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.
Service This Week – Seasons of Creation
We continue our monthly theme – this week with the focus on Wilderness.
The wild and unpredictable parts of earth and of ourselves.
To help us think about the topic we will be interviewing one of the our community gems – Marc Barry.
A quick shout out too, to Sam Hardidge who has contributing some of their incredible artwork to our altar. This was last week’s focal point.
Join us at 1566 Burwood Highway, Tecoma; or online via Zoom…
No Kids Program
Another reminder, that being school holidays whilst kids are more than welcome, (and will find activity sheets on the table and things to occupy themselves) there’s wont be a facilitated program. Parents and caregivers will therefore be responsible for the kids.
2023 AGM and Election of Office Bearers
Sunday 22nd October 2023 is the date set for the Tecoma Uniting Church Annual General Meeting and Election of Officer Bearers. To enable the AGM Report to be compiled in plenty of time, we are requiring all the Office Bearers and groups that usually meet at the church to submit reports via email office@tecomauc.org.au by the 6th October. We would be interested in any activities that you have managed to have in the past year (from July 2022 to now).
Please let Kellie know if you have any queries at all.
Church Council on the Voice
Our Church council has joined the wider Uniting Church in wanting to be a church which advocates for voting Yes. As a result a couple of signs will go up shortly to reflect this and to be a visual presence in the community.Council are aware that this is a challenging issue which has plenty of complexity to it. We feel voting yes feels like the best reflection of our faith and values – and in this binary yes or not vote, the most appropriate response as a Second Peoples. However, we are also aware that it does not reflect everyone’s views.
Whilst we will be displaying YES we are very much open to the conversation, and respect different views on this. Please do not feel that you are not welcome if you hold an alternative view, or that you would not be able to converse with our community around this. We had talked about having a sign: “YES – let’s have the conversation” but didn’t want to confuse the issue … nor ruin our very artfully painted church banner our kids spent so much time on.
Ahead of the referendum on an indigenous Voice in the Constitution, sermons from Christian preachers supporting a Yes vote have been compiled into an anthology. Click Here to Read more
Resources for Listening
https://www.yes23.com.au/resources
About Yes23
Yes23 brings together people from all walks of life in a coalition to support constitutional recognition for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through a Voice. This grassroots coalition is led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, supported by many organisations, and powered by thousands and thousands of volunteers like you willing to lend your time and talent.
Local Yes23 Group
https://www.yes23.com.au/casey_for_yes
Welcome to Casey for YES – a local community group created to meet people and share ideas to promote respect, hope, and reconciliation across the federal electorate of Casey in beautiful Wurundjeri land. Casey for Yes is a place for locals to ask questions, seek out information and get involved in support of the Yes Vote in the upcoming Australian constitutional referendum.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/815554123596722/ https://www.instagram.com/caseyforyes/#
Yes, Rev Glenn Loughrey
https://www.redshoeswalking.net/answering-questions-on-the-voice/ https://youtu.be/t2IBqDh-ezw
No Voice, progressive Michael Mansell
No Voice, progressive Rodney Gibbens
https://www.tiktok.com/@abcnewsaus/video/7255509886488907009
Attached here is the information above in a pdf document prepared by Shakti to do some further listening and reflecting.
Click here for a link of the video where we heard from a range of people and their view on the voice which was used on Sunday and is a good way into exploring this
Hall Hirer & Community Events
There is another Open House next Wednesday 27th September is Our next Open house at Carlisle Court Community. It’s such a lovely homey space. All welcome to come and hang out for a few hours with a lively friendly mob, have soup and bread and connection. Free
Birthday Party – Date for diaries
Our church recently turned 90. It has also been noted that as many as 8 people have had decade birthdays (i.e. 60, 70 or 80).
Therefore, a birthday party is surely in order – celebrating the legacy of this place, and the lives of those within it.
So please put: Sunday October 29th in the diary.
It will likely be a point of focus during the service, and a celebratory meal and inter-generational activities following the service and going part way into the afternoon.
Public Tours to Places of Worship
Wednesdays 11 October, and 13 December 2023.
PAYMENT of $25 is required PRIOR to the tour to confirm your booking
Bookings & Enquiries are through the Interfaith Network’s Community Education Officer, Stacey Odwazny education@interfaithnetwork.org.au or 8774 7662.
Please pass on to your communities and interested friends, family, and colleagues.
PAYMENT of $25 is required PRIOR to the tour to confirm your booking by:
Direct Deposit in YOUR NAME
Interfaith Network of the City of Greater Dandenong Inc
BSB: 063 012 ACCOUNT NUMBER: 1026 8039
Please email tours@interfaithnetwork.org.au once you have made payment.
Please remember that Covid19 is still within our community
Thanks to everyone who are continuing to take steps to keeping everyone safe. Just as with any other illness, please continue to take care of yourself and those around you, particularly if you or someone close is vulnerable.
A good quality face mask in indoor and crowded settings is strongly recommended to protect yourself and our most vulnerable.
- We will continue to try and maintain good ventilation indoors
- Clean hands with soap and water regularly. Use hand sanitiser provided.
- Always cover cough and sneeze into a tissue or a bent elbow
We have plenty of free Nasal (RAT) tests at the church for anyone who needs to test themselves. Feel free to take as many as you need as we have plenty
Recycling Update
You will notice that the Blister Pack Collection (Which we are no longer participating in) has been replaced with the Gilette Razor Programme.
Recycle at Home Satchel
$29.95
Recycle used and empty blister packs from the convenience of your home using the Pharmacycle Recycle at Home Satchel. Holds approximately 150 – 200 blister packs.
You can recycle:
- Any brand of empty medicinal blister packs.
Do not send back:
- Blister packs still containing medicine including capsules, tablets, caplets, and lozenges.
- Outer cardboard packaging – this can be recycled in your kerbside recycling bin!
Click Here to purchase kit
Prefer to drop off loose blister packs instead?
Find your closest Pharmacycle collection point
Click here to find the closest option to your home address
Below are the 3 closest sites when I put Tecoma in the search.
If there is anyone that finds that they often frequent a shopping centre or strip near a pharmacy that offers this program in the pharmacycle search or even goes to a pharmacy that offers this program and you would be willing to take some blister packs please contact me in the office on office@tecomauc.org.au or call 9754 2177
- Direct Chemist Outlet BayswaterShop 35 Mountain High Shopping Centre 7-13 High StBayswater VIC 31539.9 kmDirections
- Bayswater Amcal Pharmacy2/2 High StBayswater VIC 315310 kmDirections
- Blooms The Chemist – Stud ParkShop 36 Stud Park Shopping Centre Stud ParkRowville VIC 317810 kmDirections
Recycling Station
Check out our recycling station and see what you can contribute to improving our environment. But, we have been informed by Jenny Stevens that folks are still leaving unwanted types of lids in the lid recycling box.
Only Lids with the number 2 and 4 number can be accepted. The lids also need to washed.
Jenny has been given the additional task to separate the lids into different colours so lets make sure we assist her to get these 1st steps covered to make it easier for her.
1. Number 2 or 4 lids only
2. Lids must be washed and clean
We are currently collecting:
- Used batteries
- Pens and textas
- Any mobile phone (including their batteries, charges, cases & headphones)
- Toothpaste tubes and caps, toothbrushes, electric toothbrush heads & floss containers
- Milk bottle and container bottle caps
- Wine bottle corks
- Plastic bread ties
In recycling through us, not only are you rescuing things from landfill, most of the materials are sorted and reused, up-cycled into new products or recycled. Companies like Terracycle sew juice pouches together into backpacks, chip bags into suit jackets, and even granola wrappers into pencil cases. Other waste collected is us turned into plastic pellets that can be moulded into benches, picnic tables, and even playgrounds. Envision turn the bottle cap lids into prosthetic limbs.
Tecoma Church provides a collection point for Mobile Muster and can book in a free pick up to arrange a collection Mobile phones and accessories will be recycled to the highest environment standard.
Click here for more information
Options also to Donate your old phone and charger to Able Australia
Storage of expired and unwanted medicines in the home can be dangerous and unsafe disposal of unwanted medicines can lead to environmental damage. There is a free and convenient way to dispose of your unwanted medicines responsibly via your local pharmacy, and it’s called Return Unwanted Medicines (or The RUM Project).FOR GENERAL ENQUIRIES
T. 1300 650 835
E. alana@returnmed.com.au
Financial Contributions
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.