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.
We are located in the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges in the village of Tecoma. We are an inclusive Church committed to serving our local community.
You’re welcome to have a look around our website or come and visit us.
This Sunday – Continuing our Journey into Lent
In Ezekiel’s vision, the voice of God asks the prophet, “Can these bones live?” This will be the focus question for week 5 of Lent. It will allow us to ask; Do we believe new life can come after death? Can we find hope when things are bleak? Can we really trust in the possibility of resurrection? While we look to God to carry us through the valley, God looks to us to embody hope for others. As we prepare to enter Holy Week and walk through the valley of dry bones that leads us to Calvary Hill, let us seek out the hope that will stir in us and sustain us.
For those (like me) enjoying the reflection cards, the 2nd half of them will be available this Sunday.
There are also some fresh batches for those who haven’t yet taken them.
You may also see through Facebook that each day we are posting a snippet from either the reflection cards of devotional material on our Facebook Page. We’d love to you interact with this so we can share the Lenten journey together.
Join us at 10:00am either in Tecoma or from home via …
Palm Sunday walk
The Palm Sunday Walk for Justice for Refugees 2023 is next Sunday. The event supporting refugees starts with music and speakers at 1.30pm on Sunday, April 2 at the State Library in Melbourne/Naaarm, with the walk beginning at 2.45pm.
The event is endorsed by many faith based and other community groups. The speakers program at the State Library in the CBD will include refugees and faith speakers. Music from 1.30pm, Speakers from 2pm, around 2.45pm Walk through the city to Parliament Gardens where there will be closing speakers and music until around 4pm.
Further updates will be made on the Facebook page: CLICK HERE
Dinner for 8’s
These have been arranged! Shortly your hosts will be given their dinner groups and you will be contacted to arrange a date and time that works for your group. So stay tuned!
Dinner for 8’s is simply a shares meal in groups of 8 from within our community. It’s aim is to connect with new people and to build deeper connections. Once we have all the names of keen participants, we’ll arrange the group and assign a host who will be in touch to determine a time and venue which most suits your group. The preferred style is a ‘pot luck’ dinner – spreading the responsibility for the food amongst your group.
Public Tours to Places of Worship
Wednesdays 14 June, 9 August, 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.
Church Camp in 2023!
We are excited to announce that we are planning a family camp this year!
We hope you can join us! Please put in your diaries:
Friday 1st – Sunday 3rd of September. More details will unfold as we get closer, but you can check out the campsite hereIn the meantime, we are looking for a small group of people to form a subcommittee to help plan it.
Please speak with Sue Townsend if you are interested.
Recycling
Tecoma Uniting Church is listed as a site for
Batteries
Pens & Textas
Any mobile phone (including their batteries, charges, cases & head phones)
Toothpaste tubes and caps, toothbrushes, electric toothbrush heads & floss containers
Milk bottle and container bottle caps
Wine bottle corks
Plastic bread tags
Used batteries-
Thanks to Carla and Andrew who have offered to be our battery recycling warriors and will be able to occasionally
drop off the batteries on their way to shopping.
Next on the list is
Corks
We are needing a volunteer to drop off corks to either of the Reverse Art Truck addresses
Ringwood Location
3 / 17 Greenwood Avenue
Ringwood 3134
Phone: (03) 9879 1264
Hours:
Tuesday – Friday 9am – 5pm
Saturday 9am – 1pm
or
Narre Warren Location
182 Quarry Road
Narre Warren North, 3804
Phone: (03) 9707 1333
Hours:
Friday 9am – 5pm
Saturday 9am – 1pm
If this is convenient for you or is something you can add as an activity to your busy life, Please contact Kellie in the office office@tecomauc.org.au or Call 97542177 Tuesday & Friday between 9am and 1pm or leave message.
There is unfortunately no cork recycling in Australia at present. However Corks are collected for REUSE via the Reverse Art Trucks. Anyone wanting corks for schools, community groups, individuals please contact Hills Recycling CLICK HERE for online enquiry
REUSE
KEEP YOUR CORKS and explore the weird and wonderful things you can make with them on Pinterest .
Tecoma Uniting Church list on Hills Recycling website
ACTIONS
Batteries
Thanks to Carla and Andrew who have offered to be our battery recycling warriors and will be able to occasionally drop off the batteries on their way to shopping.
Pens & Textas
Tecoma Uniting is registered with Teracycle to collect Pens and Markers but teracycle prefer that
people drop off at Officeworks to minimise packaging. So please only use Tecoma if you cannot get to an Officeworks near you.
Any mobile phone (including their batteries, charges, cases & head phones)
Tecoma Church provides a collection point for Mobile Muster and can book in a free pick up to arrange a collection.
Toothpaste tubes & caps, Toothbrushes, electric toothbrush heads & floss containers.
Tecoma Uniting is registered with Teracycle to collect these items so again we do not need any volunteers for this service.
Lids for Kids
Thanks to Jenny Stevens who assists Tecoma Uniting Church Community by dropping the lids and Bread tags to Nunawading.
Remember its Only Plastic soft drink, water and milk bottle caps No 2 and No 4 stamped INSIDE the recycling triangle logo are accepted for Lids for Kids. Please remove any foam disks/seals before washing Please ensure your lids are washed, CLEAN and dry so they are ready for processing. We will NOT accept dirty lids.Please sort by colour. Click here for video on sorting
NB. You can also leave lids on plastic bottles in the Yarra Ranges and Cardinia Shires. Also lids can stay on glass jars
Wine bottle corks
Tecoma Uniting is registered with Teracycle to collect these items so again we do not need any volunteers for this service.
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
This is important for those recycling Apple products
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 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.
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
Keep up to date with what is happening in and around the Tecoma Uniting Church and get our latest newsletter, The Tecoma Times here.