Online Worship – Sunday 6th June 2021

Care for Creation: Restoration

Dear friends,

Our theme in this video will centre around the care of God’s creation … prompted by the marking on June 5th of the UN world environment day.

Humans have a particular place in creation and that is to care for it … that we have a responsibility to be good stewards … so generations can enjoy the blessings of this wonderful planet and universe.

And we as Christians … who take this stuff seriously have a role in this …

The UN website for World Environment Day speaks about “restoration” and I think that resonates with plenty of Biblical concepts such as healing, renewal, new beginnings …

The website includes this statement which I found helpful:

We cannot turn back time. But we can grow trees, green our cities, rewild our gardens, change our diets and clean up rivers and coasts.  (World Environment Day)

For a little more of a deep dive into the Genesis readings for today, you might like to take a look at this video from “The Bible Project”:

You can find out more about “A Prayer, a Plea, a Bird” from Julie Perrin at her website here:

A prayer, a plea, a bird

 

 

St Luke’s Highton Annual Meeting 2021

St Luke’s Congregational Annual General Meeting will be held at the  conclusion of the Service on Sunday 6 June 2021.

Business will include reports from the Church Council and presentation of St Luke’s budget for 2021.

Kevin McAvaney, Congregational Chairperson

Reconciliation in the Park Sunday 30th June

From Jan at Uniting Barwon:

Hello everyone

Reconciliation week 2021 starts on Wednesday this week the 27th May 2021. The largest local reconciliation event in reconciliation week in Geelong is Reconciliation in the Park held in Johnstone Park on the Sunday of Reconciliation week.  This year this will be Sunday 30th May 2021.

As part of Uniting Barwon’s  Reconciliation Action Plan we have established contact with the local community reconciliation group Geelong One Fire Reconciliation Group. Geelong One Fire helped establish Reconciliation in the Park and has supported it each year since its establishment. This year Uniting Barwon is going to assist Geelong One Fire with their support for the event.

Uniting Barwon people will be assisting with;

  • Set up which starts at 7.30am at Johnstone Park and runs until about 9.45am,
  • Various activities during the day, and
  • Pack up which will start between 3 and 3.30pm and run until about 5pm.

Those assisting will be given some time to participate in and enjoy the activities taking place.

If you are interested in assisting in any of the roles please contact Des Younghusband by Thursday 27th May 2021, please also enquire of your families, friends, acquaintances and network members if they might be available to help.

If you are unable to assist please consider coming along to enjoy the activities and again encourage your families, friends, acquaintances and network members also to do this .

20210503 Flier Rec in Park 2021

Attached is a flyer for the event feel free to pass it on to your contacts or request more copies from Des Younghusband.

To register to assist or if you have any queries Des Younghusband’s contact details are:

T 03 4210 1115 M 0417 354 515
E Des.Younghusband@vt.uniting.org

Red Ochre Theology: Northey Lecture 2021 – on Zoom!

So many wonderful events in Melbourne are now available to us through the option to attend via Zoom!  Pilgrim Theological College is where our ordained and lay people undertake their training for ministry and ongoing professional development and formation in the Uniting Church in Victoria.

“The first Northey Lecture for 2021 will offer the theological viewpoint of an Australian First Nations theologian who has spent the past two decades decolonising biblical narratives and constructing a theology that draws on Australia First Nations creation stories (Ancestral Narratives) and our understanding of the Creator’s actions and interactions through our Spirit Ancestors in the creation of our world, humanity, customs, laws, ceremonies, songs, rituals, connection to land, water and sea; language, cosmology, worldview and philosophy – this being the basis to the formation of First Nations identity, faith and Spirituality.”

Dr. Anne Pattel-Gray is an Aboriginal woman who is a descendant of the Bidjara/ Kari Kari people in Queensland and she is a recognised Aboriginal leader within Australia – nationally and internationally. She has dedicated her life to the struggle of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and she is a strong campaigner and lobbyist and deeply committed to seeking justice, equity and equal representation for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people. She is very proud of her Aboriginal culture and heritage and is a strong advocate for Aboriginal women, children, families and community regarding our Cultural and basic Human Rights. She has developed a leadership quality that promotes and builds a deeper sense of community and participation that brings a greater Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage and cultural identity and cohesion with the broader community that leads to beneficial partnerships, engagement and reconciliation.

You can read more and register here:

Red Ochre Theology: Northey Lecture 2021

Prayers of the People

Prayer gathering 12th May, 2021.

Praise and Thanksgiving.

1)         Praise God for the many blessings that we have received, known by each of us in our hearts.

2)         We celebrate the blessing that we live in a peaceful country where we are free to worship and share our beliefs, feelings and concerns openly.

3)         We give praise and thanks for good news and times spent with family.

4)         Our prayers and thanks are for the scientists who are developing the COVID vaccines, and for those who are tasked with administering the doses.

5)         Praise God for volunteers who quietly work behind the scenes and for the team at St. Luke’s who are working on the way forward for our property and outreach programs.

General Prayers.

1)         We pray for those countries where COVID 19 is out of control and where the consequences are impacting   on so many families. We pray that the vaccine will be readily available to those most in need both locally and for smaller countries who do not have the same access as bigger more powerful countries.

2)         Pray for Paul as he pastoral cares grieving, hurting families, as he prepares for the funerals taking place at St. Luke’s this week and for families who are unwell, receiving treatment, undergoing tests or rehab.

3)         We pray for young people who have recently arrived in this county as they face the many challenges of a different culture, language, schooling, and home environment. Give them strength and courage Lord,  to ask for and seek help and we pray for those working with and encouraging them.

4)         Our prayer is for peace in countries where there is conflict or disease. We pray for families separated and the anxiety of being unable to support or help loved ones.  

5)         We think of and pray for those who are under pressure with work, home, and community commitments.       May they be granted peace of mind with time and space to serve you Lord as we are all called to do.

6)         We pray for World Environment Day on June 6th and that preparations worldwide will showcase the  possibilities for each of us as we take responsibility and contribute to the search for ways to combat climate             change.

Uniting’s Winter Appeal is underway – donate online today!

Uniting VicTas is the welfare arm of the Uniting Church in Victoria and Tasmania.  They recently held their Annual Meeting online – check out the stories of the work being done over the past year by dedicated staff and volunteers – you might even see some familiar faces amongst the presenters.

You can support the ongoing work of Uniting by donating to the Winter Appeal – follow the link to do this online here:

Winter Appeal – Donate

Or you can pick up a donation envelope from our table in the foyer at church.

Coronavirus update and contact tracing at St Luke’s

News this week from Synod:

Two important changes from May 28, 2021:
The Victorian Government has announced density limits will lift on small to medium-sized venues, including places of worship.

From 28 May, venues including places of worship with less than 400m² can  have up to 200 people per space without any density limit, provided
COVID marshals are on site ensuring all patrons are checking in to each space using the QR Code system.

All venues must use the Government QR Code Service to maintain electronic record keeping.

How do QR codes work?
1. Register for a FREE QR code service from the government at  https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/register-to-use-vic-gov-qr-codeservice.
2. Once you have your QR Code, you will need to display this prominently, eg at all entry doors.
3. Everyone entering the building can then scan this QR Code using the camera on their smartphone or tablet device. This automatically opens the registration app, which knows that they are registering at your building.
4. They will then be asked to enter their name, phone number and residential postcode, and have the option of providing details of other individuals in their party.
5. When using QR codes, every gathering will require a designated greeter at every door by which the public can enter. Each greeter will need to have a smart phone or tablet device.  The role of the greeters is to ensure that
everyone entering the building registers using the QR code, to assist with registrations as required, or to use their own phone or tablet to register any attendees who do not have the capability of registering themselves.

How do older people, or those without a smartphone sign in using the QR Code?
The government QR code allows you to sign in another person. By having event greeters at every entry door, they can sign in any attendee who is
unable to register themselves. The requirement for every attendee to be signed in using the QR code method is a government requirement as of April
23, 2021.

What does this mean for St Luke’s?

Currently we have 8 people who have indicated that they are prepared and able to scan people in on Sunday mornings.  These same people are also rostered on for other roles, and don’t want to be rostered on every week, so more people are needed for this role.

Knowing that many of our regular attenders do not have mobile phones that can host the Victorian Services app, and that many others do not have mobile phones at all, I made contact with the people in the Victorian Government responsible for the app.  I explained our situation with many people needing to be checked in at the same time who are the same people who come each week.  This is their response:

Good afternoon Robyn,

Thank you for reaching out regarding the check-in requirements.

As long as you are recording the manual entries for each person in your venue for more than 15 minutes, and keeping track of this in a consistent manner that can be supplied to contact tracers when requested, this will be sufficient.

This does not need to be via the Service Victoria app, but can instead be through a paper form with names and phone numbers, or a spreadsheet maintained by your team.

Please ensure the manual check-in form has a way to contact each guest, ideally via mobile phone.

We appreciate your work in protecting Victoria through maintaining contact tracing efforts.

So, while we are still able to sign people in with pen and paper,  should there be a case of Coronavirus exposure at St Luke’s, those recorded through the QR code can be contacted more quickly.   If you would like to be able to do this but are not sure how to go about it, please register your interest with Robyn at the church office.