PULSE

HAVING A MENTOR HAS POWERFUL BENEFITS.

YOULEAD

YOULEAD+ IS THE PULSE YEAR LONG LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME FOR YOUNG ADULTS.

IT HAS BEEN SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO SUPPORT YOUNG LEADERS WHERE-EVER THEY LIVE, MAKING SURE OUR YOUNG LEADERS IN REGIONAL AND REMOTE COMMUNITIES ARE ABLE TO ACCESS RESOURCES AS WELL. We know that our young leaders are longing for connection, but are also pretty committed in all that they do. As we have journeyed with our young adults in designing YouLEAD+ we have discovered the need for flexibility and adaptability.

The program now runs over two retreats, one in February and the other in July and weekly online sessions, which young leaders can join in when they are able or when there are units that interest them. We are still learning as to the best ways to support our young leaders, but have worked hard to make it accessible regardless of where young leaders live in the Synod. It has been so exciting to see the diversity of the Uniting Church come together and learn from each other. Our young leaders come from different cultural backgrounds and different communities, as they share stories and learn together they encourage and support each other as well. A number of the group from our pilot YouLEAD+ two years ago still stay in touch and help each other out on occasion.

What we have learnt is the importance of others recognising the gifts in our young leaders and tapping them on the shoulder as an entrance into the program. A lot of young adults don’t see themselves as leaders. The value of a mentor or an elder highlighting their gifts can be life changing. My hope is that we can strengthen and broaden this community and in doing so we learn what ministry is like with emerging generations across the Synod and inspire news ways to work together. Currently the Synod fully funds the program as a way to grow our young leaders and for those travelling from regional presbyteries, with a number of presbyteries and scholarships available to help with travel expenses.

KAREN MITCHELL-LAMBERT

TEAM LEADER OF PULSE

If you would like more information contact Karen Mitchell – Lambert at the PULSE team: KarenML@nswact.uca.org.au

Online Kids Club

Supports regional and remote communities

As we light the Online Kids Club candle, we offer hope for our children to grow in the love of Christ and the company of other young Christian disciples, for leaders to grow in understanding of esafety issues that affect this generation, for regional and rural Presbyteries to work together in creative ways, and for the wider Church to articulate a theology of play that may bring new ways of worship and witness into old and sacred places.

During the pandemic there were a lot of online experiments, but with everyone feeling fragile and struggling to connect as communities, working across regions was not realistic, but it did plant a seed! Pulse prioritised small seed funding to research what was possible and to do some experiments exploring what would work specifically for regional and remote communities. Kristy Morgan from Roseville who had success with online kids club in her community was the first to begin the research and more recently Rev Yvonne Ghavalas the minister at Pilgrim Uniting Church in Wagga Wagga has taken the mantle, putting some of that learning into practice. In a creative collaboration between young mentors from Kinross Wolaroi Uniting Church School, the Riverina and Macquarie Darling Presbyteries, and Pulse, the light of discipleship will shine for children in regional and rural areas of NSW and ACT in a new way. This exciting pilot project aims to establish a safe and authentic online community for children in grades three to six through the gift of technology. It seeks to grow High Schoolers as leaders supported by adults. Sunday afternoons offered an opportunity for craft and conversation – all from the comfort of kids’ own homes in regional and rural communities. These communities often struggle to create spaces for young people in churches due to limited youth leaders and financial resources. The real surprise was that a couple of congregations decided to host a hub at their church. A couple of adults set

up the tech, kept kids safe and offered hospitality. The hub in Wagga now has not only online kids club for primary school kids but also other kids space to play. Online Kids Club will continue this year experimenting with how best to share the love of God to Primary Schoolers across the Synod, particularly supporting those in THE LIGHT OF regional and remote DISCIPLESHIP WILL SHINE FOR CHILDREN IN communities. It meets online Sundays 2 to

REGIONAL AND 3pm. RURAL AREAS OF NSW AND ACT Three years ago, the Pulse team embarked on a consultation across the Synod to discover what people were doing with Emerging Generations and what they long to do. We heard of passionate people who would love to see kids from their community learning more about the gospel but also heard the struggle with lack of leaders and resources to do so in regional and remote communities. Since then Pulse has held in their hearts how we could support those amazing saints who faithfully share the Gospel in their local communities, particularly those scripture teachers who faithfully turn up to serve. KAREN MITCHELL-LAMBERT TEAM LEADER OF PULSE If you would like more information about participating in this project, email Rev. Yvonne Ghavalas at YvonneG@nswact.uca.org.au. PULSE EMERGING GEN MINISTRY NETWORKS

Pulse has three key Emerging Generations Ministry networks across the Synod. Their vision is to support ministry no matter where it is, networking together for learning and resource sharing. Anyone can join. Pulse gathers four times a year, currently online. For more information contact: Children and Families Joyce Tangi JoyceT@nswact.uca.org.au Youth Ofa Foiakau MiliseF@nswact.uca.org.au Young Adult Molk molk@nswact.uca.org.au

A NEW SERIES INSPIRING HOPE AND CONFIDENCE

In the last few years, none of us has been strangers to unfortunate news. Waking up each day to a new statistic, a new restriction, a new normal – confronted with one almost unbelievable story after another. In response to a deep yearning for more hopeful winds of change, the Mission Enablement Team from Uniting Mission and Education have created the short documentary series – Our Story.

Our Story is a five-part series, with the first episode available on the UME website from 24 February. It explores the many unique contexts across the NSW and ACT Synod and the way in which these congregations participate in worship, witness, and service – that may just lead you to ask some questions of your own. Each episode captures a congregation as they confront their own frailties, and with growing confidence and hopeful action, endeavour to bring about change and to live out the mission of God in the community they find themselves in. The UCA congregations profiled in Our Story are from a diverse range of backgrounds and contexts and are framed in a sympathetic light with a personal approach to the storytelling akin to programs such as the ABC’s Australian Story. Subjects are filmed on location in their context and balanced against insightful context and commentary made by wider church members, family, and friends.

MEMBERS OF CONDOBLIN UNITING CHURCH WITH THE CREW FROM THE SIGNAL BOX

The series draws its focus from the Future Directions proposal accepted by the Synod in April 2021, with all five episodes to touch on the five direction-setting commitments – Regional and rural ministry, Ministry for people born after 1970, Walking together with Australia’s First People, Active stewardship of the earth, and Being a contemporary, courageous, and growing church. OUR HOPE IS THAT WHAT COMES TO LIGHT IN EACH STORY ARE FOUR THEMES: DIVERSITY, INCLUSION, INSPIRATION, AND COURAGE Our hope is that what comes to light in each story are four themes: diversity, inclusion, inspiration, and courage. And that these stories connect with and inspire communities to take action, be courageous, and to try new things. Underpinning all our intentions is the universal message – “This is what God is doing – join in”. There is hope and confidence brewing all across the NSW and ACT Synod and these stories are merely the tip of the iceberg. The first episode, set in Condobolin Uniting Church, takes a look at a thriving First People’s congregation in a regional context and has a lively children’s ministry. The episode was available to view on the Our Story web page from 24 February at 6pm with the next episode coming on 31 March.

To find out more, visit the UME website: tinyurl.com/UMEOurStory

Disaster Done Right

A SUCCESS STORY FROM TONGA

DISASTER PREPARATION SAVES LIVES. IN THE WAKE OF THE RECENT ERUPTION OF THE HUNGA TONGA HUNGA HA'APAI VOLCANO, OUR FRIENDS IN TONGA OFFER ENCOURAGING AND DEFINITIVE PROOF.

Alert to the dangers of their cyclone season, over the past few years Uniting Church partner the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga (FWCT) has been assessing and planning for the worst instead of simply hoping for the best. And the results speak for themselves. On 15 January 2022, Tonga’s biggest volcanic event in 30 years sent shock waves that were felt as far away as the United States. The explosion created a tsunami, and plumes of smoke and ash that blanketed the country for days. Communication with the outside world was cut when underwater cables suffered damage in the blast. With housing on remote islands destroyed, residents were relocated to the mainland where people were already reeling in the aftermath of widespread destruction: food, water and shelter were stretched.

“Uniting Church partners, the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga were ready,” says International Project Manager for UnitingWorld, Aletia Dundas. “The Church’s experience during Cyclone Harold and Gita had shown them the best ways to assist people both practically and psychologically/spiritually.” PHYSICAL RESPONSES

With support provided by UnitingWorld, FWCT had sourced and stocked in advance a large storage facility with building materials so they could begin repairs to damaged buildings within days of a natural disaster. The Church had also used an Australian Government grant to supply water tanks to families without water after Cyclone Harold. SPIRITUAL/ PSYCHOLOGICAL RESPONSES Back in 2015, the Church saw the need for a network of chaplains to support people after a disaster or crisis. They worked with experts Rev. Dr Stephen Robinson, Rev. Nau Ahosivi and Rev. Alimoni Taumoepeau to run a series of training sessions for their ministers. The Church has also made use of theological resources to educate church members about God’s role in suffering and disaster, the impact of changing climate and the

importance of ecological stewardship. The Bible studies and preaching guides were prepared by Pacific theologians with Uniting Church support and have been widely used. Encouraging PLANNING FOR local capacity

THE WORST building is

INSTEAD OF also behind SIMPLY HOPING the calls of FOR THE BEST our friends in Tonga not to collect and send items directly to the Pacific, but to provide donations through trusted Non-Government Organisations instead. UnitingWorld and the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga send their heartfelt gratitude to so many Uniting Church members who have supported Disaster Preparation in the past and given generously to this crisis. If you’d still like to give, you can do so through UnitingWorld at: www. unitingworld.org.au/tonga or call 1800 998 122.

CHAPLAINS ARE ON THE GROUND WHERE THEY ARE NEEDED MOST IN TONGA

UnitingWorld has two ways for the Church to learn and grow in 2022 SEVEN DAYS OF SOLIDARITY is a celebration of

our global neighbours. Sign up to receive a story each day of God at work through people of faith in places like Tuvalu, Zimbabwe, Papua New Guinea and India. Take part as a congregation and make use of two inspiring videos, an original worship song by Rox McLeod, sermon by Rev Dave Baker (UCA QLD), prayers and ideas for action. Learn, pray, give! Find out more at www.sevendaysofsolidarity.com.au LENT EVENT is your opportunity to live simply so others can simply live. On your own or alongside other Christians as a team, pledge to give or take something up in solidarity with those who have less. Change lives and raise funds for clean water, education, Christian leadership or disaster response and resilience. Find out more at www.lentevent.com.au