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In marking the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence, the President of the Uniting Church and Moderators of all six Synods have united to share this national message:
as the Uniting Church, we say no to violence.
In Australia, one woman is killed by an intimate partner every 10 days. One in three has experienced physical violence and one in five has suffered sexual violence. The leaders say,
"As Christians we base our values on Jesus who in his life and ministry loved and respected all those he encountered. We believe all people are created in the image of God and all are known and loved by God.
Gender-based violence is against the will of God."
We invite you to share this message in your communities and find resources for worship or to learn more here: uniting.church/16days2022/
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"Christmas is a story of hope. Fragile, uncertain hope, but hope none the less." The Act2 Project too is an 'enterprise in hope', writes Act2 Project Lead Andrew Johnson in this Advent reflection. As we anticipate the Good News of Jesus’ coming into our world, the Project team invites you to share your prayers of hope for this process, our future or the Uniting Church. Share yours here.
To talk more about Act2, Drop-In with the Act2 team on Zoom tomorrow 1 December at 7:30pm AEDT. Register here.
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"A positive response from the referendum will allow all of us as Australians to bring about a greater sense of unity and of equality and fairness and justice," Senator Pat Dodson told the UnitingCare Australia Leaders Forum in Canberra last week. For two days, senior leaders from across the UnitingCare Network, the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (UAICC), and the Uniting Church in Australia met at Parliament House, hearing from a number of Parliamentarians, and discussing how we can work together for a better future.
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More than 80 young people from across the Australia-Pacific region gathered in Canberra this week to build relationships and advocate together for the issues that matter to them. Coordinated by Micah Australia and the Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC), the inaugural Pacific Australian Emerging Leaders Summit (PAELS) brought together delegates from more than a dozen Pacific Island nations and First and Second Peoples from across Australia. Pictured above are Uniting Church and Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (UAICC) leaders who joined the summit.
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Have you checked out the Assembly's interactive, intergenerational Advent Calendar yet? Designed to help you mark Advent at home, it's full of activities, prayers, songs, reflections and videos from people across the Uniting Church. Today, on Day 4, Jessica Pinkerton, Mission Integration Project Officer with the Synod of Queensland shares this invitation from their Journey to Joy resource:
Do... Find a space in your house to decorate and make your Christmas/Advent space this year, adding candles, a nativity scene or something joyful to remind you of the season.
Share with others...
What have you done in the past to prepare for Christmas?
What are your favourite Christmas traditions?
Would you like to try something new this year?
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The recent 54th Dialogue of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) and the Uniting Church in Australia (UCA) considered the topic "Interfaith work in Crisis Situations”. Participants had the opportunity to hear from UCA National Disaster Recovery Chaplain Rev Dr Stephen Robinson who is researching responses of religious leaders to violent attacks on places of worship. Rabbi Yaakov Glasman offered some thought-provoking reflections on the idea that Judaism does not have the concept of ‘tragedy’. Read more in this report from Rev Lindsay Cullen.
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This special webinar will mark five years since the Final Report of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse was handed down. In that time, UCA Redress Ltd and the National Safe Church Unit have been supporting the Uniting Church in the work of reconciliation and establishing a culture of safety. Join a panel of UCA experts to hear more about this work and what the future of child safety in the UCA could look like. Register here to join online on Thursday 8 December at 12pm AEDT.
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Two new Thursdays in Black Bible studies will draw people together to explore scriptures in which the treatment of women resonates with the social challenge of gendered violence we face today. Released during the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, the studies are designed to foster open conversation and include questions for reflection, activities and a prayer.
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A four-day consultation organised by the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) was aimed at strengthening ecumenical women’s advocacy towards gender equality and ending violence against women and girls. About 25 participants represented churches and ecumenical councils from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka as part of an ongoing advocacy and capacity-building program.
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This week we begin sharing responses to the initial series of reflections on the Basis of Union presented by the Growing in Faith Circle. In an extended version of a reflection we've shared before, Matthew Julius' explores the question of oversight in the UCA. He writes, "The task of oversight begins, and finds its end, in seeking more and more to align the diverse ministry of the Church with the vision of a just and reconciled world which Christ proclaims and enacts." If the reflections thus far awaken anything for you, email us to contribute further to the conversation.
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The Assembly warmly congratulates Rev Dr Amelia Koh-Butler on her appointment as Mission Secretary - Education and Empowerment with the Council for World Mission. Amelia is currently Ministry Team Leader at Eastwood Uniting Church in Sydney and is the former Advocate for the Assembly's Seeking Common Ground Circle.
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Marj and Ray were out of water, money, energy and hope. Years of drought had threatened to ruin their stone fruit farm in Upper Yarraman, Queensland. Giving up wasn’t an option; they had just taken sole custody of four young grandkids. But Marj knew she couldn't do it all on her own, so she reached out to Frontier Services and their Outback Links volunteers answered the call. Help send people like Marj and Ray the support they desperately need by donating today.
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These gifts won't be left collecting dust but will transform the lives of those who need it most. From kickstarting small businesses and enabling sustainable incomes, to equipping children for the future and even saving lives – there’s so many ways you can make a difference on behalf of your loved ones! Check out Everything in Common's Christmas gifts today.
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Event Manager - Uniting Church Synod of NSW/ACT
The Executive Assistant provides administrative support to the Associate General Secretary, and several Synod-wide committees involving Church members, volunteers and employees.
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Join us in prayer for
- All those who experience gender-based violence. We pray for God's healing, justice, strength and love to be poured over society as we work for a world beyond violence.
- People with a Disability. We give thanks for the rich theological insights and gifts they offer as we mark International Day of People with Disability on 3 December. May we create spaces for worship where all feel welcome, valued and included.
- Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore as part of the WCC Ecumenical Prayer Cycle.
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What does it mean for you to work for a world beyond violence?
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