morefocus - venue change

morefocus on Saturday. (UCA regional youth service)

It’s now back at the CTM Building,

1 Morrison Close Parkville. The entrance is opposite the Melbourne Cemetery gates.

So ? just a quick reminder about all the other details:

Time: 5pm start for worship

Band: Youth from St Albans Uniting Church

Speaker: Natalie Dixon-Manu

BBQ after the service ? bring $5 per head.

There is plenty of parking around the CTM Building, but it may be ticketed so bring some coin for the machines.

If you know of anyone coming can you please make sure they know about the change of venue.

UCA President - Christmas Message for Peace

Making Peace

Rev. Gregor Henderson, President, Uniting Church in Australia

One of the best features of the Uniting Church is that we are very much a peace-making church. That?s the way it should be!

When John the Baptist?s father sang God?s praises at the news of Mary?s pregnancy he declared that Jesus was coming ?to guide our feet into the way of peace?. When the angels sang at Jesus? birth their message was ?Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace, good will among people?.

Earlier this month I spent ten days in Palestine and Israel, as part of an official Australian Church Leaders visit. Much of that visit was distressing; there is much fear, anxiety and suffering for both Israelis and Palestinians. The hopes for peace are fragile indeed. Continue reading here

Sustainable Festive Season Guide

Hi Guys below is an email I got this week with some great links- Merry Christmas. - Age

Hi folks,

Christmas is almost upon us with its bells and whistles and the urge to ‘consume more’.
Georgie from Environment Victoria sent me their ‘Sustainable Festive Season Guide‘, which you can download via the link - it’s worth a look. In her words, “This festive season can be a time to rediscover the happiness and simplicity of time spent with family and friends, and avoiding the need to over-buy and over-spend on wasted gifts and food“.

Also, check out the great new video from Free Range Graphics…
‘The Story of Stuff‘ with Annie Leonard

I hope your Christmas is a time of rest and reflection, and renewed understanding of our place in this world.

Much Christmas cheer,

Nick

Job Vacancy - Tear Victoria Young Adults Development Officer

This looks like a fantastic opportunity for a praxiser, praxee, praxer…

Victoria Young Adults Development Officer

Applications close: 31 January 2008

TEAR Australia is seeking to grow a movement of young Christians in Australia who are committed to God’s work of justice and compassion, and keen to work out what this means for them in every aspect of their lives. We envisage a network of 18-25 year-olds passionate about:

• Prayer - A commitment to prayerfully seek God to move and to lead us to respond to injustice and the brutality of poverty.
• Advocacy - A commitment to lend our voice to those who are powerless and silenced by the unjust structures of our world.
• Environment - A commitment to honor God’s creation, sharing the planet’s resources with those who suffer first and most from environmental degradation, in sustainable ways.
• Lifestyle - A commitment to fashion a life that reflects the values of the Kingdom of God, built on Biblical principles of justice, compassion and care for the environment.

For More Information check out the Tear Website: Job Vacancy - Tear Victoria Young Adults Development Officer

Note For Age: The System wouldn’t let me select the category “More Opportunities” for this post, can you fix this?

No Way to the Inn

“No Way to the Inn - Bethlehem Behind the Wall” Campaign

Advent 2007

‘If the Christmas story were to happen today, Mary and Joseph would have a hard time getting to Bethlehem….

Join with other churches in this effort to uplift the crisis facing Bethlehem and remember the Palestinians cut-off from traditional lands.

‘Since 2002, Israeli authorities have been building a separation barrier that snakes through the occupied Palestinian territories, in effect annexing valuable Palestinian land and water resources. To clear the way, Palestinians living near the security barrier often face the threat of home demolitions. According to Israeli human rights monitoring organization B’tselem, the separation barrier affects nearly half a million Palestinian residents, and currently the barrier separates almost twelve percent of the land on the Palestinian side of the 1967 Green Line from the rest of the occupied Palestinian territories. When completed, the barrier will be 780 km long…..’

You will find campaign info Action Ideas and Advent reflections on ‘childbirth and occupation’ and ‘waiting for the light’ here from CPT
Go on build a wall around your or your churches nativity or cr?che.

(I made our one above available as a card here)

 

Questions/wonderings from praxis07

Here are the few questions or ideas that people would like to chat about that appeared on the butchers paper around the space from our weekend away. (Raw and in no particular order other than down the page )

Feel free to post about an idea or make comment or give a link …. go for it!

• Life after ‘Mission’ - returning to the heartland of consumer culture
• On being the worlds wealthiest 10%
• The jock culture alive and well in the Radical Discipleship scene - where do women of faith fit (or not fit)
• Life stage discipleship - singles, couples, parenting (with all the consumer issues around kids)
• How much do we really need? (do I need a fridge?)
• What do I hide from others I journey with?
• What does it mean to honour God’s environment in our communities?

any other ponders that didn’t make it to the butchers paper…

FairWear action alert - Sweat Free Christmas carols

?Fashion stinks if it?s made under sweatshop conditions? - FairWear

Hello everyone ? it?s on again!

Just bring your cheer and your raw lung power at 5:30pm Friday 14 Dec (corner of Bourke and Swanston St) to belt out some Sweat Free Christmas Carols!

sweatshop-carols-flyer-2007.pdf

RSVP fairwear@fairwear.org.au

Check out this account from our Christmas action last year http://morepraxis.org.au/?p=530 where unions, community organisations and faith communities came together to challenge sweatshops and exploitation of homeworkers in the clothing industry.

At a time when Christmas schlock is all about, we can celebrate a deeper meaning of Christmas.

Say no to bah and humbug?

Here is a message from FairWear (please pass this message on/post it up):

[Read more]

Kids ‘liberation’ Nativity

Last year our kids set up our nativity in a few different ways. This year their play and my pondering continues.

This year it appears we again have a focus on the animals but they are in chains. When asked about the chains Chlo? said “they can’t get out” Perhaps its a comment on animal liberation, live cattle exports or battery hens???? Liberation and Salvation are good Chrissy themes….

So Praxis>07 has been

Some high points for me were

• Having time with my family in a fun, welcoming temporary community. (thanks)
• The people who came
• In the word of ratty ?nothing I like better than messing about in boats?.
• As the song goes ?Talkin? about a revolution?
• Toasted stories had a really good feel on the Sat.
• Sandy?s approach and understanding of the way.
• Playing in the pool with all the kids trying to drown me.

The feed back sheets from our weekend have been really positive. I think we learnt a lot about how to do it again. People liked the relaxed and inclusive vibe, the electives, the space to chat with others, sandy, toasted stories. Plus we have some cool people keen to be on the praxis>08 organising team ? thanks so far Cara, Dave & Helen, Phil, Jez?)

Thanks to everyone who pitched in with pre organising, tech and design work, getting/making coffee and wine, printing stuff, speaking at electives, gatherings and toasted stories, music etc etc etc. It was a bit manic trying to catch all the bits into the weekend but I think we got there.

Here are a few photos from mike
(If you have some photos from the weekend I would love a copy).

UpperRoom - Ethical Consumption @ Age’s

This month the Upper Room Project meets at Age’s place not Shine.

A few reasons for the change in venue.

• As it is the Monday straight after praxis07 weekend we didn’t know how many would be up for another night together:)
• the topic is Ethical Consumption and Shine isn’t a fair trade/organic/etc player who last month double booked us with a party so we had to meet downstairs
• we have our own fair trade coffee and praxis wine if we do it ourselves with cafe>praxis
• plus it is a great opportunity to have a shared meal of ethical stuff as an end of year thing.

So we will have shared meal of foods brought by us that fit somewhere in the ethical consumption framework. Should be a fun way to engage the topic as we give reasons for our contribution.

Of course there will be info, video clips and art playing on a wall and some Christmas shopping ideas for a better world.

Email Age if you are coming so he gets a feel for numbers and food age@morepraxis.org.au

[Read more]

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