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Welcome to Community
Connections. To keep Community
Connections of interest to the widest possible
readership, we welcome for consideration news and information about
initiatives, events and activities from all parts of the Synod. Regional
contributions, and stories of how your congregation supports Living is
Giving, are especially welcome. Send your material (maximum 150 words) to
lyndali@nsw.uca.org.au. Wishing
you a peaceful and happy Christmas. NEWS AND
INITIATIVES •
What Would Jesus Buy — special Christmas
links •
Work without fear or favour and make a change for the
better •
Position description of Synod General Secretary: an
opportunity for comment •
NCYC09 — send prayers, donations and
Vegemite •
Invest in higher values — with
confidence •
Help your congregation by Giving
Direct •
UnitingCare Christmas Gift
Appeal •
Twenty years of World AIDS
Day •
Don’t forget the Synod
website •
Photo Call: Living Water, Thirsty
Land •
Prayers for Bethlehem during Advent and
Christmas •
Liturgical Advent resources
available •
Insights news and discussion
list •
New Uniting Earthweb website now
live! EVENTS
AND ACTIVITIES •
Interfaith event, Canberra, December
14 •
National Day of Prayer for NCYC 09, December
14 •
UnitingCare Pancake Day, Tuesday February
24 LIVING IS
GIVING: PRAYER POINTS AND RESOURCES •
Thanks for your support in
2008! NEWS
AND INITIATIVES What
Would Jesus Buy — special Christmas links Christmas can be an
opportunity to rediscover the discipline of waiting, the joy of meaningful
giving and the peace that can come from living simply and justly. Take a
look at Insights’
comprehensive list of resources, links and ideas. READ
ON Work
without fear or favour and make a change for the
better Despite the downturn in
global financial markets and bleak forecasts for the Australian economy,
UnitingCare NSW.ACT is boldly asking for public support to help more
people doing it tough. UnitingCare has launched its
without fear or favour
campaign to highlight the need for generosity in the current
climate. Click here for information on
the appeal and how you can support it. Position
description of Synod General Secretary: an opportunity for comment
The 2008 Synod requested the
Synod Standing Committee to facilitate a conversation throughout the Synod
to redefine the role and position description of the General Secretary,
begin an education awareness program across the Synod about the roles and
responsibilities of the General Secretary and Interested members of the
church are therefore invited to comment on the position description of the
General Secretary. For further details, visit http://nsw.uca.org.au/news/2008/general-secretary-position-description_11-12-08.htm NCYC09 —
send prayers, donations and Vegemite The organisers of the
National Christian Youth Convention (NCYC), to be held in Invest in
higher values — with confidence Uniting Financial Services
investors can be confident in their investments, as they rank as first
priority against the balance sheets of Uniting Financial Services and the
Uniting Church (NSW) Property Trust, confirms Uniting Financial Services
Chief Executive Officer, Tony DiMauro. “We are proud to announce
that, despite the toughest local market conditions in 21 years, Uniting
Financial Services has still been able to meet its annual commitment to
The Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of New South Wales and the ACT, and
to provide assurance to the Synod that it can plan comfortably for the
next three years by also setting aside the annual distribution of 2009 and
2010,” says Mr DiMauro. Mr
DiMauro says there are four reasons people can invest in higher values
with confidence. Click here
to read more. Help your
congregation by Giving Direct Giving Direct helps
A
new website and other Giving Direct resources have recently been launched.
Why not take this opportunity to promote Giving Direct to your
congregation. For more details, including
an information pack, contact Mele Akau at the Board of Mission on (02)
8267 4393 or melea@nsw.uca.org.au, or write to
her c/- Board of Mission, PO Box A2178, Sydney South
1235. UnitingCare
Christmas Gift Appeal People are encouraged to be
someone’s Santa this Christmas by choosing a gift tag with the age and
gender of someone in need from the UnitingCare Christmas Tree at the front
of all Target stores. Last year, Australians generously donated 129,194
gifts and more than $78,000 in gift vouchers, which were given to those
most in need in time to open on Christmas morning. For more information,
call UnitingCare on 1800 060 543. Twenty
years of World AIDS Day Faith leaders “should shout
from the rooftops that AIDS is not a punishment from God but a medical
condition which is preventable”, the former leader of Don’t
forget the Synod website The website of the Synod of
New South Wales and the ACT is updated daily with news from across the
globe — stories about faith, evangelism, society, philosophy, justice
issues, and more. Check it regularly to find
interesting, thought-provoking pieces and to find out about upcoming
events in the life of our Visit http://www.nsw.uca.org.au/. Photo
Call: Living Water, Thirsty Land Do
you have a keen eye and a passion for photography? As part of the Assembly
meeting in 2009, the theme Living Water, You are invited to submit
digital photographs that you, your friends or members of your congregation
have taken, for use before, during and after the Assembly meeting. Click
here
for more information. Prayers
for As
many Christians around the world prepare to celebrate Advent and Christmas
in the security of their homes and communities, they are invited to pray
for justice, peace and security for More information is
available here. Please email your Christmas
messages and prayers for peace before December 25 (Western Christmas)
and/or January 7, 2009 (Eastern Christmas). Read all messages at www.aeicenter.org and www.paxchristi.net Liturgical
Advent resources available Imagine:
Peace is a collection of
liturgical resources for the four Sundays of Advent. It is the first of a
collection of worship materials from different regions of the world,
prepared in the framework of the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation
2011. Download the Advent
resources and listen to the songs: http://www.oikoumene.org/advent Insights news and
discussion list Insights-l is a news,
information and discussion list run by To subscribe <mailto:stserv@lists.unitingchurch.org.au>
and type: subscribe insights-l in the message
body. New
Uniting Earthweb website now live! Uniting Earthweb aims to
build connections between ecology and Christian faith through theological
study, the arts, worship and practical projects and campaigns. Visit www.unitingearthweb.org.au for theological articles,
case studies on various practical initiatives that churches have taken,
resources for congregations, weblinks and more. The site is about much
more than providing information. It’s also about helping people to
get connected with others, and there are many ways to contribute to the
site, too. EVENTS
AND ACTIVITIES Interfaith
event, On
Sunday 14 December from 2.30 pm in The event program is
available from the Canberra Region Presbytery office. For more
information, phone the Presbytery Office on (02) 6248
9311. National
Day of Prayer for NCYC 09, December 14 Uniting Church people are
being encouraged to uphold in prayer delegates to the National Christian
Youth Convention (NCYC), to be held in January in “In essence, congregations
could include NCYC in their intercessory prayers, ask for God’s blessing
of delegates attending from their congregation, and perhaps take up a
retiring offering for aboriginal, disadvantaged and overseas delegates,”
said NCYC coordinator Rohan Pryor. “If December 14 doesn’t suit, pick
another Sunday near it.” UnitingCare
Pancake Day, Tuesday February 24 On
Pancake Day (February 24, 2009) thousands of individuals, school,
community, church and business groups nation-wide cook and sell pancakes
to raise funds for UnitingCare’s work with Australians in
need. To
register for Pancake Day 2009 please contact Tricia Brown, Event
Coordinator UnitingCare NSW.ACT on 1800 060 543 or email pancakeday@nsw.uca.org.au. LIVING
IS GIVING: PRAYER POINTS AND RESOURCES The Stay tuned for a link to the
online survey, which will arrive in your inbox next week — and please take
the opportunity to participate. Last financial year, many
congregations in our Synod put new energy into Living is Giving, and total
annual contributions increased for the first time in many years. This is
wonderful news — thank you for being part of this, and please give
generously again this coming year so that the Over the past year, there
have no doubt been exciting, life-giving and community-building events in
the life of your congregation. In the wider Give thanks
for:
You can read more about
these and other activities at www.livingisgiving.nsw.uca.org.au/missionfocusareas. Studying
journalism, graphic design or communications and would like to offer your
skills to Insights? Go to
http://nsw.uca.org.au/cu/internships.htm
to learn how. Don’t forget about the Moderator’s
Drought Appeal. Your donation will help provide counselling,
chaplaincy services and emergency relief to drought-affected
people. CONTACT US: cu@nsw.uca.org.au RECOMMEND US TO A FRIEND:
Recommend Community
Connections to a friend. Forward it on, or direct them to http://nsw.uca.org.au/e-news. You are receiving this
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