Author: Sandy

John Collins – re-thinking about the diaconate

John Collins is a New Testament scholar. He challenges the notion that diakonia is about acts of charity and service of neighbour. The UCA has a broad understanding of diakonia and it is helpful to challenge assumptions that may llimit diaconal ministry to acts of charity and service. This article is an interesting read and invites some further exploration. John Collins article 1

Wellspring Community national gathering

The national gathering of Wellspring Community was held recently in WA. Betty Matthews, retired deacon, was part of the organising committee and other deacons were involved, with Bev Fabb and Frances Hadfield leading worship and Lesley de Grussa Macaulay leading a post conference trip. Jean Stirling, retired deacon from SA was in attendance. The gathering focussed on working towards a caring future. The first day focussed on Reconcilation with Mark bin Bakar from Broome being the key note speaker, and the afternoon spent visiting the site of the Pinjarra Massacre. In the evening Mary G (Mark’s altar ego) entertained the gathering. The second day focussed on building a peaceful future through inter faith dialogue with speakers from a variety of faith traditions. Sustainability was the theme of the third day with Paul Newman, Professor of Sustainability at Curtin University as the main speaker. The gathering ended with a commissioning service for the new leadership of the Community.

Occasional Papers

Occasional Papers are available to download on the Documents/Papers link on the top banner of this website. Volumes 1-10 (Volume #3 is missing – we will upload when we track it down and scan it in!). These papers are invaluable references on diaconal ministry in general, and the renewal of the UCA diaconate in particular.