Insights - May 2014

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Share your heart and home.

Become a foster carer.

Many children are unable to live with their birth families and there is an ongoing need for more foster carers in New South Wales.

UnitingCare Burnside is seeking foster carers to provide safe and secure home environments for school aged children. Some kids have had a challenging start and require extra love and support.

We welcome people of any age and culture who are single, de facto, in same sex relationships or married, with or without children. There are flexible care options — from providing respite for a weekend each month to short term and long term foster care.

UnitingCare Burnside provides training, an allowance and 24/7 support every step of the way.

Talk to us about fostering a child: Dubbo (02) 6885 5010

Mid North Coast 1800 815 113

or visit www.burnsidefostercare.com

Sydney (02) 9768 6955

Welcome from the Moderator

Wellbeing in ministry: finding the right balance

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once heard a news report that compared workplaces in terms of their degree of safety. According to the research, the pulpit was the safest of all!

Rev. Dr Brian Brown Moderator

The Moderator is elected to give general and pastoral leadership to the Synod, assisting and encouraging expression and fulfilment of faith, and the witness of the church.

Some may then consider it unwise of preachers to forsake the pulpit for This is not to apportion blame, but the lectern, thus sacrificing the physical to try and understand the issues. barrier, the elevation and the distance that makes the pulpit such a safe place. More importantly, what can be done to Some even wander recklessly among the improve the situation? congregation asking questions!

I am convinced that leadership is the Is ministry a risky business? If so, how number one issue for the Uniting Church as it seeks to meet the challenges of can the church be a relatively safe and a new era. In order to respond to the healthy place for these leaders? needs of the church, the community As I reflect on three decades of ministry in congregations, also observing and the ministry agents themselves, it is imperative that we revisit and pay close colleagues along the way, it occurs to me that being responsible for leadership attention to the recruitment, selection, training, placement, mentoring, in the church during a period of professional supervision and continuing general decline in numbers in mainline education of ministry agents. Our denominations has exposed leaders to dispute resolution processes could particular risks to health and wellbeing. also benefit from an overhaul so as Under these circumstances it is hardly to reduce the amount of time, energy surprising that some have become and heartache currently required in dispirited and negative, even reaching attending to these matters. the point of giving up and ‘burnout’.

The stress causes some to work harder and harder, exacerbating the risk of ill health. Others may look to shortterm panaceas, often with the same result. The suffering can be well hidden due to the pressure to perform or to set a good example, so even very caring and attentive congregations can be caught by surprise when a minister comes to grief.

Again, ministry in this new era of less structure and more flexibility can itself be a significant stressor if ‘frontier’ leaders are not appropriately prepared and supported.

Other factors contribute to the problem. The disbanding of parishes has denied some ministers the support or accountability of colleagues. This is exacerbated by a widespread tendency towards individualism, a

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temptation from which ministers are not immune. Selection processes can sometimes miss potential difficulties, while an inflexible placement process or inexperienced Joint Nominating Committees can contribute to mismatches and dashed hopes.

The world’s leading school education systems have much to teach us about ministry training and development, especially in their close and demanding attention to the process of mentoring of teachers in the early part of their careers. This may seem to place even more demands on already stretched people. In fact, strong supervision and support must surely work to the advantage of suitably gifted and trained ministry agents as they respond to the need to be flexible and creative leaders in this new era of church.

When ministry requires us to take new and risky paths, close attention to the health and wellbeing of ministry agents is an imperative we neglect at their peril.

You can follow the Moderator on Twitter @BrianBrownUCA Insights May 2014 3

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Contents 22

24 14 Cover story We all have our ‘quiet’ moments when we take time to think and reflect, to allow ourselves to just stop and listen, and to recharge and feel whole again.

But what of the minister who is on call 24/7? Always ministering to others; committed to their vocation beyond measure?

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Regulars 3 from the Moderator 5 letters 7 news

32 fellowship news 34 updates from the General Secretary

Editor Adrian Drayton SUB-EDITING/PRoduction/ DESIGN Belle&Co Editorial/advertising/ DISTRIBUTION inquiries Phone 02 8267 4304 Fax 02 9264 4487 ADDRESS Insights, PO Box A2178, Sydney South, NSW, 1235 email insights@nsw.uca.org.au web www.insights.uca.org.au

Insights is published by the Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of New South Wales and the ACT. Articles and advertising content do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editor or of the Uniting Church.

Subscriptions: Australia $38.50 (incl. GST); overseas $50. © 2014. Contents copyright. No material from this publication

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35 belief matters 37 culture watch 38 entertain me

may be copied, photocopied or transmitted by any means without the permission of the Editor.

Circulation: 18,000.

ISSN: 1036-7322 Commonwealth of Australia 2014

28 The Uniting Church in Australia is one of the country’s largest denominations. Our vision is that it will be a fellowship of reconciliation, living God's love, following Jesus Christ and acting for the common good to build a just and compassionate community of faith.

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Your Say Is money the issue?

In a book entitled The tortoise usually wins, by Brian Harris, it is stated that the Baptist church in Western Australia, in 2001, started on a journey from irrelevance to growth.

They operated from the premise that if we really believe that something should be done, money would become available to make it possible.

Your responses to Property for a Pilgrim People Editors note: Thank you to all who responded to the Insights Special Issue: Property for a Pilgrim People.

We have received many responses to this important issue and, due to spacing limitations, will print extracts from each letter and ask that you then go to http://nswact. uca.org.au/resource-centre/rightcolumn/property-for-a-pilgrimpeople-your-say/ to read the letters in full. Over the coming months we will also report on Rev. Niall Reid’s consultations across the Synod and will continue to print responses.

Applaud the direction As a Member of the Hunter Presbytery Finance & Property Committee, I have read the current Insights, with considerable interest, and applaud your direction! With your acquiescence, I would like to weigh in with some comments, based upon my understanding of Christ’s mission on earth.

Jesus owned no property and had no cash. His only resources were his disciples. And yet in three short years, He changed this planet, FOREVER! I feel very strongly that the current debate is much broader than just property.

Geoff Spitzkowsky, North Lake Macquarie Congregation insights.uca.org.au

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If all the money, time and energy that has been spent on battles over finances, power and property had been spent on the administrative support of congregations, the Uniting Church would be well placed to cope with WHS, the coming taxing of religions and the removal of the legal exemptions from a variety of laws, etc.

David Price

Dipping into resources I would like to commend you on the issue of Insights talking about Property of the Uniting Church. Most congregations, (particularly rural) have what they need as far as property goes, but could do with a boost in maintaining said property.

I belong to a small congregation that shares a minister with two other congregations in a Resource Ministry.

All three congregations are small and none can afford a full-time minister.

We have looked at purchasing property…but with council charges and cost of building it is far out of our reach. Why buy property for the sake of not having our money to do anything else with it?

Margaret Shrives, Quirindi and District Congregations

Speaking up on property I just started reading the special issue. Thank you for the work that you have done so far. I am hoping I will be able to send you some comments soon.

My concern at the moment, however, is cultural. If I keep to my culture and tradition, I would not respond to this, but I have learnt that someone needs to speak up,

otherwise decisions are made without real conversations, or only with one way conversations. For this to be successful, different cultural groups need to be targeted, with a sensitivity to the power dynamics and cultural/traditional roles of the people involved.

I don’t mean for this to be a negative criticism, but something that you might be able to use to better facilitate discussions.

Levon Kardashian

Thank you Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the UCA’s discussion paper on the disposal of church property. As the paper acknowledges, ownership of all UCA property vests in Synod and I therefore consider that the question should not be to what extent a congregation should retain proceeds of a sale but, rather a decision should be made by Synod as to what to do with proceeds, albeit in discussion with the selling church Congregation.

Trevor Bail, Weston Creek UC

Remembering the lands of the First Peoples I reflect that the Uniting Church has been at the forefront of recognising the connection of indigenous peoples’ profound connection to the land.

And so I wonder if, in all these (theological, philosophical, organisational, financial and practical) property discussions, there’s not scope to also recognise the special connections that exist between people and church buildings? Whether it’s the church where someone has sat in the same pew for eighty years, or the church where a couple were married, children baptised, where the funerals of parents and grandparents were held, or even the place where a person came to Christ, there is a connection that means that church buildings are more – much more – than simply places of worship to many people.

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News Religious people in civil disobedience on new coal mine

protesters to call for an end to the expansion of the mine into the Leard Forest.

Clergy stood with protesters on 12 March at Whitehaven’s controversial open-cut coal mine at Maules Creek, in the heart of the Gunnedah Basin in North-West NSW.

A spokesperson for the group, Rev. John Brentnall from Gunnedah, said they regard the protesters as “protectors”.

In an unprecedented show of support from different faiths, The Australian Religious Response to Climate Change (ARRCC) held a prayer vigil near one of the entry points to the mine site in support of the blockade and then joined in a blockading action. Three religious people were arrested.

Three Uniting Church Ministers, two Priests, and lay people joined with the Gomeroi people and other

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“They are trying to protect our water for agriculture, our air, the Leard Forest with its critically endangered wildlife and a safe climate for our children, as well as the Gomeroi people’s sacred sites,” said Rev. Brentnall.“Those who are destroying the forest for an open-cut coal mine are interested only in short-term profits. While profit has its place, all the great religious traditions place it well below other values we hold dear.”

The ARRCC was responding to the fact that every legal and legislative avenue to stop the open cut coal mine in Maules Creek has failed.

Even though not one of the 212 submissions from the community supported the mine, the mine has been approved.

Rev. Brentnall said “The only option left is for people to stand in the way.

We want to stand with them and pray.”

To find out how you can get involved with the ARRCC, please contact Thea Ormerod, President, ARRCC, on 0405 293 466 or chair@arrcc.org.au

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Five people arrested at ‘prayer vigil’ at Morrison’s Cronulla office Cook MP and Minister for Immigration and Border Control, Scott Morrison, was not at his Cronulla electorate office when a nearby ‘‘prayer vigil’’ led to the arrest of five people.

Protesters from several Christian denominations kneeled inside Mr Morrison’s office, overlooking the plaza, and prayed for “The victims of Australia’s inhumane asylum policies’’.

Mr Morrison’s staff were invited to join the vigil.

Five people were charged with trespass and appeared in Sutherland Local Court on April 10. A spokesman for Mr Morrison said the minister was not present at the time.

“Police attended and arrested a number of protesters,’’ he said. “Any further inquiries should be directed to the NSW Police Force. As we understand the matter will be before the courts, it would be inappropriate to comment further.”

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In an interview in March, Mr Morrison joked initially about previous protests outside his electorate office, before saying they had a right to express their view.

Join us at The Basis of Union and Preaching conferences What is the connection between The Basis of Union and preaching? You can find out the answer to this and other questions at the upcoming national ‘The Basis of Union – catalyst for renewal’ and ‘Preaching for Transformation’ conferences.

Both conferences are being held at the Centre for Ministry at North Parramatta on the 22–24 August and 25–28 August, respectively.

Organised by the Doctrine working group, Uniting Mission and Education and the United Theological College, the conferences are part of the seminar week for the Synod in 2014.

Clay Schmit from the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in the USA will be the key speaker at the Preaching conference.

He will be joined by workshop

leaders including Peter Davis, Gerard Moore, Teresa Parish, Lu Senituli, Liz Boase, Alan Robinson, Ockert Meyer and others.

The Basis of Union conference will present different perspectives from people such as the Rev. Prof. Andrew Dutney, Geoff Thompson, Bec Lindsay, Ji Zhang, Michelle Cook and Ken Sumner, and participants will be invited to share and discuss their thoughts. Two professors from the Chinese Church will be joining us and there will also be a panel discussion including younger leaders and led by Alistair Macrae.

For further information and to register for these conferences look up the websites: http://ume.nsw.uca.org.au/event/ basis-of-union-conference-2014/ http://ume.nsw.uca.org.au/event/ preaching-conference-2014/ Note: A discount is available if you’d like to attend both conferences.

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News

You can make a difference Throughout the year, schools and organisations across Sydney collect a large number of food items of tinned and packaged goods on behalf of The Exodus Foundation to help feed hundreds of disadvantaged children, adults and families.

The ‘You Can Make a Difference’ can and food drive is one such program to give effect to the notion of active citizenship and to participate in a really valuable charitable activity.

If your organisation, club or child’s school is able to support the Can Drive appeal, The Exodus Foundation would love to hear from you!

Visit the Can Drive page website for further information at http://www.exodusfoundation.org. au/donations/difference/

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Ageing and care aren’t what they used to be Professor John Swinton has a passion for caring for elderly people in a way that takes seriously their spiritual and physical needs. He has worked as a nurse, a hospital chaplain and a community mental health chaplain.

This practical experience brought him face-to-face with the particular challenges faced by ageing people.

It convinced him that caring for the whole person is integral to healing and community building.

John will be one of the highly experienced speakers at a national conference later this year organised by the Centre for Ageing and Pastoral Studies (CAPS).

Other speakers include international keynote Steven Sabat, Professor of Psychology at Georgetown University in Washington

DC, an expert on enhancing communication between people with Alzheimer’s disease and their carers; Rosalie Hudson, Adjunct Associate Professor at Charles Sturt University, Dr Dorothy McRae-McMahon, a writer and retired Uniting Church minister, Associate Professor Stephen Pickard, Executive Director of the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture, and Mr Ahmed Youssef, a former president of the Canberra Islamic Centre.

The theme of the conference is Diversity, Change and Spirituality: Ageing and Care Aren’t What They Used to Be. For more information about the CAPS conference and master classes, including registration details, you can visit www.centreforageing.org.au/ conference.html, email caps@csu. edu.au, or call 02 6272 6205.

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Say ‘NO’ to elder abuse: Wear purple on 15 June Respect for Seniors will again be celebrated in churches and UnitingCare Ageing facilities between 9 – 15 June, culminating in Wear Purple Day on Sunday 15 June (which is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day).

In 2011, the Synod was presented with the Respect for Seniors program along with the accompanying As Life Goes On DVD. The DVD features five hypothetical scenarios relating to respect, family relations and areas of risk of abuse.

These program resources are available from all shire councils in NSW, and may be borrowed for forums and collaborative work. You can find information at: www.respectforseniors.org The material offers parishes and UnitingCare agencies the opportunity to make a difference in their communities by raising awareness and building capacity to combat ageism and prevent elder abuse.

The program promotes a ‘listening ear’ at a grassroots level between people being abused, and who may be reluctant to go to the authorities, and community-minded listeners.

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The program is an initiative of St Ives Uniting Church, supported by UnitingCare Ageing.

For further information please email: rgknox@@optusnet.com.au or office@stivesuc.com.au

Heaven is for Real Based on the #1 New York Times best-selling book of the same name, Heaven is for Real brings to the screen the true story of a small-town father who must find the courage and conviction to share his son’s extraordinary, life-changing experience with the world.

The film stars Academy Award® nominee and Emmy® award winning actor Greg Kinnear and co-stars Kelly Reilly, the couple whose son Colton (newcomer Connor Corum) claims to have visited Heaven during a near death experience. Colton recounts the details of his amazing journey with childlike innocence and speaks matterof-factly about things that happened before his birth ... things he couldn’t possibly know. Todd and his family are then challenged to examine the meaning from this remarkable event.

Heaven is for Real will have a limited release in cinemas and churches should contact their local cinemas

to arrange group bookings to see the film. For more information on the film visit www.sonypictures.com/movies/ heavenisforreal/

What’s your view on property?

In response to the Insights Special Issue, Property for a Pilgrim People, we’re hosting a workshop to develop ideas and proposals to be considered

by Synod Standing Committee in preparation for presentation to Synod 2014. The venue is yet to be determined.

This workshop will be held on Saturday 28 June 2014 and is open to anyone who has an interest in discerning who we are called to be and how our property can best serve that calling. This will require people with both practical and theological thinking, common sense and imagination, visionary and grounded perspectives ready to pray and work together for the mission of God. If you are interested in participating in a full day workshop on the 28 June, please send expressions of interest to Rev. Niall Reid at niallr@nsw.uca.org.au

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From the General Secretary’s desk Reality can be a tough job

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n 1989, researcher Philip Hughes said, “There is a lingering image of the clergy as people who are not entirely ‘with it’. They are nice people, always very polite, gentle, and well intentioned, but terribly naïve”.

Rev. Dr Andrew Williams General Secretary The General Secretary is appointed by the Synod to provide leadership to the Church by actively engaging in strategic thinking about the life, direction, vision and mission of the Church.

Since the 1960s, there has been a range of studies on the state of clergy in Australia. Some of the titles give us a clue as to the message that is to be shared: The Plight of the Australian Clergy (Blaikie), Conflict and Decline (Dempsey), and At Cross Purposes (Pryor). These titles suggest that the situation of the clergy is characterised by stress and conflict. They imply that the clergy are confused about their roles, in conflict with the lay people in the congregations and bridled by their churches.

Other people who have written on clergy in Australia have described role confusion and role contraction.

Bruce Wilson in his book, Can God Survive in Australia? titles one chapter ‘The Vanishing Role of the Clergy’.

He notes that before the industrial revolution, the clergy had many public roles as officers of law and order, social workers, teachers and even politicians. The clergy were key figures in the community. Most of these public roles have been handed over to other people in the community.

mentioned above many clergy now face a reality that ordination for life does not necessarily guarantee a vocation for life. There is a shrinking number of placements available.

Sometimes the skills that are now needed in ministry are not the ones that were taught in college, and our leaders are left floundering.

People, take some time to encourage your minister Does this sound bleak? I do not mean it to be. I rather want to name a reality that I see and help us all realise that ministry in the Uniting Church at this time is tough work!

People, take some time to encourage your minister.

Ministers, remember your calling.

Our task remains to lead people into communion with God, into relationships with others and into ministry and mission in the world. Let us all be true to the faith in a God who is not just God of the church, but of the whole world.

A study in Queensland described the picture as “…altogether consistent with a professional group facing a changing world in which their own roles and standing are uncertain, and which appears to demand a redefinition of the very bases of their claim to legitimacy”. That was in 1972!

Have things improved or worsened since then?

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Heart and soul The pressure and privilege of ministry

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e all have our ‘quiet’ moments when we take time to think and reflect; to allow ourselves to just stop and listen, and to recharge and feel whole again. But what of the minister who is on call 24/7? Always ministering to others; committed to their vocation beyond measure?

and are strongly related to measures of emotional ill health and thoughts of leaving ministry. Interestingly, he found that simply avoiding burnout didn’t lead to increased wellbeing. Rather, being motivated and having energy to work hard lead to increased engagement, which in turns reduces the likelihood of burnout.

a very hard place from which to try to offer ministry or leadership. Lots of ministers do it from there, but it comes with a huge personal cost. One of the early Church fathers said the glory of God is a human being feeling fully alive.

It’s very hard to feel fully alive, let alone look like it, when you’re running on empty and probably exhausted.

Grant Bickerton is a registered psychologist who works for Campus Crusade for Christ Australia (CCCA). His published research provides significant insights into the key organisational, personality and spiritual factors that influence the wellbeing of ministers.

He became interested in researching the subject while he was doing ministry work on a university campus in Sydney.

The wellbeing of ministers is significant for the Church given the integral role a minister plays in the life of a congregation. Grant’s research showed that when a minister is doing well over a sustained period of time, communities of faith do the same.

When a minister’s wellbeing is under pressure and they’re not doing well, the life of the faith community suffers.

“As a minister, experiencing burnout is an isolating experience, and I think in some cases there’s a lot of shame involved. The faith story is such a big story; an exciting story and such an engaging story that when you start feeling as though you’re not coping with it, it’s a very shame-inducing thing,” said Jane.

“I observed Christian workers across the board — ministers, friends, people in cross cultural ministry work — who just didn’t seem to be doing that well psychologically and spiritually in their work, and their experience when they left their profession seemed even worse. I wanted to understand the causal properties that lead to wellbeing and burnout. Particularly spiritual factors, what I like to call ‘spiritual resources’, and how they contribute to wellbeing.

“I started looking at what organisational, psychological and spiritual factors promote the sense of resilience, wellbeing and engagement in ministry, as well as the things that relate to the negative experience of burn out, depression, anxiety and tensions to leave ministry,” said Grant.

To help with his research, Grant invited representatives from over forty denominational synods, state bodies, church and para-church organisations, locally and abroad. In all, more than 1,000 Christian workers, ministers and chaplains participated in a series of surveys and interventions.

“I followed them for about 18 months, measuring various aspects of their work experience, their psychological makeup, personality profile, and so on. I also explored measures of burn out, and work engagement trying to understand what leads to what, and what the mediating processes were,” explained Grant.

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Time pressures aside, there is a myriad of other internal and external factors that influence a minister’s wellbeing, some of which can be managed and others that are beyond control “For ministers in vocational religious work, spiritual factors dominate their mind. It’s how they do their work, it’s the goal of their work, and it’s in their work conversation all the time. So spiritual factors play a greater role in work themes as well as all the personal aspects of personal meaning, personal energising, personal use of religious means to cope with stress, etc. It can bolster someone’s motivation in work life, but when there’s struggles, it has even more of a detrimental effect because for those people it can be much more a part of their identity,” stated Grant.

Jane Fry is the Associate Secretary of the Synod Secretariat. She has been in congregational ministry for nearly 20 years and has seen first-hand the illeffects of failing to pay attention to your own wellbeing in ministry. “Burnout and depression are common, and it’s

Through his research Grant identified a number of pressures on ministers (see The top seven pressures faced by ministers on page 21). “I think it’s always been a difficult job. There’s always been incredible work demand and time pressures on clergy. They’re always on call, ministry never ends.

There’s always more to do in terms of your ministry, and that can lead to a sense of over work and have a negative influence on family life.

“I found that clergy have both really high stress levels and really high job satisfaction levels. But they need to fight the temptation to please people as much as they can. They need to take time out to recuperate and to protect their family. They need time to refuel spiritually and to have an alive faith.

It’s hard living the tools of your trade when you’re so busy trying to minister other people. So keeping your own faith alive and vibrant can be really hard at times,” said Grant.

Time pressures aside, there is a myriad of other internal and external factors that influence a minister’s wellbeing, some of which can be managed and others that are beyond control.

“I think culturally we live in a much faster world and we all suffer from the demands that places on us. When you offer yourself into ministry, it’s because you have some sense of call.

You’re offering yourself to a vision that’s bigger than you, and there is a profound element of self-giving. By their very nature, ministers find it very hard to say no and to draw boundaries around their personal space, which is where you look after your wellbeing. insights.uca.org.au

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“So you have to be really alert and intentional and aware of what the cost is and where it is for you. When you work as a minister it’s not easy to see any tangible outcome or result for the effort, time and emotional energy you expend.

"The bottom line is that it’s not about you and it’s not about meeting your needs. It’s about making yourself available to others and you can’t do that if you’re running on empty because your needs will eat you”, said Jane.

While there is no denying the pressures on clergy, some of which are unique to those with a religious vocation, for every pressure there is an equally rewarding experience.

“I think it would be a huge mistake to ever let the pressures of ministry overshadow or outweigh the enormous privilege and blessing that it is. You don’t get many opportunities to be able to contribute your best self to helping the Church be the church for the sake of the world we’re in.

Your life and the life of your family becomes intertwined with the whole community “You’re continuing the work of Jesus Christ in various ways, such as feeding the hungry or binding the broken hearted, while at the same time challenging whatever it is that leads to the work you do. It’s such a privilege to be in that space and to contribute to that.

“At the heart of it, it’s about relationships. Ministry is a profoundly intimate, whole-of-life profession because you become involved in the lives, the families, the tragedies, the joys, the ups and downs of a whole community of people over an extended period of time. Your life, and the life of your family becomes intertwined with a whole community and I don’t think that happens in any other profession. That’s the gospel story from the beginning to end,” reflects Jane.

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According to Grant, the key to wellbeing at work is to build both job and spiritual resources — not just reducing demands or symptoms of burnout. So what can we do as a Church and a people to support ministers and make a difference?

• Help ministers develop genuinely supportive relationships with people who understand their spiritual vocation, as well with others who may not.

• Assist ministers to be ever mindful of their own spiritual development, and keep their own faith alive, vibrant, and active. They need to resist displacing or misplacing their own spiritual vitality in their work by running activities of faith for others at the expense of personally engaging, experiencing and growing with their loving heavenly Father themselves.

• Congregations can assist a minister with administrative tasks, share the responsibility for crafting specific and timely directions for their community, and keep the minister accountable with taking adequate time for recuperation and spiritual development.

• Support ministers to understand and identify the processes at work that contribute to occupational stress and wellbeing.

“There needs to be change at all levels. At the leadership level we need to help ministers identify what it is that will help them and help resource their ideas and initiatives. At the congregational level, we need to be able to have those discussions as a community and create space to have a bit of shared understanding about the reality of what it is like being a minister.

“From a ministerial perspective, I think the rural church has a huge amount to teach the urban church, particularly in terms of how to live in a time of scarce resources and how to work together. I think the rural church has absolutely demonstrated a willingness and an intent to make that happen.

“I think the Uniting Church doesn’t do too badly educating and supporting ministers. This Church has always made generous provision for continuing education and has been proactive about encouraging ministers to keep learning and growing through ministry.

"However, I do believe it could be more intentional about fostering collegiality and encouraging ministers to work together across their placement boundaries. That’s not only a good way of sharing expertise, gifts and skills around the Church, but is often rewarding, satisfying and energising. And that’s a great way to feel fully alive,” explained Jane.

You can read an overview of Grant Bickerton’s research, Wellbeing in Ministry, by visiting http://www. missionsinterlink.org.au/wp-content/ uploads/Well-Being-in-Ministry-Studyoveriew-and-results1.pdf For more information and resources for Ministers go to http://nswact. uca.org.au/resource-centre/synodsecretariat/ministers-resources/

“For the minister, they need to take responsibility and find the resourcing they need to do well. They need to ask questions such as: What will help me in my spiritual life? What will help me improve my relationship with my family? What will help me be more effective in my role? What vocation resources are going to help me do well and how do I access them? And amidst all these questions they need to ask themselves when will they find time to personally engage with God?” said Grant.

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The top seven pressures faced by ministers Workload and time demands. A lack of time to get done all that needs to be done is one of the most frequently cited work-relate stressors among pastors. There is always more one can minister to another. For some clergy, this experience is accentuated by a sense of being ‘on-call 24/7’. There is an appropriateness of the role of a minister being a vocation or even a lifestyle rather than a job, but this is also one of the greatest causes of over work that not only impedes health through a lack of adequate rest and recovery, but also damages family life as the minister can become more and more absent from important time in their home.

Impoverished relationships. It can be difficult for ministers to have genuine relationships that offer significant mutual support. Most ministers spend the majority of their time and relationship energy ministering to others.

Even social events often involve spending time with contacts made through ministry. People can always relate to a minister as their ‘role’ rather than as a person. Thus there can be some emotional distance, and relational isolation is a common and significant pressure.

Role ambiguity and role conflict. Role ambiguity exists when there is a lack of clarity about the work role: what is it that a minister is specifically shooting for? How will they know when they get there, etc? The minister has insufficient information about the goals and responsibilities of their vocation.

Role conflict exists when one is caught between competing demands and conflicting goals: “If I meet this demand, then this other area will have to suffer or fail.”

Overly high expectations. There is a ‘pedestal’ effect where ministers can feel like they are expected to be perfect or not have the same needs, limits and weaknesses as other people. Indeed, they may feel like they need to be more ‘Jesus or God-like’ because they are the minister. It is subtle, but it is there. That can also bleed into expectations of how their family should be. Not only do ministers sometimes feel they are constantly judged on their professional role, but they are also assessed on how their personal family life is going. These expectations are perceived to come from ourselves, the congregation, and sometimes even from God. Interpersonal conflicts in the faith community. Whether it is between members and the minister, or between members themselves, this is always going to be a demanding situation, but it is a consistent part of communities.

Variety of tasks and skill-set required. Ministers often have to fulfil a mind-boggling array of roles. They need to be an Educator: training, instructing and leading study groups; Evangelist: converting others to faith; Organiser and visionary: organising and supervising the work of the parish and the congregation; Pastor: visiting and counselling; Preacher: delivering sermons, expounding the Word; Priest: conducting worship and administering the sacraments; Scholar: reading, studying, teaching and writing; Social Reformer: involved in attacking social injustices... According to the Australian National Church Life Surveys (NCLS), 43 per cent of senior clergy feel they have to do tasks that are not central to, or indeed actually hinder, their role (Kaldor and Bullpitt, 2001).

Changes in society. Declining church membership and demands to make changes to be ‘relevant’ is a common issue creating work stress. The role that one has been trained for may not fit the requirements, desires and needs of the community with and in which one seeks to minister.

A healthy lifestyle intervention program RevUp is a collaborative research project conducted by The University of Sydney and The Uniting Church in Australia. It’s a healthy lifestyle intervention program, which seeks to increase physical activity and promote healthy eating behaviour among Uniting Church staff members.

It’s a well-known fact that physical activity and healthy eating are vital for a range of physical, psychological and social health outcomes. But maintaining these behaviours over the long term can be challenging.

While traditional lifestyle intervention programs have been successful at modifying physical activity levels and eating behaviour, they typically involve high numbers of face-to-face meetings.

This results in high program delivery costs and low accessibility for regional and remote areas.

That’s where RevUp is different. It’s a web-based program. That means the majority of the program is delivered online to a geographically diverse range of people – all at a lower cost.

The next leg of the program will run for 24 weeks. Participants will be asked to complete assessments for a number of health-related measures before and after a healthy lifestyle intervention. The intervention will consist of a weekly educational podcast, a weekly activity based on the podcast content, and a follow up email to track progress, provide support and motivation, as well as trouble-shoot any barriers that might arise.

The program content covers a new topic each week for 12 weeks, following which participants are asked to continue maintaining healthy physical activity and eating behaviours for a further 12 weeks.

The main aim of the study is to find out if the delivery of this lifestyle intervention program will increase physical activity levels and improve healthy eating among staff members of this multi-site organisation. The results from this study will guide future lifestyle modification prescription in larger studies.

For more information, please contact Dr Jonathan Freeston, Lecturer in Exercise, Health and Performance, on 0401 658 845.

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A destiny together – praying for justice for our First Peoples

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n March, on the lawns in front of Parliament House in Canberra, around 300 members of the Uniting Church in Australia gathered for an act of public worship. The vigil was part of ‘A Destiny Together’: A Week of Prayer and Fasting for Justice for First Peoples. It was the Church’s public expression of grief at the racism and injustice suffered by so many Aboriginal and Torres Strait islanders and an expression of hope for reconciliation and justice.

“We have come out today… to show who we are,” said Rev. Rronang Garrawurra, Chairperson of the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (UAICC), greeting the crowd in his native Yolngu language.

“Now is the time that we have all come… to stand in the presence of our Lord God and show… to everybody that we will stand and walk together,” said Rev. Garrawurra.

Rev. Garrawurra said Congress was speaking up to help the rest of the Church speak up for justice too, and to show that First and Second Peoples could stand together and help one

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another: “Not to be frightened about any power, any authority that walks on this land – that we will be able to stand strong.”

Church members from all over Australia came to Canberra to participate in what is likely to be remembered as one of the most significant events in the life of the Uniting Church.

Rev. Garrawurra and Assembly President, Rev. Prof. Andrew Dutney, led the service.

From remote communities in places like Arnhem Land and the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands and from the centres of our big cities, people gathered to pray, pass the peace and share in Holy Communion.

Ahead of the service, at the invitation of the UAICC, many people marked their foreheads with clay – an Aboriginal symbol of grief amidst a community gathered together on holy ground. During the service people marked each other with ash. In these ancient symbols born of the land and in the presence of God, people experienced a new sense of hope – in all our diversity, First and Second Peoples can come to a deeper understanding of each other and stand

together working for justice for First Peoples.

After the service people gathered at Wesley Uniting Church in Canberra to talk together. Through the sharing of stories, new relationships were born. In conversation, a sense of the power of mutual respect and understanding to transform lives filled the space.

Reflecting on the reading of 1 Corinthians 13, Rev. Prof. Dutney reminded all of God’s command to do just one thing: to love one another.

“The cruel injustice and crushing disadvantage that our members from the First Peoples deal with every day hurts us all,” he said. “So we’ve committed ourselves to the task of working towards justice and reconciliation in the church — through our Covenant, through the truthtelling of our amended Constitution, and through all the day-to-day, practical loving of one another that they imply.

“In doing that we become a sign to Australia of what God has done in Christ for the whole nation and the whole world.” insights.uca.org.au

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Rev. Rronang Garrawurra, Chairperson of UAICC and Rev. Prof. Andrew Dutney, President of the Uniting Church in Australia.

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Learning to work together W

hen most of us were relaxing over the Christmas period, putting thoughts of work to the back of our minds, Duncan Macleod was readying himself for a new challenge. He’d recently accepted the role of Director, Uniting Learning Network, and the start date of midJanuary was looming.

The Uniting Learning Network (ULN) is a network of educators, encompassing the theological college, UME resourcing team, presbytery staff, educators across the Synod congregations and presbyteries, and agencies like UnitingCare. It’s led by Duncan, who is responsible for providing leadership across the network, helping members work collaboratively, and building connections with the wider church.

The goal of ULN is multi-faceted and involves defining a strategic direction for theological education, identifying the opportunities and strengths of our educational offering and empowering areas of the Church to plan ahead and make good decisions.

“I’ve got two years to create a healthy, collaborative culture; to get people meeting together, and build a level of trust, energy and direction. For me, the most significant step in the next 18 months is to build a stronger connection between what we already have in place and what other areas of the Church can bring to the table. It’s about building confidence that we’re going somewhere.

We have a lot to offer and even more to share,” said Duncan.

“As a result of the GFC, the Uniting Church has been forced to re-think everything. This means we need to start looking outside ourselves, our silos, and start recognising how we can all benefit and gain by collaborating with other parts of the Church. Part of my job is to help people recognise they are part of something that’s much bigger,” said Duncan.

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As with any new undertaking, there are a number of challenges. “As I see it, there are three main challenges. Firstly, conversations and decision making takes time. So I’m working with the Synod and UME Resource Team to make sure we commit time to that process.

“Secondly, is the time it takes to plan in an academic environment. For example, we are working on a Master of Ministry that will be helpful for continuing education for ministers and pastors. But to get that up and running we have to think two years ahead.

The goal is to see an emerging group of young academics who are able to teach and equip each other “The third challenge is the everpresent reality that budgeting is tight and it’s not getting easier. So being very aware of the impact that has on staff when they have to make decisions about how they use their time, and recognising some people have more flexibility than others.

Challenges aside, Duncan is optimistic that success will be forthcoming. “After two years I hope there will be new leadership coming through. I’m currently working with three streams. The first is academic. The goal is to see an emerging group of young academics who are able to teach and equip others.

“The second stream is formation.

We need to shift our focus to providing continuing education for a range of specialist ministries and determine how we best equip people for these roles.

“Thirdly, is having a new generation of Christian communicators. We’re focussed on lay preachers who preach and lead worship, but we’re finding a lot of people under the age of 40 are not focussed on that. They are more interested in being equipped to talk about faith and communicate in many different ways with their communities. I’d like work on this stream to be underway during my time as Director,” states Duncan.

For now, Duncan’s focus is working through a number of processes and laying the foundations for long-term work, and ensuring everyone has the opportunity to connect with Christian gospel and build a sense of meaning and purpose. insights.uca.org.au

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Life on the road A day in the life of a rural chaplain

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or rural chaplains, travelling is very much part of the job.

While it can be a long distance between towns, physical travelling isn’t the only ‘journey’ a chaplain makes.

Julie Greig is a Rural Chaplain based in Hillston, NSW. She grew up in Sydney before marrying a farmer, and spending the next 30 years farming near Condobolin. During this time, Julie worked with the Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health in Orange, and was a Drought Support Worker with the Department of Primary Industries. This experience set the foundations for her vocation. “I never had any doubt God called me to this job specifically, and that all I had done prior to this was like an apprenticeship for this job”, said Julie.

Julie is just one of only three rural chaplains in NSW (she’s joined by Phill Matthews and Sue Chapman). And that makes her to do list just a little longer than average.

“As a rural chaplain, my role has a number of parts. One of them is around community development. We use a model that helps us identify local champions and then help them make their dreams a reality,” said Julie.

When families in Ivanhoe needed help transporting the local kids 200 kilometres to Hay so they could play weekend football, Julie helped the community raise money to do that.

In Hillston, she worked alongside the Congregation to secure a grant from UnitingCare Ageing Council so the town could run an English Second Language (ESL) program. And when the cherry harvest was wiped out in Young, Julie worked on ways to help the Congregation support the community.

“I go in the name of the Uniting Church to places where the Uniting Church doesn’t have a formal presence. Also because I am part of Riverina Presbytery, I work with the Congregations in this part of the

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world, supporting lay people leading Congregations. I organise get-togethers for them so they can learn and share new skills, and take time to support and care for each other,” said Julie.

In the small Aboriginal community of Enngonia, Julie helped set up a partnership between Pymble Uniting Church and the local community.

“Pymble Church works through the local school and the local Lands Council to support projects and activities that residents of Enngonia are doing. My role was to work with the Church and the community to make sure they had a good relationship that built on the strength of both sides” recalls Julie.

One of our roles as Rural Chaplain is to give a voice to the people in the bush Beyond her community development work, Julie is also involved with disaster recovery. “I work with communities after there’s been fire, flooding, whatever goes through. I chair the Disaster Response committee of the Riverina Presbytery, and I’m one of the Assistant Senior Disaster Recovery Network Chaplains in New South Wales.

“I also do a little financial assistance work for families that need help. That’s becoming more to the fore with the drought deepening in the north. I’m grateful to the Moderator who just made available $10,000 from his disaster fund to help those in drought areas” states Julie.

The picture of the Rural Chaplain wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the work they do in social justice and advocacy. “One of our roles as Rural Chaplain is to give a voice to the people in the bush. It’s about alerting the Church to issues that are prevalent in rural communities, such as the Murray Darling Basin and coal seam gas. We write government submissions,

prepare information for the Church, and work wherever advocacy is needed,” said Julie.

“To my mind, being a rural chaplain is about supporting community in lots of ways and spirituality is part of that. Whether it’s baptising a baby, telling the Christian story to kids who haven’t heard it, or just sitting down and listening to someone who has been through a tough time.

“I am really passionate about rural communities and the people that live here. They’re different and they care for one another. On the whole, they just want to make it better where they live and they’re prepared to pour their heart and souls into making it happen. If I can stand alongside them and help them do that, then that’s a tremendous buzz.

Just being with people in this part of the world; sharing their hopes and dreams is incredibly rewarding”, said Julie.

So what does Julie do to recharge and maintain her wellbeing? “The Lachlan River runs through Hillston. One of my favourite activities is to kayak on the river with a friend. We just kayak gently on the beautiful river with its huge river red gums and the wildlife. It’s so quiet and gentle, and I can’t tell you how soul refreshing that is,” sighs Julie.

Follow Julie and Co. on their travels

Join Julie, Phill and Sue as they traverse the countryside, visiting local communities and capturing the spectacular landscape in picture. Their blog — ruralchaplains. blogspot.com.au — tells their stories of the bush to people who don’t live there.

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Shining through adversity

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n a world where autism is misunderstood, it is difficult to shine amongst ‘mainstreamers’.

But Shannon makes it look like a piece of cake.

“I love art and photography. I was pretty lucky that Joanna helped me buy my computer and I have this awesome camera. I really want to be a sports photographer”, says Shannon.

Shannon is 17. He was diagnosed with autism and is a UnitingCare Disability client. Joanna, his case worker, visits him each week. “She comes and chats to me about how things are going,” says Shannon.

Shannon has a very active schedule.

Not only does he study, enjoy his art and regularly advocate for inclusiveness for people with a disability within his community, but he also loves sport. He is the youngest referee admitted in the local soccer association and enjoys his duties as linesman. “I’ve heard every swear word you can imagine”, he says matter-of-factly.

It was 18 months ago that Shannon’s mother connected with UnitingCare Disability. Through the service, Shannon was supported during a very difficult transition period for him and his mum.

Shannon and his mother had been homeless for a while and were battling to stay together. After securing permanent accommodation, Shannon was able to enrol in TAFE and study subjects he loved. He has topped his visual arts and photography subjects – which are ‘mainstream’ subjects and so are open to people without a disability.

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Shannon topped his visual arts and photography subjects Shannon understands his disability. “I have autism, I know that. It means I don’t like to make eye contact with people. I find it hard to say stuff. I can’t understand things if I read them. I need to be shown.

I can’t concentrate properly.”

But when autism was put in a different light, Shannon took notice.

He was asked what he was good at and how he thought his autism helped him or gave him an advantage over ‘mainstreamers’.

“I can tell when people are lying to me, 100 per cent of the time. I see it in their body language straight away,” he said. A skill that no doubt comes in handy when refereeing soccer games.

“Yes, yes it does!” he smiles.

Help us shine a light This May, UnitingCare NSW.ACT is holding a new fundraising initiative called the MOVEability Challenge.

You can help raise funds and make a difference to the lives of people with disabilities like Shannon.

For more information visit www.moveability.org.au and support those who are doing the challenge like Rev. Dr Andrew Williams.

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Lectionary Reflections May 4, Luke 24:13-35 The only person in Jerusalem

May 18,1 Peter 2:2-10 God’s very own

May 25, John 14:15-21 All you need is love

Jesus leads with a question: “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?” It’s true these two travellers had big news to discuss but the question points to a greater concern.

The stories we retell and narratives we pay attention to say something about who we listen to and who we are.

Here we find references to tangible, everyday human objects and experiences that centre on our nourishment and protection. Any human being could relate to the value inherent in these things: milk, cornerstones, kindness, light, identity, mercy. Somehow we are being called to embrace and embody these things as part of our coming to Christ. In doing so we bring to life the goodness of God in a practical and manifest way. This somewhat simple calling is not small in its impact, rather it is imbued with weight and importance. The scripture repeatedly tells us we are chosen for this work, these are the marks of a royal priesthood, that in living these things we are God’s very own.

This passage points to confounding paradox. Jesus was leaving, but He wasn’t abandoning his disciples. He won’t be among them, but He will be inside them. There is an Advocate who has not yet been sent, but whom they already know and have been living with. Recognition of Jesus and the Holy Spirit is a gift of love and that our seeking and discerning are an important part of the journey.

Share the promise Recognition and awareness are clues to how we are living. In a conversation this week, raise the question: What are we discussing so intently as we go about our lives? Notice your own response as well as that of others and pray that God will bring a bigger, eternal perspective into your consciousness.

May 11, 1 Peter 2:19-25 Even if it means suffering Retaliation, revenge, deception — these are the tools of those who have wandered away from the shepherd.

The scripture points to a work that’s already done in Christ, who has demonstrated a less transactional way of living. Where did He get such courage and faithfulness from? Jesus had His identity bedded down in a vibrant and connected relationship with a loving God from which He drew His perspective and sense of purpose.

Share the promise Choose one or two of the items from the list above intentionally look for an opportunity to live them out for someone who might need it. Pray to God for a deeper understanding of what these symbols mean and how they bring transformation for others, so that you can be creative.

Share the promise The dots don’t always join up and the ‘why’ of life is difficult to understand. Sit with someone who is in this space of trying to discern the way forward or who is suffering. Discipline yourself to not respond with pithy advice or attempts at comfort.

Simply be present with your friend in the mystery and quietly look for the Advocate at work. What do you notice?

This Lectionary Reflection was prepared by Naomi Nash, who is part of the team at New River Leadership

Share the promise All of us are on a journey to this kind of relationship and can easily be discouraged by circumstances along the way. This week, choose three people in your world to pray about and to actively affirm. Write a letter, make a call, offer them encouragement about who they are, their value and their good purposes in God. If ‘God’ isn’t a word they relate to, be creative.

Find another way to say it.

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Dip your toe in the water

United Theological College (UTC) is part of Charles Sturt University’s School of Theology and is based at North Parramatta. As an introduction to theology, UTC is offering four subjects in the second session from July to October 2014.

These subjects may be studied individually through Single Subject Study, for interest only, or as a step towards CSU’s Bachelor of Theology.

ENROL NOW FOR SESSION 2, 2014 More inforMAtion: Joanne Stokes 02 8838 8967 joannes@nsw.uca.org.au

• European Reformations 1400 - 1700

to enroL: Student Administration 02 8838 8914 studentadmin@nsw.uca.org.au

• Introduction to New Testament Studies

www.utc.edu.au/courses

Enrol now for: • Being the Church

A1051

Are you ready to think more deeply?

• Practical Theology

theology. think about it.

UTC is constituted within the Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of NSW and the ACT, and Charles Sturt University’s School of Theology.

Mission, Evangelism and Apologetics

(THL238/THL438)

Want to discover new ways to share faith in Jesus Christ?

Want to learn more about the Church for every context?

“There is so much more...”

Guest Lecturer Rev. Dr. Steve Taylor is a renowned missiologist from Adelaide and will be teaching this as an intensive subject in Session 2 from 7 - 11 July 2014.

A1042

This subject explores historical, biblical and theological perspectives with particular focus on the relationship between the gospel and culture, and recent discussion on the missional nature of the Church. It is available as an elective in the Bachelor of Theology and Graduate Diploma of Theology, or through CSU as Single Subject Study.

ENROL NOW FOR SESSION 2, 2014 This subject may be studied as an individually assessed subject, for interest only, or credited towards further study.

For more information: Joanne Stokes 02 8838 8967 joannes@nsw.uca.org.au

To register: Renee Kelly 02 8838 8914 studentadmin@nsw.uca.org.au

www.utc.edu.au/courses

UTC is constituted within the Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of NSW and the ACT, and CSU’s School of Theology.

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A Family Owned Funeral Service Hamilton Funerals is a boutique family business owned and operated by Adam and Michael Flanagan.

Hamilton Funerals’ aim to fulfil the needs of their clients in the most dignified, professional yet personal way.

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hamiltonfunerals.com.au

To mark June 2014 as Multicultural Month in the Synod of NSW and the ACT, we bring you the

Uniting Multicultural Festival Saturday 14 June, Centre for Ministry, 16 Masons Drive, North Parramatta 8.00am - 5.00pm There will be multicultural food stalls, dance and music competitions, and much more. Come and enjoy a day of fun and entertainment. All ages welcome.* Please note: The Festival date falls within Refugee Week so there will be particular emphasis on the ‘Give Hope Campaign’ in solidarity with Refugees and Asylum Seekers.

We celebrate the Uniting Church in Australia Anniversary with a

Multicultural Worship Service of Thanksgiving Sunday 22 June, Sydney Town Hall, George Street, Sydney, 6.30pm

Enquiries: unitingmulticulturalfestival@nsw.uca.org.au * Please note that Uniting Multicultural Festival 2014 has been modified so that we are celebrating with two events over two weekends this year instead of the three weekends previously advertised. We encourage local churches and groups to use every opportunities available to them to celebrate multicultural month in June and we will have resources available in April-May to help them do this. For further enquiries please contact the above or the Synod Multicultural Consultant directly at katalinat@nsw.uca.org.au.

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Updates from the General Secretary Information for individuals and congregations

Welcoming new placements •R ev. Jennifer Burns, Merewether (70%) on 1 March 2014 •R ev. Lindsay Cullen, Bellingen (50%) and Northern Zone (50%) on 1 March 2014 •R ev. Alex Thomas, Pennant Hills from 1 June 2014 •R ev. Kenneth Brown, North Lake Macquarie from 1 July 2014

•R ev. Alan White at St Ninians on 11 April 2014 •R ev. Lindsay Cullen at Bellingen on 6 April 2014

In loving memory Rev. Lloyd Phillips passed away on 21 March 2014

Do you need a Workers Compensation Policy?

Workers Compensation is the only insurance not held by the Uniting Church in Australia Synod of NSW and ACT Property Trust.

If you pay or remunerate anyone, you must hold a current Workers Compensation Policy for the benefit of your employee workers.

Under NSW and ACT Workers

Induction/Commissioning •P resbytery Resource Minister, Rev. David Russell at Merimbula on 20 March 2014, and at Cooma on 21 March 2014 •R ev. Dr Ockert Meyer at Canberra Central on 11 May 2014

A Prayer for good health • Rev. Prof. James Haire • Rev. Warwick Cadenhead • Rev. Mark Watt • Rev. Dr Ann Wansbrough

Compensation legislation, a ‘worker’ is anyone who is undertaking paid work.

This means any employing entity must establish and maintain a Policy for all its workers.

If you’re an employing entity that either (1) pays or remunerates anyone, or (2) may require a Workers Compensation Policy; please contact Vicki Roper as soon as possible by emailing vickir@nsw.uca.org.au or calling 02 8267 4365.

Closure of Ministry REV GREG CRAWFORD - Retirement and Closure of Ministry. Sunday, 25 May at Morisset Uniting Church, Kahibah Street, Morisset, at 9.30am followed by lunch. All friends and wellwishers warmly invited. RSVP to Joan Horgan 4973 6135 or Barbara Dufty dufty11@dodo.com.au.

Ministry Matters Current P lacement Vacancies as at 1 May 2014

The following placements have submitted profiles to the Placements Committee and are either in, or soon to be in, the process of seeking to fill a ministry vacancy. Placements are available to specified ministers of the UCA. These placements are listed as being suitable for a Pastor under Regulation 2.3.3(a)(ii). A non-ordained minister may offer to serve in an approved placement through a written application to the Synod. Expressions of interest may be made in writing to the Associate Secretary, Rev. Jane Fry, janef@nsw.uca.org.au or to the Presbytery’s Placement Committee representative.

CANBERRA REGION •S t Margaret’s Hacket & St James Curtin 50/50 • Eurobodalla 70% • Yarralumla

KU-RING-GAI PRESBYTERY • St Andrews South Turramurra 50%

FAR NORTH COAST PRESBYTERY • Maclean 70%

SYDNEY PRESBYTERY • Wesley Chinese ADVERTISED • Strathfield Homebush •S ydney Presbytery Chairperson, (3 Years Limited) (ADVERTISED)

GEORGES RIVER PRESBYTERY • Lakemba •M enai- Illawong Part time , 50% 60% Negotiable ILLAWARRA PRESBYTERY • Wollongong Mission KOREAN •K orean Presbytery Executive Secretary 50% 34 Insights May 2014

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MACQUARIE DARLING PRESBYTERY • Orange

SYDNEY NORTH PRESBYTERY • Carlingford Marsden Road 50% • Gladesville-Boronia Park • L ane Cove Chaplain (ADVERTISED) • Presbytery Minister – Ministry Mission and Strategy (ADVERTISED)

OTHER PLACMENTS UnitingCare Ageing • ACT/Far South Coast Hub Chaplain Uniting Mission and Education • Mission Resourcing Consultant South Australia • Rosefield VIC/Tas Synod • Clarence Uniting Church - Centres at Vellervie and Lindisfarne Tasmania Northern Synod • Alice Springs

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Belief matters

“Under Pontius Pilate…”

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e are always in danger of forgetting what the Christian faith is actually all about.

We might slip into the assumption that the Christian faith is a kind of philosophy, a system of ideas about life and the world. Or we might assume that the Christian faith is essentially a religious doctrine, a set of accurate beliefs about God. The problem with both these views is that they end up reducing Christianity to a theory. And if Christianity is a theory, then salvation is reduced to an intellectual level: getting rid of the wrong ideas and acquiring the right ones.

Of course doctrine is an important part of the Christian faith. But it’s surprising to see how little the Apostles’ Creed actually says about doctrine.

For the most part, the creed doesn’t list concepts or ideas. It tells a story. It reminds us of certain things that have happened.

That’s why one of history’s most dubious characters, Pontius Pilate, is included in the creed. When we confess that Jesus “Suffered under Pontius Pilate,” we remember that the gospel isn’t an idea but a fact. It’s not a theory but a news report. Something happened at one particular moment in human history. The name of Pontius Pilate is a historical anchor. It prohibits us from

turning salvation into a general truth. It reminds us that God has acted in real human history, at one particular time and place.

This is the heart of Christianity: not an idea but a brute fact. Not a theory but a human body. Not a general principle of suffering but the suffering of one particular human being. Not a doctrine but a person: Jesus Christ. And in case we start to think that “Jesus Christ” is a theoretical concept, the creed adds another name: “Jesus – the one who suffered under Pontius Pilate.” Pontius Pilate is there to remind us that salvation occurred in time and space. It had a date. Certain people were there when it happened.

Because Jesus himself is the heart of Christianity, the continuous reading of the four Gospels is the central spiritual discipline of the Christian life. The story of Jesus is read out in every Christian assembly. In the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper we participate communally in Jesus’ story. In the Lord’s Prayer we take up a part in his story.

When we serve the marginalised, the oppressed, and the poor we are reenacting scenes from Jesus’ life. The church calendar, too, is just an elaborate way of remembering and repeating Jesus’ story each year – ‘reading’ the Gospel story not just with our minds but with our lives.

This is the staggering simplicity of the Christian faith. Although there are many different ways of responding to Jesus’ story, the story is always the same. The same person, Jesus Christ, born of Mary and condemned by Pilate, is always at the centre. All the church’s practices and institutions are just attempts to respond faithfully to this person. All the church’s doctrines are just attempts to speak faithfully about him. As the secondcentury theologian Irenaeus said: “The one who says much about the faith does not add to it, nor does the one who says little diminish it.”

All the vast complexities of our faith are anchored in one particular point in human history. Everything else extends from that point. Our faith is mysterious not because it is so complex but because it is so simple.

Ben Myers is Lecturer in Systematic Theology at United Theological College

Board Positions Vacant Expressions of interest are invited from members of the church interested in assisting in the roles set out below.

Each of the entities is seeking new members with appropriate skills and experience in order to strengthen the respective governance functions.

Synod Risk and Oversight Committee

Wesley College, University of Sydney

Assembly Finance Audit and Risk Committee

Seeking new Council members with finance and/or property and/or tertiary education leadership skills.

Each of these Committees is seeking members with experience in audit and/ or risk management and compliance and/or general business management.

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Assembly Legal Reference Committee

Enquiries or expressions of interest should be directed to Chairman, Synod Governance, Nominations and Remuneration Committee

C/- Diane Pearce, 02 8267 4310 or dianep@nsw.uca.org.au

Additional legally qualified members are required.

Insights May 2014 35

1/05/2014 5:17:33 PM

Are you interested in engaging in conversation with LGBTI people, their friends and family?

Wondering why “Marriage Equality” is currently in the forefront of the media?

If so, why not come to the 2014 Daring Gathering – a conference of Uniting Network Australia

Uniting Network Australia invites you to: Daring 2014 – Daring to Celebrate - Reflections of faith, family, and the not so normative Sydney Gathering (6 to 9 June 2014)      page-36 ADs.indd 36

Explore faith Hear from various speakers Make friends and have fun Take our faith to the wider world Worship 1/05/2014 5:17:49 PM

Culture watch

The Social Network

T

echnology. Bringing us together. One social network, or iGadget, at a time. In a world ruled by the unstoppable ability to contact everyone, we are no longer a world. We’re a village. A tiny community of billions. Who doesn’t have more friends and followers than they can poke at?

Earth — the 2014 model — seems to be the best connected place.

Ever. Intimately linked-in. Abundantly updated. Always sharing. Surely, in our communicative community, we are one, though many?

Winner of this year’s Oscar for Best Screenplay, the inventive film Her is a relationship examination set in the nearfuture. But the setting can’t disguise that Her is about us. And the sad irony of living life through digital networking.

Joaquin Phoenix (Gladiator, Walk The Line) stars as everyday dweeb Theodore. He works for a company which manufactures private letters — for paying customers. Heading for divorce, Theodore’s life is isolated. Like plenty around him, Theodore hardly talks to others. He talks to himself. Well, he talks with the operating system running his computerised existence (which he is constantly connected to).

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Theodore buys a new operating system. One with artificial intelligence — and Scarlett Johansson’s voice. As the sultry software develops a personality, opinions and ‘feelings’, Theodore enters something like a deep relationship.

He doesn’t have much to do with real people. Many others are similar. They retreat from personal contact, as they become intimately connected to their personalised OS (operating system).

Her isn’t science fiction. No other contemporary film has encapsulated the destructive potential of relationships being driven by technology. Among Her’s subtle and insightful comments, big questions about community are raised

by Theodore drifting from real-world interaction, into virtual relationships.

Remind you of anyone? Probably, because living life online already affects real community. From the cult of selfies to staring at a screen while someone talks to you, our genuine interest in others is eroding. Do we really — or virtually — care? Personal connection can be a casualty of impersonal connection. Isolation and loneliness are predictable outcomes of the ways we control interaction.

Christianity. After all, community is in Christianity’s DNA. The bond forged by saving faith in Jesus is trumpeted in the New Testament. Every single Christian is a ‘fellow citizen’ in the household of God (Ephesians 2:19).

Wow. Talk about close-knit. By definition, being a Christian fuses you with other Christians. Like bricks in one building, or parts of one body, as Ephesians also describes this unified collective.

Too often, Christians act the opposite.

Division, hostility and disdain dominate.

Unity vanishes. But imagine the support, joy, strength, compassion and impact if Christians lived out what they are? Turn to Acts 2:41-47 for how glorifying God and selfless living can actually happen.

Christians are a community bonded by the most powerful force in the universe.

Nothing, not even technology, can shatter that.

In stark contrast to the fragmented future predicted by Her, Christians should embrace how deeply, eternally connected they already are.

Ben McEachen

The detached contact we increasingly participate in should meet its match in Insights May 2014 37

1/05/2014 5:18:04 PM

Entertain me BIG SCREEN

read this

Chasing Shadows, Corinne Fenton and Hannah Sommerville Transcendence (M) If The Terminator films of the early ’80s taught us anything, they confirmed humanity’s deepest suspicions about technology — that it may one day take over the world.

Transcendence stars Johnny Depp (Dr Will Caster), an artificial intelligence researcher who is brought back to life as a digital version of his former self. Caster’s wife Evelyn (Rebecca Hall) and best friend Max (Paul Bettany), must quickly decide whether to switch off Caster as he starts to take over the internet.

Chasing Shadows is a picture book about a little girl who is suffering from depression and whose father gets her a puppy, Patches, to help her recover.

The theme of shadows carries through the book. In the beginning, Beth’s shadows are much bigger than the puppy or her father’s, which feels a little eerie. Sommerville’s pictures of Patches are gorgeous and Fenton’s words are beautiful. It comes with a happy ending and is a great book for explaining difficult issues to children.

listen up

Their worst fears are realised when Will’s thirst for knowledge evolves into a seemingly omnipresent quest for power, and there may be no way to stop him.

This is one of those films where nothing is black and white, only varying shades of grey. It asks many intriguing questions, but like well crafted entertainment, doesn’t spoon feed audiences the answers. Questions arise like: Will humans ever really be comfortable with machines as integral parts our lives? What is the nature of the human soul? And could technology reach a point where our personhood could be uploaded into a digital environment?

38 Insights May 2014

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press play

P hilomena (M) The movie is inspired by the true story of Philomena Lee (Dame Judy Dench), an Irish woman who kept a secret for 50 years.

After becoming pregnant, a teenage Philomena was exiled to a convent by her horrified, very Catholic parents. There, the nuns deliver her baby son and force her to give up all parental rights.

British journalist Martin Sixsmith (played by Steve Coogan) later becames Lee’s partner in the journey to find her son and wrote a book about the experience.

This is unfortunately an all-too familiar story of officials believing they know better and acting badly.

The White Album (remix), Hillsong This album is unlike any other Hillsong United album. The atmospheric, dance, electro style of music, makes you listen to classic Hillsong anthems in a whole new light. This album is for anybody who actually wants to take a look at worship from a totally different angle.

Yes, God is still the same, but how we express our musical worship can and should always be creative. This album shows us that our God is a creative God, who loves being worshipped in any and every musical style. Listen and be amazed.

Our history is laced with such stories, but this doesn’t make this story any less powerful and the storytellers have done well here.

This could so easily have been over sentimentalised, but it is heartfelt and real.

It’s the kind of filmmaking we see too little of today.

insights.uca.org.au

1/05/2014 5:18:27 PM

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