Assembly Circles of Interest WELCOME PACK

1 Corinthians 12:12-14 – One Body, Many Members

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. … Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many.

Matthew 5:14-15   —   Lamp on a Stand

You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.

 Matthew 14: 16-20 – Loaves and Fishes

Jesus said to them, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat." They replied, "We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish." And he said, "Bring them here to me." Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was leftover of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full.

 Among many Bible passages the three above remind us:

• Of the diversity and importance of all members of the body of Christ working and sharing together.
• When we share what might seem to be small, a lamp or a few loaves and fish, the light is spread and many can be fed.

These are just some of the images that inspire us to work together across the Church in Circles of Interest.

Connect with others in the Circle by joining the Facebook Group Transforming Worship - Uniting Church in Australia.  Go to the page https://www.facebook.com/groups/transformingworship/ and click Join Group. 

You must agree to the group rules before the administrator will add you to the circle. Through this group you’ll be able to connect with other members of the church who are passionate about Transforming Worship.

Transforming Worship

Worship is a fundamental activity of the Church and equally a fundamental responsibility of the Assembly within the Councils of the Uniting Church.  The Transforming Worship Circle will be concerned with the following ministry and mission areas:

• Creation and distribution of liturgical resources in a variety of languages
• Resources for music, preaching, dance and drama
• Resources for inter-generational and inter-cultural worship
• Development of authorised liturgies
• Physical settings and preparing spaces for worship
• Worship that is inclusive and allows people to feel welcome and able to participate
• All of the multiplicity of factors which enable healthy, vital worship within the breadth of the Church.
• Will be mindful of the broader Uniting Church and Assembly priorities.

One of the primary ways in which the National Church engages in its areas of responsibility, is through the support of, hosting of and/or organisation of National Events, often in collaboration with Synods, Agencies or other groups within the Church. In the case of this circle, events might include worship conferences and songwriting events.

Members of the Transforming Worship Circle will:

Participate in Sharing – we want you to share with us

• Stories, photos and videos of creative worship events or services
• Liturgies, prayers, songs and worship resources that you have created
• Feedback from events or training you have attended
• Share with others in your own networks - liturgies, creative ideas and guidelines

Provide Input – we want to hear from you

• By giving us feedback concerning specific worship guidelines or authorised liturgies being produced
• By suggesting new opportunities for the development of worship resources

Be Informed – we want you to be well informed and a thought leader in our Church

• About the latest thinking in worship leadership including the diversity of worship styles and approaches in the UCA
• About the theological underpinnings for the practice of corporate worship
• About UCA policies and guidelines regarding worship
• About current authorised liturgies and Assembly requirements for specific types of services
• By expert input from liturgists or theologians, experienced worship leaders, musicians, dramatists, curators of alternative worship spaces
• About upcoming opportunities for training for worship leaders or worship focused events or conferences

Be Resourced – we want you to have access to the best resources

• By receiving new authorised liturgies, samples of liturgies used in specific services or examples of different types of liturgies for special occasions
• By receiving links to lectionary based commentary, downloadable worship resources — prayers and liturgies, videos, graphics, plays, children’s talks, worship ‘stations’ etc.
• By hearing about and receiving reviews of subscription services for worship resources
• By receiving articles or papers concerning worship practice
• To establish local groups sharing worship resources, organising ‘pulpit swaps’ or enabling connections with available local lay preachers

Be Collaborative – we want you to connect to other people

• By connecting to other Circles, Councils, Agencies, Congregations, Faith Communities or groups within the Church, on issues of shared concern
• By connecting with appropriate ecumenical partners to mutually grow in understanding of worship, and in the sharing of ideas and resources
• By connecting with interfaith opportunities to gain understanding of different approaches to, and beliefs about worship
• By encouraging and enabling groups of interested people within the Circle to work together on developing and implementing projects or events related to the worship life of the Church

 Hopefully, like us, this gets you excited!

 But first – a few words about values, respect and ethics.

Who we are as the Uniting Church in Australia

The Assembly Circles of Interest are an open place for people to enter into the national work of the Uniting Church. The Circles are not be heavily moderated or controlled for content – we want people to feel welcome and able to contribute from across the diversity of our Church.

However, we ask that in participating in these Circles you keep in mind who we are as the Uniting Church, our core values and how we live and work together.

For our Assembly Circles of Interest, the values that will impact on our sharing must include:

• Our ministry is built on the Lord Jesus Christ and Jesus is head over all things
• Our church is in Covenant with the First Peoples of Australia
• We have high regard for scholarship of the Bible and we continue to be open to learning from contemporary thought (Basis of Union, par 11),
• We are committed to the equality and mutuality of women and men
• We value the ministry of all the people of God
• We are an inclusive church where those of differing ability, age, gender, race and sexuality are welcomed
• We are a multicultural church, which rejoices in the diversity of cultures and languages
• We seek to be a safe Church where all people are cared for, nurtured and sustained
• We are committed to working ecumenically with other Christian denominations
• We work in partnership with churches across the world
• We seek strong positive relationships with people of other faiths
• We are committed to advocating for justice for all
• Our church honours the environment and supports a sustainable lifestyle

Values shared in the Transforming Worship Circle

In addition to the values above, particularly in this Circle, we ask that you uphold the following values.

• Inclusive language in Theology and Liturgy - using language that acknowledges male and female presence in worship.
• Worship is inclusive – all people are welcome to worship. We are especially mindful of including people with disabilities in worship and about what barriers make it difficult for people to participate fully. We strongly value the inclusion of all ages within our worship life.
• Multicultural and Intercultural Worship – our Uniting Church is a multicultural church that worships in many languages. We are committed to educating the Church in living as people from different cultural backgrounds in worship, witness and service.

Our Social Media Policy:

In order to uphold these values, the way we interact within our Circles must adhere to the Assembly Social Media Policy.

The Assembly Social Media Policy is available here.

Code of Conduct:

Additionally, we ask that all participants in our Circles of Interest agree to abide by our Code of Conduct.

Assembly Circles of Interest Code of Conduct

1. UNDERSTAND WHY I AM HERE As a Member of the Assembly Circles of Interest, I understand I am participating in a national conversation of the Uniting Church in Australia in a specific area of mission and ministry. The intention is to share and learn together.
2. STAY FOCUSED As a group member I will share and contribute to the conversation in ways that are relevant and meaningful to this area of work.
3. APPLY ETHICS AND CONFIDENTIALITY I will apply the same values, ethics and confidentiality to Circle discussions as I would in other parts of my life and ministry. I will respect confidentiality of information shared when asked to do so.
4. HONOUR DIVERSITY My contributions will be respectful of the diversity of cultures, languages, theological understandings and opinions across the UCA.
5. BE POSITIVE I will contribute in a positive, constructive and open way and be respectful in the language and opinions I share. I will not vilify, threaten, intimidate, abuse, slander, defame or personally attack another person or their opinions.
6. BE HONEST I will be honest about whether I am sharing my own work or quoting someone else. I will not share anything false or misleading. I will be careful about personal information that I share and not use information shared against someone else.
7. NO SPAM OR INNAPPROPRIATE MATERIAL I will not post content that is inappropriate, explicit or spam. I will only promote products or services which are relevant to the Circle, for example events, books, resources, and will acknowledge any personal financial interest.
8. SPEAK ON MY OWN BEHALF I will speak only on my own behalf, not for the Uniting Church in Australia or others, or assume other contributions are on behalf of the Uniting Church in Australia unless identified this way.
9. BE ENCOURAGED AND INSPIRED IN MY MINISTRY Be encouraged to take ideas, resources and inspiration from your conversations in this Circle into other parts of your life and ministry.
10. SHARE IN THE MODERATION OF THE GROUP I will take responsibility to help enable conversations I am part of to honour these rules and their spirit. I will report any posts which are clearly against these rules to a Group Admin.

The Work of our Circles of Interest fits within the wider strategy of the Assembly of the Uniting Church in Australia.

Read the full Assembly Strategic Plan.

Advocates and Panel Members

Each of the Circles is supported by an Advocate and a Panel. The Advocate for the Transforming Worship Circle is Rev Alex Sangster. Get to know the Advocate and Panel members here.

The Assembly Resourcing Unit

At an Assembly Level, the staff of the Assembly Resourcing Unit will be a primary point of contact for your participation in the circles.

The team is made up of:

Rob Floyd | Associate General Secretary

Rev Lindsay Cullen |  National Consultant

Rev Charissa Suli | National Consultant

Rev Dr Apwee Ting | National Consultant

Rev Dr Ji Zhang | Assembly Theologian in Residence

Stuart McMillan | Assembly Consultant Covenanting

Rebecca Beisler | Communications and Resources Officer

Anna Catliffe | Executive Administrative Assistant

Contact us:

Our main points of contact will be:

Email: circles@nat.uca.org.au

Phone: (02) 8026 9724

Additional Resources for Your Participation

As you enter into the national work of the Church, we encourage you to read and become familiar with some of the foundational documents of the Uniting Church.

Basis of Union
The Basis of Union set the platform for how the Uniting Church came together in 1977. It states the central affirmations of the Christian faith and is a guide to what is central in the life of the Uniting Church.

Covenanting Statement

In 1994 the Uniting Church in Australia entered into a Covenant with its brothers and sisters in the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (UAICC). The Uniting Church’s 7th President Dr Jill Tabart formalised the relationship by reading the statement to UAICC Chairperson Pastor Bill Hollingsworth who responded on behalf of the Congress.

We are a Multicultural Church

A statement adopted by the 4th Assembly of the Uniting Church in Australia July 1985 acknowledging the many races, cultures and languages that make up the Uniting Church.