Welcome to the ANZUUA Newsletter!

This is a regular email newsletter from ANZUUA (The Australia and New Zealand Unitarian Universalist Association). Please subscribe, if you haven't already!!

See the subscription box at the end of this newsletter. The subscriber list will not be shared or used for any other purpose. You can unsubscribe at any time with the link at the end of the newsletter. If you received it from your congregation, you will need to contact them directly. You are also welcome to offer items of interest for consideration and inclusion in the newsletter.  Thank you for reading!

As Unitarian Universalists, we affirm the inherent worth and dignity of every person, the interdependent web of all existence, and the free and responsible search for truth and meaning. We respect the diversity of religious traditions and spiritual paths that enrich our world, and celebrate the diversity of beliefs and values that enrich our communities.

New Year Greetings!

G'day and Kia ora to all our readers, and welcome to our first newsletter for 2024!

We hope you are well-rested and in good spirits after the holiday season, and the Christmas and New Year break provided an opportunity for celebration, quality time with loved ones, and moments of reflection. Looking ahead, we anticipate a year filled with growth, unity, and shared purpose within our diverse UU families. Let us collectively aspire to foster a sense of community, understanding, and compassion, that will bring us closer together, inspire us to embrace diversity, and empower us to make a positive impact in our local and global communities. So... here's to a year of shared learning, meaningful connections, and the fulfillment of our collective aspirations, one with love, laughter, and the realization of your deepest hopes and dreams!

The UUA have published a blessing for 2024 that is highly recommended - https://www.uuworld.org/articles/unitarian-universalist-blessing-carrying-each-other-new-year-2024

Origin of the Chalice

An article has been posted on the ANZUUA web site that outlines the origin of our Chalice symbol. It came about in Prague during Unitarian relief efforts in 1938 and 1939. With the movie, One Life in circulation, it is timely to remind ourselves of the many Unitarians who were active in helping children and adults flee from Nazi oppression. Among them were many Czech Unitarians as well as British and American Ministers who served in Prague under Nazi oppression. Link to ANZUUA article on our Chalice

Martha Sharp (standing, fifth from left) helped secure passage to the United States for 37 refugees in December 1940. She distributed a beige beret to each child before they sailed from France. Brown University Library, Martha and Waitstill Sharp Collection, Providence, RI. Full story here: https://exhibitions.ushmm.org/americans-and-the-holocaust/personal-story/martha-waitstill-sharp

Passing of Peter Abrehart

Just after we released our December newsletter, we were informed that Peter Abrehart had sadly passed away peacefully in his sleep on Monday 11 December 2023. Peter had not been well for some time, yet few were prepared for this. Peter was recently made a Life Member of the Melbourne Unitarian Peace Memorial Church after more than 50 years of dedicated service, having joined the church in 1971. Until then he had been a practicing Catholic and a staunch union member of his telecommunication union, the CEPU. Peter was never a passive member of either the church or his union and was always deeply involved in every service, campaign and struggle for justice and peace. He was also a marriage celebrant and conducted many marriages and funerals for MUMPC members.

Peter represented MUPMC on the ANZUUA management committee for many years and has been the ANZUUA president, secretary and treasurer at different times, and was our treasurer until September 2023.

Opportunities for Learning about our faith

The presentations from the UK Unitarian College for the Worship Studies course concluded on 11th December. There are follow up activities planned for the coming months to consolidate our learning and to share our experiences. While we have yet to conduct a formal evaluation to gather feedback, anecdotal comments suggest that the course has been well received.

ANZUUA is amenable to offering further opportunities to strengthen our congregations and to support individual members. Training may be planned for late autumn and winter 2024.

The ANZUUA committee is now inviting suggestions about future training opportunities.

Topics for consideration include ‘Unitarian and U/U history’; ‘Unitarian theology’; ‘pastoral care’, and church administration. A further advanced course on Worship Studies is also possible. Some short courses may be considered including ‘welcoming’ and ‘use of zoom’.

Another suggestion is ‘planning for growth’, which involves a facilitated look at your congregational culture, audiences that you may seek to reach, the implications for change in your community ethos, and activities and strategies to attract and retain new comers.

In-depth information on possible training courses that ANZUUA can facilitate is provided on the ANZUUA website under https://www.anzuua.org/file-share/a0f4adee-b114-434c-9914-6eeece6882db (It will take a few seconds to show the pdf file name, then you can select the file and open it, no need to login.) We have developed a survey to assess the interest in these training courses, and would appreciate your responses. You can fill in the survey online at (short link) https://forms.gle/f7K39WbMdD8Pz3gY9 or (long link, same site): https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdpBsl1wLcLNa-o0H8_6tF-WkNM5Ea5GOgn81LIb1itx-BJgw/viewform?usp=sf_link - we appreciate your time in filling this in and providing feedback on the training options.

Statement about the middle east conflict.

An information paper and a draft statement by ANZUUA on the middle east conflict has been circulated to all affiliated congregations. The intention is to broadcast any decision made by ANZUUA to Australian, New Zealand and international agencies engaged in seeking to resolve the conflict. Comments and feedback are invited to be submitted to the ANZUUA Secretary by 12th February, for consideration by the committee at its February meeting.

Our NZ and AUS UU Communities

A listing, with links, of the churches and fellowships that make up ANZUUA can be found here: https://www.anzuua.org/findingus. We will share news of a selection of UU communities each month. You are encouraged to send any news from your community that you’d like to share to Lynn at lynnjkelly@gmail.com.

Taupo UU Fellowship - Summer Haiku Poems

Participants of the Taupo UU Fellowship created a summer haiku collection at their last summer solstice service, and it is included here for your enjoyment! The activity was led by April Smith, and everyone had 5 minutes to create a haiku poem. They were collated by April, and Patricia Wylie created a summer graphic design that we have included on the ANZUUA website as it is too large for the newsletter. Here are the seven poems:

Summertime begins

Lake Taupo beckons to us

Dive into my Soul.

Summer came slowly

Rain rebelled repeatedly

Summer spoke again.

Hot day, cold water

Toes dip in, body follows

Sharp gasp, skin cooling.

Sun upon water

Sparkles dance in joy

Delighting children.

Summer shimmers love!

Families respond in joy

Together as one.

Sahara desert sun

Water tower appears

Naked shower at last.

Radiant Sunlight

Warms frozen souls to the core

Glory be the Sun!

Sydney Spirit of Life Fellowship

The Sydney Spirit of Life Fellowship held three meetings in November and two in December, all at the Kirribilli Neighborhood Centre.

The topics of recent meetings include:

• “Fathers of the Renaissance, Francesco Petrarch” also known as founder of humanism, led by Martin Horlacher;

• “Rumi the Philosopher” led by Rev Dan Jantos

• “Early Christian Communities up to the 4th century” Part 3, led by Colin Whatmough

• “Light” led by Rev Geoff Usher

Meetings have resumed in January, with attendance averaging around 10 to 12. Attendees appreciate the opportunity to enjoy the company of like minded people, and conversations often continue after the service over tea and coffee. 

Brisbane UU Fellowship

BUUF said goodbye to 2023 with a joyful potluck lunch in December at the home of long-time member Wendy Eastwell. It was a feast of food and connection with our community in a relaxed location, and enjoyed by all. With many members away in January, we are recommencing services in early February with an in-person service. We intend that the 2nd service each month will be via Zoom, to include our more distant congregation members!

Auckland Unitarian Church

Auckland Unitarians are still feeling the shocks from the death in November of Clay Nelson, our minister for the previous nine years, and still our adviser in the weeks following his retirement. All that he did under the radar to promote healthy relationships within the congregation, to support people individually and in groups, and to foster what he called the Unitarian mission never made headlines. And yet we remain stronger because of that work. We continue weekly worship — something Clay saw very clearly as the centre of our Unitarianism. For him, worship keeps us from being a club, it is what allows us to experience both individual and community transformation. We continue to enjoy the music of our restored organ. We continue to engage in social justice actions. Our management committee and many volunteers perform all the small and large acts that keep us going, from the service auction fundraiser, to securing funds to repair the building, to making tea and coffee and baking for services. We look forward to continuing to find our new way.

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