Welcome
Wominjeka. Welcome. We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we meet, the Wurundjeri 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.
Located in the Hills, committed to serving our local community. At our heart is the wisdom and teachings of Jesus which include deep listening, compassion, hospitality, justice and loving one another, especially marginalised people.
Comfortable with all faiths/denominations and gender diversity. Collaborative and intergenerational. Friendly, and understanding, exploring spirituality and contemplation, evolving, and changing. Connected to and conversing with our community, offering marginalised people a place to feel safe. Grounded in Justice, thinking outside the square.
You’re welcome to call us on (03) 9754 2177, contact us via email, follow us on Facebook, have a look around our website or come and visit us at 1566 Burwood Highway, Tecoma.
No Church This Week – 20th Oct
Church Camp on this weekend, so no “normal” service at Tecoma, nor online.
The service will be accessible on Zoom next week (27th).
Zoom link Meeting ID: 829 2369 7058 Pass code: 109713
Hall Hirer & Community Events
Voices from the Edge – Wrap Up
What a gift! In our inaugural event we could not have been happier with what we were able to host. Featuring 4 gifted and authentic performers who shared their stories and themselves. We cried, we learned, we asked questions and we had our hearts expanded – and all left, I suspect, feeling as though the world was a slightly better place as a result.
For those who came, we are now more informed and better allies, whilst the performers themselves all spoke of feeling heard, safe, celebrated and valued. The reign of love flourished on Sunday.
From a Tecoma Uniting perspective … we helped participate in that!! Through a dynamo planning team, a great cohort of volunteers and the support of this community, we offered something special. Thank you to all those who contributed and participated.
I would like to share with you a reflection from one of our featured performers, Fleassy Malay. It speaks of her courage and open-heartedness, but is deeply affirming of what we are trying to do:
Yesterday, I was invited to a very special event called Voices From The Edge run by Tecoma Uniting Church
It was an event focused specifically on platforming gender diverse people. 4 artists were booked, and the audience was filled with trans and cis people alike. All there to listen and share.
Over the past 8 years or so, I’ve been invited to a lot of Uniting Church events. It began with The Simba Sessions and then Sacred Edge Festival, Queenscliffe and now this event. I am also blessed to have access to The Coracle at Fairfield Uniting Church to run Mother Tongue Poetry and SpeakUP.
As a queer person who is not a person of religious faith, it took a long time for me to feel safe in these spaces, truly safe. But over and over again, these communities have shown me nothing but support, openness, and inclusion. They treat me well as an artist, they treat me well as a friend, and they treat me well as a human.
I know this is not true of all churches, and likely not true of all Uniting churches, but I want to commend these groups I have mentioned for their continual commitment to repairing some of the harm that churches and Christianity has done, and still does to the LGBTQIA+ communities.
Be affirmed TUC in what we are offering our community.
We look forward with great anticipation as to what Voices will look like in 2025
The Haven: Repair Cafe Running every week!
You can pop in to Haven to grab a cuppa, sit and be, or participate in some of the craft activities that our wonderful crew supply (or bring a craft activity you are working on) and then hang around for a hearty lunch!
Runs from 9:30am – 11:30am throughout school terms.
There will also be soup served from 11:15am.
Come and join in for a feed – whether or not you are able to come to The Haven.
Tecoma Twilight – Looking for volunteers
With less than a month until the big day, we will be hoping to sign up lots of volunteers for the market.
Just as in other years are we need;
- Set up crew (Both the day before and the day of)
- Bump in crew
- Pack up crew
- Coffee cup collectors
- Raffle ticket
- Stage managers
It’s always a great event and the many hands do make light work! Thanks for your support
Miller is overseeing all the volunteers this year. Here is a link to sign up and for more info
Queer Dinner
First Friday night of the month from 6pm.
Please bring a plate to share,
( it’s ok if you cannot bring anything, we will have soup & rolls)
Next Meeting is Friday 1st November
For further details please contact tuc.queer.dinners@gmail.com
Community Camp – On now! This weekend.
Friday October 18th 4.30pm to Sunday October 20th 2.00pm
CYC Forest Edge
405 McKenzie Rd, Neerim East VIC 3831
Payments are due Click here for Pricelist (Payments are due)
Please let us know if you need an extension
We are back at the same great spot on site at the McKerlie Creek cabins Click Herewhich have comfortable beds and their own ensuites. There’s a nice running stream and the Barn as our gathering place where we eat, play games, have music nights, sit by the open fire and of course table tennis
We are looking forward to everyone coming together again and hoping to see even more or you coming for the whole weekend.
If there is anyone that needs support to attend there will be an option to ask for this in the booking process but also you are welcome to speak to Sue Townsend or Kellie in the office or someone on the camp committee.
If you have any special requests, suggestions, especially if you have a specific activity of interest (click here for ideas) or questions you can contact Kellie in the office or speak with someone on the camp committee, Mel, Ali, Chuck, Barb. The camp committe are looking forward to co-creating a great camp experience for everyone.
If you want to find out more, If you can recognise anyone in the picture of the camp crew below have a chat with them or call or email the office at office@tecomauc.org.au
Camp Sponsorship
We would love people in the community with excess, to consider those who may struggle to have enough money for camp.If you are in a position to be able to offer even a small contribution to assist others in making it, we’d love to hear from you.
Money can be placed in the offering box in a clearly labelled envelope with ‘CAMP DONATION’, given to Sue Townsend or a direct debit with a payment line of ‘CAMP DONATION’.
We’d really love money not to be a barrier for people
If you would like to support the work of the church and it’s service to the surrounding community, you 
can do this through our Bendigo Bank account.
BSB: 633 000 & Account: 131789216 To contact us: (03) 9754 2177 or email office@tecomauc.org.au
or go to our Offerings page to use your credit/debit card.
Keep up to date with what is happening in and around the Tecoma Uniting Church and get our latest newsletter, The Tecoma Times here.