Sunday Service. Pastoral Leaders Team (PLT) Rev Je-Kon Oh (Office, Bus. Hrs.) After Hours: or

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1 St. Andrew s Uniting Church News March 2016 Mission Statement: To bring the Gospel of Christ to The People of the Hawkesbury. Sunday Service 8:30am (Church) Traditional worship followed by morning tea & fellowship 10:00am (Church) In conjunction with our Kids Sunday program A family celebration including programs from three years old to Yr 6. Morning tea and fellowship follows 6:00pm Sundays@Six (Auditorium) Modern worship with singers, drama and band, plus supper to follow. Pastoral Leaders Team (PLT) Rev Je-Kon Oh (Office, Bus. Hrs.) After Hours: or minister@richmonduniting.org.au Lester Vincent ( ) Justin Dacey ( ) Audrey Morgan ( ) Beryl Hedges ( ) Margaret Bailey ( ) Sandi Herbert ( ) Margaret Wesmore ( ) Please send newsletter articles to the office & Julie will include them in the next edition: office@richmonduniting.org.au

2 Blokes and Sheds, Men s Breakfast 12th December, 2015 A sumptuous breakfast was served to some 60 fellows and ladies at our Christmas get-together! Our thanks to Bob, David, John, Lester, Cicely, Margaret, Keith and others that the writer failed to notice!! Afterwards we managed to join in heartily singing Christmas carols led by Geoff Brown on the piano. Our special guests for the morning were Ron Males OAM and Val Males OAM, who spoke to us about their own Christian journey, the development and operation of their Arabian horse stud and many other interesting highlights. Ron s grandfather moved into the Colo Valley in the late 1800 s. Val s dad was in the RAAF and on discharge, ran a milk cart in Windsor. Ron and Val met when he was 18 and she was 14 and they married at St. Matthews, Windsor in Val and her sister, Barbara, made decisions for Christ at the 1959 Billy Graham Crusade. Early in their life together, Ron and Val began travelling the show circuit giving performances with their horses. Commencing a breeding program with Arabian horses led on to later importation of blood stock from the States. In 1977 they were invited to take their champion stallion, Ralvon Pilgrim to the International Horse Championships in the UK for the Queen s 25th Anniversary. They won the World Championship against 14 other countries saw them judging and conducting seminars at Arabian horse shows around South Africa, with a few days on the side to visit Kruger National Park! 2

3 1992 Ron and Val were in Abu Dhabi, at the invitation of the Sheik, who had himself just won the UK Derby! 80 camels and 60 horses took part (on sand) in the desert endurance race. Their horses took out 10 th and 11 th places as well as best desert horses! And there on the screen we saw Ron and Val bedecked in their Arabian costumes!! Interdenominational gatherings have been a highlight at Ralvon, their property in the Colo. Entertainer, Trevor Knight, was a guest artist in the early days. Ron and Val were each awarded the OAM for Services to Horse Breeding, the Equine Industry, and Disability Sports, and Ron s ingenuity in methodology have seen a number of acquired brain injury patients move from being wheelchair bound to the riding saddle. Ron marked out the Hawkesbury course for the inaugural, 1966, Tom Quilty Endurance Ride. Conducted over a 160 kms course in 24 hours, neither whip or spurs are allowed. Vet checks are compulsory! The 2015, fiftieth anniversary ride from Del Rio attracted 400 entrants! Ron and Val continue their active lifestyle with Ron being in high demand with their horses on movie sets, taking out Reserve Champion and Champion Pony in Harness at the 2015, 50th Anniversary Show, and Val becoming co-author with a former customer and acquired brain injury patient, as he recounts his life story since he discovered riding! His buggy trips, his excursions with pack horse and so on. Celebrating their 60 th Wedding anniversary in 2014, Ron and Val are a truly remarkable couple whose Christian faith theme constantly runs through their story. Sincere thanks from all of us!! (See photos on p.7) John McIver 3

4 Let them stay: 267 Asylum seekers and a Christian response On Wednesday 3 February the High Court of Australia dismissed a challenge to the legality of Australia s offshore processing regime. The High Court ruling gives legal backing for the government to now move 267 asylum seeks to Nauru. Most have previously been held on Nauru but were brought to Australia for their own, or a family member s, medical treatment. Thirty-seven of the 267 are babies who were born in Australia to mothers who are seeking asylum. A further 54 are children, several of whom attend Australian schools. The mistreatment of asylum seekers on Nauru is well documented. In April 2015 there was the open letter of 24 former and current Nauru workers. These people wrote of the sexual and physical abuse that was happening on this small island and they recommended that the only way of protecting these people from further abuse would be to transfer all asylum seekers from Nauru to Australia. In September 2015 I personally heard paediatrician, Professor David Isaacs, speak at Western Sydney University. Professor Isaacs spoke of his experience working on the island and the terrible conditions in which asylum seekers lived. He spoke of sexual assaults, self harm and abuse that is happening on Nauru. Interviewed on the 7.30 report, Professor Isaacs also said with a high degree of emotion These are people, ordinary people and we re treating them with, um-sorry, we re treating them with incredible cruelty, 4

5 htt:// brought-to-tears-by-treatment-of-naru-detainees giysx9.html Last year 15 peak health professional bodies issued a joint statement opposing the detention of children because of the devastating impact of detention on the health and well being of children. A report by The Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) of a visit by Paediatricians and a team from the AHRC to immigration detention centres at Wickham Point outside Darwin and on Christmas Island was published. Their report details the comments of children and their parents in detention. Just some of those comments are copied here: Every night she wakes up and screams that someone is coming to take her back to Nauru (mother of seven-year-old girl). She has no friends. She cries all the time and says I want to go from here. She has cut herself with a razor on her chin, face, chest. She eats poorly, has daily headache, tummy pain and poor weight gain. Every night she wakes up and screams that somebody is coming to take her back to Nauru. (Mother of girl, aged 7). Paediatricians assessing many of these children say that they are among the most traumatised we have seen in our 50 years of combined professional experience. 5

6 Among their recommendations, the AHRC state the following Under no circumstances should any child detained on the mainland be returned to or transferred to Nauru. Knowing what we know, both from the first hand accounts of former workers, together with statements from health bodies, about Nauru and Manus, there can be no doubt that choosing to send these children back will cause them harm. The harshest words spoken by Jesus in the Bible were reserved for those who did harm to children. These words do apply to the situation of children here in Australia who are under threat of being returned to Nauru even some that have been born in Australia. Jesus words basically are that it is better for anyone who would want to do harm to children to have millstones tied around their neck and be thrown into the ocean than to do harm these children. We must not remain silent. The Parable of the Good Samaritan also shows us the way Jesus would have us treat these people. I do not believe He would have us walk by and do nothing. Rather He would have us be like the Good Samaritan and do all we possibly can to help these people. We may not know any of the asylum seekers ourselves, but we can join the people movement to call on the Federal Government to have compassion on the asylum seekers here in Australia to follow the example of the Premiers across Australia who all offered to let them stay. 6

time by writing to your local member of Federal

The e-petition can be found at: http://www.amesty.

7 How can we do this? By signing the e-petition (see below) and joining thousands that have already signed. An even stronger message can be conveyed if you have time by writing to your local member of Federal Parliament. Please, let them stay. The e-petition can be found at: action/action/41212/ Geoff & Sue Lattimore PHOTO GALLERY Ron and Val Males (See p.2) OAM Presentation Day National Arab Show 50th Anniversary Ralvon Pilgrim World Champ Sharon Lamb FIRST FLEETERS Seniors Luncheon 28th Jan

Worship Planner for March 2016 Date 8:30am 10am 6pm 6 March (Lent 4) 13 March (Lent 5) 20 March (Lent 6) 24 March (Maundy Thursday) 25 March (Good Friday) 27 March (Easter Sunday) Noreen Towers (HC)

8 Worship Planner for March 2016 Date 8:30am 10am 6pm 6 March (Lent 4) 13 March (Lent 5) 20 March (Lent 6) 24 March (Maundy Thursday) 25 March (Good Friday) 27 March (Easter Sunday) Noreen Towers (HC) Noreen Towers Je-Kon Oh Noreen Towers 10:30am Messy Church Je-Kon Oh (HC) Je-Kon Oh Café Church Je-Kon Oh 8pm Tenebrae 9am Service Je-Kon Oh Je-Kon Oh Je-Kon Oh Kids for Christ Texts 6 March (Paddlers): Jesus is God s Son (Matthew 3:13-17) 6 March (Tweens): Jesus teaches to put God first (Luke 12:16-21, 21:1-4) 13 March (Paddlers): Two blind men (Matthew 9:27-31) 13 March (Tweens): Jesus enters Jerusalem (Luke 19:28-40, 47, 48) 20 March (Paddlers): The banquet (Matthew 22:1-5, 8-10) 20 March (Tweens): Jesus trusts his Father (Luke 22:39-54, 63-71) 27 March (Paddlers): Jesus, the obedient Son (Matthew 27:11-61; Isaiah 52:13-15) 27 March (Tweens): Jesus dies and is buried (Luke 23:33-56) 8

9 Joy and Giving In the lead up to Christmas 2015, the spirit of giving and helping was alive in our community. Through your continued generosity donations of money, food and gifts St Andrew s Uniting Church was successful in delivering almost 40 hampers this Christmas time. Your giving helps to bring some joy to families and individuals in our Hawkesbury community. Thank you to everyone who donated or volunteered their time to sort, wrap, pack and label to make sure that the hampers were delivered in time for Christmas. Since Christmas, with your help, we have begun to restock the pantry with non-perishable foods and some toiletry items, so we can be ready once again to help anyone in their time of need. A list of suitable items for the pantry is available, please ask me for a copy if you need one. Judith Dennis 9

10 Mother Teresa I have seen this on the walls of the Mother house in Calcutta. A quote from Mother Teresa: God shows His love through nothingness The flowers the birds have nothing The fruit of Silence is Prayer Their heavenly Father is their provider. The fruit of Prayer is Faith So he provides for us The fruit of Faith is Love Through those who Love and Serve. The fruit of Love is Service Special Needs Transport 10 Cicely & John Sturgess Our willing army of volunteer drivers has been whittled down recently by injuries, illnesses and other similarly valid reasons and we are looking for some new volunteers to help us keep this valuable ministry going. This service provides transport for people with special needs to attend medical appointments, diagnostic tests etc. who cannot call on members of their family to take them. As far as possible, we try to avoid calling on drivers who are already very busy in the life of the church, even though they might have put their names forward as volunteer drivers. A big thank-you to our willing drivers for their great work in the past 12 that months. Please note expenses can be claimed for petrol/parking costs where the trip is out of the area. If you would like to join our team, or you would like to know more about our programme, please contact me or mobile Lester Vincent (coordinator)

11 Relatives values Three sons left home, went out on their own and prospered. Getting back together they discussed the gifts they were able to give their elderly mother. The first said, I built her a big house. The second said, I sent her a Mercedes with a driver. The third smiled and said, I ve got you all beat. You know how mum enjoys the Bible and you know she can t see very well. I sent her a brown parrot that can recite the entire Bible. It took 20 monks in a monastery 12 years to teach him. I had to pledge $100,000 a year for 10 years but it was worth it. Mum just has to name the chapter and verse and the parrot will recite it. Soon after, mum sent out her letters of thanks. Milton, she wrote to the first son, the house you built is so huge. I live in only one room, but I have to clean the whole house. Marvin, she wrote to another, I am too old to travel, I stay at home all the time, so I never use the Mercedes and the driver is so rude. Dearest Melvin, she wrote to the third son, you were the only son to have the good sense to know what your mother likes. That chicken was delicious. (Elaine Ready in VIBRATIONS edit: John Jesson Sutherland UC Nov/Dec 2008) 11

12 MONDAYS TUESDAYS WEDNESDAYS WHAT S HAPPENING DURING THE WEEK? Playtime: 9.30am-11.30am parents & preschoolers (Sarah Jones ) Andy s Hands-on-Help: pm maintenance & fellowship (Bob Thuaux ) Church Council: 7.30pm 1st Tuesday odd number month (Greg Inskip ) Pastoral Leaders Team: 7.30pm 1st Tuesday even month (Je-Kon Oh) Time Out For Mums: am Fortnightly school terms for mums & pre-schoolers (Sandra Brown ) THURSDAYS 1st: Adult Fellowship: 9.30am (Irene Milne ) 2nd & 3rd: Seniors All Together: 10.00am-12 noon (crafts) 4th: Seniors Lunch: 12 noon-1.45pm Seniors Bible Study: 12 noon-1.30pm (except the 4th) (Sandi Herbert ) FRIDAYS Prayer Meeting: 9am-10am (Margaret Bailey) 1st: IDA Service: 10.15am Youth Group: 7pm (Yrs 5-10) during school term (Greg Inskip ) St. Andrew s Uniting Church (St. Andrew s is a member of the Assembly of Confessing Congregations in the Uniting Church.) Ph: ; Web: 25 West Market Street, Richmond NSW 2753 Mail: Post Office Box 450, Richmond NSW 2753 Centre Manager: Derek Scott

There s much to pray for. Come and join us!

There s much to pray for. Come and join us! St. Andrew s Uniting Church News October 2015 Mission Statement: To bring the Gospel of Christ to The People of the Hawkesbury. Pastoral Leaders Team (PLT) Rev Je-Kon Oh 4578 3820 (Office, Bus. Hrs.) After