News

Posted on

COVID19 Update 19th March 2020

Dear St Luke’s Friends,

Grace and Peace to you all.  First, some wonderful news for our community.  Council is very pleased to advise that Shaghek Qassabyan has been appointed as our Community Ministry Worker for 12 months at 16 hours per week.  Shaghek will be working with newcomer families to provide support and to help build connections between the existing congregation and those Christians and other friends joining us from other places.  Many of you will know her from Messy Church and other small groups in St Luke’s. Welcome Shaghek! 

Changed arrangements due to COVID19 pandemic

As we find our way through these uncertain times, we are more than ever aware of the God who holds us in the palm of their hand, who comforts us in distress, and who gives us courage and energy to be the “salt” and “light” of the world, bringing hope and a sense of peace through troubled times.

We make these arrangements understanding that as we are now in a State of Emergency, government directions may require us to quickly make further changes.  Please follow Government directions if they are in conflict with these St Luke’s plans.

To slow the spread of infection and to protect the vulnerable in the community, Council have made the following changes to our normal ways of gathering.  Some of our people have already taken steps to quarantine themselves to protect themselves and others from infection, and we fully support and understand their decision.

Our strong message to you is that no-one is required to attend any gathering if they are not comfortable to do so.  Each person needs to make their own decision about what is right for their situation.

Sunday Worship

At this stage, Sunday worship will proceed with the following changes:

  • A shorter,reflective 30 minute service which will be recorded
  • Attendees are recommended to keep a distance of 2 metres apart from one another, and we’ll be encouraging washing/sanitising of hands when you arrive.
  • Suspension of Rosters.  – there will be no welcoming/ushers/collection/communion tasks, so there are no ‘jobs’ that you have to come to do.
  • No morning tea after worship at Church

Church Open Times during the week

The Church will be open for prayers on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings from 9:30-11:00am.  

The prayer space in the Sanctuary will be available for people who wish to light a candle and pray.  People are advised to keep the 2 metre (about 6 feet) distance and to observe all hygiene precautions.

Pastoral Care

Those St Luke’s people who are part of a small group that meets regularly are encouraged to support one another and make their own decisions about whether and how to gather.  Could all leaders please advise the office of their plans in this regard on 5244 2997 or email info@stlukesuca.org.au.

The Pastoral Care team will be checking in with those people not connected to a small group by phone on a regular basis.  If you don’t belong to a group and would like to connect with the team, please contact the office on 5244 2997 or email info@stlukesuca.org.au.

Pastoral matters over this time will be co-ordinated by Barbara Murphy.  Rev. Paul Stephens will co-ordinate arrangements relating to people who are in hospital.  Paul can be contacted on 5244 2997 or email paul.stephens@stlukesuca.org.au.

Other ways to gather

A common life – prayers from wherever you are

Leaders are gathering resources we may use for daily prayers that we can commit to pray together even though we are in our own homes, at the same time each day, perhaps in the morning or at a mealtime.  We will send these out soon. Your suggestions for prayers are welcome!

Social Platforms

St Luke’s has two kinds of social media platforms – those that are “broadcast” platforms which share news from the church to the community, and those which allow us within the church to talk to one another in an online group.

Our broadcast platforms are:

These are the virtual spaces we will use to deliver sermon recordings and other messages.

Our group platforms are:

We will be hosting live gatherings in the Facebook group – please join in!

We are also exploring ways we can link people together by telephone, particularly if you don’t have the internet at home.

Offering plate

If you are someone who normally puts an envelope in the offering plate each week, we invite you to consider a different way to transfer funds if you are choosing to stay at home. This would enable you to still financially support our church community.  We do understand that many of you may need to revise your giving in light of the economic shocks that are underway. If you would like to make any changes to your giving arrangements, please contact the office to be put in touch with our recorder Judy.

Weekly News Sheet

The weekly news sheet will be replaced by a short weekly bulletin with essential information only.  Copies will not be printed and handed out at Sunday worship but will be emailed via our list. If do not already receive the news sheet via email, you can sign up here: http://eepurl.com/cF8cYb

Office Open Hours

Robyn will be working from home as much as possible and so the office will often have no-one there.  The answering machine, post and email will be checked regularly. 

Cancellations

The following regular groups have notified the office that their activities are suspended until further notice:

We have also been informed that the SacredEdge festival in Queenscliff will not run this year.

St Luke’s Preschool continues to operate as per Government advice.  

Refugee support from the chapel will be co-ordinated between Rae Anderson and Shaghek on an as-needs basis.  

Annual Congregational Meeting

The Annual Meeting due this month will be postponed, however the Annual Report including the Financial Report will be emailed or delivered (if possible).  We will contact Presbytery as to how we should complete the business we would have discussed at the meeting. It is fairly clear that the Budget for 2020 will need to be adjusted in light of reduced income due to COVID19 impacts.

Practical Help

Finally, if you find that the social distancing measures mean that you have a little more time on your hands, you may like to volunteer to help keep the congregation connected and supported via phone calls, prayers, and practical help – this can include helping with online communication and gatherings.  Please contact the office if you would like to help! Thank you to those who have already offered to help, we will be following up shortly.

Care for yourselves and others

I leave you with some wise words from Kirsten, who sends us a lovely box of organic veggies each week, about the simple things we can do to stay well mentally and physically:

Eat simple, clean foods – loads of fresh produce to boost your immune system. I’ve never been so excited about fresh garlic, ginger and lemon water 😉

Go quietly and potter – Time in the kitchen and garden. Fermenting, souping, juicing, cooking, digging and weeding. Or read that book. Minimising time on social media and news watching and doing things to keep yourself grounded minimises stress levels and keeps the immune system happy.

Spend time outdoors in nature – I truly adore sunlight, fresh air, cold ocean dips and time in the veggie patch. It reminds you of all the good stuff in the world!

Help someone – going forward will be isolating times for people. But we are all in this together. Can you do something to help others feel connected? I am a huge fan of leaving goodies at front doors with a little note of love. When we all work together – humanity shines.

Gratitude – It’s a time of great reflection on how as a society, we live, eat and walk through this world. There is so much to be grateful for and also so much room for change.

Go gently this week and spread kindness!!!

May you feel God’s calming presence in the coming weeks, 

Robyn Hodge

For Church Council

 

Posted on

Weekly update Sunday 15th March 2020

Dear friends,

We hope that you are managing to find that magical balance between sensible precautions and open hearted compassion as we enter these very uncertain times.

In times like these, we are reminded that “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear…” (Ps. 46: 1-2).

We encourage you to stay in touch even if you are unable to come to worship – we will be exploring ways to share worship “from a distance” using online technology and the good old telephone.

A reminder from the previous post:

Please let us know if you are unwell or if you have a diagnosis of COVID19 – information is treated confidentially – or if you have had to stay at home (self isolate). We will support you as best we can!

Contact  Robyn at the office on 5244 2997

If you are well and able to pick up and deliver supplies among our community members who may have to stay at home, please let Robyn know, as many of our usual helpers are in the high risk age demographic, and more support may be needed in the coming months.

Prayers – St Luke’s has a network of people who pray for others.  If you would like to be part of this group of prayerful people, please contact Robyn at the office on 5244 2997 and she will put you in touch with our Pastoral Connections team.

And here is the weekly news sheet!

Weekly Update Sunday March 15 2020

And this week’s Lent Event video:

And a little tune from one of Australia’s Singer Songwriting Treasures, Kavisha Mazella:

https://youtu.be/tXWs9xzc-TQ

Grace and Peace to you all and remember to shine the light of Christ’s compassion in these challenging times – don’t let fear take hold, have courage and care for those around you.

Robyn.

 

 

 

Posted on

Precautions for COVID19 at St Luke’s Uniting Church

Church Council Executive met on Wednesday, and has considered how St Luke’s should manage the impacts of the COVID19 virus on our community.

We are sure you have seen in the news, that the situation is changing daily. The government is setting rules to mimimise the spread of the virus, and ensure the health system can focus on helping those most in need.. One of those rules that may be used is called “social distancing”, which involves the cancellation of large gatherings of people and the likely closure of schools and workplaces.

Until we receive further advice, normal activities of St Luke’s will continue, but we’ll apply these basic precautions from the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services to limit the chance of infection:

  • Wash your hands often with soap and running water, for at least 20 seconds.
  • Dry with paper towel or hand dryer.
  • Try not to touch your eyes, nose or mouth.
  • Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, then put the tissue in a bin. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve or elbow.
  • Stay at home if you feel sick. If you take medication, now would be a good time to check you have adequate supplies.
  • Don’t wear a face mask if you are well.
  • Buy an alcohol-based hand sanitiser with over 60 per cent alcohol.
  • Shaking hands is optional (some people have taken to patting on the shoulder)!

For the normal activities that are part of our faith community life, we will take the following precautions:

  • Avoiding hand contact – no handshaking at the door or during the passing of the peace
  • Communion will be served in a way that restricts the number of people handling the elements.
  • Hand sanitiser (while we can source it) will be made available in the foyer for use on arrival and as needed.
  • Handwashing facilities upstairs and downstairs will be stocked with soap and paper towel as usual
  • Video recordings of key parts of our worship services (e.g. readings, prayer and the sermon) will be posted to the church’s Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJAL8289CyXTVBd-Y8dvT6Q, along with other video communications.

Pastoral care and Practical help:

  • Please let us know if you are unwell or if you have a diagnosis of COVID19 – information is treated confidentially – or if you have had to stay at home (self isolate). We will support you as best we can!

Contact  Robyn at the office on 5244 2997

If you are well and able to pick up and deliver supplies among our community members who may have to stay at home, please let Robyn know, as many of our usual helpers are in the high risk age demographic, and more support may be needed in the coming months.

We do want to emphasise that if you are feeling unwell, or simply uncomfortable about attending church activities while we are in this pandemic, we strongly encourage you to stay home, even if you are rostered on for duties. In most cases, someone will be able to step in for you – just call or email to let us know that you are okay.

If you are in isolation for some time, you can keep in touch with the St Luke’s Community via our website and social media channels:
www.stlukesuca.org.au – website
https://www.facebook.com/stlukeschurchgeelong – Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1862447484018154 – Facebook Group (Private)
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJAL8289CyXTVBd-Y8dvT6Q – Youtube Channel

We offer you this prayer from UCA President Dierdre Palmer:

Gracious and loving God,
Give wisdom and strength to all those in our community and around the world, who are responding to the coronavirus – health professionals, government officials, aged care providers, school leaders.
May those who mourn the loss of loved ones to the virus, be comforted.
May those in our community who are feeling anxious, find peace and reassurance.
May our congregations, and faith communities be places of compassion, attentive to those who are impacted by the coronavirus.
May we be communities of empathy, love and care, in all we face.
Through Christ, our Lord, Amen.

Grace and Peace to you all,

Robyn Hodge
On behalf of St. Luke’s Church Council

And in the meantime, you may wish to take some of Nonna’s advice:

Posted on

Two great learning opportunities for developing faith communities

March is a busy month for learning about new ways of doing faith and discipleship.  If you’re interested in exploring faith for the 2020s and beyond, sign up!

Register here: https://www.ucappep.org/forming-disciples-in-a-missional-church/

To register, please visit https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/new-and-renewing-gathering-tickets-87072412931

For more information, contact Mat Harry on mat.harry@victas.uca.org.au

 

Posted on

Weekly Update Sunday 23rd February 2020

It’s been a very busy few weeks at St Luke’s!  Sadly some of the busyness has been due to the funerals of two much loved saints of the church – Glad Beckham and Alf Swan.  We will sorely miss their kindness, friendship and wise experience from our community, and we are so grateful to have had them as part of the life and leadership of St Luke’s Highton for many years.  Go well, Glad and Alf – we’ll see you on the other side!

 

Here is the update for this week:

Weekly Update Sunday February 23 2020

Lent is about to begin – join us for Uniting World’s Lent event in 2020

Posted on

St Luke’s Environment Action Group Bushfire Appeal

The St Luke’s Environment Group are growing seedlings of herbs, veggies and flowers for the bushfire victims to start their gardens and add a bit of colour.  Jean Daw is going to Bairnsdale end March for starters, with a load for the victims in that area. All pots to be at St Luke’s 11am Sat 21st March to be loaded in her car.  We may have more going to other areas as well.

If you are interested in helping, please see one of the Environment Group – Claire, Michelle, Jean, Jenny, Ian A, Ian L, Phil. 

Photo by Jill Wellington on Pixabay
Posted on

Prayer Shawls For Bushfire Areas

Pastoral Connections have been seeking contacts who could take and make available to those in the fire-ravaged areas some of our hand-knitted and crocheted shawls, with a card assuring those suffering that we are praying for them. We have had a wonderful response, with the following distribution numbers and areas:

  • 6 shawls and 4 knee rugs went to Orbost on 11th January.
  • 7 shawls and 3 knee rugs went to a chaplain in Merimbula for delivery to Bombala on the 19th January.
  • 5 shawls went to Bright for distribution by the UCA minister.

We still have some available to give to those in fire areas. Please contact Beth on 52436874 if you know of someone who could be comforted by the gift, or who can take into the areas for distribution.

Prayer Shawls ready for delivery