At the Annual General Meeting on 30 October 2019, The Interim General Secretary, Ms Liz Stone, presented an Annual Review for 2018-2019 relating to the activities and programs of the National Council of Churches in Australia.

Hope, Love, Joy and Peace

As we prepare for the Feast of the Nativity and all our Christmas celebrations, we offer you some reflections and resources from our members and their networks.

Transitioning to net zero emissions: What can we learn from the Swedish model?

The ANU Climate Change Institute and the Embassy of Sweden are hosts of this seminar presented by Prof Sverker Sörlin, Professor of Environmental History at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, and co-founder of the KTH Environmental Humanities Laboratory

When: Wednesday 4 December 2019, 4:00 - 5:00 pm
Where: Finkel Theatre, John Curtin School of Medical Research, 131 Garran Road Canberra, ACT 

Help raise funds for the Christmas Bowl

Rev Dr Martin Luther King: The Story of Dr King's campaign to secure voting rights via the historic Selma to Montgomery march 1965.

When: Monday 2 December 2019, 6:30 pm for 7:00 pm start

Where: Gawler Cinema 

Komitas - on the 150th anniversary of his birth

Armenian priest, composer, ethnomusicologist, choral conductor and teacher.

Featuring the Armenian String Quartet from Armenia.

When: Friday 18 October, 2019 
Where: The Concourse, Concert Hall, Victoria Avenue, Chatswood NSW

10 OCTOBER 2018 

MAKE A PROMISE

See beyond the stigma and make mental health more visible by making a #MentalHealthPromise.

At home, at work, with family and friends, or in the wider community, we can all do something to help reduce stigma around mental illness and make way for more people to seek the help and support.

South Australian Council of Churches is moving

New office:
Unit 1, 76-80 Sturt Street Adelaide SA
The office will be closed until Thursday 3 October. Please expect delays with Emails and phone messages during this time.

Submissions Invited - close on 2 October 2019

The Australian Government invites submissions on a package of legislative reforms on religious freedom. These are the:

• Religious Discrimination Bill 2019
• Religious Discrimination (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2019
• Human Rights Legislation Amendment (Freedom of Religion) Bill 2019.

Australian Tour 2019

Canberra - 23 and 25 June, Sydney - 27 June, Melbourne - 29 June

Bishop Coorilos is a special guest of the National Council of Churches in Australia for the 10th National Forum. While in Australia he will be speaking at four different public events across three states.

The 9th biennial Safer Churches Conference

Transforming Cultures

Listening, Reflecting, Acting

17 and 18 September 2019 at the Mecure Hotel Brisbane. 

The theme for the conference was "Transforming Cultures: Listening, Reflecting, Acting" and provided the framework across the two-day event.

Master of ceremonies for the conference was Sam Burnett, Prolegis Lawyers. The conference focused on ensuring Australian churches are informed by key leaders, who are experts in this area in Australia.

The conference keynote presentations, panel discussions and electives explored a range of themes. The Panel discussions were facilitated by Ellen Fanning, an award winning ABC journalist.

Keynotes:

• Child-Safe Churches: A transformative culture
  Prof Daryl Higgins, Australian Catholic University, Institute of Child Protection Studies
• Listening to the voices of children
  Prof Tim Moore, University of South Australia, Australian Centre for Child Protection
• Understanding the Impact of Institutional Betrayal and Spiritual Abuse on Survivors
  Julie Blyth, Clinical Consultant, Survivors and Mates Support Network (SAMSN) and
  Craig Hughes-Cashmore, Chief Executive Officer SAMSN
• Transforming Cultures: Trauma Informed Practice
  Dr Cathy Kezelman AM, President, Blue Knot Foundation National Centre of Excellence for Complex Trauma
• National Office for Child Safety
  Kathryn Mandla, Head National Office for Child Safety

Panels:

• Panel 1: Child-Safe Churches: A transformative culture and Listening to the voices of children
  Panel members: Prof Daryl Higgins and Prof Tim Moore, Lynette Drew and Prof Peter Sherlock.
• Panel 2: Understanding the Impact of Institutional Betrayal and Spiritual Abuse on Survivors and Trauma Informed Practice
  Panel members: Julie Blyth, Craig Hughes-Cashmore, Dr Cathy Kezelman AM, Rev Catherine Wynn Jones, Dr Graham Barker, Scott Holmes and Caroline Carroll OAM
• Panel 3: What is the Church’s imperative/mandate to safeguard vulnerable people, particularly the aging and those with disabilities?
  Panel members: Rev Andy Calder, Janette Phelan, Ilsa Hampton, Dr Jeffrey Chan and Lucy Davis

PRESENTATIONS

pdf Bishop Philip Huggins - Opening reflection (330 KB)		pdf Elizabeth Stone, Interim General Secretary (902 KB)
pdf Prof Daryl Higgins - Child Safe Churches (2.32 MB)		pdf Prof Tim Moore - Listening to the voices of children (3.63 MB)
pdf The National Office for Child Safety - Kathryn Mandla (1.35 MB)		pdf Julie Blyth and Craig Hughes Cashmore - Understanding ...survivors (1.98 MB)

VIDEOS

Grooming workshop

Session 1

Session 2

Session 3a

Session 3b

Session 3c

Session 4

Session 5

Session 6

WORKSHOPS

pdf Grooming Awareness (2.32 MB)		pdf Working with an Intercultural Church - Rev Dr Marc Chan (1.04 MB)
pdf Transforming Church cultures - John Cox, Lynette Drew (1.74 MB)		pdf Promoting equality, preventing violence - Scott Holmes (1.25 MB)
Tools for Listening - A Safe Church Resource, UCA

VIDEOS

Day 2 - The panel on ageing and disability had a number of great videos, in MP4 format, that you can download below:

video Respect Older People Panel video 1 (12.54 MB)

video People with Disability in the Community Panel Video 2 (29.41 MB)

video See Me Know Me Panel Video 3 (19.54 MB)

Day 2 - Worship, Bishop Philip Huggins

video Stop for Peace (93.79 MB)

PHOTO GALLERY

DAY ONE

DAY TWO