Tag: Tuggeranong

A Triple Treat at Tuggeranong

This past weekend has provided a “triple treat” for the people of the Tuggeranong Uniting Church and the community of the Tuggeranong Valley, in the south of Canberra.

The first “treat” was the emergence of beautiful tulips in the garden beds at the entry to the church. The colourful flowers are part of Floriade Reimagined, a community initiative that that ACT Government put in place in 2020 when the COVID pandemic meant that the annual Floriade display in Commonwealth Park could not be held.

Floriade Reimagined tulips at Tuggeranong Uniting Church

The government provided bulbs to churches and community organisations, to be planted on their properties, and thus enable a reimagined form for Floriade to take place. During the period of lockdown, Canberrans were able to drive around the city and admire colourful displays at many dispersed sights. Tuggeranong Uniting Church was one of those, and since Floriade Reimagined has continued each year since 2020, the annual display of tulips was on again this year.

The second “treat” was the annual SpringFest, held on the grounds and in the building of the Tuggeranong Uniting Church (TUC). A fruitful partnership with local environmental advocacy group SEE-Change has led to SpringFest being a combination of a typical church Spring Fair and a community day with a focus on sustainability and environmental responsibility.

The carpark was filled with stalls, with the SEE-Change stall providing information on many ways to reduce our carbon footprint. Another stall provided a recycling drop-off point for a range of household items. Other stall holders offered demonstrations of how to make beeswax wraps, a Trash to Treasure Art Competition, an Indigenous Art collection of items, a Repurposed Art stall, garden tools sharpening and repairs, rock painting for the kids, and head and neck massages for stressed adults.

Information about Eco-Sustainability was provided by Suburb Zero (transitioning Canberra to fully-electric), ACT No Waste (a part of the ACT Government City Services Directorate), and the Southern ACT Catchment Group (an umbrella group for active environmental groups in the areas of Woden, Weston Creek, Tuggeranong and Tharwa).

In the Erindale Neighbourhood Centre on one side of the church, Spider-Man led a comic-drawing workshop—much to the delight of the children attending—and Elizabeth Raine explained how to reduce plastic by using alternatives in everyday household items that are more environmentally friendly. In the Erindale Community Garden on the other side of the church, workshops were offered on Composting and Worm Farms and Keeping Backyard Chickens, as well as an Introduction to Permaculture.

The results of the Spider-Man comic drawing workshop

The church building had a cake stall run by the Girls Brigade, clothing from the Red Dove Op Shop, books galore, crafts from church members and community members alike, a stall for clothes and repairs, a nature photography stall, and a comfortable space to sit and enjoy the cakes and slices made by TUC members, while drinking coffee or tea, and enjoying the live music provided throughout the day.

Over 400 people came to SpringFest, making it one of the highlight events for the church each year. All who came were greeted on entry by the Mad Hatter—aka the Rev. Sharon Jacobs, Growth and Relationships Minister at TUC. When people entered the church building, the Spring Fairy—aka the Rev. Elizabeth Raine, TUC Minister—beguiled them with her sparkling wings and enticed people to buy monkeys made by vulnerable Cambodian women, to support their micro-enterprise.

The third “treat” was a gathering on the Sunday after SpringFest, to celebrate the ministry of Elizabeth Raine, as she concluded her time in ministry at Tuggeranong and moved into retirement. Colleagues and friends from around the Presbytery joined TUC members to give thanks for the energy, dynamism, plain speaking, and strong leadership that Elizabeth has provided throughout the past five years. The church has changed and transformed during the pandemic, but has held all its members and has been gaining new participants in the worship and mission of the congregation. It is a growing, lively, inclusive community of faith.

The Rev. Jane Fry, Synod Secretary, with Ms Janet Kay, Canberra Region Presbytery Chairperson, and colleague ministers from the Presbytery, with the Rev. Elizabeth Raine at her Closure of Ministry service

The Synod Secretary, the Rev. Jane Fry, has been a good friend of Elizabeth since their time together in theological college 30 years ago. Jane preached during the service, reflecting on the “grumbling” of the Israelites in the wilderness, and pondering how we might “grumble” constructively in today’s world. A collection of friends from years past and recent provided lively musical leadership for the Congregation.

Local Federal Member for Bean, David Smith MP, spoke warmly about Elizabeth, noting her “deep personal faith and firm commitment to working for the common good in society … her passion in standing for justice and her compassion in serving people at their particular point of need.” David noted that, “as minister of the Tuggeranong Uniting Church in the electorate of Bean, she has worked collaboratively and energetically with the people of this church to extend its mission to be inclusive, community-oriented, rainbow-friendly, an advocate for climate justice, a support for people facing economic stress, and a strong advocate for the Voice to Parliament.”

David Smith MP present a gift to Elizabeth Raine

Elizabeth returned the symbols of her ministry—baptismal jug, communion cup and plate, Bible, TUC Directory, Rainbow banner, and her fairy’s wand—to members of the Tuggeranong Congregation, before Church Council Chairperson thanked Elizabeth for keeping the promises she had made in her initial conversation with the church—she promised to challenge people, to test them in their discipleship and commitment, and to change the way that they were church. He noted that “she did—and we did!”

Presbytery Chairperson Janet Kay then led the group in praying for Elizabeth, blessing her for her retirement. Elizabeth has served in a rich variety of ministry placements—as school chaplain and SRE teacher, a tenancy advocate, a congregational minister, an Intentional Interim Minister in four congregations, in a Presbytery Minister role in two Presbyteries, and then as Minister at Tuggeranong, where she preached and led worship, offered Bible Studies and pastoral care, participated in Presbytery committees, and strengthened the missional outreach of the church through multiple community connections.

The Tuggeranong Uniting Church Congregation
with the recently-painted mural on the western wall of the church building

Elizabeth will move with husband John to the Hunter Valley, to rest and wind down after a very active time at TUC. That should be a treat for them. But to end the series of “treats” at TUC on the weekend, the whole gathering enjoyed a typically delicious Tuggeranong afternoon tea!

Using the Clifton Strengths Inventory in Church Council strategic planning

Members of the Tuggeranong Uniting Church Council and a group of leaders from within the Congregation met recently in a workshop based around the CliftonStrengths Inventory. It was a most enjoyable and productive day, and something that other Church Councils could well consider doing when they come to the place that Tuggeranong finds themselves in, looking to call a new minister into placement with them.

Ben Gilmour, Director of Vital Leadership in the Synod of NSW.ACT of the Uniting Church in Australia, led the group through a process of discussion, designed to assist with the task of discerning “the gifts and graces” that would be needed in the minister who would be called to follow Elizabeth Raine in ministry at Tuggeranong, as she retires later this year. Presbytery members of the Joint Nominating Committee who would be involved with representatives of the Congregation in that task were also participating on the day. There were eight discrete sections to the workshop.

Ben is trained in the use of the Inventory in various situations, and he is able to adapt the programme to suit the specific needs of a Congregation, be it team building, leadership development workshops, or coaching of an individual or a leadership team. 

Those present for the Tuggeranong workshop had completed the CliftonStrengths Inventory ahead of the meeting, enabling Ben to prepare an overview of the relative strengths of the combined leadership in each of the four areas measured by this Inventory: Strategic Thinking, Relationship Building, Influencing, and Executing. This was a revelatory exercise in itself. Ben then had collated a comprehensive statement of the practices and vision of the Congregation, as seen through the collated leadership reports.

Personally, as a longterm sceptic about psychological-type assessment tools, I was cautious. I know that Myers-Briggs and the Enneagram offer some value, but I don’t like the way that people can be “boxed” into certain categories by the way they are used. (You’re a Number Four? With a Seven Wing? Oh! A Thinking Introvert? With a tendency to Perception? Really?)

But this was a more detailed tool, open to greater complexities and subtleties, than anything I had previously experienced. The online assessment tool is capable of describing 34 themes that make up the user’s personality. The results of the test “are intended to help individuals understand their unique strengths and how they can use them to achieve their goals and improve their performance.”

Collated together, the results of the twenty people who completed the inventory provided a rich description of the active leadership within the Congregation. When I read my own report, it felt like I was “looking into a mirror”—the person described was me! Others who took part had similar experiences. The reports are realistic and honest (and detailed).

The 34 themes are divided into 4 domains. First, Strategic Thinking covers Analytical, Context, Futuristic, Ideation, Input, Intellection, Learner, and Strategic strengths. Next, Relationship Building encompasses Adaptability, Connectedness, Developer, Empathy, Harmony, Includer, Individualization, Positivity, and Relator.

Then, Influencing details Activator, Command, Communication, Competition, Maximizer, Self-assurance, Significance, and something charmingly called “Woo”. Finally, in the area of Executing, the test dealt with Achiever, Arranger, Belief, Consistency, Deliberative, Discipline, Focus, Responsibility, and Restorative.

The “payout” at the end of the day was a strong awareness amongst the Congregation’s leadership of what the community values, where their strengths of the collective leadership lie, what might be done to build on these strengths, and what areas could benefit from attention in the future.

The workshop has assisted the JNC to form a clear picture of what they would be looking for in a minister who might be called to Tuggeranong in 2024. That JNC has a strong base for the discernment conversations that they will have, and the wider leadership team of the Congregation has a firm foundation for developing and extending the already fruitful ministries that the Congregation is undertaking in its mission to the people of the Tuggeranong Valley.

CliftonStrengths® by Gallup® – Start the Assessment TodayGalluphttps://www.gallup.com › strengths › assessment

On TUC, see

Saltiness restored: the need for innovation. An Ordination Celebration.

and

God’s generous extravagance on display at Tuggeranong

For the “Our Story” video, go to

God’s generous extravagance on display at Tuggeranong

Last Sunday morning at Tuggeranong Uniting Church (TUC) in the south of Canberra, the Moderator came to visit. The Rev. Simon Hansford preached on the parable of the seeds and the sower—or the four types of ground onto which the seeds were sown (Matt 13). In his sermon, the Moderator called this “a story of God’s grace-filled, generous extravagance; a story that subverts our expectations and invites us to listen, pay attention, and be changed”.

The Moderator contrasted the story that Jesus told with the current business focus on KPIs (key performance indicators) and the need to measure, assess, and evaluate every aspect of work life—including the work of ministers within the church at large. In this view of work, no energy is to be expended on activity that does not produce results! Everything must be successful and achieve the desired goals; nothing should be “wasted”.

He then went on to insist that we should not focus on the fear of wasting the seeds we sow through our Christian life and witness. The story is not instructing us to measure how well we are doing. Rather, he invited the Congregation to hear the story as a demonstration of how God engages with us in Christ—generously, gracefully, extravagantly—and to model our own lives as disciples on this pattern. The story encourages us to live “a discipleship of gentleness and mercy, of grace and wonder”, he said.

The new mural on the large western brick wall
of the Tuggeranong Uniting Church in Wanniassa, ACT

After worship, the Congregation moved outside to the western wall of the church, where Geoff Filmer’s wonderful mural—hope-filled, inviting, and generous—was dedicated by the Moderator. Geoff had recently painted this mural on what was previously a huge blank brick wall, facing the street and the Erindale shopping centre. Now, vibrant primary colours adorn the wall, with a set of symbols that were designed in close consultation between the artist and a small working group of the church. The mural is one way amongst many ways by which the Congregation is making connections with the local Tuggeranong community.

The Rev. Elizabeth Raine, minister of the Tuggeranong Uniting Church,
with the Rev. Simon Hansford, moderator of the NSW.ACT Synod
of the Uniting Church in Australia

The mural was the idea of the Rev. Elizabeth Raine, one of the ministers in placement at Tuggeranong. One of the mission groups that were established early in her ministry (in 2019) worked through the process of conceptualising the idea, fundraising to finance the mural, engaging the Congregation with the proposal, and negotiating with the artist. Some funding came from the Synod, other funding came from a community grant. The work was mostly completed just two months ago.

As a whole, the mural offers the community of the Tuggeranong Valley the symbols of the Gospel: hope and growth, an inclusive welcome and a resilient future. A large dove hovers in the sky, while rain falls to nurture the earth, symbolising the TUC commitment to environmental responsibility. The Uniting Church logo is surrounded by dots, representing a desire to seek reconciliation with First Peoples, whilst a rainbow signals the welcome extended to members of the LGBTIQA+ community, who participate both in the Rainbow Christian Alliance at TUC and in Sunday morning worship.

Members of the congregation complete the mural—
much to the delight of Geoff Filmer,
the artist who painted the mural

As people gathered on the grass, the Moderator prayed a blessing on the mural and the mission of the Congregation in the Tuggeranong Valley. To celebrate the occasion, members of the Congregation—young and old—joined Geoff Filmer in completing the bottom right-hand corner of the mural, painting sprouts of new growth which are now blossoming into life! The future looks bright; the seeds of God’s generous grace will continue to be sown throughout the Tuggeranong Valley.

The bottom right-hand section of the mural,
complete after members of the Congregation finished
the painting of a beautiful sprouting flower!

Saltiness restored: the need for innovation. An Ordination Celebration.

“The church does not need inventors; rather, we need innovators.” This was the heart of the message delivered by the Director of Education and Principal of United Theological College, the Rev. Dr Peter Walker, at a joyful celebratory service last Sunday evening in the Tuggeranong Uniting Church in the ACT.

Dr Walker was speaking at a service to ordain Sharon Jacobs as a Minister of the Word and to induct her into placement in the Tuggeranong Congregation as the Relationships and Growth Minister, a newly-created position funded substantially by the Synod Growth Fund. The ordination was presided over by the recently-elected Co-Chairperson of the Canberra Region Presbytery, Ms Janet Kay.

Dr Walker was addressing a capacity congregation in the building, with more people connecting online, from Canberra, as well as Melbourne, Aotearoa—New Zealand, and Scotland—the places where the Rev. Jacobs has lived in the past. Speaking under the title of “saltiness restored”, derived from Matthew 5, Dr Walker noted that “whilst inventors create new things, innovators know what they have to offer, and work to ensure that others can appreciate this”.

We have the Gospel, he said; we know what we have to offer others; and we need to work to find ways in which this good news comes alive in the lives of others. Our charge is to be “salt of the earth”; the church in our time is to discover how to be “saltiness restored”.

His words were particularly appropriate for the Tuggeranong Congregation, which has been innovating its life and witness in recent years, under the energetic leadership of the Rev. Elizabeth Raine and a strong team of lay leaders. The Congregation has refreshed its worship life, and continues its online worship alongside the in-person gathering each week. The Rev. Raine has developed the Congregation into an intentional learning community, providing leadership in three weekly online BIble Studies throughout the pandemic lockdowns. These studies are also continuing, as they draw participants from across the Presbytery and beyond, even interstate and overseas!!

The Church Council has charted a deliberate course to make a difference in the wider Tuggeranong community—to be the “salt of the earth” in southern Canberra. Deliberate connections have been fostered with a number of community groups; the Congregation has participated in Floriade Reimagined, reinvigorated its Red Dove pop-up Op Shop, continued providing its weekly Emergency Food and Lunchtime Conversation group, and offered the wider community innovative events such as Christmas Reimagined and SpringFest. A partnership with SeeChange Tuggeranong has seen regular events with a focus on sustainability.

Members of the Congregation, Sally-Anne, Iain, and Delia, with Sharon as she holds the Rainbow Christian Alliance affirming that “you are loved”

The monthly Rainbow Christian Alliance now meets in the church and has broadened its membership beyond LGB people to include growing numbers of TIQ members. A monthly Messy Church under the name of Fam@4 now meets at 4pm on the 4th Sunday of the month. Regular intergenerational worship services are scheduled for key moments on Sunday mornings, and inevitably the church is filled with people of all ages, craft activities, vibrant music, with lots of colour, energy, and caring relationships growing.

Sharon will focus her 50% role on developing the Congregation’s work with families and children, as well as supporting and growing the leadership and membership of the Rainbow Christian Alliance. She brings experience and giftedness in pastoral care, working creatively with children, and generating enthusiasm—qualities that fit her well for this role.

During the service, Sharon was welcomed as she joins the team of the Rev. Elizabeth Raine, Minister in placement, and the Rev. Margaret Middleton, the Tuggeranong Minister-in-Association. She was charged for her life as an ordained minister by her former minister, the Rev. David Thiem, and presented with a colourful rainbow stole by the congregation.

The Revs. Andrew Smith, LizMcMillan, David Thiem,
and Dr Peter Walker, with Sharon Jacobs

Also participating in the service were Canberra Region Presbytery Ministers, the Rev. Andrew Smith, and the Rev. Liz McMillan, recently arrived from Melbourne. Many members of the Presbytery greeted Sharon after her induction, and members of the Tuggeranong Congregation offered their trademark hospitality of a generous supper, as friendships were rekindled amongst those present after the service concluded.

Keep watching Tuggeranong, as innovation continues, its salty contribution to the local community in southern Canberra develops, and the vibrant life of the Congregation grows!

Presbytery Co-Chair, Girls Brigade Captain, Scripture readers,
Andrew Smith, Sharon Jacobs, Liz McMillan

*****

See also

Reimagining—the spirit of our times