Our Vision

A Community Transforming Lives

Our Values, Grace, Inclusion, Dignity, Faith and Hope.

Parramatta Mission acknowledges that all of our work and our 36 sites are on the land of traditional owners.

We pay respect to the traditional custodians of the land on which we gather, and acknowledge Elders past and present,

and emerging leaders.

Congregational life @ Westmead & Parramatta, Hospitality, Community and Mental Health

Services across Greater Sydney, Central Coast, Hunter and Mid-North Coast

OUR NEWS 25th November 2018

Leigh Congregation THE ‘GIVING TREE’ IS HERE! This year’s ‘Giving Tree’ will take place over 3 Sundays (25 November and 2 & 9 December). Good quality, safe & practical gifts for children, teenagers, men and women are welcome. No battery-operated toys or toys with small parts please. Suggestions for teenagers & adults include caps, sunglasses, back-packs, socks, towels, t-shirts, toiletries, wallets. Wrapping paper and sticky tape are also needed. All gifts must be unwrapped and new. Please see Liz & Mario for further assistance. SUNDAY SCHOOL – WESTMEAD VISIT This Sunday 25 November, our Sunday School @ Leigh children, youth & teachers will be away at Westmead – joining the congregation for morning worship and sharing in morning tea. Many thanks to Rev. Christine and all the Westmead members for making us welcome. INTER-FAITH & ECUMENICAL NEWS A group from Leigh Memorial will be making a special visit to St. Paul’s Coptic Orthodox Church, Guildford on Sat. 24 November. Many thanks to Moses for his organization of this activity. On Saturday 1 December, our annual community Peace Dinner will take place at the Fellowship Centre. The occasional address will be given by His Grace, Haigazoun Najarian, Bishop of the Armenian Church of Australia & New Zealand. Further enquiries: Manas & the Leaders’ team. EARLY DECEMBER CALENDAR Please check all details with group coordinators. 1 December – Peace Dinner, 6.30pm 2 December – SPOW, 12.00pm 3 December – Couples & Friends, 7.00pm 6 December – Future Directions, 7.30pm 8 December – Youth Group, 6.00pm

CHRISTMAS SERVICES & EVENTS 2018 Check the flyer in this week’s newsletter for 2018 Advent/Christmas events and worship services at Leigh Memorial. Further enquiries: Leaders’ team/9891-2277.

Pastoral message for this week….

Jesus, the Christ, is the Servant King

for the world. Who do you serve?

CHRISTMAS VOLUNTEERING - PM Members wishing to volunteer at the two community meal services at PM on Christmas Day this year, should contact Bianca (Volunteer Coordinator) and indicate that they are from the congregation. Adjusted instructions apply. For further assistance, please phone 9891-2277 or email christmas@parramattamission.org.au OPEN CHURCH – HELP NEEDED Our Open Church volunteers will be taking a well-deserved break from mid-December to mid-January, however we would like to keep Leigh Memorial open on Tues. 18 December and Tues. 8 and 15 January for regular lunchtime communion services – plus on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve (both Mondays), 11am – 2pm for prayer. If you can help on any of the above dates/times, please see Manas or the Leaders team. CONGREGATION ROLL & MEMBERSHIP Please see David or Ian for further information regarding this process. David is collecting the forms. LAWRY BOOK – “LIMITED EDITION” The PM Heritage Committee has released a new, limited edition of this year’s Lawry book – marking 200 years since Rev. Lawry’s arrival in Parramatta. The books are $10 per copy. Please see Liz.

DEEPENING FAITH and RELATIONSHIPS with others Worship Sundays 9.45am Bible Study- Mondays 2.00-3.30pm Fellowship- Tuesday 6th November MAKING A DIFFERENCE Time Out Café (TOC)- Tues/Thurs 11.00-1.30pm Play Group – Mondays 9.15-10.45am Open Door -Wednesdays 1.00-3.30pm Tai Chi- Fridays 10.00-11.00am

WESTMEAD Congregation

WELCOME LEIGH MEMORIAL SUNDAY SCHOOL A special welcome to all of those with us today from Leigh Memorial Sunday School. We appreciate you not only being with us but also your contribution to our worship. It is always a joy!

ANGEL TREE Thank you to all who contributed to Angel Tree, and we raised over $500 which helps us provide presents and hampers for families where a parent is in prison. He gifts will be purchased next week

CHURCH COUNCIL Parramatta Mission Church Council meets on Tuesday 27

th November. This is

open for all leaders from the congregations and will include a meal, worship and a short AGM. Please pray for all of the Ministers, Lay Leaders and others who offer leadership to Parramatta Mission.

SPOW (Single People of Worth) Our last lunch for the year is Sunday 2

nd December. Anyone from Westmead

wishing to attend please speak to Rev Christine.

MARKET DAY Thanks to all who were involved in the setting up, serving and packing up for Market Day. It is a good way for us to raise money and to engage with the wider community. Well done to all involved. We have raised around $900 at this point. Special thanks to Elizabeth, Callum and Mario from Leigh Congregation who helped on the day.

SERVICE OF THANKSGIVING FOR FLORA BRIGGS Thanks to all who provided food and helped in serving and cleaning up on Monday. It was truly a team effort.

ELECTIONS FOR ELDERS AND OTHERS There will be a congregational meeting on Sunday 9

th December. Nominations

will be announced today. Please prayerfully and carefully consider your vote and

how you can support those in leadership in our congregation.

FIJIAN Congregation

Veisiko: Kerei me tomani tiko na veisiko vakamatamasumasu ena vei yasa ni koro duidui eda tiko kina vakabibi vei ira na tiko voli vakagade se sega tu ni lotu. Tu vakarau o Talatala Clive me veisiko veikeda kece na lewe ni vavakoso lotu e Parramatta. Ke dua e gadreva na veiqaravi/veisiko Vakaitalatala (Pastoral Care/Visit) tukutuku mai vei Vakatawa se Chairman. Matamasumasu: Sota ena dui gauna lokuci; tu vakarau o Talatala Clive me veisiko kina veimatamasumasu yadua ke tiko na gagadre - qai veitaratara mai kei Vakatawa se Chairman. Sunday School: Ena kena gauna - mataka ni Siga Tabu, gauna ni Lotu Vuli Sere: Bogi ni Vakaraubuka ena 8.00pm, kerei meda yaco totolo mai ena mataka ni Siga Tabu (10.30am) me vaqavinaka tale kina na sere. Youth: Tomani na Vuli Vola Tabu cokovata kei ira na Youth mai na Strathfield Uniting Church ena yakavi ni Siga Vakaraubuka qo 23 Nov. vakakina ena Siga Vakaraubuka mai qo 30 Nov. E na veiusa na basi mai Vale ni Lotu e Parramatta ena maliwa ni 5.45 – 6.00pm. Veitaratara kei Ofa & Samu ke dua na ka e sega ni matata. Bose ni Vale ni Lotu: Bose ni Vale ni Lotu (otioti ni yabaki qo) ena vakayacori ena Siga Vakarauwai mai qo (1 Dec) ena Coffee Shop ena 3.30pm. Kerei meda tiko vakalewe levu kina. Totoka na Veiqaravi Mrs Valma Johanna Tavaga: “Do not let anybody lead you Astray.”se “Mo kua ni vakatara me dua e kauti/liutaki iko ki na Vere.” Qori na Ulutaga a Vunau kina o Valma ena Siga Tabu sa oti. Talei vei au niu vakatarogi Valma baleta nona bula Vaka Yalo. Kaya o koya ni tekivu Vunau ni se qai yabaki 17yrs ena Lotu United Congregational mai South Africa, e dau Vunau talega nona

tubutubu Turaga ka rua nona Momo/Tatalaila e rau Talatala. Ena yabaki 1980 a dua vei ira na digitaki mai na United Congregational Church me mata taki South Africa ki na World Council of Churches mai Geneva, a sa veiqaravi voli kina vaka Dikonesi ena gauna koya; dua talega vei ira na lewe ni lakolako qo ko Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Ratou gole mai (migrate) Ositerelia ena 1982 ka mai tomani tiko na Veiqaravi Vakalotu: Sunday School, Bible Study, Dau Vunau, ena Vanua duidui e ratou mai vakatikotiko kina. E vakawati ki Rewa (Lomanikoro) vei Apaitia Tavaga ka rau lewe ni lotu mai Burwood. E dua vei ira na Lay Preacher ka Elder talega ni Vale ni Lotu mai Burwood.

Date Vunau Vunau Vunau Tuvakarau Tali Comm

Lesi Vakarau Veiliutaki Vunau Stewards

02-Dec Rev C.Pearson M1 S.Tuiloma

Vulavou H/Comm S.Toa

09-Dec Rev A.Koh-Butler A.Allison Youth

Multicul.Worship

16-Dec S.Toa V.Kamotu M2

Mark 15:24-26; 16:1-8

15:24 And they crucified him, and divided his garments, casting a lot on them to decide who might take what. 25 Now it was the third hour and they crucified him. 26 And a notice of the accusation against him had been written, “The king of the Jews.”

16:1 And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome, bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right having been clothed in a white robe, and they were utterly amazed. 6 But he said to them, “Do not be utterly amazed. You seek Jesus, the Nazarene, the one who was crucified. He was raised, he is not here; see the place where they put him. 7 But go tell his disciples and Peter, “He is going before you to Galilee”; you will see him there just as he told you”. 8 And going out they fled from the tomb, for trembling and terror had them; and they told no one nothing for they were afraid.

Reflections

This Sunday is the last Sunday of the church year. It is celebrated as Reign of Christ, or Christ as King. At the end of time, God. At the end of time, Christ will reign. That is the faith of the church. It gives hope to people. It can assist to puts things into perspective. The scriptures speak of the death of Jesus on the cross and the rising of Jesus from the dead, the empty tomb. This dying is the complete identification of Jesus with humans and the human condition, and the inauguration of a new kingdom in the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven. The rising from the dead, not only points to a uniqueness about Jesus, but the promise of a future in this world and in the next. Easter is the birth of Christian hope, and while we are sometime away from Easter, the message remains.

Last week I meet with the Church Council at Penrith

Uniting to update them on the activities of Parramatta Mission

in the area, and to explore possibilities of PM using space

at the church, and future partnerships. Here I am with Rev. Hye Kyoung Lee, who is

the minister at Penrith, and Rev Dr Rob McFarlane, who is the Presbytery minister leader.

Rob has been working with Penrith UC on their strategic

plan and future directions, and relationships with Jamison Town and emu Plains UC.

Parramatta Mission is a member of the MHCC. MHCC is the mental health coordinating council for NSW. This week the MHCC AGM was held. A feature was the launch of the latest version of Ticpot. Ticpot is Trauma-informed Care and Practice organisational toolkit. The TICPOT) is part of a broad strategic direction promoting trauma-informed care and practice (TICP) across service systems throughout Australia. TICPOT is a resource designed to assist services and their workforce in quality improvement initiatives and organisational change processes, and is accessible on the MHCC website. The minister for mental Health, The Hon. Tanya Davis MP, addressed the meeting with an update on the half-way progress of the ten-year mental health plan, which gives attention to social inclusion, recovery, reduction in restraint practices in mental health, and work on the NDIS and mental health.

Congratulations to Liz de Reland in the approval of her PhD that focusses on the history of Parramatta Mission across 200 years.

UnitingCare Australia has relocated into new premises in

Barton, ACT. Here the President of the UCA, Dr Deirdre Palmer, and the CEO of Uniting Care Australia, Claerwen Little National Director UnitingCare

Australia lead the opening blessings on the building

and the work

While in Canberra for the UnitingCare Leaders Forum, I visited Canberra City Uniting Church. Here with the ministers, Revs Paul Chalson, and Rev Miriam Parker-Lacey. Canberra City has three congregations, a morning, a Multicultural congregation that is mostly Tongan, and an afternoon/evening that goes out for dinner. They also are engaged in University campus ministry, and the Early Morning Centre (EMC) which provides breakfast five days per week, and lunch three days per week. The church has multiple rooms that are used for public events and hired out.

Wally Bell, Ngunnawal Elder, who welcomed people from the Uniting Church across Australia to the UnitingCare Australia leaders’ forum in Canberra this past week, spoke of finding stillness, even in the midst of the stuff of life. May we all find stillness – peace - even in the midst of what we are doing. Blessings, Keith Hamilton

Foster your faith this week

Jer 33:14-16 Ps 25:1-10

1 Thes 3:9-13 Lk 21:25-36

You are cordially invited to our Fourth Annual

PEACE DINNER

“A Celebration of Peace, Unity & Goodwill”

Hosted by the Leigh Memorial Congregation

of Parramatta Mission on

Saturday 1 December 2018 (6.30pm - 9.00pm) at the Fellowship Centre, 119 Macquarie Street, Parramatta.

The occasional address will be given by

His Grace Bishop Haigazoun Najarian The Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church

of Australia and New Zealand.

Attending will be representatives of various civic, religious, community and commercial groups from Parramatta &

throughout the Sydney Metropolitan area, plus congregation members & staff of

Parramatta Mission.

The evening will include a vegetarian meal and an uplifting program of reflection and seasonal celebration.

For catering purpose please RSVP to Coral, reception@parramattamission.org.au by 20 November 2018, phone: 9891-2277.

The people of Parramatta Mission invite you to pray for: PM congregations at Parramatta and Westmead, and the PM staff in

hospitality, community and clinical/mental health services that extend right across Greater Sydney, Blue Mountains, Northern Beaches, Central Coast and Hunter Valley and Mid-North Coast. We also pray for all the people we contact every day, that we might exhibit the values of grace, inclusion, dignity, faith and hope.

PM Leigh Memorial: The Ghosh, Briggs and Goodin families, Ali & family,

Shane and his friend, Elizabeth & family, Wilhemina, Gloria H, Ian & family, Brian & Marcel, Joan, Hazel, Betty E, Col, Betty B, Victoria & family, Darlene & Neil, Jolame & the Open Church team, Sunday School & Youth. ** Please inform the Leaders if you would like a name added to this list.

PM Leigh Fijian: Milise Foiakau, Adriu Rogoimuri, Senitiki Qata and family,

Niko Balavu, Mili Sigani, Dale Tonawai, Terry and Young families Robyne and Phil, Flora’s family- Alison, Nicole and Garth and their families.

All farmers and their communities, Sharon, Keith and Noeleen, Debbie and Michael, Kevin, Jean, Caroline and David A, Josh and his family (Kerryn, Peter and Ben), Mrs E and family, Mary and Aloy and the boys, Silvano, Jinky, Isabella and Gerard, Mary, Justice and family, Aravind and family, Tanzida, Nancy, Paula and Geoffrey, Garry, Chris and family, Rob, Jodie and Family, May, Rajes (Sandra), Henry, Phyllis, Vita, Col, Al, Mrs G and family, Judy, Shanika and family, Ashima and Anusha Saxena, Lyn, Sheila W, Ruth and Lela, Mr and Mrs S, Carmen and Rob, David and Christopher.

UC congregations of the Cumberland Zone: Dundas/Ermington,

Northmead, North Rocks, Carlingford, West Epping, Centenary, Wentworthville, Holroyd, Greystanes, Grantham Heights, Parramatta Mission, Auburn.

For the worship, witness and service of St Marys Uniting Church We join with churches around the world to pray for Burkina Faso, Chad,

Mali, Mauritania, Niger

Prayer Points

Worship Services at

Parramatta Mission

Mon to Fri 9.00am - 2.00pm Open Church @ Leigh Memorial

Tuesday 1.10pm Holy Communion @ Leigh

Sunday 9.30am Leigh Memorial Congregation @ Leigh

9.45am Westmead Congregation @ Westmead

11.15am Leigh Fijian Congregation @ Leigh

1.30pm Korean Faith Community @ Leigh

7.00pm Praise, Prayer, Cake & Coffee @ Leigh

Contacts

For all e-tree news follow the link below http://www.parramattamission.org.au/etree

Leigh Memorial Congregation: Rev Dr Manas Ghosh 0429 892 548

Leigh Fijian Congregation: Rev Dr Clive Pearson, Supply Minister 0409523024

Leigh Korean Faith Community Minister: Rev Hyun Goo Jun 0433 320 588

Leigh Memorial Church, 119 Macquarie St, Parramatta

Westmead Congregation: Rev Christine Bayliss Kelly 0409 925 607

Westmead Church: 175 Hawkesbury Road Westmead: 9891 9354

Senior Minister/CEO: Rev Keith Hamilton 0417 487 446

Church Office: 9891 2277 Email : wecare@parramattamission.org.au

Children’s Hospital Chaplain : Sarah Bishop 0429 912 943

PM WSU Chaplain : Rev Dr Amelia Koh Butler 0427 955 157