Ration Challenge 2020

Join the challenge Sunday 13 – Saturday 19 September 2020

Across Australia, thousands will be eating the same Rations as a refugee to raise money and save lives.  Shamsiya, a refugee from Afghanistan, shares why it is important to her to take the challenge this year.

Join her! Let’s show we really are #inthistogether 

Financial Representatives of Australian National Churches (FRANC)

A series of three Lunchtime Webinars - an ideal opportunity of learning and collaboration. Save these dates:

1. Tuesday 13 October, 12.30 - 2 pm
2. Friday 30 October, 12.30 - 2 pm 
3. Thursday 12 November, 12.30 - 2 pm 

To Live Life to the Full: Mental Health in Australia today

The last Sunday in August is designated Social Justice Sunday in the Catholic Church in Australia. The 2020-21 Social Justice Statement, on the critical issue of mental health, was released to every Catholic parish, school and agency is now available from the Office for Social Justice.

Christians renew their faith in the God of creation, join in prayer and work for the care of our common home

1 September through to the feast of St. Francis on 4 October 

• Pope Francis' message: World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation 1 September 2020  
• Anglican Board of Mission (ABM):  Climate for Change - A series of group studies about Christians and the Climate Crisis
• Prayer:  Reconciling God, Creation and Humanity - An Ignatian Examen,
• WCC: Season of Creation 2020 Celebration Guide, “Jubilee for the Earth,”  

2020 Theme: Shaping Peace Together

Worldwide, 21 September is a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, through observing 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire.

Join a virtual event:

• VIC - Virtual UN Peace Day Event, Monday 21 September 5.15-6.00 pm 
• NSW - Interfaith Prayer Service, Monday 21 September 2.00 pm 
• Pax Christi - Between War and Peace: Australia’s Past and Future. 7.30 pm (AEST)

“Recommendation 16.45 Consistent with Child Safe Standard 5, each religious institution should ensure that all people in religious or pastoral ministry, including religious leaders, have professional supervision with a trained professional or pastoral supervisor who has a degree of independence from the institution within which the person is in ministry.”  Final Report: Recommendations pg 58

Courses 

The University of Divinity is currently developing two new awards: a Graduate Certificate in Professional Supervision and a Graduate Diploma in Professional Supervision.  It is planned that these awards will be available from the start of 2021. 

They have been developed in response to Recommendation 16.45 of the Final Report of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Abuse, and are an initiative of the University of Divinity through its Strategic Goal Changing Culture: Responding to the Royal Commission.

For more information or to express interest in these awards, contact Amanda Smith at the University of Divinity This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

• The University of Divinity website can be found here

•  Supervision- study courses

• Graduate Certificate - Professional Supervision - Clinical-Pastoral  

Kooyoora offers a supervision space for clergy, lay and other church workers. A safe, independent space is created to explore, challenge and open conversations relating to self-exploration and functioning within the context of identity and the various roles we engage in. 

• Supervision Training 

NCCA Secretariat:

Royal Commission Round Table gatherings 

The NCCA held this Assembly meeting on Wednesday 18 July 2018 at St James Anglican Church Parish Hall, Phillip Street, Sydney.

What it is, how we get enough qualified supervisors to carry this out, how we change the culture from ‘opting in’ to embracing a supportive practice? 

(Recommendation 16.45) 

A Theological underpinning and reflection on professional supervision was given  by Dr Alan Niven, Director of Research and Professional Development at Stirling College, University of Divinity. Alan is a Churches of Christ minister.

Discussion on the topic: How we change the culture from ‘opting in’ to embracing a mandatory supportive practice; How to regularise professional and pastoral supervision with independence from the particular organisation, was led by Nicola Lock. Nicky has been working in the counselling field for over 25 years and is Course Coordinator for the Masters of Pastoral Counselling program at Charles Sturt University.

This discussion looked at:

Professional supervision: 

• What it is and is not.
• How we get enough supervisors to carry it out

The need for culture change; 

• how we change the culture from ‘opting in’ to embracing a mandatory and supportive practice

The afternoon roundtable discussions were facilitated by Helen Blake, a counsellor and therapist in private practice in Sydney and lecturer in the Master of Pastoral Counselling at St Mark’s National Theological Centre in Canberra. Helen led our focus group discussions and assisted us to re-form into a larger group to talk about implementation. 

Presentation PDFs below:

• Dr Alan Niven - Theological Supervision
• N. Lock - Professional Supervision
• Getting the most out of Professional Supervision - Uniting Church resource
• Professional Supervision and the Uniting Church in Australia  

This NCCA Assembly was held on Wednesday 31 October 2018 at St James Anglican Church Parish Hall, Phillip Street, Sydney.

Sharing examples of what is working in churches; sharing experience of overcoming resistance to the fact that “I have a vocation and not a job”; how to implement a framework that emphasises it as an opportunity for learning. 

Royal Commission Recommendation 16.44

Consistent with Child Safe Standard 5: each religious institution should ensure that all people in religious or pastoral ministry, including religious leaders, are subject to effective management and oversight and undertake annual performance appraisals. 

Theological input and discussion was centred on the topic of Performance Appraisal Frameworks for clergy and church workers 

A Theological underpinning and reflection on management and oversight was given by Rev Dr Geoff Broughton, Senior lecturer at St Marks National Theological Centre and Rector of Paddington Anglican Church 

A practical case study, pastoral performance appraisal framework: developed and implemented across Sydney Anglican churches was presented by Rev Gary O’Brien Director of Ministry, Training and Development for the Sydney Anglican Diocese.

In the afternoon, the roundtable discussions were again facilitated by Helen Blake. 

These sessions focused on:

• sharing examples of what is working with clergy and church workers
• sharing experience of overcoming resistance to the fact that “I have a vocation and not a job”
• how to implement a Performance Appraisal Framework that emphasises an opportunity for learning, for spiritual growth, good discipleship

 Presentation PDFs below:

• Rev Geoff Broughton - Performance Appraisal Frameworks for clergy and church workers
• Rev Gary O'Brien - A Pastoral Review Process - presentation

This NCCA Assembly was held on Thursday 21 March 2019 and held at Ferguson Hall, St Stephen’s Uniting Church, 197 Macquarie St, Sydney. 

One of the findings of the Royal Commission was that:

“the occurrence of child sexual abuse within religious institutions may in part be attributed to the poor selection and screening of candidates for religious ministry and the lack of appropriate initial training or formation.”

(Recommendations 16.38, 16.42, 16.4, 16.5)

Theological input and discussion was centred on the topic: Selection, training and screening for ordination candidates and church workers, including best practice in psychological testing for clergy and church workers.

A Theological underpinning and reflection on selection, training and screening was given by Janiene Wilson, a Clinical psychologist and lecturer in the Department of Christian Life and Ministry at the Catholic Institute of Sydney.

A practical case study was presented by Greg Milles, Director of Professional Standards, Anglican Diocese of Southern Queensland.

In the afternoon, the roundtable discussion sessions focused on:

• input based on experience with churches and Christian organisations
• risk factors to look out for 
• examples of good practice ie;
  • panels or selection processes involving a range of people giving feedback 
  • involvement of lay people, women, professionals etc. - a cross-section of those to whom they will minister  

 Presentation PDFs below:

• J Wilson Best Practice in Psychological screening - presentation
• G Milles - Best Practice in Psychological screening  - notes
• Parishes - Screening Check Guide
• FAQ - Screening Check Guide for Parishes

The National Redress Scheme provides acknowledgement and support to people who experienced institutional child sexual abuse.

It was created in response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, which estimated that 60,000 people experienced institutional child sexual abuse in Australia.

Visit www.nationalredress.gov.au

Offender profiling

Child Protection Solutions offer a range of specialised child protection and awareness seminars designed to equip people who work with children to manage and appropriately respond to suspicions of, or disclosures of all forms of child maltreatment, as well as seminars that focus on equipping people to keep young people, as well as the church/organisation safe from child sex offenders.

Visit childprotectionsolutions.com.au

 Visit www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/contact  

Australia’s leading organisation for male survivors of child sexual abuse and their supporters.

• Visit www.samsn.org.au 

24/7 telephone and online crisis support, information and immediate referral to specialist counselling for anyone in Australia who has experienced or been impacted by sexual assault, or domestic or family violence.

• Call 1800 737 732 or visit www.1800respect.org.au  

24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention 

• Call 13 11 14 or visit www.lifeline.org.au   

- Empower recovery and build resilience for the 1 in 4 Australian adults who experience the impacts complex trauma

- Provide support, education and resources for the families and communities of adult survivors of complex trauma 

- Develop and disseminate best practice and research evidence around complex trauma

- Build national workforce capacity around complex trauma treatment, trauma-informed practice and managing vicarious trauma

- Drive innovation in complex trauma policy, practice and service delivery 

• Blue Knot Foundation – National Centre of Excellence for Complex Trauma - website
• Fact sheets for survivors, family members, workers, professionals and service  -  extensive suite of fact sheets 
• Videos for different audiences  - videos 
• Blue Knot resources -range of publications - for different audiences including a series around ‘Talking about trauma’ and a range of guidelines to guide practice 
• Managing Vicarious Trauma - PDF
• Trauma-informed Care and Practice in Institutional Settings - PDF
• Trauma-Informed Redress: Direct Personal Response - PDF
• National Counselling and Referral Service Flyer (Disability) - PDF
• National Counselling and Referral Service (Disability) - PDF
• Blue Knot Helpline flyer - PDF
• Blue Knot Supervision Consultancy Training - PDF
• Support for Redress Application - PDF

Kooyoora is an independent and handle complaints, screening, and training and provide redress management. Kooyoora serve charitable bodies including church organisations, colleges, schools and welfare agencies. Our vision is Building community-wide trust by enabling organisations to protect their people and provide safe, just responses.

• WEBSITE: www.kooyoora.org.au 
• Kooyoora Training Summaries 

13-21 September 2020

Theme for 2020: Creative Solidarity in Common Fragility 

"Let us pray for grace to resist that negative spirit so that, with hearts open to the grace of God and the needs of all our neighbours, we may become instruments of God’s reconciling work for justice and peace for all....

That is our hearts’ desire as we continue to pray for peace in Israel and Palestine".

PRAYERS FOR HEALING OF OUR LAND 26-27 September 2020

Bishop Philip Huggins provides an update on September 26-27 and the NCCA call for Prayer and Fasting.