Don's Blog 1^st December 2011

Hi All,

On Monday the staff celebrated together at the ‘C’ Restaurant, which as some of you may know was formally the Highlite restaurant. It is a revolving restaurant and over lunchtime you enjoy full 360 degree views of Perth. It was very relaxing and great to spend a couple of hours away from the business of preparing for our Christmas Services.

On Tuesday, I met with about 70 Tranby College, year 9 students. They came into the city to buy presents for those in need. So after spending some time with them and showing them the video clip about UnitingCare West they ventured out to buy presents. When they came back we had a little ritual where they placed the gifts on the Communion Table and imagined the person receiving the gift. It was a very special moment and wonderful to share the gift of giving with younger people. They and I went away very happy that day.

On Tuesday afternoon the Advent Artwork was installed. It takes the form of an Advent Calendar, with one box opened each day from now until Christmas. I think it is stunning, but you really have to get up close to receive the full effect of the drawings in the boxes. I opened the first box today and went, ‘Wow, Amazing’. As I shared with you last week the theme is the, ‘Birth of Tolerance for Refugees”. Very relevant for us at the moment. I hope to have a picture on our Website. You can go to http://www.perthunitingchurch.com.au/viewStory/Wesley and have a look.

I am still looking for volunteers to sit outside Wesley during the next 25 days. If you could spare a few hours and are willing to go on a roster, could you let Judy Muskett know. She can be contacted on 6103 4222 or email: judym@ucic.org.au.

On Wednesday, Chris Crause and I met with Rev Graeme Napier, the Precentor from St George’s Cathedral. They are planning a ‘Robbie Burns’ night on the 22^nd of January 2012. After a special evensong at 5pm they will, led by a piper, walk down the Hay street Mall and gather at the UCIC hall for a Robbie Burns dinner. I am told it is a night where a great deal of Haggis is consumed. If you are interested we, along with St George’s, will be selling tickets and I am told there will be limited places!

Today, I go and celebrate an early Christmas lunch with some of the former members of the Subiaco Uniting Church, who have been meeting every Thursday since 2000. It began as an exercise in looking at how to operate a café and then developed into a weekly fellowship where members would catch beyond the Sunday service. As you can see I love the tradition.

Regarding our congregational meeting last week, it is with a good sense of joy that we announce that all nominated were elected and we will begin our first Church Council meeting next Monday night. As well as Christine Nicholas, Alison McCubbin will join us.

Well, I’m off to a meeting with Step 1, (the Anglicare Bus people that park outside our church) our Leasing agent and us from UCIC, to talk about the young people who occasionally cause little disturbances around our church. I invite you to remember them, and us, in your prayers.

I hope to catch up with you at our Second Sunday of Advent service.

Thanks for reading.

From your minister,

Don

Sunday 4^th December – 2^nd Sunday of Advent

8.30am Discussion Group

10.00am. Worship Communion – reflecting on ‘Peace’.

Don's Blog
Hi All,

If you haven’t seen it already and would like to catch up on the Floral Festival you can go to http://vimeo.com/29769389

Many, many thanks to all those who helped us with the Festival. Margaret and Bruce Murdoch, Louise and Norman Miller, Merylyn and Bill Lucas, Rev Lee Edwards, Jan Carrick and Christine Nicholas, to name but a few. There were so many people, who helped put it together, including our friends from St George’s Cathedral, St John’s Lutheran church, the Catholic church in Highgate and our Crossroaders. With our own volunteers it made for a exhausting, but great few days. Thank you again to all those who helped make it a success.

I can tell you that many significant conversations were had. One of them deeply disturbed me. I had invited one of the young people, who meet outside the church, to come and have a look. He came and enjoyed what he saw. We then sat down and we had a coffee and scone together. In the course of the conversation we talked about making films, (a favourite hobby of mine). He shared with me that he wanted to make a documentary about youth homelessness and then went on to share that one of the young homeless women of the group outside had recently had a miscarriage and had secretly placed the foetus in one of the small lakes over by the narrows. A distressing incident as you could imagine but I realised that because we were there he felt comfortable enough to share his distress.

I also witnessed many other conversations taking place, with some who were lonely, some who were visiting, and some who came from other churches. In the end I have no doubt that we made a difference in those conversations because we were there. May they long continue.

On a personal note, I was privileged to be part of the Council of Churches of Western Australia (CCWA) General Meeting last Saturday where I was awarded a Lund Award for Ecumenical Excellence. It was awarded in recognition of the help he provided to the Perth Prayer Group who use Wesley for their prayer meetings. To Read more, visit http://www.churcheswa.com.au/2011/10/uniting-church-minister-receives-lund-award/.

The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHoGM) is the next big event to occupy our hearts and minds. Wesley in conjunction with the Commonwealth Prayer Initiative, an ecumenical group, is hosting events 24 hours a day from Monday 24^th to Saturday 29^th October. During the week there will be lots of prayers in different styles, including Taize and ‘Lively Liturgy’. There will be special presentations of choirs, dancers ranging from African to Asian. There will be concerts, organ recitals, Harp recitals and lots, lots more. If you would like to see a programme of events please go to our web page and you will see a link to ‘Converge’ which gives a very detailed plan of what is happening.

The most exciting event will be the unveiling of our ‘Tree of life sculpture by Rod Laws on Monday 24^th. Engraved on the plinth will be prayers of peace from children around the world.

On Thursday 27^th there will be a presentation by the Winthrop Singers. Also of special note will be the Salvation Army Songsters, Band and Timbals offering hymns on Thursday 27^th at 7pm. As you know this is the band that I am part of so I am looking forward to being involved. The whole event concludes with a ‘Celebration of the Nations’ service at 5pm at St George’s Cathedral. What a week it will be!!

In order for me to rest up before CHoGM I am taking a couple of weeks leave and heading down south. During this time our preachers will be Rev. Tom Wilson, Rev Dr Bill Jenkins and Rev Lee Edwards.

See you in a couple of weeks.

Thanks for reading.

From your minister,

Don

Sunday 9th October

8.30am Discussion Group

10.00am. Worship – “Be Ready” led by Rev Tom Wilson

Sunday 16^th October.

8.30am Discussion Group

10.00am. Worship – “Giving to God” led by Rev Dr Bill Jenkins

Sunday 23^rd October

8.30am Discussion Group

10.00am. Worship – led by Rev Lee Edwards

For my kitchen see;http://vimeo.com/28966807

Don's Blog Thursday

Hi all

In my reflection last Sunday, I mentioned that Anglicare, the Step one programme, approached us to look at offering food to the young people who gather around the church. An incident on Monday and Tuesday confirmed that we need to seriously think about how we might do this. On Tuesday a function was held in the UCIC centre and the group had over-catered for their lunch. So in the afternoon they approached staff in the office, with a plate full of still fresh sandwiches. They wondered if we would like to have them. We declined, however Sia, our property officer, suggested that maybe they could be offered to the young people who gather outside the church. With plate and sandwiches in hand, Sia and I approached them. We were overwhelmed by the response as they readily accepted, taking great chunks of the sandwiches. They were obviously very hungry. The next day we went again, and a different group had gathered, and the response was the same. In both cases they were incredibly appreciative that someone was able to offer them food.

It’s almost unthinkable and heartbreaking to think that we have young people, ages ranging from 14 to 17 who are going hungry in our city. After this incident I spoke with both UnitingCare West and Anglicare who will be liaising with us as we investigate the best way to help our young people find food. Keep it in your prayers.

On Sunday, 21^st August we will be accepting into membership ten people. Two are transfers from other Uniting Churches, and eight have expressed a wish to become new members of our congregation. This latest group of people is in response to the reception of new members we held in November last year. So I feel very pleased. You will notice, and I am noticing that we now have people joining us who come from a diversity of cultural backgrounds. It is my intention, in the reception of new members service, to acknowledge this by asking the questions in the language of the people who are becoming members. I am now more and more aware of the cultural diversity of our congregation and am looking for ways that we might give expression to this in our Sunday morning worship either through music, hymns, prayers etc. If you have any suggestions please let me know.

Related to this, at our Elders meeting tonight, we will be discussing a proposal from Rev Emanuel Audisio to establish monthly Arabic speaking worship service at Wesley. His proposal comes with the hope that people from this cultural background will then join with us in our Sunday morning worship.

Also at our Elders meeting we will also be discussing a proposal regarding Artwork in Advent and receiving an update regarding events happening in and around our church during Chogm.

Can I remind you again of the “Gathering of the Congregation, to be held on Sunday 21^st of August at 12 noon in the UCIC Hall on the first floor at 97 William St Perth. It will be a, ‘Bring and Share’ lunch and if you would like to come you can RSVP to Judy Muskett either by phoning 6103 4222 or emailing, judym@ucic.org.au or by popping into the UCIC office. If you are reading this please accept this as an invitation to join us, as we want to take the opportunity to welcome our new members and catch up with each other beyond our Sunday morning worship.

I look forward to catching up with you on Sunday.

Thanks for reading.

From your minister, Don

Sunday 7^th August

8.30am Discussion Group.

10.00am Morning Worship – A Reflection on Matthew 14:22-33 - Jesus calms the storm.

Sunday 21^st August 2011. A Gathering of the Congregation.

The Wesley Flower Festival will take place from Thursday 29^th of September to Sunday 2^nd October. If you would like to assist with this venture please see Marg Murdoch. Email: mmurdoch49@hotmail.com. Phone: 9349 2254 Mobile: 0418 940 252

Rev Lee Edwards: Email: leerev@optusnet.com.au: Phone

Don's Blog Thursday 21^st July 2011

Hi all

Cough, cough, cough. Along with many others I have been suffering a little this week with a cold and cough and so have not been as productive as I would have wished, but nevertheless we have been soldiering on!!

Some have been asking about the scaffolding in the gallery and wondering what is being done and how long it will be there. In answer to these questions I can tell you that it is a temporary arrangement to repair some of the walls and beams. The work should be completed and the scaffolding taken down by the 5th August. I think some of our brides will be pleased!!

As I mentioned last week a number of people have expressed an interest in becoming members at Wesley. By Sunday I will have met all of them, and we have now set aside a time in the 10.00am service on the 21^st August to receive 7 people into membership at Wesley. That will also be the day of our Gathering of the Congregation. See below for more details.

Regarding our Flower Festival, Margaret now tells me we’re up to 71 trays which means it would be good to have that many volunteers to help put the flowers in the trays on Wednesday 28^th September. On Monday I receive the publicity for this event and invitations will be going out to businesses, schools and community groups. Pray that I may have some success in encouraging people and groups to be involved.

By now invitations are circulating inviting you to our “Gathering of the Congregation, to be held on Sunday 21^st of August at 12 noon in the UCIC Hall on the first floor at 97 William St Perth. It will be a, ‘Bring and Share’ lunch and if you would like to come you can RSVP to Judy Muskett either by phoning 6103 4222 or emailing, judym@ucic.org.au or by popping into the UCIC office. If you are reading this please accept this as an invitation to join us, as we want to take the opportunity to welcome our new members and catch up with each other beyond our Sunday morning worship.

An interesting quote I read this week. ‘It is becoming clear that many of the people for whom Christ has died are unlikely to be drawn to our existing churches however spiritually alive, hospitable

and attractive they are.’ Bishop Graham Cray

I look forward to catching up with you on Sunday.

Thanks for reading.

From your minister, Don

Sunday 31st July 2011

8.30am Discussion Group.

10.00am Morning Worship – A Reflection on Matthew 14: 13 – 21 The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes

Sunday 21^st August 2011. A Gathering of the Congregation.

The Wesley Flower Festival will take place from Thursday 29^th of September to Sunday 2^nd October. If you would like to assist with this venture please see Marg Murdoch. Email: mmurdoch49@hotmail.com. Phone: 9349 3354 Mobile: 0418 940 252

Rev Lee Edwards: Email: leerev@optusnet.com.au: Phone