Welcome
Wilderness Magazine
Well hello my wonderful reader, it has been a long time between issues but how excellent it is to be back and sharing this beautiful community and what a great issue, well worth the wait.
Again, we have history, music, poetry, and freedom thought. What a great way to inspire the feeling of hope that can be at times so elusive, especially during these long and strange times we have been facing.
What is hope?
Hope is one thought, one action, one smile, one step, one hand extended, and one hand accepted. Hope is the willingness to let life grow even amongst confusion and despair. Hope is he seed of happiness, and you are the one to water it.
More inside – click on the image at left to download HOPE.
Wominjeka. Welcome. We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we meet, the Wurrundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.
We also acknowledge our gratitude that we share this land, our sorrow for some of the costs of that sharing and our collective hope and belief that we can move to a place of equity, justice and partnership together.
We are located in the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges in the village of Tecoma. We are a Christian Church devoted to serving our local community. You’re welcome to have a look around our website or come and visit us.
We are moving more of our interactions to remote and online. It is best to contact us via phone or email as our premises is not currently open for gatherings. Please note that the church is closed to any meetings or gatherings, including for those hiring the facilities, until further notice.
Please contact us on (03) 9754 2177 or email office@tecomauc.org.au
An interactive online worship service is held every Sunday morning at 10am through the church’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/tecomauc and can be viewed even without a Facebook account. We also have a “Chat & Cuppa” gathering via Zoom on a Tuesday morning between 11am – 12:30pm. check out the latest “Tecoma Times” or email us for details.
Come by for a freshly made hot Take-Away meal and a chat.
Every Tuesday 4:30pm – 5:30pm
Tecoma Uniting Church
Join us @kindnesskitchen on Facebook and Instagram
Some resources to help people navigate this period of social distancing.
Suggested resources for accompanying you through quarantine:
- Richard Rohr’s daily devotions. Subscribe at www.cac.org to have a daily email delivered toyour inbox.
- The Uniting Church website www.victas.uca.org.au offers a range of resources and suggestions.
- OnBeing have created a ‘Care Package for uncertain times’ with podcasts, poetry, meditations and reflections. It can be found though their website www.onbeing.org which is also a terrific podcast itself.
- Poetry Unbound is a podcast in which poet Pádraig Ó Tuama takes you through a single poem each episode. Short and unhurried; contemplative and energising.
- Meditative stories podcast combines the emotional pull of immersive storytelling with gentle “mindfulness prompts” throughout to prompt listeners to settle more deeply in story details, and connect with their own observations. (web-based at http://podcast.meditativestory.com or via your podcast app)
- Pray-as-you-go offers guided daily prayer (web-based at www.pray-as-you-go.org or via your podcast app)
- John Tansey is running online guided mindfulness meditations daily at 11am through Zoom. Check the flyer or email John at tojtansey@gmail.com for the details.We’d also love your suggestions of books, websites and podcasts that might help resource your heart, mind and spirit during this time and beyond!
CHAOS Chat Line
The Community Houses Association of the Outer eastern Suburbs (CHAOS Inc) is a network of 30 Neighbourhood and community houses and centres across Melbourne’s outer eastern suburbs.
Current COVID-19 restrictions require people to stay home and self isolate, meaning many people, especially those unable to use or without access to technology, may be cut off from their normal social support networks and feel very lonely and isolated.
In response to this we have created a toll free line where people can simply ring and have a chat. It is not therapeutic or for crisis, just a friendly person on the other end of the phone. The service will operate Monday – Friday 10am – 1pm and Monday – Thursday 5pm – 9pm.
Social Distance
Maintaining a healthy social distance does not mean that we need to have a communal or spiritual distance, just a physical separation. Thus Tecoma Uniting Church is now operating ‘virtually’ via Facebook Live. Gathering together in one place will have to be put aside for now but join us via Facebook each Sunday morning at our usual time. We are also looking at other online options, so keep an eye out here for updates as we progress through the Covid19 lockdown.
Staying connected also means being able to continue with our offerings that keep the church 
operating. You can do this either through our U Ethical account by downloading this form with Congregation Account Number: 108373002 and Account Name of “Tecoma Parish Uniting Church UEthical Enhanced Cash Portfolio”, and returning it to the Office….
or our Bendigo Bank account.
BSB: 633 000
Account: 131789216
The “Church” is not the building, it is the people and we can stay connected in the Wilderness.
A link to some helpful information in response last Summer’s Bushfire Crisis
Our address is:
1566 Burwood Hwy
Tecoma VIC 3160
Melway reference 75 D9
Please contact us on (03) 9754 2177 or email office@tecomauc.org.au
Keep up to date with what is happening in and around the Tecoma Uniting Church and get our latest newsletter, the Tecoma Times here.