Kippax Uniting Church

Looking for full-time work? Three days a week?  20 hours a week?  UnitingCare Kippax currently has employment opportunities for all of those options!

We’re looking for a full time Emergency Material and Financial Aid (EMFA) staff person, a three day a week Kippax Connections Program Officer and a 20 hour a week Case Manager. Do any of those sound interesting?  You’ll need relevant qualifications and to be comfortable working within the ethos of the Uniting Church.  Have a look at the jobs page for more information.

Put the 11th of August in your diary!!  Kippax will be holding a Winter Arts Fair from 10am – 1pm in the Kippax Uniting Community Centre.   Featuring:

• local award winning artists;
• demonstrations;
• hand made gifts;
• kid’s craft table;
• delicious home baked refreshments!

Did you know that practicing gratitude makes us happier and healthier?

Gratitude is a thankful appreciation for what one receives, whether tangible or intangible. With gratitude, people acknowledge the goodness in their lives. In the process, people usually recognize that the source of that goodness lies at least partially outside themselves. As a result, gratitude also helps people connect to something larger than themselves as individuals — whether to other people, nature, or a higher power.

Research shows that gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.

Here are some ways to cultivate gratitude on a regular basis:

• Write a thank-you note. You can make yourself happier and nurture your relationship with another person by writing a thank-you letter expressing your enjoyment and appreciation of that person’s impact on your life.
• No time to write?  Thank someone mentally.  It may help just to think about someone who has done something nice for you, and mentally thank the individual.
• Keep a gratitude journal. Make it a habit to write down or share with a loved one thoughts about the gifts you’ve received each day.
• Count your blessings. Pick a time every day or week to sit down and write about your blessings — reflecting on what you are grateful for.
• Pray. If you’re the praying kind, use prayer to thank God for things you are grateful for.

Some of you may have seen reports in the media and Facebook posts over the last few days about the Proposal on Same Gender Marriage that will be put to the national Assembly meeting in July for decision. The Facebook post doing the rounds states that “A Uniting Church committee has recommended that the church adopt same-sex marriage.” The article was published by Eternity News, (the Bible Society Australia). As you might imagine the post has received mixed responses.

The article comes in response to the long, detailed and careful Report from the Assembly Working Group on Doctrine (WGD) which was sent out to Assembly delegates this week. The Report is an internal document meant for Assembly members not the general public.

The Report comes out of 3 years of discernment, including conversations held in each Synod (apart from the Northern Synod due to timing issues); two national consultations representing the cultural, theological and personal diversity of the UCA; conversations with various networks and groups within the life of the UCA representing the broad diversity of views including congregations, presbyteries, national presbytery ministers, national educators network, Uniting Network, Assembly of Confession Congregations, UAICC, Multicultural Cross Cultural Ministry National Reference Committee, and ecumenical partners as well as theological reflection. In other words, the Report comes after a great deal of consultation, reflection, and study of biblical texts.

The Working Group on Doctrine looked at four possible options. They considered a range of things including the Basis of Union, the Biblical witnesses, Church History, Science, and Justice.

“Noting the diverse range of views on this matter through the Church, and as a result of the study, prayer and consultation behind this Report, the WGD recommends Option 4: Offer the rites of marriage to opposite-gender and same-gender couples, while allowing Ministers and Uniting Church authorized celebrants freedom of conscience to perform marriages or not.”

If this option is endorsed by the Assembly (a body made up of delegates from UCA congregations across Australia) ministers are free to refuse to marry same-gender couples. Further, Church Councils may also make policy regarding the marriage of same-gender couples on their property, but may not prevent the minister in placement from following his or her conscience in this matter.

If you would like to discus the proposal, one way is to attend the Same Gender Marriage Forum in Canberra on 23 May.  you can find the details on the Presbytery website http://canberraregion.unitingchurch.org.au/

This Report is one of many that will be put to Assembly members. I have no doubt there will be considerable discussion, prayer and reflection during the meeting about this proposal as we, together, listen for the insight and leading of God’s spirit on this matter.

Karyl Davison, 01 May 18

These 2 short videos also outline the proposal:

Rev Dr Ji Zhang   https://vimeo.com/264924501
and Rev Alistair McRae   https://vimeo.com/264923268

A big thankyou to our Kippax community who made yesterday’s Ki[[ax Monster Garage Sale a success.

We particularly want to thank our community supporters: volunteers, shoppers, local businesses and organizations including Storage King (Belconnen, Mitchell, Hume, Fyshwick, & Kambah), The Mower Shed, Kippax Woolworths, One Time Rubbish Removals, St Francis Xavier College, and Community Services.

Our next Monster Garage Sale is on Saturday 20 October 2018.