BAPTISM OF ZACH DE GOEY
/What a privilege to witness the baptism of baby Zach de Goey last Sunday. Baby Zach is certainly one of the most easy going babies ever baptised in our church!
MAIDEN SERMON
/Robin Moore, Candidate for Lay Preacher in the Uniting Church, gave his maiden sermon in our Sunday worship service! The other Candidates for Lay Preacher offered him some supports and constructive feedbacks after the conclusion of the service.
Compassion Australia
/Five children in North Sumatera are ‘adopted’ this year by people in the congregation. There are now eight children altogether who are supported by people in the congregation through Compassion Australia.
New ‘parents’: Robert and Maureen Skeet.
Youth & Young Adult End-Of-Year Meal
/The church youths and young adults enjoy their well-deserved end-of-year meal together. Thank you everyone for your contributions to the life of the church in the past year!
Christmas Carols on the Lawn 2020
/Some of the fun scenes from last year's Christmas Carols on the Lawn on Christmas Eve.
CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON 2020
/The Church's annual Christmas Luncheon at Meadow Springs Golf Club in Mandurah. A special thanks to the Cartwright family and to Cam Crothers and Lois Lewis for organising the meal!
Ode to Op Shop Volunteers
/(By Maureen Skeet)
The Church and our Recipients can’t Thank You Enough
We know some days can be Tough
Customers that complain about the Price
While others are so very Nice
It can certainly make your Day
To help a client find their Way
Often our neat work Rearranged
Surely by something semi-Deranged
How could a pair of Shoes
Become one to Lose
Earrings share the same Fate
Searching everywhere for the Mate
Leaving the Workroom like new Pin
Then have a late, large donation come In
Much effort goes on behind the Scene
But NEVER unnoticed, like it may Seem
There is always so much to Do
We really could not operate without You
A few years ago, we were Lead
To start and operate a furniture Shed
Male Volunteers were quickly Sought
Items displayed to be sold & Bought
So our grateful thanks we Extend
To all our very special Men
May your cheery attitude towards the Shop
Continue to bring joy to all, and never Stop
Our heartfelt appreciation please Accept
For without you we would be bereft
Volunteers you are our Treasure
To Thank you is our Pleasure
MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALL
THANK YOU
50 Years and Always Open
/
(By Chloe Fraser – Published on Sound Telegraph local newspaper on Wednesday, August 12, 2020)
Rockingham Uniting Church’s Opportunity Shop is celebrating 50 years in the community. The op shop first opened on August 29, 1970, in a small cottage on the Rockingham waterfront. It was opened to raise funds for the church, which was facing financial difficulties at the time. The rent back then was $4 a week, with the initial president and secretary covering that cost.
Just six weeks after opening the shop, the group was forced to move to bigger premises at the former Bank of New South Wales House on railway terrace. With that building facing demolition, the op shop moved again to premises on Kent Street in June 1971. Over the next nine years on that location a band of 20 volunteers were rostered to run the op shop. Then it moved again, to a shop directly behind the bank. Its final move was to a house on Parkin Street – Opposite IGA – in 1991.
By 1990 the Op Shop had donated $116,677 to the church and various charities. By 2005 the op shop was in need of another extension to cater for donations of furniture. A big shed was built at the rear of the premises.
The op shop is one of the original business of its kind in Rockingham and its success is largely credited to its volunteers. About 25 people from both the church community and the public now keep the doors open six days a week with funds raised put towards the church and for local and national emergency relief. Some money raised at the store is fed back into the community via support for Coastal Care Rockingham, which cares for the homeless and disadvantaged in the community.
Volunteer Gwen Miller said the volunteers were the heart and soul of the shop, which had firmly cemented its place in Rockingham’s history. “This shop has been visited by many locals over the years, some as volunteers and others as customers and donors,” she said. “Everyone’s been in this shop almost once.”
Open six days a week from 10am to 3.30pm on weekdays and 9am to noon on Saturday, the op shop continues to provide vital support for those in need and remains a place of friendship to the many volunteers who have walked through the doors. “In the last 50 years we’ve had floods, break ins ... nothing has ever stopped us,” volunteer Helen Duncan said. “We’ve always been open.”
Baby Mahadika Arka Keva (Arka)
/Congratulations to Rev. Toby and Rita and Abia for the birth of the new addition to their family, Baby Mahadika Arka Keva (Arka)! Baby Arka was born in Rockingham General Hospital on March 1, 2020. Speak to Rev. Toby or Rita to find out how to pronounce the name properly!
Community Citizen of the Year Award
/Our very own, Kelly Crothers, was awarded the Community Citizen of the Year Award in the ceremony during Australia Day this year in Rockingham Council. Kelly was recognised for her works in the church and in the community. Kelly was one of our Youth Group leaders and the main organiser of our last Church Camp. She wrote and directed a number of our KUCA (Sunday school) Christmas Play. She is also a teacher assistant in our KUCA (Sunday School) classes and has represented our congregation in many events.
Congratulations Kelly! We’re so proud of you.
Baptism and Confirmation
/Sunday, August 11, was a special Sunday as we heard the witnesses of three people who affirmed their faith in Christ through Baptism and Confirmation. Dean Lockwood was baptised by Rev. Toby Keva alongside his beloved son, Jordan Lockwood, while Oliver Hanisch confirmed the baptism that he received as a child. All were supported by their Mentors who journeyed with them during the time of exploration and growth in their faith.
Harvest Sunday
/Harvest Sunday was celebrated on June 23. We welcomed Gillian Harris and her husband, Ray, from Coastal Care Emergency Relief who talked about the great ministry that they and their volunteers did for the people and families in need in greater Rockingham area. The congregation generously brought non-perishable food as offering and donation to support the work of the emergency relief.
40th Anniversary Celebrations at Rockingham Congregation
/The worship space at Rockingham was transformed into a restaurant space on Friday night 16th. June.It was completed by the Youth Group as their contribution to the congregation's UCA 40th birthday celebration on Sat 17th. Church Council had decided we needed to celebrate the birth of our church. I was asked to organise an event.
With a small committee of 4 we organised a lunch and invited 3 former ministers as guests. The program included 6 short speeches by 4 former ministers, Ken Deveraux, John Edwards, Ian McPherson, Alan Jeffries, our current Minister Toby Keva and the Chair of the Church Council, Ken Paton. They were all asked to highlight something from their time at Rockingham. One thing that was mentioned was that John Edwards, now retired and a member of our congregation, was one of the first people to be ordained in the Uniting Church, shortly after union.
Rockingham was different to many congregations at Union as there were only Methodist congregations in this area. Since then former Presbyterian and Congregational members have joined.
The lunch ended with us all enjoying a birthday cake with the 40th Logo on it. Our choir sang two items, one of which had the lyrics written by Jennifer Ligtermoet originally for the 10th anniversary. The words are still relevant. Here is one of the verses.
"With God to help us travel, We’re working hand in hand, To build a new tomorrow, For all to understand, Uniting is continuous, This process never ends, Together with new vision, Wherever God may send"
Gerry Ligtermoet
Minister's, past and present, cutting the Anniversary Cake
40th Anniversary Cake