‘Living the Covenant Locally’ Library Opening

St Michael’s will officially open a ‘Living the Covenant Locally’ Library with a presentation by Ann Kinnear “Now More Than Ever- on the path to reconciliation”.

‘Living the Covenant Locally’ is a grass roots movement within the Uniting Church aimed at growing in understanding, encouraging others and walking together as First and Second People.
St Michael’s has registered with ‘Living the Covenant Locally’ and is working towards growing the understanding within our community of the Uniting Church covenant with the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (UAICC) and growing the understanding of the history of First Nations people and our shared history.
As part of the process, St Michael’s has created the St Michael’s ‘Living the Covenant Locally’ Library to provide resources to the community who are interested in learning more about this shared history.

The presentation and Library opening are in conjunction with the first Sunday of NAIDOC Week (7 July – 14 July), an opportunity to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The 2024 NAIDOC Week theme is Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud & Proud. The theme honours the enduring strength and vitality of First Nations culture – with fire a symbol of connection to Country, to each other, and to the rich tapestry of traditions that define Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

NAIDOC Week also coincides with two significant milestones in the Uniting Church’s own journey of reconciliation, 30 years of the Covenant with the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress, and 15 years of the Preamble to the UCA Constitution. You can view the UCA’s two anniversary edition posters of the Covenanting Statement and the Preamble.

Please see below for a list of books available to borrow:

• Bruce Pascoe: Dark Emu
• Henry Reynolds: Why Weren’t We Told and Fate of a Free People
• Megan Davis & George Williams: Everything You Need to Know About the Uluru Statement from the Heart
• Tony Birch: The White Girl;
• Margo Neale & Lynne Kelly: The Power and the Promise
• Marcia Langton & Aaron Corn: The Way of the Ancestors
• Chris Budden: Following Jesus in Invaded Space; Why Indigenous Sovereignty should matter to Christians 
• Lyndal Ryan: The Aboriginal Tasmanians
• Lucinda Aberdeen & Jennifer Jones: Black, White and Exempt – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Lives Under Exemption
• Bill Gammage: The Biggest Estate on Earth
• Garry Deverell:  Contemplating Country
• Shannyn Palmer: Unmaking Angas Downs
• Henry Reynolds: This Whispering in our Hearts Revisited