News & Articles (Page 3)

News & Articles (Page 3)

Petrol pump & climbing equipment for the terrace playspace

The kids are loving using the new petrol pump to fill up their cars, as they play on the outdoor terrace during Playgroup. The pump was made by Peter (a member of MUC), to replace a very old plastic one. The kids are also enjoying playing on the climbing equipment that was rescued from the Woodhouse Grove church. With softfall on the terrace surface they are still safe if they fall off

Vignettes from the Redgum

The Redgum Cafe has been operating now for over 6 months. I thought it was worth offering a bit of an insight into some of what we’ve achieved in our last few months of operations. We currently have 6 young trainees we work with in the cafe. We’re working with them to develop job-ready skills in customer service, coffee-making, and food safety and preparation. Along the way we help them to build confidence, communication skills, and the ability to work…

Sankofa #8

I am aware that some of you were not at the MUC Annual General Meeting on Sunday, 15th August 2022. Bob, the Chair of the congregation invited me to say a few words. I spoke from my heart. Here is what I shared. Thank You First thing I want to say is THANK YOU.  Thank you for inviting me to minister amongst you. Thank you for accepting me. I know some of you have found my accent difficult. And at…

A Word for our Pilgrimage

At the final service at The Grove we sang: ‘Who would true valour see, let him come hither’. The source of that hymn is in the second part of a once widely read, classic literary work entitled ‘The Pilgrim’s Progress’. Like many of the New Testament letters of St Paul, this book was written in prison. Its author was John Bunyan who was born in 1628.  He was a one-time soldier in Cromwell’s army during the civil war in England.…

Planter boxes for Playgroup

The Playgroup kids have been busy planting carrots, lettuce, snow peas and zinnias in the 3 planter boxes donated to us by Bunnings Doncaster. Bunnings also donated the soil and the seedlings. The planters are out on the terrace where we are watching them grow so we can then eat the vegetables when they are ready!  Not sure that we are going to be able to feed all 62 children and babies who come to Playgroup each week though! Libby…

A Visit to Rev Miak Siew of Free Community Church

During our recent trip to Singapore to see family, we paid a visit to Rev Miak Siew, pastor of Free Community Church, one of the very few publicly LGBT-affirming Christian Churches in Singapore. His contact details had been provided to us by Swee Ann, who knows Miak. ‘Free’ stands for ‘first, remember everyone’s equal’. It was a fascinating visit. The church, as do many in Singapore, leases a floor in a multi-storeyed building and has created a highly flexible worship…

What is the Balm of Giliad and what is its relevance to Jesus?

These questions were raised by Jenny and Geoff in the Emerging Church Service they conducted on Sunday, 24 July, following the theme for this year – Health: in body, mind, and spirit. In ancient times, the highly effective healing unguents we have today did not exist. But Giliad, a raised area of country beyond the Jordon and north-east of Jerusalem, produced plants of the genius Commiforia that provide a fragrant resin much sought after in biblical times as an unguent…

Ministers Message – A Bird in an Open Cage…

Recently I was driving and thinking about what to write for the August MUC magazine. Suddenly I had this vision. An image to be more precise. An image of a bird in an open cage. And there was another bird outside the cage with a key dangling from its beak. I asked myself is this a fair representation of where Manningham Uniting Church is at.  Are we the bird in the cage or the bird outside the cage? Or both?…

Together@10 – Refugees & Asylum Seekers

The Together@10 service on 31 July was led by the MUC Connections group with a focus on Refugees and Asylum Seekers. The service was inspired by Refugee Week  (19-25 June 2022) which had as its theme: We’re happy you’re safe. We’re happy you’re free. We’re happy you’re here. The guest speaker was Rev Rod Horsfield who spoke of the amazing project that sprang from one person at Pilgim Uniting Church in Launceston to commemorate the sinking of the SIEVX. This…

Sankofa #7

A few of you have told me that you like my last Wednesday musing on death. One of you said, “it was timely”. And I said that I would muse more on how our faith help us in living into death.  Over the years I have observed that people find it difficult to talk about death. Some live in denial of death. We refuse to talk about it. It’s uncomfortable, and so we avoid the subject, and that avoidance increases…

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…

Sankofa #2

Thank you for the positive feedback for my first Wednesday musing. Some of you like the word, Sankofa. Last Saturday and Sunday there were two significant events in the life of MUC: Community Mural Opening (26 June) and the Final Service in the Woodhouse Grove building (27 June). I know that Emma, my colleague provided inspirational leadership (with contributions from her team) for the Mural Opening event. By the time you read this second musing, some of you might have…