Crosslight November 2015

Crosslight Publication of the year 2015

No. 260 November 2015

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What makes a house a home? Nigel Tapp speaks to a Tasmanian congregation about creating a community.

The Sri Lankan community is forging friendship through song.

Meet the asylum seeker support workers bringing justice – and food – to the streets.

Eccentric, charming millionaire; cold-blooded killer, or both? Tim Lam reviews The Jinx.

Christ is risen. Christians all around the world proclaim these words, and have done so for centuries, in acknowledgement of the hope and grace of the risen Christ. Happy Easter.

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Rev Carol Bennett discusses the importance of suspended sentences in our justice system.

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Synod Snaps brings you images from throughout the Church and beyond.

Regulars Reviews - 16 to 17 Letters - 19 to 20 Placements - 20 to 21 Opinion - 22 Moderator’s Column - 23

Editorial Supporting the next generation PENNY MULVEY

SEVEN representatives of the NextGen group travelled to China in September for a contextual learning trip.

They spoke of their journey at a special event at the Synod offices late last month.

They described how the Chinese Christian communities they visited utilise young lay leaders alongside older members of the congregations. The reality of a young person and an older person standing Communications & Media Services

UCA Synod Office, 130 Little Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 Phone: (03) 9251 5200 Email: crosslight@victas.uca.org.au ISSN 1037 826X

together leading the worship or sharing the Gospel, the gifts of each valued equally, encouraged and challenged them.

Since returning from the trip, many have considered their own potential for leadership in their congregations and wider church. These young people were astonished and greatly encouraged by a shared leadership model, which provided nurture and mentoring as well as empowerment and challenges. They expressed a desire for deliberate mentoring to enable a worship community that welcomed all equally, regardless of age, experience or theological qualifications.

As I reflect on my own faith journey, I sought out opportunities for leadership – on Christian camps, at school, fellowship, home groups and within worship. Older Christians supported me.

As the Uniting Church has aged, have we forgotten how to mentor our young members? The NextGen group felt there Crosslight is a monthly newspaper produced by the Communications and Media Services unit of The Uniting Church Synod of Victoria and Tasmania.

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Opinions expressed in Crosslight do not necessarily reflect those of the editor or the policies of The Uniting Church.

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was an ageist divide. Are there so few young people in our congregations that we fete, rather than challenge, them? They were not being critical, instead they were reflecting on a community which valued the wisdom of each age, where all members had equal value to teach and share their faith.

Many in the group are thinking differently about the way they engage. NextGen’s Grace told of the weekly learning circles at her church, which normally consist of older women. Instead of disappearing after the Sunday service for a lunch with her mates at McDonald’s, she joined a learning circle. She realised how much she could learn from the women around the circle, and they, too, welcomed with delight the new arrival.

Life-long friendships grow out of congregational life. Our delightful cover image of the two Margarets, Lorna and Joy hamming it up during a trip to Melbourne

hints at much deeper relationships. The Pine Lodge/Katandra fellowship group has been running for many years. In her note to Crosslight, Joy reinforced the importance of connection in the group: “Each member has a forget-me-not-friend who they secretly care for during the year with a birthday card and any other care that is needed.”

The NextGen China trip has given 19 young people a taste of a shared leadership model, young and old, lay and clergy, working side-by-side, sharing their Christian walk, growing in faith. Let us all nurture a familiar model which might have been accidentally relegated to the cupboard.

Circulation: 21,000 (publisher’s figure).

Staff:

Deadlines: Advertising and editorial.

Executive Editor - Penny Mulvey Managing Editor - Deb Bennett Design, Digital Illustration & Print Services - Garth Jones Journalist - Ben Grundy Communications Manager - Nigel Tapp Online Content Coordinator - Emmet O’Cuana Communications Officer - Tim Lam P.A to Executive Editor - Lynda Nel Senior Media Officer - Ros Marsden

Please check exact dates on our website <crosslight.org.au>.

Closing date for December– Friday 20 November 2015.

Printing: Rural Press, Ballarat Visit Crosslight online: crosslight.org.au

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*Read about the NextGen China trip in December Crosslight.

News People’s climate march MOMENTUM is building for the People’s Climate March gatherings happening throughout Australia over the weekend of 27 to 29 November. This is the weekend just prior to the UN meetings on climate change which will take place in Paris.

Our climate is changing. According to the Bureau of Meteorology, September received about one-third of its normal rainfall this year. This weather pattern has extended into October, creating concerns about an intense bushfire season this year.

In 2006, the Uniting Church declared climate change a serious threat to the future of life on earth. In the years since, most national and state councils of the Church have divested from corporations engaging in fossil fuel extraction. The Justice and International Mission unit has also been campaigning to stop the proposed coal mine that would destroy a large part of the Great Barrier Reef. We are marching because we want a just transition to 100 per cent clean energy and an end to fossil fuels.

Uniting Church President Stuart McMillan encouraged all Church members who are able to join in the march.

Working through change FEW issues cause more angst within the church community then the issue of property. Many people feel property can take over and even determine church life.

Recognising this dilemma, the synod’s Property Services unit has developed a Property for Mission Workbook to assist congregations as they discern the best use of property.

John Emmett, mission officer with the Property Services unit, helped to develop the workbook. He hopes people will find it a useful and practical resource as they grapple with the inevitable decisions regarding church property.

Strategic thinking NIGEL TAPP PROPERTY can enhance a congregation’s life. But, if it is unfit for purpose or requires significant upkeep, congregations can quickly find too much of their time and money is poured into property maintenance rather than undertaking their mission.

With this in mind the Property Board has launched an Asset Strategy Program (ASP) to support congregations and church communities deliver on their mission objectives and secure long-term financial sustainability The ASP encourages presbytery leaders, ministers-in-placement and church councils to consider the contribution property makes to their local and regional missional commitments.

It provides communities with a range of tools to explore future options, taking into account issues such as new initiatives,

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“I’m delighted that our Church is getting behind this important global campaign,” he said.

“Uniting Church members will join others marching to express our concern for the whole creation. This is also for us an important action we take in solidarity with our Pacific and other international partner churches.”

The Uniting Church has been working with leaders of other faiths in joining the response. April Robinson is the interfaith network developer with the synod’s Commission for Mission. She said the issue is not monopolised by one particular community or faith.

“No matter what is happening in the sociopolitical sphere, the earth holds each and every one of us,” Ms Robinson said.

“In the words of Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hahn ‘people say walking on water is a miracle, but to me, walking peacefully on earth is the real miracle’. Peace is more than the absence of war, it is how we treat this sacred land.”

In Victoria, faith groups will meet at on 27 November at 5pm outside Wesley Uniting Church in Lonsdale St, Melbourne for a short ‘farewell to coal’. They will then join the march at 5.30 at the State Library.

In Tasmania, people will gather on Sunday 29 November, 1pm, Parliament Lawns, Hobart.

Although not always recognised, change has been a constant companion to our congregations’ experience,” Mr Emmett said.

“People have come, stayed, contributed, been ministered to, moved on. We’ve amalgamated with other congregations, made new friends, extended ministry, explored God’s mission in both lasting and new relationships. And we have received additional property responsibilities.

“Now we find property maintenance, indeed the whole future of the church property to be a drain on finance, human resources and time. We enjoy the comforting predictability of being in our church property, and the memories of Christian community it holds for us all. Yet, we are increasingly concerned, even confused about what to do with it.”

The workbook offers a practical series of questions, each accompanied by Reporting

Pages to assist a congregation’s church council work through the concern to arrive at a clear vision for Church property.

Central to the process is a task group, established as a committee of the Church council. Advice from presbytery and the Property Services unit assists the task group to consider real estate and financial matters.

The task group’s work ends with either an Asset Strategy Program plan or a Property Application Business Case recommended to the church council. Once the council has adopted proposals, the presbytery and synod’s Property Board become involved.

Mr Emmett said the workbook has been developed and trialled with congregations undergoing Property Application Business Cases, and the Asset Strategy Program. He said feedback received suggested church

councils felt better informed about church property.

“Congregations can see the value of the process for their future participation in God’s mission,” Mr Emmett said.

“Changes advocated might not at first seem beneficial. In discernment we are encouraged to seek and be known by God, finding inspiration, courage and strength to let go of the familiar and embrace the Way of Jesus.

“The UCA is a nimble, responsive, adaptable movement. Which, in hindsight, is precisely why we see and value change as a constant companion.”

financial sustainability and current mission.

Projects under consideration must be valued at more than $1 million.

The synod has appointed investment analysts Pontier Advisory – specialists in the not-for-profit industry – to oversee the program. Ben Robinson, director of Pontier Advisory, said the ASP was proving to be an integral part of the re-thinking of property for mission.

“Importantly, the ASP inquiry into property for mission is not about getting better answers to old questions but finding better questions about new realities,” Mr Robinson said.

The Banyule Network, which consists of five congregations and a single joint church council, is the first project undertaken as part of the ASP. Like many church communities, the Network faces the challenge of being asset rich and cash flow constrained.

Since April 2015, representatives drawn from the Banyule Network have been investigating whether missional objectives can be better served by a different use of property while maintaining the network’s financial sustainability.

Mr Robinson said a key consideration has been to ensure that the current and desired missional objectives not only continue, but can be enhanced.

“The Network can achieve this through a property portfolio that is adapted to the range of worship styles and mission activities into the future, while also ensuring long-term financial security,” Mr Robinson said.

The Banyule Network ASP group has identified a number of important requirements. These include flexible interior spaces to cater for families and children, the provision of adequate car parking, ease of access, and facilities for hospitality.

They have also recognised the need to generate property income and the capacity to rent spaces as required.

“A key benefit of ASP is that, at the end of the day, the network will achieve a renewed and more aligned property portfolio,” Mr Robinson said. “This decreases the time, energy and effort currently spent on property management. Further, surplus funds generated will be available for investment to support the ongoing delivery of mission well into the future.”

The Banyule Network Church council is currently leading an extensive discernment process with members of its congregations about the recommendations from the ASP process.

Manningham, Coburg, South Launceston, Grovedale and Boroondara have been approved by the Property Board for inclusion in Stage Two of the ASP. Work is already underway with a number of these communities in the early stages of the program.

Mr Robinson said the program was proving to be an integral part of the re-thinking of property for mission for the current participants.

He said that, within the context of mission objectives, the ASP was facilitating a structured conversation around property use and financial sustainability.

“We have been enlightened and encouraged by the participants in the ASP as they employ their wisdom and courage to imagine an invigorated and sustainable church,” he said.

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News ConChord wows Melbourne and Sydney LARRY MARSHALL FRESH from a successful Melbourne concert at Haileybury College on 12 September, the Sri Lanka Harmony Choir, ConChord, was a huge hit in Sydney one week later.

Singing in English, Tamil, Sinhalese and even Welsh, the choir brought the 350 strong audience in Sydney to its feet with a finale of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujiah’.

A vibrant encore of local Baila (dance) numbers had happy people dancing in the aisles. The Melbourne concert drew an even bigger audience.

The highlights were many and included young Rizwan singing ‘Circle of Life’ from the Lion King; choirmaster Rushan Hewawasam and the beautiful voices of sisters Rashika and Savindri in sweet harmony on ‘Panis Angelicus’; Teruni singing ‘Any dream will do’ with the juniors and sing-alongs from The Sound of Music and Sister Act. Four young male singers and the compère flew in from Sri Lanka at their own expense to join ConChord in these songfests.

The choir was accompanied by a range of musicians at the piano, ’cello, violin, saxophone, drums and guitar.

The Commission for Mission has nurtured

Support for kinship care A CALL for radical changes to Victoria’s out-of-home care system and a push towards more kinship care have been welcomed by community welfare organisation Kildonan UnitingCare.

It has backed the call to move forward “in a pro-active child-focused manner” by Victorian Commissioner for Children and Young People, Bernie Geary, in the wake of the Commission’s recent report into the sexual exploitation of children in state care.

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the growth of this multi-ethnic and multifaith choir since a 2012 Pilgrimage to Sri Lanka by 10 ministers of the UCA. The shared stories of pain from a 26-year civil war as well as personal joy experienced in growing up in this island paradise would bring energy to reconciliation work here in Australia. It is a unique choir with a dual focus of making great music while carrying a message of peace and reconciliation for Sri Lankans and others. It is harmonised and unified in one ‘journey’.

In 2014, Uniting Through Faiths organised the first Harmony Day for the Sri Lankan community and the Harmony Choir (ConChord) was born. This year marked its first foray into Sydney and they were hosted warmly by the Sri Lanka Reconciliation Forum.

More than 50 Sri Lankans of all ethnicities make up this semi-professional choir of seniors and juniors. It is growing in size and is all voluntary, involving many hours of practice and planning. It is becoming a model Sri Lankan multi-faith and multiethnic family where people bring their skills and energy and share their food and fellowship.

They hope to perform again at the 2016 Harmony Day in March and have other engagements lined up for next year. The future includes spreading this message of peace and harmony through music and song in other regions of Melbourne as well as other states - and perhaps Sri Lanka as well.

Larry Marshall is project manager with Uniting Through Faiths.

The report found many of the 500 children and young people currently in residential care live in appalling and sub-standard conditions.

Kildonan chief executive officer Stella Avramopoulos said kinship care offered a safe and stable alternative for children and young people who need care.

“There are many reasons why children or young people may not be able to live with their parents, and Kildonan’s Kinship Care program helps relatives or adults from the child’s social network, such as a grandparent, take over primary care for a period of time,” she said.

“This gives the child or young person the

The band- Fries Brothers

Saxophone- Thilina

chance to maintain family and cultural connections and, if re-unification with parents is not achievable, our goal is to support carers so that the child can remain in a familiar and safe environment.”

Last year the program assisted 185 children across the municipalities of Hume, Moreland, Darebin, Nillumbik, Whittlesea, Yarra and Banyule. It is run in partnership with the Department of Health and Human Services Child Protection.

Access to the program can be arranged through statutory Child Protection involvement or informally.

Ms Avramopoulos said the Kinship Care program offered a range of support to help

Compeer Manoj

carers negotiate the challenges of supporting a new family member.

“It is critical that the kinship carer’s circumstances are carefully assessed and match the needs of the child, and that formal and informal support is available as the child’s development and needs change over time.

“We make sure carers are aware of the financial, legal and community support available to them and we help them access this assistance.”

Ms Avramopoulos said support groups and social activities to give carers some much needed ‘time out’ were also organised.

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News Purls of wisdom TIM LAM THE Uniting Church Chelsea parish is engaging its local community in conversations about climate change through a series of colourful yarn art installations.

The public display is part of the 2015 Longbeach Storybook Yarn Art Trail, a community project involving local schools, community centres, nursing homes and churches.

Every October, yarn art is installed at various locations in the Chelsea and Frankston area to coincide with Seniors’ Month.

The Chelsea Parish, consisting of St Andrew’s, Carrum and Edithvale Uniting Churches, first became involved in the art trail in 2014. This year, the congregations have adopted an environmental theme with a focus on ‘a message of hope’.

Visitors to St Andrew’s Uniting Church will encounter a Noah’s Ark installation outside the church. Pairs of yarn animals are placed inside the ark while a rainbow, symbolising God’s promise of hope after the flood, overlooks the installation. In keeping with the theme, all yarn materials were donated or recycled from previous projects.

The visual exhibitions encourage passers-

by to reflect on the environmental consequences of human-induced climate change. The Chelsea congregations have also run eco-theology bible studies, environmental ethics discussions with their new young adult group and climate change workshops with playgroup children.

Rev Clare Dawe, minister of the Chelsea parish, said the art installations are a collective effort and praised the hard work and passion of congregation members.

“I knew craft was a way to connect to people but I never realised how far this would go,” Ms Dawe said.

“We are blessed with talented people in this parish including a young girl who came up with the original design of Noah’s Ark and our yarn artist developed it.”

The ark design was developed by Jasmine Pole, one of the children of the parish.

Elizabeth Alexandrou, a professional yarn artist and a member of the congregation, used her skills to transform the churches into evocative displays of art.

Ms Alexandrou, also coordinator of the project, ran yarn skills workshops for children, church and community members.

Many groups within the church community have contributed to the project, including playgroups, youth groups and UCAF members. The parish also worked closely with Cornish College, who are participating in the art trail for the first time this year.

The yarn art installations will be displayed outside St Andrew’s, Carrum and Edithvale Uniting Church until Advent.

Matilda Gedge & Frankie Alexandrou

THE PEOPLE OF THE PROPERTY SERVICES UNIT

Throughout the past few years, a number of changes have occurred in the Vic/Tas Synod Property Services unit. We have increased our skill base and capacity (particularly in the areas of Project Management; Development Management; Bequest Management; and Property, Asset & Heritage Management) and now employ in-house expertise, rather than relying on outside consultants. Our staff recognise the unique concerns and challenges in relation to church property matters.

We are here to serve the church community.

WHO’S WHO IN PROPERTY SERVICES Andrea Rigg Project Finance Business Manager Natalie Brown BOMAR, Administration Coordinator Andrew Crust Manager Development Projects Paul Walec Director – Property Services Colleen Fall Synod Receptionist Quintin Mansell Assistant Development Manager Craig Tinker Manager Property Services Rhiannon Abondio Legal Assistant Emma Gordon Trusts Officer – Compliance

Rob Dalgleish Property Coordinator (Tasmania) Ian Creaton Senior Development Manager Roslyn Groves Property Administration Coordinator Jacquiline Kairu Administration Assistant Sandra Bethell Trusts Lawyer Jim Milne Synod Property Officer Siobhan Reed Property & Facilities Coordinator John Emmett Mission Officer - Property Vicki Grundell Executive Assistant

Please direct all general enquires to: p. (03) 9251 5949 e. Property@victas.uca.org.au All Bequest enquiries to: p. (03) 9251 5949 e. Trusts@victas.uca.org.au

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CROSSLIGHT - NOVEMBER 15

News Foreign workers exploited RECENT media reports have highlighted shocking instances of foreign worker exploitation in various Australian industries, particularly in relation to labour hire companies.

The ABC reported a Victorian man, operating as a labour hire business, was under investigation over allegations he had exploited migrant farm workers. Workers were allegedly paid as little as 60 cents an hour for 22-hour working days.

ABC reports also detailed instances of migrant workers being subjected to human trafficking, forced labour, debt bondage, intimidation and sexual assault.

Justice and International Mission (JIM) unit director Dr Mark Zirnsak said these issues spread across many industries and often involve unscrupulous labour hire practices.

“Human trafficking and forced labour occurs in industries such as construction, hospitality, the meat industry, manufacturing and people working as livein house keepers,” he said.

“Often at the heart of the problem are labour hire companies.

“These are businesses, in some cases just a person with a mobile phone and a bank account, that organise for people to come to Australia and place them in jobs.

“However, some labour hire companies are criminal enterprises, intimidating those they bring here to accept low pay. These criminal

enterprises steal wages, provide them with substandard accommodation for exorbitant fees and seek sexual favours from female migrants.”

Australian labour hire businesses are currently largely unregulated.

The Australian Institute of Criminology has assessed that exploitation of migrant workers in Australia can be “characterised as low-risk, high-profit activities”. Many migrant workers often only report issues as a last resort, when they cannot remain in the situation due to serious injury or fear for their personal safety.

In October the Federal Government announced the Ministerial Working Group Protecting Vulnerable Visa Holders to consider options to protect people from exploitation.

The group, chaired by Minister for Employment Michaelia Cash, will include the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Peter Dutton, Minister for Justice Michael Keenan and Small Business Minister and Assistant Treasurer Kelly O’Dwyer.

The JIM unit has produced a postcard and letter-writing action for church members to ask the Federal Government to introduce a licencing system for labour hire companies.

The letter-writing action also calls on the government to allow migrant workers who have been exploited to stay in Australia while they pursue legal action against former employers.

Copies of the letter-writing action can be obtained by calling (03) 9251 5271 or emailing jim@victas.uca.org.au

TIM LAM WHAT began as a series of fundraising concerts in Melbourne has grown into a not-for-profit organisation that empowers overseas communities to lift themselves out of poverty.

Co-Ground is an Australian not-for-profit organisation established earlier this year. Its director, Andrew Mellody, was the recipient of Connections UnitingCare’s Anti-Poverty award for 2015. The annual awards highlight the creative ways young people and schools engage with communities affected by extreme disadvantage.

Crosslight spoke with Mr Mellody about the story behind Co-Ground. It originally began as a short-term response to Cyclone Pam, which caused widespread devastation in Vanuatu earlier this year.

“A few of us got together and wanted to support the people in Vanuatu during that

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THE Creative Ministries Network (CMN) board has recommended to the Commission for Mission (CFM) board that the agency move to dissolution.

CMN board chair Rev Paul Mayfield said the agency is aware that many people throughout the church will be concerned and distressed about this decision. He told Crosslight he hopes to inform them, as much as possible, about the future.

Board members have resigned and, as per the inter-related model of governance, all governance and management responsibilities have been transferred to the CFM. Decisions about whether the agency should be dissolved will be made by the CFM board at a future meeting and, if necessary, that decision will go to the Synod Standing Committee (SSC) for ratification.

Mr Mayfield said the CMN board was unable to resolve a range of sudden and complex issues and the viability of the agency came into question.

“The Board decided to resign, which was not an easy decision,” he said.

“After that particular meeting, I asked the CFM to help us through a very difficult period in the life of this agency.

“Without their assistance, we would have had a major mess on our hands. It was a very distressing time for everyone. They appropriately empowered us and at the same all utilise that school.”

Starting a not-for-profit organisation from scratch can involve great personal sacrifices.

Two years ago, Mr Mellody moved into a caravan to reduce his rent and dedicate more time and money to helping people in need.

As the winner of the Anti-Poverty Award, Mr Mellody received a grant of $4000. This will assist Co-Ground to expand its activities in 2016, which potentially involves projects in the Philippines.

To fund these programs, Co-Ground will be launching two social enterprises in Melbourne next year: a continuation of the music concerts and a new mobile coffee van

Andrew Mellody and Nicole Precel

Anti-Poverty Awards

Creative Ministries board makes difficult decision

time slowed the process down and enabled us to get some clear air and think our way forward.”

The CFM is considering other ways to keep CMN’s ministries alive. The agency’s legacy includes GriefWork, a program that delivers a practical service to families who experience the traumatic loss of a family member as a result of work-related harm.

The CMN has also instigated a number of activities associated with work-related harm. It has published a wide range of reports, notably the Dignity at Work project which examines the connection between workplace and wellbeing.

CFM executive director David Pargeter said CFM had played a significant part in this particular work, sponsoring several initiatives in what is a widely neglected feature of the Church’s life in the world.

“I can’t think of a more valuable piece of ministry in the life of our Church than this relationship between work and faith, and it must go on – somehow,” he said.

“The life-story of this agency must continue in some form. That’s what we are working toward.

“I encourage the church community to keep CMN staff, volunteers and the Board in your prayers.”

Other programs, including the Veterans’ Arts Program (VAP) and the CMN faith community, will also continue. CFM will provide further updates as decisions are made.

Should you have any questions please contact Cheryl Lawrie, Associate Executive Director, on 9251 5275 or by email Cheryl.Lawrie@ victas.uca.org.au that will travel around Melbourne.

“The coffee sold through the van is ultimately about engaging people through their product choice,” Mr Mellody said.

“People can make a difference supporting education opportunities for remote communities in Vanuatu and it’s also a way of engaging people in what’s going on.”

Gawler East Primary School in South Australia was the recipient of the schools’ award. Children from grades two to four raised awareness about displaced villagers in the Philippines. This is the first time in the 11-year history of the Anti-Poverty Awards that a primary school has won.

time,” Mr Mellody said.

“It initially started as a series of fundraising events under the banner of ‘Melbourne for Vanuatu’. We had some musicians and comedians get involved and raised around $12,000.”

Mr Mellody soon discovered most of the relief aid was bottlenecked in the capital of Port Vila. This meant communities in remote parts of Vanuatu, some of which had up to 90 per cent damage to houses and crops, were not receiving any assistance.

“We researched how to use the funding best. We knew of seven communities in a remote part of Epi Island in Vanuatu through our contacts. They helped explain that relief efforts weren’t getting through over there,” Mr Mellody said.

“We decided that’s what we wanted to focus on. So we researched who was potentially going to be operating in that space, contacting a lot of the organisations and worked out who was assigned to Epi Island. In the end, there was a big gap so we decided to work directly with the local school,” he said.

“The school was the one thing that would benefit all seven communities because they

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News Uniting AgeWell sets the standard for LGBTI community DEB BENNETT FOR many older people, the decision to move into residential care can trigger stress, sadness and fear. ‘Downsizing’ means people may mourn the loss of physical possessions such as the family home and personal belongings; some will also mourn the perceived loss of independence.

Recent research studies by LaTrobe University and organisations such as BeyondBlue have found the stress of entering residential care is even greater for older LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex) people.

Equitable care for older LGBTI people is one area being considered by Rowena Allen, Victoria’s first Gender and Sexuality Commissioner. She said her department will follow the work already undertaken by Uniting AgeWell.

“That’s an area of your life where you’re very vulnerable. You could live with someone for 40 years and in the twilight years be separated because you’re too scared to say that you’re a couple,” Ms Allen said.

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“The Uniting Church is doing fantastic work in this area in aged care; they have broken all the barriers. They are the first faith-based community service organisation to run training for all of their aged care staff on how to work with gay and lesbian people.”

Rev John Clarke is the director of mission at Uniting AgeWell. He said it is important to acknowledge the discriminatory treatment older LGBTI people may have experienced throughout their lives, with many suffering or fearing stigma, rejection or persecution.

“Sadly, a recent La Trobe University study found many older LGBTI people fear discrimination from aged care and health service providers and avoid accessing vital services,” Mr Clarke said.

“Our industry champions respecting each person and ‘meeting your individual needs’, but ignorance of the needs and feelings of LGBTI people can cut across our best intentions. For example something as simple as filling out a form with only male or female options can be a challenge for some people.

“Uniting AgeWell recognises that LGBTI ageing is a unique and important experience requiring a considered, consultative and systemic approach.”

Research funded by BeyondBlue found that the idea of ‘institutional’ care could elicit stress and anxiety in LGBTI people who, for most of their lives, were considered criminal or mentally ill. Institutions were places LGBTI people were sent to be punished for, or cured of, their ‘sexual deviance’.

Rev John Clarke

The other issue to emerge from the research was that habits of a lifetime are hard to break. People who have hidden or denied their sexuality from all but their closest friends will find it difficult disclosing details to staff and other residents when they enter aged care.

This is particularly relevant considering the age group of those living in care. Having grown up in a time when any deviation from social norms was considered immoral, many residents of care homes might be openly homophobic towards their LGBTI neighbours.

Mr Clarke said the steps Uniting AgeWell has taken to ensure the organisation provides LGBTI-friendly services highlights how the philosophy and ethos of the Church is lived out in the services offered.

“As part of the Uniting Church, we have a long history of providing services for older people irrespective of their faith, cultural background, gender or sexual identity,” Mr Clarke said.

“We share the Church’s spirit of embracing diversity, respecting differences, being open to discuss controversial issues and what it means to be inclusive of all people.

“Real change is already underway. We know we can always do more. But as we continue to follow the core values of our organisation – respect, fairness, partnership, wisdom and stewardship – we can strive to offer open hearts and capable hands to older people from the LGBTI community.”

CROSSLIGHT - NOVEMBER 15

News A truck on a mission TIM LAM THE Food Justice Truck is a familiar sight to many pedestrians in the Melbourne CBD. Every Wednesday, the truck stops outside Wesley Uniting Church on Lonsdale Street from 11:30am to 2pm, transforming the front of the church into a fresh food market.

Its mission is to support asylum seekers in the Victorian community by offering access to fresh and affordable food. Food insecurity is a chronic issue for many asylum seekers. More than 10,000 asylum seekers reside in Victoria on bridging visas. Many are denied the right to work and have restricted access to welfare and income support.

The open market atmosphere and the smiling volunteers provide a welcoming environment for shoppers. At the front of the truck is a sign that says 75 per cent discount for asylum seekers’. The general public can also purchase from the food truck at the full price, with profits re-invested to keep the truck financially sustainable.

Visitors to the truck are greeted with a colourful array of fresh fruits and vegetables neatly stored in wooden crates. Shoppers can select from a wide range of locally-sourced produce, including organic tea leaves, rice, lentils, jams and bread.

The truck is the latest initiative from the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC), Australia’s largest asylum seeker advocacy, aid and health organisation. According to the ASRC, more than 90 per cent of people who seek protection experience food insecurity or run out of food. An estimated 42 per cent have lost weight since arriving in Australia.

Russell Shields is manager of the Food Justice Truck. He said the social enterprise aims to address the shortfall in asylum seekers’ household budgets through an environmentally and economically sustainable model.

“We know that asylum seekers are left with an average of $20 per person per week for food, which is manifestly inadequate. Monash University Dietetics Department states that an adult male in Australia needs $130 per week to eat healthily,” he said.

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“Our challenge was how to deal with this massive food insecurity in the broader asylum seeker community that can’t access the ASRC’s Foodbank.”

The Food Justice Truck model was created by Patrick Lawrence, Director of Humanitarian Services at the ASRC. However, a significant obstacle to turning this vision into reality was money.

As an organisation that receives no federal government funding, the ASRC turned to its grassroots supporters to finance the project.

They embarked on a crowdfunding campaign with the aim of raising $150,000.

Through word-of-mouth, social media promotion and mainstream press coverage, they reached their goal in less than a month.

More than 970 individuals donated money to the project. The strong response to the campaign reflected community concern and compassion for asylum seekers, a stark contrast to the draconian and inhumane policies of successive Australian governments.

The money generated from the campaign was used to employ a full-time manager and purchase a truck which was modified into an environmentally friendly vehicle.

“We were determined to make the truck as environmentally sustainable as possible,” Mr Shields said.

“To that end, we were able to purchase a petrol-electric hybrid truck. We also ask that

customers bring their own bags and we source our stock through local producers.”

In addition to offering food support, the vehicle acts as a billboard that raises awareness about the plight of asylum seekers as it travels across Melbourne.

“From an advocacy perspective, we see the truck as starting the conversation regarding the serious food access issues faced by asylum seekers,” Mr Shields said.

“This has certainly been successful so far in terms of both the media and public response and perhaps this model will be taken up in other states and to serve other vulnerable communities.”

Launched in March this year, the Food Justice Truck began operating weekly outside Wesley Uniting Church in early September. The decision to choose Wesley Uniting Church as a site for the truck arose from conversations between ASRC and Lentara UnitingCare.

“We were always eager to have the truck trade in the CBD,” Mr Shields said.

“There is a massive general public customer base there with all the city workers and the local universities. The public transport situation makes it easy for asylum seekers based on the city border or from a greater distance to access the truck.

“The ASRC has had a very strong relationship with the Uniting Church’s Asylum Seeker Project for many years now, and the Wesley

Church was suggested by our wonderful colleagues at Lentara UnitingCare.”

Children and families are regular customers of the truck, which visits Thomastown Primary School on Tuesday afternoons and Footscray Primary School on Friday afternoons. With only one paid staff, the social enterprise relies on a team of dedicated volunteers and the assistance of churches and schools to keep the truck rolling.

“To be able to engage with a supportive community who really understand our aims and are willing to assist is a great feeling,” Mr Shields said.

The truck will soon venture to other areas in Melbourne with large asylum seeker populations. Openings in Brimbank, Sunshine and Dandenong are scheduled for the coming months.

“We are looking forward to meeting new people and having them join our community, both customers and volunteers,” he said.

“Who knows, maybe the Food Justice Truck fleet isn’t too far away!”

If you would like to volunteer at the Food Justice Truck, contact the ASRC on (03) 9326 6066 or email foodjusticetruck@asrc.org.au.

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Profile Modern missionaries BEN GRUNDY THE word ‘missionary’ may conjure an image of old-world, and perhaps outdated, Christian missional work in developing countries.

However missionary placements are often a matter of practical and professional support for partner church communities throughout the world.

Rev John Bottomley and Margaret Neith are certainly not your ‘traditional’ missionaries.

John and Margaret are now five months into a six-month-long missionary program in Sri Lanka with the Jaffna Diocese of the Church of South India.

Throughout the years Margaret and John have developed close ties with Sri Lanka through volunteering and advocacy. So when they retired from the UCA agency Creative Ministries Network at the end of 2014, a volunteer placement in Sri Lanka seemed like a natural fit.

During the missionary placement, John has been working on a major history project and assisting with finance issues, while also contributing pastoral support and training programs. Margaret is working to support projects for the Jaffna College and the Centre for Holistic Healing (CHH).

The CHH provides healthcare and other services for communities in rural areas, with limited access to support.

Margaret recently attended the CHH’s free mobile health clinic in a remote region south of Jaffna, where many communities live with visible reminders of Sri Lanka’s decades-long civil war.

“Thaya Thiagarajah, director of the CHH, asked me to accompany her and a medical team on a visit to the Konavil district of Vanni,” Margaret said.

“I have not seen such poverty up close before – this is where the worst battle of the civil war took place.

“The area is one of the saddest I have seen since arriving in Sri Lanka this year.

“Some of the houses are really just huts with one or two rooms. Cooking is done outside on a fire and water is drawn from wells.

“Some homes are made of bare concrete bricks with unlined tiled or tin roofs, and others are just palm leaf thatch. Two blue emergency tents, first supplied by a charity at the end of the war, have been used as a home by one local family for the past six years.

“Some of the concrete houses still bear the

marks of shells and bombs.”

Many communities in Sri Lanka’s regional areas have limited access to healthcare, as travel and associated cost can be prohibitive.

More than 300 people came for treatment from many surrounding villages throughout the day.

“When we arrived there was already a long line of people waiting patiently,” Margaret said.

“The patients were all ages, including many mothers and children.”

Margaret said that during the health clinic’s visits social workers, doctors and other staff keep an eye out for people with particularly severe health problems and other issues.

“I met one little child, Niroshan, whose situation was quite concerning,” she said.

“This seven-year-old boy was wearing grubby clothes and was very thin. I was told he was doing well at school and has potential to succeed in his education, but that his home situation was not good.”

The child and his two siblings were living in a tiny house with their grandparents because

both their parents were killed during the war. The grandparents, in poor health themselves, had very little income, surviving on meagre subsistence farming.

Due to the intervention of CHH, Niroshan’s family is being supported with material aid and funding will be provided to support the children’s education.

Reflecting on her time in Sri Lanka, Margaret said she has been particularly struck by the effects of the civil war.

“Many people have shrapnel scars – one girl had an enormous scar on her head and suffers from headaches,” she said.

“Her younger sister was also blinded in one eye during the bombing.

“There are times when I can’t help but reflect on the contrast between the circumstances of people I’ve met and my own life back in Melbourne.

“It’s been a privilege to see first-hand the benefits that free medical clinics are bringing to isolated communities.

“I’ve been touched by the patience of those who wait to be treated and by the kindness

and support of the volunteers who help run the clinics.”

As well as being involved with the practical work of the Jaffna Diocese, Margaret and John have also been warmly welcomed into the Church and broader community.

“Despite the challenges of climate, language and culture, without reservation we are so glad that we made the decision to come here,” Margaret said.

“We’ve been so warmly welcomed into the Jaffna community.

“We’ve set up residence in the newly renovated Jaffna College guest house and have been able to continue with our Tamil language classes.”

Both Margaret and John are contributing to English learning through Conversation Clubs with teachers and students and would be happy to assist ESL or TESL teachers interested in volunteering in Sri Lanka.

MIND BODY SPIRIT Service - North Balwyn UCA, Duggan St. North Balwyn (Mel. 46 F3) SUNDAY 25 OCTOBER 5.30 - 7.30pm Mr Paul Forgasz & Mr Nick Mattiske

(Paul from the Jewish, and Nick from the Lutheran traditions), are presenters with the Grass Roots Dialogue Project. A project to promote engagement between Christians and Jews.

“Cultural and Religious Identity’’

SUNDAY 29 NOVEMBER 5.30 - 7.30pm Morris and Barbara Stuart

Have a strong and growing connection with Central Australian remote Aboriginal communities.

They spend their winters in the Red Centre where, among other things, they work with choirs.

“Finding their Voice – Music and Reconciliation in Central Australia” Talks are followed by soup & Reflective Worship Further details: 9857 8412, mail@nbuc.org.au or www.nbuc.org.au

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CROSSLIGHT - NOVEMBER 15

News Bridges of Hope REBECCA BEISLER WHEN Gai Kur Akuei arrived at Brisbane Airport for the Uniting Church’s South Sudanese National Conference he was greeted by members of Nuer Faith Community. It was the first time he had spoken to a Nuer person since war erupted in South Sudan in December 2013.

A power struggle between the president of South Sudan and his deputy dragged the young nation into a bloody conflict. Both sides seized upon tribal divides to further the war for their own gain. In just under two years, tens of thousands of people lost their lives and more than 2 million people fled their homes.

Gai, who is secretary of Adelaide’s Dinka faith community, lost a cousin in the recent violence. It was another painful loss in what has been a harrowing journey.

As a young boy, Gai was forcibly separated from his family to be trained for the army.

He still mourns the loss of his father who was killed in 1991 in another conflict. Gai spent 12 years living in a refugee camp in Kenya, where ongoing tribal violence meant he feared for his life every night.

He was married in the camp and Gai and his wife came to Australia with their three children in 2004 as refugees. Their airfares were paid by a Uniting Church congregation. They now have seven children and live peacefully in Adelaide’s northern suburbs.

Unspoken words between the largely Christian South Sudanese population in Australia reflect the hurt and distrust people have carried amid the warfare in their home country.

From the airport, Gai was taken to the family home of Pastor Moses Leth, the minister for the Nuer Faith Community in Brisbane which hosted the conference in conjunction with the Presbytery of South Moreton at St David’s Uniting Church in Coopers Plains.

As a Dinka man, having not spoken with any Nuer person for two years, Gai now found himself sitting, eating and praying alongside them.

The experience transformed him.

The next day Gai stood up and spoke to the South Sudanese members gathered from across Australia.

“God has sent us here today to become messengers – to make peace in South Sudan, starting with our communities here and then back home.

“I am the right person and you are the right person to make that reconciliation and that peace.”

Supporting UCA volunteers THE synod People and Culture team has recently updated policies and processes around managing volunteers.

Stephen Mullen, director of the synod’s People and Culture unit, said the amended policies particularly relate to congregations working with vulnerable individuals.

“We’ve updated volunteer processes with a significant focus on when our congregations are working with people who are in a specialneeds category,” he said.

CROSSLIGHT - NOVEMBER 15

L – R Gai Kur Akuei, Rev Dr Apwee Ting, Stuart McMillan, Paul Dau, Rob Floyd, Moses Leth, Rev James Makuei Choul

Gai is currently studying to become a minister in the Uniting Church. He attended the conference at the last minute, prompted by his lecturer Rev Dr Amelia Koh-Butler to write about the experience for his studies.

With flights confirmed just days before, Gai said it was God’s plan for him to be there.

“There are 64 tribes in South Sudan and they are very conflicted. They need to be connected. I feel I need to do that work.”

The will for peace and reconciliation permeated the three-day conference.

With the fitting theme ‘Building Bridges of Hope’, the conference brought together around 40 South Sudanese members of the Uniting Church from Perth, Darwin, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and regional parts of Queensland from 25 to 27 September.

A highlight of the program was the presence of Rev James Makuei Choul, the executive director of the Presbyterian Relief and Development Agency of South Sudan (PRDA). Mr Choul has been on the frontline of the emergency response peace building in South Sudan. His visit to Australia was facilitated by UnitingWorld, which partners with PRDA and the Presbyterian Church of South Sudan (PCoSS).

Mr Choul indicated the vital role the church in South Sudan must take to build peace between communities.

“There has been a lot of trauma. For people

to even hear the name of a certain tribe can be a source of conflict.

“People praying in the church were asking, ‘why do we not ask God for those causing the problem to die’. But our God is not magic. Our God is different from us.

“Jesus said ‘Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing’. That is the message we have for people as a church.”

PCoSS lost 10 pastors in war. Churches, schools and other infrastructure were flattened. The church faces the task of rebuilding both physically and emotionally.

Mr Choul said the healing would begin with the church leaders themselves.

Fifty pastors have already taken part in workshops where they could share their experiences of the war. PCoSS plans to equip its church leaders to become peacebuilders in their own communities.

A ceasefire agreement signed in August remains fragile but Mr Choul said the desire for peace is strong among the people of South Sudan. He asked the UCA for its continued support and prayers.

Also significant was the presence of UCA President Stuart McMillan for the duration of the conference. His opening sermon provided great encouragement to the South Sudanese members.

“My friends, as a Christian I know that all people are created in the image of God,” he said. “A God of love and forgiveness, a God of mercy and compassion, a God who in Christ has destroyed the walls of hostility

between people and who calls us and equips us to be peacemakers.”

Later, Pastor Leth shared how grateful the South Sudanese members were for the welcome they had experienced in the Uniting Church, particularly from its leaders.

“We ask ourselves, if these people can love us so much, surely we can extend this love to each other.”

UnitingWorld’s National Director Rob Floyd spoke about the organisation’s support for the people of South Sudan since 2010. In particular, UnitingWorld funds a midwifery school which has trained 59 women to become midwives, a significant step in helping to reduce high maternal and infant mortality rates in South Sudan.

Mr Floyd said UnitingWorld stood ready to support the Presbyterian Church, particularly as it rebuilds and trains new leaders to take leadership in the peacebuilding process.

It was this commitment to justice that inspired Gai Kur Akuei to serve in the Uniting Church.

His great hope is to one day return to South Sudan and serve as a chaplain in the army.

“The soldiers do not know the word of God, they do not know they are good people. I want to share with them that regardless of the tribalism, they are children of God. They are brothers.”

As an example of how the guidelines will assist congregations, Mr Mullen cited instances where congregations may have arrangements without clear guidelines.

“We have congregations who run drop-in centres and have many people coming and going throughout the week,” he said.

“We’ve not really had any process for managing and dealing with those situations.

The volunteer policy picks up on that gap and provides clear guidelines to assist congregations.”

As well as providing guidelines, Mr Mullen said it’s critical the UCA community continues to provide safe and supportive environments, particularly for vulnerable individuals.

“What we’re trying to do is pre-empt stronger guidelines coming out of the Royal Commission and make sure we communicate with congregations about the needs around working with children checks and police checks.

“We’re here to support congregations and are very happy to provide guidance from a process point of view.

“There are many congregations working with vulnerable people – this is a very important outreach for the Church.

“So it’s important we ensure the best possible structures are in place – it’s there as a support for congregations managing this aspect of the church.”

Commenting on the strong culture of volunteering in the Uniting Church, Mr Mullen said it was critical that congregations and other church groups were supported to continue volunteering arrangements.

“Volunteering is in our DNA as a community – the Uniting Church is built on and around volunteering.

“We’re trying to support that, if people have concerns they can contact us to make sure congregations can continue to operate in this space with confidence.”

For more information on the updated policy visit https://www.victas.uca.org.au/People-andCulture or call 9251 5477.

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Feature

The digging of the foundations

KINGSTON CREATES A COMMUNITY, NOT JUST A HOME, FOR YOUNG RESIDENTS NIGEL TAPP The completed framework was an important milestone

Buildings reach lock up stage

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CROSSLIGHT - NOVEMBER 15

Feature ONE of the biggest challenges faced by parents of young people with disabilities is dealing with the uncertainty surrounding their child’s future. Most parents dread the day they can no longer care for their children.

Of the myriad of issues arising from that reality is finding a living environment which allows their adult child to reach their full potential and be cared for in a nurturing space.

The idea of their child being shunted into some form of nursing facility is something that parents find difficult to accept.

Parents want their children to be an integral part of society, to grow, to learn and to develop in their own way with the support they need to keep them safe.

Yet, in Australia the reality does not always match the hopes of parents, although governments at both state and federal level are seeking to find answers.

In a small corner of Tasmania, a local Uniting Church has developed a model which could become a real answer to the prayers of many parents.

At least it is already bearing fruit for 12 young people and their families.

The Kingston Uniting Church is located about 15 km south of Hobart. For many years, the church has supported young people living with disabilities through a range of programs. This has included the development of a social group with links to the broader Tasmanian Crossroads group, a church fellowship for people with disabilities and their families.

That relationship has seen the church consider how it could better reach out to young people with disabilities and their families by creating an intentional and inclusive community on its three acres of land, Rowallan Park.

The residents – who all grew up in the local community and had some social connections with each other prior to moving in late last year – reside in four one-bedroom, two two-bedroom and one four-bedroom residences built on site with a $2.8 million grant from the Federal Government’s Supported Accommodation Innovation Fund (SAIF).

A worship space and community centre for the broader community has also been

constructed. The church’s endeavours are supported by Possability (possability.com.au), which provides support services to residents, and UnitingCare Tasmania.

A manse for the church’s minister has also been constructed on site to further build on the connection between the church and the residents. There are future plans to incorporate affordable housing for people with disabilities, retirees and those on low incomes.

Both the state and federal government have been active supporters of the project.

Recurrent funding from the State Department of Health and Human Services enables Possability to undertake its work.

National Disability Insurance Scheme support is provided to some individual residents.

on mutual trust and respect.

Anyone can build a house, but developing a community takes time and effort. It is a challenge the congregation has readily embraced.

Church members Janine and Richard Romaszko have been among the key driving forces behind the development, at least partly because their 28-year-old daughter, Elise, has Down syndrome.

Janine stressed that, for the residents, it is not as much about living independently but learning and striving to live interdependently, surrounded by a supportive community consisting of the congregation as well as their fellow residents, parents and families.

It is a model aimed at encouraging the residents to see themselves as equal

The church’s vision is not just to provide a roof over the heads of the residents but, more importantly, to work with them and their families by offering tangible support and a day-to-day connection.

Church members will often stop for a chat with residents when they are on-site. They are seeking to build real relationships based

partners in building their own community on site.

“Often people with disabilities are seen as objects of charity without it being considered that they can also give back to society,” Janine said.

“We are seeing it happen, particularly in the ‘big house’ (the four-bedroomed property)

where they are each bringing along food they have made to share. There was another time when one of the young men was not so keen on attending a baby shower for one of their support workers but went along and helped wash up.

“He was not asked; it was not expected of him but it was just something he did.

“It is the concept of communitas – people become a community by doing things with the common goal and common purposes of assisting their own society.”

Kingston minister Rev Colin Gurteen stressed that the vision for the site was not the ‘property’ of just a few members but one the whole congregation embraced whole heartedly.

“This has been the vision of the people of God in this place. We have not taken any steps without the entire congregation being on board. It has been the congregation having a sense of God’s provision for us and the call upon us to share that with others,” he explained.

“The starting point was that we already had a relationship with this group of people.

We saw the announcement of the SAIF funding as an opportunity for us to respond and begin to act on the vision.”

Mr Gurteen said the congregation had received great support throughout the development from the Presbytery of Tasmania’s Resource and Development committee, the Property Board of the synod and a Property Control Group, which drew on the specific skills of the broader community as well as the congregation.

“We could not have done this without the support we have received from outside the church. Everything we have achieved has been consistent with our vision of working with the broader community,” Mr Gurteen said.

“There is always the risk of the church ‘knowing’ what everyone needs and, at times, doing it for them without developing a relationship with people to ensure that what we believe is really what is required.

“For this project, we have developed those relationships at every step. This has included engaging with the residents and their families, development professionals and agencies (which provide the residential support and management) such as

Pictured outside the `big house’ at Kingston are (from left): Church Council secretary Chris Parker, member Anne Warren, parents John Coyle and Caroline and Brian Morton and Church Council chair Claire Wherrett.

CROSSLIGHT - NOVEMBER 15

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Feature Possability and UnitingCare Tasmania so it has been about a partnership and not just the Church.”

Speak to the parents about what has transpired in the 12 months since the first resident moved and they talk of their children expressing a growing sense of personal optimism in the future, which did not seem as clear before the development.

“It is beautiful,” John Coyle said.

“There is a real warmth you feel here. As a family we have been embraced fully.

And that is after living on the periphery of society for probably 15 years.

“I feel so welcome and so does my daughter, Bridget. She has a real sense of being at home.”

While not from a church background, Mr Coyle said he had no difficulty with the development being church-driven.

“I have not had any issues about feeling accepted and am actually embracing that.

I respect everything it represents.

“The warmth and love for me and my family is something we have not really felt for more than a decade.

“I have felt extremely vulnerable. I have had to engage the support Bridget requires and there has always been the concern about what happens to her if anything happens to me.

“But you cannot get better than this scenario. So much thought has gone into it. It is a wonderful example of what can be

achieved.”

Mr Coyle, a widower, said having Bridget at Rowallan Park had changed the dynamics for his whole family by allowing him the time needed to nurture and support his other two children, one of whom has autism.

That sense of creating a welcoming environment weighed on the church, particularly in the early weeks as residents began to adjust to their new home.

Church council members Anne Warren and Liz Carter brought small welcome gifts for residents and their families as part of the

unofficial opening last year.

Mrs Warren said the initial welcome event, when the congregation hosted a lunch for residents and their families, had created a real spirit of ‘oneness’ which is a key aspiration of the vision.

Brian Morton said finding a home for his daughter Pailin had relieved much of the anxiety about the future for himself and wife Caroline.

“When you think about the future (for Pailin) you think of things such as nursing homes and it makes you shudder,” he said.

“This is just such a relief.”

“

Mr Morton said the couple now had the opportunity to do things together without being tied to Pailin’s schedule, although there was still a sense of loss, at times, that their daughter was not always around.

“We could never do anything spontaneously. It was either planned or it was not done.

“Now we have even been able to get away for a few days with little notice.”

Mr Morton said he and Caroline viewed the Church and the other residents and their families now as part of an extended familial unit.

Mr Gurteen said while the congregation acknowledged the development could serve as a model for other congregations, it could not be seen as a one-size-fits-all approach.

“While it is an example of what can be done it will always be unique to us and grounded in who we are.

“We see this as an opportunity given to us

by God, and in other places it will be about them seeing their opportunity.”

Rowallan Park serves as a wonderful example of a church community recognising its vision and working with others around it to create a new and dynamic answer to a question which has rested heavily on the minds of many.

By working in a collaborative partnership and staying true to the core vision, Kingston Uniting Church has achieved something special for all involved.

This has been the vision of the people of God in this place. We have not taken any steps without the entire congregation being on board. It has been the congregation having a sense of God’s provision for us and the call upon us to share that with others.

– Rev Colin Gurteen

Elise loves a home to call her own ELISE Romaszko is no different to any other 20-something who has recently flown the nest and moved into their own home, away from the watchful eyes of their parents.

She admits there are days when the challenge of adjusting to taking care of herself – and many tasks which come with that independence – can seem a

Elise in her own home

14

little overwhelming and other days when everything goes smoothly.

“It is a bit up and down but I love having my own space. I like the quietness but sometimes I stay up too late watching movies,” she laughed.

Above all else, the 28-year-old enjoys the sense of freedom living alone gives her, even though there is plenty of support around, not only from her parents, Richard and Janine, but the wider community at Rowallan Park.

Since moving in, Elise, who has Down syndrome, has not let the grass grow under her feet. She has already begun a vegetable patch and is known to be a dab hand in the kitchen, particularly when it comes to

making cakes.

“I make birthday cakes for the other residents.”

Elise has a strong sense of independence and is keen for Richard and Janine to respect her desire to forge her own path in life.

“I have my own rules and they (her parents) have to book in time with me,” she said, only half joking.

“If I am not here when they visit there is a blackboard at the front door and they can leave me a message.”

While it has not been easy to let go, Janine said she and Richard continually worked at giving Elise the freedom to make her own decisions.

”

“We have let her try things and sometimes make mistakes. There is no one peering over her shoulder saying she cannot do this or that.”

Janine said she was delighted to see Elise continually ticking off many of her own ambitions.

“Elise was once asked by a teacher what she wanted to do when she got older and she said to travel overseas by herself, work in an office and have her own place to live.

“Well she has ticked the last two of those off her bucket list (she works in a secretarial support role for two days every week).”

One also gets the feeling that an overseas trip may not be too far away.

Elise tends to her veggie garden

CROSSLIGHT - NOVEMBER 15

People Citizen of the year LORRAINE SAGE’S lifetime of giving to others was recently recognised when the life-long UCA member was presented with the City of Stonnington Citizen of the Year Award for community service.

A member of St Andrew’s Uniting Church in Gardiner, Lorraine’s association with the church began at birth.

As a teenager she joined the youth group of the Methodist Church in Leongatha, and went on to become a candidate for the Order of St Stephen. For two years she worked at the Malmaluan training centre in Rabaul, New Guinea as secretary to Rev John Mavor, principal of the training centre.

On returning to Australia, Lorraine worked for Rev Ron Lawton, director of the Presbyterian Church Christian education department, and at the time of Union moved to the synod offices in Melbourne, where she worked for the next 29 years.

Since retiring in 2006, Lorraine has actively supported a number of church activities in

Aussie hero quilts on display MANNINGHAM Uniting Church’s Pilgrim Patchworkers have for many years made knee quilts for elderly or infirm church members. The group has recently become involved in an outreach activity making quilts for the Aussie Hero Quilts Program (AHQ). This program encourages members to make quilts and laundry bags for Australian servicemen and women

a voluntary capacity, particularly the synod archives.

St Andrew’s UC newsletter described Lorraine as a tireless worker for the church and the wider community.

“Whatever the need, Lorraine has assisted willingly and has helped with hospitality, catering, chauffeuring and general administrative tasks,” the newsletter states.

“Lorraine has also dedicated her time and effort to the community…to Stonnington Girl Guides, Malvern Historical Society (as president) and Malvern emergency food program.”

Like many who give up their time for others, Lorraine is modest about her achievements.

“Anything that I have been able to do for the community has always been a pleasure and a privilege,” Lorraine said.

“I have always received much more than I have ever given to the community. I am humbled, honoured and privileged to receive the award and I will endeavour to continue assisting in the community wherever I can, whilst I am able and still have my health.”

Stonnington mayor Melina Sehr (right) presents Lorraine with her award

currently on deployment; mostly in the Middle East, South Sudan, Egypt and Israel.

Members of the group will display their work at the Manningham UC Festive Fair on Saturday 14 November and will be happy to share information about this national program.

The Festive Fair at the Atkinson Street, Templestowe church will run from noon to 8 pm and will include food stalls, entertainment, a ‘Frozen’ bouncing castle, books, cakes, toys, ‘treasures’, Devonshire teas, preserves, plants and other novelty stalls, as well as a visit from the local fire brigade.

Portarlington Social Justice Team at their Interfaith Service: Rev Marg Manning, Merilyn Bertram, Keith Pigdon and Joy Porter

The golden rule WHEN the Social Justice team at St Andrews Portarlington, on the Bellarine Peninsula in Victoria, began to plan their Social Justice Sunday services, they were struck by the many similarities that all faiths have as their basic principle.

They used the informative Golden Rule Poster from the Columban Mission Institute to show that Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim and Christian people, as well as our Indigenous brothers and sisters, all share a common theme of “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Hindus acknowledge: “This is sum of duty :

Mission club’s centenary of service recognised HOBART’S Scots Memorial Mission Club is celebrating its centenary this year.

The club was formed in 1915 at the Davey Street Congregational Church and was originally known as Davey Street LMS (London Missionary Society) Girls Association.

Secretary-treasurer Denise Bower said members were dedicated to keeping to the spirit of what the club was formed to do – to keep God at the centre of all activities

CROSSLIGHT - NOVEMBER 15

and to be his hands in helping those in need.

Over the years, a variety of items have been made by members in line with known needs, both locally and overseas. This has included bandages for those suffering leprosy, knitted children’s clothing for orphans in Romania and trauma teddies for displaced children.

To finance the club’s activities in the early years, members and friends held slide evenings, catered for functions, provided flower arrangements for weddings, held bring-and-buy sales and collected large quantities of newspapers to sell to freight company IPEC. Currently, the club funds its activities through trade tables and donations.

Denise paid special tribute to four long-

serving members – Sue Hutchinson, Kath Korn and sisters Margaret and Gwen Crocker, who have both passed away - who joined the club during its Davey St days.

Sue has been involved for over 45 years and was granted honorary life membership this year and 92-year-old Kath still works for the Mission Club’s monthly trade table, as she had done for many years.

“Without her sales technique, the club would be much the poorer,” Denise said.

“Gwen was a gentle soul who served as secretary for 35 years and Margaret sewed, knitted, crocheted, cooked and held the office of treasurer and vice president.”

Margaret was 93 when she died in 2007 and the club’s president at that time.

do not do to others what would cause pain if done to you.”

The Jewish Torah proclaims: “What is hateful to you do not do to your neighbour.

This is the whole Torah, all the rest is commentary.”

The Prophet Mohamed wrote: “Not one of you truly believes until you wish for others what you truly wish for yourself.”

The team further illustrated that point by using some embroidered banners made by one member of Queenscliff Rural Australians for Refugees (QRAR) for their Out of Darkness exhibition. Each banner contained one of the world religion’s underlying principles of care for each other and for the world.

Long serving member Kath Korn and Rev Ken Blackwell at the service

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Review

Image from ‘Ka-Ching!’, ABC Television

Bedtime tales BOOK | AMELIA’S AMAZING DREAM ADVENTURES | DIANNE HENSS THIS is a delightful children’s book of fantasy short stories told in the form of traditional fables. Author Dianne Henss weaves a web of intrigue for children about dreaming – yet all the stories have positive lessons for life. And a small piece of each dream makes its way back to reality.

The book is written for children in early primary school.

Amelia is a girl who dreams of flying, in her dreams her long golden hair grows and catches in the wind, enabling her to fly. She goes to faraway places, where she helps people to solve their problems.

The stories exemplify the values of kindness, caring and helping others. When Amelia wakes there is always a mysterious piece of evidence that perhaps this was more than just a dream.

Amelia’s Amazing Dream Adventures, illustrated by the author, is a book of seven separate stories, 47 pages long.

The story was originally written for Dianne’s granddaughter after she was told her grandchild flies in her dreams. As a young girl, Dianne also flew in her dreams, which is why she has put pen to paper.

Dianne entertains the elderly in nursing homes by singing old songs and reading poetry, many of the poems she has written herself. She conducts the Cohuna Uniting Church and Friends Cantata each Christmas, and is a Shared Ministry Team member at Gunbower in northern Victoria.

The book is available in hard copy from Amazon Children’s Books, as an e-book from Kindle Australia, and as a narrated video book from the author’s websiteameliasdreams.com

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Uniting in friendship REVIEW BY LARRY MARSHALL BOOK | JUST YOUR AVERAGE MUSLIM | ZIA CHAUDHRY ZIA CHAUDHRY’S family migrated to England from Pakistan and he grew up in Liverpool. He is a practising lawyer who has become increasingly involved in interfaith dialogue in the past decade.

This book seeks to speak for the silent majority of ‘average’ Muslims in the West who live and work and suffer in silence while extremists urge violence and the media often enjoins a battle against the dangers of ‘Islam’ in our midst.

Chaudhry is a man of deep faith and learning who wants to protest the actions of those who bring shame on his religion.

But he is also angry at the ugly vitriol so often aimed at Muslims en masse (1.5 billion people) and the puerile debate about this unacceptable violence and the harm that does to interfaith relations in our established multicultural communities.

He calls out to his fellow Muslims to become part of the solution by helping to fix the social cracks that are appearing everywhere. “As a matter of urgency, we need to identify areas for mutual cooperation.”

History, the author reminds us, has many important examples of mutual cooperation and respect that have existed between the three monotheistic faiths. He cites as evidence Cordoba in Spain in the Golden Age of Islam where Jews, Muslims and Christians lived in harmony.

Chaudhry bravely sets out to encourage the silent Muslims to engage in an informed debate about the need for reform in Islam, so it can be rescued from interpretations by just the ‘bearded guys’. He argues that Islam can reconnect with its moral essence and be relevant again in this modern world.

Chaudhry asserts that the Quran exhorts the reader to investigate the world with a spirit of inquiry and arrive at a reasoned belief rather than relying on ‘blind faith’.

Building a society based on respect and shared values is at the basis of Chaudhry’s interfaith work. He cites as one of his highlights being asked by Christian friends to become a godfather to baby Jemima.

And so, from the personal to the political he asserts: “There is no reason why we cannot help create strong, compassionate, unified, yet diverse communities by working together.”

Letters home REVIEW BY JANET HOWIE BOOK | CHEERIO AND LOVE TO ALL | JOAN ELLEMOR ON May 24, 1941, Joan exclaims in her diary: ‘Landed at Milingimbi!’

Joan Ellemor (formerly Joan Hooke), her Methodist minister husband, Arthur, and infant son, Michael, had just disembarked from the trusty mission lugger Larrpan at the mission station where Arthur had been appointed.

Immediately, they are immersed in busy daily routines, ministry, and unexpected events. Cheerio and love to all tells of their experience among the Yolngu people, on a remote Arnhem Land island, and later in Darwin.

The adventure unfolds largely through Joan’s letters to her mother. The letters and diary entries are a captivating and easy read. Joan writes naturally about everyday life as it happens, setting the scene as she describes the environment, its dwellings, excursions, picnics, ceremonies and wet and dry seasons.

She charts the growth and interests of her six children, records aspects of Arthur’s ministry, and has appreciative and observant insights into mission staff and helpers, providing readers with the unique perspective of a woman.

The world of these letters lingers in the mind and a number of impressions emerge.

The strongest is that of faith at work.

Understated, but present and practical, whether in church, Sunday school (where Joan sets up the kindergarten), or in education. She allows the Yolngu girls to use her precious treadle sewing machine, which she also uses to painstakingly make her family’s clothes. With the aid of radio contact she renders first aid and deals with a measles epidemic. We read about her family’s experience during the war, of evacuation, bombing and the faith that sustains in difficult times.

Above all, Joan is hospitable, and, often at short notice, supplying meals, morning and afternoon teas, a bed for the night, or welcoming a diverse range of people.

During their first stay in Darwin, in the early war years, the Ellemors offered fellowship and hospitality to many young soldiers stationed there.

Joan’s letters reveal an authentic slice of Australian family, missionary, and social history from 1940 -1960, a history that is valuable not only to her descendants, but to us all.

Pulling apart the pokies REVIEW BY CATH JAMES DOCUMENTARY | KA-CHING! | ABC TELEVISION THEY’VE gone from being illegal to being everywhere. Australia has rapidly become the poker machine capital of the world, with five times more machines per capita than the USA. We’re losing a staggering $11 billion a year, but everyone – players, industry and government – is hooked.

What is it that makes these machines uniquely addictive?

Last month, the ABC screened the documentary Ka-Ching! which looked into what makes pokies so treacherous.

In Victoria alone, at least 30,000 people are harmed by pokies. The pokies’ industry continues to be the main source of the problem. They design their machines to take the maximum amount of money from gamblers. Not only do people lose huge amounts of money, they can lose their homes and are four times more likely to have a serious problem with alcohol and six times more likely to be divorced.

The Uniting Church has, for a long time, been concerned about the harm caused by pokies. Many church members have signed postcards, petitions and met with their local MP to express their outrage at the industry and the way vulnerable people are targeted. This has resulted in a number of reforms that have already reduced the harm.

To complete the task, what is needed now is for more people to express their outrage at the manipulative way the pokies industry makes a profit so that further regulations will be put into place.

This film is a great way of sharing the message about the harm pokies cause and inspiring people to take action.

The Commission for Mission’s JIM unit also has postcards available for people to sign that will further pressure both the Victorian and Federal Governments to take long-overdue action.

More about the film can be found at: www.pokiesplayyou.org.au Contact Robyn Hosking for copies of the postcard on (03) 9251 5271 or jim@victas.uca.org.au

For copies contact: publish@penfolk.com.au Ph: (03)9878 9285

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Review Robert Durst in a still from ‘The Jinx’

The whole truth REVIEW BY TIM LAM DOCUMENTARY | THE JINX: THE LIFE AND DEATHS OF ROBERT DURST | MA “I did not tell the whole truth. Nobody tells the whole truth.”

THESE words were uttered by reclusive real-estate heir and triple murder suspect Robert Durst in the HBO documentary The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst.

Durst is linked to three murders stretching back to the 1980s – the disappearance of his wife in 1982, the murder of his friend Susan Berman in 2000 and the gruesome death of his neighbour in 2001. However, he was never convicted of any of the crimes.

The Jinx is a six-part documentary that seeks to expose the truth behind the murders. Director Andrew Jarecki adopts the role of an investigator as he talks with police, forensic experts and the victims’ families. But Jarecki had access to one crucial witness no journalist had interviewed before – Robert Durst himself.

Shell-shocked REVIEW BY EMMET O’CUANA FILM | THE LOBSTER | MA15+ “I think I could turn and live with the animals” – Walt Whitman, Song of Myself A MAN sits alone on a couch. He wears glasses, has a pronounced paunch and looks extremely sad. A voice off-screen, a woman and clearly the man’s partner, identifies him as David, apologising for the break-up of their relationship. The man, played by Colin Farrell, asks his wife if the man she is leaving him for has glasses also. Contacts, she replies.

Then David is taken from his home by uniformed attendants and transported to The Hotel, where he has a limited amount of time to find another partner. If he fails he will be transformed into an animal.

Absurd as the film’s premise is, director Yorgos Lanthimos has constructed an artful and compelling story about the value we place on relationships. In The Lobster, married couples are granted the right to live and work in The City. Singles are forced to compete for couplehood in The Hotel, or risk transformation. Olivia Colman’s Manager explains to David after his arrival that he could still find a partner as an animal, so he should be careful which species he would like to be. The film’s title reflects his choice, made on the basis that lobsters live for a long time and he likes the sea.

Not only is this Kafkaesque metamorphosis as punishment for singledom a mandatory rule that everyone abides by – a society of terrified Gregor Samsas in potentia, desperate not to offend anyone in case they are turned – the people David meets seem stripped of all personality. First, no one else appears to have a name. Colman’s character

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The one-on-one interviews between Durst and Jarecki unfold like a modern day Frost/Nixon showdown. The viewer, like Jarecki, analyses Durst’s every answer and examines every change in his facial expression in the hope of uncovering the truth behind the deaths that seem to shadow this man’s life.

Durst is an intriguing and magnetic screen presence, mesmerising in his eccentricity.

At times he comes across as a confused and vulnerable old man; in other instances he displays the characteristics of a calculated, cold-blooded killer. He can be flippantly candid when he rationalises his bizarre behaviour, but he also supplies evasive answers that teasingly hint at his complicity in the murders.

Despite a total running time of nearly six hours, The Jinx is briskly paced and cleverly edited to keep viewers on the edge of their seats. The filmmakers combine meticulous research with captivating drama to create an absorbing tale of family politics, deceit, mystery and stunning revelations. The end result is six hours of gripping and engrossing storytelling that culminate in a chilling climax.

The Jinx is compelling television with consequences that continue to play out in real life. The documentary raises serious ethical questions about the increasingly

blurred line between journalism and entertainment. The legal admissibility of the evidence gathered throughout the filmmaking process will be critical in determining Durst’s guilt or innocence if and when he faces court. Whatever the outcome of any legal proceedings, The Jinx succeeded in reviving a 30-year-old cold case and, in the process, set forth a chain of events that may hopefully bring closure for the victims’ families.

To the external observer, Durst’s motives for participating in the documentary, and in the process seemingly implicate himself, seem suspicious. But Durst has always been

is defined by her function and hence she is The Manager. David befriends two men played by John C. Reilly and Ben Whishaw.

They are identified as Lisping Man and Limping Man. Because relationships are assumed to be based on traits people have in common, the residents of The Hotel are convinced they are single due to their own particular flaws or characteristics. Whishaw’s Limping Man hopes to meet another woman who has a limp. We learn he was brought to The Hotel after his wife died. She had a limp.

David at first attempts to form a relationship with Angeliki Papoulia’s Heartless Woman by pretending to be equally as cruel to the fellow residents of The Hotel. When that fails, he escapes into the forests surrounding the grounds and meets the Loners, a group of singles under the command of Léa Seydoux’s Loner Leader.

While they claim to be free, David discovers the forest escapees exist as an inversion of the residents he has just fled from. They, too, do not have names and the Loner Leader proves to be as canny a dictator as Colman’s officious Manager, ensuring the Loners remain purely single and refrain from any form of intimacy at all.

The two sides exist in a state of perpetual conflict with one another, with residents of The Hotel led out on hunts targeting the Loners. For each Loner they shoot with a tranquiliser gun they are granted a stay of execution on their transformation into an animal, and more time to find a suitable partner. In this manner the would-be future couples are taught to hate and fear the single Loners in the forest – and vice versa.

This is all executed with a wryly surreal logic. The characters, divorced from any recognisable identities that we live by, speak in an oddly affected, robotic way.

Lanthimos suggests that our humanity is dependent on our connections with others by removing any sense of security in

personal relationships. Unable to genuinely connect and terrified of causing offence to their chosen partners for fear of being transformed into an animal, the characters live a meaningless life of pretense and ceremony. David’s growing obsession with his eyesight is clearly predicated on his belief that his marriage failed because he wears glasses – not considering the quality of the relationship itself.

What is surprising is how systematised these behaviours are.

There is no obvious external authority, with The Manager and the Loner Leader acting as functions of their respective groups. The story takes place in a vaguely identified European locale, but there are no references to a government, or even religion. There is no conspiracy, or signs of obvious dictatorship. Everyone, even David despite his small rebellions, acts as if all this is normal.

Lanthimos has delivered a bemusing allegory on the value we place on relationships and what it means to be a partnered with someone or live alone.

That absent any civil authority, it is still our connections to other people that determine our actions. This is a potentially baffling piece of cinema for some viewers, but has a consistent and compelling internal logic all of its own.

an enigma and a man of contradictions.

Perhaps the strange, irrational logic of Robert Durst is something only he will ever truly understand.

The Jinx is now available on DVD.

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Reflection Together towards life IN September, I gathered with 31 other participants in Bangkok for a seminar cohosted by the World Council of Churches and the Council for World Mission. We met together to consider the official 2013 World Council of Churches statement on mission, titled Together Towards Life: Mission and Evangelism in Changing Landscapes (TTL).

This was a gathering of 32 ‘Asian’ representatives, a geographical grouping in ecumenical parlance which spreads from Iran to New Zealand. It was not simply a meeting of theologians. Educators were present, as were high-school teachers, ministers, youth workers, and administrators. We were a diverse group with a diverse range of experiences.

Of course, use of the term ‘mission’ risks alienating readers who may associate it with the historic practices and injury of colonisation. TTL heads in a different direction: it is understood to be the first formal ecumenical statement of mission developed by Christian voices from the global south.

It is only the second statement issued by the WCC, following the 1982 document titled Mission and Evangelism – An Ecumenical Affirmation (ME). The key point of difference lies in the role given to the Spirit in mission. Whereas ME talked of mission in ‘Christ’s way’, TTL speaks of the Spirit as the breath of life, the source of liberation and the creator of community.

It is intended that the two documents be read together, so it is not a question of replacing Christ with the Spirit. But, reading mission through the Spirit gives an additional set of emphases.

Mission is first an action of the Trinity as creator. Mission is not something to be reduced to the human, but includes the reconciliation of the whole of created life. Ecology and eco-justice are of central significance when thinking of God’s own mission to the world. Nor was this an abstract concern. A number of delegates, and especially the Indigenous peoples present, related moving experiences of ‘natural’ disasters. We heard of a flashflood which had swept through a long established Indigenous community, and of the flooding which occurs within the Philippines as a result of deforestation.

These ‘natural’ disasters resulted from human behaviours and a lack of care for the fragile balance of creation.

TTL regards the unfettered exploitation of creation as a result of our “idolatrous assumptions, unjust systems, politics of domination and exploitation in our current world economic order” (TTL, §30). Our serving ‘mammon’ includes these direct and devastating consequences.

The problem is, in other words, a spiritual matter.

Mission is defined, second, as a transformative spirituality which resists

Seminar participants

every power that denies, destroys, or reduces life. At this point, the statement’s central thrust emerges with clarity: “…to experience life in the Spirit is to taste life in its fullness” (§34).

Transformative spirituality finds concrete expression in empowering the powerless and challenging the powerful to empty themselves in service to the powerless.

Using spirituality as a lens undoes notions of salvation that trade upon a fragmentation of life, an isolation of the soul from the body as the only thing to be saved. Salvation is holist and liberative.

The driving notion of ‘sending’ during the period of colonialization rested in western churches going to other regions bringing civilisation, religion, and enlightenment. Those on the margins were often characterised as passive recipients of a message, but did not themselves have any agency in its reception. TTL inverts that line of thinking. The accent falls on the reciprocity of sending and receiving. These are coincidental activities.

TTL defines mission, third, as a movement from the margins: the “orphans, widows, and strangers” are the messengers of God’s grace and comfort. In a time of significant refugee movements, we would do well to heed the point. We encounter and serve the living Jesus Christ in the reception of the stranger, and in her telling of God’s grace and peace in the journey.

Of course, nice ideas are one thing, but giving those ideas shape within our communities is quite another. The seminar concerned itself with the document’s reception, at how it might become a living document.

A range of important contextual concerns came to the fore: The differences between lands with a Christian majority (Samoa, Philippines, East Timor, PNG, Romania), and those with a Christian minority (Thailand, Bangladesh, Malaysia, India, Myanmar) informs the practices of Christian witness. But this is perhaps one

of the document’s strengths.

Discussion quickly focused on gender issues and hearing women’s voices within the church, on ecological issues and the need for harmony with nature, on the challenges of interfaith marriage, the recovery of mission within preaching, the development of liturgies which call us to the marginalised.

The whole event was testimony to the creative power of gathering together to reflect theologically on God’s being in the world. I recommend the text to you.

The 2013 WCC statement Together Towards Life is available online at:

http://bit.ly/wccmission The print version comes with a study guide for use at a congregational level.

The 2010 CWM statement Mission in the Context of Empire is available online at: http://bit.ly/cwmmission

Rev Dr John G Flett Coordinator of Studies - Missiology Pilgrim Theological College

Any exciting things happening in your patch?

Do you know of any exciting mission and outreach initiatives happening in your congregation? Someone else’s? Food vans, men’s sheds, engagement with refugees, community choirs?

We would love to hear of any such good news stories with a view to sharing them at the 2016 Synod meeting.

If you think you might have a story, please call Ben Grundy on 9251 5968 or email ben.grundy@victas.uca.org.au

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Good News Stories-Synod 2colx60mm.indd 1

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CROSSLIGHT - NOVEMBER 15

Letters Animal story project

understanding of the Christian faith … including people of faiths other than Christianity, as well as people of non-religious viewpoints”.

MANY of you would have attended a ‘Blessing of the Animals’ service in October, or been part of a ‘Blessing of the Animals’ service in the past. I always love hearing stories about the animals that make up peoples’ families.

What better way than sharing some of these stories with the wider church? If pets are part of our family, then, by extension, they are part of the church family.

On a recent visit to a book shop, I noticed a book that was composed of letters from owners to their pets. The letters spoke about how they acquired their particular pet, some of the shared adventures, what is special about them etc. One even mentioned why they didn’t want to have a new addition (but they are now glad they did let another being into their homes/hearts).

If you would like to share the story of your animal family member, then please either send it as an email, or via post. If you need a word limit, 300-500 words (but, like a good sermon, it will be as long as it needs to be).

If you see a religious or spiritual connection, please include this. What has your pet taught you about God? About unconditional love?

Does your dog/cat/bird/fish/rabbit etc make you a better person? How? At this stage I am uncertain how we will print/publish, as it will depend on responses etc. Please include your name, address, email address and phone number.

Deadline: December 31st, 2015.

Dr Max Waugh (parishioner) Wesley Church, Lonsdale St Melbourne, VIC

Rev Barbara Allen Spirituality and Creation Project Worker Commission for Mission 130 Little Collins St Melbourne 3000 t (03) 9251 5257 e Barbara.Allen@victas.uca.org.au

Re RE I SUPPORT Rev Bob Faser’s views in his letter ‘Right Decision’, (October Crosslight) on Synod’s recent decision to withdraw from ACCESS Ministries.

As a primary school VP and principal in Ferntree Gully (1975 -92), like Bob, I recall experiencing relatively few problems with the content of the religious instruction curriculum or the conduct of the volunteer instructors (then under the direction of the Council for Christian Education in Schools). At this time my school’s policy for admittance to religious education was an ‘opt-in’ one – on enrolment, parents were specifically asked if they wanted their child/children included in the RE lessons offered.

On one (rare) occasion I received a complaint from a parent of a child in Grade 5, that a new RE instructor was causing her son to have nightmares, because of his depiction of ‘eternal hellfire’ in a recent RE lesson. After notifying the RE co-ordinator at the school, I promptly summoned the instructor to my office, showed him my copy of the upper-school curriculum RE syllabus, and asked him to show me where there was a reference to a ‘hell’ in the material. Of course he couldn’t identify one, and vaguely complained that he found the set curriculum “too restricting”. I then told him of the consequences (dismissal) of straying from the lesson material to such a degree in the future, but he really couldn’t control his Christian fundamentalist zeal, and, after a further complaint soon afterwards, and with the co-operation of the co-ordinator, he lost his position at our school.

So l can appreciate what could happen under the rules of ACCESS Ministries if (as has been alleged) the curriculum is narrowly defined, and their instructors are allowed to proselytise in class. Which is a great tragedy, because the opportunity for the teaching of religious education in Victorian government schools (since the 1872 Education Act) is to be withdrawn from the beginning of next year.

As Bob Faser correctly laments of the former system, it “reflected an ecumenical

CROSSLIGHT - NOVEMBER 15

Sad end to SRE THE decision of the Synod to withdraw from membership of the ACCESS Ministries was a surprising and disappointing one. It was foreshadowed in our congregation on the very day we were celebrating the anniversary of the Uniting Church. How sad that on a day when we were expressing our unity with other believers in different communions, with whom we may someday have closer links, our church should be planning disuniting from an ecumenical organisation with which it has cooperated for decades.

During much of that time, members of the Methodist and then the Uniting Church had leading roles in the organisation (then called the Council for Christian Education in Schools). The theological ‘flavour’ of the CCES in earlier times was one with which the Uniting Church apparently felt comfortable.

Other groups who were members of the CCES at that time may not all have felt as comfortable with that approach (as I was aware since I was at that time a writer of the CRE curriculum), but chose to remain and exert their influence from within.

It may well be that, as Rev Dr Bob Faser (October Crosslight) suggests, the current curriculum materials have considerable flaws.

They always have had. What a pity that the Uniting Church has become so theologically exclusive that it is unable to remain in fellowship with a Christian organisation which has a different style or emphasis, and by remaining, be in a position to help shape the material.

As to the future, the decision of the State government to remove Special Religious Education from the classrooms of Victorian schools will mean that thousands of children will no longer hear the Good News that God loves them. How does the Uniting Church plan to redress this lack?

Dr Helen Joynt Wattle Glen, VIC

Church response to dementia LAST month’s Crosslight showed the wide range of services provided by Uniting AgeWell; work in independent and assisted living, day therapy programs, respite and residential care, including units for specialist dementia care. These programs are well recognised and valued in the community.

But many people with dementia or other forms of cognitive impairment are not involved in these settings. They are living in their own homes and being supported by their immediate families. It is likely that just about every Uniting Church congregation will have a number of such people in its membership.

In light of the research showing that the number of Australians diagnosed with dementia is expected to rise significantly in coming decades, it seems timely to consider how the local church can also provide care and support.

One of the outcomes of a diagnosis for many of those with dementia and their carers is loneliness. This is why we need dementia-friendly churches. If we can get being dementia-friendly right; if we are truly welcoming, inclusive and nurturing to people who have dementia, then this could influence all that is done for every person who comes into our churches.

It is easy for any church to assume that they are

friendly to all. But dementia un-friendliness can occur because most people either do not recognise that something needs to be done, or just do not know how to begin.

A dementia-friendly church would: intentionally adopt a ministry that would • Accept and value people regardless of cognitive abilities • Ensure that the person who has dementia and those who support them are cared for through all the stages of the illness • Make sure the person who has dementia and their carer are both spiritually and pastorally supported • Look for strengths and abilities then support and encourage the use of these gifts, so that participation in the church community is continued.

This is a challenging ministry but dementiafriendly churches can offer an opportunity to reach out to those who are vulnerable and to show the love of God in action.

Joan Waters Blackburn, VIC.

Hymns LARGELY in response to the publicity in the September Crosslight, on 26 September at North Balwyn Uniting Church, I hosted a workshop on hymn-playing for ‘reluctant’ organists and keyboard players – pianists and others who had been asked to play hymns in a church service on a pipe organ, an electronic organ or a keyboard of some sort without any advice or training. This was an attempt to locate such people and offer support and help.

More than a dozen enquiries came in, and it was gratifying that 10 were able to attend the two-hour session. They came from various parts of Melbourne and beyond and ranged in age from 20s to 70. Their willingness to demonstrate their abilities and their enthusiasm in the following discussions, made the two hours pass rapidly. But what impressed me most was their dedication to their positions as church musicians and the desire to do the best they could. They were unanimous in asking for further sessions.

Each participant gave a personal introduction, explained what they were being asked to do at their churches and then played a hymn. Nearly all chose ‘traditional’ hymns. We discussed the place of hymns in worship services and the pros and cons of each performance against the idea of leading rather than just accompanying congregational singing.

In the last 10 minutes I gave a brief demonstration of how the pipe organ can be used in that capacity. What impressed them was the range of sound and atmosphere as well as the powerful leadership the organ can give in worship – as no other single instrument can.

I am sure that it is the lack of good organists which has led to the view, particularly among some clergy, that organs are dull and outmoded in church services. This view is alarmingly common (in both senses). None of the participants would agree with it!

A follow-up session to this workshop is planned for Saturday 14 November at 10.30 am at North Balwyn Uniting Church (Melway 46 F3).

Bruce Steele Via email- mail@nbuc.org.au

Congratulations I am delighted with the September and October editions of Crosslight. There are far fewer distracting backgrounds to the printed word, thus providing easy reading particularly for anyone with sight impairment.

On another issue of inclusiveness I note that in October all but two of the notices have phone numbers as well as internet contacts. This is an improvement on previous editions.

Given the average age of congregations there are still members who do not use the internet and are excluded from gaining information about events if there are only web addresses or email contacts. I understand that this is up

to the people who provide the notices, but perhaps phone contacts should be included in guidelines for advertising events.

Rosemary Lade Kew, VIC

Answers needed IN the October issue of Crosslight, Alan Ray refers to Bryan Long’s letter in the September issue and asks 12 very relevant questions to which answers have not been supplied. He was a member of the Standing Committee and a presbytery representative so he would be in a privileged position to be able to answer these questions himself. That he doesn’t, and presumably can’t, is emphasising the seriousness of Bryan Long’s assertions.

Some members of the Lay Preacher’s Association asked the same questions and Dr Lawrence says, “The Major Strategic Review is addressing a number of issues raised in this letter.” Which issues and why not tell the members?

The MSR was put in motion because the Synod had decided that ‘Steady as you go’ was no longer an option. The problem is that ‘Steady as you go’ is the status quo and that is not going to be changed by the vested interests who are saying, “We know what is best for the church. We will ask you, meet and talk with you and if we agree with you then we will listen to what you say.”

Bryan Long asks why the MSR does not use its results as a measure of the synod’s own performance. The synod has lost the place in the governance of the Church. If they were concerned then many answers to Alan Ray’s questions would be transparent and available for all to see and the members of the Uniting Church would be able to watch what their synod was doing. Alan Ray asks how many (sub)committees exist and what is their purpose. Their purpose is to postpone making any decision until the committee has the report ‘on the table’ and the membership of that committee then changes so the report is lost. In that way synod looks after itself and if they are brought to task then a committee will be formed to report back to synod. Time lapse? A year, or two or even more. Action, if any? Panic! Hence the debacle of Acacia College and the fire sale ramifications that followed.

This cannot continue.

Alexander Drysdale Via email

Minimum cost WHATEVER UCA administration ‘costs per church member’ happen to be, as queried

by Alan Ray (October Crosslight), those costs would be considerably higher if a cost factor for volunteer service involved in ‘UCA bureaucracy’ were taken to account.

Professionals advising large commercial enterprises give their time freely to all aspects of UCA, including finance and administration, was my experience during my 10 years with one of UCA’s ‘many committees’ Alan Ray refers to in his letter.

Apart from volunteers, I have only praise for the dedicated UCA staff, that applied best practice to limit ‘overlap and duplication’, to make sure there was ‘clear demarcation of reporting and decision making responsibilities’, and to make sure UCA administration costs were kept to a minimum. Including that costs were no more than any other similar organisation around the country.

David Stannard.

(Chartered Accountant) Brighton, VIC.

Still questions THE reply of Rev Dr Lawrence to Alan Ray (October) is a good illustration of what causes so much frustration among the rank and file of the Uniting Church. Clear and specific questions are fobbed off with an explanation

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Letters of the corporate structure which so alienates members.

Yes, we have long abandoned a spiritual for a corporate structure. Corporate structure? you ask. The remote Standing Committee now runs the Church; the ‘gang of four’ given oversight of future property sales remains anonymous; a glance at current vacancies with its predominance of country congregations suggests that the voices of spouse, career and child education speak louder than the Holy Spirit in the placement process … (Jesus may have shifted his ministry from Galilee to Jerusalem but the fore-mentioned were not the reasons!)

Rev Dr Lawrence and others charged with oversight of the Church appear to miss the pastoral issues behind questions such as Alan Ray asks: we feel alienated; we are pressed financially and are given no clear information re. how money is being spent.

We feel powerless when the Church divisions support so strongly left-wing issues yet ignore things close to our heart (e.g: while our leadership does much to embrace all types of gender relationships it is silent re. support for heterosexual marriage – the concerns in the pew are not only financial).

When questions of genuine concern are asked, we need more than a reminder of the structure that so alienates and obscures.

Leigh Pope Via email

Better to give I am a volunteer with UnitingCare Bendigo and each year we distribute Christmas gifts to hundreds of children in the local community through our Emergency Relief service. We have always relied heavily on the Share/Target ‘Operation Santa’ contribution to our giftgiving program, in addition to contributions from local individuals, schools, churches and community groups. In 2014, we distributed gifts for 594 children.

For many years, people wishing to give through Target were able to place a gift under a Christmas tree. When the tree was replaced by a ‘Giving Box’, we noticed a decline in the number of gifts we received from this source.

A number of people expressed disappointment to us that children had wanted to put a gift under a Christmas tree, not into a box – which wasn’t readily visible when they visited the store anyway! In some cases, this meant that they decided to go to another store to give their gifts – to another charity.

This year, we have learned that, instead of a tree, or even a box, Target customers will be prompted to donate $1 on top of their purchase to contribute to the Christmas appeal, although there will also be an opportunity to give a gift – via the lay-by counter! (The money raised will be “directly distributed through the agency and church network”. This will need to happen promptly and regularly, if the agencies are to have a chance to use it to meet their gift-giving needs.)

While I can accept that the new arrangement may mean that UnitingCare agencies will have money to buy the type of gifts that they are needing, I think this approach takes away from families in particular, the opportunity to encourage children to see Christmas as a time

of giving, as well as receiving.

When children go shopping for a gift to place under the Christmas tree, they have the experience of choosing something for another child and thinking about what that child might like. I doubt if many parents (or grandparents) will want to take children to Target to hand a gift over at the lay-by counter or give an extra $ or two at the check-out.

It would be sad if a pragmatic approach to our agencies’ Christmas gift programs succeeded at the expense of a sense of ‘connection’ with those for whom we are giving.

Judy Causon Bendigo, VIC

Reaching out to Muslims REACHING out to Muslims (September Crosslight) must involve asking them to visit us in our churches and affairs, not only taking up their invitations to us.

They are likely to know little of other religions in our midst – the Christian, Buddhist and Hindu etc – which are all more numerous than Islam in Australia.

They must not be left knowing none except their own.

We must be able to present other religions to them.

As their speakers speak to us at our meetings, our speakers must speak to them at their meetings.

This also applies to schools which must teach in religion knowledge of other religions beside their own schools.

External exams in religion such as VCE must always include other religions beside that of pupils’ own schools.

Valerie Yule Mount Waverley, VIC.

Clarity needed on marriage SOMETIMES our church finds it hard to know what it believes or to say anything that puts it at odds with popular culture or values.

I note that the Catholic Church of Australia, the Anglican Primate of Australia, the Presbyterian Church, the Anglican Diocese of Sydney and many other Christian groups are not slow to publicly support traditional marriage. In fact 38 religious leaders sent a letter to the Prime Minister to that effect.

Then there are Aboriginal, Muslim, Jewish and Sikh communities. What a pity that the Uniting Church 2015 Assembly was not prepared to publicly confirm the definition of marriage it clearly adopted in 1997 and 2012. The perception now is that the Uniting Church is not as ecumenical as it says it is and it is uncertain about what it really teaches and believes.

Rev Ted Curnow Langwarrin, VIC

POSITION VACANT Executive Assistant to Associate General Secretary, Synod of VicTas

The Associate General Secretary, Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of Victoria and Tasmania, seeks an experienced, proactive and highly organised Executive Assistant who has exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, and proven initiative.

The ideal person for this critical position will have excellent organisational and problem solving skills, and knowledge of the Uniting Church’s structure and activities.

Experience in supporting senior management is essential, as is the capacity to effectively prioritise a complex work program and manage multiple deadlines. If you have these skills and enjoy working in a dynamic environment, then this position will suit you. Willingness to work within the values of the Uniting Church is essential.

See PD and apply on line at http://tiny.cc/ffmw4x

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Placements CURRENT AND PENDING PLACEMENT VACANCIES AS AT 9 OCTOBER 2015 PRESBYTERY OF GIPPSLAND Koo Wee Rup-Lang Lang-Corinella Presbytery Minister – Mission and Education PRESBYTERY OF LODDON MALLEE Cohuna (0.5)** Dunolly (0.5) (P) Eastern Mallee Rural (Lake Boga, Manangatang, Meatian, Nyah West) (0.5)-Kerang (0.5) (P) Maryborough, Avoca, Bealiba, Moonambel** Nardoo Loddon (Boort, Charlton, Powlett Plains, Wedderburn) North Central Living Waters (Birchip, Donald, St Arnaud, Wycheproof) (P) Presbytery Minister – Mission and Education (P) Robinvale (0.5) (P) PRESBYTERY OF NORTH EAST VICTORIA Mansfield (0.3)** Rutherglen (Rutherglen/Chiltern-Corowa) (0.5) The Scots School Albury Chaplain Wodonga (St Stephens) PRESBYTERY OF PORT PHILLIP EAST Brighton (Trinity) Brighton Beach (St Leonards) Youth Ministry-Chaplaincy Cheltenham-Mentone** Frankston (High St) Monash Mount Waverley (St Johns)** Sandringham (0.6)* PRESBYTERY OF PORT PHILLIP WEST Macedon Ranges Partnership (P) Pascoe Vale-Glenroy ReGen (P) PRESBYTERY OF TASMANIA PRESBYTERY OF WESTERN VIC PRESBYTERY OF YARRA YARRA Diamond Valley (0.8) Queens College Chaplaincy SYNOD Royal Childrens Hospital Chaplaincy Royal Melbourne Hospital Chaplaincy (0.5) ** These placements have not yet lodged a profile with the Placements Committee, therefore they are not yet in conversation with any minister. There is no guarantee that the placement will be listed within the next month.

(P) These placements are listed as also being suitable for a Pastor under Regulations 2.3.3 (a)(ii).

A non-ordained minister may offer to serve the church in an approved placement through a written application to the Synod.

Further information on these vacancies may be obtained from the Secretary of the Placements Committee: Ms Isabel Thomas Dobson.

Email: placements.secretary@victas.uca.org.au.

Formal expressions of interest should be put in writing to Isabel.

MINISTRY MOVES CALLS AND APPOINTMENTS FINALISED Uru Tairea (OD - CCIC) called to Balkara Parish (Clayton – Cook Islands) commenced 1 November 2015 Jenny McClish (OD) and Marge Johnson (OD) appointed to Strathdon Uniting AgeWell Chaplaincy commenced 7 November 2015 Kaylea Fearn (P) called to Wesley College Chaplaincy, Elsternwick to commence 27 January 2016 Frank Tuppin called to Corangamite-Otways Region – Middle (Camperdown, Derrinallum, Apollo Bay) to commence 1 February 2016 CONCLUSION OF PLACEMENT (Retirement) James S (Jim) Murray to retire from St Albans-Sydenham/Caroline Springs 29 February 2016 Anne Honey to retire from Traralgon City, Traralgon South, Glengarry, Rosedale 31 March 2016 CONCLUSION OF PLACEMENT Mata Makara (OD - CCIC) concluded Balkara Parish (Clayton – Cook Islands) 31 October 2015 Kaylea Fearn (P) to conclude at Brighton Beach (St Leonards) 17 January 2016 Megan Coote (Lay Chaplain) to conclude as Box Hill Uniting AgeWell Chaplain (0.5) TBC

CROSSLIGHT - NOVEMBER 15

Notices and Advertisements COMBINED CHARITIES CHRISTMAS CARD SHOP THURSDAY 5 NOVEMBER FRIDAY 18 DECEMBER Opening Times: Thursday and Friday – 9:30am- 4pm Saturday – 9:30am – 12:30pm.

Closing Day will be Friday 18 December at 12:45pm.

The Lentara UnitingCare Christmas Card Shop will open at the North Essendon Uniting Church, 132 Keilor Road, North Essendon, on Thursday 5 November.

FAITHFULNESS IN NUMBERS FRIDAY 6 NOVEMBER 2.00 PM – 8.45 PM SATURDAY 7TH NOVEMBER 9.30 AM – 3.00 PM Box Hill Central Parish 909 Whitehorse Road, Box Hill, Victoria A conference for those involved with large or emerging large congregations, particularly in the Uniting Church. Speakers include Rev Stu Cameron, Rev Sharon Hollis and Rev Paul Stephens.

Cost: $70 (Includes dinner on Friday evening and lunch on Saturday) For more details: E: Paul.Stephens@victas.uca.org.au Ph: 03 9857 1001.

“BERRIES” REUNION FRIDAY 13 NOVEMBER Former players and supporters of the Canterbury Presbyterian Football and Cricket Club are warmly invited to a reunion lunch.

Bruce Rogers: Ph: 9786 7449 David Finn: Ph: 9857 8874.

HYMN PLAYING WORKSHOP SATURDAY 14 NOVEMBER, 10.30AM North Balwyn UC, Duggan St (Melway 46 F3) For organists and keyboardists who are beginners or reluctant service players.

Contact (9857 8412 or 9817 2151).

MANNINGHAM UNITING CHURCH FESTIVE FAIR SATURDAY 14 NOVEMBER, 12PM – 8PM Manningham Uniting Church’s Pilgrim Patchworkers will display their work at the Festive Fair. Festivities will include food stalls, a ‘Frozen’ bouncing castle, books, cakes, toys, Devonshire teas, preserves, plants and other novelty stalls, as well as a visit from the local fire brigade.

TIME FOR REMEMBERING SUNDAY 15 NOVEMBER 11.45 AM FOR A NOON START Queen’s Hall, Parliament House, Melbourne.

Since 2001 the Uniting Church has partnered with Road Trauma Support Services Victoria to organise an annual Time for Remembering ceremony for people affected by road trauma: including those bereaved, injured, witnesses, emergency services. The event is supported by the Victorian Council of Churches, the Faith Communities Council of Victoria and the Humanist Society of Victoria.

Further information: Ph: 8877 6900 and RSVP 6 Nov. SPRING LECTURE BY REV DR BARRY BROWN “INTERESTING CONNEXIONS – METHODISM AND THE PORT PHILLIP DISTRICT 1835-1850” SUNDAY 15 NOVEMBER 2.00PM New Synod Archives Centre, 54 Serrell Street, Malvern East.

(Melway map 68K2) Questions and afternoon tea to follow.

All welcome. Free event. No booking required.

Contact Rev Peter C Aumann Ph: 9532 0393 Uniting Church Historical Society.

HANDEL’S MESSIAH SUNDAY 15TH NOVEMBER 2015 2:30PM St Andrew’s Uniting Church, Trentham.

St Andrew’s Anglican Church, Brighton.

Cnr. New and Church Streets.

Handel’s Messiah will be performed at St Andrew’s Church Brighton for the first time,

CROSSLIGHT - NOVEMBER 15

with over 100 musicians and choristers plus four great soloists.

Tickets are $40, concession $35, students $20 and free for children under 18. Bookings can be made at www.trybooking.com/HPWP or 9592 1240. Tickets also available at the Church Office or at the door.

RICHARD MCKINNEY MEMORIAL ECUMENICAL ADVENT LECTURES Title: Naming God Again: To Whom shall we Turn?

Speaker: Rev Dr Don Saines Tuesday 17 November, 2015 8pm Lecture 1: Beyond Tribalism to the Logic of Jesus.

Heidelberg-East Ivanhoe Uniting Church Cnr. Maltravers & Lower Heidelberg Rds, Ivanhoe East.

Tuesday 24 November, 2015 8pm Lecture 2: Resurrection and Human Community St George’s Anglican Church 48 Warncliffe Rd, Ivanhoe East Tuesday 1 December, 2015 8pm Lecture 3: Hope in an Age of Scepticism.

Mother of God Catholic Church, 63 Wilfred St, Ivanhoe East.

Refreshments and Fellowship at 9:15pm. Gold coin donation.

Contact Rosemary Ph: 9497 1017.

SERVICE OF THANKSGIVING SUNDAY 22 NOVEMBER 1:30PM St James Uniting Church Wattle Park.

Service of thanksgiving for the life and witness of St James with guest preacher Moderator Mr Dan Wootton, followed by afternoon tea and historical display.

All whose lives have been touched by St James are invited to attend.

Information: Ph: Norma 9890 6499.

CORYULE CHORUS SUNDAY 22ND NOVEMBER 2.30PM St Leonard’s Uniting Church, Cnr. New St and Wolseley Grove, Brighton 3186.

The Coryule Chorus, conducted by Joy Porter, will be singing pieces from their recently produced CD Soft Rain together with Christmas music.

Come along and hear this wonderful 4-part harmony choir from the Drysdale area and stay for afternoon tea and the opportunity to catch up with Joy and the choir.

Donation at the door of $10 per person, children free www.coryulechorus.com www.stleonards.org.au E: contact@stleonards.org.au Ph: 9592 9333.

140 YEARS CELEBRATION SUNDAY 22 NOVEMBER 11AM SERVICE St. John’s Uniting Church, Streatham.

A shared cold lunch to follow.

Past clergy, members & interested friends, are invited to catch up and share memories.

All are welcome.

Information: Ph: 03 5350 6515.

150TH ANNIVERSARY SATURDAY 28 NOVEMBER SUNDAY 29 NOVEMBER St Andrews Uniting Church, Kirkland Avenue, Euroa.

Commencing with a fellowship meal on Saturday, at 6.30pm.

Service of worship, Sunday at 9.30am with guest preacher Rev Joe Wilson, former minister. This will be followed by morning tea.

Past members and clergy are invited to share their memories and reunite with each other.

Information: Ph: (03) 57953103.

RETIREMENT OF REV ANDREW VIGUS SUNDAY 29 NOVEMBER, 10AM We will celebrate the retirement of Rev Andrew Vigus at a service commencing at 10am at St. David’s Uniting Church, West Brunswick.

Those who would like to attend to celebrate Andrew’s long ministry will be made most welcome.

Enquiries: (03) 9386 3826

150TH ANNIVERSARY SUNDAY 29 NOVEMBER 2PM – 5PM St Andrew’s Uniting Church, Trentham Service of Celebration and Thanksgiving at 2pm. Special Guest Speaker: Dan Wootton, Moderator of Uniting Church VicTas synod.

A social gathering and afternoon tea will follow in the hall. An invitation is extended to all associates, past and present.

Interested people and those new to the area, warmly welcome.

Information - Ph: 0428-215-291 or E: miriamsd@netcon.net.au THE MESSIAH PORTARLINGTON ST ANDREWS UNITING CHURCH SUNDAY 29 NOVEMBER, 2:30PM Newcombe Street, Portarlington.

Portarlington UC presents Melbourne Opera, conducted by Mr Greg Hocking, 4 quality soloists and the Essendon Choral Society Chorus, to present Handel’s Messiah in Parks Hall.

Tickets a very reasonable $30 for adults and $15 for students under 18 years. Tickets available now Barry Ruler: Ph: 5259 3304, E - bruler@bigpond.com Pre-purchase of tickets advisable.

‘THE PERSIAN PRINCES’ CONCERT SUNDAY 29 NOVEMBER 3PM Toorak Uniting Church, 603 Toorak Rd, Toorak.

Based on the music of Gilbert & Sullivan and performed by talented actor/singers.

Admission: $40, $35 (concession) - includes refreshments.

Enquiries, Ph: 9809 0550 M: 0429 907 908.

VENI EMMANUEL ADVENT CAROL SERVICE SUNDAY 29 NOVEMBER 6PM Auburn Uniting Church, 81 Oxley Road Hawthorn.

An Advent Sequence for choir and congregation structured around the traditional Great Advent Antiphons. The service of readings, hymns and carols provides a chance to reflect on the relative simplicity and anticipatory nature of Advent as an antidote to the busy run-up to Christmas.

Choristers are also invited to express their interest in joining the extended choir for the occasion. Contact Bruce: 9443 7063.

ANNUAL FOLLOW THE STAR PROGRAM 2015 SATURDAY 5 DECEMBER TO SATURDAY 12 DECEMBER Opening times: Saturdays 10am to 2pm, Monday to Wednesday 1pm to 4pm, Thursday and Friday 1pm to 5pm.

Burwood Uniting Church (Corner of Warrigal Road and Hyslop Street, Glen Iris). The theme this year is ‘Searching for a Sign’. The display will feature the Christmas narrative and will include a Christmas Tree Forest with trees decorated by local kindergartens, schools and organisations, and a Gift Tree for collecting tinned fruit for distribution in Christmas hampers to needy families through Camcare.

The Opening Celebration on Saturday 5 December will include the Hawthorn Band and stalls to raise money for the Christmas Bowl Appeal.

150TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION SUNDAY 17 JANUARY 10:30 AM Penguin Uniting Church, Main Street, NorthWest Tasmania.

Moderator Dan Wootton will be the guest preacher at the thanksgiving service. Other commemorative events include a historical display, luncheon and concert. All former members and associates of the Penguin Methodist, and now Uniting Church, are warmly invited to attend this day.

To register your interest, Lynn Templar: Ph: 6435 4633 or W: penguin.unitingchurch.org.au ADVANCE NOTICE OF ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS 5 - 6 MARCH, 2016 Forest Hill Uniting Church (formerly known as Mt Pleasant Uniting

Church) 333a Canterbury Road, Forest Hill.

Saturday 5 March – 4pm social event and dinner Sunday 6 March – 10am Thanksgiving Service Celebrating the 150th anniversary of the first worship service on this site and 100th anniversary of the dedication of the current church building.

Marion Goldsmith: Ph: (03) 9878 3847 or Glenys Coates Ph: (03) 9801 4653 LEAD TENANT ACCOMMODATION AVAILABLE Ashburton Uniting Church supports a house in Glen Iris for three people with mild intellectual disability with a voluntary lead tenant. The lead tenant’s accommodation is rent-free, and may be suitable for a student or interested person with appropriate background checks seeking positive connections in the community. Contact Rev David Fotheringham Ph: 9809 1795 E: ashburtonuniting@gmail.com

CLASSIFIEDS CAPE WOOLAMAI Summerhays Cottage. Sleeps 3. Tranquil garden. Stroll to beach. Discount for UCA members. Ring Doug or Ina 0403 133 710. www.summerhayscottage.com.au SENIORS’ SPECIAL: Enjoy a break in luxury surroundings. Three days and three nights, dinner, bed and breakfast for $450 per couple (including GST).

Jindivick Gardens. (03) 5628 5319.

CALOUNDRA, Sunshine Coast, Queensland: Beachside units, from $300/ week, for details, M: 0427 990 161 or E: rayandjean@hotmail.com LORNE: Spacious apartment, breathtaking ocean view, open fire, peaceful, secluded, affordable. Ph: (03) 5289 2698.

GOLDFIELDS HOLIDAY RENTAL: Fully equipped modern architecturally designed house. Situated in the Forest Resort Creswick, double storey house, four bedrooms, sleeps up to 11 people.

Contact Adam on 0414 725 887.

PSYCHOLOGIST Sue Tansey, BA (Hons), MPsych (Counselling) MAPS Individual and relationship counselling. Bulk billing for clients who have a referral from their GP and have a low income.

St Kilda. Ph: 0418 537 342.

E: suetansey@yahoo.com GRAMPIANS WORSHIP When visiting The Grampians, join the Pomonal Community Uniting Church congregation for worship each Sunday at 10.00 am.

LILYDALE: PEWS FOR SALE The Lilydale Uniting Church Property has been sold to Melba Support Services.

Thankfully, worship continues at 10.00 am each Sunday. However, we have a number of pews for sale (some with cushions).

Information, Ph: 9735 1990.

CHURCH FURNITURE The following items are available at no charge, as is, where is, to a Uniting Church: 7 small pews, two metre long; Baptism Font; Communion table; Wood rostrum; Large whiteboard. Contact, Noel Dennis, Ph: 9569 5716, Stonnington Community Uniting Church, Malvern East.

FREE 30 small Australian Hymn books (Catholic supplement). Collect from Mount Waverley area. Val, Ph: 9887 7507 or Frances, Ph: 9802 7412.

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Opinion The case for suspended sentences THE Tasmanian Government is currently looking into abolishing suspended sentences and replacing them with a range of alternative sentencing options for people who have committed a criminal offence.

The Vic/Tas Uniting Church synod advocates the use of prison as a last resort and would prefer instead to see a range of options that would be more likely to prevent crime in the first place.

A suspended sentence is where a court would normally send someone to prison, but instead allows them to remain in the community provided they do not commit another serious crime. Sometimes crimes committed will not best be rectified by time in prison.

Suspended sentences are usually used for offences such as fraud, assault or forgery of documents. It means the person is subject to monitoring and restrictions, but they have an opportunity to try to get their life back on track without the disruption of being removed from their family, home or job.

The synod is concerned that the removal of suspended sentences as an option may increase the level of re-offending, also known as recidivism. Research has shown that suspended sentences result in lower levels of reoffending compared to sending people to prison.

According to a recent NSW study there was no evidence that prison acted as a greater deterrent than suspended sentences.

In fact, the study argued that for prisoners who had previously been to prison, suspended sentences were significantly

Property for mission CHURCH properties. We drive past, stand in front, meet outside, are gathered into and dismissed from them. They become familiar, loved places. What is our understanding of church properties – places where worship, formation, witness and service have often been associated with Godly encounters? Sometimes, the spaces and architecture of Church property, together with memories of participation in community, are woven into the fabric of our identity as persons of faith, or of a particular tradition of Christian faith.

Rev Robert Gribben wrote: “Christianity is … unafraid of matter. It worships a creative God, who has not hesitated to use tangible, visible things – water, bread and wine, light, oil, a book – to be living signs of grace, of God’s characteristic closeness to humankind. So it matters what we do in church architecture and in the furnishings of our churches. Each element, from design to manufacture, from placement to relationship, is capable of being a sacrament of God’s truth, drawing us, through the senses God has given us, closer to the One who has entered creation in Jesus Christ and remade all things.” (Living Stones , 1997.)

Since 2010, the Church has been working through the influence of the Synod’s resolution that there “is a case for mission

22

more effective in preventing future offending than immediate terms of imprisonment.

The study’s findings are consistent with other research which shows that, rather than deterring re-offending, imprisonment makes re-offending more likely.

Abolishing suspended sentences may also increase the prison population in Tasmania

our lives including the opportunity to put right the wrongs we have done.

The Sentencing Advisory Council has recommended a wider range of alternatives, which the synod supports.

Having a range of sentencing options, other than prison, enables rehabilitation for the person who has committed the crime.

There is always a story behind a crime.

beyond its ability to cope. This will reduce the ability of prison to rehabilitate people.

At the core of our faith we believe in forgiveness and reconciliation. This is a life-long process, and can be especially difficult for those who have been harmed and who sometimes suffer for the rest of their lives as a result of the crime committed against them.

Our Christian belief is that each person is loved by God and deserves to be treated with dignity. God desires wholeness for all

Often better outcomes for everyone are achieved with options such as treatment for drug and alcohol abuse, counselling for trauma (many people who commit crimes have a history of abuse themselves) and other rehabilitation programs.

Sentencing reform should focus on increasing and strengthening non-custodial sentencing options that provide a wide scope for rehabilitation and treatment.

According to Smart Justice – which is supported by a coalition of organisations

led by the Federation of Community Legal Centres (Victoria) Inc, the peak body for Victoria’s 50 community legal centres – suspended sentences are an important option for judges.

But, judges must be able to add conditions to suspended sentences to address the causes of offending and to reduce the chances of reoffending.

The government also needs to communicate to the community that suspended sentences do not mean an offender is escaping punishment.

Suspended sentences have serious consequences for those seeking to enter many overseas countries for work or pleasure where they are often asked to disclose prison sentences.

Research in Victoria found that more than half of suspended sentences were imposed in conjunction with another sentencing option such as a fine or community-based order.

A breach of a suspended sentence also means the offender must go to prison unless it would be unjust to do so in light of any exceptional circumstances which might have arisen.

Imprisoning all offenders does not mean a society is any safer, even if that is the perception.

Suspended sentences can also better achieve our overall goal to create communities where everyone is safe. Our prisons are already at capacity. If our goal as a society is to reduce crime – and the harm caused through crime – then having flexibility in sentencing options is vital.

Rev Carol Bennett Tasmanian Synod Liaison Officer

Reflection motivated development”. Building on publications, such as A Theology of Property for a pilgrim people (2008), resources have explored the implications of mission motivation for property.

Explorations included: consideration of commonwealth to the UCA, understanding the practice of mission motivated development, discerning mission and the use of property, and property enabling mission. Each links back to a pivotal statement from the Theology of Property for a pilgrim people: “[Church] property is both a place and a form of proclamation.”

The function of Church property is to witness to and aid in the proclamation of the gospel.

God’s mission has a church; the church has property through which to engage in God’s mission.

Property applications engage various councils according to the Church’s polity. (Regulations: Section 4 Property.)

Responding to the Church’s call for effective governance of property affairs, property applications for works exceeding $1million require substantial investigation.

This includes thorough consideration of mission commitments, financial matters associated with the proposed works, and a congregation’s future through a formal business case.

The Mission Motivated Development principles – including vocation, relationships, community building, presence, story and place – provided a positive platform from which to consider

mission commitments.

However, a practical diagnostic instrument was required to assist the Church’s councils and Property Board in their examination of a property application.

The Property for Mission Workbook is that instrument. After trialling in major projects and the Asset Strategy Program, the Workbook has been produced for Church councils, presbyteries and Synod’s Property Services. Users will learn about themselves.

Vision will be clarified. The challenges of sustaining mission commitments will be better understood, and the complexities of managing significant Church assets for mission purposes clarified.

The Workbook respects the roles and functions of each of the councils in terms of mission. God’s mission is to be recognised and missional responses imagined - initiated first in local contexts, then regionally. Such mission is grounded in everyday relationships, reflects the particular context in which the relationships are formed and exercised, shapes people in the faith of Christ, and leads to establishing or adding to the body of Christ – the church. These are ways in which the UCA faithfully invites people to receive and enter God’s contrast society, the kingdom of God. The Workbook does not construct mission plans or scenarios. It understands that these are functions of the Church council, presbytery and institutions of the church. However, the Workbook assumes competent mission plans adopted by

the church council and endorsed by the presbytery. Nor does the Workbook dictate property types, or architectural elements of church property.

In a post-Christian Australian culture, local contexts and cultures will provide backdrops in which church properties must assist local churches and their partners to faithfully serve, witness and worship.

However, the Workbook does provide some materials and exercises to assist the various councils of the church assess church property for its capacity to work in this manner.

The Workbook provides six easy-touse enquiries, each accompanied by a Reporting Page. The enquiries include: mission commitments and activities overview, property requirements – spaces and places, property audit and user priority, funds and finances, a property for mission assessment and a vision for property.

The results of the six enquiries inform the objectives for any property application.

These objectives then become the lens through which the business case will be evaluated. Proposals will be assessed by the various councils of the Church.

The Property for Mission Workbook is one practical instrument that assists the Church to understand and provide for the function of property in the context of God’s mission.

John Emmett MissionOfficer

CROSSLIGHT - NOVEMBER 15

Moderator’s column What sustains us?

ON the last weekend in November, organisers are hoping to create the biggest climate march the world has ever seen.

In anticipation of that, I thought I might write a little about the water that sustains us.

Unlike most, I don’t drink coffee. I’m a connoisseur of water, mostly from the tap and very rarely the bottled variety. Room temperature is my preference, not boiled or chilled. Love it.

I love, too, to use my five senses to ‘take-in’ where it comes from.

When lashes of lightning startle the sky at night, we have a habit in our household of turning off all the lights and watching and listening, without speaking. Our roof is made of steel, so it acts as a kind of amplifier.

The meteorological experts are warning us not to expect much rainfall this spring. The effects of the natural cycle known as the El Niño have already begun.

As I understand it, the name of this phenomenon emerged in the 1600s describing a sustained period of unusually warm water in the Pacific Ocean around Christmas time.

The anchovy fishers apparently called it El Niño, the Spanish name for the Christ Child. But this Christ Child does not arrive with seasonal gifts like hope – or does it?

Certainly it can afford us an opportunity to refocus on what’s important.

NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has recently provided the strongest evidence yet that liquid water flows intermittently on present-day Mars. The search has taken more than 15 years to establish these definitive signs.

John Grunsfeld, astronaut and associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington recently said, “Our quest on Mars has been to follow the water, in our search for life in the universe, and now we have convincing science that

validates what we’ve long suspected.”

There are many who are fascinated and enthralled with the discovery of water on another planet. Surely, this discovery on Mars should serve as a reminder that we live on a planet which already has finite resources and that all of us need to care for the gift of natural resources that the Earth provides.

sufficiently free of salt to drink, more than 90 per cent is locked away in glaciers and ice and deep underground. Only about 0.0001 per cent of fresh water is readily accessible according to environmentalist David Suzuki.

Fresh water, like air, is essential to our survival. Whereas the lack of air will kill us within minutes, the lack of water takes

When oceans, inland seas, lakes, glaciers and polar icecaps are included, 74.35 per cent of the planet’s surface is covered by water. Yet more than 97 per cent of that water is salty. Of the water that is

longer to make its necessity known to us.

Water is a fundamental sustainer of life.

We need it because we are made of it. The average human being is roughly 60 per cent water by weight (babies 75 per cent).

There are numerous biblical references to water – in creation, baptism, blessing, cleansing and nourishing it is invariably a living spring, welling up to eternal life.

“Water” Franciscan Priest Richard Rohr said, “is almost always an invitation to that first, subtle religious experience, when the desire just laps up against you and your mind and heart are opened for the first time. It’s the first gnawing, inviting sense that there’s something more…”

I believe that the ‘something more’ is telling us that we need to pay more attention to our natural world … and everything that we stand to lose, as our planet is undeniably warming up.

While El Niño is a natural cycle, its frequency seems to be increasing due to many unnatural factors, and these can be seen as frightening or as an opportunity.

The Uniting Church has long been committed to caring for creation and working for the life of the planet and future generations.

It’s time to consider the values and the principles we need to guide us to more equitable, peaceful and sustainable ways of living.

That’s why we’re marching on the weekend of 27-29 November in the People’s Climate March, a global movement which will take place in Australia just before world leaders gather at the UN climate talks in Paris.

This march gives people in all walks of life the opportunity to come together to demonstrate a broad, united and powerful coalition, committed to change and global action on climate change.

Dan Wootton Moderator

Giving is living Pilgrim celebrates first valedictory service PILGRIM Theological College celebrated a new milestone on 30 October with its inaugural valedictory service. This year’s valedictorians were the first students to graduate from the newly-formed college, established at the start of this year.

In previous years, the valedictory service recognised candidates who finished preparation for their ordained ministry.

Paul Dau, Kharis Susilowati and Juliette Tautala’aso (pictured) were part of the cohort who graduated from United Theological College last year. The diverse backgrounds of the graduates – Mr Dau from South Sudan, Ms Susilowati from Indonesia and Ms Tautala’aso from Samoa – reflect the Church’s commitment to embracing the gifts of its culturally and linguistically diverse members.

With the launch of Pilgrim this year, the 2015 valedictory service included candidates who finished their formation program and are ready to start ordained

CROSSLIGHT - NOVEMBER 15

ministry, as well as people who completed their theological degrees.

The expanded, flexible curriculum at Pilgrim caters for people studying theology for the first time as well as those pursuing a degree in higher education. Participants in Pilgrim’s programs include young people with an interest in theology, retired congregation members seeking to enhance their spiritual development, ordained ministers engaged in continuing education, and people in lay ministry who wish to deepen their relationship with Christ.

The Uniting Church believes every person can serve Christ in their own way. Some are called to become ministers of the Word. They undertake Pilgrim’s formation program, designed to equip candidates with the experience to become future leaders of the Church.

The valedictory service is a significant achievement for candidates as it marks the culmination of years of hard work, study and reflection. The next step on their faith journey will be receiving a placement and commencing their ministry in the Church and beyond.

If you wish to apply to study at Pilgrim, please email coursework coordinator Fotini Toso at Fotini.Toso@pilgrim.edu.au

23

Synod Snaps

“A photograph can be an instant of life captured for eternity that will never cease looking back at you.”

- Brigitte Bardot

Michael Sukkar, Federal Member for Deakin, visited Croydon North Uniting Church members at the Gifford Village Community Centre. Left to right: Sharon Wolstenholm (Acting CEO of Uniting Care Harrison), Michael Sukkar and Croydon North Uniting Church members Bill Brown, Ted Smith and Ann Smith.

The synod launched the Disability Action Plan 2015-18 at the Melbourne office. Left to right: Disability Inclusion officer Andy Calder, event MC Meredith Allan, Victorian Public Advocate Colleen Pearce and VicTas moderator Dan Wootton.

Anam Javed (left) and Reem Hakem (right) share their Muslim faith at the Cafe of Dangerous Ideas hosted by Rev Sandy Brodine (centre) from the Banyule Network of Uniting Churches.

Induction of Rev Dr Apwee Ting as National Director for the Assembly’s Multicultural and Cross Cultural Ministry at the Hanbit Korean Congregation in Box Hill.

Animal Blessing service on 4 October 2015 at Bothwell Uniting Church in Tasmania within the Midlands/Glamorgan Patrol.

Kingswood College held a carnival on Saturday 10 October as part of their 125 year celebrations.

Each month Crosslight will showcase images from throughout the Church. Send your images to crosslight@victas.uca.org.au