Supervised/Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) is a programme of education and formation for pastoral care. Applications are now open for the Semester 1, 2024 Unit being offered by Uniting CPE – The John Paver Centre. Semester dates are from 2 February to 25 June, 2024. Applications close  on 8 November, with interviews scheduled for 16 and 17 November. Supervisors are Rev Lauren Mosso and Rev Andy Calder. For further inquiries contact Andy Calder on 93408844 or andy.calder@victas.uca.org.au During the period 11 August to 25 September, please contact Lauren Mosso on 0400 569 330 or lauren.mosso@victas.uca.org.au Further details in the attached brochure.

The latest report of the Act2 Project is now available. Act2: In Response to God’s Call brings together what we have heard from across the Uniting Church, theological reflections, and possible future Directions and Options for the Church to consider. The Act2 Project team have launched four new videos to help people across the Uniting Church engage with the ideas in the new Act2 report and respond to the Directions and Options it puts forward. Please follow the link here. Until 30 November 2023, every part of the Uniting Church is invited to respond to the Options and Directions – input will that will help shape the proposals to go before the Assembly meeting in July 2024. Response forms are now available, and you can find all the opportunities to get involved here. Now is the time to pray and participate! President Rev Sharon Hollis and Act2 Project Lead Andrew Johnson will be going live on Facebook to take your questions on everything Act2. Find the stream on the Uniting Church in Australia page on Thursday 10 August at 11am AEST (10:30am ACST and 9am AWST). To submit your question you can post in the Facebook event, use the ‘Submit a question button here” or email Assembly (uca.act2@nat.uca.org.au) or simply jump on live and post in the comments.

VicTas Synod 2023 will be held from November 18-21 at Box Hill Town Hall. The Synod meets approximately every 18 months to receive reports, discern proposals, and discuss matters that concern the general oversight, direction and life of the Uniting Church in Victoria and Tasmania. Those attending the Synod meeting are nominated representatives from all eight presbyteries. The program includes a Tributes Service, which honours ministers who, sincethe previous Synod meeting, have: The meeting will also be live-streamed and most of the sessions recorded including the Opening Worship on the morning of November 18. WHAT IS SYNOD?Synod meetings are important in defining who we are as the Uniting Church in Victoria and Tasmania. They are sometimes faced with challenging matters and important decisions, including discerning who will be our next Moderator-elect. Such decisions are best made when we gather together to discern God’s direction for our Church, and listen to the varied voices that make up our Synod. SPECIAL GUESTSBrooke Prentis – Aboriginal Christian Leader, international speaker, writer, educator, and poet will preach during the Opening Worship. Rev Associate Professor Robyn Whitaker – Senior Lecturer in New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, will lead the Bible Studies.

The Korean Church of Melbourne was founded in July 8th 1973, and was the first migrantcongregation established in Australia for Korean immigrants. Today it is the largest Korean church in Melbourne with more than 600 adult members, and Sunday schools that continue to grow in numbers. KCM celebrated their 50th anniversaryin their three worship services on Sunday 2nd July, and at Homecoming Day on Saturday, 29th July. On Sunday 2nd July, Rev Anneke Oppewal together with Presbytery chairperson, Tom Spurling, were privileged to be among the more than 300 people who joined in one of the three services to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Korean Church of Melbourne (KCM). Two weeks later, Homecoming Day was celebrated on Saturday, 29th July. This was a special occasion to honour God’s grace, and to welcome back home those who havebeen part of KCM’s journey. The 50th anniversary celebrations on 2nd July were the culmination of three days of Bible studies with Rev Jim Bob Park at a Bible Conference Movement event hosted by KCM. Rev Park is the Vice-President of Compassion Korea, a Christian, non-denominational organisation that began as a project to meet the needs of children in post-war Korea. It now has offices in 14 countries, supporting Compassion Children’s Centers in 29countries around the world. Bible Conference Movement events are an important way in which Koreans gather to hear speakers sharing the Bible. Many people from the Melbourne Korean community attended the meetings on 30th June, 1st July and the three services on 2nd July. The services on Sunday were conducted by Rev Han Song, with guest preacher Rev Jim Bob Park giving the final sermon of his Bible study series. Each of the three services had their own flavour, but reflected the way in which KCM continues to be a thriving church. The 11am service was followed by a substantial lunch cooked on site, with our Presbytery Secretary, Anne Kim, expertly directing operations! For more details visit KCM’s website or Facebook pages: English ministry: and main Korean page:

On Sunday, 9th July Tom Spurling, Rev Anneke Oppewal, and Pastor David and Val Higham attended morning worship at Black Rock UC to officially bless the merger, (or “Marriage”) of two churches: St Andrew’s by the Sea, Black Rock Uniting Church and Cheltenham/Mentone Uniting Church. A new congregation was formed, for the time being known as “Charman Uniting Church”. Di Paterson describes the “courtship.” Two plus years ago Cheltenham/Mentone UC came to join us at St Andrews Black Rock UC for just 6 months while their Church was being renovated. Two years later we had grown together as the people of God worshipping at Black Rock. After a time ofdiscussion and prayer, Black Rock decided to merge with Cheltenham/Mentone, but you can’t have a “Marriage” unless both parties say “I do!” Cheltenham/Mentone were delighted to merge, so we became engaged and began preparations for the “wedding,” which was held on 9th July, 2023 at Black Rock. Tom Spurling, Chairperson of the Presbytery, led the service of Recognition of a new Congregation. There were several declarations of “I do.” The congregations, Church Council members, Rev Greg Fry and Pastor Di Paterson all declared their commitment to moving forward together, followed by a blessing, the formal announcement and thunderous applause. We then shared in Holy Communion as one Congregation – in the interim called Charman Uniting Church. After the service we all enjoyed the celebratory lunch with soup, sandwiches, party pies and sausage rolls, accompanied by a slice of the beautiful “Wedding Cake!” It was a time of wonderful fellowship, and it was a joy to have the longest serving members from each congregation cut the cake. We will continue to worship at Black Rock until our building has been renovated, then it will be a new beginning for us all as we join together as the “Charman Uniting Church”. Di PatersonPastor, “Charman Uniting Church”

Chaplains from Uniting Agewell, Rev Ann Simons and Trish Campbell, share their insightsinto what chaplaincy really means from their experiences. Throughout my life, I have heard about the presence of Hope and its importance. Sometimes you need to be at life’s crossroads and lose it all, to understand thedepth of meaning in such a small word. Many years ago, the acronym of Holding Onto Promises Eternal took on a greater significance when I became the primary care-giver for my mum. and later when I began working in residential aged care. We sit with, hold space for and hear other peoples’ experiences. Providing an environment where the light of hope can flourish, sometimes in the face of challenge and adversity, is a situation where all of us are in familiar territory. The loss of hope is often faced by people when they can no longer continue living at home and enter residential aged care. Everything in their lives may seem to be in flux or change, and understandably, huge emotional shifts occur. Hope develops through the building of connection and developing the required trust. This can only be achieved through a combination of 1:1 connection and building friendship groups based on an individual’s interests. Hope slowly builds as connections are developed and strengthened. Being part of a collective community takes time. Maintaining, cementing and encouraging an existing faith connection all aids in this process.Trish CampbellChaplaincy, Uniting AgeWell Andrew Kerr Care