MtE Update – March 9 2017
Friends,
the latest MtE Update!
- The Wednesday night Lenten study group has commenced; next week’s (second, March 15) study will meet 30 minutes earlier than advertised (600pm tea, 630pm study); the study is available here.
- The most recent Presbytery Newsletter (March 9) is here.
- The most recent Synod Newsletter (March 8) is here.
- The March Pilgrim College News is here.
- Pastoral Statement from President Stuart McMillan about the Uniting Church in Australia’s appearance at a public hearing for Case Study 56 of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
- For the diary: our congregational picnic is coming up on March 26, following worship on that day (Royal Park).
- If you’d like to do some background work on this coming Sunday’s readings (March 12, Lent 2A), these
Other things of potential interest:
From the UCA’s Refugees Network (March Update):
Dear Vic/Tas Uniting for Refugees Network Members,
There are quite a few events coming up in the next month or so, and we’d love your help in promoting these within your Congregations / Schools / local communities and online!
These are important events for us to support as we gather together with others from others right across the refugee sector to keep calling for #Justice4Refugees and for the Government to #BringThemHere !
Palm Sunday Walk for Justice for Refugees:
It’s just over a month until Palm Sunday and we’d LOVE your help in promoting the Palm Sunday Walk for Justice for Refugees!
The flyers for both the Melbourne and Launceston events are attached, and the Facebook event pages for the corresponding events are:
Melbourne: http://bit.ly/PalmSunday2017
Launceston: Coming soon! In the meantime contact jeff@citybaptistchurch.net for further information
Please can you make sure that the relevant events are promoted on any noticeboards or newsletters in your local Congregations / Schools / local communities? If you’d like bulk copies of the Melbourne or Launceston posters (A3 or A4 size) and the Melbourne double-sided leaflet (electronic copies are attached) please let me know, as I’m happy to send out to you – we have plenty to distribute!
Palm Sunday Walk pre-event in Melbourne:
As in previous years, we are inviting UCA people (and anyone else who’s interested in joining us!) to gather together at Wesley Uniting Church in Lonsdale Street at 1.00pm on Palm Sunday before walking down to the State Library together. Rev. Sharon Hollis the Synod’s Moderator will be speaking to those gathered before we head off behind the UCA banners!
Please help invite others to attend that event too – for those on Facebook you’ll find details of the event here: http://bit.ly/PSPreEvent For others, simply just turn up ahead of the 1pm start at Wesley!
If you can’t join us at Wesley, you’ll be sure to find us gathered behind the Synod and the “Uniting for the Common Good” banners at the State Library!
Lentara Asylum Seeker Program Update:
Could you spare a cup of coffee to support someone seeking asylum?
Lentara’s Asylum Seeker Program supports vulnerable asylum seekers with safe housing, a basic living allowance and material aid. The people we support have no work or study rights, no income support and no Medicare and therefore no way to live with dignity. We are not government funded and are wholly reliant on individual donations, grants and philanthropic funding.
This year we need to raise $40,000 dollars to meet our fundraising deficit.
What does $40,000 mean to people like you and me? A cup of coffee? A piece of cake?
$5 can provide one child a healthy meal
$10 can give one family access to public transport
$50 can give one child access to a GP
$137.60 can provide the basic living allowance to one family
$200 can provide cost of housing utilities
$500 can pay the rent and utilities for one family for one month
Fundraiser for Palm Sunday and Refugee Legal
The Refugee Advocacy Network are holding a fundraising event to help raise funds for the Palm Sunday Walk for Justice for Refugees event (as it’s a costly event to pull together), and also for Refugee Legal who provide much-needed legal services to people seeking asylum and refugees who live in our local community.
The evening will be an opportunity to have fun; deepen your understanding of the issues affecting refugees; support the Palm Sunday Walk for Justice, and the important work of Refugee Legal.
There will be a lot of things happening on the night and we’re keen to give this our support. They are hoping to sell 200 tickets for the event, as we’d love to see some of you there for what will be a fantastic night!
More details are on the attached flyer, and to book your ticket please visit: https://www.trybooking.com/OWFS There’s a few of us from the Network going and have booked our tickets already, so we’d love you to join us on the night!
International Women’s Day – 8th March
Another International Women’s Day has rolled around!
There will be breakfasts and gatherings as women celebrate the gains in rights and opportunities. And rightly so, says refugee rights activist Pamela Curr.
But what if you’re a woman who doesn’t enjoy those freedoms – a woman in detention?
This is a timely reflection on International Women’s Day today – http://bit.ly/INewMatildaIWD
Thank you ALL for your ongoing support and commitment to working together to support refugees and people seeking asylum!
Kind regards – Jill
|
Jill Ruzbacky Social Justice Officer, Justice & International Mission |