News & Articles (Page 3)

At the Together@10 service on the 4 February 2024, the whole chuch community gathered together to honour and celebrate the offerings of all the leaders and volunteers with the community. The service showed the depth and breadth of those who support Manningham Uniting Church. We honoured all who offer their time and skills.

We are supporting our ongoing relationship with Doncaster Secondary students with a Stationery Drive. Your offerings of the following will support the students start their 2024 school year off on the right foot: Donate anytime throughout February at the Manningham Uniting Church office, or drop your donation into the tub in the foyer See below for a non-exhaustive list of options – feel free to purchase from where ever is convenient. Blue Biros For example: https://www.officeworks.com.au/paper-mate-write-bros-ballpoint-pens https://www.officeworks.com.au/j-burrows-ballpoint-pens-blue-10-pack-jbaa1151be https://www.bigw.com.au/bic-cristal-original-pen-12-pack-blue/p/232987 https://www.bigw.com.au/paper-mate-kilometrico-capped-ballpoint-pen Grey…

We gathered as a church community yesterday at Westerfolds Park to reflect on the Uniting Church’s Day of Mourning. Many thanks to those that arranged, organised and provided resources for the service that offered us a moment to reflect on the effects of invasion, colonisation and racism on First Peoples.

We enjoy going to café church together, and enjoy our worship there, although we have very different personalities and so appreciate different aspects of church in a real café. Church in a café means for us real coffee, but much more. Although it can be a bit noisy at times, the management at the Living Room always reserve a large table for us up the back, and the staff know us and are most welcoming. Along the way as Café…

Those that attended the latest MUC Presents were treated to an amazing afternoon of Jazz and entertainment by the Steph McCorkelle Band. Comprising of Greg Smith on saxophone, Dan McIlvride on trombone, Cam McAllister on the trumpet and flugelhorn, Erica Wright on piano, Hayden Murtagh on acoustic bass and Bruce McIntyre on drums all being led by Steph McCorkelle. Around 90 people tapped their toes and clapped all afternoon and ended the day with a scrumptious afternoon tea. Profits raised…

An interactive Sunday morning service looking at Exodus 17:1-7 and Matthew 21:21-35. Led by Nate onsite, and Con remotely via zoom we were taken on a journey of meaning what we do, and doing what we mean. We worked through the importance of this theme through an introductory activity exploring what it is like to experience what we thought we would do, but when it came to implementing it wasn’t what we said we would do. What we wanted to…

Fresh juicy Bowen Special Mangoes (which are more formally known as Kensington Pride Mangoes) are back on again. The profit each box goes to support asylum seekers and refugees in Australia and EARS Inc which brings help to the hearing impaired people in the Developing World. In addition, 100% of the booking fee profits from this sale goes towards the children education/healthcare charities associated with Humanitix (our booking platform) – https://code.org, https://www.roomtoread.org & https://www.yalari.org. So the bottom line: approx 4.5Kg…

Over the weekend, Family@10 looked at the theme of Welcoming through the looking at the reading from Matthew 10:40-42. Watch MUCKY Kitchen as they prepare to welcome a new guest.

We are delighted that Rev Sally and Rev Dr Con Apokis, both of whom have already led some worship services, are coming to join us for the next few months to assist our exhausted minister! Although they will be leading both worship services, Sally’s main focus will be on Children Youth and Families and Con’s on the Seniors Ministry. Both have extensive experience in various fields of church ministry. Sally’s background is as a teacher, deacon, and educational chaplain. Con…

An amazing afternoon was had be attendees of the first MUC presents for the year. We were entertained by the four vibrant, versatile, vivacious fabulous women who are the Velvetones! The Velvetones launched onto the Australian music scene in 2018 and quickly established themselves as one of the country’s leading a cappella ensembles. They performed to sell-out audiences and received glowing reviews following appearances at the Melbourne International Singers Festival, Adelaide Fringe Festival, Voices in Paradise (QLD), and Hobart Festival…

Watch the latest edition of Messy Kitchen

The MUC knitting group recommenced for their first gathering for 2023! They met in the spacious Community Space 6 and had a great afternoon knitting. They create (knit or crochet) warm garments and soft toys for newly arrived refugees and asylum seekers For those interested, the group meets on the 4th Monday of the month at 1:30pm. But if you can’t attend, but are keen to support and do some knitting – feel free to download the blanket square pattern…

As we enter the season of Lent (22 Feb – 6 April) the Learning and Discipleship Portfolio has created daily reflection based on the Lectionary for the 40 days of Lent will be prepared by members of Manningham Uniting Church.

Both services on Sunday 5 February were looking at the Matthew chapter 5 versus 13-20 reading. Looking a salt and light. Fellowship@10 had a reflection with Rev Swee Ann Koh who shared his reflection on this theme along with music and prayers along the same theme. Download the reflection from this service here: Download here. During the service members were encouraged turn to the person beside them and affirm to them “You are the salt of the earth, you are…

The Day of Mourning Service was held at Westerfolds Park Sunday 22 January 2023. Since 2019 the Uniting Church has marked a Day of Mourning to reflect on the dispossession of Australia’s First Peoples and the ongoing injustices faced by First Nations people in this land. For those of us who are Second Peoples from many lands, we lament that we were and remain complicit. The observance of a Day of Mourning on the Sunday before 26 January arises from…

Working along side the Advent Conspiracy resource, follow along this Advent with this daily resource

World Kindness Week is celebrated around the World from 7 November to the official World Kindness Day on 13 November. Annually, on 13 November, the world joins hands for World Kindness Day, a day highlighting random good deeds and positivity. The idea behind this started with the 20-nation member World Kindness Movement (WKM) which crystallised at a conference in Tokyo in 1997 when the Small Kindness Movement of Japan brought together like-minded kindness movements from around the world. The WKM…

Some of us may have watched the TV show ‘Old People’s Home for 4 year olds’ and now the one with teenagers, and felt moved by the relationships built between the oldies and the youngies. The same is happening in our Playgroups. The ‘senior’ helpers at our 4 Playgroups make our Playgroups very special and unique and the reason why many mums are still coming with their 2nd child after starting in Playgroup with their tiny first babies. Being a…

There are stories waiting to be told, stories of disempowerment, prejudice, preconceived ideas, ableism and judgement. Stories centring around parents who have a disability. Australia has signed and ratified the United Nations Convention[1] that acknowledges there has been serious discrimination against people with disabilities, but then in practice, allows that discrimination against them to continue. As an advocate for parents with disabilities who are engaging with Child Protection, DFFH[2], I have become convinced there must be a better way to…