Chairperson. WA Uniting Church Adult Fellowship Newslink February 2018 WA Uniting Church Adult Fellowship Newslink February 2018

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Contents Chairperson s Corner Chairperson s Corner 3 World Day of Prayer 4 President Elect: Dr Diedre Palmer 5 Stations of the Cross Art Exhibition 6 70th Anniversary of the World Council of Churches

2 Contents Chairperson s Corner Chairperson s Corner 3 World Day of Prayer 4 President Elect: Dr Diedre Palmer 5 Stations of the Cross Art Exhibition 6 70th Anniversary of the World Council of Churches 7 Meet the WA Synod Committee 8 5 Principles for more Ethical Shopping 10 Mission Fellowship: Anne Steed 11 News from Frontier Services: Blake Davies UCAF Registration 13 Celebrating Milestones of our Senior Members 14 A Call to Prayer: Rev Ray Foster 15 Diary of Events. 16 Chairperson Helen McMillan phone norandaunitingchurch@gmail.com Secretary Applications welcome Newslink Editor Aladina Foster. Phone mobile rayaladina@dodo.com.au Treasurer Bob Nicholls. Phone: wraxall@iinet.com.au Deadlines May issue 18 April 2018 August issue 20 July 2018 November issue 17 October 2018 February 2019 issue 23 January 2019 Send material to Aladina Foster rayaladina@dodo.com.au with NEWSLINK in the Subject line or PO Box 536 Pinjarra 6208 Please include a phone number with submissions. To pay Newslink subscriptions Send to the treasurer: Bob Nicholls 7 Wilyan Place, Swan View 6056 NEWSLINK is published by the WA UCAF Synod Committee GPO Box M592, Perth WA 6843 Printed by WA Uniting Church Media and Communications Permission is given to reproduce articles for personal use or for the purposes of groups affiliated with the Uniting Church in Australia. Welcome to the first issue of Newslink for I wish you all a Happy New Year and hope the Christmas season was a time of blessing for Fellowship members as well as their family and friends. The Committee is pleased to welcome Ray Foster, Marcia and Bob Nicholls; and delighted Bob has agreed to be our Treasurer. At the end of last year we thanked Gill Muir for her many years as a member of the Committee and wished her God s blessings as she takes up the President s position of Australian Church Women WA. It was with sadness that we received the news early this year that Anne Holland has had to resign as Secretary. Anne returned to the Committee last year having previously served as Secretary for many years. God bless you Anne, and we pray your health will soon improve. If you feel called to share your talents and skills with the UCAF WA Committee we would be delighted to welcome you. The Committee members are keen to get to know and participate in your activities. If you are having a special occasion or would be willing for us to visit, please let us know the date and time; we would be delighted to join you whether your group is small or large. There are a number of special events happening in The UCAF National Consultation will take place in Hobart at the beginning of May. The National and State Committees meet to report on their activities over the last three years, and discuss proposals and other matters of business. This is also when the current National Committee Victoria/Tasmania hand over the responsibilities to the incoming National Committee; South Australia for the next three years, In July the South Pacific Regional Area meeting of the Methodist and Uniting Church Women, of which UCAF is a member, meets in Fiji. As you plan and commence your activities for 2018, I pray it will be a wonderful time of fellowship and blessing. The State Committee had our planning day on 2 February and we will share some of our plans in the next Newslink. Helen McMillan Chairperson 02 03

World Day of Prayer Uniting Church President Elect The World Day of Prayer 2018 host country is Suriname and the theme is All God s Creation is Very Good!

But everything that was created found its place in creation.

3 World Day of Prayer Uniting Church President Elect The World Day of Prayer 2018 host country is Suriname and the theme is All God s Creation is Very Good! Program written by the World Day of Prayer Committee of Suriname for WDP 2018 Genesis 1:1-31 A heri grontapu di Gado meki bun doro, dóro! As in the beginning, God created from chaos. But everything that was created found its place in creation. All were related to each other the Earth with the light, the waters with the sky, the tree seeds with the living creatures, and the humankind with God. None could exist without the other, and the source of all was God. There was goodness in that integrated system of relationships. But essential to that was the commitment to care. And we know that we are failing! Women from Suriname lift up their voices to remind us that we are caretakers of God s creation! They are bringing to our attention the urgent need for caring at a time when more than 180 countries have signed the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. A commitment to keep the Earth cooler depends on public policies implemented by governments, but also on our personal lifestyle. As one of our Guiding Principles affirms prayer is rooted in listening to God and World Day of Prayer Friday 2 March 2018 at a venue near you. to one another. Through the worship service, we listen to the multicultural and multi-ethnic people of Suriname. They take us to their communities and through their concerns. History is before our eyes! The flora and fauna are remarkable! The everyday life is weaved into the prayers. How good is God s creation? That is the question to meditate and respond to with a personal commitment to care for creation. But it can also be an opportunity for the WDP motto Informed prayer and prayerful action to be affirmed in the community. What is it that we, as the WDP movement, can do to keep God s creation good? President-Elect Dr Deidre Palmer has announced her chosen theme for the 15th Assembly. The theme Abundant Grace Liberating Hope invites the Uniting Church to live by God s abundant grace reflecting God s generous and overflowing love. At the heart of being a follower of Jesus, is our experience of God s grace, said Dr Palmer. That experience of encountering God who loves us unconditionally. God, who in Jesus Christ, invites us to see others, the world around us, and ourselves as infinitely loved. God, whose love is poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Romans 5:5). As the Uniting Church we have been greatly blessed by the abundant grace of God, calling us into being and shaping our life and mission. Dr Palmer announced her theme and the accompanying logo at the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress in Geelong. I see so much of this theme reflected in the ministry and mission of the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress, she said. Dr Palmer is encouraging Uniting Church members to share their stories about how they had encountered God s abundant grace in their lives in the lead-up to the 15th Assembly meeting in July

Stations of the Cross Art Exhibition - Easter 2018 70th Anniversary of the World Council of Churches I invite you to join Uniting Church in the City (UCIC) as a community of hope as we gather for the

As we take this journey, we are challenged to look to the real, to what is beyond the hype that disfigures much of our public dialogue and to give thanks for the grace of Gods reconciling power which

As visitors to UCIC see the artworks, we hope they will be able to find their own entry point and engage with the life and journey of Jesus in a way that connects to their own personal journey.

4 Stations of the Cross Art Exhibition - Easter th Anniversary of the World Council of Churches I invite you to join Uniting Church in the City (UCIC) as a community of hope as we gather for the 2018 Stations of the Cross. As we take this journey, we are challenged to look to the real, to what is beyond the hype that disfigures much of our public dialogue and to give thanks for the grace of Gods reconciling power which both calls and enables us to hear the view of the other. As visitors to UCIC see the artworks, we hope they will be able to find their own entry point and engage with the life and journey of Jesus in a way that connects to their own personal journey. They will be able to share their journey through conversation with others, and in that context, come closer to the love and life that this experience offers. The artists each interpret a single station through their personal and unique understanding of the Easter experience. So we have what is in affect a series of theological reflections on the last days of Jesus ministry bridging sacred stories and the issues and events that are present in our contemporary world. Stations of the Cross 2018 will open at Uniting Church in the City, Wesley Perth on the corner of William and Hay Streets, Artwork by Moira de la Hunty from the 2017 Stations of the Cross art exhibition at UCIC Stations of the Cross 23 March 9 April at 6pm on Friday the 23 March. The exhibition will continue from Saturday 24 to Monday 9 April and will be open daily from 9am to 5pm. Entry will be free, as will be guided tours of the exhibition. Plans are also being made for the exhibition to be shown at the Geraldton Regional Art Gallery in late April and May. Contact - Rev Craig Collas, Tel: E: craig.collas@gmail.com For a list of the participating artists you can go to the Website: A visit to China began the celebration of the World Council of Churches (WCC) 70th anniversary. In Beijing on 7 January, WCC general secretary Rev Dr Olav Fykse Tveit preached in Chongwenmen Church, one of the oldest Protestant churches in China, on the theme Jesus Christ, the Joy of the World. In 2018 as we celebrate the 70th anniversary of WCC in order to create a lively first-hand account of the ecumenical fellowship and of our shared journey, the WCC general secretary has invited all member churches to contribute stories, which we will bring to you throughout the coming year. The first story in our series was written by Gerard Willemsen, international director of the Uniting Church in Sweden. Bishop Mary Ann Swenson has a unique position in observing and advocating for women s rights or, as she would quickly clarify, the fair treatment of human beings no matter what their gender. As bishopin-residence at the Hollywood United Methodist Church, she ministers to church members who were not only present at the Golden Globe Awards they were the nominees. And, as vice-moderator of the WCC Central Committee, she is part of a global parish, traveling to communities far removed from the privilege of Hollywood, where violence occurs against women who are seen by their own communities as having no voice and no rights. As Hollywood speaks out, will other wounded women go deeper in the shadows? 06 07

Meet the WA Adult Fellowship Committee 2018 Meet the WA Adult Fellowship Committee 2018 We have a great team of people willing to work and struggle to find the best way to communicate with and to

5 Meet the WA Adult Fellowship Committee 2018 Meet the WA Adult Fellowship Committee 2018 We have a great team of people willing to work and struggle to find the best way to communicate with and to encourage groups to meet and enjoy fellowship in all it s different guises. Sharing and meeting together encourages, strengthens and builds us and our congregation. If you would like to be part of this great team who want to encourage the people of our church to meet in fellowship and strengthen our church, call Helen or Aladina see page 2. Chairperson: Helen McMillian Helen lives and worships in Noranda. Helen has been part of the committee since She was a member of the WA National Committee. She was elected as chairperson at our AGM in September Secretary: Our Secretary was recently instructed by her doctor to cut back and decided to retire. It is a demanding but satisfying job and we pray we can soon find a replacement. Corresponding Member of National Committee: Kerry Dunn This job is to keep in touch with the other Synods and the National Committees. Kerry lives and worships in Rockingham. Treasurer: Bob Nicholls Bob and Marcia have recently joined the committee. They have worshipped with the Swan View Uniting Church since 2013 when they moved to Perth. They transferred from Bridgetown Uniting Church. It is great to have them on board. Would your photo fit here? Newslink Editor: Aladina Foster Aladina lives and worships in Pinjarra. She has been on the committee for many years and has been editor of Newslink for about 15 years. She is a past member of the UCAF National Committee. Mission Fellowship Representative: Anne Steed Anne keeps the committee up to date with Mission Fellowship activities. Anne worships with Forrestfield Uniting Church. Greeting Card Co-ordinator (corresponding): Kay Lockley Kay has been part of Adult Fellowship for many years. She is involved in Mission Fellowship and lives in Bicton. She is also a past member of the UCAF National Committee. Member: Marcia Nicholls Marcia Nicholls is our Treasurer Bob s wife and new to the committee. Welcome to you both. Member: Ray Foster Ray is newly elected to the committee, he worships at Pinjarra and is part of their Ministry Team. He is also a past member of the UCAF National Committee. Member: Elsie Warne Elsie is a long time member of the committee. She is part of the Stamp Group and worships at Bicton Uniting Church. Elsie is also a past member of the UCAF National Committee

Five Principles to guide a more sustainable purchase. Uniting Church Mission Fellowship 1. EVERY PURCHASE MAKES AN IMPACT Remember, your choice makes a difference.

ASK, DO I NEED IT? Avoid unnecessary consumption. About 8o per cent of products are discarded within six months of production.

6 Five Principles to guide a more sustainable purchase. Uniting Church Mission Fellowship 1. EVERY PURCHASE MAKES AN IMPACT Remember, your choice makes a difference. For most of us, cost and convenience are the main reasons for our shopping choices. These aren t bad reasons, but they don t reflect the true cost of our purchases to the environment and people. 2. ASK, DO I NEED IT? Avoid unnecessary consumption. About 8o per cent of products are discarded within six months of production. How you buy will influence directly what you buy so it is important to think about the way you spend money. Make a preferred shopping list and keep to it. 3. LEARN ABOUT THE ISSUES Take on one issue at a time so you re not overwhelmed. Start with the products that you buy most frequently. 4. SEEK OUT A BEST BUY Ask, What do I value?. There are no right or wrong purchasing decisions. What you value will determine the criteria you see as most important. Prioritize your values knowing you ll have to make tradeoffs. You might decide to buy local over organic, or choose to buy cruelty free over minimal packaging. 5. MAKE LASTING CHANGE Celebrate good choices, create good habits! Once you ve found a best buy, remember it and move onto the next product. Share your discoveries. Let the related companies know, via letter or , of the choices you have made. From Shop Ethical : The guide to ethical supermarket shopping. Want to know more? info@ethical.org.au or visit Well another exciting year has begun! We hope you all had a blessed Christmas and a good holiday break. We had our planning day in January, where hopefully, we have arranged an interesting variety of speakers for you all for our meetings during We will have our first meeting on Wednesday 21st February, as usual starting at 10 am with a cuppa, before the meeting at am, in the Guild room of Wesley Church, Perth. We look forward to seeing you all there again, and any new folk who might like to join us. We would gladly welcome you. We will begin our year with a Communion service, and our next meeting on the 21st March will have an Easter theme. The Stamp Group will begin again on Wednesday 31st January, at Bicton Uniting Church. They meet every Wednesday, except the 3rd Wednesday, from 10.00am -2.00pm. Bring your own lunch, but tea and coffee are provided. It is a great time of fun and fellowship, particularly for anyone living in the southern areas, and has great results. Since 2015, we have been able to send $15,000 from stamp proceeds, to Frontier services for the work of the Western Australia Patrols. A great effort! Although the huge backlog of stamps has now been cleared, there are always more coming in, so there will always be a supply waiting to be trimmed and sorted. You do not need to know how to do the whole process just help with your little bit and somebody else will take over the next stage. You will be made to feel very welcome. Blessings to you all for Anne Steed Mission Fellowship Representative to UCAF Anne Steed 10 11

News from Frontier Services New opportunities in 2018 Wishing you all a happy new year!

A heartfelt thank you goes out to everyone who supported us this year in purchasing Christmas cards and leaving generous donations.

After a busy December, the team at Frontier Services is ready for new opportunities in 2018.

7 News from Frontier Services New opportunities in 2018 Wishing you all a happy new year! As we closed off 2017, we wanted to bring to light the sheer number of Christmas card orders we received this year. A heartfelt thank you goes out to everyone who supported us this year in purchasing Christmas cards and leaving generous donations. The funds raised allow us to continue supporting those who need us most across remote Australia. We couldn t continue to do our work without your support, so thank you. After a busy December, the team at Frontier Services is ready for new opportunities in Cross Country Visit Our National Director, Jannine Jackson, will be taking to the skies as she heads across to Western Australia. On her trip, she will be visiting Rev Mitch Flalkowski of the Murchison Patrol and Rev John Dihm of the Pilbara Patrol. This is a chance to hear how things are going in WA and learn how we can better support those in need. Making a difference with Outback Links We ve recently welcomed our new National Volunteer Co-ordinator, Michelle McLeod to the team. Michelle is working hard to link new volunteers to our Outback Links trips. If you would like to head out on a once in a lifetime trip, and help someone doing it tough across remote Australia then we would love to hear from you. Please call us on or Michelle on MichelleM@frontierservices.org Blake Davies Frontier Services Goodbye Affiliation Registration only! On the advice of the General Secretary the WA Synod Adult Fellowship decided at the 2018 Planning Day to request affiliation fees of groups no longer. A donation to assist in running expenses would be most welcome. Adult Fellowship asks congregations and groups to register with Adult Fellowship, so we can forward copies of Newslink and other mailings direct to them. All congregations will receive a Newslink in the synod mailout all registered groups will receive an addressed copy/copies of Newslink. We ask you to register so your group is on our contact list. Group name Contact Person for group Individual Person Postal Address Address Phone Please send registrations and donations for 2018 to the Treasurer Mr Bob Nicholls. Uniting Church Adult Fellowship GPO Box M952 Perth WA 6843 Cheques payable to Uniting Church Adult Fellowship WA Please attach this form Internet Banking BSB Acc. No Reference Name of group or individual Want NEWSLINK POSTED to YOUR ADDRESS? For $8.00 per year, Newslink can be posted. Recipients Name Congregation Postal address P/code No of copies... Postage $8 Donation $... Total $... Payment detail for Treasurer as for Registration above

Celebrating Milestones of our Senior Members The UCAF WA Committee offers you the opportunity to recognise the contribution your seniors have made and to celebrate with them and show appreciation

EIGHTY YEAR OLDS: at the UCAF Annual Synod Fellowship Day next year 2018, Certificates of Appreciation will be presented, on behalf of the WA Uniting Church, to octogenarians nominated by their

8 Celebrating Milestones of our Senior Members The UCAF WA Committee offers you the opportunity to recognise the contribution your seniors have made and to celebrate with them and show appreciation when they reach their important milestones. EIGHTY YEAR OLDS: at the UCAF Annual Synod Fellowship Day next year 2018, Certificates of Appreciation will be presented, on behalf of the WA Uniting Church, to octogenarians nominated by their church or fellowship group. All who reach their 80th year during 2018 or have missed out are eligible. Applications close mid July Application forms will be in the June 2018 issue of Newslink. NINETY YEAR OLDS: the WA Uniting Church Adult Fellowship Committee, will send an especially designed greeting card, on behalf of the WA Uniting Church, to any person celebrating their 90th birthday and who has been nominated by their group or congregation. The Greeting Card is sent out as applications are received. We meet on the 4th Friday of each month (except January and December). If the application is received before the fourth Friday the greeting will be sent the following week. See application below. ONE HUNDRED YEAR OLDS: The Synod looks after these. A letter to the Moderator requesting a greeting to those turning one hundred will be responded to. If you have any questions, please contact WA UCAF Committee Aladina Foster on Phone rayaladina@dodo.com.au. APPLICATION FORM FOR GREETING TO 90 YEAR OLDS SEND TO: Kay Lockley, kaylockl@bigpond.net.au, 22 Pembroke Street, Bicton WA Phone PLEASE PRINT Name of Congregation... Date of Birth... Name of 90 YEAR OLD... If there is more than one please photocopy this form or list on blank paper, be sure to give all details. CHECK SPELLING PLEASE To whom shall we SEND THE CARD? Please (ü) tick o Congregation so it can be suitably presented? o Nominator: The person who wishes to deliver card personally or arrange a special time for presentation? o The 90 year old person nominated. To their personal address? Please supply the following: CONTACT PERSON: Name... Phone No... ADDRESS to which to SEND THE GREETING CARD: Name... Address... Post Code... With Christmas still fresh in our minds: The Season of peace on Earth and good will to all people: A Call to Prayer We are confronted with news reports focusing on a world divided and far from at peace. Nation against nation; culture clashing with culture: families divided; women suffering violence and sexual aggression. Government s seeming to be more focused on division than good government. Violence on our roads, in our streets, our homes: Is anywhere safe? In the shadow of this world situation we are called to prayer. It was to this world that God sent his son to bring a message of hope. A hope we need for today. It s God s intention that we should live together with all our differences. It was Jesus prayer that we should all be one. We believe that if we pray with all our hearts things will change. So, my friends, pray without ceasing; Pray to God believing; our God changes things. May God bless you. Ray Foster

9 Diary of Events FEBRUARY Friday 2, pm Saturday 10 Wednesday 14 Saturday 17, 8.30am 6.15pm Wednesday 21, 10.00am Saturday 24 Saturday 24 Monday 26 February. MARCH Thursday 1 Friday 2 Saturday 10 Sunday 11 Wednesday 14 Friday 16 Sunday 18 Friday 16 Sunday 18 Saturday 17 Wednesday am. Friday 23 Monday 2 April Saturday 24 Sunday 25 Sunday 25 Friday 30 Saturday 31 APRIL Monday 2 Friday 6, am Friday 6 Saturday 7 Wednesday am. Friday 20 Saturday 21 Wednesday 25 Friday 27 Sunday 29 Monday 30 WA Uniting Church Adult Fellowship Synod Planning Day at the Uniting Church Centre, East Perth Presbytery of Western Australia Meeting Penrhos College UnitingWorld s Lent Event begins Summer Spirit at All Saints Floreat Uniting Church Uniting Church Mission Fellowship WA meeting in the Guild Room at Uniting Church in the City, Wesley Perth Safe Church Training at Merredin Uniting Church Safe Church Training at Rockingham Uniting Church March Hands and Feet contribution deadline April Revive contribution deadline World Day of Prayer in a venue near you Kids Camp Out (KCO) at Advent Park, Maida Vale Code of Ethics Overview at Mt Pleasant Uniting Church Wellspring Retreat at Nathanael s Rest, Mundaring Mission Shaped ministry course Safe Church Training (Part 2) at Rockingham UCA Uniting Church Mission Fellowship WA meeting in the Guild Room at Uniting Church in the City, Wesley Perth Stations of the Cross Art Exhibition at Uniting Church in the City, Wesley Perth Next Generation Conference & Workshop at Cannington Uniting Church Palm Sunday Walk for Justice for Refugees Good Friday UnitingWorld s Lent Event finishes Easter Monday public holiday WA Uniting Church Adult Fellowship Synod Committee Meeting at the Uniting Church Centre, Deep Listening Festival at Margaret River Uniting Church Uniting Church Mission Fellowship WA meeting in the Guild Room at Uniting Church in the City, Wesley Perth May Fellowship NEWSLINK contribution deadline Safe Church Training at Busselton Uniting Church ANZAC Day Rural Retreat in Katanning May Hands and Feet contribution deadline You are welcome to have your activities listed please send to Aladina Foster rayaladina@dodo.com.au or to UCAF NEWSLINK, GPO Box M952, Perth WA Uniting Church Adult Fellowship Newslink February 2018

Chairperson s Corner. Chairperson Helen McMillan phone Secretary Applications welcome

Chairperson s Corner. Chairperson Helen McMillan phone Secretary Applications welcome Contents Chairperson s Corner 3 National Chairperson s Reflections 5 Australian - Papuan Cultural Exchange Program 6 Good and Faithful Servant: Rev Lee Edwards 7 Around and About 8 Uniting Church Mission