Issue No. 122 September The happy group who attended the Uniting Church CommuniTAS weekend held at Camp Banksia, Port Sorell in August

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1 Presbytery of Issue No. 122 September 2014 CommuniTAS Live in: Grace Fully The happy group who attended the Uniting Church CommuniTAS weekend held at Camp Banksia, Port Sorell in August Opportunities Page 2 Keeping Energy Costs Down Page Sept, Melbourne Page 12

2 Opportunities Presbytery Gathering The next gathering of people in the Uniting Church in Tasmania will be: 9.30am Saturday 8 November 2014 at Campbell Town Town Hall Applications are now open for the Monday 5th January to Sunday 18th January, 2015 program being held in Tasmania! Applications will remain open until Friday 26th September. There is a discount for those who apply by Friday 29th August. The About FACE website includes all the information that you need to find out about the program Contact Anthea if you are interested in this event.anthea.maynard@victas.uca.org.au 2

3 Reflection CommuniTAS Live in: Grace Fully Friday night, it s dark, travelling on unfamiliar roads. My mind begins to ask, why am I doing this? Two days with people I hardly know, in a strange bed with little sleep. I arrive. Hang on have I come the wrong weekend. There are young people here! I venture a little more and I am greeting with friendly smiles, bookmarks - handmade and homemade biscuits wrapped in cellophane, just for me! I am shown to my room, yes it is what I expected, bunks with foam mattresses. It will be two sleepless nights. The night begins with worship, then Jenny Byrnes starts her first session. If we were a.. what sort would we be? Young and old together, laughing having fun enjoying each other s company. It seems almost instant that we become a community, a community with strangers. Strangers who are there willing to interact with you, to share with you. We are different, but this isn t a bad thing. Night one comes to an end, sleepless night as anticipated, really don t like different beds! A new day dawns. Jenny continues her sharing. It is good to be in the presence of someone who not only knows her stuff, but is able to represent it in a way which is easy to grab hold of. She is an excellent communicator! And we are having fun while we discover more about the different ways people react to change. We discover who we are and how we, as leaders, might help people to grow as the threat of change comes upon us. We are reminded that the different personalities in our faith communities are important in the change. That each one of us are not only important but necessary if we are to continue to grow. We differences are affirmed and challenged. Food well let s be honest any dieting has gone out the door. Homemade cakes and scones, fresh salads and a tasty roast for tea with chocolate pudding. (Why did God make me so that I like, but can t eat chocolate it really is unfair!) Spicks and Specks. I really need to listen to more music in my life, a complete failure for my table, but a lot of fun. The winners, definitely not our table, received chocolates maybe there is a God after-all. 3

4 Another sleepless night, but not quite as much as the previous night. Thanks to a suggestion from my colleague, Brian, I used two mattresses. So much more comfortable. A new morning, and a conversation with some of the young people around the toaster. Where do you come from? - my attempt at conversation. But their response, a surprise from one I m not into denominations, from the other, I don t go to church, we have a small group we go to. There really is hope for the world and the church! Jenny continues to encourage us and helps us reflect more on DiSC, what is it you ask?, well you should have been there! Seriously ask someone who was part of this community. You might find it helpful. (Note to self, I am curious why the i s have a small letter and the rest have capitals. Ummm I m an i. Maybe I need to move to understand a little more about the D s, the S s and the C s in my local community. Maybe, just maybe, I don t have all the answers.) Worship. Fascinating, videos which challenged, songs where old and young bopped along together. (Yes I know the word bopped is old fashioned, but so am I!) And a real sense of the presence of God. Then the trip home. Tired, nearing exhausted. My mind is going at 1000 revs but the body is done. But the tiredness is OK. The weekend with the nolonger strangers was the start of a conversation. It is the start of working creatively with those back home who are different but necessary in God s kingdom. And. It s all OK! Yes even the sleepless nights! Thanks to those who planned and ran the weekend, and to all young and old who attended. Ya done well! David Webster 4

5 Mid NW Regional Uniting Church Ministry Worker Roles In 2010 the Mid NW Regional UCA called two full time ministry workers, Rev Deacon David Webster, and Rev Brian Cole. The two ministry roles have developed and changed over the past 4 years. So, in early 2014, the Mid NW Regional Church Council decided to review these. Rev's David and Brian work as resource ministers, seeking to support, equip, resource and nurture congregation members to be engaged in mission - within their congregations, local communities, and across the region. David and Brian work closely together: as a ministry team; with leadership teams; and with regional Church Council. Both Brian David, according to their gifts and graces, relate to all Mid NW faith communities and congregations: Penguin, Burnie, Somerset, Stowport, Wynyard and Yolla, to support and nurture the people as they live out their mission in their local communities. In addition to the responsibilities outlined above David and Brian have particular areas of focus as follows: David's encouraging ministry includes: supporting local people in the development of small faith communities and fresh expressions of church and supporting local people in planting new faith communities. He is involved with: Tuesday Mornings at Stowport; the Cooee Experience : Exploring Faith & Worship on Thursday evenings at Cooee; Cafe Conversations at Penguin, Wynyard, and Burnie; Coffee, Cake and Chat at Cam Rise; UnitingCare Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Program, and the PYPS Pregnant and Young Parents Program. Brian's encouraging ministry includes: coaching and facilitating leadership teams; supporting and resourcing worship leadership and supporting and resourcing personal and corporate spiritual practices and their connection with everyday life. This includes: preparing and ing worship resources (Mid NW, King Island, Devonport and Fingal) ; coaching and sharing mission conversations with leadership groups. Brian Cole August

6 Praying together heartfully and inclusively 1. Begin with gentle music that helps people to relax into silence after initial greetings. Make sure group members are sitting comfortably in a circle, within touching distance of each other. 2. Leader explains the process and each person is given a small piece of paper with the response and the final prayer written on it. The Prayer Process: a) A "prayer bear" or similar object or symbol is passed around the circle, starting with the leader, who prays a short initial prayer. b) When you are given the "bear" it is your turn to pray if you wish to. If you do not wish to say any words, just hold the bear in silence for a moment, then pass it on to the next person. c) Prayers do not need to be long. God knows the desires of our hearts before we utter them. Speak your prayer simply and briefly, so others can share in it and not tune out before you finish. d) Each time a person finishes speaking their prayer, the leader leads group members in saying together: "Loving God, hear our prayer". Then the "bear" is passed on to the next person. e) When each person has prayed and the "bear" comes back to the leader, the leader leads the group in saying: Loving Creator God, bless us and those we have prayed for with your light and love and peace and wisdom this day and help us to pass it on. May your kingdom come and your will be done in us, in your church, and in your world. Amen (adapt these words according to the purpose of your group) 3. After the leader has explained the prayer process, he/ she checks with the group that they each understand the process before proceeding with steps a) to e). 4. Feel free to adapt this process to suit your group. And may you experience together the blessings that God is waiting to share with you, and with those you bring to God in prayer. Reasons why this might be a good process for you to use or adapt for your group: 1. Often there are people who are shy to pray and also people who are only too willing to pray in groups. This "praying together heartfully and inclusively" process allows people equal opportunities to pray, and helps to prevent one or two people's voices from dominating. On the whole people are much happier, and spiritual growth occurs, when the majority of people in the group are enabled to participate, and there are not one or two who dominate. 2. People are often more willing to speak when they know it is their turn. Many people hesitate because they don't want to push themselves forward, and have difficulty in deciding when to speak, and may wish to give others precedence. 3. Having the "prayer bear" or other object to pass on (like a baton) clearly tells the person it is their turn, but also gives them the possibility of opting out and passing it on should they not be ready to speak. 4. This method of "passing the bear" is also good for use in other small group activities where maximum participation needs to be encouraged. Resources for Tassie churches: Rev Adelene Mills: ph ; millspring2@bigpond.com October

7 LAY PREACHER NEWS Information for Lay Preachers and of interest to others At the August Synod Lay Preachers Committee of Management Meeting we were informed that the annual report form is still coming but isn t finished yet. It will be sent out as soon as it is received. A review of Called to Preach has happened and Lay Preachers in training will have to state the number of services they have done during their training so please keep a record of all the services you have done. Each Presbytery rep. has been asked to do a full review of Lay Preacher lists to check who is active, accredited, retired. Please let me know your current status, if you have changed postal or address, phone numbers etc. so we can do an update of both Presbytery and Synod Lay Preacher s rolls. If nothing has changed please still let me know the information so I can tick your name off as status unchanged. Thank you for your assistance with this review. The last Code of Ethics day for this year is: Hobart 1.30pm Thursday 9 th Oct Clarence UCA at Bellerive 2 York St, Bellerive If you have not been able to attend this important Ethics Session on the two previous dates here is the last chance for this session. If you cannot attend because of work commitments etc. there will be a Code of Ethics Session organised to suit workers. Please let Alison Whish or the Presbytery Office know you have difficulty attending week days sessions so Alison can make the arrangements for a night or weekend session. What would you do if someone told you they had been sexually abused? Are there legal guidelines that need to be followed? As Lay Preachers travelling to different congregations we could find ourselves in this difficult situation. How should a Lay Preacher react? Do we have any special responsibilities? This ethics session is your opportunity to find answers to these questions. Blessings Heather Cowled Tasmanian Representative on the Synod Lay Preachers Committee of Management Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you. 7

8 transport services, suppliers of meals, entertainment, services and even shopping jaunts that are as ethically sound as our current research can recommend. Imagine if we all, every time we travel, travel in responsible ways. Uniting Journeys is an exciting new initiative with exactly these goals. Guilt free travel! And it s easy! Imagine how as business travellers, adventurers and holidaymakers we can maximise positive effects in the communities we visit. Imagine how we can reduce cultural impact, support local development, reduce environmental impact, support local communities and fair trade initiatives. Imagine if doing all this is as easy as choosing our airline, or offsetting our carbon offsets when we book a flight. A shared initiative of Australian owned travel provider Jetaway Travel Pty Ltd and the Commission for Mission of the Uniting Church in Australia (Victoria and Tasmania) Uniting Journeys offers well researched travel opportunities for people who think deeply about their travel. Uniting Journeys are competitively priced adventures in small groups, using accommodation options, People who journey with us continually contribute by feeding back updates for the database of products and services we use and recommend. (If you know of ethical travel options, let us know. If we agree we ll link to them in our communications.) We have also established a separate Uniting Journeys Foundation to support unique opportunities for responsible and important journeys. Uniting Journeys is awarding grants of up to $10k to support responsible travel to Cambodia, Laos or Vietnam. If you or someone you now has a great idea for responsible holiday in any of these locations please click below for more information, to register your interest or apply for a grant. For more information contact Hank van Apeldoorn on: Mobile: Hank.VanApeldoorn@victas.uca.org.au or 8

9 Uniting Church in Australia Presbytery of Tasmania Keeping Your Energy Costs Down Sessions open to everyone will be held at: Hobart North Uniting Church Wednesday 10 September 9.30am 11.00am Wednesday 10 September 7.00pm 8.30pm Longford Uniting Church Thursday 11 September 7.00pm 8.30pm Friday 12 September 9.30am 11.00am RSVP by Friday 5 September or tas.office@victas.uca.org.au You may not be able to control the cost of electricity and gas but you can control how you use it, and that is where the National Energy Efficiency Network (NEEN) comes in. Supported by the Uniting Church, NEEN is a free initiative providing a range of tools and resources to assist both faith-based and not-for-profit community organisations across Australia reduce their energy use by 10 per cent. The Chair of the Synod of Victoria and Tasmania s Energy Reduction Committee, Adrian Pyle, said NEEN was one of the ways the Synod was encouraging congregations and agencies to improve energy efficiency. Michael Hwang, NEEN s Regional Leader for Victoria and Tasmania, will be holding information sessions for all interested groups and individuals in Launceston and Hobart next month to provide some of the tools and resources to help congregations save energy. We should think of the church as an orchestra in which the different churches play on different instruments while a Divine Conductor call the tune. William R Inge 9

10 Praying for the Presbytery This month please remember in your prayers: Please uphold Gus Yearsley, Executive Pastor of Grace Church in Hobart, and the Emergencies Ministries program in prayer as he joins the TCC staff team. Synod members from Tasmania and all others members of Synod who are listening, discerning and deciding during the 5 days of Synod. All people, of every age, who attended the UCA Tasmanian CommuniTAS weekend as they shared and heard and reflected on DiSC and other activities. May their experiences improve teamwork and communication in all areas of their lives as they better understand themselves and others. The Tasmanian Council of Churches and other church communities present in your areas. 40 Years of Service Albert Viney has resigned after 40 years' service of lay preaching. Recently Revd. Brian Cole presented Albert with a certificate of thanks from the Presbytery of Tasmania. During his time with the Tasmanian Railways, Albert worked at 41 Tasmanian locations and preached at 19 North West Tasmanian churches. His contribution to the life of the church has been centred around Wynyard since moving there to retire. Albert has served for many years as treasurer, as well as representing Wynyard annually in the Burnie Ten. Thank you Albert for your service, friendship and cheerfulness, which we continue to appreciate. 10

11 This n That Pastor Gordon (Gus) Yearsley, Executive Pastor of Grace Church in Hobart, has been appointed the Project Officer for the Tasmanian Council of Churches Emergencies Ministry (EM). Gus will be taking up his position in September. The appointment will see him working one-and-a-half days per week over nine months. This time frame will allow Gus adequate time to develop the necessary relationships with Government bodies and other stakeholder groups in the EM program. Please uphold Gus and the EM program in prayer as he joins the TCC staff team. Wesley LifeForce will be conducting a Suicide Prevention Workshop at Hobart Function & Conference Centre 1 Elizabeth St Pier, Hobart TAS 7000 on Tuesday 23 September 2014 from 9am 1.30pm. There is no charge to attend the workshop. The program helps participants recognise when a person may be having thoughts of suicide, and provides a simple strategy to intervene and assist them. If you know of any individuals or groups who may be interested in attending this workshop please ask them to register using this link: Tasmanian Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast will be held Wednesday 17 September at the Federation Ballroom, Hotel Grand Chancellor, Hobart from 7am 9am. Guest Speaker is Professor Tim McCormack. To book online visit tasmanianprayerbreakfast.eventbrite.com.au or phone or prayerbreakfast.ta@awakening.org.au Interfaith Tasmania and the Launceston Interfaith Friendship Circle invite to invite you to an Interfaith Community event for United Nations World Peace Day September 21 st at 1.30pm at a venue to be advised. For further information please contact the UCA Tasmanian Office or The Global Leadership Summit, Lead Where You Are, held by Willow Creek Australia will be held at City Light Church, Kingston 31 October 1 November and Door of Hope Launceston October. Check out the website for further information or contact the UCA Tasmanian Office. 11

12 What s On September Tue am Pastoral Relations Committee, Launceston Sun pm Induction Rev Tim Mattton-Johnson, Bridgewater- Gagebrook UC, Gagebrook Fri 19 Synod Meeting, Melbourne (until Wed 24 th ) Sat am Presbytery Standing Committee, Launceston Mon am Resource and Development Committee, Launceston Tue am Pastoral Relations Committee, Launceston October Thur pm Code of Ethics Ministry Workers, Clarence UC, B rive Thu pm Code of Ethics for Lay Leaders, Clarence UC, Bellerive Sat 18 Crossroads AGM, Launceston Sun am Farewell Service Rev Alison Whish, Pilgrim UC, Launceston Mon am Resource and Development Committee, Launceston Thu am Presbytery Standing Committee, Launceston When? Starting Friday 19 September and ending Wednesday 24 September Opening worship is at 7.30pm Friday 19 September and all are welcome Where? Union Hall, La Trobe University, Bundoora Worship resources: Once again, this year the Centre for Theology and Ministry will provide worship resources for Sunday 21 September (the Sunday of the Synod meeting) for those congregations whose minsters and lay leaders may be involved in the Synod meeting. These resources are now available and include: Comments on readings and weblinks Worship focusing on the Matthew reading with discussion Worship focusing on the Matthew reading with poem Worship focusing on the Exodus reading 17 people representing the Presbytery of Tasmania will be attending. Look out for reports and details of Synod decisions on the Synod website later on. Published and distributed in the week before the last Sunday of each month. Contributions received seven days prior to publication. Editor: Graham Booth 96 Margaret St. LAUNCESTON 7250 or (03) or tas.office@victas.uca.org.au 12 Presbytery of Tasmania website: