UCAF Mystery Bus Trip - September

23 members participated in our Mystery Bus Trip late last month. As they boarded the bus, speculation was high as to where our destination was.  We headed towards Beechworth and many people expected us to stop at the Stanley café, but this was not to be as we turned south from Beechworth and made our way down the Buckland Gap. Perhaps we were going to the Murmungee hall, but then we joined the Great Alpine Road and our driver, David James, led us to Myrtleford and the Rein of Pearls Gift and Coffee shop.

This wonderful venue was an eye-opener to all and the food was delicious – soup, toasted sandwiches or Shepherd’s Pie, followed by tea and coffee, scones & jam and cream and a beautiful assortment of cakes and slices.

After lunch members wandered around the gift shop. Most bought something from the wide variety of well-priced gifts on display. We can recommend this venue to anyone.  A big thank you to David, our driver who took over from Jeff at the last moment. I know he enjoyed the day too.


Our next meeting will be a craft afternoon at the home of Eileen Dinning, 2 Blake Street, Wangaratta on Tuesday 22nd.  October at 1.30pm. All are welcome to attend.

Wangaratta Uniting Church Opportunity Shop & September Changeover Day Photos

The Wangaratta Uniting Church operates a very active Op Shop at 39 Vincent Road.  

High quality children's, ladies' and men's clothing and accessories are available, as well as books, toys and a wide variety of household goods and manchester.

Goods such as these are warmly accepted for sale, but damaged or dirty goods and items such as furniture, electrical and computer goods cannot be accepted.

We are open weekdays 10am - 4pm and Saturdays 9am - 12 noon.  Closed Sundays and all public holidays.

Well worth a visit!

Op Shop Changeover Day

On Saturday 21st September 2013, 26 volunteers spent a busy morning cleaning, organising and changing over from Winter to Summer stock in the Op Shop.  Here are some photos from the day.

 

PALS Father's Day Meeting

Our September Meeting of PALS was all about celebrating fathers.  We were privileged to have Carl Clayden with us as our guest speaker.  Carl shared several humorous stories and some very entertaining Australian bush poetry.  We have known him for some time in his role as a Minister and it was wonderful to have him share with us and to get to know him better.

The fathers from within our group were invited to cut our special 'Hey Dads' Father's Day cake.  (see photos below) Fortunately for us they were happy to share some of it with the ladies at the meeting!

We also enjoyed singing the PALS Song and several well-known old hymns accompanied by Mandy Reich.  Our singing is improving!

The PALS are looking forward to being part of the annual Aged Care Service which will take place on October 20th.  We are also planning our yearly bus trip which will take the place of our November Meeting.  Details about both of these events will be available shortly.

It is wonderful to welcome several new members to our PALS group and they are fitting in beautifully.

- Rosemary Steele
(Lay Aged Care Minister)

UCAF Report - “A Flower-less Flower Show” and upcoming events

The August meeting of the UCAF was “A Flower-less Flower Show”.   (see photos from the day below)

24 members attended this fun afternoon where all members participated. There was a mixed assortment of flower-less items on show including flower brooches, a wedding head piece, plates, mugs, scarves, dresses, rugs, quilts and many more.  All agreed it was a fun afternoon, topped off with afternoon tea.

Our next UCAF meeting will be on Tuesday September 24, a mystery bus trip stopping for lunch along the way.  More details on this event later.

The October meeting is planned as a Christmas Craft afternoon at a venue to be advised at a later date.

The final meeting for the year, our Christmas Break Up, will be held in November. There will be more information on this shortly.

- Betty Whitten

PALS High Tea to celebrate Mother's Day

The May PALS Meeting will be a High Tea in honour of Mother's Day.

Easter Message From The Team

Easter means different things to different people.  For some it is a holiday, enough days to get away and have a break!  For some it is time to catch up with family and enjoy time together.  For others it is about eating, as the smell of fresh hot cross buns wafts on the air and chocolate, lots of chocolate tempts us.  It is a time for rest, for fun, for sport.  The Easter break offers opportunity for all this and yet Easter is so much more.  Easter is a time to remember a great life-changing event that happened long ago while still being real for us today and indeed every day.  How can this be? 

The Christian church celebrates on Easter Day because after the distress of Good Friday when the death of Jesus is remembered, on Easter Day Jesus was raised from death the new life, eternal life.  Christians believe that it is the power of God’s love that brought this new life.  This offers us hope and the promise that our life is lived surrounded and filled with the great love of God in this life and for all eternity.

 

This process of death and resurrection, of dying and rising is all around us and particularly evident in rural areas where grain is grown.  The tiny seeds are planted in the dark earth and then in the right conditions where there is enough moisture and sunshine, they miraculously germinate and grow to form heads of grain that will provide food to sustain more life – human life, animal life, and seed for next years crop.  So too, the love of God grows and multiplies in our hearts and shines forth from our lives.  This is all part of the great message that we reflect on and celebrate at Easter.

- Rev. Christine Thomson (on behalf of the Ministry Team)

UCAF (Uniting Church Adult Fellowship) First Meeting & 2013 Program

Our first meeting for 2013 was held on Tuesday 26th February at 1.30pm.  This was our Commitment Service and was led by Rev Christine Thomson and was followed by a short meeting and afternoon tea.

We meet in the Meeting Room on the 4th Tuesday of each month.  This is a very laid back group and we warmly welcome anyone who would like to join us.  Our programs are varied and each month differs but includes a short devotion, program and afternoon tea.  Below please find our proposed program for 2013.

- Convenor, Betty Whitten

Easter Services

Below is the list of the services around our Parish for Holy Week.

Please note the updated time for the Easter Sunday Sunrise service which differs from the time published in the newsletter.  

* Also please note there will be a service on Easter Sunday at Whitfield at 10.15am

Pancake Dinner - Friday Feb. 22nd 6.30pm

A pancake dinner will be held on Friday the 22nd of February in the Church Hall (Rowan Street) beginning at 6.30pm.  

The guest speaker will be Dr. Graeme Blanch and he will be speaking on his time spent in Northern India at Ladakh with a volunteer program "Vets Beyond Borders".

The cost of the evening is $15 for adults and $5 for school-aged children.

Profits from the night will go to the Uniting Church bushfire appeal.  

Invite your friends and neighbours along.  To book or find out more contact Renate at the Church Office on 57216555 by February the 20th.  

Spotlight: SALT group

SPOTLIGHT ON SALT

SALT is the acronym for Sharing And Learning Together, an ecumenical small group.      

In February-March 2002 a group of people from the Greta-Moyhu area, had such an enjoyable and significant time sharing together in six weeks of Lenten studies, that they wanted to continue.                               

After meeting together in homes a couple of times, the idea of SALT evolved and on 17^th June at 6.30 pm we had a bring to share Tea and Study Group at Carl & Myra Clayden’s 

This was the “official’ beginning of SALT.

The Focus Is on fellowship around a meal together. 

               Eating together is important.

            Singing together

            Laughing together

            Learning together

           

On the third Monday of the month ladies bring something to eat and we meet in homes and halls.  We also have a Picnic Day and a Special Dinner Night through the year.

SALT is meeting a real need.  Men come to Salt who never come to church.

We average 18-24 at our meetings.

- Carl Clayden is the contact person for this group  (0427131928)

Christmas Day Dinner 2012 Report & Photos

The Christmas Day Dinner hosted by UnitingCare Goulburn North East together with the Uniting Church Wangaratta Parish was a roaring success.  They expected 104 people and 120 turned up.  Extra tables were set up and every chair in the church complex was found and used. Those who arrived early we treated to recorded carols and Christmas stories in the Church.  There was a great atmosphere of celebration.

The meal in the Hall was provided by North East Health Wangaratta, and those on the kitchen team did an outstanding job serving them up considering the extra numbers. The program included carol singing, table game, and a powerpoint presentation “The Chocolate Christmas Story.”  

Father Christmas arrived while we were singing “Jingle Bells” and  the children helped him to give each person a gift, along with a jar of home-made jam, lovingly prepared beforehand by a small group of volunteers from the Uniting Church.

Each team did their required tasks flawlessly and everything flowed smoothly.  

The whole dinner including the preparation, implementation and cleaning up was superbly co-ordinated.  Special thanks go to the UCGNE CEO and co-ordinator as well as the Master Of Ceremonies for an excellent job.  Grateful thanks must also go to all those who donated treats or home baked goods for the take-home gift boxes.


- Carl Clayden



Preparation of the Christmas take-home gift boxes, table set-up and hall decoration:

- photos taken on the day will be added shortly.