Times of renewal

Issu

e 36

, No

2, 2

017

EASTER REFLECTION

We need Easter faith p. 9

PLANTING A NEW CHURCH

From little things, big things

grow pp. 10-11

The voice of Uniting Church SA April / May 2017

ISSN 0726-2612

New Times is the voice of Uniting Church SA. Published bi-monthly, February through

December, New Times represents the breadth, diversity and vision of Uniting Church members

in SA. News policies, guides and deadlines appear online at newtimes.sa.uca.org.au. Articles

and advertising do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editor.

w: newtimes.sa.uca.org.au facebook.com/UnitingChurch.UnitingPeople

Uniting Church SALevel 2, 212 Pirie St, Adelaide

p. (08) 8236 4200 f. 8236 4201

country callers. 1300 766 956

Print circulation: 9,000

Editor: Catherine Hoffman

Editor-in-Chief: Bindy Taylor

Advertising: Communications

Design: Gareth Pennington

Print: Graphic Print Group

For editorial inquiries: p. (08) 8236 4249 e. newtimes@sa.uca.org.au m. The Editor, New Times GPO Box 2145 Adelaide SA 5001 For advertising bookings: p. (08) 8236 4260 e. newtimesad@sa.uca.org.au

DEADLINE FOR JUNE/JULY2017 EDITION:

Friday 19 May

In between print editions of New Times, the Communications team publishes updates, news and stories online (sa.uca.org.au/new-times) and through the weekly Uniting Church SA email newsletter, UC e-News (sa.uca.org.au/uc-e-news). Events are also listed on the Uniting Church SA website in the upcoming events list (sa.uca.org.au/events/upcoming-events-list). For more information on any of these, please contact New Times Editor Catherine Hoffman on 8236 4230 or email communications@sa.uca.org.au

ContentsFEATURES

We need Easter faith 9

From little things, big things grow 10-11

A true call 12-13

Oodles of enthusiasm at Oodnadatta 24

REGULAR PAGES

Moderator’s comment 4

Getting to know… 18-19

Letters 20

Diary 21

www.resthaven.asn.au

TrustDignityChoice

Quality Aged Care ServicesYour Life • Your Lifestyle • Your Choice

Home care and support 1300 13 66 33Retirement living 8370 3756 Community respite 8358 3173 Residential services 8373 9113Proudly South Australian

Placements finalised as of 16 March 2017:Rev Tim Sherwell (Anglican) to Eldercare (0.6) from 1 March 2017Rev Christine Manning Intentional Interim Ministry at Hallett Cove from 14 May 2017Rev Rebecca Purling to Campbelltown from 1 June 2017Rev Dean Brine to Kimba from 1 July 2017Vacant Placements as of 30 January 2017The following is the current list of vacant (or soon to be vacant) approved placements:Advertised positions/placements – Pilgrim Uniting Church.Profiles available – Athelstone; Christ Church (0.7); County Jervois (Arno, Cleve, Coolanie, Cowell & Driver River); Gawler Parish (from 1 January 2016); Goyder Ministry Area (0.8) (Clements Gap, Hallett, Jamestown, Orroroo & Whyte Yarcowie); Morialta; Naracoorte; Payneham Road (0.5); Port Augusta & Quorn; Western Eyre (Cornerstone (Cummins), Cummins, Lock & Yeelanna).Profiles not yet available – Barossa Congregations; Broadview; Mannum (0.3); Strathalbyn & Districts.For more information about any of these placements, to view national placements or to find out more about upcoming services, please visit sa.uca.org.au/pastoral-relations/placements-vacant-and-finalised

Placemen ts News

The office is undergoing refurbishments at the moment. While some find the work disruptive, I like to go out of my way to walk through spaces where I can smell the paint, the new items, the fresh wood. These scents remind me of when I was a child – maybe 10 years old? – and my parents had an extension built onto our house.

The hustle and bustle of builders was a bit of a nuisance (as it can be now in the office), but I knew that at the end I’d have something wonderful – my very own bedroom. Having shared a bunkbed with my younger sister for years, getting my own space was a thrilling prospect.

I remember my first night in that new room, the smell of paint and timber still fresh. Reading my book in bed, I remember feeling so grown up. And I remember my happiness as I said a prayer, thanking God for my own space.

The sights, sounds and smells of our office refurbishment bring back those memories – only now, having just turned 30, I feel far less grown up.

Since that first night in my room, so many things have changed – my concerns and worries, the way I spend my days.

But I also recognise the ways in which I am the same – the need for my own space, the love of reading (and the tendency to do it until far too late at night), the keen sense of justice. These are things that have developed over the past 20 or so years.

In some ways, I feel like I’ve gone through a ‘refurbishment’ process myself. I haven’t been torn down, but re-shaped and grown into something fresh. If you want to stick with the metaphor, you could say that God has been my architect – although one whose advice I may not always have followed. Undoubtedly, as with all major building projects, some things have gone awry, problems have been

encountered and certain aspects turned out differently than I thought they would. But I remain hopeful for what the next 30 years will bring, building upon those that have come before, and finding opportunities for renewal.

My reflections and hopes gain greater significance when I begin to think about the upcoming Easter period – my own birthday serves to remind me of how young Jesus was when he was sacrificed for us. But he didn’t need refurbishment; instead, he came to bring renewal.

In this edition, you will find a number of stories of reflection, growth and renewal. In them, and in God, I hope you will find your own sense of renewal and refreshment.

Catherine Hoffman

ed i t o r i a l

My own refurbishment process

Cover detailsThis month’s cover has been provided by Aunty Lucy

Waniwa Lester. Titled “The Last Supper”, the piece was

presented to Rev Ken Sumner as a gift to the Uniting

Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress at the opening

of the 2005 National Christian Youth Convention in Adelaide.

Aunty Lucy is a life member of Congress.

A Yankunytjatjara-speaking woman, Aunty Lucy was born on

Tieyon Station in the Far North of SA before moving further

west at the age of six or seven. She spent considerable time

drawing as a child while attending the mission school in

Ernabella.

“The Last Supper” beautifully ties together two of the

main events happening in April and May – Easter and

Reconciliation Week. More about each of these can be

found in the following pages.

“The Last Supper” was recently included in the Bible Society’s book, Our Mob, God’s Story. A review of this book will be provided in the June/July edition of New Times.

Then and now - Catherine as a baby, and with her mum, Anette, at Writers’ Week shortly before her 30th birthday.

3

Prioritising prayer and purpose

ceo/general secretary

The Uniting Church is fast approaching its 40th birthday. This milestone in the Church’s life will no doubt lead to reflections on our past, present and future.

Starting as a movement, rather than an institution, the Uniting Church’s past is as diverse as the experiences of those who have been a part of it. Over the past 40 years, many members across this diversity will have witnessed occasions when the institutionalisation of the Church has increased. In some respects this was, and is, necessary for the Church to exist in a society that is increasingly litigious. The history of the wider Church is full of the reality that, in the words of Bruce L. Shelley, “when institutions themselves obstruct the spread of the gospel rather than advancing it, then movements of renewal arise to return to the church’s basic mission in the world.”

But there is a time of renewal occurring in the Uniting Church SA at present. Moving away from institutionalism, we are returning to our roots as a movement.

Part of the reason for this, I believe, is that the leadership of the Presbytery and Synod in SA has a renewed focus on the purposes of the Church as set out in our Constitution, which was developed in 1976.. Effective church growth begins with considerations around purpose and answers to the big ‘why’ questions. The Constitution outlines the purposes of the Church as follows:

To provide for the Worship of God, to proclaim the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, to promote Christian fellowship, to nurture believers in the Christian faith, to engage in mission, to assist in human development and toward the improvement of human relationships, to meet human need through charitable and other services, to do such other things as may be required in obedience to the Holy Spirit. – Uniting Church in Australia Constitution, paragraph 4

This statement is already informing decision-making within the Presbytery and Synod, and will form the basis for our strategic planning and decision-making in the future. By keeping our purpose clearly in mind, we are not only providing a strong base for mission planning in congregations, but are ensuring alignment with the wider Uniting Church.

The place of prayer is also essential in renewing the church as a movement. The greater the institutionalisation of the Church, the less it functions as a praying people. Institutions become dependent on themselves; movements are reliant on God to lead and empower people.

At a gathering held late last year and attended by the General Secretaries, Moderators and the President, we spent a significant amount of time discussing the importance of prayer in the life of the Church. This became an important point when discussing the Church’s upcoming 40th birthday celebrations. A suggestion that we initiate 40 days of prayer with a focus on renewal was received enthusiastically.

40 is a significant number in the Bible – 40 days is a pivotal period of time, and 40 years was the period of time it took for the people of God to move from the wilderness to fruitfulness.

The Uniting Church’s 40 days of prayer will commence on Sunday 14 May with the President leading a gathering of people in Melbourne in 40 hours of prayer. The conclusion of the 40 days will coincide with the Presbytery and Synod meeting on Friday 23 and Saturday 24 June.

From Sunday 14 May to Thursday 22 June, Uniting Church SA Moderator Rev Sue Ellis will release daily devotions and prayers via email, inviting church members to pray and listen for God as we reflect on the past and look to the future.*

The renewal of the Church is not for a select few. It is for all those who live in the resurrected life that we celebrate at Easter.

This is a new season for the Uniting Church, as a movement, to joyfully embrace the life that we have as God’s people, carrying the hope for this world in the truth of Jesus’ love for all.

Rev Nigel Rogers

*To sign up for the Moderator’s daily “40 Days of Prayer” emails, please add your name and email address to the subscriber list at bit.ly/2nTtYai or email the Communications team at communications@sa.uca.org.au

4

modera to r

Walking home from the school bus stop one hot summer’s day as a child, I saw a big brown snake cross my path into the verge. I remember being too afraid to move past the spot to go home. I was frozen by fear.

Fear triggers all sorts of anxieties within us – it can trigger panic attacks and shut down our normal flight or fight responses. We can be tricked into believing that everything that causes us anxiety or fear is a danger to us.

And there are many people and organisations who use this to their advantage. I often feel that political talk and media reporting are geared toward creating feelings of anxiety related to the topic that is being addressed. As we process information from politicians and journalists, we can often be left feeling hopeless and anxious about the future. “This must not be allowed to happen! This needs to change!” becomes our cry.

The world is looking for change.When we see something that causes us anxiety, we want to change

it. When we cannot, we begin to feel hopeless and our anxiety is heightened. When change does occur, others may be made to feel anxious – even the idea of change is enough to make some people feel uneasy. The world can often feel like a dark place.

But through the discovery of the living Lord Jesus, Christians find a light in this darkness and a hope that life can be better. We enter into the new life of Christ as the Holy Spirit claims us for God’s own.

The power that raised Jesus from death becomes the source of power for our own lives; the change that the world cries out for around us begins in us. Love overcomes fear and its paralysis. Love calls us to action and to effect the change needed for the world to reflect the

kingdom of heaven that Jesus has ushered in. Fear could not contain Jesus. Death was the ultimate solution

for dealing with this upstart rabbit, this political nuisance, this popular rebel.

On resurrection morning, something happened that would change everything.

There was an earthquake. A dazzling angel appeared before the guards in front of Jesus’ tomb.

“The guards were so afraid, they trembled and became like dead men.” - Matthew 28: 4

They were frozen with fear. “Do not be afraid,” the angel tells the women at the tomb.This is also a message for us – our Good News. We need no longer

be frozen by fear. The One who was dead is alive again, raised by the powerful love

of God. He is still with us and will help us. The way of the kingdom of heaven continues through Christ’s church. We can be the people who help bring God’s love and mercy, justice and kindness into a world crying out in fear.

I was only a girl when I encountered that big brown snake. Yet, I was a girl who had heard about Jesus and his love for me. I started to sing “Jesus loves me this I know” as I tentatively moved to the side of the road away from the verge, and hurried on past, claiming the life Jesus had won for me and you.

Rev Sue Ellis

New life, new season

Uniting Church SA Moderator Rev Sue Ellis is no longer frozen by fear when encountering snakes.

5

In the February/March 2017 edition of New Times, an announcement was made about an exciting new development taking place at the Uniting Church SA’s Brooklyn Park site. Home to Uniting College for Leadership & Theology and the Adelaide College of Divinity, Adelaide Theological Library and neighbour to Adelaide West Uniting Church, the Lipsett Terrace campus will potentially house a second campus for the non-denominational Emmaus Christian College.

Emmaus has now begun seeking the necessary government approvals needed to establish an R-6 campus on the site. It is hoped that these approvals will be obtained later in 2017, with plans to launch the Emmaus’ Early Learning Centre in mid to late 2018. In the meantime, the Uniting Church SA and Emmaus have jointly engaged a traffic engineer, services engineer and surveyor to facilitate a master plan for the precinct.

Recently, the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress agreed to move from their current administration office in Ingle Farm to join the refurbished ministry hub in the southern building of the

Brooklyn Park site. The refurbishment plans for this building have now been lodged with the local council, and the building works were sent out to tender in March. It is hoped that the refurbishment process will begin in May with a completion date in November 2017. This will allow all those joining the southern building hub to begin occupying the space in December this year.

On Tuesday 7 March, the existing Chapel of Reconciliation at the Brooklyn Park site was decommissioned. Approximately 70 people attended the service, which was led by Rev Dr Vicky Balabanski and Rev Christy Capper from Uniting College. Those attending also heard from Rev Dr Charles Biggs, former principal of Parkin Wesley College, Rev Dr Matthew Anstey, Principal of St Barnabas College, Rev Prof Denis Edwards from the Australian Catholic University, and Rev Prof Andrew Dutney, the current Principal of the Uniting College.

Further information about the Brooklyn Park development will continue to be provided in New Times and through UC e-News.

Blacktop Road, One Tree Hill Sunday 13 August Meet and Greet: 9.15am Celebration Service: 10am, followed by a light lunch

Celebration Concert: 2.30pm at One Tree Hill Institute (also on Blacktop Road)

150th 150th

AnniversaryOne Tree Hill Uniting Church

news

Exciting progress for Brooklyn Park ministry hub

6

news

150th

Anniversary This year’s KCO at Victor Harbor provided an amazing opportunity for children to share in community, engage with God’s “Big World” (the 2017 theme) and have fun! Stories, feedback and photos (like the one above) will be provided through UC e-News (sa.uca.org.au/uc-e-news) and Facebook (facebook.com/Uniting Church.UnitingPeople).

KCO 2017 update

Youth going from strength to strength

“All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’” – Acts 2:12Over May and June this year, Live Life Loud will be popping up in locations across South Australia! These vibrant youth events will provide space for young people from the Uniting Church and beyond to gather, praise and worship God together for one special night.

Live Life Loud events have been operating for the past seven years as a way to facilitate a ‘mountain top faith experience’ for the youth of the Uniting Church and beyond.

The events see hundreds of young lives transformed, as well as helping to nurture a flourishing regional network of church partnerships across denominations - and they just keep growing!

Eight Live Life Loud nights will be held this year – including brand new events in the state’s suburban north and in the Riverland. Across each of the locations and dates (outlined below), young people will explore the 2017 theme, “POWER UP”, which is based on Acts 2. In this passage, the Holy Spirit descends on a group of young believers and sets them on fire to see the gospel of Jesus Christ preached, people saved, communities formed and lives changed. It’s a vision and dream of what the church can be at its best and most empowering.

So, what can church members do to support Live Life Loud and the young people attending these events?

1. Send youth along – and bless them with resources or by attending with them as leaders.

2. Pray for the event personally and as a church congregation.3. Help young people unpack their experiences with good

mentoring and friendship within their home church.4. Follow and share news about the events through the Uniting

Youth SA Facebook page (facebook.com/UnitingYouthSA) and Instagram account (instagram.com/unitingyouthsa).

The organisers’ prayer for this event is that the words of Acts 2 will be seen through a new generation – that they will stand firm in faith, empowered by their local churches and ‘powered up’ by the Holy Spirit.

“Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks…” – Acts 2:3

Hills Where: Echunga Memorial Hall, Echunga When: Friday 19 May, 6.30-9.30pm Contact: Caleb Willsmore on 8388 8847

South Where: Coromandel Valley Uniting Church, Coromandel Valley When: Friday 19 May, 6.30-10pm Contact: Isaac Moore on 0404 060 014

East Where: Westbourne Park Uniting Church, Westbourne Park When: Friday 19 May, 7-10pm Contact: Aimy Mavromatis on 0449 926 446

North East Where: Journey Uniting Church, Golden Grove When: Friday 19 May, 7-9.30pm Contact: Tom Bertram on 8251 7149 Balak Where: Horizon Christian School, Balaklava When: Friday 2 June, 7-9.30pm Contact: Kevin Marriott on 0427 376 979

North Where: Playford Uniting Church, Munno Para When: Friday 2 June, time to be confirmed Contact: Pete Riggs on 7228 5300

EP Where: Driver River Uniting Church, Verran When: Friday 23 June, 6-9.30pm Contact: Steve Hannemann on 0427 284 097A Riverland event is currently being planned for August. More information will be shared as it becomes available.

7

Have you ever thought of yourself as a mentor? Many Christians offer friendship, support and guidance to others, especially younger and newer Christians. This kind of mentorship has always been at the heart of Christian community. It is also an important part of the Uniting Church’s Period of Discernment (PoD).

“People undertaking a PoD are required to have an intentional mentor who meets with them regularly,” explains Judyth Roberts, the Intergenerational Leadership Developer for people undertaking a PoD or Ministry of Pastor at Uniting College for Leadership & Theology.

“This formal type of mentoring is vital for developing leaders for the future and supporting leaders as they grow. A PoD mentor is a guide,

friend and support to the person discerning future directions for ministry.”

A free training day for mentors will be held at Uniting College from 9.30am on Monday 29 May. With a focus on the values that underpin the mentoring process, the training will support people who are considering taking on the significant role of mentor.

Rev Christine Manning emphasised the importance of the mentoring relationship during her own PoD.

“Solid practical and spiritual guidance, inspiration, care, encouragement and prayer [was] poured into my mentoring,” she said upon concluding her PoD.

“I have received nurture and empowering by Jesus through his word and the Spirit. But empowering also comes from those [people] God places beside you. My own mentor has helped to empower and guide me as I have learnt to lead.”

The upcoming training day will provide an opportunity to explore specific mentoring opportunities and roles, such as being a PoD mentor or a youth mentor. There will also be a focus on mentoring relationships between women in ministry.

The Monday 29 May mentor training day is free, but RSVPs are required for catering purposes. Please RSVP to Ann Phillips on 8416 8449 or email ann.phillips@flinders.edu.au

For more information about mentoring, the Period of Discernment or the upcoming training day, please contact Judyth Roberts on 0434 884 625 or email jroberts@sa.uca.org.au

news

Mentoring matters

The June 2017 Presbytery and Synod meeting will take place from Friday 23 to Saturday 24 June. The date of this meeting was originally Friday 30 June to Saturday 1 July, but was recently changed to avoid a clash with the President's National Ministers Conference taking place in Darwin.

More information about the meeting will be provided in the June/July edition of New Times and through UC e-News over the coming months.

For more information about Presbytery and Synod meetings, please contact Malcolm Wilson on 8236 4206 or email mwilson@sa.uca.org.au

Two President’s National Ministers Conferences are being held in 2017. The first will take place in Darwin from Thursday 29 June to Sunday 2 July (assembly.uca.org.au/pnmc). The second is the Uniting Leaders conference, which will be held at Hope Valley Uniting Church in Adelaide from Tuesday 22 to Thursday 24 August (unitingleaders.com.au). Nancy Beach and Mark Conner will of the keynote speakers at Uniting Leaders – read more about Mark on page 15.

June Presbytery & Synod meeting - date change

Friday evening 21 July – Sunday 23 July 2017

More information visit www.stillpointsa.org.au or contact Stillpoint by email: stillpoint@internode.on.net or phone: 8271 0329

Nunyara Conference Centre 5 Burnell Drive, Belair 5052

RESIDENTIAL RETREAT

The Return of the Prodigal SonReflections on homecoming based on the writings of Henri Nouwen

FULLY CATERED

LIVE-IN OR LIVE-OUT

8

faith

Jesus was murdered. By whom? By authorities, by power, by fear, by hate. Not by us.

Jesus is murdered. By whom? By consumption, by greed, by power, by fear, by hate. Every time the innocent is trampled, harmed, exploited Jesus is murdered again. By us. This time I find myself complicit in Christ’s death.

This is why we need Easter. This is why Easter requires us to experience Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

Warren Carter, the Professor of New Testament at Brite Divinity School in Texas, reflects that the Gospel of Matthew has an emphasis on God’s presence with us. Matthew is the Gospel that brings us the message that the child to be born will be “Emmanuel – God is with us”. Matthew is also the Gospel that ends with the imperative: “remember, I am with you always”. The Gospel of Matthew is bookended by the promise of God’s presence. Implied in this reminder of God's presence is the recognition that, at times, God feels absent.

Good Friday is the day when with eyes wide open we can recognise places in our own lives and in our world where it feels God is absent. To have faith in God’s presence on such a day requires the strongest faith imaginable.

This is Good Friday faith. In 1999, I stayed up all night on New Year’s Eve, ready to greet the

new millennium. I imagined bright rays bringing colour to the sky, beautiful bird song, some life-changing epiphany. Instead, the sky

turned a murky grey, the birds were silent, and I curled up to go to sleep.

It was early dawn when the women came to the tomb. I wonder why it was so early. Was it because they were afraid of the authorities and wanted to embalm the body before there was any trouble? Was there an urgency because of Jewish law? They couldn’t embalm the body the day before because it was the Sabbath so it had to wait. Maybe it was early because none of them had slept after such traumatic events. Maybe they had been replaying events of the last weeks, months and years…

On this early morning, the women lean forward, determined in their task, comforting each other in their grief. They come to the tomb and Jesus is not there. He is risen. He is already risen.

This is Easter Sunday hope. Christ is risen and whether the new day bursts forth with beauty or

slowly creeps in like a murky grey dawn. Christ is already risen. This is the assurance, the declaration, of Easter Sunday. Hope will always be present. Love will always be stronger than death.

This is Easter Sunday faith.This year, perhaps as much as ever before, our world needs Easter

faith – Good Friday and Easter Sunday faith. This is the good news that invites our church to sing and to celebrate. This is the good news that changes lives, communities and the world. And this is the good news that sometimes creeps in and that sometimes bursts forth.

To this we say: Alleluia!

We need Easter faith

This artwork, titled “Sleepwalkers”, was created by Uniting Church SA member Karan Hudson. This work will be displayed along with others at the Life@Death Easter Exhibition at Gallery One in Mitcham until the show’s closure on Thursday 13 April.

Rev Jennifer Hughes

Nunyara Conference Centre 5 Burnell Drive, Belair 5052

The Return of the Prodigal SonReflections on homecoming based on the writings of Henri Nouwen

9

From little things, big things growWhile church planting only recently became an intentional focus of the Uniting Church SA Synod, it is not a new phenomenon. Examples of successful Uniting Church plants dotted across South Australia – including one one at Ascot Park, the Fish Gate Uniting Church.

Church plants often begin as a dream of an individual, a small group or a congregation. Coromandel Valley Uniting Church had been wrestling with the idea of planting a new church community for several years. When Rev David Kowalick and his wife, Catherine, arrived in Adelaide in 2000, there was an opportunity for this idea to become a reality.

“There was a feeling from some members of the congregation that the presence of the Uniting Church was diminishing in certain parts of Adelaide. We wanted to change that by establishing a fresh Uniting Church presence in Adelaide,” David recalls.

“We’d just relocated from Sydney to Adelaide and joined the Coromandel Valley congregation. We knew Deane Meatheringham, who was the minister at Coro at the time. He was aware of our eight-year experience pastoring a church plant in Sydney and approached us about their congregation’s desire to plant a church.”

David and Catherine began leading the church planting team, meeting with others interested in the project. They spent a couple of years dreaming, praying and working out the details of the type of church they hoped to plant.

Eventually a team of 17 people were commissioned and sent out by the Coromandel Valley congregation to start the Fish Gate Uniting Church. The group began meeting publically in the Glandore Community Centre (pictured, top left) on Sunday 16 February, 2003.

Over its first five years, the Fish Gate community grew significantly.

It soon became too large for the original location and relocated, moving to four different venues until finally finding a home at Ascot Park Community Church.

“As our size and needs changed, we relocated to different venues – some Uniting Church sites and some community spaces,” explains David.

They first considered Ascot Park Community Church as a location when the building became available on Sunday evenings. Members of the Fish Gate community approached Ascot Park about establishing a mutually beneficial partnership. A formal agreement was reached and the Fish Gate community continues to worship at Ascot Park Community Church from 5pm each Sunday.

“It was with a spirit of generosity that Ascot Park Uniting Church agreed to the Fish Gate Uniting Church relocating to their church building,” David says.

Today, the relationship between the two churches continues to flourish as they continue sharing the same building. This successful church partnership is a valuable part of the Fish Gate community.

“I don’t believe there is a single ‘best way’ for a new church to be planted,” David reflects. “Nevertheless, there is a lot to be said for larger congregations within the Uniting Church taking a generous and sacrificial step toward intentionally building a church planting team and sending them out with maternal support – both spiritually and practically.”

In recent New Times articles, Church Planting Project Officer Rev Dr Graham Humphris has spoken about different church planting models. While the Fish Gate Uniting Church does not strictly fit any of these models, it is undoubtedly an example of a successful church plant.

Bindy Taylor

leadership

Left: Scenes from the early years of the launch and early years of the Fish Gate Uniting Church. Right: Rev David Kowalick at a recent church planting intensive course.

10

David credits support from the Uniting Church SA Synod Office as an important part of the Fish Gate’s continuing growth.

“The Fish Gate has been extraordinarily helped and supported by Synod. The process of becoming an ‘official’ Uniting Church is complex, and administrative support is vital – to say nothing of the pastoral and financial assistance that Synod provided,” he says.

“The Fish Gate faced some significant challenges along the way, and the pastoral and practical support of Synod was invaluable.”

This support is something the South Australian Synod is now offering more intentionally as part of the new church planting initiative, Generate 2021. Over the next five years, the Uniting Church SA hopes to plant 10 new churches and regenerate 15 through this initiative.

Speaking about Generate 2021, and church planting in general, Graham emphasises the importance of planting churches – not for growing the Uniting Church, but for growing the kingdom of God.

“We are commanded to go out and make disciples, and studies show that new churches are significantly more likely to reach new people and grow more through evangelism,” he said in a New Times article published in late 2016.

“I really believe that planting new churches is going to be the most important and effective way forward for the Uniting Church in SA as we seek to reach people and disciple them for Jesus.”

Graham is calling on congregations and individuals to prayerfully consider whether they are being called to plant a church.

“I’m keen to hear from anyone who may be interested in undertaking training on how to plant churches or from congregations who may be considering establishing a plant within their existing church,” he says.

The Fish Gate Uniting Church is an example of what can be achieved through the dreams, plans and hard work of a small group of dedicated church members. Many of those involved in planting the community, such as Peter and Ann Karran (pictured centre left with David), continue to provide key leadership in the congregation.

It’s now over 14 years since the Fish Gate was first established, and it continues to be a strong presence in the Uniting Church SA.

“Church planting is an adventure, but sometimes it can be just plain hard. Sometimes all you have is that initial call and reason for existence to keep you going,” says David.

“In the end, churches don’t exist for themselves – they exist to do their bit in the overall proclamation and demonstration of the kingdom of God. Each church is different and has something unique to bring to the table, but every church ultimately exists to tell people about Jesus Christ.”

Rev David Kowalick is now the minister at Walkerville Uniting Church. Andrew Klynsmith is the current pastor at the Fish Gate Uniting Church.

For more information about Generate 2021 and church planting, please contact Rev Dr Graham Humphris on 8236 4235 or email info@generate2021.org.au

leadership

8261 8211 All hours

www.ivanbutlerfunerals.com.au enquiries@ivanbutlerfunerals.com.au

AUSTRALIAN FUNERAL DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION

26 OG Road Klemzig SA 5087

Geoff Lewis General Manager

(Morgans A.B.N. 49 010 669 726 A.F.S.L.235410)Participant of ASX Group, A Professional Partner of the Financial Planning Association of Australia.

11

Rev Tony Goodluck has come full circle. In late 2016, he accepted an appointment as Dean of Uniting Church students at Nungalinya College – the same place Tony’s father, Jack, helped establish.

“The name ‘Nungalinya’ comes from the old man in the Larrakia tradition of dreaming, whose name was also given to a reef off Causuarina Beach. Many people know of Old Man Rock, but don’t know the story of the old man, Nungalinya,” Tony explains.

“My father approached the Larrakia people, the people of the land in Darwin, and asked them if they would give a name to the college. They chose ‘Nungalinya’ – the old man ‘custodian of the stories’.”

The adult education college based in Nakara, a suburb of Darwin, was established in 1974, and is a partnership of the Anglican, Catholic and Uniting Churches.

At present, the college offers a range of certificates in ministry, theology, music and media, as well as offering foundation studies, which can assist students in preparing for future education. Scripture is used as the primary education document in each of these courses.

Approximately 300 students are expected to attend Nungalinya in 2017, most of whom are in their 30s or 40s.

“The students come from all over the Northern Territory, and beyond,” says Tony. “About half of them are Uniting Church students and they’re mostly from Arnhem Land.”

While Tony has spent the last 20 years in ministry in suburbs around Adelaide, he is no stranger to Arnhem Land or Nungalinya College.

“My parents spent several years living at Nungalinya in its early years. As a boy, I lived at Minjilang, the main settlement on Croker Island in Arnhem Land,” he recalls. “And my wife, Margie, and I lived in a caravan on the College grounds for two years when we were first married.”

Despite the many ties Tony has to this community, his call to the

position of Dean at Nungalinya was an unexpected one. He was settled into his ministry with the Modbury and Para Vista Uniting Church congregations, and he and Margie felt comfortable where they were. They had expected to stay there for at least the next couple of years.

“We were actually just talking about how settled we felt, and a couple of days later we heard that the churches had decided to cut my position down from full time to 0.8. The churches knew we would probably start seeking another role,” Tony explains.

“It was the very next day that an email about the Nungalinya position came across my desk. The College was urgently seeking someone for the position of Dean of Uniting Church students, and [Rev Dr] Amelia Koh-Butler had forwarded it to me. I decided to look at the position description as a courtesy to Amelia, but as I read on I felt more and more interested in the role.”

Tony showed Margie, expecting her to dismiss the idea of uprooting their lives and moving to Darwin. But she was keenly interested, too – although neither of them were quite sure why.

“We knew God was up to something,” Tony says.But he still wasn’t sure whether he was truly being called to this new

ministry. He decided to contact Rev Felicity Amery, who was moving from the role of Dean to take up the position of Presbytery Minister for the Pilgrim Presbytery in the Northern Territory.

“I told her I didn’t think I was really interested and that the December 2016 start date wouldn’t work at all. I basically wanted her to tell me that we didn’t need to have this conversation. I wanted to fulfil all righteousness by looking into this and then cross it off the list,” Tony says.

Felicity convinced Tony that he and Margie should come up for a visit for three days, and Tony agreed. When he and Margie went to check for a date that would suit, they found they had already marked

A true callCatherine Hoffman

faith

Tony and Margie Goodluck with their friend, Kingsley A'hang in January 2017.

12

three days down as ‘Tony and Margie away’. They’d made the decision way back in February to take these three days off, but had not yet decided where they would going during this time.

It seemed like everything was falling into place.“We went up for the visit and when we got back there was a letter of

offer sitting in my email inbox.”The three days spent at the College were also encouraging for

Margie. She has plans to begin art projects in the Nungalinya Art Space and beyond, finding different ways to connect with the local community and with God.

“It is my experience that God calls us individually and as a couple,” Tony explains. “This particular call has seeds of joy for both of us.”

While the College asked Tony and Margie to join them in December, they requested for a delay to give the Modbury and Para Vista congregations plenty of notice. They allowed three months – time that was full of Christmas celebrations and interstate visits with church youth.

While the prospect of leaving the church communities was hard, it was the thought of leaving family and friends that made the decision to move to Darwin most difficult. Adelaide is home to Tony and Margie’s children and grandson, as well as Tony’s ageing father and other extended family. The couple also have valued friendships and networks, and a deep connection with the local Sudanese community.

“It was a huge tear. We were broken-hearted about leaving, but also very excited,” Tony says.

“For me, the new role fulfils two long-held, deep-heart desires. The first one was that we might go north to work and live with Indigenous people once again. The second was to, one day, work in a theological college. I had held these deep-heart desires very privately, and I actually let them go about three years ago. To find out I’ve been called to

something that realises both of these is amazing.”In his new role as Dean, Tony supports students with all of their

‘out of class stuff’, splitting his time between administration duties and pastoral care. He also has the opportunity to visit communities in Arnhem Land and encourage people to attend the College, and he hopes to soon begin learning the many local languages.

“I’m a great believer in education as the key to breaking cycles of poverty and disadvantage. This role provides me with an opportunity to invest in, empower and support existing and emerging Indigenous leaders,” Tony says.

“I was sent a list of students before leaving Adelaide, and I got so excited just reading their names and the names of the communities they are from. Reading them aloud was like hearing a deep resonance of my heart and my childhood.

“I truly felt like my cup was running over – and that was before I even got here.”

For more information about Nungalinya College, please call (08) 8920 7500 or visit nungalinya.edu.au

faith

Clockwise from above: Tony's father, Jack, at Nungalinya in June 2016; Tony with his best friend, Robert Shepherd, on Croker Island in 1965; 2016 graduates from Nungalinya; Margie and Tony married in Melbourne in 1978 before moving to the College; students at Nungalinya; Jack surveys the grounds on his June 2016 visit.

1312

RetirementResidences

U City is the first of its kind in the Adelaide CBD. Currently under construction, the top 6 floors of this brilliant new 20-storey building, will be your access-all-areas in the absolute heart of the city. Residents will have access to a 24 hour, 7 days a week concierge and a range of services and support.

U City will be a place where all of our residents can live independently and have the opportunity to be genuinely connected to others. Uniting Communities vision is to create a compassionate, respectful and just community in which all people participate and flourish.

Be amongst the first to have your head in the clouds and the city at your feet.

Register your interest at ucity.com.au or call us on 8202 5009.

Take your retirement lifestyle to a new level.

ucity.com.au

RetirementResidences

LIVING WELL AT HOMEWhen you decide that you need some support at home, Uniting Communities’ home support team is here to help you to maintain your independence, health and wellbeing.Perhaps you’d like some help with the garden, assistance with cooking, or even some support and company. We can also provide you with transport to appointments, to the shops or out to visit friends so you can maintain your social connections. Uniting Communities is able to provide a wide range of services to suit your needs. Our home care packages are tailored, allowing you to use your package budget for what you feel is most important to continue living well at home.

Please give us a call on 1800 615 677 to discuss how we can best support you, or visit unitingcommunities.org for more information.

14

A church with over 10,000 people may be difficult to imagine for those used to small, close-knit congregations. Not so for Mark Conner who was the senior pastor of CityLife Church in Melbourne for 22 years.

Appointed to the position in 1995 at age 33, Mark already had knowledge of the way CityLife worked. Both he and his wife, Nicole, had held leadership positions at Waverley Christian Fellowship (later CityLife Church), and Mark had been on staff at the church for 10 years. His father, Kevin Conner, was also the senior pastor from 1986.

Mark was able to build on the solid teaching of his father and the vision of the church’s founding pastor, Richard Holland. But he came into the senior pastor position with his own ideas and skills.

“I had a strong focus on seven strategic shifts – from self to God, from in-reach to outreach, from events to relationships, from ministers to equippers, from consumers to coordinators, from church to a kingdom mentality, and from the older to the younger,” Mark explains.

People responded to the new direction and the shifts in attitude, and the church community quickly began to grow. In the words of former pastor Richard Holland, Mark is “the multiplier”.

Mark made huge changes – including the 2004 name change from Waverley Christian Fellowship to CityLife Church – and established new ministries. He also introduced multi-site campuses for the church, which now has four sites in Victoria – Knox, Casey, Manningham and Whittlesea.

Over 10,000 people now call CityLife Church home. Many also attend one of the 540 life groups being run through the four campuses. Congregations have also been established for those who speakMandarin and Cantonese.

“I think casting vision is one thing; seeing it through over a number of years, and doing that effectively, is another, and [Mark] did both of those things extremely well,” Ray Henderson, Chair of CityLife’s

Board of Elders from 2007-2016, told Eternity magazine for an article published in February 2017..

In August, Mark will share his experiences and insights about vision, strategic leadership, communication, discipleship and church growth with members of the Uniting Church at the Uniting Leaders conference in August 2017.

Having concluded his position at CityLife in February 2017, Mark and Nicole have relocated to the Sunshine Coast in Queensland.

“I decided it was time for a change,” Mark says. “I’m hoping that I can now focus on teaching, writing and coaching others towards more fruitfulness – to help others to lead and grow their own church communities.”

The Uniting Leaders 2017 conference is one of the President’s National Ministers Conference for 2017. The three-day conference takes place from Tuesday 22 to Thursday 24 August at Hope Valley Uniting Church (1263 – 1265 Grand Junction Road, Hope Valley, SA). The conference will include keynote addresses from Mark Conner and Nancy Beach, in addition to workshops, networking opportunities and time to connect with other Uniting Church leaders. For more information or to register, please visit unitingleaders.org.au or email info@unitingleaders.org.au

Read more about the history of CityLife Church, please visit citylife.church/50-years

leadership

Growing into ministryCatherine Hoffman

15

culture

In your own ongoing Christian experience, how is public worship transformative for you?

Stephen Burns: Worship that I experience as transformative is something I glimpse. Now and again, something breathtaking happens and I live from it for as long as I can – maybe a song gives me words that say just what I want to say to God; maybe I recognise that the preacher lives the good news she is talking about; maybe I’m moved because that person’s voice cracks when he speaks of peace; someone trembles as they come for communion; tears come as we pray. And I’m glad I’m there, I’m open to change, and I’m seeking my own transformation.

Then sometimes, as a pastor, I get to hear people’s sense of how worship has touched and changed them, and that feeds me deeply.

In another way, transformative worship is for me a matter of trust. Oftentimes I experience worship as humdrum. Then in the habits, discipline, and sometimes sheer hard perseverance to stick with it, I trust that being there is somehow helping me to make praise central in my life. That it is helping me to trust the way of Jesus, to grow in gratitude, to name what is wrong and move towards mercy, to pray and

care for others, to receive God’s gifts, and to constantly connect in to all the resources we are given in the Gospel.

Ruth Duck: In the church where I have been a member for around 25 years, I am particularly helped by our pastor. She is able to correlate the scriptures of the day (generally related to the lectionary) with what is happening in the world. The honest naming is helpful as we live in the world, and she is able to speak in a way that is not partisan though very expressive of biblical values.

As leaders of Christian worship, what key elements of preparation and delivery do you believe make worship potentially transformative for others?

Stephen: I think the desire for a vital spiritual life, for intimacy with God, is the key—and a willingness to be unembarrassed about that. Not that worship is some sort of show in which a leader’s personal spirituality is put into the spotlight, whilst everyone else watches on. But I do think that without that basic yearning for God at the heart of life, the invitations that are entrusted to leaders of worship will never seem compelling.

In July this year, Adelaide will host the national Uniting Church worship conference. Held at Burnside City Uniting Church from 27-30 July, the Transforming Worship conference will gather preachers, worship leaders, musicians, artists and others to explore the formative and transformative nature of Christian worship.

The conference will feature addresses from several keynote speakers, including Rev Dr Ruth Duck, Professor of Worship at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in the USA, and Rev Dr Stephen Burns, Distinguished Lecturer in Liturgical and Practical Theology at Trinity College Theological School in Melbourne. New Times spoke to Ruth and Stephen about transformative experiences, different worship practices and encountering God.

Transformation through worship

16

culture

Ruth: Those who lead worship should be grounded in a life of prayer and spiritual growth. Leaders also need to be in communication with one another so that the service is coherent. This involves giving love and care to the planning, but also being open to the Spirit at work in the moment.

Can Christian worship practices realistically seek to transcend cultural, racial, language, gendered, political and social differences?

Ruth: Some aspects of worship tend to transcend culture, in the sense that most churches baptise, celebrate communion, read scripture and preach the good news, as well as providing rituals for marriage and of death. However, the way we do all these things varies from church to church.

It is possible to develop particular worshipping communities that bring together people who differ in culture, race, language, and many other ways. A spirit of love and working together on making worship will help, but only if we are able to address prejudice, judgment50

, privilege and colonialism in their varied forms. Stephen: I want to say ‘yes’ to this, but with a clear caveat. I want

to say that God breathes the scriptures alive to us, and sacraments are God’s gift, God’s own self-giving to us. Other things – whether they are pianos, PowerPoint, pipe organs, pews, whatever – may or may not be helpful, but they don’t come with the promise of presence that comes with scripture and sacraments. Scripture and sacraments should be central to Christian worship. These gifts, I believe, are for all – and they level us. We are all equal recipients. But more than that: in these things, the promises of God are made personal for each of us: “Stephen, I baptise you…”

The caveat is that while we say that scripture, baptism and communion are from God and are somehow transcultural, nothing about style of worship directly follows from this statement. What kind

of song is sung, what clothes are worn, what cultural norms are in play, whether we need PowerPoint or pipe organs – all of that is up for grabs. The style of worship needs to be worked out missionally in the local setting so that participants can recognise their own culture in it. And not just the participants who are already there – if others are going to participate, they will need to see their culture. In an outward-facing and reconciling community, difference needs to be built in. This is no easy thing to discern or sustain, but it is crucial for us as the church in contemporary Australia.

Is there such a thing as an artistic sensibility so far as worship preparation and delivery is concerned? If so, what is its relation to God?

Ruth: Every aspect of worship has an artistic dimension – how we move (or don’t move), the shape and symbols of our worship places, the use of words in preaching and liturgy, the rhythm and flow of a service, congregational song, and many other dimensions. Some sense a calling to the ministry of the pulpit, some to the ministry of music. Laity have gifts and callings within the church – their gifts and skills are part of effective worship.

Stephen: Yes! I want here to think about both gift and practice. Worship should be an event to which people can bring their gifts,

artistic and otherwise – music and song, graphic and decorative design, hospitality, a sense for movement and ritual, care, all sorts of things! – so that what happens is authentically the people’s. Worship of this kind makes something good out of the diverse gifts of the community.

In terms of art, worship is not a ‘colour by numbers’ exercise, locked into Uniting in Worship, Hillsong, or anything else, but needs to find a way to makes the best of the gifts of the worshippers.

At the same time, things can be practiced: learning by heart, muscle memory in leadership, and strenuous disciplines – like kindness to all or welcome to newcomers – make a world of difference between mediocre and marvellous communities of worship.

Courage is absolutely crucial, too. We need the courage to be unembarrassed about worship and about whole-heartedly praising, seeking and celebrating God’s presence.

That maybe bring us to the key idea: encounter. If we believe that worship is truly about encountering the living, loving God, it will show, the gifts will be shared freely, and the practice done willingly.

To register for the Transforming Worship conference or to find out more, please visit transformingworship.com.au or contact Neryl McCallum on 0409 096 809 or admin@transformingworship.com.au

17

getting to know

Range Road Uniting Church is a small congregation made up of approximately 10 faithful regular members. Situated in the rural community of Parawa, approximately half way between Victor Harbor and Cape Jervis, the church is one of few buildings on Range Road.

The church was originally formed in 1949 as a growing number of residents moved to the recently opened up agricultural area. The first church meeting took place at a resident’s home, and locals continued to gather in this way until a church building was erected in 1952. A larger church building was completed in 1969 with the older building then being used as a hall.

The current Range Road congregation continues to meet in the same location, although the dynamics of the congregation and the wider community have changed considerably since the church buildings were established.

The local area includes about 40 properties, but at present only about half of these have permanent residents. This has had a huge impact on the number of people engaging with the church, the Country Fire Service, the Agricultural Bureau and the local tennis club.

Despite the challenges the decline in local population have presented, the current Range Road congregation is close knit and dedicated to serving the community. On the first and third Sunday of every month, a visiting preacher leads the congregation’s worship service. On the second Sunday, they host “Care and Share” with members leading one another through a Bible study or something similar. These Sundays are special times for members, drawing them closer together as they share with one another. The congregation has recently begun closing the church on the fourth Sunday of every month. They spend this time attending Yankalilla Uniting Church or assisting with an aged care service through the ACH Group Health and Community Services.

Approximately every six weeks, the congregation hears a message from Rev Carol Chambers. Carol, along with her husband, Bruce, answered a call to serve the five South West Fleurieu Uniting Churches, including Range Road, in July 2016. She has provided valuable input to the South West Fleurieu congregations, and has plans to help guide the members of Range Road through their future direction.

The church’s vision is to “bring Christ to the community”. Living out this mission, the congregation has held several events at the local community hall, held a barbecue to thank the two local fire brigades, hosted baptisms, presented a Christmas nativity play with Yankalilla members at the local nursing home, and coordinated “Shoeboxes of Love” for Samaritans Purse. They support 5CY, which helps people in need in the local community by providing hampers and furniture.

Members of Range Road also participate in community activities in Yankalilla. Many support the local Uniting/Anglican Church op shop, which raises funds to support the South West Fleurieu minister, as well as pastoral care workers at schools in Yankalilla, Rapid Bay and Myponga. Church members are also involved in the combined “Harvest Tea” celebrations, the Link Council, the Yankalilla District Inter Church Council (a pastoral care worker support group), and the ecumenical events committee.

Although the number of people attending Range Road Uniting Church has decreased in recent years, the remaining members are committed to their vision and trust that their future is in God’s hands.

Range Road Uniting ChurchThe Range Road congregation continues to meet in the 1969 church building. Inset: Concie James leads the choir at the building's opening service.

18

getting to know

With numbers of people attending church dwindling across most Christian denominations in Australia, some congregations have chosen to combine with others to share in faith, fellowship and friendship.

The United Church Royal Park is one such congregation, made up of former members of Royal Park Uniting Church, Alberton Uniting Church and Albert Park Church of Christ, along with a number of new attendees. As such, those who attend the church are members of both the Uniting Church and the Churches of Christ.

A constitution was created upon the formation of the united congregation and members were invited to discuss areas of difference. Over the first several years, the congregation needed to make decisions on two important issues – sacrament/communion and baptism (christening/immersion). The congregation did not wish to rush decisions on either of these issues, wanting to give them due consideration and prayer. The whole congregation was invited to vote on these over several stages during the church’s early years before reaching their final decision on each matter.

Since its formation, the church’s leaders have also been mindful of the requirements of both denominations when deciding other important aspects of the congregation’s life and mission. The congregation has received funding from the Alberton Mission Fund and the Churches of Christ to assist in the mission outreach of the church.

Now well-established, the structure and process of United Church Royal Park’s formation has been used as an example for other congregations from different denominations who are looking to join together.

Sunday services are held weekly at 9.30am, followed by morning tea. Minister Rev Cliff Birch preaches on the second, third and fourth Sundays of each month. Lay preachers, people from Frontier Services and church members are invited to provide a sermon or message on the remaining Sundays. Music is provided by the church choir, who

were formed over 20 years ago, and two dedicated organ players. On the fifth Sunday of each month (or those that have five Sundays),

a lunch is provided to members following the service. This is a rich time of community, especially for members who live alone.

Several members of the church reside in Acacia Court, a nearby aged care residence. They are often transported to and from church services by other members of the congregation. Despite this, some members are unable to regularly attend services; these members are included in the church’s prayer chain every Sunday.

In addition to the weekly services, fellowship groups meet monthly on Tuesday evenings and Wednesdays at midday. A friendship club also meets at 12noon on the second and fourth Wednesday each month. Each of these groups regularly host guest speakers from social and/or charitable organisations to discuss their work with church members. An indoor bowls meets weekly on Thursday night.

Other church activities include annual anniversary celebrations in March, Lenten studies, an annual morning tea to raise funds for cancer research, and special fundraising services and events. One of the most important special services in the life of the church is their Harvest Thanksgiving event. Members are invited to bring non-perishable goods to this service. The items are then donated to young homeless people seeking accommodation at the former Alberton Uniting Church site.

Many years ago, church members also raised funds for Wesley House at Semaphore Park. Three former members of the church now reside at this complex, two of whom celebrated their 100th birthdays in 2016.

Community support is further provided by UnitingCare Wesley Port Adelaide who use the church premises three days a week for services to the community.

Although they are an elderly congregation, the members of United Church Royal Park continue to support one another and contribute to the community as much as they can.

United Church Royal Park

19

So much to enjoy!The following letter was sent to New Times, but addressed to Rev David Prior:

Thanks for your invitation in the February/March New Times to email you. I am not planning to apply for army chaplaincy – at 88 I think I may be outside army age limits! But I am so glad that New Times, the Chaplaincy Manager, and a couple of chaplains got together to give us such an enjoyable feature.

I especially enjoyed what you wrote, and the way you wrote it – your style ‘gels’ with me. As one result, I will really try to do more proclaiming with my ears.

I enjoyed your view of pastoral care. As a social worker, I was taught “attentive listening” but as a Christian, I love your “hearing with compassion”.

I enjoyed what seems an almost light-hearted writing style, but it is so ‘telling’ and has real impact – it is honouring of people, honouring of the church, honouring of God, honouring of the army, and honouring of chaplaincy.

I also enjoyed your ‘cover boy’ image - very ‘cool’!God bless you, man!P Fopp,West Beach

letters to the editor

POSITION VACANTMinister of the Word (0.8) – Yamba/Iluka Uniting ChurchYamba is a town at the mouth of the Clarence River renowned for its

beaches and welcoming community.

Expressions of interest are invited for a Minister of the Word (0.8) to:

- Lead us into the next stage of an exciting future in line with

our Vision Statement: “To be a beacon of hope in today's world,

committed to living and growing as followers of Jesus”

- Lead worship each week in a contemporary style in

Yamba and a traditional style in Iluka

- Facilitate pastoral care and faith development of

the congregations.

- Must have a Working with Children check.

Expressions of interest should be directed by Monday 1 May to

the Acting Associate Secretary of the NSW/ACT Synod, Rev John

Thornton, at PO Box A2178, Sydney South, NSW 1235.

Are you an evangelical keen to serve a church with a social conscience?

Ashburton Uniting in Melbourne is a fellowship with gifted men and women

seeking to enjoy God’s grace, grow in discipleship and join Him in his mission

to the world. This full time position is available along with an attractive four

bedroom manse. Conditions are according to UCA Vic/Tas.

We would love to talk with you as you consider this position.

Please contact Chris Helm (email Chrish@suwwvic.org.au or phone 0422 937 210 or (03) 9885 1397) for our profile or

visit our website at ashburton. unitingchurch.org.auLegal Services

130 Little Collins StreetMelbourne Vic 3000Tel: (03) 9251 5200Fax: (03) 9650 7019

POSITION VACANT Executive OfficerMission & Capacity Building Unit [working title] Expressions of interest are invited for a fulltime ministry placement within the Synod of Victoria and Tasmania. The Executive Officer is a key leadership role required to lead and inspire in a time of change. This role will shape the development of a new Mission & Capacity Building Unit (working title). The Mission & Capacity Building Unit will offer a wide range of functions, including theological education, faith formation, leadership development, ministry placements, justice, research and advocacy, grants administration and chaplaincy, reflecting strategic priorities resolved by the Synod in 2016.An intentional focus on mission will underpin everything the unit does, including attention on context, social justice, relationship building, new forms of church, First Peoples, young people and families and cross-cultural communities. Based in Melbourne, the Executive Officer will provide leadership in the delivery of services and promote collaborative and coordinated relationships across presbyteries, congregations, and Synod-based resource and service teams and various facets of the wider Church.

This ministry requires the following knowledge and experience: • tertiary qualifications and experience such as theology/ missiology, management, and leadership at executive level• a sound knowledge of the Uniting Church in Australia and its polity, structures, systems and processes; and• the ability to bring theological perspective to the development and implementation of operational plans and strategies

The Strategic Priorities - Vision and Mission Principles and Statements of Intent are available at https://www.victas.uca.org.au/aboutus/Pages/Vision-Mission.aspx

Inquiries and a Ministry Description are available from Synod of Victoria and Tasmania, Robyn.Hansen@victas.uca.org.au

Applications close 28 April 2017

Following Christ,walking together

as First andSecond Peoples,

seeking community,compassion

and justicefor all creation

Following Walking Seeking

God in Christ is at mission in the world and sends the Church in the Spirit to:

1. share the Good News of Jesus Christ

2. nurture followers of Christ in life-giving communities of reconciliation

3. respond in compassion to human need

4. live justly and seek justice for all

5. care for creation6. listen to each generation

and culture so as to live out the Gospel in fresh ways

7. pursue God’s mission in partnership

VM bookmark _final.indd 1 16/02/2017 4:17 pm

20

EASTER SERVICES. A list of Uniting Church SA Easter services is available online (sa.uca.org.au/easter/easter-events). To submit services to this list, please contact Communications on 8236 4230 or email communications@sa.uca.org.auMENTAL HEALTH SEMINARS. Sessions will be held monthly starting at 7.30pm. Spicer Uniting Church. Over the next several months, a series of mental health seminars will be presented by Rev Mark Boyce. They will be on the topics of anxiety (Monday 24 April), difficult people (Monday 22 May), psychosis (Monday 26 June), bipolar (Monday 24 July) and grieving (Monday 28 August). Mark has worked as a chaplain in the mental health arena for the last 20 years. For more information, please contact Helen Lloyd on 8362 3771 or email office@spicer.org.auSACC 70TH BIRTHDAY. Saturday 29 April, 10am-3.30pm. Four Adelaide churches – Pilgrim (Uniting), St Francis Xavier Cathedral (Catholic), St Mary Magdalene’s (Anglican) and St Stephen’s (Lutheran). The South Australian Council of Churches is celebrating their 70th anniversary in 2017. In addition to encouraging various local events, SACC has invited four city churches to host a ‘pilgrimage-gathering’, which will include times of prayer, story-telling, hospitality and walking together. Pilgrim Uniting Church in Adelaide will be the first gathering place on the day (10am-11.30am). The entire day is open to Uniting Church members and members of other denominations who form part of the SACC. RSVPs are essential and must be received by Wednesday 12 April on 8215 0300 or email sacc@picknowl.com.auFASHION PARADE & PACKING WORKSHOP. Wednesday 10 May, 10am. Colonel Light Gardens Uniting Church. Come along to view a parade of Liz Davenport fashions and learn how to pack smart for the holidays. Tickets are $20, and include morning tea.HISTORY MONTH OPEN DAY. Sunday 14 May, 1-4pm. Port Adelaide Uniting Church. The congregation at Port Adelaide Uniting Church will hold an Open Day for History Month, honouring the past and celebrating the future. The event will be held on Sunday 14 May, with heritage worship at 10am, followed by a sausage sizzle. From 1pm until 4pm, the historic 150 year old Gothic church building will be open to explore. There will also be a book sale, history display, pipe organ demonstrations and Devonshire afternoon teas.MOONTA MINES HERITAGE SERVICE. Sunday 21 May. Moonta Mines Uniting Church. As part of the Cornish Festival, the congregation will hold a time of community singing at 1pm, followed by ecumenical heritage worship at 2pm. All are welcome to attend and join in the singing. WALK OF RECONCILIATION. Sunday 28 May, 10am. Blackwood Uniting Church. All are invited to gather for a walk of reconciliation with local community groups and Indigenous Australians. A combined service will be held at 10am at Blackwood Uniting Church before walking to the Colebrook Home site at 11.30am. A sausage sizzle will be provided upon the conclusion of the walk.GLENGOWRIE CONCERT. Sunday 28 May, 2pm. Glengowrie Uniting Church. The Glengowrie Concert will provide an afternoon of music featuring The Encounter Ensemble, a Christian musical group featuring singers, piano and flute. All are invited to attend this event and the afternoon tea that will follow. Tickets are $10 per person, and are available at the door or by contacting Rosemary on 8295 1480.NATIONAL UCA HISTORY CONFERENCE. Sunday 7 to Friday 12 June. Pilgrim Uniting Church. The National Uniting Church in Australia History Conference will be held in Adelaide in June 2017 on the theme "A Pilgrim People: 40 years on". This conference is for anyone interested in and engaged with Uniting Church history – it is open to academics, non-academics, local historians, archivists, former missionaries, members of UAICC, clergy, and laity. It will feature addresses by specially invited speakers and panel discussants,

papers presented by conference participants, workshops and field visits, opportunities for networking, the formal launch of the Uniting Church in Australia Assembly’s new national Historical Society, and celebration of the Uniting Church's 40th birthday. For more information, please contact Leanne Davis on 8297 8472, email admin@historicalsociety.unitingchurch.org.au or visit historicalsociety.unitingchurch.org.au/national-conference

Events submitted online are featured on the Uniting Church SA website (sa.uca.org.au), in UC e-News and in New Times (deadline permitting). To submit your event please visit sa.uca.org.au/events/submit-an-event

diary

Visual Presentation Systems Public Address

Church - School - Board Room - Retail Display - HospitalityData Projection - Plasma - LCD - Projection Screens - Accessories

Sale - Installation - Service

“TEC - Everything Electronic installed with Excellence”Greg Hallam 0411 550417 - Keith Ellison 0411 556075

Campbelltown: 8365 0377 - Fax: 8365 0677 Web: www.tecsa.com.au

Send your letters to: newtimes@sa.uca.org.au or PO Box 2145, Adelaide 5001.

RESTORE your phonographic records or tape to near original quality & preserve them on CDRestore your faded 35mm slides to bright colour and preserve them on DVD. Ask us about VHS or MiniDVD video tape & 8mm film to DVD conversion, SA MEDIAWORKS, Kent Town SA Ph: 8362 2251 samediworks@soundtrack.net.au

classifieds

posit ionsvacant .sa.uca.org .au

FOR PRIVATE SALEIn quiet country town only 80 kms from Adelaide. Three bedroom, 1900s Bluestone Residence with modern additions of kitchen/dining, laundry, bathroom, sep. shower, toilet, of Besser brick (added 1960), and large brick office/sunroom (added 2000). Also large carport, plus two vehicle wood and iron shed with extra carport, on a larger than normal house block of land. Situated opposite an active Uniting Church. Price negotiable. Phone (08) 8847 2495.

21

“We are thankful for UC Investfor their generous donation towards Hang it up for Poverty.” - Clarisse Semler-Hanlon, UCWPA

SUPPORTINGHAPPY ANDHEALTHYFUTURES.

Invest with someone who invests in your community.Visit us at ucinvest.com.au or call us on 1300 274 151.

UC Invest (“the Fund”) is an activity of The Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust (S.A.) ABN 25 068 897 781, the legal entity of the Uniting Church SA. Investment services are provided on behalf of the Uniting Church SA pursuant to ASIC Policy Statement 87 exemptions and APRA Banking Exemption No.1 of 2016 (“The Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust (S.A.)”). The Fund is not prudentially supervised by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, therefore an investor in the Fund will not receive the benefit of the financial claims scheme or the depositor protection provisions in the Banking Act 1959. All products and investments offered by the Fund are designed for investors who wish to support the charitable purposes of the Uniting Church SA.

Thoughts on being church in changing times

rev iews

Book: Hope for Weary Churches Author: Rev Peter WhittingtonRecommended for: Congregations who feel uncertain about the future and local church leaders coping with changeIn short: Valuable insights and reflections on ministry in the Uniting Church SARRP: $17.50Available from: MediaCom (mediacom.org.au or 1800 811 311) or Helen Whittington (hpwhitt@hotmail.com or 0417 877 812)

Rev Peter Whittington wrote this book in 2002-03, based on his experiences in local ministry and as a Uniting Church SA mission consultant. As he was unable to complete the work needed, the book was edited and published by Peter’s family to make his insights available to congregations, their ministers and leaders.

Peter’s book is a gift to us. It’s a gift because Peter took time to stop and reflect on a lifetime of ministry in South Australia. His reflections are not about easy answers, paste-on solutions, propositions or arguments for this or that mission strategy.

While Peter set out to comment on various theories, the book is largely biographical with Peter documenting his experiences of working with congregations and helping them to face their future. He is writing to assist local church leaders who are coping with change and begins with an assumption that:

“…many leaders feel tired out from the effort of keeping their church going over many years. They are aware of the need to discover new directions if their church is to flourish or even survive but wonder where they can ever find the energy for fresh initiatives.”

Our first impressions on reading the title of the book are confronting. It seems to assume that we, as a Church, are tired and confused about our response to our changing context – a new world where the values and priorities are so different from the core themes of the Gospel. But reading about Peter’s journey and meeting this challenge becomes an invitation to us to draw on theological and reflective sources.

I wrote the introduction to Peter’s book and in it included two verses of the poem “Sorrow and Joy” by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. These verses connect with Peter’s reflections and serve to remind us that in the face of sorrow and loss, there is the power of love’s embrace:

Sorrow and joy,striking suddenly on our startled senses,seem, at the first approach, all but impossibleof just distinction one from the other,even as frost and heat at the first keen contactburn us alike…O you mothers and loved ones – then, ah, thencomes your hour, the hour for true devotion.Then your hour comes, you friends and brothers!Loyal hearts can change the face of sorrow,softly encircle it with love’s most gentleunearthly radiance.As we read Peter’s book, we come to affirm again that those on the

faith journey are always dealing with the sense of loss that comes with change. The Christian Church’s 2000-year journey reminds us that the call to renewal emerges out of the experience of exile, sorrow and loss.

This book is not the work of a detached scholar, the view from the balcony, but draws on the view from below. In responding to this challenge, we hear Peter’s voice coming through in the phrases he uses and the references he makes to those who were the source of his inspiration. It’s a gift to us also because Peter is inviting us to respond in kind. These memoirs are about engagement and a willingness to learn from varied sources; a search that comes from identifying with and walking alongside leaders of congregations, not from telling them what to do.

I am thankful that Peter took the time to record his thoughts and set out his convictions about a people on the way to a promised end. He does not ignore the mood of the times or the weariness that accompanies those who have done their best and given their time and energy in leadership positions over many years.

Peter’s gift to us comes from both his experience and by sharing the struggle he had in identifying core principles – the ingredients that make up an effective mission plan. In struggling to identify these principles, we are led to adapt and employ the insights we discover on the way, rather than adopting a single conceptual framework.

Peter’s book is a prompt for us. It’s a resource that encourages us to respond to new social realities by drawing on our own experiences and our best insights in a positive and affirming way.

Rev Dr Dean Eland

“We are thankful for UC Investfor their generous donation towards Hang it up for Poverty.” - Clarisse Semler-Hanlon, UCWPA

SUPPORTINGHAPPY ANDHEALTHYFUTURES.

Invest with someone who invests in your community.Visit us at ucinvest.com.au or call us on 1300 274 151.

UC Invest (“the Fund”) is an activity of The Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust (S.A.) ABN 25 068 897 781, the legal entity of the Uniting Church SA. Investment services are provided on behalf of the Uniting Church SA pursuant to ASIC Policy Statement 87 exemptions and APRA Banking Exemption No.1 of 2016 (“The Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust (S.A.)”). The Fund is not prudentially supervised by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, therefore an investor in the Fund will not receive the benefit of the financial claims scheme or the depositor protection provisions in the Banking Act 1959. All products and investments offered by the Fund are designed for investors who wish to support the charitable purposes of the Uniting Church SA.

23

The Pilgrimage of Healing is run annually during Reconciliation Week (27 May to 3 June) by the Covenanting team in Mission Resourcing. Each year, this campaign focusses on a different project within the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (Congress) in South Australia.

Since 2011, people across the Uniting Church have generously supported Pilgrimage of Healing projects involving youth leadership, transportation for remote communities and building developments.

The 2017 Reconciliation Week theme is “Let’s take the next steps” – and that flows through to the focus of the 2017 Pilgrimage of Healing. This year the fundraising effort will go towards supporting young people in the Congress faith community in Oodnadatta.

“Our young people are really involved in the community and want to know more about how to be disciples and leaders,” says Pastor Julia Lennon. “They want to learn more about the Bible, learn to be role models, and learn how to do ministry.”

Young people in Oodnadatta have been attending Bible studies led by Julia and have been active in national events like Yuoróra 2017, the Uniting Church’s National Christian Youth Convention. Many are also interested in joining Julia in her pastoral care and outreach visits to the APY (Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara) Lands. They’re enthusiastic about church and the opportunities it provides to build them up as community leaders.

“A lot of young people in the community have been attending church and other events we run. Those involved in the church have acted as a role model to others, encouraging them to come,” says Julia.

“We see young people in the community growing in faith, taking on leadership positions, reading the Bible and running sporting teams. I’ve seen the changes in the young generation and have watched them grow.”

But this growth does not come easily. While Julia and others offer ways for young people to learn and develop in the Oodnadatta community, further opportunities are difficult to access.

“The young people at Oodnadatta want to learn more about ministry, leadership and the church, but it’s hard work for them at the moment,” explains Ian Dempster, the Resource Officer for Congress SA. “Computers are not available for them to access training, online courses or other information. The isolation of the community means it’s also expensive to go and learn more in person.”

The plan is for funds raised through the Pilgrimage of Healing to go towards computers and a larger vehicle for the Oodnadatta faith community. This will help young people to access training, engage with outreach activities, and more easily connect with other faith communities and congregations.

Just a little bit of money and care can make all the difference to teenagers and young adults in Oodnadatta.

Last year, SA Congress supported the growth of Oodnadatta’s firsty footy team in years by providing them with the guernseys they needed to be able to play. This encouraged some of the players to take on leadership roles, engage in a healthy community activity and meet with people from other towns.

“Even though they lost their first game, they felt like winners in their hearts,” says Julia. “Because Congress provided them with the guernseys they felt like people truly supported them and cared about them.”

The Pilgrimage of Healing provides an opportunity for all in the Uniting Church SA to help support young people in the Oodnadatta faith community. It also acts as a reminder that they are part of the wider Uniting Church.

“We want to help the next generation as best we can and give them what they need to learn, be disciples and lead,” says Julia.

Donations for the Pilgrimage of Healing can be made to: Oodnadatta Youth & Children’s Ministry Fund. BSB: 704095. Account number: 193668. For more information about the Pilgrimage of Healing, please contact Ian Dempster on 0417 217 320 or email idempster@sa.uaicc.org.au

Young people from Congress communities, including Oodnadatta, attended Yuróra 2017, the Uniting Church’s National Christian Youth Convention.

Oodles of enthusiasm at Oodnadatta

culture

24