Intercultural Neighbouring Sunday 2024
Celebrate the cultural diversity at the heart of our Church and explore ways to build intercultural relationships in your neighbourhood
June 25, 2024
On Sunday 21 July, the Uniting Church will celebrate Intercultural Neighbouring Sunday for the second year.
Emerging from a decision of the 16th Assembly meeting, this day is an opportunity to celebrate the cultural diversity in our DNA and to explore ways to build intercultural relationships in our own neighbourhoods.
This year's theme is the 17th Assembly theme, Threads of Love: Weaving Christ’s Love across Cultures and Boundaries. It's an invitation to weave the threads of Christ’s love in all expressions of faith, across cultures and boundaries in your community and wider neighbourhood.
The 2024 Celebration Guide is now available including a message from incoming President Rev Charissa Suli, a 2024 prayer translated into other languages and tips and ideas for how to celebrate in your community.
You can also find a worship resource with a communion liturgy translated into English, Korean, Chinese and a booklet with additional resources for Bilingual, Multilingual and Multicultural Worship & Preaching prepared by Rev Dr Paul Goh, Advocate for the Being a Multiculrutal Church Circle.
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A message from Rev Charissa Suli, Incoming President
An old Tongan proverb says, ʻoku nofo fakataha ha kiʻi kolo lavameʻa, ngaue fakataha, mo fetokoniʻaki, which translates, “a successful village lives together, works together, and helps one another.” This proverb is particularly true for the Tongan women who work together to weave the Tongan Fala (mat). It is sacrificial labour, and women work diligently in communities to ‘lalanga’ (weave) the Fala so that the talanoa (dialogue) of people who sit on the Fala can begin.
Each strand of the Fala is important to each other in the same way that the Holy Spirit gifts and empowers all members of the Church to confess Jesus Christ and serve him as one body with many members who contribute to the ministry and mission of the Church.
Intercultural Neighbouring Sunday (INS) is an opportunity for us to celebrate the rich and inspiring cultural diversity in the Uniting Church, giving thanks for the transformative love of Christ which holds us together. Emerging from a decision of the 16th Assembly meeting, INS encourages Uniting Church members to reach out and build relationships beyond the Church with the culturally and linguistically diverse neighbours around us.
This year's theme is the 17th Assembly theme, Threads of Love: Weaving Christ’s Love across Cultures and Boundaries. It's an invitation to weave the threads of Christ’s love in all expressions of faith, across cultures and boundaries in your community and wider neighbourhood.
I encourage you to take this opportunity to celebrate our multicultural heart, to build new relationships, and to weave together a future where diversity is cherished, unity is celebrated and every thread of our communal tapestry resonates with the boundless love of Christ.
To learn more about the theme, watch the video below.
Find more tips and resources on the 2023 Intercultural Neighbouring Sunday resources page.
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