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What’s coming up
Mental Health Week 6–14 October
This year’s theme is Value mental health. There are six steps: Be active, Keep learning, Give, Connect, Take notice and Care. Resources are available to help celebrate this important week. Find an event near you. How about organising an event in your congregation? Here’s a kit to help you.
Sunday 14 October is Mental Health Day of Prayer. The Uniting Church in Queensland encourages all congregations to pray for those experiencing mental health issues, and their families and friends, on this day during their Sunday services. Another idea might be to organise a special service of prayer, reflection and encouragement. Liturgy resources are coming soon for 2018. The Nouwen Network shares background on this day.
Season of Creation
We are now deep into September and the Season of Creation. The Justice and Mission Unit of the Uniting Church in Western Australia have put together worship resources for each week of Sustainable September that you can download directly from the Eco Churches WA website.
Alternatively, you might prefer some of the fantastic Season of Creation resources produced by the Vic/Tas Synod this year.
Social Justice Sunday – 30 September
This Sunday is recognised widely in the Catholic Church and by other churches. The Catholic Church prepares an excellent set of resources every year on a different topic. This year the topic is A Place to Call Home, focusing on homelessness.
Week in review
Expanding to Queensland
The cashless welfare trial is to be rolled out in Queensland in Bundaberg and Hervey Bay. Last week the Australian government legislation passed the Senate by a single vote.
Retired? Protect your mental health
Retirement is one of life’s biggest transitions, and as with any major change, it comes with a combination of excitement, apprehension and the risk of mental health challenges. This article contains useful tips to help you protect your mental health.
Welcome Advocates!
The Assembly of the Uniting Church has officially welcomed Advocates for its seven Circles of Interest. Details of the Circle Advocates and panel members are here. You can join one or more Circles of Interest. Please let Sue Hutchinson know which circles you join.
End the cycle
Watch The Cycle: EXPLAINED. You’ll hear from people with disabilities from different corners of the world, explaining how the cycle of poverty and disability works, and exactly how it can be broken. From CBM.
Call to action
Pledge to #CHANGETHERECORD
Do you want to be part of an Australia where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and families are safer and stronger? Common Grace is joining with Change the Record to call on the government to address root causes of violence and imprisonment, calling on them to:
- close the gap in rates of imprisonment by 2040; and
- cut the disproportionate rates of violence to at least close the gap by 2040 with priority strategies for women and children.
Take the pledge to #CHANGETHERECORD.
Help to get #KidsOffNauru
The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA), of which the Queensland Synod is a member, and the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre recently released a brand new report detailing the horrific conditions on Nauru.
To support the campaign to get #KidsOffNauru:
- Tweet our report to our leaders: we want to make sure Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Ministers Payne, Dutton and Coleman know about this report.
- Sign and share our petition: with over 80,000 signatures we think we can reach some big numbers, so please share to show our leaders that there is widespread public support to get #KidsOffNauru.
