Monthly Archives: February 2016

MtE Update – February 5 2016

Friends,

the latest MtE Update – a busy start to the new year!

  1. Lent begins next week with our Ash Wednesday service, 6pm on February 10.
  2. Our Lenten Studies begin the following Wednesday, February 17 (Wednesday evenings or Friday mornings from the 19th); more info is available here. If you’ve an interest in being part of a third (proposing a time not listed) please let me know.
  3. Following worship this Sunday Feb 7 we’ll have another of our hymn-learning sessions: learning a new communion setting and adding to our hymn repertoire for Lent.
  4. Our after church conversation on Feb 21 will be Dr John Flett on the topic of “What it Means at the Congregational Level to Engage in Mission” – will be worth hearing, and important for us as we consider future directions in connection with our building “issues”!
  5. On Sunday February 28 there will be a “workshop” on the Assembly’s new Code of Conduct for Lay Leaders. This code can be found here. The workshop is intended particularly for those in our congregation who qualify as “lay leaders,” but all are welcome to participate.
  6. “Truly we will remember them” is an ANZAC remembrance service; more details here.
  7. Our congregational picnic will be after morning tea on Sunday March 6, again at the Native Gardens section of Royal Park.
  8. The CTM (Parkville) is offering two events on the theme of faith and sexuality, led by Bill Loader: an evening Feb 18 and Feb 19 day event.
  9. The Anglican Church in Melbourne is running a conference on evangelism in February:  Life in Abundance: An Anglican Conference on Mission and Evangelism. The MtE Church Council is willing to subsidise up to $150 for any members of the congregation who would like to attend. Please speak to Craig if you’d like to avail yourself of this offer.
  10. Taize Melbourne has a service tomorrow tonight, February 6.
  11. This is a communication from the VicTas’s Social Justice Unit regarding the High Court decision this week on off-shore detention centres.

Craig

Responding to the High Court on off-shore detention

Dear Vic/Tas Uniting for Refugees Network members,

I had hoped to start of our first email update of 2016 with a “Happy New Year” greeting, but sadly given today’s High Court’s decision is as shameful as we predicted it could be, it would be slightly ironic at best!

The High Court today voted to throw out the challenge to Nauru offshore immigration detention, and by virtue that officially makes offshore immigration detention legal.   Of course, just because it’s legal doesn’t make it right.  The Australian Human Rights Commission has also today affirmed that today’s High Court decision does not alter Australia’s international obligations towards people seeking asylum.

Because of this, we are writing to you with two very specific requests for the next 24-48 hours:

We are asking you to call on the Prime Minister to do whatever he can to rule out sending children and their families back to Nauru and Manus Island

We are asking you to consider attending the snap rallies being held this week to ‘voice your concerns’!

The Prime Minister has it within his powers to refuse to deport the 267 people who were affected by this case, which includes 36 babies / between 70-90 children, back to the horror of Nauru and Manus Island.

We encourage you to write a respectful messages to:

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull

http://bit.ly/contactPM

and

The Hon. Peter Dutton MP

Minister for Immigration and Border Protection

minister@border.gov.au

Please also send a copy to your local Federal MP as well – if you are not sure who they are or have their contact details, you can do a search here: http://apps.aec.gov.au/esearch/

 

We have attached a copy of the media release which has come out from the UCA National Assembly just a short time ago, and you are welcome to use points from that release in your messages to the MP and Minister Dutton.

 

For additional further information, you’ll find recent posts/updates on our Networks’ Facebook page here:  http://on.fb.me/1PQMSUi or some selected media articles on the High Court challenge below:

https://www.humanrights.gov.au/news/stories/human-rights-obligations-remain-despite-high-court-ruling

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-02/boy-allegedly-raped-on-nauru-could-be-sent-back-to-detention/7132608

http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-opinion/no-clear-winner-likely-from-high-court-ruling-20160201-gmiyzc.html

People all over Australia are going to be attending snap rallies in the next few days demanding that the PM to #LetThemStay and we’d also like to encourage you to attend the Melbourne-based rally tomorrow (unfortunately at the time of sending we aren’t aware of any happening in Tasmania or rural Victoria).  The rally details are as follows:

MELBOURNE | THURS FEB 04
5:30pm, State Library of Victoria
https://www.facebook.com/events/907459779369725/

If you can’t be part of the rally, then please make the most of social media using the #LetThemStay hashtag if you have an online presence on Twitter or Facebook, and by sending the more traditional letters / emails.

My final reminder is to also consider putting the Palm Sunday Walk for Justice for Refugees in your diary!  More than ever this year, these are going to be important events where the Churches and others from across the community come together to demand that Austrlia’s policies relating to people seeking asylum are driven by bipartisan commitments to a humanitarian-focussed response and on protection needs.   There are events happening all over Australia, and we suspect to also find out about several Vic/Tas regional-based activities as well.   In the meantime, the details for Melbourne and Launceston are as follows:

MELBOURNE | SUNDAY MARCH 20
2.00pm, State Library of Victoria

1.15pm UCA contingent meet at Wesley UCA in Lonsdale Street and process to rally with UCA National President Stuart McMillan
https://www.facebook.com/events/1045381425492119/

Warm regards – Jill

 

Jill Ruzbacky

Social Justice Officer, Justice & International Mission
Commission for Mission
130 Little Collins St Melbourne 3000
t  (03) 9251 5266  | f  (03) 9251 5241  | m  0417 878 982
e  jill.ruzbacky@victas.uca.org.au
w  victas.uca.org.au

 

Taize Melbourne – Feb 6 Trinity College Chapel

Taizé prayer this Saturday night, 5.30pm at the Trinity College Chapel.

Please also join us for singing practice at 5pm if you would like.

There is also the option of dinner afterwards in the dining hall for $10 per person.

We are always looking for extra people to volunteer to help with our Trinity and CBD prayers – if you are interested, please speak to any of us after the prayer.

Hope to see you then!

All the best,

Heidi

Check out our Facebook group:

Taizé in Melbourne, Australia

Truly, We Will Remember Them – ANZAC Day 2016

“Truly, We Will Remember Them”
For all those interested in praying and working for peace in the world please reserve this date:
ANZAC DAY 25 APRIL 2016 
11.00 AM, ST PAUL’S CATHEDRAL MELBOURNE
The Cathedral together with Pax Christi and the Anzac Centenary Peace Coalition, invite you to a service of lament for all soldiers who suffered and died in World War I, especially in the Battle of the Somme in 1916; for the doctors and nurses who cared for the wounded and dying; for loved ones at home during and after the campaign; for the government attempt to conscript men into the war that was said to be THE WAR THAT ENDS ALL WAR. Inquiries:revdrjohsmith@ozemail.com.au
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