As we move into Spring we frequently experience the delight of new life. Blossoms abound, shoots break through the soil, fresh leaves appear on branches. Many years ago, some friends and I drove into the Flinders Ranges about this time of the year.

Two memories stay with me: As we drover further into the ranges, I turned and looked through the rear window of the car. The hills were covered in purple! It was as though Salvation Jane (known in other states as Patterson’s Curse) garmented the land! When we stopped the car and walked on the dry red soil, in amongst the grey-greens of the salt bush, once or twice we were delighted by the sight of the blood-red Sturt Desert Pea, with its shiny red-black petals. These were special moments. 

Following their 2nd meeting on Wednesday 24 August, the President and the Board of National Council of Churches in Australia have released a statement to the media urging the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition and the Governor General to “…sort out a solution to the issue of Nauru and Manus Island Detention Centres”, and asking them to consider convening a Consultation on Peace-making in Australia. 

Visit of the World Council of Churches General Secretary

Rev Dr Olav Fykse Tveit will visit Australia, 11-17 October. It is expected that he will visit Brisbane, Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and Adelaide. His itinerary will include public lectures, worship, meeting with church leaders and civil leaders. He hopes to meet with people of other faiths and cultures. Details of the visit will be made known in the next newsletter. 

Youth PoWR (Youth Parliament of the World’s Religions) 2016 Towards a More Compassionate and Just Society

Do you want to help build compassion and justice in Australia today, and have a voice and a vote in shaping our multi-religious, multicultural society?

3 September 2016, 6pm -10pm
Monte Sant’ Angelo College 128 Miller St, North Sydney

Serbian Orthodox Church

In May 2015 the Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, meeting at the Patriarchate Palace in Belgrade elected Archimandrite Siluan (Mrakić) as Bishop of the Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand.

On 7 August he will be consecrated bishop at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Holy Archangel Michael in Belgrade. On 22 October he will be enthroned in St George Historic Cathedral in Cabramatta by His Grace Bishop Longin of New Gracanica—Midwestern America.

Holly has worked as the Supporter Care Officer for Act for Peace since May 2015. She was attracted to this role as an opportunity to combine her customer service experience and Development Studies degree to inspire our valued supporters to give more, do more and stay longer in the fight against injustice.

This year Holly participated in the Ration Challenge, eating the same rations as a Syrian refugee for a week and raising money to support Act for Peace’s refugee programs. She values the opportunity to stand with refugees and join our supporters in this shared experience.

An invitation from the Royal Commission into institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse

MULTICULTURAL FORUMS - Sydney

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has recently held multicultural forums in Perth and Hobart in July and will host another for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in:

Ration Challenge

Bringing hope and comfort to refugees in Jordan with over $2.3 million raised

Last November, I travelled to Jordan to see Act for Peace’s work with Syrian families living in urban refugee camps. These were mothers, fathers and small children who’d been living normal lives and then suddenly lost everything – their homes, belongings, people they love – and found themselves strangers in a foreign country, cold, hungry and alone.

Bible and Ecology: Reading scripture through ecological eyes

Join this national webinar to engage ecology and biblical theology with scholars from around Australia and the world

Monday 19th September 10:30am to 5:30pm (Australian Eastern Time) 

In recent years, in the context of growing ecological awareness, biblical scholars have been working to move beyond human-focused perspectives and read the Bible with a deliberate sympathy for the wider Earth community. In this full-day webinar, we will hear from scholars around the country about reading the Bible through “ecological eyes”, and will practise applying such lenses to scripture.