Reverse Advent

Thanks to everyone who has already donated food towards the Reverse Advent Calendar for Food is Free Tecoma (FIFT).  The items are made available to those in need over our busy January period when FIFT is one of the only services that remain open.  The items are not made up into hampers, so the calendar below is a guide and fun way to collect items. You don’t have to adhere to this format, especially this late in the piece. Anything you are able to contribute will be gratefully received.

There are copies at the back of church

Welcoming our new Children’s & Families Pastor

Last Sunday we were able to announce and unveil the exciting news that we will have a new team member as a part of our ministry team next year.

Carrie Philpott has discerned a call to come and join us – focusing on giving oversight to the growing edge of our church and assisting in us fostering healthy families. We are also hopeful Carrie will facilitate and support wider family conversations and support.

A little bit about Carrie

Carrie (she/her) is a Social Worker, Family Therapist and Spiritual Director with over 25 years experience working with families across disability, adoption & permanent care, emergency relief and parent counseling sectors. During the COVID-lockdown years she worked as a Community Organiser with Tearfund Australia, working to empower the Church in Australia to engage with climate action and extreme poverty alleviation and advocacy. Never one to shy away from a challenge, she comes to us from her most recent role offering pastoral support and community coordination with two congregations of retiring Catholic nuns!

The Church council feel Carrie is a tremendous fit with our community and we look forward to having her join the TUC family. She will start work on Sunday Feb 2.

Treasure Shop

We need your help! We want to continue to be a presence in the local community as well as do our bit helping the planet and various charities doing good. The Upwey Treasure Op Shop in main street is a huge recycling project keeping tons of clothes out of landfill and causing less viable clothes to be recycled into usable products. The money we raise is making a real difference within the Hills community, helping many local causes as well as Australian and overseas charities.

And if you’re thinking about your plans for 2025, remember the Treasure Shop are looking for volunteers to do a shift 3 hours a week, fortnight or even once a month. We are based at 6 Main Street in Upwey.
The shop hours are 9:15am – 12:30pm, or 12:30pm – 3:45pm. Saturday 10am – 1pm but we can accommodate your availability.

There are a few small jobs that you could take on apart from being a shop volunteer.

• Collect bags of things we can’t sell and deliver them to bigger Op Shops
• Find prices for special donations on the marketplace so we can price more accurately
• Collect clothes from us that are in good nick but need a stain treated and a freshen up wash
• Like us on FaceBook and share pics with friends who may like what we’re selling ( Upwey Treasure Op Shop )

If you can give the shop any time to work alongside another lovely volunteer that would be grand.

JOB DESCRIPTION – 50%

• Roll racks outside
• Vacuum
• Set up til
• Tidy and dust
• Greet customers, chat, help people look for things if needed
• Sort incoming donations – Separate into ironing, recycling, hang and put in shop, bag up for other op shops, bag up washing for you or others to take home
• Price things
• Sit at the counter and chat with your co-worker over a cuppa

For you;

• The golden glow of feeling you’re part of something really good!
• New friends
• Up-skill on your team work
• Great conversations
• First look at donated clothes