Gungahlin Uniting Church

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Sharing the faith journey together. Informal and friendly Christian community.
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Home Brewed Family – June 14, 2020

June 13, 2020 by Darren Wright

This week’s resources invite you to spend some time with he bible readings in craft and discussion. Many of the resources are focussed on the Genesis 18 reading. Let us know how you spend today with your household.

Readings

Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19

Genesis 18:1-15, (21:1-7) 

https://vimeo.com/428505442
Here’s a retelling of the Genesis reading from the Growing in God’s Love Story Bible. Thank you to Flyaway Books for giving permission to share this with you today.

Romans 5:1-8 

Matthew 9:35-10:8, (9-23)

All-Age Prayer

Source: Spill The Beans Issue 16

This prayer is one that you might like to use every day this week, perhaps it’d be a great prayer to start every day.

How good are you at sums, O God? 
How many people do you have 
when you have two people
and no children?
Add three guests
and a lot of laughter and 
we have a number bigger 
that the number of stars 
in the sky.

How good are you at sums, O God? 
From small beginnings
you can make whole nations.

May you be able to count on us, 
small though we are,
to make big changes
in the world
as we follow you.

Giving Birth To Laughter

A monologue by Sarah, to follow the reading.

Source: Spill The Beans Issue 16

So I laughed. 
Yes, I laughed 
when I heard. 

Laughing was my default reaction after all those years. 
It’s what everyone told me to do. 
Look for the things that make you laugh. 
Find the things that bring a moment’s lightness, a brief respite. 
God knows I needed those moments. 
And yes, I found them. 
I learned to forget, 
to step outside the guilt and the pain, 
to be lost in the fleeting respite, 
caught up in the wonder of the spring rain, 
the flowers in the desert, the

look in my husband’s
eyes, those rare times
he still gazed at me with
love and not pity.

For long years, laughter never failed me. I
could even turn it on
as I watched all the mothering around me, 
other women’s children taking their first steps, 
running into my arms 
while they were still too young 
to understand my shame.

Did I trust God’s
laughable promise? Did

Abraham trust, even
as he fell into sardonic
mirth when he heard
the first time? 

Of course
we sat down and looked at it seriously.
If it’s God’s promise, I reasoned, I’ll cope, 
even with Hagar’s belly swelling. It all made sense. 

And then I laughed. 
I laughed at myself when no-one could hear me. 
Who was I kidding? 
How would I cope? 
How did it make sense? 
What was God doing? 
What had I done wrong?

It all happened so easily for her. 

Abraham loved the boy
his boy
and I saw the joy in him 
that I had never been able to bring. 
It was too much. 
I called on the laughter but it would not come. 
I searched for it in the winking stars, 
in the smell of good soup, 
in the faces of friends, 
but it would not come.

It came with the visitors’ news. 
The cakes were baking 
and I was dusting the flour from my hands 
when I heard them speak my name. 
How did they know my name, 
and why care to speak of me? 

“Sarah shall have a son”. 
They heard me laughing, 
and would not let me deny it! 

Praise God, 
nor was there any denying the pleasure, 
or the promise, 
or my pregnant old body, 
or the tears of joy in my husband’s eyes 
when we held our son. 

What did we name him? 

We named him Laughter.

Laughter…

A short reflection inviting you to laugh along with the story from Genesis this week, Genesis 18:1-15, (21:1-7) 

https://vimeo.com/428515329

Laughter Songs:

Perhaps you can spend some time with your household this weekend learning a new song, here are a couple that are about laughter…

Retelling For Young People

Learners

Matthew 9:35-10:8, (9-23)

Jesus was a teacher and his friends were learners. Sometimes we call them disciples or followers or apostles. All of our lives we are learners because there is always something new to find out.

• Can you think of something new that you learned this week?

There are different ways of learning things. You can watch someone working or listen to someone talking. You can use Google.

• Can you think of any other ways?

Jesus taught people in lots of different ways. One way that people really enjoyed was that he told stories—stories about things they saw everyday—seeds, flowers, sheep, coins. Another way that Jesus taught was that he did kind things and encouraged his friends to do the same. He talked to people who other people avoided, people who were poor or sick or sad.

• Which story that Jesus told do you like best and why?

Another way that Jesus taught was to do something and then get his friends to do the same. Sometimes he sent them out on their own to tell people about God and to heal people. He told them that God would help them to do these things.

• There’s an old saying: Practice makes perfect. Can you work out what that saying means?

Discuss something that you have had to practice.

Activities For Households:

Bake / Cook together

As a family spend a day baking, perhaps you might like to bake some bread, cook some damper on a fire, or, if you’re feeling really adventurous what about cooking a meal on a fire outside?

As you bake, share this story and talk about who you would like to invite to your home for a meal over the coming month.

Read the story from Genesis 18 about the visitors and ask each other what you would cook for three strangers, how do you think Sarah felt when she heard the promise?

Laughing And Listening

Spill The Beans Issue 16

You will need: paper plates, funky foam, scissors, PVA glue, glue spreaders and felt tip pens.

Give everyone a paper plate and draw a smiley face on the plate. Give each other pieces of funky foam and draw big ears and mouths. Stick the ears and mouths onto the faces at the appropriate places. The ears and mouths should be and exaggerated size to emphasize the laughing and listening.

Discuss the story and how Sarah listened to the news the strangers brought and laughed because she did not think it could be true. Talk about how the news did come true and how Sarah thanked God. Discuss with each other the importance of listening, including who we should listen to and why.

As you look at each other’s paper plate face discuss the story and imagine what Sarah’s laugh may have sounded like. What does your laugh sound like? Can you remember a time when you felt so much joy that you laughed the hardest?

My Special Space

Spill The Beans Issue 16

You will need: lots of small twigs, A4 size sheets of paper, PVA glue, glue spreaders and pencils.

Give each other a sheet of paper each and draw an outline of a tree shape onto the paper. Fill in their tree shape, branches, and so on, by sticking small pieces of twig onto the paper.

Discuss the idea of special places – places where you can rest, listen to others or offer a welcome to others. Perhaps some you would be willing to share where those special places are for you. It might be your favourite chair or beanbag in the house, swing in the garden, kitchen at granny’s house.

Talk about the story of Abraham under the tree where he was able to rest, to listen to others and to offer a welcome to others. This was a special place for Abraham, perhaps this week you might like to find the to rest in your special places together.

Listen Up

Sarah was listening to the conversation going on outside the tent. For this game everyone needs to listen to a story being told. Pick a story that contains a lot of information and then ask questions after it.

Use lots of how many, what colour, how high kind of questions.

How easy do you find it to listen?

Filed Under: Home Brewed Family

Home Brewed Family – June 7, 2020

June 5, 2020 by Darren Wright

Greetings!

Today’s resources focus on the story of creation from the book of Genesis (Genesis 1:1-2:4a), June 5th was World Environment Day, so perhaps you might want to go outside and so something this weekend in God’s Creation. If you’re wanting some ideas re what you could get up to I’ve listed a few here.

Let us know how you spend today with your household.

Pray together

This prayer is one that you might like to use every day this week, perhaps it’d be a great prayer to start every day.

All-Age Prayer
Ready, steady, stop!
Help us all to:
stop bullying and brutality,
stop hunger and hurt,
stop fear and famine.
Help us all to be ready, and steady, and to stop!
Ready, steady, wait!
Help us all to:
Wait for the slower ones amongst us,
wait for the things we can’t yet have,
wait on your teaching to help us grow.
Help us all to be ready, and steady, and to wait!
Ready, steady, go!
Help us all to:
go and offer kindness,
go and speak the truth,
go and be your light,
help us all to be ready, and steady, and to go
in the name of Jesus our teacher.
Amen.

Hear the story

Read the story together: Genesis 1:1-2:4a

Listen to the story from Seeds of Faith and learn the song that flows throughout the reading.

Listen to the story from The Growing in God’s Love Storybible

https://vimeo.com/426220267
The story of creation as told in the Growing in God’s Love Storybible. A special thanks to the people behind Flyaway Books for permission to use this story this week.

Listen to the story told using Godly Play

If you’d like to make your own creation cards at home you can download my set here to cut out and colour in, or perhaps you’d like to make your own and send me a photo of your creation!

Sing a song…

https://vimeo.com/422037417
Here’s a song for you to sing at home. You Are The Light Of the World y Cathy Pino.
Learn it, because when we can sing again we’ll sing it together.
Cathy Pino
Copyright: 2000 Pino, Catherine
CCLI Streaming License: 89238
https://vimeo.com/422037065
Here’s a song for you to sing at home. God’s Love endures Forever by Richard Bruxvoort-Colligan Colligan.
Learn it, because when we can sing again we’ll sing it together.
Richard Bruxvoort-Colligan
www.psalmimmersion.com
CCLI Streaming License: 89238

Do Something…

Today is World Environment Day, it really is the best time in the world to hear the story of Creation and to find ways to look after it.

Idea 01: Turn it off.

Turn off the powerpoint you’re not using, intact turn it all off (except your fridges and freezers of course, that would be bad…). Electricity is used even when the appliance isn’t being used. Save electricity by turning the things you’re not using off. (TV, Computers, Printers, Phones, Kettles…)

Turn off your lights, don’t keep them on when you’re not using them, save electricity and do something for the world by turning them off.

Idea 02: Don’t drive

How much do you rely on your car? Can you walk or ride places this week? What about going for a walk around your neighbourhood today instead of travelling far?

Walk to the local park, lake or pond, or go for a bit ride and enjoy the fresh air together and thank God for the gift of creation.

Idea 03 – Clean Up

Go out for a few hours today with your family and pick up as much litter as you can find. Use gloves and protect yourselves. It’s amazing how much you’ll find.

You may want to do this in your neighbourhood, around Yerribi Pond, at a school or in one of the local grasslands.

Idea 04 – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Use this week to pay attention to how much your household throws out, how much food do you waste, how much single use plastic do you use, how many things do you throw out?

Make a decision as a family to decrease the amount that you throw out and waste. Share you plan with us and invite others to do the same. Together we can look after the world.

Idea 05: Create

It’s possibly going to be a cold weekend, so you may wish to stay indoors. Perhaps you might be able to be creative in your homes and explore the days of creation in paint, crayon, collage or sculpture…

If you’re looking for more ideas for engaging young people with the creation you may find this resource, Kids & Creation by Ruth Wivell and Jessica Morthope is really useful

Filed Under: Home Brewed Family, Home Brewed Worship

Home Brewed Family – Pentecost 2020

May 30, 2020 by Darren Wright

Here are a few resources designed to help you reflect on the theme of the Holy Spirit with your family this week. If there are any other ways in which we might help you in your homes this week please make contact and ask.

An All-Age Prayer for your family

Source: Spill The Beans Issue 34

Perhaps this week you can light a candle when you gather for a meal as a family, every time giving thanks to God for the gift of the day and sharing with each other how you have experienced love today.

On the birthday of the Church,
we celebrate the sending of your Spirit.
We tell strange stories
about tongues of fire
and wonky disciples.

These are more than odd stories about
odd people and odd events.
These are stories of your grace and your people.
We are also your people,
and these are also our stories.

Like them,
we get confused.
Like them,
we wonder
how such Spirit-fueled love is possible.
And like them,
we can be afraid.

Send your spirit among us,
and breath your peace upon us.
Help us to discover your love for us.
Help us to discover our love for each other.
Help us to remember our love for ourselves.

Amen.

Illustrated Ministry – Pentecost Poster

Wanting to bring some colour into your homes?

This illustration by the Illustrated Ministry community is here for you to colour in as you reflect on the Holy Spirit this Pentecost.

Acts (Remix)

This is an audio mix of the reading from Acts with a music background. It might not be for everyone, but I’ve travelled with it a lot this week and have enjoyed it enough to share it with you this week.

Holy Moly – Pentecost

This is an awesome retelling of the story of pentecost by the people behind Holy Moly by We Are Sparkhouse

Holy Moly – Pentecost– Password is GUNGUCFF2020

Questions For Converstion

  • What language do you speak? Many people speak more than one language, ask someone you know to teach you some words in another language.
  • Find a map of the world. Christians live all over the world, pick a country in the world, what can you find out about the way that christians live and worship in that country? What looks familiar? What is different?

Reform – Holy Spirit

This is a great conversation starter, perfect for a household to sit around and engage with. How much do you talk about the Holy Spirit?

Is The Holy Spirit A Person Or Wind, Or Fire or What? – Password is GUNGUCFF2020

The Holy Spirit – A Godly Play Story

Godly Play is a multi sensory storytelling practice inviting the hearer to enter into the story and wonder. This story invites us to reflect on the Holy Spirit.

Perhaps, after watching the story you might learn to retell it with each other this week.

Family Activity / Discussion

Source: Spill The Beans Issue 34

This is another bible passage that can be a challenging read because it is so wonderfully graphic (and sonic) on the one hand and yet, for many it seems such an unimaginable kind of thing to happen. So how might we understand these images in a world that is today far more rational?

Perhaps one way we can engage with it is to understand how the disciples felt. Each day up to now they had found themselves standing on new ground: miracles, healings, facing the religious authorities, crucifixion and now resurrection. Perhaps the vividness of this story suggests the whole movement of faith is to invite us always onto new ground because the kingdom is waiting for us there.

  • Taking that leap of imagination, discuss together a few things you can do as a family to be responsible for in your neighbourhood or school:
  • How might you seek opportunities where you can put yourself in positions where you are open to the Spirit of God’s leading?
  • How might you put yourselves outside your comfort zone as a family?
  • How might you dare invite yourself into places where you feel vulnerable and open towards others and then see what happens?

As a project from now until the end of winter, design a plan so your family can experience something more dramatic in the church than the usual Sunday or weekly happenings.

  • What new place could you go to visit to experience something totally different?
  • It might be something spiritual, such as a cathedral, a different form of worship, a labyrinth. It might be a community project, helping with the homeless, speaking to asylum seekers, engaging with a mental health project.
  • Having experienced this ‘new ground’ how might you then respond?
    Ideas might be to promise to support that venture with weekly volunteering, writing letters, leading prayers on the topic in church, speaking to leaders of the congregation to create a bigger project.
  • Once this has been agreed, how might you tell the story of how you got there and then keep people informed?

Breath Lines

In Genesis we read the Spirit of the Lord hovered over the waters…

We also read the Ruah of God, the breath of God, the wind of God was breathed into the creation, it gives us life.

Spend some time this week reflecting on your breath together, this simple practice invites you to draw your breath, perhaps in this act you may be able to experience the presence of God.

https://vimeo.com/408838369
This would be a great breath practice for a family to do together, share your creations with us this week.

Filed Under: Home Brewed Family

Home Brewed Family – May 17, 2020

May 16, 2020 by Darren Wright

All-Age Prayer

Source: Spill TheBeans Issue 34

This is a prayer which can be said by your household/family at the beginning or ending of every day this week. Perhaps it could be your daily prayer at meal time, or as you prepare to sleep.

God, we love you,
we love each other,
and we love what you have created:
our planet, the people who look after us,
our families and friends;
all the things and people
that show love for us.

Love is the way that we know you;
we know you as the Creator,
as the Son, as the Spirit,
we know that you are always
with us, always in our lives,
taking care of us,
loving us.

Your message is love,
your commandments are love,
so, we live our lives,
happy that you have promised
to be here forever,
because of your love for us.

Amen.

Map With Sound

“Anytime I feel lost, I pull out a map and stare. I stare until I have reminded myself that life is a giant adventure. So much to do and see.”

– Angelina Jolie

Make a word art image that recreates a place where you spend time with God.

Close your eyes and listen to (or imagine) all the sounds in that place, both natural and unnatural, make a list of all the sounds.

Use the list to create a visual composition, create a map of sound.

*Activity inspired by the book “Sketch Book Dares” by Laura Lee Gulledge

A Love Playlist

Jesus said to his disciples: “If you love me, you will do as I command.”

Can your family create a playlist of your favourite songs about “love”?

  • What songs need to be in the list?
  • Why should certain songs be included in your list?
  • Can your household come up with your top 3 songs of love?
  • What do these songs say about love?
  • What songs would you use to describe love to others?
  • Can you send your playlists to Darren for inclusion on our Facebook Page?

In 2018 GUC created a love song playlist, perhaps these songs may help you kick off your own playlist:

  • A GUC Love Song Playlist
    • Book Of Love by the Magnetic Fields
    • I can only imagine by Mercy me 
    • Can’t help falling in love by Elvis
    • Everything I do I do it for you by Bryan Adams
    • Chasing cars by Snow Patrol
    • Have I told you lately that I love you? by Van Morrison
    • It’s a sin to tell a lie (by The Ink Spots?)
    • I love you yes I do I love you (by the Lovelites?)
    • Love song by Bruce Cockburn 
    • I will always love you by Dolly Parton
    • November Rain by Guns ‘n Roses
    • Family by Teeny Tiny Stevie’s

Love at Home

What’s something you can do to show love in your home this week? Do you need to change how you speak to each other, how you help each other, how you hold each other?

Illustrated Ministry Resources

Illustrated Ministry have released their material for this week, you can access it here as a pdf. This week’s resource invites us to reflect on Psalm 66, on a God who listens.

Discussion Questions:

1. Who is someone in your life who truly listens to you?
2. How do you know when someone is really listening and paying attention to you?
3. How do you show other people you are listening to them?

Terrigal UCA

Terrigal UCA have created a video program Kids Life specifically for children and families. This week’s episode is on their church Facebook Page and reflects on Jesus as the vine.

Pulse Mail

This week’s Pulsemail, from the Pulse team in Sydney takes us on a whole new adventure!

High Schoolers will be traveling to Fiji with Tupou, from the Leigh Fijian Congregation at Parramatta. Explore how life is different here in Australia compared to Fiji, make Tuna Cakes or try and solve a riddle. 

Download: High School Pulsemail here.

Primary Schoolers are exploring the Holy Spirit and how you can connect in!

Download: Primary School Pulsemail here.

This week the Preschoolers are about to start learning about the Lord’s Prayer. What does it mean to Honour God?

Download: Preschool Pulsemail here.

Filed Under: Home Brewed Family

Home Brewed Family – May 10, 2020

May 10, 2020 by Darren Wright

Hi everyone, this week we’ve put some resources together to help you engage in worship with your family at home. This week we encourage you to discuss with your household:

https://vimeo.com/416654074
What are you doing to create sacred space in your homes? In the coming weeks I’ll be sharing a little more about what we’ve been finding helpful.
Elizabeth Raine has written a great piece in Insights about creating a sacred space at home.

Readings:

Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16
John 14:1-14 (Kanthi reads this week’s reading in Sinhalese)

Song:

One of the songs our family has enjoyed singing has been the song God’s Love Endures Forever by Richard Bruxvoort-Colligan, perhaps you might sing along with him.

Another song that would go well with this week’s reading is “This Little Light Of Mine” or “I Will Sing of Your Love Love Love“

Story:

I had a technical issue this week, so no story from me, but perhaps you’d like to head over to The Dollar Store Children’s Sermons website for a reflection on this week’s gospel.

or

Perhaps you’d like to head over to the children’s ministry video from Wesley Uniting Church “If you know me, then you also know God“

Prayer:

A Prayer Process for Children…

We make the sign of the cross:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Can you think of five to ten things that happened this week?

What did you most enjoy about this week?
Tell God about what you enjoyed

Did anything make you feel sad?
Tell God about what made you feel sad.

Are you finding it difficult not being able to play out with friends?
What friends do you want God to bless today?

Who else needs your prayers?

Think of someone who might be lonely or unwell
Pray for them in your own words
And ask God for what you and your family need

Thank God for your day.

We make the sign of the cross:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Source: https://pray-as-you-go.org/pdf/1314

Worship @ Home Ideas

If you are creating a little reflective corner at home here are a couple of ideas:

a) Build a place with many dwellings with what you can find in the house. Talk with another about what it might look like to design a dwelling place where you feel welcome, comfortable and able to abide in God’s love.

Discuss:

  • Who and what makes you feel safe?
  • In what ways are you finding refuge right now?
  • How do you find refuge in God?

b) Illustrated Ministry’s resources for this week are available as a pdf for households to use as a discussion or prayer starter.

c) Pulse have created a weekly resource for households with young people, you can access this week’s here:

  • Preschool
  • Primary School
  • High School

Filed Under: Home Brewed Family, Home Brewed Worship

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We are a community on a journey, we’ve grown from a small faith community planted in Ngunnawal in the early years of Gungahlin’s development to a thriving inclusive, intergenerational & multicultural community. As Gungahlin has grown we have seen a lot of change.

We are an open and inclusive community, everyone is welcome to use their gifts in worship, prayer, leadership, hospitality and teaching.

Find out more…

Worship With Us

Every Sunday, 9:30am
Gungahlin Uniting Church and Community Centre
108 The Valley Avenue
Gungahlin, ACT, 2913

Worship is for all ages, (0 to 93!) and seeks to be meaningful in different ways for us all.

In Jesus Christ we see how he drew near to each and all and so we hope our worship expresses this nearness too.

Find out more…

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We worship at the Gungahlin Uniting Church & Community Centre.
Find us on Google Maps here

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We are less than a 5 minute walk from the Gungahlin Place Light Rail Station.

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The ACT has a number of bus options for people travelling around, or to Gungahlin. Timetables available here.

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