Connecting the people of St John’s Elsternwick

MINISTER Rev Philip Liebelt Ph: 9596 4204 | Mob: 0400631264 philipliebelt@gmail.com

LINK EDITOR Cathy McNicol

mcnicolc@hotmail.com

CHURCH OFFICE 567 Glen Huntly Rd, Elsternwick 3185 P.O. Box 4069, Hopetoun Gardens 3162

Phone: 9528 4859 Hall Bookings: Jack Campbell 9523 9228

June - July 2017

\ March 2015

During May and June, I am leading the congregation

through a special program: Empowerment: Our S.H.A.P.E - Gifts for Ministry. S.H.A.P.E. stands for Spiritual Gifts, Heart, Ability, Personality and (life) Experience. This is at the request of the Church Council. Much of the teaching focuses on Spiritual Gifts, which are the least known of this group. Some people (10) have committed to a higher level of involvement and are doing extra work over and above what is done on Sundays. The response to the teaching has been positive, and it is good that some people joined the second level after they had heard the teaching. I want to share a number of stories here, not heard elsewhere in the program, which illustrate some significant points to be made about these gifts. Dr Tony Campolo, a sociologist, pastor, author, public speaker and social activist tells of a member of his congregation who had been a University lecturer in Literature. Tony returned from an extended time away to hear that this man had left his teaching position to become a postman. So, Tony visited him to get the story. Yes, it was true and he was absolutely loving it. But he discovered that whilst all the other postmen finished at midday, he was finishing at 6pm. He said he was finding all these lonely people who were hanging out for the postman to come. “The only problem is,” he said, “I am not sleeping very well. I’m having 25 cups of coffee a day.” Clearly this man had a pastoral gift. When we exercise our special gifts we will feel fulfilled and we will bear fruit. Indeed, this is one way of being assured that you have realised what your gift is. There is strong anecdotal evidence that when many of a local congregation’s members know and exercise their gifts the church will grow numerically, spiritually and financially.

When I first started going out with my wife, Helen*, she was working as an Animal technician in medical research. She used to say she was more comfortable working with animals than with people. Helen had grown up in the church; it is hard to know when Spiritual gifts are given to such people. For over 10 years now she has worked in aged care. Anyone who has seen her relating to older people sees she has a pastoral gift, somehow either suppressed or not discovered until later in her life. A Spiritual gift can lay dormant in one’s life, and only come to the forefront with the benefit of life experience or training. This is why the SHAPE programme does not look just at Spiritual Gifts. As a new Christian, Constance* has shown signs that she may have the Spiritual gift of evangelism. This clearly is something new in her life, because previously she would have had no attraction to share the Good News of Christ. She has had the ability to ‘talk to anyone’, and so the Spirit has built on this natural ability. Given her discomfort at speaking in public, either the Spirit has more work to do, or else she will be a person who uses this gift one-to-one. Different people will use the same gift in different ways. How a gift is used in ministry may be determined by using it in concert with a person’s natural talent; life or work experience; the situation into which they are called or other Spiritual gifts he/she has.

Peter Wagner, in his book Your Spiritual Gifts can help your Church Grow, tells the story of John Wimber who became a world-renowned Church Growth expert. Before a dramatic conversion ‘that reminds one of the Apostle Paul’s’, John had two natural talents. He was an extremely talented and versatile musician, and he was a very successful salesman. His talent as a musician did not change, but he dedicated it to God and composed hymns, etc. God took his talent as a salesman and transformed it into the gift of evangelism, which has brought much fruit. But he has another gift, so that he ‘gets an intuitive feeling’ that tells him when an unbeliever is ‘ready’ to become a Christian. He says he feels like a ‘spiritual midwife’. The Holy Spirit in giving gifts sometimes builds on natural talents. Again, here is evidence of gifts working together - sometimes called a ‘gifts mix’.

(*These stories are told with the permission of Helen and Constance) Continued over page

Empowered by

exercising your

Spiritual Gifts

Editor’s Column Yet again it is staggering what we have done over the last couple of months – an afternoon with our tenants, Social Justice Hub event, showing of the powerful film Risen, mini-fete with the Garden Club, along with our regular activities. We have farewelled Constance as she headed north to take up work at Moto and were sad to see the passing of Rex. A big thank-you to the many contributors to this edition: Alex, Andrea, Audrey, Constance, Dustin, Geoffrey, Greg, Jane, Hilarey, Michael, Patricia, Philip.

Cathy

Wagner himself tells how he left seminary knowing nothing about spiritual gifts. He had heard stories of great evangelists, and of course it being the fifties he knew of Billy Graham. So as he went to Bolivia as a missionary he was determined to be that country’s ‘Billy Graham’, expecting to see thousands of Bolivians saved through his preaching. He preached, he gave a ‘call’, and nothing happened. He studied the habits of evangelists and copied them. For example, his evangelism professor used to talk to people on the bus and this would lead to conversions. So, Peter did that but nothing happened. In time, he received some training in Spiritual Gifts and realised that he did not have the gift of evangelism. He hastens to add we all have a role to witness as opportunities come up, but that it is not everyone’s main ministry. One way to discover your Spiritual gift is to experiment with a gift. If you are not fruitful and fulfilled, that probably is not your gift. We also ought to be wary of coveting other people’s gifts. Just because we see someone else successful in a ministry, it does not mean we will be too. No amount of training or practice may change that. There are actions called Gifts that we all can do ― giving, praying, serving ― but those that have these as a Spiritual gift will have an inner drive to do them, and that will become their main act of ministry. I knew as early as Grade three that I was going to be a teacher. I did not grow up in the Church but was relatively young when I had exposure to the Christian faith, and became a Christian. By my mid-teens I was exercising a gift of teaching, long before I was trained as a teacher, and worked as a teacher. By some measures, I may not have been a good classroom teacher. The Spiritual Gift of teaching is specifically about teaching people in the Body of Christ about truths of the Kingdom. Some of the Gifts are also, by name natural talents, eg, ‘born teacher’, but with reference to them as a Spiritual Gift, it will be used like all such gifts, ‘to build up the Body of Christ’.

And so, I look forward with prayer and expectation to how this program may bless St John’s and the ministry of its individual members.

Philip

3 REFLECTION, REX HANNEY

4 SOCIAL JUSTICE

5 OP SHOP

6 FRESH YOUTH THEATRE

7 SHARE 9 40TH ANNIVERSARY 10 JUNE / JULY ROSTER

*Inspiring Hope *Embracing Change *Releasing Creativity

Philip’s Personal Notes In January, whilst on Annual Leave, I headed over to South Australia to catch up with family and do some painting in our house. I arrived to discover that Mum was ready and willing to move into an aged-care facility. No painting got done as I spent the time finding a place for her to go into respite. Through the coming months, with my brother not well, I needed to take the front running in organising Mum into that respite and then thankfully a permanent place coming up in that facility soon afterwards (a Uniting facility in a great setting, by the River Torrens up near the foothills). My fourth trip to SA in as many months was with Helen, to empty Mum’s house (a fairly big job in a relatively small house and at a time when my brother was in hospital ― eventually for a month). I appreciate the Church Council’s understanding in this time, and am pleased that I have not had to take any Leave that could not be covered in entitled ways. Late last year it became clear that I needed more work done on my left hip, which now has bursitis, courtesy of scarring from three previous operations. With my surgeon’s blessings, I pursued other options – Laser treatment and Osmo patches. Although these have been known to help with bursitis, they did not work for me. I put aside any further consideration of surgery with the above going on with Mum. It has now become clear that I cannot continue to ignore it, especially since my right hip is deteriorating and will need replacing also. Following discussion with the Council, I will put a date for the first surgery, probably in July, to the Executive. The bursitis surgery being minor will not make me unavailable for very long. The right hip replacement, a more major surgery, can be done after 6 weeks, but I will probably leave it until later in the year, after the Asset Strategy Program.

I apologise for the inconvenience this will cause the church. My family and I appreciate your support and prayers. Philip

CALENDAR 27th May - 3rd June

NAIDOC Week – Reconciliation 25th May - 8th June

Holy Stitches Exhibition 17th June, 1pm

Women’s March to Ban the Bomb! 17th June, 6pm

Journey Through Song - BRASA fundraiser at St Leonard’s, Brighton

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In the Bible we read about men, women, and children who loved God and discovered that God has a special plan for their lives. Moses, Samuel, Peter and Paul knew their lives were planned by God and they did what God asked them to do.

‘Like living stones be yourselves built into a spiritual house.’(1 Peter 2:5)

Each Christian is like a stone in God’s building. We all have different plans, we are like stones of different shapes and sizes which God has special

plans for. St Paul says each Christian is like a part of Christ’s body as each part of the body

has a special place and work to so, so God has a special place and work for us.

Some of the lives of some Christians are seen, others may be hidden, some may seem small, some large but we are all important in God’s sight, each helping to do God’s work. Each part of the body

needs the others. The eye cannot say to the ear… I can do without you…

In a hospital, different work is done. Receptionists, nurses, doctors and pharmacists do their work and

all are important. The doctor is prominent, but if the receptionist does not do their task, you will not see the doctor. After seeing the doctor, the pharmacist

will give you the medicine prescribed, but if she does not, or gives you the wrong prescription,

then seeing the doctor was useless. There are three ways in which we can seek God’s plan – bible reading, prayer and fellowship with

other Christians. We should wait upon God daily. Sometimes we have to wait a long time before we

know God’s plan for us. We have to be patient. We each have our own abilities which we should use

to further God’s work. God put into each of us the qualities of we need to carry out that plan.

Our confidence should be in God. God knows our weaknesses. We must remember that we are in

God’s hands and that we depend on God for our life itself, sometimes feeling the hand of God upon us

with discipline and correction. May God give us the grace to accept God’s plan for us.

Audrey

Rex Hanney Rex was a loving father to Glenda and step-father to Pam, grandfather to Heidi and great-grandfather to Noah and Ella. He served as an engineer in the British and Australian Armies during World War 11 and Korea. His work meant he was away from home for long periods but he always managed to send the girls Easter eggs decorated with their names and birthday and Christmas presents with thoughtful cards. He married ‘the love of his life’, Edna in 1999 and they travelled to England and America to catch up with his many brothers and sisters. She died in 2014 prompting his move into Arcare. Rex was an avid bowler and collected badges from many different bowling clubs. These he carefully catalogued in display books. He was a meticulous ironer, with a high-quality iron and ironing board, and sometimes despaired of how his shirts were ironed.

Rex loved to walk and, despite his heart condition, he enjoyed a good walk right up until the end of his life. Sometimes, his propensity to walk caused some concern. One time when he came out of hospital and his medication left him with a loss of sense of what time of the day it was, he announced at midnight to the staff at Arcare that he was going for a walk ― nothing would persuade him otherwise. He returned, quite nonchalantly eight hours later, as the search for him was about to swing into full scale. Another time on a day that it was 40 degrees, a taxi failed to pick him up for a medical appointment at the Alfred so he decided to walk. He didn’t get there. The police found him collapsed in the heat.

Coming through a series of health scares, the family thought Rex had about 42 lives. He celebrated his 90th birthday in style with a trip on the Melbourne Star just before his final trip to hospital. In the end, his death was sudden, and while it shocked us, the walk was short. We celebrate Rex’s life, in the assurance that he has begun that new walk ― in God’s house forever.

REF

LEC

TIO

N BUILDING US UP

Palestinian Feast On Easter Saturday night through the initiative of the Australian Jewish Democratic Society (AJDS), The Side Door Social Justice Hub hosted Laila El Haddad in our hall. Laila, a Palestinian chef and journalist, spoke with passion of the plight of Palestinian people: of their family life, their food and the politics that traps them in a blockaded territory. The region’s rich history and location, with its traffic from north and south, east, and west, over centuries has created a unique cuisine that is ingrained into the Palestinian culture.

Author of “The Gaza Chef”, Laila shared how that it was not just a recipe book reflecting these influences, but a collection of stories from the kitchens of many Palestinian women and their ingenuity which is constantly called on as foods become unavailable because of the blockade. Within the audience of about 60 people were Jews from both ends of the political spectrum. Laila answered their questions politely with poise and firmness, earning the respect of even those who disagreed on the difficult Israel-Palestinian question. The night was part of a national tour being made by Laila with her husband and two young children. Although she was leaving Australia early next day, she happily chatted with people afterwards, signing copies of her book at a stall provided by The Avenue Bookshop.

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It is now six months after the launch of the Side Door Social Justice Hub. The steering committee now includes ten members representing St John’s, Australian Jewish Democratic Society (AJDS), Bayside Refugee Advocacy and Support Association (BRASA), Amnesty Bayside, Highett Neighbourhood Community House, Elsternwick Toddlers Playgroup and St Catharine’s Anglican Church. The committee meets each month on the third Thursday of the month. In February and March the Social Justice Hub hosted two presentations by influential activists in social justice, Helen Szoke, CEO of Oxfam Australia, and Tony Nicholson, CEO of the Brotherhood of St Laurence. Both nights expanded participants thinking about social justice issues.

COMING UP

DOUBLE EXPOSURE On Sunday June 4th at 7pm the Social Justice Hub and AJDS will bring Samah Sabawi, an author and playwright to launch her book Double Exposure.

ADVOCATE WORKSHOPS Two half-day workshops with Denisse Sandoval from the Uniting Church Synod’s Justice and International Mission Unit are planned but have had to be re-scheduled, so dates will be announced later.

GUARDING THE GALILEE Highett Neighbourhood Community House in collaboration with The Side Door Social Justice Hub and Bayside Climate Change Action Group are hosting Guarding The Galilee, a new 30-minute documentary film that takes you inside the fight to stop Adani coal. Presented by award-winning actor Michael Caton, with question time included, the film features farmers, dive instructors and boat operators all concerned about the impact Adani’s Carmichael coal mine would have on water resources, climate and the reef. To read more about the doco, visit the website below: http://guardingthegalilee.weebly.com

JOURNEYS THROUGH SONG Our partner organisations in the Hub are also involved in various other initiatives which we aim to support. In particular, BRASA has a fund-raising concert ‘Journeys Through Song’ on Saturday 17 June 6pm to support the work of the Human Rights Law Centre (which our St John’s 2016 Social Justice luncheon supported). One of the multi-talented Hub steering committee members, Lydia Sherrin who is also an opera singer, will perform at this event.

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We are trying to keep people updated about the Hub and social justice events through the public Facebook site and occasional emails to those people on the mailing list. If you are not on the mailing list and would like to receive updates, please speak with Michael or Philip about having your name added.

Helen Szoke, Oxfam Tony Nicholson

Not Paid But Priceless The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) measure of formal ‘volunteering’ includes people who willingly gave unpaid help in the form of time, service or skills, through an organisation or group. It does not include people who did unpaid work under some form of compulsion (e.g. work or the dole), as part of study commitments, or work done informally such as caring for grandchildren, visiting older people, helping people with their English, doing shopping for neighbours, etc. Many people who take on roles in organisations such as the church do not see their contributions as volunteering but simply as contributing, sometimes because no one else will. Volunteers, formal and informal, contribute millions of hours and hence economic benefits to society as well as innumerable social benefits.

Volunteers from the Op Shop were recently formally acknowledged for their contributions through the Glen Eira City Council Volunteer Recognition Ceremony. 2000 hours - Geoff Gillan, Keith Stodden 1000 hours - Terry Bacon, John Laverty 500 hours - Yvonne Rado, Stephen McMillan, Moya O'Reilly, 10 years - Cheryl Peel

It was a lovely ceremony with 54 cultural, sporting and community organisations across the City nominating 236 volunteers. Thanks to all our volunteers, particularly to Jack who has been at the Op Shop since 2000 when we took it over and is there every evening counting the money.

Our church people are actively involved in volunteering in many organisations, as well as much informal volunteering. Here are just a few of their formal activities. Audrey has been volunteering at the Op Shop for about 15 years. She also has been volunteering at Connections Uniting Care for over 30 years, Guiding for 50 years, Driving for Vision Australia for 12 years, and teaching Religious Education for 20 years, as well as various roles in the Bowling club.

Lee spends at least a day a week visiting people who are seeking asylum in the Broadmeadows Detention Centre and in community. She provides an interesting variety of fruit to eat, moral support and assistance filling in forms, dealing with real estate agents, assisting with banking and transport.

Denise spends a day a week working as a Children’s Hospital Family Support worker offering care and comfort to families with sick children. Colin and Geoff volunteer at the Glen Eira Historical Society and Geoff also volunteers at the Public Records Office. Cathy is a volunteer guide at Ripponlea.

Cathy

Donations We have had thank you letters for donations from:

Connections Funds will be used in the new Family Links program supporting families and children who are affected by a loved one’s incarceration. Our 2016 Christmas Appeal raised over $100,000 and was able to provide a brighter and happier Christmas to over 450 families. Thank you!

Galiamble Men’s & Winja Women’s Rehabilitation Centre Money donated has covered the cost of printing of another booklet: a series of reflections by the women of Winja Ulupna (see the East Room notice board). The Winja Dreaming booklet canvasses a range of areas of knowledge and cultural values that underpin the experience of the women. The women took close control of the process in its development and the use of their artwork. The printing was followed by a gathering at which the women read their booklets to the men. The men and the women have reported that the sharing of their experiences has contributed to understandings and sensitivities of the men to the stories of the women in their lives. The women are keen to use the booklets in their communities and in other settings to let others know about the challenges in their lives, the knowledge and values they draw on, the changes they have made and their hopes for the future. They hope that these will encourage other women in their journeys.

Greg Act for Peace - Together we've raised $212,777. Enough to feed 739 Refugees for a year.

CTM Study scholarship Katelyn, from Portland, was awarded a bursary of $6000 from the Centre for Theology and Ministry Trust Fund and $1000 from St John’s Op Shop. She is enrolled in a two-year Advanced Diploma in Agriculture and Diploma in Agronomy at Longerenong College, near Horsham. The grant has enabled her to pay her annual tuition fees and to focus on her study rather than having also having to undertake part-time work. She has written to express her appreciation.

RECENT DONATIONS A new round of donations have been approved by Church Council for Prahran Mission, Galiamble, Somers Camp subsidising fees of young people in Years 3-9; Refugee Legal, providing free specialist legal assistance to people seeking asylum, refugees, and disadvantaged migrants; Act for Peace; and Kadesh orphanage in India.

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Palm Sunday Rally Despite the cold and rain, about 5000 people attended the Palm Sunday rally. I thought it was impressive, the whole area in front of the library was chockers, and the sound system was effective so we heard the speeches clearly. There was quite a splash of purple from the Grandmothers and it was noted that there seemed to be more than last year. There are 150 groups supporting refugees, up from 115 last year. I saw Hoon and Coralie Ling, and also Tom Ballard and congratulated him on his show. The speeches were great, especially the teacher who gave a heartfelt talk about her students’ trauma and how she suffers for them too. I was impressed by our Moderator, Sharon Hollis’s, speech as she reminded us that the suffering of refugees in offshore detention is ‘a million times worse’. There were many UCA banners and placards seen flying in the crowd. I was disappointed that SBS was the only television coverage and the rally didn't seem to be covered on any of the news programs.

Alex

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FRESH FROM THE HEART Our FRESH Youth Theatre team has had a challenging season as a number of our young people have brought their struggles of their age group to Wednesday afternoon sessions. Added to this challenge for our dedicated team, who provide theatrical guidance and pastoral care, is a change in direction by FRESH that requires theatres to create their own script based on a relevant theme. Working with a theme around inequality, this has led to scenes that come straight from the hearts and lives of these young people struggling to make sense of injustice in their world and in their own lives. Our troupe this season has fluctuated between 8 and 13; led by a team of 4. “Same, Same (But Different)” will be staged on Friday, Saturday and Sunday June 23 - 25th at 7pm. This year the production is part of the Glen Eira Storytelling Festival, which will provide additional publicity. (It is also our June Friday Friends activity.) Hopefully, this will make our theatre group better known, and courtesy of a grant from Glen Eira Council, we are currently embarking on a publicity campaign designed to attract new participants for next season.

All tickets are $10 and can be booked online at TryBooking or bought at the door. The assistance of church members will again be sought for supper and front-of-house.

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SHARE, restoring LIFE, JOY and HOPE

On Tuesday 4th April, Audrey and I joined the SHARE Shuttle Bus to visit UnitingCare Harrison and Prahran Mission.

First stop was Croydon North Church, home of Gifford Village and Gifford Arts Program. After being welcomed into the church precinct, we listened to a presentation by Mark Dixon, manager of homelessness services at Harrison, on the subject of ‘TeleHOPE’. This is one of a number of projects the Uniting Church Harrison (UCH) has developed with other co-located programs to provide complimentary services to a large number of customers every day. The ‘TeleHOPE’ worker assists clients to access brokerage funds for rent arrears, rent in advance, bonds, making applications and finding affordable housing. Another UCH program is the ‘Homelessness Education Link Up Project’ which works to improve educational outcomes for children living in extreme poverty. The program connects children with school while taking care of disadvantaged families’ basic needs, providing food, housing, clothing and financial assistance plus counselling. By taking the pressure off families, children are able to focus on education. This project is badly needed in the Werribee area, but more funds are required.

We viewed the Gifford Community Arts Project, where 15-20 people meet each week for painting classes, with many participants having mental and physical health issues forming meaningful relationships, and thus gaining, through social interaction, a sense of wellbeing. Over morning tea Jane Daveron, the community engagement officer, spoke about the Food Friendship Meals Program, and later we inspected the apartment buildings offering low cost housing.

The bus then took us to Prahran Mission and we heard about its outreach through emergency relief, drop-in centre, employment program, and drug rehabilitation, and there was an update about the new building on the corner of Chapel St and Carlisle St, Balaclava. This was followed by a meal in the Hartley’s Café where we were able to see the whole operation in action.

SHARE is working hard to transform lives in our community and Victoria wide but they cannot do it without our financial help. It was an eye-opening day.

Patricia and Audrey

Perfect Love I’ve never been accused of having a green thumb. I have other skills: I love to cook and feed people, writing assignments is actually enjoyable to me, and I have op shopping down to a fine art, but if it falls into the plant kingdom I will either kill it with kindness or neglect. There is no happy medium for me. That was until I bought a little plant for 50 cents at a fund raiser. It was cute and tiny with two green leaves. I rushed to Bunnings and bought a pretty pot…and then promptly forgot about it…for three months on the window sill in the spare room.

You can imagine my amazement at finding the plant still alive. In fact, it had doubled in size! I quickly gave it a drink and placed it on the coffee table so I wouldn’t forget it again. But of course, I did. The life of this plant has been feast or famine with care and attention and still it lives! I’ve been away from home for months at a time and, upon my return, here is this plant looking healthy and happy. I even bought a bigger pot!

So here I am thinking I’m pretty good at gardening now…until my mother broke my bubble and told me my plant was actually a weed, a type of ivy that you have to pull out by the roots and kill ten different ways to make sure it’s dead.

I can’t help but equate my caring for this pot plant to my experience of the love of God. We can, all too often, neglect him and be so busy with our lives we totally forget about him for periods of time. And yet when we return to him his love for us has never withered.

The saying ‘There is nothing we can do to make God love us any more…and there is nothing we can do to make God love us any less’ is so accurate. Every time I look at my beloved weed on the coffee table those words will ring true for me. This is the perfect love offered free to us by our Lord.

Constance

A Tale of Two Places I recently visited Los Angeles, Boston and San Francisco. In the time available, I explored some parts of these cities. Each city is huge but the last two are more like Melbourne in that much public transport has a focus on the central city or downtown.

My interest in US cities and housing most likely stems from black and white television when Dan, Kookie, and the Beaver introduced me to US houses and city scenes1. My interest evolved with geography studies and teaching and latterly, with trying to understand such terms as middle class, suburbs and downtown in the American context.

One site I visited in Boston was the three-storey timber house at 83 Beals Street Brookline where John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born one hundred years ago on 29 May 1917. This house is now a National Historic Site administered by the National Park Service. Joseph and Rose Kennedy paid $6,500 for the property in 1914. Mrs Kennedy described the house as ‘. . . a nice old wooden-frame house with clapboard siding; seven rooms, plus two small ones in the converted attic, all on a small lot with a few bushes and trees. It would have blended perfectly into most of the main streets of America’.

Beal Street today is lined with Sycamore trees and mostly clapboard or shingle houses. Some like number 83 house one family. Others, like number 85 next door are multi-family, as shown by the twin front doors in the photo. The front verandah of Number 83 is close to the property line. Neighbouring houses are quite close and houses at the rear overlook the tiny backyard.

The size of the block is similar to that of my family’s State Savings Banks cottage in South Caulfield but the latter has larger front and back yards. The Caulfield house also is one level while the Kennedy house has three storeys. Both the Boston and Caulfield neighbourhoods are close to a local shopping centre and trams and streetcars (now buses in Boston) at the end of the street permit access to central city and suburbs. The Kennedys had close social and economic ties with downtown. It was interesting to visit an early twentieth-century streetcar neighbourhood and birthplace of a US President.

Geoff

1 Inspector Dan Matthews in Highway Patrol was filmed in California; Kookie is a character in 77 Sunset Strip which is a Los Angeles thoroughfare. Leave it to Beaver was set in a large two-storey middle class house. More details on the Kennedy house are at www.nps.gov/jofi/index.htm

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TO ST JOHN'S FAMILY - THANK YOU... Six years ago I was struck down with a virus in the spine resulting in paralysis in both legs. Today I can walk with difficulty and one or two sticks.

Thankfully I can drive and am independent. I felt a bomb had been put under my faith and when the dust settled my faith came down in bits. It has taken this long to put it back together again in some way. During all this time, you, the St John's family, have kept me in the loop by sending home cakes with Allan and showing friendship and interest whenever I turned up to events. I have appreciated this enormously; you have helped in the healing of my faith.

Thank you, friends Andrea

Beals Street with the two-family house at 85 on the left and the Kennedy birthplace at 83.

Holidays and celebrations

We had a great trip to Sydney at Easter with a day at the Royal Easter Show and dinner with Angela’s brother Mark and his wife Julie (from Newcastle) at the Flying Fish restaurant near Darling Harbour and we completed a Harbour Bridge climb on Easter Sunday morning.

On Saturday 21st May we celebrated our 60th birthdays with family and friends at Angela’s sister and brother-in-law’s house at Lardner near Warragul.

Angela and Michael

Have you seen our ring of mushrooms on the East lawn? There are many, many fairy ring mushroom stories in English and Celtic folklore. Most centre on the belief that the rings were places where elves or fairies dance.

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40th Anniversary On Thursday 22nd June, the Uniting Church in Australia will be turning 40. In the lead-up to this date leaders have spent 40 hours in prayer and members are currently taking part in 40 days of prayer. Moderators and General Secretaries from Perth, Darwin, Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne met at Wesley Church on Lonsdale Street from 3pm on Sunday 14 May until 7am on Tuesday 16 May and prayed for our beloved Church, for each other, and for the world.

’We shared our hopes, worries and dreams for our sisters and brothers in Christ. We confessed our failures – personal and corporate, and sought God’s forgiveness and strength. And we interceded for those in trouble, in poor health or poor spirits praying “come Holy Spirit”.’ We prayed a prayer from our inauguration service in 1977 written by Rev. Harold Wood, revised for 2017 by his son and former President Rev. D’Arcy Wood.

The music and grace of Gurrumul and Archie Roach deepened our reflection and reminded us of our Covenanting commitments with First Peoples.

Sometimes we prayed in silence, and we took turns praying through the night.

Prayer, so much a part of the ’means of grace’ from our Wesleyan inheritance is so vital to the life of the followers of Jesus. We want to encourage you all to see that Jesus is amongst us. In the heart of the nation and throughout this vast continent. With congregations small and large, remote, rural and urban and with all our agencies and schools. Jesus is amongst us in our engagement with international and ecumenical partners as we pursue God's heart of unity. Over these days leading up to the 40th anniversary, we encourage you to join the prayer journey.

Marrkapmirri, Stuart McMillan, President of the UCA

‘Marrkapmirri’ means deep affection,

love as with a brother or sister in the Yolngu language of north-east Arnhem Land.

You can subscribe to the '40 Days of Prayer’ emails prepared by SA Moderator Rev Sue Ellis. There will be a special anniversary-year service to celebrate 40 years of the church's intercultural mission and ministry held at St Andrew's-Hanbit Uniting Church, Box Hill on Sunday 4 June starting at 3:30pm.

UNITING On July 1, twenty-one UnitingCare agencies, Wesley Mission Victoria, UnitingCare Victoria/Tasmania Childhood Services and Share will come together as Uniting. The move to a single organisation, with such a depth of local and regional service centres, represents a significant commitment by the synod to community service delivery as an expression of care and compassion in support of God’s mission.

The purpose and values of Uniting recognises our foundations in the Church by stating ‘Christ invites us to serve humanity by creating an inclusive, connected and just world’. Uniting will build upon the rich history of the founding agencies and local congregations and their commitment to work with the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in our community.

From 1 July 2017 SHARE will also come together with existing UnitingCare fundraising teams to form a united and cohesive fundraising program.

JUNE 4th* – Pentecost 11th – Trinity 18th – Pent 2 25th – Pent 3

JUNE 2017 DATES

Service / Leader Rev Philip Liebelt Rev Philip Liebelt Rev Philip Liebelt Rev Philip Liebelt WEEKLY EVENTS Cuppa & Chat – Tues 10am

Wednesday Lunch - 12:30pm Fresh Youth Theatre – Wed 4pm

3 Gifts Program workshop 9:30-12 4 Communion 4 Social Justice Hub, Book Launch, 7pm 10 Working bee, 9:30am 14 Church Council, 7pm 23 Fresh (Friday Friends), 7pm 24 Prayer Group, 10:30am 24 Fresh performance, 7pm 25 Fresh performance, 7pm

Birthdays 1 Barbi Everitt 4 Wendy Biesse 5 Andrea Casey 14 Denise Schemm

Lectionary Readings

Acts 2:1-21 Psalm 104:24-35

1 Corinth. 12:3b-13 John 20:19-23

Genesis 1:1 - 2:4a Psalm 8

2 Corinth. 13:11-13 Matthew 28:16-20

Genesis 18:1-15, Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19

Romans 5:1-8 Matthew 9:35 - 10:8

Genesis 21:8-21 Psalm 86: 1-10,16-17

Romans 6:1b-11 Matthew 10:24-39

Prayer Cathy Patricia Helen Audrey

Greeter Geoff Keith Wendy Geoff

Reader Alex Audrey Keith Patricia

Data Projector Dustin Cathy Michael Greg

Steward/Offering Helen & Cathy Jack & Colin Cathy & Jack Michael & Jack

Morning Tea Patricia & Colin Alex & Geoff Audrey & Pam Denise & Ray

Flowers Helen Alex Audrey Alex

JULY 2nd * – Pent 4 9th – Pent 5 16th – Pent 6 23rd – Pent 7 30th – Pent 8 JULY 2017 DATES

Service / Leader Rev Philip Liebelt Rev Philip Liebelt Rev Philip Liebelt Rev Philip Liebelt Rev Philip Liebelt 2 Communion 8 Working bee, 9:30am 12 Church Council, 7pm 16 Social Justice Lunch, Homelessness, 12pm 28 Friday Friends, TBC 29 Prayer Group, 10:30am

Birthdays 27 Wendy McDonald

Lectionary Readings

Genesis 22:1-14 Psalm 13

Romans 6:12-23 Matthew 10:40-42

Gen 24:34-49, 58-67 Psalm 45:10-17

Romans 7:15-25a Mat 11:16-19, 25-30

Genesis 25:19-34 Psalm 119:105-112

Romans 8:1-11 Mat 13:1-9, 18-23

Genesis 28:10-19a Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24

Romans 8:12-25 Mat 13:24-30, 36-43

Genesis 29:15-28 Psalm 105:1-11 or 128

Romans 8:26-39 Mat 13:31-33, 44-52

Prayer Greg Patricia Cathy Helen Audrey

Greeter Jane Colin Pam Jane Cathy

Reader Colin Geoffrey Alex Cathy Patricia

Data Projector Dustin Cathy Geoffrey Michael Dustin

Steward/Offering Michael & Cathy Colin & Jack Lee & Cathy Helen & Cathy Jack & Colin

Morning Tea Helen & Dustin Lilian & Jane Wendy & Geoff Lee & Kevin Alex & Hirut

Flowers Audrey Jane Helen Jane Helen

*Includes Holy Communion

St John’s Uniting Church, Elsternwick Roster & diary dates for April - May 2017