NCCA Newsletters (2357)
Children categories
Ration Challenge
Bringing hope and comfort to refugees in Jordan with over $2.3 million raised
Last November, I travelled to Jordan to see Act for Peace’s work with Syrian families living in urban refugee camps. These were mothers, fathers and small children who’d been living normal lives and then suddenly lost everything – their homes, belongings, people they love – and found themselves strangers in a foreign country, cold, hungry and alone.
Bible and Ecology: Reading scripture through ecological eyes
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Join this national webinar to engage ecology and biblical theology with scholars from around Australia and the world
Monday 19th September 10:30am to 5:30pm (Australian Eastern Time)
In recent years, in the context of growing ecological awareness, biblical scholars have been working to move beyond human-focused perspectives and read the Bible with a deliberate sympathy for the wider Earth community. In this full-day webinar, we will hear from scholars around the country about reading the Bible through “ecological eyes”, and will practise applying such lenses to scripture.
On 1 September 1989, Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios invited the whole Christian world ‘to offer together with the Great Mother Church of Christ (the Ecumenical Patriarchate) every year on this day prayers and supplication to the Maker of all, both as thanksgiving for the great gift of Creation and as petitions for its protection and salvation.’
If you would like to read this message visit goarch.org/ourfaith/ourfaith8052
Call to a Year of Prayer
The first meeting of the new board of National Council of Churches in Australia met on last Friday, 22 July 2016.
Following a request from the NCCA Forum the Board of Directors have released a statement calling all to a Year of Prayer.
2 July Federal election
3-10 July NAIDOC week
3 July National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sunday
1-7 August National Homeless Persons week
The holy season of Ramadan is drawing to a close. The Parliament of the World Religions issues a Ramadan Challenge, inviting people to honour the tradition of Islam in a number of ways:
Corinne is employed as the Safe Church Program Office, a part-time role which is 2 days per week. Her responsibilities are to provide and develop resources to support churches with safeguarding children, develop and review training for those within the Safe Church Training Agreement (SCTA), update the national Safe Church workshop calendar and network and support those in professional standards roles within their denomination.
Safe Church Update
As part of a Safe church, we also want to ensure that those who may be vulnerable in our communities are also safe. One particular group of people who would be considered vulnerable would be the elderly. And recently Australia acknowledged this with “Elder Abuse awareness day” (15th June 2016).
Their website www.elderabuseawarenessday.org.au provides information and resources to help understand elder abuse.
Ration Challenge
Ration Challenge raises over $1.9 million to support refugees
Last week, more than 8,000 passionate people took the Act for Peace Ration Challenge and showed refugees we’re with them, not against them.During Refugee Week, 19-25 June, participants ate the same rations that a Syrian refugee living in a refugee camp in Jordan receives - just a small amount of rice, beans, lentils, fish, oil and flour. It’s a tough but eye-opening experience.
Installation of NCCA President
 New President of NCCA |
Our new President installed as the 8th President of National Council of Churches in Australia on the Sunday 26 June 2016.
Bishop Philip Huggins was ordained in the Anglican Communion in 1977, and has served the people of God in a range of appointments, as industrial chaplain and university chaplain, and in parish ministry in Bendigo and Melbourne. He has served as assistant Bishop in Perth (1995-1998), and Diocesan Bishop of Grafton (1998-2003).
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Remember, renew, rejoice…
During the past several days people from our member churches gathered at Mary MacKillop Place in North Sydney for the 9th Triennial Forum. These were special days. Written evaluations from participants included such words as ‘engaging’, ‘inspiring’, relaxed, ‘efficient’, ‘educational’, ‘providing opportunities for networking’, ‘enthusiasm’, ‘blessings of diverse gifts and energies’, ‘active involvement’, ‘rich experience’ ‘new time’.
6 June 2016 - World Environment Day
At the international level, this year's World Environment Day celebration are hosted by Angola, a country seeking to restore its elephant herds, conserve Africa's biodiversity-rich wildlife, and safeguard the environment as it continues to rebuild after more than a quarter century of civil war.
Pre-Forum Event, Friday 24 June
The Faith & Unity Commission presents an opportunity to engage with The Church, Towards a Common Vision WCC Faith & Order Paper 214 . Click here to see details.
7 June 2016 – Ramadan
The Islamic holy month of Ramadan commences in 2016 on 7 June. The word “Ramadan” is derived from an Arabic word for intense heat, scorched ground and shortness of food and drink. Fighting is not permitted during this period.
Fasting during Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars (fundamental religious duties) of Islam. It is traditional that Muslims fast during the daylight hours in the month of Ramadan. It is a period of increased religious devotion, in particular self-examination. During Ramadan the common practice is to have a pre-fast meal (suhoor) before sunrise and an evening meal (iftar) after sunset.
Geoff is the Disaster Risk Resilience Manager for Act for Peace (AfP), based in Melbourne. In this role he has responsibility for supporting AfP’s partners to develop and implement disaster risk management programs that increase community resilience to disasters. Geoff explains “Partners are the local organisations that we support in country to implement programs; usually they faith-based organisations such as the Tonga National council of Churches (TNCC) or the Vanuatu Christian Council (VCC)”. His work includes programming activities that empower communities to take action be better prepared for disasters and the uncertainty caused by climate change as well as working with partners in times of emergencies in their efforts to provide immediate life-saving assistance and support early recovery of livelihoods and well of people affected by disasters.
