Thank you to Simon for preparing this Lenten Series of Life Group Bible Studies on Lamentations. For each week there are some helpful thoughts, suggested readings and questions either for discussion in groups or for pondering on your own.
There are printed copies of each study on the Easter Resource Table at church - they are also available for download below:
- Study 1 - Lamentations intro
- Study 2 - How lonely sits the city (Lam 1)
- Study 3 - Where is bread and wine? (Lam 2)
- Study 4 - The Great Turning Point (Lam 3)
- Study 5 - How the gold has lost its lustre (Lam 4)
- Study 6 - A Prayer for Restoration (Lam 5)
As a church we are following Tim Chester’s 3-year Bible Reading Plan, taking us through the Old Testament once and the New Testament twice. It’s in weekly chunks so there is no pressure if you happen to miss a day. It’s flexible and manageable. We've done it for the past 4 years and we're starting it again in 2023.
Developing a Bible reading habit can be challenging so we'd suggest doing it together. This way you'll not only read the Bible but also be able to share with others the insights you are gaining from the readings and be encouraged to keep going.
How to get involved:
- Life Groups: Get your Life Group involved and use the readings as the basis of your sharing each week;
- Solo: Read the set readings on your own and prayerfully journal your thoughts;
We'd love to have you join us!
Thank you to Graham Buxton for preparing this series of Life Group Bible Studies on 1 Corinthians. For each set of studies there's an introduction and then short and helpful reflections with questions throughout.
The complete series are now available for download below:
- Fool's Gold (1 Cor 1-4)
- Good Different (1 Cor 5-8)
- A Different Kind of Freedom (1 Cor 9-11)
- The Greatest Thing (1 Cor 12-14)
- Risen (1 Cor 15-16)
From April 2018 to December 2019 we ran a series of vibrant, monthly night church services designed to inspire and challenge people to connect with the living God.
The messages were podcast and syndicated through the below platforms:
- Apple Podcasts
- Anchor
- Spotify
They are also available to stream/download from our Service Recordings page.
Check out our instagram @cusundaynight or the below photo gallery for some piccies...
A group of us (Simon, Jethro, David, Sue Laycock and Jenny Wichert) have embarked on a 2-year Building a Discipling Culture (BDC) coaching journey with Tim Piesse, National Training Pastor at Crossway Baptist Church.
Building a Discipling Culture is the rediscovery of how to be a disciple who knows how to multiply. We meet as a group fortnightly on Wednesday afternoons via zoom to open the Bible together and be coached in shaping culture and practice in our own context. In addition to this we engage in a 2-day in-person intensive each 6 months where we set aside time to unpack what we're learning and apply it to our local contexts.
Learn more here or feel free to chat with any of us. We'd also encourage you to read our notes from these sessions (the format will vary from week to week as we are taking it in turns to be note-taker). This document will be updated after each fortnightly session.
Note: This page is current as of 12.30am 6 May 2022
With COVID continuing to make its presence known, we are very much aware of the impact this can have on people and would encourage you to reach out to your Life Group, one of the pastors or a close friend if you need to talk and pray about anything. You can contact us via email or just give us a ring (refer our Team page for contact details).
Refer below for information on the following:
- Current guidelines
- SA COVID-19 Mental Health Support Line
If you would like to try your hand at making a mask, Heather Cheesman has put together this video to step you through how it's done (using this template). Thanks Heather! (Another less helpful video perhaps can be found here...)
This Resource Page is for all who are doing some filming from home for our online ministry. Your contribution really helps to build community - thank you.
The linked 1-page document (written by Simon and David) and 10-min video (downloaded from open.life.church) will give a few tips to make the process easy not only for you but for those who may need to edit it. Videos and any other types of files can be uploaded to our Google Drive using this form. (This only currently works when accessed via the website, not the app.)
The video is well worth a watch for anyone filming yourself by yourself with just a phone - it's made by a filmmaker and is packed with tips and examples, including if you're shooting for kids (from 1:50), and is all shot on a phone with simple at-home props. The blurb reads:
How do you shoot great videos without a camera crew? On your phone? In your home? Sounds like the ultimate challenge, but this fun, engaging video with filmmaker Jesse Doland will show you how.
This page seeks to resource our Life Group Leaders and contains the handouts and further information from our Training Sessions. These are listed below:
- Nov 2019 - The Purpose of Life Groups and How to Lead a Bible study (with Uncover bookmark and One-to-one Bible Reading (COMA) resource)
- Mar 2020 - Encouraging individuals to grow through Life Groups
- Mar 2020 - Zoom for Life Groups
- Apr 2020 - Pastoral Care for Life Groups, anytime and during COVID-19 restrictions
- May 2020 - Engaging with Scripture online
We will be updating this page as further training is provided which will at this stage take place in person, covering the following topics:
- Encouraging our Groups in Evangelism and Mission Support (see Sam Chan's video - Evangelism in the COVID-19 Crisis)
- Encouraging our Groups in Seeking Justice
Contact Cat Patrick for more information.
COVID Update - the challenges of COVID-19 have meant that from time to time some of our Life Groups are meeting online. Refer to the linked Zoom for Life Groups resource for further information. Zoom has also created a 'How to Zoom' YouTube playlist and Margaret Strickland's husband, Alan, has also put together a comprehensive document Using Zoom for Online Meetings that may be of additional help.
What different Screening Checks are there?
There are several different Screening Checks that may be required for people who volunteer or work in the Uniting Church. The most common of these are:
- Working with Children Checks (WWCCs)
- General Employment Probity Checks
- Vulnerable Person Related Employment Checks
How do I know which Screening Check I need?
The Information on the Screening and Authority Process sheet includes details about which Screening Checks are needed when. This information is summarised below:
Working with Children Check (WWCC) - valid for 5 years (portable)
See our Working with Children Check resource page for information or continue reading to apply for one.
General Employment Probity Check - valid for 3 years (non-portable) and required for:
- Ministry Agents in active service (eg. Ministers and Pastors) and employees in the church
- Church Council members and office bearers
- Anyone who is rostered or requested by a church leader to drive members to/from church activities
- Anyone who deals with or handles money
Vulnerable Person Related Employment Check - valid for 3 years (portable) and required for:
- Ministry Agents in active service (eg. Ministers and Pastors) and employees in the church
- Anyone who undertakes intentional pastoral care on behalf of the congregation
- Anyone who leads or assists with worship services in aged care facilities or hospitals
- Anyone who works with refugees or migrants
- Anyone offering social support services (eg. counselling, financial support, soup kitchen)
So, how do I apply for these Screening Checks?
Screening Check requests are facilitated by the SA Synod via an application made on the Safe Church Screening page. Information collected from this application will initiate a Screening Check with the DHS.
Use this flowchart (which refers to the below two information sheets) to follow the process through.
- Information on the Screening and Authority Process
- Process for Screening Checks
If you have any queries, please contact our Safe Church Congregation Liaison (Kathy Fopp).
* Note that if you are under 18 you will still need to go through the first part of this process, however you will be unable to verify your ID online and will need to complete a 100 point check via the DHS website.
* Note that if you don't have an Australian driver's licence and an Australian passport (acceptable even if expired for up to two years) or a numbered Australian birth certificate or a numbered Australian citizenship certificate, you will need to complete this 100 Point Identity Verification Check instead of using the online DHS process.