Posts from July 2022
Silent Auction
In conjunction with the MUC Trivia night and to raise funds for ‘Act for Peace’ Ukraine Refugees there are three amazing items to bid for. Drop into the Manningham Uniting Church & Community Centre and place your bid, or give us a call on 9846 2012 and we’ll register your bid for you. What is a silent auction?A silent auction is when the bidders ‘silently’ bid by writing their offer on the bid sheet for each item. THREE ITEMS TO…
Sankofa #6
“God I am all ready but I am not in a hurry.” – Swee Ann ☺ Several months after I arrived at Mt Martha Uniting Church (my first placement) I discovered that I was having difficulty accompanying a member who was dying. I felt uneasy. I told myself that I can’t feel this way if I want to continue my ministry as a Minister. What did I do? I took a course on Bereavement Counselling for two years. Before the…
LEADERSHIP
Introduction At my first conversation with the Joint Nominating Committee, I was told that MUC has a ‘flat’ ministry team (no designated leader) and how do I feel about that? I remember replying: “I have been in ministry for over 30 years. I don’t think I have a fragile ago and I am not looking to be the ‘kingpin’. However, it’s important that we recognise each of us bring different gifts and have different roles and responsibilities.” For me leadership…
THE GREENING OF THE OFFICE
Just when you thought there weren’t going to be any more ‘Wow’ moments in our new Church and Community home, along came ‘Team Spratling’ . . . Hugh and Margaret . . . to add a whole ‘rain forest’ to the ‘Upper Room’ in the form of forty-five lovely indoor plants which have filled all the holes, designed to hold greenery, which are part of the office filing furniture. Hugh and Margaret are much-loved members of the Church community and…
Sankofa #5
I am writing this Musing at 4.30am. I have been awake since 3am. I was lying in bed reading and reflecting on the final chapter of ‘A Meal with Jesus’. The Ministry Team spent yesterday together in a small room at Wesley Place in Lonsdale Street. We spent time sharing and reflecting on BOUNDARIES and SELF-CARE. We also had conversations on the ‘Needs, Concerns and Opportunities’ of MUC in the next six months. And by the time I reached home…
Biscuits and Cheese and a Cup of Tea
I woke to the sound of falling rain on the tent. Quickly dressed, I unzipped the tent door. The clay pan we had camped on, wet and slippery, the rain steady. A sand dune emerged in the early morning light, the sky black, foreboding. Suddenly, I realised those travelling with us were beginning to leave our camp site. I looked around. Tents, stretchers, camping gear were being loaded into vehicles in the predawn. It was June 1999. We were…
Sankofa #4
Last Saturday the Church Council, with some members of the Portfolios and committees met to reflect on how to renew leadership within MUC. I am a big believer in getting people together for conversations. There was also a lot of time spent in listening, clarifying, and challenging of certain assumptions. We all make assumptions. We make them all the time. It can be about anyone and anything. If we are not careful in assuming, then we may get badly trapped…
Getting to know Jonathon Welch AM
How did you first get started in your musical career ?I was very fortunate to go to Melbourne Boys High School and had many amazing experiences, opportunities and wonderful teacherswho mentored my passion for music and singing. I then began my career as a professional singer in 1980 singing with the Victorian State Opera Chorusand went on to tour with the very first production of ‘Pirates of Penzance’ at the end of 1983 for 18 months, where I eventually landed…
Sankofa #3
Glad that the Synod 2022 is over. This will be my last Synod. I won’t be going to the next one in 18-months’ time. I wonder how many of you can tell me our vision. As you know the Church Councilhas been reviewing our governance, polity, and structure. Recently I decided to takea closer look at our vision: “Inspired by God and seeking to emulate the life ofJesus we will identify and reflect God’s love by creating, participating in and…