Inside the Issue › wp-content › uploads › 2020 › ... · 2020-06-06 · Inside the Issue I | Due to the number of queries coming into our Synod office it’s becoming increasingly

I n s i d e t h e I s s u e

Victoria - FAQs

Due to the number of queries cominginto our Synod office it’s becomingincreasingly difficult for people,congregations, presbyteries andorganisations to stay abreast of what isand isn’t permitted. In a bid to assistyou, our Coronavirus Crisis Team hasgathered your frequently askedquestions and attempted to provideeasy answers, saving you from having topick up a phone or send an email. continued on page 12

Community at Home

Members of our congregation we needyour input for this section please.

Prayers for the Week

Prayer Requestspage  5

Community SharingWe would like to celebrate with you significant events andmilestones such as birthdays and anniversaries. You mayforward the details to Lynne Rankin and then watch this

space.

continued on page 9  

Food for UnitingA True Morse Code Tale

Reconciliation Weekby Jean Murray

page 3

BELMONT UNITING CHURCHW e e k l y E m a i l N e w s l e t t e r

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continued on page 4

The Meaning of the Trinity

Invitation - Virtual Morning TeaWho says that we can no longer get together for a good old yarn and a catch up over cuppa after worshipservice of a Sunday morning? Those of us who joined did just that at 11.00am last Sunday morning. It wasgreat to see each other and to hear each others voices at the same time sharing what has occupied us in thelast few weeks. We would like to invite you to join us every Sunday morning at 11.00am for a time of catch

-up and fellowship. Join us for half an hour or just for 5 minutes. We would love to see you. A Zoominvitation will be emailed to you on Friday each week. Hit the link provided, bring your cuppa and your

story to share. See You Sunday Morning!!!

This Sunday is Trinity Sunday. Trinity is the Christiandoctrine about God. It declares that there is one true God;that this God is three persons, the Father, the Son and the

Holy Spirit,.............

Executive Committee Update

I am sure that many of you have experienced having to use hand sanitizer every time yougo into a shop or supermarket.  In fact, it now seems odd to go into a shop and not find abottle of sanitizer by the front door.Over the next week our congregation will join those shops and facilities that make itpossible to sanitize your hands as you come and go.We will be installing a hand sanitizer station by the front door.  There will also be signsposted, and sanitizing wipes will be available for quick disinfecting of door handles andother items that might be touched.Although we are not yet able to hold services or meetings, many of our members come inand out of the buildings during the week.We want to make sure that everyone is safe, even if only one or two people are involved.You are encouraged to practice handwashing when you come and go from the churchbuildings, and to wipe down surfaces such as door handles that you might touch.This will also help us get into practice for when we are able to hold events at the church,and to assess what is needed to be in place as we work towards being able to meet togetheragain.Thank you to everyone for your patience and perseverance. A very big THANK YOU toour Pastoral Care Committee and our Visitors, who are helping us to stay connected andcontinue to care for each other. Glen CoomberSecretary, Church Council

Prayer in the time of Coronavirus 9 minutes @ 9

Empowering Spirit, as we come to this time ofuncertainty we pray for ...

� A fresh move of the Spirit across our Presbytery� ministers and church councils as they deliberate and make

decisions about reopening the church buildings.� reassurance for people who are very fearful of

going out of their house� businesses as they navigate the reopening and

lessening of the restrictions� families coping with border closures and not

being able to attend funerals of loved ones.� People who are frustrated with waiting. May

your Spirit of patience be with them

We praise you for...� the great connections between ministers developing through this time and for

ministers who are collaborating together in online worship.� the people who are connecting with our churches

through online worship, some who have neverexplored faith before and some who have been

involved but have dropped out of church attendance. Rev. Narelle Collas

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A TRUE MORSE CODE TALEWhen Alfred Traeger invented the pedal wireless for the Australian InlandMission, he opened up a viable method of communication for the isolatedstations and missions in the outback. During 1929 Traeger travelled to selectedstations to install the radios, erect the 18-metre aerial masts, and teach MorseCode to the wives of the station managers. He also taught them how to operatethe radio sets.Augustus Downs station, 150 miles north of Cloncurry, Queensland, was chosenas the site of the first pedal radio. The base station in Cloncurry broadcast bytelephony. The stations could hear the operator’s voice, while their outgoingmessages were sent by Morse Code.On 19 June 1929, Mrs Gertrude Rothery, with Traeger beside her, was ready forthe first contact. The first message transmitted to Augustus Downs came in loudand clear. Mrs Rothery replied and her message was received correctly inCloncurry. However, when she was encouraged to send a personal unscriptedmessage she became flustered and didn’t know what to say. Traeger suggestedshe type “Hello Harry”. In the first and second attempts the letters were jumbledtogether and unreadable. On a third attempt it was not much better! Howeverthe message was sent to Harry. Harry’s reply seemed hesitant when he said, “Ithink I received the message OK.”When Traeger returned to Cloncurry he discovered the message came throughas “O hell O hell O Harry.”

The above story was printed in the News Bulletin published by the Friends of John Flynn

Place, Cloncurry, Issue 18, 2019.

FOOD FOR UNITINGThank you to everyone who responded so generously to our appeal lastSaturday for food for Uniting. Grovedale. For the half hour from 10.30 to 11.00on 30th May a steady stream of our members dropped off their contributionsout the front of the church. To save double handling the goods were placeddirectly into the boot of Richard and Rosslyn Buckwell’s car for delivery toUniting last Monday. It was lovely to see the faces of so many of our churchfamily members again, but everyone co-operated really well, keeping a safedistance, and not gathering in groups for long chats. Thank you, again, for thewonderful gifts of food, your generous response and co-operation. It was afurther outreach project carried out with love, care and generosity. (Right - Les McCann with Rosslyn & Richard's vehicle loaded with the food)

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Alfred Traeger with hisMorse Code Machine

The Traeger Morse Code Type-Writer

RECONCILIATION WEEK As this issue of the Church Newsletter goes to print, Reconciliation Week has just officially ended, onWednesday 3rd June. However, we can always continue our own personal Reconciliation Journey in manyand various ways. eg Once the restrictions on serving food in cafes are lifted, a visit to Narana AboriginalCultural Centre on the Torquay Road, Grovedale, for morning tea or lunch is a very worthwhile andmeaningful activity for individuals and groups. I highly recommend it. The gift shop is well worth a visit,too. In previous years various groups from our church have visited Narana, so maybe this can happenagain.I am reminded of a gentle and generous reconciliation activity which took place regularly many years ago. A dear friend of mine grew up on a simple farm in the Freshwater Creek/ Bellbrae area. She remembersfrom her very early childhood, how on the days her mother baked bread there would always be visits to thefarm by some of the local aborigine people who would appear out of the bush. The sight of smoke risingfrom the kitchen chimney, accompanied by the tempting aroma of freshly baked bread beckoned them tothe farm kitchen door. They would always be given ample supplies of the bread, along with other freshfood from the kitchen garden. To me, the actions of the farming family were definite acts of Christiankindness and reconciliation, even though possibly at that time the word “reconciliation” was not part oftheir vocabulary. May our Reconciliation Journey always be an ongoing aspect of our lives. Jean Murray

-... . .-.. -- --- -. - / ..- -. .. - .. -. --. / -.-. .... ..- .-. -.-. .... Belmont Uniting Church

Belmont Uniting Church in Morse Code

A Trinitarian Exercise Rev. Ikani Vaitohi This Sunday is Trinity Sunday. Trinity is the Christian doctrine about God. It declares that there is one trueGod; that this God is three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, each of whom is distinct from,yet interrelated with, the others. All three persons are fully and equally divine.If you have never fully grasped or reconciled the mathematics behind the three distinct persons yet one, youneed not worry too much. This Trinity Sunday will not offer you a quick answer either. But it may helprelieve your mind and heart to be reminded that this doctrine was developed slowly over several centuriesand through many controversies. The doctrine of Trinity is the church's best effort yet in making sense of a God who loved us so much. Thathe sent his only begotten Son to be infected by our sinful reality; to live our life; to die our death and to beraised again in triumph offering us hope and promise of eternal life. That’s all we need to be concerned withthis Sunday. I am aware that COVID-19 restrictions allow us time to stop and reflect on those things that are important toour lives. On this Trinity Sunday and the days following, I invite you to take some time to reflect on theseScripture readings below. The actual term “the Trinity” is not found in Scripture, but the truths implied in a trinitarian understandingof God are clearly set out in these passages. The task is not to arrive at a definitive solution to the mystery ofGod alluded to in this trinitarian formula. Instead, this is an invitation to discover for yourself what thetrinitarian formula reveals about your relationship with God. I hope the exploration of passages will guideyou through to a space where you come closer to God in this time of restrictions. Our Gospel reading for this Sunday – read the full passage Matthew 28:16-20, the unity of the three personsis reflected in the baptismal formula. The Spirit speaks to the Father on behalf of the believers – Roman 8:26-28; The Spirit’s unique relationshipwith God - Matthew 10:20, 1 Corinthians 2:10-11 The Father shares his divine life with the Son – Colossians 1:19, 2:9, John 5:26; 6:57; The Father delegates hisauthority to the Son John 5:27, Matthew 28:18, John 3:35; 5:21-22; Revelation 2:26-27. The Father and Son indwell in each other - John 14:10-11 See also John 10:38; 14:20; 17:21-23. On this Sunday’s Gospel from Matthew, Jesus takes authority of God to himself, and he commissioned hisdisciples to go out and make disciples of all nations. A story: When Jesus ascended to heaven after his mission on earth, the angels asked him: “Did youaccomplish your task?” “Yes, all is finished,” the Lord replied. “We have a second question,” said the angels.“Has the whole world heard of you?” “No,” said Jesus. The angels next asked, “Then what is your plan?” Jesussaid, “I have left twelve men and some other followers to carry the message to the whole world.” The angelslooked at him and asked: “What is your Plan B?” Jesus replied, there is no Plan B.” Jesus' desire and only planis to reach the world through disciples like you and me. Given the authority and oneness of Jesus with God, imagine the importance of the mission given to us by theGod of the universe. How would you respond?

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Prayer Points For the Weekb y P e t e r W o o d s

Dear Lord, We pray that every time we read Your Word, You will help us tounderstand Your truth and the message that is contained within thescriptures.  May we learn to meditate on Your Word and drawcloser to You day by day.Dear Heavenly Father, You are our safe refuge from the storms oflife no matter what our battles are, whether they are withrelationships, health, finances, obedience or some other difficulties.Because of Your presence in our lives we will never face thesechallenges alone.Dear God, we pray for peace throughout the world, in particular atthis time we hope that people in the U.S.A. will overcome racialhatred and learn the importance of displaying love, kindness andtolerance towards others.Amen

This week wepray for 

Mary GleghornBarbara & Helmut GoeschlDon & Doreen GoldingMalcolm, Max & Josh GrahameJessie Guild

Each week, in alphabetical orderas per our Church Roll, we are

asked to pray for 5 members orfamilies of our congregation. This

week we are praying for thefollowing:

1.2.3.4.5.

"You have God who hears you, the power of love behind you, the HolySpirit within you, and all of heaven ahead of you." Max Lucando

Prayer Requests:

Please forward your prayer requests to Ikani

by emailing - [email protected]: 0432 680 028

Our prayers continue for the families of  Joan Hill and Reg Duthie whose funeral services were held this week We also pray for baby Rylie Swanda, Gwen Cooper and Kees de Meester.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please Note

Over the next week a number of things will be placed at the church, including•    a hand sanitizer station

•    sanitizing wipes (for door handles etc)•    signage for handwashing

•    a book to record persons entering the church buildingAlthough we are not yet able to hold services, many of our members come in and out of the buildings during

the week.We would encourage you to practice handwashing, and to wipe down surfaces that you might touch.

This will also help us get into practice for when we are able to hold events at the church!

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From the Treasurerb y J e a n n i n e O m a n

Could any cheques sent in the mail have; "Attention Treasurer" on the front of the envelope as this saves Glenopening them. Just a reminder that Graeme and I are still available at the Church Sunday mornings, from 10am - 10.30 am To continue to make your offering, or to make a donation towards the work and ministry of the BelmontUniting Church, here are three options we would prefer you to use at this point in time.  1. Direct DebitPlease contact myself or Graeme Allen if you require any help doing this, and so we can supply you ourbanking details  2. PayPal (via Belmont Uniting Church website)  3. By mail (cheques only - do not send cash)   Belmont Uniting Church    PO Box 480   Belmont 3216 Please DO NOT place money or envelopes in the letterbox at the Church. Feel free to contact myself orGraeme if you have any queries: Jeannine Oman -Treasurer - [email protected] 0499119101  Graeme Allen— Assistant Treasurer - 0416148080

Young People's Program

We offer all our young people our prayers and support as they continue to adapt to the new online learningenvironment from the comfort of their homes. Part of that support is the offering of online YPG's programprovided by their leader Lynne Rankin. A weekly story and activities are prepared and posted up onto our

website for our young people to enjoy. Thank you Lynne for this great initiative.

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Lorraine and Cliff's neighbour has offered an Organ  (FREE) if any are interested and have a use for it. Notsure of the make but she assures them it is in good condition and has 2 manuals, foot pedals, all the usualstops and music to go with it. Please contact Lorraine and Cliff

Contribution to the Newsletter

If you wish to contribute to ourNewsletter, you may email Ray & Julie

Ferguson at the News Desk  [email protected]

Website

https://buc.unitingchurch.org.au

We encourage all of you with internet access to keep checking our website for up-to-dateinformation on services and activities of our congregation. Every week, there will be a pre-recorded service for that Sunday posted up on the front page of our website.

YOUTUBE https://m.youtube.com/channel/UC6mXx6ryp1AegGlrhv3W2Lg

Please check out our YouTube channel for all our recorded Sunday services and othercongregational related videos.  

Website Secure Page

What's New on our securepage this week -Please go tohttps://buc.unitingchurch.org.au,click on 'Member Area' then put inpassword and ENJOY! Inspirational videos contributedby Les McCann and John WilsonOur God He Is AliveA Good Night PoemYoung And A Dream You can either email Ikani withyour contribution or record avideo clip and send it through andIkani will post it up on our pagefor everyone to enjoy.

Website Secure Pagenew password

available from theminister

The new password will give youaccess to our secure page on ourwebsite. The contents on thispage is for our members only

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Pastoral Care Committee  Convenor: Liz Moss - 0428 579 479Elizabeth Wood - 03 52434684Loris Jackson - 0418 334 994Katrina Hass - 0400 465 023Brian Couper - 0403 591 635Neville Funston - 0423 712 398Ikani Vaitohi - 0432 680 028

New PasswordThe secure page on our website isfor our members access only. Inorder to maintain the security of

this page, we will change thepassword access from time to

time. The new password will beemailed to those with email

addresses or is available by phonefrom the minister.

Don’t Go Back! By Rev. Linley Liersch

Ministers and Church Councils...Don’t go back to normal! Find a

new normal.As your church councils are considering all the COVID-19

restrictions and the return to worship are you considering howworship has changed for you over the last 2+ months. Those of youwho were doing hand posted sermons... What were the positives?Perhaps your parishioners said they read it through the week and

then again on Sunday.Congregations who are doing on-line worship are reaching morepeople on-line than they ever were preaching on Sunday in the

church building. Perhaps the local nursing homes are viewing theworship too. Are you as a Church Council thinking about how youmight continue your on-line presence? What normal tasks might

you release your minister from to keep YouTubing Sunday’ssermon!

This week we learned that there is a website called“www.localprayers.com” that lists all the churches in the area andlinks to their FaceBook page. If you do not have a FaceBook pagefor your church they are not mentioned. The site even rates thechurches based on the activities they do and advertise on Face-

Book.Smaller churches may have found ways they can be church withoutbuildings. Doing Prayer Group and Bible Studies over Zoom they

may now choose to sell the buildings that require highmaintenance and meet in a café once a week for fellowship.

From the Presbytery Port Phillip Newsletter

(Some interesting thoughts?)

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Waiting, Waiting, Waiting..... Rev. Narelle Collas How are you waiting for the restrictions to be lifted so that we can return to worshiping God together? Are you ‘over’ or tired of waiting? In this 21st century we are not so good at waiting, we want things instantly, at our finger- tips, NOW!!! ThisCovid season has caused us all to wait, to be patient, to live in the liminal space, a place of transition, is themoment in time caught between then and now, the past and the not yet. Limina is a Latin word whichmeans threshold and as we wait for the resumption of our ‘normal’ lives we are at a threshold of somethingnew. Nevertheless, we are just not there yet. We are being told to wait. This liminal space that we find ourselves in is often uncomfortable, like airports or waiting rooms. Or, as anengaged couple or a pregnant woman, these times remind us that we are not who we have been, and neitherare we who we will become. Our sacred scripture has a lot to say about waiting, being still, being patient. We are encouraged to use thisliminal space by turning our focus onto our Lord and Saviour. Even though we recognise that it’scountercultural, we know that waiting on God first is actually the wisest course for us to take. Why? Itchanges where we look. Instead of being focused on ourselves and our problems or frustrations, by usingthis time to focus on God we can acknowledge the vastness, the greatness, the omnipresence andomnipotence of our God. As Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among thenations, I will be exalted in the earth."

Isaiah 40: 31Encourages us that those who wait upon the Lord will not only gain a higher perspective but that we will also gain strength to face what will come. My encouragement for us in this time of waiting is to use this time wisely, and as the Psalms say “waiting upon the lordfrom where our hope comes for God is our help and our shield and God is with us in this time” Psalm 33:20, 38: 15,40:1.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Mental Health Matters Rev. Fiona Bottcher (Deacon) I’m afraid I have bad news. Your friends are doing isolation better than you are. We both know it’s true,because it’s right there on Facebook. There’s your friend walking along the beach, baking bread, doingcrafts. Yet you started with such good intentions, what went wrong?Remember that feeling of “newness” that first came with staying at home? It was like the slate had beenwiped clean. We could do things differently, we could re-create, we could shine!But of course, Facebook caught up with us and at the same time news sites ensure that each hour is morealarming than the last. Catastrophe, nightmare, disaster and lockdown cast a dark shadow over all we do.And although we all feel a great need for connection, the business model of social media and news siteshasn’t changed: emotions create clicks. Except now our collective anxiety is heightened and we are moreemotionally susceptible than ever.Perhaps there’s a need to be more intentional with our “online time” and to schedule time to disengage,to bring our attention to where we are right now. This room. These people. This newness, This Hope.

C o r a l P i c k l u m - 1 0 t h J u n e J o h n W i l s o n - 1 0 t h J u n e N o l a W o o d s - 1 4 t h J u n e

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Coral, John & Nola,happy birthday to you. Hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray! Hip Hip Hooray!!!

from Lynne Rankin

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Fun Time

From the six Word Puzzles below work-out a common word or words

MAN R STAND O --------- O ------------ ---------- HE'S HIMSELF CHAIR BOARD R O A D S DON'T M.D. D Ph D. ------------ S B. SC.

Literature Quiz

1. Pennywise is no laughing matter in which novel?2. One of the most expensive paintings in the world is titled 'No. 5, 1948'. Who painted it?3. According to Sir Thomas Malory's 'Le Morte D'Arthur', what did Lancelot become afterrenouncing his Knighthood?4. Before becoming King, in which book was young Arthur known as 'Wart'?5. Which Irish author wrote the World War II books 'The Longest Day' and 'A Bridge Too Far'?6. Which world famous work of art, found today in the Louvre, was discovered by accident in1820, buried in a farmers field?7. Give the first name for each of the following famous painters. One point for each correctanswer. a. Haring, b. Botticelli, c. Goya, d. Chagall, e. Holbein the Younger or Older8. Lady de Winter is a villainess in which famous novel?9. What is the name of Sherlock Holmes older brother?10. Which Australian born novelist, known for his 'Asian Saga' series of novels, wrote thescreenplays for 'The Great Escape' and 'To Sir, With Love'?

(Answers next week)

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Community SharingI n t h i s t i m e o f r e s t r i c t i o n , o f t e n w e f i n d t h e d a y s l o n g a n d l o n e l y , e s p e c i a l l y w h e n y o ua r e o n y o u r o w n . I t i s a t i m e w h e n w e o f t e n d r a w c l o s e r t o t h e t h i n g s t h a t i n s p i r e a n dg i v e u s a l i f t f o r t h e d a y o r a t l e a s t m o m e n t a r i l y . I t m a y b e o u r f a v o u r i t e b i b l e s t o r y o r ap a r t i c u l a r v e r s e , w o r d s a n d t u n e o f a h y m n , a p o e m , a v i d e o f r o m y o u t u b e , o r t h o s ep h o t o s f r o m y o u r f a m i l y o r t h a t m e m o r a b l e t r i p . T h e s e t h i n g s d o a s s i s t a n d s u s t a i n u st h r o u g h t h e s e d a y s w i t h m o n o t o n o u s r o u t i n e . I i n v i t e y o u t o s h a r e t h e m w i t h o u rc o m m u n i t y a s a w a y o f i n s p i r i n g e a c h o t h e r t h r o u g h t h e s e t i m e s o f u n c e r t a i n t y . Y o u c a nf o r w a r d y o u r c o n t r i b u t i o n t o u s v i a e m a i l ( r a y j u l i e @ i n t e r n o d e . o n . n e t ) a n d w e w i l li n c l u d e i t o n t h e C o m m u n i t y S h a r i n g p a g e o f o u r N e w s l e t t e r .

From Sharon Welgus I want to share a testimony with you to the goodness of God this week to me and to the power of the HolySpirit in our lives. In the past, I have had two lots of cancer. In 2011, I had surgery and radiography treatment for breast cancer.At the same time, a CT scan showed I had a small cancer in my left kidney, so I had that kidney removed. Ididn’t need any other therapy for that but it took a good three months to get over the surgery. Since then, Ihave regular follow-ups. I have also been diabetic for over 20 years, so I have follow-ups for my liver becauseof that. Two weeks ago, I had an ultrasound that showed some ‘spots’ on my liver. If you have had cancerbefore, that word means recurrence of cancer. Straightaway, the specialist ordered a CT scan which I had lastweek, then I had to wait until last Wednesday to speak to him. So, I knew I had a walk of faith before the Lord. I needed to trust His plan for me. I spoke scriptures out loud, Iremembered how he had been faithful to me in the past and I asked a long-time friend to pray for me. Inshort, I did everything I knew how to do. What I dreaded wasn’t dying but the treatment process – surgery,chemo and feeling sick and tired for months. Then, the Tuesday night before the Wednesday phone call, inthe middle of typing an email like this, the Holy Spirit came all over me. I had to stop typing and stand up andpraise God. I was dancing around the room and waves of peace and joy were coming over me. All my feardisappeared and I was lifted up into a wonderful peace. I was laughing! It was like ripples of peace coming overme. It lasted about half an hour, then I was able to go back to my tasks for the evening, this time with a smileon my face. That night I slept straight through and woke up in the morning not caring what the verdict would be becauseGod would take me through it. I was still full of peace. The verdict was it’s probably not cancer and the specialist thinks it is just my liver regenerating itself. I willhave another CT scan in three months, just to be sure. He was also able to tell me there were no signs of canceranywhere else, as well. That expression ‘relief flooded through me’ exactly described how I felt. The Comforter came to comfort me on Tuesday night, no doubt because someone was praying for me. It’s agood testimony for Pentecost Sunday and if you think it will help anyone, you have my permission to share it. I’m still praising God for His faithfulness, Jesus for His redemption and for giving us the Holy Spirit. Love and blessings,Sharon.....................................................................................................................................................................................................................Father, we thank you that you come out and meet us where we are.We worship and adore you.We thank you that you walk the road with us, that you treat us as an equal even when we fail to recognise you.We worship and adore you.You always love us, always care for us, always want to eat and drink with us – such is your love.We worship and adore you.Thank you, Lord, that you are not a stranger, but our friend. We worship and adore you. Amen.

Worship and Witness - Matthew 28:16-20 Prayer of Approach O God, you are at the heart of creation. Your word brings life into being; your peace gives living itsfulfilment; your Spirit unites us into your Son.We draw near, seeking your love in our hearts; your wisdom inour minds; your power in our lives. Receive us with grace, in the name of your Son. Amen.

Notes on the Bible readings

Matthew 28.16-20 are the concluding words of Matthew’s Gospel. Jesus gathers his disciples together on the

mountain to speak his last words over them, before he ascends to heaven.

In verse 17, Matthew explores how all the disciples worshipped Jesus, though some doubted. Even here, in this

community of worship, there is room for those who have questions to ask. Jesus’ final command to his

followers (v.19) often loses its emphasis in translation: ‘Go’ is not the instruction, but rather, ‘As you are

going...make disciples.’ The instruction is to make more disciples.

The readings for today all share a focus on the importance of words – in creation in reconciliation, in making

new disciples. But these words are not to be empty; they become life-giving for the world when they derive

their power from the very character of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This final commission is our

commission too. Wherever we are going, we are to make disciples, passing on the story and bringing others

into our family of faith.

A Prayer For Others

In homes filled with anger, cruelty and neglect; where there are no safe places; where poverty and addiction

bring suffering and pain: God of peace, may your peace be known. To those whose minds are tormented by

depression; to those whose hold on life is fragile; to those whose lives are filled with stress and fear: God of

peace, may your peace be known.

To those who are nearing the end of life; to those who love and care for them: God of peace, may your peace

be known. May your peace be known to us, and may we be bearers of your peace in the world. Amen.

Live your Faith

Carry out three acts of ‘faith sharing’ this week. For example: offer a word of encouragement to someone you

know; speak about your faith to a friend or family member; offer a gift to a charitable organization – all

possible in lockdown!

Materials for 'Worship at home" are prepared by the © ROOTS for Churches Ltd 2020 www.rootsontheweb.com

Lectionary Reading

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June 7 - Trinity SundayGn 1:1-2:4aPsalm 82 Cor 13:11-13Mt 28:16-20

June 14 - Pent 2Gen 18:1-15, (21:1-7)Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19Rom 5:1-8Mt 9: 35-10:8, (9-23)

June 21 - Pent 3Gen 21: 8-21Psalm 86: 1-10, 16-17Rom 6: 1-11Mt 10: 24-39

June 28 - Pent 3Gen 22: 1-14Psalm 13Rom 6: 12-23Mt 10: 40-42

V I C T O R I A F R E Q U E N T L Y A S K E D Q U E S T I O N SD u e t o t h e n u m b e r o f q u e r i e s c o m i n g i n t o o u r S y n o d o f f i c e i t ’ s b e c o m i n g i n c r e a s i n g l yd i f f i c u l t f o r p e o p l e , c o n g r e g a t i o n s , p r e s b y t e r i e s a n d o r g a n i s a t i o n s t o s t a y a b r e a s t o f w h a t i sa n d i s n ’ t p e r m i t t e d . I n a b i d t o a s s i s t y o u , o u r C o r o n a v i r u s C r i s i s T e a m h a s g a t h e r e d y o u rf r e q u e n t l y a s k e d q u e s t i o n s a n d a t t e m p t e d t o p r o v i d e e a s y a n s w e r s , s a v i n g y o u f r o m h a v i n gt o p i c k u p a p h o n e o r s e n d a n e m a i l .

NEW UPDATE As of 05/06/2020 GATHERINGSWhat face-to-face gatherings are permitted at church?The recommencement of small gatherings for worship, prayer, or Bible study, or even home visits to somechurch members, presents a challenging task of how to decide who may take part without the risk of somefeeling excluded. This includes finding ways of meeting the safety requirements that don’t involve or obligatethose most at risk of severe illness, e.g. those over 70 or with health conditions, including Ministers or othercongregation leaders, to do the tasks to achieve these requirements. This will require careful consideration byeach Church Council based on local needs and requirements. Religious gatherings and ceremonies arepermitted with up to 20 people (plus those involved in staging the worship) to be held indoors or outdoors,providing physical distancing (1.5metres and 4 sq.m per person) can be maintained. Attendee names andcontact details must be recorded in case contact tracing is required. As a minimum these must contain the firstname and contact telephone number of every attendee. These records should be kept for 21 days. As of Friday 5th June, up to 20 people (plus those involved in staging the worship) will be permitted toattend providing a minimum floorspace of 4m² per person is available. Physical distancing and recordkeeping will not change. Should you choose to hold worship services, there are a number of factors whichwill need to be considered, including: ■ How to limit attendance numbers to the max. 20 people and whether to allow non-members to attend. ■ Whether attendance by people (incl. Ministers) in any of the vulnerable groups should be discouraged. ■ How to ensure that persons who are unwell do not attend. ■ How to ensure social distancing is maintained, including on entering and exiting the building. ■ What changes to worship will be required to ensure the safety of all attendees, including eliminating/minimising the touching of shared items (eg microphones, books, pulpits, collection plates) ■ How to ensure personal hygiene and building cleanliness meets minimum standards. ■ Ensuring that bathrooms are properly provisioned with soap, disposable hand-towels and sanitiser. ■ Noting that morning/afternoon tea or any other social gathering before/after worship should not occur. ■ What signage may be required to ensure the observance of all measures by attendees at all times. ■ How to maintain a record of all people who attend, including contact details. ■ How you will respond to unwell people attending, and attendees with suspected/ confirmed COVID-19 COVID SAFE APPShould we encourage downloading the Federal Government’s COVID-Safe tracing app? Synod Ministries and Operationswould strongly recommend that all people in ministry download the COVID-Safe tracing app and also encourage allUniting Church members to do so. As worship services recommence, this is a simple measure to help maintain the safety ofour members as they start to gather again.

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26 May 2020From: Rev. Mark Lawrence General Secretary Dear friends,

RE: Information being shared across the Church in Victoria and Tasmaniaabout COVID-19 impacts on Synod finances

I write to share some important information that will affect the Church throughout Victoria and Tasmania,resulting from the impact of COVID-19 across the society. Almost every organisation in the world has been significantly and rapidly affected by COVID-19, and theChurch is no exception. Over the last few weeks, the Synod’s governance committees have been working totry to anticipate the COVID-19-related financial impact on the entire Church across Vic Tas, and how we canbest minimise this impact on congregations, presbyteries, and the Synod. The impact of COVID-19 on the Church’s finances has been substantial and immediate. In particular, the fallin the Australian equity market, which was down 37% towards the end of March and is still down more than20%, has resulted in a material fall in Synod’s reserves. Furthermore, cuts in interest rates and dividends(which are estimated to drop by around 25% in 2020), along with declines in other sources of income, has hada severe impact on Synod’s total income. This has a significant flow-on effect on the Synod’s operationalbudget, which includes resources for other councils and parts of the Church. It also affects the financialsustainability work that the Synod Standing Committee (SSC) has been overseeing since June2019. The SSC and other governance committees, along with Presbytery chairpersons, were briefed on thesematters in late April. The SSC has requested that the General Secretary establish a Project Team to undertakea program to ensure that the Synod’s finances are sustainable resulting from COVID-19 impacts. An initial Project Team (to be augmented in coming weeks) comprising Isabel Thomas Dobson (AssociateGeneral Secretary), Sam Nicholas (Executive Officer – Mission Resourcing Unit), Rev Dr Jenny Byrnes(Executive Officer – equipping Leadership for Mission), and myself has been established. The Project Teamhas commenced developing a program including strategy, program scope, and work streams to address arange of matters to achieve financial sustainability. This program includes: financial matters; UCA polityconsiderations; communication within and beyond the Synod; and consultation with other parts of theChurch. The Project Team will expand as soon as possible to include a small number of participantsfrom the wider church. The SSC made it a priority to inform Presbytery Standing Committees, in the first half of May, about impactsto the Church’s financial situation across Victoria and Tasmania. The SSC, Synod governance committees,and all Presbytery Standing Committees have affirmed that addressing the issues ahead of us will require awhole of Church response. I will provide information to Church Councils, Ministers, and Presbyteries over the course of the comingmonths as the Project Team’s work progresses and resolutions are made by the SSC. For many of us in the Church, as in the wider community, these are uncertain and challenging times.Presbyteries and Congregations have already shown a remarkable degree of flexibility and ingenuity indiscovering new ways to worship and continue pastoral care and mission in these unprecedented times. Icommend you all for this and encourage you to continue to care for each other in faith, hope, and love. Even in this very challenging time, may we be encouraged to re-imagine future ways of being church,authentically striving to reflect God’s love and compassion as the UCA across Victoria and Tasmania. At thistime, as with all times, we are called afresh to be a “fellowship of reconciliation, a body within which thediverse gifts of its members are used for the building up of the whole, an instrument through which Christmay work and bear witness to himself.” (Basis of Union, para 3) Grace and peace,Rev Dr Mark LawrenceGeneral Secretary

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