The Village Church 93 Canadian Bay Road, Mt Eliza P:

Transcription

1 Church News The Village Church 93 Canadian Bay Road, Mt Eliza P: Office Hours: Monday - Tuesday: 9:30am-12:30pm Thursday: 9:30am -1:30pm Friday: 9:30am -2:30pm May 13, 2018 Happy Mothers Day The Uniting Church in Australia

2 OUR VISION & MISSION Following Jesus and walking together, the Village Church aspires to live God s unconditional love. We live Christian faith with integrity and meaning and, with a servant heart, we offer a place of welcome, care, inclusion and healing. MISSION: We will live out our vision by: Following Jesus who lived with integrity, honesty and justice. Building community both within and beyond the church. Nurturing a questioning and living spirituality. Fostering an inclusive and welcoming spirit. Offering abundant care and compassion. Staff Contacts: Minister of the Word: Youth Engagement: Playgroup Coordinator: Pastoral Support: Communication & Admin: Rev Cameron McAdam E: cameronmcadam@hotmail.com P: M: Jake Doleschal E: jake.doleschal@fusion.org.au P: Barbara Mort E: ucame.playgroup@hotmail.com.au P: Shona Potts E: ucame.pastoralsupport@gmail.com P: Sally Mullins E: ucame@hotmail.com.au P:

3 ORDER OF SERVICE Sunday 13 May, 2018 SONG How deep the Father s love WELCOME SONG Love divine, all loves excelling PRAYERS PASSING THE PEACE - The peace of the risen Christ be with you all. And also with you. CHURCH LIFE Church Leader TIME WITH OUR YOUNGER PEOPLE MUSIC Jim Lawry OFFERING AND PRAYER The children may leave for Kid s Church READING 1 John 4: 16b - 21 John 15: 9-17 Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church. Thanks be to God. SERMON SONG Serving in Community Quiet reflection and prayer Love is the touch of intangible joy PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE SONG Community of Christ BLESSING SONG When you walk from here

4 at The Village Church Today May 13 10:00am Morning Service led by Rev. Cam McAdam 6:00pm Evening Service Monday May 14 9:15am Playgroup Tuesday May 15 9:15am Playgroup Wednesday May 16 Thursday May 17 9:15am Playgroup 1:00pm Knitting Group 7.30pm No Choir Practice Friday May 18 9:15am Playgroup 1:00pm Art Group 3:30pm Junior KUCA 5:30pm Senior KUCA 5:30pm engaged 7:00pm Youth Group Saturday May 19 Sunday May am Morning Service led by Rev. Cam McAdam - Pentecost Sunday this morning, I want to talk about an absolute of Christian faith, you cannot claim to be Christian unless you accept this, it is an absolute and it is, that you cannot do Christian faith alone. Christian faith is not an individual experience. Christian faith can only be experienced, or found, or known, in community. as the minister in a church community I often hear people say, If only the church had this or did that. Like it s somebody else s responsibility. People shop for a church, that has what they want. And I think I want to just say, well if the church is not what you think it should be, then make it happen. Abide with us, be part of us. Rev.Cam McAdam (from sermon on 6 May 2018)

5 Our Village Church - the week that was... The Village Church is a hive of activity, not just on Sundays, but through-out the week. The following is a window into the week that was in the vibrant life of our church. Degani s morning tea Cam took these photos at Degani s morning tea this week, where the problems of the world were being solved over a cuppa and a muffin. Morning tea at Deganis is held on the second Tuesday of each month. All are warmly welcome to attend! Cam s weekly update A Community week Our current Sunday series is on church community, and this week I have immersed myself in the breadth of Village Church community and life. Last Sunday I enjoyed Fusion s fundraising lunch. Present were a mix of people from local churches, community and business, along with local and federal government politicians. Gemma Bell from Fusion spoke of their work, including a story about Amber, a young woman who lived with them a few years ago. Following this very moving story, I was invited to offer grace into this emotional space. It was lovely to hear about the shared relationship Fusion and the Village Church have in this space. On Monday evening I represented the Mt Eliza clergy at the Mt Eliza Churches Community Service (MECCS) AGM, where I offered the spiritual preparation. MECCS is an independently incorporated organisation that grew out of the Mt Eliza Inter-Church Council, which provides volunteer transport to people in the Mt Eliza community who have no other means of transport to medical appointments. Tomorrow (Friday) I ll visit our chaplain Jess Lowe at Mt Eliza Secondary College. This week, Jess and Jake Doleschal our Youth Engagement worker took a group of Mt Eliza students on a pilgrimage of origin, visiting and talking with refugees and migrant communities across Melbourne.

6 At the Village Church The next meeting of the Village Church Friendship Group will be held Tuesday 22nd May at 1.30p.m. How many of us have been to watch a movie at the Mornington Cinema? This month we will welcome Ian McCann, Manager of the cinema, who will talk about its history and how Mornington has evolved over the years. We look forward to an interesting and informative presentation. All are welcome to come along to enjoy this time of friendship and hospitality. Afternoon tea will be served (not sure about the popcorn though!) Did you know Our very own Ian Johnston is a finalist in the prestigious Mandorla Art Awards, Australia s most significant thematic Christian art prize. While this image of his painting does not do justice to the artwork in person, Ian s painting includes portrayal of John of Patmos, exile and refugee, surveys the world from East to West. Beneath his robe, modern day refugees embark on perilous seas, fleeing oppression and seeking new life. At journey s end the threatening sea, war-torn, ruined cities, and refugee camps will be no more. John s hopeful vision sees all sacred and secular cities illuminated and renewed by love. John looks upward to a vision of beloved faces, nature recreated, all humanity welcomed, and the spirit of community restored at the Lord s table as witnessed by the Emmaus travellers. Mandorla 2018 prize winners will be announced on Friday 1 June.

7 Outside The Village Church

8 Budget 2018: What it means for Australian foreign aid On Tuesday night, the Australian Government presented the Federal Budget, and while there are some positive outcomes for Australians, overall it was a disappointing night for overseas aid. It was announced that the current $4.2 billion dollars which is spent on aid will be frozen. In real terms, this is a cut of $141.1 million over four years. This coming year, Australian aid will represent just 0.22% of our national income, and that is expected to fall to an all-time low of just 0.19% by FY Since 2013, Australia s official aid budget has fallen by 30 per cent. This is although overall government spending has grown by about 10 per cent in the same period. While some of the detail behind the budget is still to be released, I fear that this budget lacks vision for a fairer world, and sadly, these cuts will have a devastating impact on people in some of the world s most vulnerable communities. It means that around the world, effective long-term aid programs will be cut back. It means fewer girls will have access to an education, less food for vulnerable families, and reduced access to basic medical care. It will make it harder for communities at risk to prepare for disasters, and includes no increase for the humanitarian emergency funding at a time when the world is seeing an increase in the number of people affected by disaster. We are encouraged to see the increase in investment in the Pacific region, and we welcome this commitment to our neighbours across the Pacific. However, cuts have been made to supporting countries across Asia, including significant cuts to Bangladesh, which is concerning considering the key issues in the region, particularly the plight of the Rohingya people. My sincerest thanks for all you do to support communities around the world who are threatened by conflict and disaster, and a special thank you to those of you who tried to reach out to your Federal MP in the lead up to this announcement. When we act together as the body of Christ, we remain stronger. With gratitude, Janet Cousens, Executive Director, Act for Peace Note Abridged version of . For full , please contact church office.

9 Village Church Directory Latest copies now available Some latest copies of the Church Directory are available in the church office or contact Sally in the office to arrange a soft copy to be ed to you for storing on your computer (saving on printing, time and church resources). Church garden care program A reminder to sign up if you would like to participate in the beautification of our church grounds by looking after a small part of the garden. The time commitment is minimal and you can choose a time that suits you and set your own pace. There is also flexibility in choosing your own plants, although important they are drought resistant, native and low maintenance, in line with church guidelines. Any questions, please contact Doug Thring ( ) or Anthony McCabe ( ). Can you help the Knitting group? The cold weather has arrived and knitting needles are clicking everywhere. One of our senior knitters has knitted lots of teddies to give joy and comfort to children something to cuddle and bring a smile. We currently have lots of teddies sewn together, which now need filling. If you would like to help fill teddies so we can get them away quickly, please come along to the Knitting group, who meet every Thursday at 1pm. Come fill teddies and enjoy a cuppa and chat!

10

11 Church Rosters 2018 May 13 Church Leader: Bible Reader: Welcomers: Counting: Music: Kids church: Flowers: Power point: Morning Tea: Doug Thring Cam Opie Ruth & Esther McAdam John de Wijn & Mohan Jacob Bev Sleep Ann Connan & Katherine Suttie Ronda Jenkins Ian Potts Shona & Emily Potts Yvonne Senn, Marlise Botha May 20 Church Leader: Bible Reader: Welcomers: Counting: Music: Kids church: Flowers: Power point: Morning Tea: May 27 Church Leader: Bible Reader: Welcomers: Counting: Music: Kids church: Flowers: Power point: Morning Tea: Yvonne Senn Ronda Jenkins Betty Anderson & Margaret Barrow Trevor Burt & Doug Thring Margaret Brown Deb Dalton & Merrilyn Salisbury Jenny Maclachlan Ian Clarnette Ralph & Janette Harland Sue Mills, Evelyn Clarnette Barb Wilson David Brown John and Kaye de Wijn Ian McInnes and Ken Sleep Bev Sleep Kate Driver & Sally Mullins Jennifer Collett Sandra Scurrah Anthony & Janette McCabe Claire Thonemann, Lois Gust Mowing - MAY David Brown The latest roster for May-Aug is located on the Church website. Alternatively, please contact the office for a copy.

12