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PARISH WEEKLY NEWSLETTER 24 APRIL 2016

A PERFECT PASTOR

Recently I stumbled across this “chain letter”. The first time I saw it was when I was at St. Mark’s Theological College training for ministry. I felt it is too good to keep to myself. I hope you enjoy it! Pamela Phillips

A Perfect Pastor... Unknown author

(This is a chain letter that was sent to me.)

Results of a computerized survey show that

the perfect pastor...

Preaches exactly 15 minutes, condemns sin,

but never upsets anyone.

He works from 8:00 AM until midnight and

is also the janitor.

He makes $60 per week, wears good

clothes, buys good books, drives a good

car... and gives about $50 per week to the

poor.

He is twenty-eight years old and has been

preaching for thirty years.

He is wonderfully gentle and handsome.

He has a burning desire to work with

teenagers and spends all his spare time

with senior citizens.

The perfect pastor smiles all the time with a

straight face because he has a sense of

humour that keeps him seriously dedicated

to his work.

He makes fifteen calls a day on church

families, shut-ins and hospitalized;

Spends all his time evangelizing the

"unchurched" and is always in his office

when needed.

If your pastor does not measure up, simply

send this letter to six other churches that

are tired of their pastor, too. Then bundle

up your pastor and send him to the church

at the top of the list.

In one year, you will receive 1,643 pastors

and one of them should be perfect.

WARNING!!! Keep this letter going! One church broke the chain and got its old pastor back in less than three months.

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News from your group or ministry at St Mary in the Valley would be a welcome addition to Exalted! Please send your contribution to smiv@smiv.org – thank you.

DIOCESE NEWS The new StuTube video is available either through the website www.anglicancg.org.au or directly at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrUtyvmiv4Q Further, our colleague Archdeacon Wayne Brighton has also provided the following information on the Lay Ministers’ Convention: We also look forward to welcoming the people of your parish to the convention in May and a fine selection of Mike Breen’s books are readily available through all online book sellers and Kindle readers. Why not have a look at one of Mike’s new Books? His latest, Family on Mission: Integrating discipleship into the fabric of our everyday lives is a practical and encouraging exploration of discipleship. When God wanted to act on his promise to save the world, he started with a family and gave them a mission. He spoke to Abram and his household and they became a family on mission. We see Jesus operating in the same way, gathering an extended-family-like group of disciples around himself before embarking on his mission. In fact, discipleship doesn’t really work apart from the context of a family on mission. Without that texture, discipleship becomes programmatic and mechanical, not really producing people with the character and competency of Jesus. The good news is that today, Jesus our Brother and King is wanting

to empower us to live as covenant families caught up in kingdom mission. This book is about our journey in leading a family on mission, as well as looking deeply at how Jesus built his family on mission in the Gospels, as well as practical strategies for growing as a family on mission, imitating Jesus as his disciples.

AUSTRALIAN FASHION REPORT Today Baptist World Aid Australia, a member of STOP THE TRAFFIK, launched their third Australian Fashion Report. They have engaged with more companies, graded more brands and are steadily bringing light to unethical behaviour, so we can stop the trafficking and slavery in production lines. The Ethical Fashion Guide will empower you to purchase ethically. This guide has assessed 308 fashion brands and referenced the grades received by their parent companies in The Australian Fashion Report. The Guide is available from http://www.behindthebarcode.org.au/ In summary: Etiko and Audrey Blue were graded the highest, with an A+. They are the only companies to prove they pay workers a living wage Followed closely behind was Zara (A grade) and Australian brands Cotton-On, APG & Co, Country Road and Pacific Brands, which all received a commendable B+. Across the hundreds of brands graded, Amongst the worst in Australia are Seed Heritage, Victoria’s Secret, Forever 21 and General Pants

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T A K E A C T I O N 1. Why not congratulate the brands who did well – either on their website or with a tweet: "Hi (brand name), Congratulations #whomademyclothes #makefashiontraffikfree #behindthebarcode Signed, {your name} @STOPTHETRAFFIKA" 2. SEND A TWEET to the poor performing brands "Hi (brand name), #whomademyclothes? Signed, {your name} #makefashiontraffikfree #behindthebarcode @STOPTHETRAFFIKA" 3. Make sure you do your Fashion Revolution week action and CHOOSE a day to WEAR your clothes inside out. Take a selfie and post it with the words "I am wearing my clothes inside out and asking "#whomademyclothes #makefashiontraffikfree” Tag us @STOPTHETRAFFIKA and we will retweet you! 4. GET TOGETHER with some friends and sign cards to ask Seedhertitage to sign STOP THE TRAFFIK’s Make Fashion Traffik Free protocol, and develop a plan to ensure their entire supply chain from seed to sewer, and that workers throughout it are protected from abuse.

ANZAC PEACE VIGIL 2016 The Anzac Eve Peace Vigil renews an ancient custom of keeping watch in the night, calling the

spirit of a community to a sacred purpose. All are welcome. At 5.30pm, as dusk falls on 24 April we meet on top of Mt Ainslie and each get a handmade lantern. With lanterns alight we

gather round a fire, singing together. We look over our city, acknowledging the beauty of our country and the wisdom of its custodians through the millennia before us. Elders welcome us. We hear laments and love songs. We remember the terrible cost of war and how much we cherish peace. And together, we listen into the hope in the 'Spirit Songs' that A Chorus of Women sing every year ... From 6.15pm, walkers begin a lantern-lit procession down the mountain track. The idea is to carry a light down into the darkness of grief. Please note, the walk is only for the sure-footed and personal safety is each person's responsibility. We walk in silence. Walkers are greeted with community singing at the end of the walk in Remembrance Park before a procession across the road into the War Memorial grounds. About 7.15 pm we meet round the peace fire for personal storytelling, poetry and song in the forecourt at the front of the Australian War Memorial. Around 8.15pm the lantern lit procession continues down Anzac Parade towards the Lake to a campfire outside West Block for stories, poetry, singing and conversation all through night. Warming soup will be offered, and also after the Anzac Dawn Service next morning. Remember to BYO mug, rug and chair.

PUBLIC LECTURE: ANZAC DAY REMEMBERING FOR ALL THE WRONG REASONS?

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You're invited to attend a public lecture on the 26th of April at St Mark's starting at 7.30pm at the

Chapel at the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture. As Australia’s unofficial national day, Anzac Day has played an influential yet contested role in our national life. Christian imagery, ritual and liturgy profoundly shaped the first Anzac Day service in April 1916. Exactly a century later, however, some commentators have suggested that the day now functions as a kind of alternative religion—or ‘civil religion’—with its own sense of the numinous, transcendent and divine. This shift in character raises pertinent questions about connections between war, memory and religion in Australia. On the evening of Tuesday 26 April, St Mark’s director, Rev. Dr Andrew Cameron will chair a free public event that explores the complex relationship between Christianity and Anzac Day commemoration; and how we might rightly remember both Anzac Day and war more generally. St Mark’s theology lecturer, Dr Jane Foulcher, will provide a theological reflection on Ben Quilty’s paintings of Australian soldiers’ recent experience in Afghanistan. The main address of the evening will be from St Mark’s church history lecturer, Dr Michael Gladwin, who will consider how Anzac Day’s religious complexion has evolved over the last century. Following will be Rev. Dr Jeanette Mathew’s discussion of contemporary counter-movements in the remembrance of war, before Rev. Dr Cameron concludes the

evening with theological reflections on war and personhood.

JUSTICE ISSUE FORUM The parish of All Saints' Ainslie is organising a series of community forums on justice issues - with

the first to be held on Wednesday 27th April on the topic of Climate Change. Professor Hamilton is a member of the Climate Change Authority, and the founder of the Australia Institute. He is currently the Professor of Public Ethics at the Centre for Applied Public Ethics and Philosophy, Charles Sturt University. He will be speaking on the topic 'How scared or hopeful should we be about a world subject to global warming?' The forum begins at 7.30pm at All Saints' Church, and will be followed by a Q&A, and then by wine and cheese. ALL WELCOME

Simply Alive! Creative space for busy people - a weekend retreat.

Come together with a small group of spiritual companions to rest, play and explore your body's wisdom - through silence, art, poetry, clay, music, movement, and storytelling. Led by Susanna Pain spiritual director, dancer, retreat leader, InterPlay Facilitator, Anglican Priest.

Friday 29 April 730pm - 930pm

Saturday 30 April 930am - 4pm

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Sunday 1 May 930am - 2pm Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture, 15 Blackall St, Barton. Cost: $180 Early bird rate $130 (pay before 24 March 2016) there may also be limited places for sessional enrolment. To register: susanna.pain@gmail.com mobile: 0418 637469 "Practice any art, music, singing, dancing, acting, drawing, painting, sculpting, poetry, fiction, essays, reportage, no matter how well or badly, not to get money and fame, but to experience becoming, to find out what's inside you, to make your soul grow." — Kurt Vonnegut

2016 LAY MINISTRY CONVENTION

The 2016 Lay Ministry Convention with Mike and Sally Breen is called, Listening to Jesus.

Mike and Sally are world class leaders who will teach and train us to live out the life of the Kingdom of God practically every day.

Because the Kingdom is so important to all Christians this convention is open to anyone, whether lay or ordained, who is interested in exercising their call in God’s world, the marketplace, family or congregational life more effectively.

To register online visit the www.trybooking.comJPPU

OPPORTUNITY INTERNATIONAL CHARITY EVENT

Wesley Uniting Church 22 National Circuit, Forrest Monday, 9 May 2016 at 7.30pm

How can you help people in developing countries escape poverty and help themselves? Opportunity International provides a way through providing small loans to families in developing countries to help them start a business, earn an income and leave poverty behind. For example, by helping a mother buy a sewing machine to start a tailoring business, this transform her life, her children’s futures and her community. With 98% of loans recycled, the impact continues year after year. Find out more at www.opportunity.org.au. Hear Opportunity International ACT/NSW state manager Daniel Belzer speak at a wine and cheese event at Wesley Uniting Church at Forrest, 22 National Circuit, Forrest. It will be at 7.30pm on Monday, 9 May 2016 in the foyer of the church centre. For catering please email Bruce Stevens bstevens@csu.edu.au or leave a message on 0403 529 773 (come at no cost to you).

HEARING GOD’S WHISPERS WORKSHOP

Are you thirsting for a more intimate walk with the Lord? Do you want to experience God’s

whispers for yourself? Saturday 14th May, 10:00am—4:00pm Canberra Chinese Christian Church 56 Dryandra St O’Connor Cost $20 to cover Lunch and refreshments

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Please bring a Bible, note pad and pen plus a donation on the day for the presenters The presenters, Peter and Kathryn Yaxley, have designed this workshop to help you grow in confidence to hear God. Peter and Kathryn Yaxley are gifted prophetic intercessors deeply grounded in God's Word and ways and have spent many years mentoring, ministering and writing materials to assist God's people connect deeply with God. The workshop will explore:

the ways God speaks and why He speaks

The key role of listening and waiting

Tuning in to the ministry of the Holy Spirit

Discerning God's voice RSVP by 4th May Di Priest 0408 585 845 or diannepriest@gmail.com

SEMINAR “THE PARADOX AND PROMISE OF LATER LIFE: FINDING MEANING IN THE JOURNEY”

Saturday 18th June, 9.30am-3.30pm at St John’s Reid. This follows a very successful day in

Batemans Bay on the same topic and will also be presented by the Rev’d Professor Dr Elizabeth MacKinlay. Please note that this seminar is open to all people across the church and community. Further details to follow.

2016 CAPS CONFERENCE We will have a one-day conference in Canberra at the

Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture (15 Blackall Street, Barton ACT 2600). Dr Shane Clifton, Associate Professor in Systematic Theology at Alphacrucis

College, Sydney will present the keynote address on a theology of disability and suffering. He is quadriplegic after an accident a few years ago and has published important papers in leading theological journals on disability. He will talk about disability in ageing and the meaning of suffering. We are thinking about how to make the conference more engaging with opportunity for dialogue and skill based workshops. Not to be missed. Save the date! Friday, 30 September 2016

MONKS AND MYSTICS DANCING IN THE DESERT RETREAT

A retreat for Body and Soul led by Betsy Beckman and Susanna Pain from 30

September to 4 October 2016 at the Campfire in the Heart Alice Springs. Betsey Beckman MM comes to us from the US bearing sacred body wisdom and soulful dances. With Christine Paintmer at Abbey of the Arts, she has produced a body of work exploring the ministry of Monks and Mystics, including books, CDs, and DVDs. Betsey holds a Masters in Ministry, a Certificate in Movement Therapy, and is regularly featured as artist presenter across the US. This is her first time down under and she is over the moon to create, play and pray in the beauty of the desert! Susanna Pain is a midwife of transformation, an Interplay facilitator, dancer, storyteller, and priest with extensive experience working with creative forms of spiritual and life formation. She was a founding director of Interplay Australia and particularly loves playing in our land’s rich orange desert landscape.

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Dancing in the desert: For monks and mystics throughout time, the desert has been a place for encountering the divine presence. We invite you to come into the heart of our own magnificent central desert to rest, play, reflect, and create reflective (or raucous!) ritual in community. Beside ancient red rocks, under giant river gum trees, in the sand, and around open fires we will be silent, move, make art, sing and tell stories that connect us with ourselves, each other, the spirit of the land and the divine presence infusing all. $1200 all inclusive: tuition, materials, food and accommodation. $1000 early bird pay before 30 June 2016. 4 nights, 4 days. $200 deposit to secure a place. For more information or to register, contact Susanna Pain m. 0418 637 469, or email susanna.pain@gmail.com

ST MARY IN THE VALLEY EVENTS RECENT UPDATES INCLUDED FOR YOUR DIARY:

ANZAC Day Monday 25 April 2016

Fairtrade coffee & chocolate taste testing Saturday 30 April 2016 (10.00am)

Cathedral Convention 6-7 May 2016

Ascension service TBA 5 or 8 May 2016

Bishop’s Dinner. Friday 13 May 2016

Parish Council, 9am Saturday 14 May 2016

Pentecost services and Parish Welcome Lunch Sunday 15 May 2016

Trinity Sunday 22 May 2016

Clergy Conference 23-27 May 2016

Breakfast Saturday 28 May 2016 with speaker Rev’d Susanna Pain (8.30am)

Queen’s Birthday Holiday 13 June 2016

Wine and Cheese Night – a “winter warmer” Saturday 18 June 2016

Indigenous family place walk (celebrating NAIDOC Week) Sunday 3 July 2016 (Noon)

School Holiday Film at Friday Morning Cuppa, 8 July 2016 (10.00am)

Patronal Festival Sunday 14 August 2016

Dedication of the Centre for Peace, Justice and Reconciliation and Persian BBQ lunch Sunday 14 August 2016

Clergy Retreat 15-19 August 2016

High Tea and Vintage Fashion event, Saturday 3 September 2016 (3pm)

SYNOD 9-11 September 2016

Breakfast Event with speaker Archdeacon Wayne Brighton, Saturday 17 September 2016 (8.30am)

Social Justice Sunday, Connect2Church Sunday and special Parish Welcome Lunch 25 September 2016

Public Holiday 26 September 2016

St Michael’s Day Service Thursday 29 September 2016

Public Holiday 3 October 2016

School Holiday Film at Friday Morning Cuppa, 7 October 2016 (10.00am)

Church Picnic at Lanyon Homestead Sunday 23 October 2015 (12.30pm)

All Saints Sunday and Defence Sunday 6 November 2016

Community Fair, Sat. 12 November 2016

Christ the King Sunday 20 November 2016

Christmas Decorating Friday 25 November 2016 (6.30pm)

First Advent Sunday 27 November 2015

Volunteers’ Thankyou event Sunday 4 December 2016

Sunday Kid’s Club presentations Sunday 11 December 2016

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Calwell Community Carols Friday 16 December 2016

Parish Centre Anniversary BBQ and Christmas Carols Service Sunday 18 December 2016

ALSO CHECK REGULAR SCHEDULED EVENTS (SEE PEW SHEET) Would you like to book in an event? Please fill out an Event Risk Management Declaration Form (to be found under the health & safety notice board) & it will go to Parish Council for approval

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