The year has started and many members of the NCCA – Safe Church Training Agreement (SCTA) have Awareness workshops running across the country. This year we are rolling out a SCTA Awareness Workbook to assist our members in training participants in creating a safe place for all people, in particular children, young people and those who are vulnerable. The feedback that we are receiving from across Australia shows that interest and participation levels are high, with some workshops being undertaken on days when temperatures exceeded 39 degrees.

Syria five years on

March 15 marked the 5 year anniversary of the beginning of the Syria conflict. In the years since it began, the conflict in Syria has created the worst humanitarian crisis of our time. And it’s civilians – women, children and men who are suffering the most. 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.

Mrs Carmen Lazar OAM, a member of the Act for Peace Commission, was recently presented with an award for International Womens Day. Due to her dedication and integrity of character Mrs Lazar has been the recipient of various awards the most notable to date the Order Of Australia Medal.

I invite you to read and pray over the Easter Messages from Heads of our member Churches as well as other Christian leaders

During the past two weekends I have been present with two different groups of people who spent time on discernment. One person suggested that Jesus could have taken a different route from the one he took on Palm Sunday. He could have chosen not to enter Jerusalem. Had he done so, he could have escaped death. Another opined that Jesus’ own discernment on that day took him on an amazing path. His listening to God and being open to what he heard cost him dearly. Few of us find ourselves in situations where listening to God’s Spirit cost us so dearly, or cost us our lives. For we live in safety and security. How blessed are we!

Easter Messages from Leaders of the Christian Churches in Australia 2016

The National Council of Churches in Australia is pleased to publish Easter messages from Leaders of many of the Christian Churches in Australia.

Writing as they do each year, the Church leaders address the significance of Easter, the high point of the Christian calendar, the feast of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is a season for rejoicing.

Many of the Church leaders reflect on the myriad challenges facing people in our society, sometimes leading to despair and hopelessness, even death. But they remind us that there is always hope, achieved for us by Jesus Christ who died on Good Friday and rose from the dead on Easter Sunday.

Noelene Osora

Noelene Osora was appointed Executive Assistant to the General Secretary of the NCCA in May 2015. She was drawn to the NCCA and the programmes/works conducted in its name, having run the Christmas Bowl appeal annually at her church.

The Randwick Congregation of the Uniting Church is where Noelene’s affiliation has been since her three children were little – they are now adults and living in Sydney/Melbourne and Japan.

World Day of Prayer – Friday 4 March

This year the country of focus is CUBA, providently so much in the news over recent months. Cuba and its people have suffered much in the last half century. Its government and the sanctions, imposed by the USA and consequently other countries, means they have little. 

The practice of religion was marginalised and living conditions deteriorated. Today there is religious freedom and growth in Christian congregations but few adequate or new buildings. Housing conditions mean several generations share a small unit and tensions rise leading to discontent and violence. There is much to pray about for the people of Cuba and especially the young. 

Lenten Resource 2016

Return to God: divine grace and human struggle is grounded in the Gospels that will be proclaimed in Western and Orthodox Churches each Sunday during Lent/the Great Lent. Each of the selected Gospels is followed by reflections from three different perspectives – Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant. Icons and images are also included.

We hope that many of you will contact neighbouring churches and invite people to form interdenominational groups.  Please note that Lent begins on Ash Wednesday 10 February/ the Great Lent 14 March 2016.

The Most Revd Dr Philip L Freier, Archbishop of Melbourne and Primate Anglican Church of Australia, delivered an address to the Missions Conference at Trinity College on Thursday, 11 February 2016. The theme of the conference was Life in Abundance, and in his speech, Archbishop Freier spoke about three important elements for how we go about proclamation and loving service in God’s name: Relationships, Gathering/Community and Prayer.

Peter is just finishing 3 months of service with the Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI), a program of the World Council of Churches. He has been based in Bethlehem, where his work has included providing protective presence to Palestinian children on their way to school and while at school so they are not harassed by Israeli security forces. Peter has also been monitoring the operation of the Bethlehem Checkpoint which is one of the main entry points for West Bank Palestinians to access Jerusalem for work, worship, and family gatherings.