Youth

News & Announcements

Building a future through mentoring

Post author By revivewa
Post date June 7, 2016

In April this year, more than a hundred children, along with junior and adult leaders, converged on Kids Camp Out (KCO) for a weekend of fun and fellowship. Many Uniting Church members get misty eyed as they talk about their experience of KCO (previously known as KUCA); it is a much loved event and eagerly anticipated every year.

KCO is open to primary-school campers with teenagers invited to attend as junior leaders. In a new development, as of next year, high-school graduates and other young adults will have an opportunity to participate in a KCO mentorship program.

Helen Haslam has been involved in KCO as a congregation leader, and her daughter, Naomi Haslam, has been undertaking an informal mentorship with craft leader, Margaret Johnston, for the past two years.

Helen explained that seeing her daughter’s experience with Margaret work so well over a two-ear period, she thinks that a formal program would benefit KCO and the young adults who have come through as junior leaders

Tags Youth

News & Announcements

Past PLC principal honoured in naming of new senior school

Post author By revivewa
Post date June 1, 2016

Presbyterian Ladies’ College’s (PLC) Beth Blackwood Senior School was officially opened on 25 May 2016 in honour of PLC’s immediate past Principal, who left the school last October after 18 years of service.

Blessed with a sunny day in the midst of the stormy weather, the opening took place outside on the Quad, facing the impressive new limestone and steel building. The five Vice-chancellors of WA’s universities attended the opening as well as Rev Steve Francis, moderator of the Uniting Church WA, representatives from other schools, PLC students, staff and members of the school community. For Beth, it was the culmination of years of planning.

First designed as part of a plan for the campus back in 1999 by architect Marcus Collins, construction began late in 2014 and was completed in February this year. Sadly, Marcus passed away last year before building was completed.

Beth paid homage to his vision and passion to create a space that is both functional and beautiful.

Tags Schools, Youth

Stories & Feature Articles

Nurturing for healing at UnitingCare West

Post author By revivewa
Post date April 26, 2016

UnitingCare West Family Group Homes gives vulnerable children and young people in Perth a safe environment to heal from past traumas.

Up to four children live in a family group home, quite often siblings, who have been removed from their parents for various reasons. The experience is painful and traumatic, so UnitingCare West provides an environment which gives the kids safety, consistency and a nurturing space to grow.

Tara Seaward is the manager of UnitingCare West’s Out of Home Care programs. She said that often when children and young people arrive at the Family Group Home, they are scared and react from a fear base, but as they work through the program things start to improve.

“We see such great progress when a child or young person comes into our care,” Tara said. “Over time you see them starting to feel safe, you see them staring to open up a little bit.”

The program provides kids with all the basic care requirements, but also guides them through emotional work, so that once they’re ready to leave the program, they are much more equipped to handle difficult situations that may arise in the future – an approach which differs from other residential care providers.

Tags A Helping Hand, Youth

Stories & Feature Articles

Why I’m chuffed our daughters are still part of church – and why we haven’t invited you to come

Post author By revivewa
Post date February 29, 2016

If you ask my youngest daughter why she goes to church, up until pretty recently morning tea will have figured high on the list. Memorable moment – our three year old clinking communion glasses with her father and declaring loudly: “Cheers.”

My eldest daughter would probably tell you she goes because her two best friends from primary school are there, along with a couple of uni students she gets along with particularly well. The seven or eight of them sit out the back most Sundays and have a good old convo about everything from feminism to asylum seekers to human rights and whether the Bible even matters. (They have mixed feelings on this, I’d say. From those who can quote the Scriptures and read it every morning to those who are indignant about quite a lot of it, they feel safe to speak up. They know one another well enough to argue. Sometimes hotly.)

So what is this thing we’ve got them mixed up in? Picton Uniting Church is possibly a bit different to churches as you’ve known or grown with them. Not on the outside – it’s pretty bog standard there – and for an hour on a Sunday morning, it probably seems pretty typically ‘church’ on the inside too. People sit in rows, there’s singing, someone talks about something after bits are read out of the Bible, we pray, we collect some money, we pray a bit more, we head out the back for a cuppa. If you’ve suffered through a church service before, no surprises there.

Tags Youth

News & Announcements

NYALC recharging young leaders

Post author By revivewa
Post date February 15, 2016

The National Young Adult Leaders’ Conference (NYALC) is an opportunity for young adults within the Uniting Church to grow in faith and develop their skills as leaders in the church and the community. The fourth NYALC will take place on the Gold Coast from 8–13 July this year.

Tom Kerr is the national faith development consultant (youth and young adults) for the Uniting Church in Australia. He explains that NYALC is an opportunity for young adults to recharge and connect with other young leaders around the country.

“The conference provides experiential learning, skill development and underpinning leadership knowledge to extend the participants leadership abilities,” Tom said. “Through living in community with many different cultures, cultural sensitivity and intercultural competence is strengthened. Networks are developed and productive new relationships are formed.”

Tags Youth

Education & Training

Passing the Baton: be inspired

Post author By revivewa
Post date February 4, 2016

Passing the Baton is a training day and expo for people working in children’s ministry. It is a chance to be inspired in ministry, network with others in the field and learn about new resources relevant to the role. It’s a great way to be refreshed and to renew a commitment to children’s ministry and is suitable for anyone involved with Sunday school, kids clubs, YouthCARE, family camps, holiday programs or children’s outreach services.

Tammy Tolman will be the keynote speaker at Passing the Baton this year. She has been training children’s ministry leaders for around 20 years around the world and has also written training modules and a range of worship music.

Tags Training, Youth

Stories & Feature Articles

St Stephen’s School students serve

Post author By revivewa
Post date December 24, 2015

St Stephen’s School Carramar students, Alexandria Reuben, India Graham and Martika Jary spent hours in the kitchen recently baking 120 muffins for the homeless, along with the rest of their homeroom. In total, students donated more than 200 muffins to UnitingCare West’s Tranby Day Centre. Tranby Day Centre provides meals and referrals to people experiencing and at risk of homelessness.

Brett Roberts, head of secondary at St Stephen’s School Carramar, said the School was devoted to help improve the lives of those in need.

Tags Poverty, Schools, Youth

Stories & Feature Articles

Taking time to stop, listen and learn

Post author By revivewa
Post date December 23, 2015

During the course of 2015, Belinda Oxenburgh, Dorothy White and Karen Honeybun, embarked on a journey of discovery.

As a student at St Stephen’s School, a Uniting Church school, Belinda took part in The Rite Journey Program and chose Karen, her youth group leader at Trinity North Uniting Church, as her mentor. Part of the program involves a yearlong project, which Belinda chose to share with Dorothy – a member of the congregation, now in her 90s.

Belinda and Karen met regularly with Dorothy and had the privilege of listening to, and getting to know, a dearly loved member of their congregation. Dorothy’s sweet temperament, attentiveness and kindness struck Belinda in their first conversation.

Tags Ageing and Community, Schools, Youth

News & Announcements

West Timor students welcomed

Post author By revivewa
Post date September 2, 2015

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.”

Tags Church and Community, International, Youth