Make a Faith Witness: A congregational response
The Social Justice Network of Churches of Christ invites you and your congregation to reflect on issues of importance to you, your community, our nation and the world. What is God calling you to do? How can you make a faithful witness as you add your voice to those crying for justice? How can you put your hands and feet behind your words? We hope that together we can identify areas of concern and ways to respond as faithful Christians serving our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Congregational Covenant of Caring:
We invite you to choose at least one area to covenant to become involved with:
Caring for God’s People: Aboriginal Issues
Caring for Creation: Environmental Issues
Caring for the least of these: Issues of World Poverty and Hunger
Caring for our Community: An Issue within your local community
NEW WEB RESOURCE
Disciples
Justice
Action
Network
DJAN is a multi-racial, multi-ethnic grassroots network of individuals, congregations, and organizations within the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), all working together for greater justice, peace and diversity in our churches, our communities, our nations (Canada and the United States) and our world. Click HERE to check out their website.
CARE FOR CREATION (aka "a slot of green")
For the picking...tangible actions you can take to make the world a better place and inspiring quotations to get you moving!
Share these in your church newsletter or in a "Care for Creation" moment in worship.
This month’s tip:
Register on line to receive one realistic, nature-friendly tip each weekday from www.idealbite.com "At 85,000 subscribers and counting, the Web site is nibbling away at ecological destruction one in-box at a time."
This month's quote:
"The issues that confront us may seem so huge, so complicated, so difficult to deal with that it’s hard to believe that anything we can do will have a meaningful impact. But there are a lot of us in the world. A lot of people doing a lot of little things could have a huge impact. And by doing something, we are also demonstrating that lots of people really do care." –Michael Norton, "365 Ways to Change the World" (Free Press)
What’s Fair in Anti-Poverty Week 2007
The National Council of Churches in Australia (Christian World Service), the Justice & International Mission Unit of the Uniting Church in Victoria and Tasmania and FairWear Victoria are organising a series of events throughout Anti-Poverty Week 2007 called “What’s Fair in Anti-Poverty Week 2007”. People will be coming together from a range of perspectives - from faith communities, educational institutions, trade unions and community organisations to tackle various issues relating to poverty and social justice. There are also a range of challenges that are set for all participants.
Details of our program:
What’s Fair morning tea – a Christian Perspective - Monday 15th of October - 10-12am
Kilbride Centre, 52 Beaconsfield Parade (corner of Foote St)., Albert Park.
Join us as we begin the What’s Fair in Anti-Poverty Week campaign. This will be an opportunity for all Christians to learn about the issues involving Fairtrade and how we can respond in a way of fairness and justice as we purchase products. Try out Fair Trade tea, coffee, herbal tea and chocolate and discover what you and your church can do to support this growing and important movement. This forum features material by the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance as part of the Trade Week of Action.
RSVP/Contact: Kilbride (03) 9690 1076 contact@kilbridecentre.come.au
Ecumenical Service of Thanksgiving - (with prayers for people in poverty)
Wed. 17th October - 12.45-2.15pm Gryphon Gallery (1888 Building), University of Melbourne, Carlton
Contact: Wes Campbell (Revd Dr), Chaplain, University of Melbourne, Uniting Church in Australia, (03) 8344 6034 / 0431 847 278 / wesleyc@unimelb.edu
What’s fair in the ragtrade?
Thurs 18th October - 6:30-8:30pm. University of Melbourne, Melbourne Law School, University Square, 185 Pelham Street, Carlton 3053
High profile speakers will talk about fair trade and justice for workers in the clothing industry here and overseas. Features a showing of China Blue - shot clandestinely, this is a deep-access account of what both China and the international retailers don't want us to see: how the clothes we buy are actually made.
Contact: FairWear Victoria Coordinator, Liz Thompson, (03) 9251-5270 / Liz.Thompson@victas.uca.org.au
What’s fair in education?
Wednesday, October 17th between 4.20-6.30pm
There will be a 4.20pm welcome at the RMIT University Spiritual Centre, Building 11B. The forum will then be held at RMIT Building 13, (Emily McPherson College), Ethel Osborne Hall.
The forum aims to establish a church presence regarding issues of access and equity and tertiary education; as well as influence public debate through building a community network for this area.
Contact: Justice & International Mission Unit Social Justice Officer Antony McMullen, (03) 9251 5241 / antony.mcmullen@victas.uca.org.au
