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Generous Giving Stories
We want to publish good giving stories on this page. We want you to alert us to creative and generous acts to further mission across the Uniting Church in Victoria and Tasmania. Send us your stores of how you are responding to God’s grace in your place. We’d love to post a selection of stories here! So contact us and share your story.
Scroll down to see some of the stories so far....
We’re here to help
Not sure whether your story is one to be shared? Have a chat to us and let’s work together to make a decision. Contact the Mission Participation Resource Unit.
Story: Kombi Krew
Outreach into the wider community takes many forms. During the school holidays two Kombis headed from Glen Waverly to Shepparton on a kindness roadtrip to perform as many acts of random kindness as possible... To find out more about this trip and many other mission possabilities for youth groups read about what happened next.
Story: Giving and Receiving; A Work Party Experience
Ten members of congregations from Western Port Presbytery (and two from Grampians) have recently given and received in a real display of grace and social reciprocity.
The twelve travelled to Robinvale in Victoria's north west to take part in a work party to improve the facilities of the Robinvale Uniting Church buildings. The skills of the Western Port participants were combined with those of local workers and, over the course of the week, $25000 of labour was contributed to get the job done. Contributions from Robinvale and Western Port ensured there were adequate materials to work with.
But not only was a sterling job done to improve the facilities, new friendships were formed, Tongan feasts were shared, local culture was absorbed. The participants not only gave of their time and talent but received sensational hospitality from their hosts - Isn't that just what church should be about? We were so impressed with this effort we've added working party member, Wal Prentice's full report for those who really want to be inspired. (This file opens with Adobe Reader)
Click here to give securely now to Robinvale UC via the Mission Support Fund!
Story: Community Breakfasts Connect to the Country
Members at the Canterbury Road Community congregations in Melbourne have reached out to a drought affected town in rural Victoria. Their desire was not only to offer financial support to the Uniting Church congregation at Beulah, in the state's west, but also to understand the issues of living in the midst of drought and rural downturn. After consultation with the Beulah congregation and presbytery representatives, financial support was offered to keep the local minister in placement.
As with many congregational settings, the minister not only works within the congregation but becomes a chaplain to the town - an important role in a time of drought. The Canterbury Road congregations raised funds by a variety of means, including community breakfasts where members of the Beulah community spoke about life in the midst of drought.
Click here to give securely now to Beulah via the Mission Support Fund!
Story: Big Turnout to Get Worship on the Wall
A small committee of members at Cheltenham Uniting Church organised an East Meets West Smorgasbord Night to raise funds for worship resources. The committees expectations for the night were exceeded on all front as congregation and community members showed incredible generosity to make the night a success. Committee member Grace Fairbank takes up the story.....
As a fundraising event, the Cheltenham Uniting Church held an East meets West Smorgasbord with Tongan Entertainment. All Eastern food was cooked and donated by two Sri Lankan Ladies of the congregation with the Western food being donated by other members. The aim was to raise $500 to go towards a data projector and associated equipment for worship. With only 30-40 people expected we were quite shocked but excited when 94 turned up to be fed and entertained with a massive $1100 being raised.
"It was a fantastic night, the best we have had for a long time" was the feedback we received. The entertainment was provided by our Minister, the Rev Siotame Paletu`a and his extended family. Acts ranged from Traditional Tongan Dancing to the Children singing songs from the "Sound of Music" and dancing to modern songs. The food was delicious and the entertainment was superb. It was a great way for the congregation (and their friends) to come together to get to know each other and to raise much needed funds. It has allowed us to come that much closer to our target. Everyone had a lot of fun and it is a night we will remember for along time to come.
Click here to give securely now to the Cheltenham Uniting Church via the Mission Support Fund!
Story: Generosity Grows the Inter-Faith Connection
The following letter appeared in the February 2006 edition of Crosslight, the UCA Newspaper in Victoria and Tasmania. We thought it demonstrated a wonderful example of Inter-faith generosity:
From Ann Rodger:
A luncheon or all religious groups in the City of Manningham was organised by Rev Mark Dunn, of Pilgrim Uniting Church Doncaster, and the Pakistani owner of the Tandoori Flavours Restaurant Templestowe, last October.
As the Pakistan earthquake had occurred not long before this meal, the owner of the restaurant Mrs Arshad distributed notices to the tables about a collection she had organised to ship much needed goods such as bedding, sleeping bags and tents to the earthquake affected parts of Kashmir and Pakistan.
I handed copies of this notice to people in our congregation and to members of presbytery at its meeting the following week (Mrs Arshad originates from the affected area).
I would like to pay tribute the Eltham-Montmorency congregation, who contacted me shortly afterwards, requesting me to pick up their offerings.
The goods collected by that congregation completely filled my Toyota Corolla and were gratefully received by Mrs Arshad, who was having trouble assembling enough to fill transport container to Pakistan.
Story: Generosity is a Diary When You Need Help to Get Organised
Ruth Hosking of Bendigo UnitingCare Outreach (BUCO) shared with us a generous idea that she and the team at BUCO had developed. Concerned that BUCO clients were missing important appointments (appointments that would help them participate more fully in life's opportunities) BUCO developed and printed an easy-to-use diary. The dairy includes basic information about how to use the diary itself and spaces for specific information that emergency relief recipients might find useful. 200 diaries were distributed from the first print run and printing and distribution continues. BUCO is also sharing the idea with other emergency relief agencies in Bendigo.
Click here to give securely now to the BUCO Diary Program via the Mission Support Fund!
Story: The Argonauts are a Generous Small Group!
In an edition of NetWork, the magazine for adult small groups, Anne Jones of Coatesville Uniting Church in Melbourne told the story of The Argonauts, a faith sharing group in the congregation that deeply nourishes all of its members and leads them to a deeper sense of faith and generosity. Read more about the group and find out how small groups can be wonderfully generous groups.
Read the entire article (158KB) (This document opens with Adobe Reader)
