Tongan Uniting church people met in Sydney last weekend. – about 1500.
The Auburn Youth Choir were #chargedbytheholyspirit at the Tongan
National Conference - TNC this long weekend. #TNC2014
While most people were spending the long weekend relaxing, the Tongan
Uniting Church congregations scattered across Australia celebrated the annual Tongan National Conference. The TNC is used to strengthen the fellowship and bond of the Tongan Christians in Australia.
Our minister, Rev Ikani, Moana and the children were able to participate in this wonderful celebration.
Our Church Website: www.
eastgeelongunitingchurch .org.au/ Church Office phone:
52232026 Office hours 10 to 11.30 on Friday mornings eastgeelonguc@bigpond.com
Minister: the Rev IkaniVaitohi phone 0432680028.
Property Matters: contact John Birrell phone 52291977 or mobile 04185872
The Uniting Church in Australia
LectionaryBible Readings: Genesis 1: 1-2:4a, Psalm 8, 2
Corinthians 13: 11-13, Matthew 28: 16-20.
as on data projector.
Our Worship today is led by our minister, Rev Ikani. After worship please stay for morning tea and fellowship.
Please leave the Together in Song hymn books in the seats in the
Chapel as some people like to sing from the books rather than the wall. You will notice another book for use in worship – Uniting in
Worship, resource books that have come from South Geelong.
TODAY Young Families Picnic from 11.45 this morning for a
12.30 BBQ lunch at Rippleside Park. Cost $5 adults $3 children or bring your own food. Talk with Robert Turnour for catering purposes. All ages welcome.
Everybody can be great because anybody can serve – you only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love, and you can be that servant. Martin Luther King Jnr.

NEXT WEEK
th
Friday: 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Prayer and Lectionary Bible readings discussion .Office open from 10 a.m. to 11.30 a.m.
Ezekiel 37: 15-
18, Psalm 122, Hebrews 13: 1-8, John 17: 20-
26.
toPeg Swarts on the 22 nd , Jorja Storrar and
Barbara Ross on the 23 rd
and Viliami Vaitohi on the 26 th
.
Share is the only official appeal raising funds for the Uniting
Church network of community services in Victoria and Tasmania and your role is really important to us and the work of the church in the wider community. Can you take one of the Share packs to read and respond as you can. The theme this year is
and focuses on the story of June and her three children. A donation of $30 can give a family like June’s a food voucher to help.
From the letter byAngela Goodwin, Directory Operations and
Development.
A hymn about the Trinity
Breastplate of Saint Patrick
I bind unto myself to day The strong name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same,The
Three in One and One in Three. I bind this day to me for ever, By power of faith, Christ's Incarnation;
His baptism in the Jordan River; His death on cross for my salvation; His bursting from the spicèd tomb; His riding up the heavenly way; His coming at the day of doom; I bind unto myself today.
Dear Friends in Christ,
In 2000 the Uniting Church National Assembly committed the UCA to ongoing support for refugee and asylum seeker resettlement in Australia; and to affirm the need for fair, humanitarian, adequately resourced and culturally appropriate government policies and procedures for the processing of refugees and asylum seekers both within Australia and overseas.
I’m writing to you in the lead-up to this years’ celebration of Refugee
Week, which runs from this coming Sunday 15 June – Saturday 21 June.
Refugee Week is Australia's peak annual activity to raise awareness about the issues affecting refugees and celebrate the positive contributions made by refugees in our local communities. The theme for
Refugee Week over the last few years has been “Restoring Hope”, which reminds us that while a refugee’s journey begins with danger, it also begins with hope.

Happy Anniversary to the Uniting Church in Australia
Older members can remember the momentous event when three separate denominations joined together to form the Uniting Church in 1977. But it is worth taking the time to tell the story to younger generations or new members, so that the joy of that occasion and all that has been achieved is not lost. Here are few suggestions for telling that story using the UCA logo and a variety of materials:
I used this recently in a church worship service and not only the children but adults too were fascinated to see the logo emerge…
I have a story in this box (Hold up box, but leave lid on)
– I wonder if the colours of the box are a clue? What are the colours? Mmm, three colours in one box. Let’s see what is inside.
(Place black felt circle on the floor and smooth it out slowly) What does this look like?
(Usually someone will say “it is a black circle”)
Yes, well the person who first told this story said this is like a darkened earth …
(Move your hand over the felt in a slow circle) Have you ever seen photos of planet earth in the dark?
(Get the next piece out of the box, a white felt u-shape, and place it on) This makes a difference. What does it look like now?
(Usually someone will say “a smiley face”)
It certainly looks brighter now. What could it mean? I wonder if this is a bowl … or a letter ‘u’…?
(Get the next piece which is a long white strip of felt) I wonder what this means? (Someone usually says it is like an anchor or boat) It could be those things, but what happens when we add this? (Place the other strip of felt to form the cross)
(At this point it looks strikingly like an anchor and you can agree with that suggestion, and perhaps point out that it also looks like a boat without a sail. Sit back and pause, looking puzzled) Hmmm, this is good, but it needs something more.

Take a plain dark chocolate biscuit like a wheaten.
(Get the red felt dove out and place it in the middle) Ahh, this makes all the difference! This brings it to life! What do you think it is? Yes, it is a bird, but not just any bird. This is a dove, a sign of the Spirit, and it is red, like Pentecost. The red dove is flying not resting. Do you think it looks like a red flame too?
(By now people realise it is a familiar logo and they are intrigued) The three colours represent the three churches that formed the Uniting Church
– Methodist,
Presbyterian and Congregational. The darkened earth has received the light of the cross, the u-shape stands for the Uniting Church but also helps form an anchor or a boat, both early symbols of the church. But the red dove expresses the movement of the Spirit, and just like it brings this logo to life, it brings the church to life.
(Get out some small red feathers) In the box there are also some red feathers, from the red dove, so take one and remember the red dove and what it means, and when you see this logo on a building, it might be a school or a church or an aged care centre or a shop, you will know what it means.
Using white icing, either roll it between your hands to form shapes, or roll it out on a board and cut it out in shapes, form a u-shape on the biscuit.
Next add the cross the same way.
Then add the red dove, either cut out of fruit strap or using red icing in a squeeze tube.
See the felt story above for the meaning of the logo. Tell the story as you decorate the biscuit, then let children make their own.
The same technique can be used to decorate a cupcake. If desired a large round cake can be iced with dark chocolate and decorated with whipped cream in a can

and fresh strawberries or frozen berries to form the UCA logo. This makes a spectacular morning tea after a church service.
Take a plain Jatz biscuit or something similar, like a round water cracker.
Download a colouring in version of the Uniting Church logo
The three colours represent the three churches that came together to form the
Uniting Church – the Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregational churches.
Spread with Vegemite.
Add the u-shape cut out of cheese or bent with string cheese. Add the cross in cheese. The red dove can be cut from tomato or red capsicum or even a squeeze of tomato sauce.
See the felt story above for the meaning of the logo. Tell the story as you decorate the biscuit, then let the children make their own. They might like to make lots for morning tea for everyone!
Children can plait together three colours of ribbon or dyed leather straps to form a wrist band.
Black and white and red beads can also be used to remember the three denominations that formed the Uniting Church.