St Michael's Uniting Church

Rev. Terence Corkin Consultation, Living into the Future - Conflict Transformation Weekend
2018-07-21 09:00 - 13:30 (Australia/Melbourne) | St Michael’s Uniting Church, 120 Collins Street, Melbourne, Australia
Living into the Future – Conflict Transformation Weekend
• Learning about Conflict
o The “7 Levels of Conflict”
o Understanding your own Conflict Style
o Identifying future issues for the Congregation
• Collaborative and constructive ways of communicating
o Exploring clear communication strategies
o Values and Practices for collaborative decision making
The Consultant for the process, Rev. Terence Corkin, has stressed the importance of having the whole range of views from the congregation present at the workshop on July 21st 9.00 am – 1.30 pm. I agree that this is in the best interests of the congregation and our chances of mending our broken relationships.
I realise that it may not easy for you and some others to feel comfortable about being involved, so I am reaching out to encourage your attendance and contribution. The members at St Michael’s need to find a way to come together and I hope that we call all use the opportunity provided by this process to make a start on this important journey.
Richard Siegersma
Chair of Council
Join us from 9am. Food and Refreshments provided.

Staying Alive
2018-07-22 12:00 - 13:00 | St Michael’s Uniting Church, 120 Collins Street, Melbourne, Australia
Thank you for your feedback from last week’s session:
“A note of appreciation for an enjoyable and uplifting session.”
“I love the humour and your charged, vivacious, bright energy…”
“… it fuels my determination to do all that I can to be well and inspires me to Stay Alive.”
Despite our physical decline with age there is not the same straight-line decline in our mental capacities. Certain kinds of mental skills even improve with age – a broadening of our knowledge, roles, and vision that can be included in the term wisdom.
How to meet the challenges of ageing with our Crown of Wisdom continues on ….
Sunday 22nd July
12pm – 1pm (Waratah Room)
Please join us.

Staying Alive
2018-08-12 12:00 - 13:00 | St Michael’s Uniting Church, 120 Collins Street, Melbourne, Australia
Next session: Sunday 12th August
12pm – 1pm (Waratah Room)
Discover how our new knowledge, insights and imagination can help us create new ways of living.
For sale on the day: Patricia Edgar’s “In Praise of Ageing” ($20).
“Patricia Edgar brilliantly portrays the challenges and, more importantly, the manifold joys of growing older. This book is a “must read” for every thinking Australian.”
(Sir Gustav Nossal)
The last session of this “Staying Alive” series will be Sunday 19th August
Everyone welcome!

Brave New World Seminars with Professor Joseph Camilleri OAM. 11,18 & 25 September
2018-09-11 18:00 - 20:30 | St Michael’s Uniting Church, 120 Collins Street, Melbourne, Australia
A series of captivating and thought provoking seminars
Professor Joseph Camilleri OAM returns to St Michael’s to deliver three exciting lectures offering a new perspective on how we are travelling in the 21st Century.
The presentations will combine interviews with guests and conversation across the generations to help us probe the present and re-imagine the future.
There is no suggestion here that the nightmarish vision of the future Aldous Huxley paints in his Brave New World is upon us. Yet, his reading of the future has a too close- for-comfort feel about it: the conditioning of people to think in certain ways, economic and political dogmas that go virtually unquestioned, the media-shaped narratives of reality, the habit of reducing human beings to consumers, use of language and images that purposely confuse and mislead.
To make sense of current trends in Australia and the West more generally this series focuses on our public institutions, how truthful and trustworthy they are, what we the public think of them, how well equipped we are to handle, individually and collectively, the challenges of life in ‘our brave new world’.
Part 1: Life in The Post-Truth World. Are lies, fake news and cover-ups
the new normal?
Truth is a human quality, not unlike beauty and wisdom. In public life, trust, reliability,
judgment and solidarity all depend upon truth. In today’s world – Australia included –
truth telling seems on the wane. This session explores:
• What is happening to truth-telling in Australian public life? How much does our
society value well informed, truthful communication?
• What are the dangers of the ‘post-truth’ world? What damage are lies, secrecy and
fake news doing to our parliaments and political parties, media, banks, educational
and religious institutions?
• Are the populist slogans sweeping Australia and much of the Western world here
to stay? What lies behind them?
Part 2 Is Social Trust in Decline? Tuesday 18 September
What does this mean for Politics, Business, Banking, the Media, Religion?
Part 3 Redeeming Truth and Trust in Public Life: What will it take? Tuesday 25 September
When: Tuesdays 11, 18 and 25 September 2018, from 6pm
Where: St Michael’s Uniting Church, 120 Collins st Melbourne
Tickets $20 per Seminar or $45 for all 3
Bookings via: https://www.trybooking.com/XKLK or call the Office on 03 9654 5120

Brave New World Seminars With Professor Joseph Camilleri OAM. Part 2: Is Social Trust in Decline?
2018-09-18 18:00 - 20:30 | St Michael’s Uniting Church, 120 Collins Street, Melbourne, Australia
Part 2 in a series of captivating and thought provoking seminars
Is Social Trust in Decline? – What does this mean for Politics, Business, Banking, the Media, Religion?
In Australia as elsewhere, many to think that our institutions — public and private —
are not acting in the public interest.
News organizations are themselves less trusted by the public than ever before. Social media are following suit. Religious leaders and organisations, far from setting the moral tone for public life, are now mistrusted and even shunned.
How does this erosion of public trust affect confidence in the future? In the present
climate, can we expect policies that are conducive to human flourishing, vibrant communities, and a sustainable and peaceful future?
Next Seminar:
Part 3 Redeeming Truth and Trust in Public Life: What will it take? Tuesday 25 September
When: Tuesdays 11, 18 and 25 September 2018, from 6pm
Where: St Michael’s Uniting Church, 120 Collins st Melbourne
Tickets $20 per Seminar or $45 for all 3
Bookings via: https://www.trybooking.com/XKLK or call the Office on 03 9654 5120

Brave New World Seminars with Professor Joseph Camilleri OAM. Part 3: Redeeming Truth and Trust in Public Life
2018-09-25 18:00 - 20:30 | St Michael’s Uniting Church, 120 Collins Street, Melbourne, Australia
Part 3 in a series of captivating and thought provoking seminars
Redeeming Truth and Trust in Public Life: What will it take?
This session asks whether – and how – we can summon the energy, resources and collective vision to reset the agenda and the conversation. How do we place truth and trust at the centre of our civic engagement? Is democracy still relevant to our globalised, digitalised world? If so, how can it be made to work? Is there an effective ethical compass to guide public life and personal growth?
When: Tuesdays 11, 18 and 25 September 2018, from 6pm
Where: St Michael’s Uniting Church, 120 Collins st Melbourne
Tickets $20 per Seminar or $45 for all 3
Bookings via: https://www.trybooking.com/XKLK or call the Office on 03 9654 5120

Wellbeing Program with Roz Rimes “SAVOURING THE GOOD”
2018-10-07 12:00 - 13:00 | Waratah Room, 120 Collins St, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
WELLBEING PROGRAM WITH ROZ RIMES
BACKGROUND ABOUT THE WELLBEING PROGRAM
Savouring our way to wellbeing – a great way to live with zest!
Roz Rimes, Master of Applied Positive Psychology, is the founder of Social Enterprise, Live with Zest, she has been a St Michael’s member since 1994 and will help us to explore tested, practical ways of savouring to improve our wellbeing. Roz’s highly trained Labradoodles, Flash and Rafa will demonstrate their ‘joie de vivre’ because you don’t need to have a dog to savour, but it helps!
WELLBEING SESSION “SAVOURING THE GOOD”
What is savouring? Why could it be better than mindfulness in some settings?
How does savouring the past, present and future help us to feel better and flourish?
Roz will answer these and other important questions. We can discuss what works for different individuals.
Presented by Roz Rimes on Sunday 7th October – 12pm in Waratah Room

Searchers Group: A Fine Wind Blowing Presentation
2018-10-14 11:45 - 13:00 | Waratah Room, 120 Collins St, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
A Searchers Group Presentation on Dr Francis Macnab’s book “A Fine Wind is Blowing” will occur followed by a Q&A session.
We will look at how Dr Macnab’ s Controversial “New Faith” incorporated themes from the Psalms in the Hebrew Scriptures and how re reinterpreted them for modern times
When: Sunday October 14, 11.45am to 1.00pm
Where: Waratah Room 1st Floor, St Michael’s U.C. Centre
Facilitators: Peter Kahane and Simon McCall

Creative Faith Discussion Group
2018-10-21 12:00 - 13:00 | Waratah Room, 120 Collins St, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
Creative Faith Discussion Moderated by Neil Blood.
Our life journey is a personal one-full of experiences, which help guide our response to everything happening in our lives.
All are welcome to Join Neil in the Waratah Room for this conversation.
Tea and coffee provided
Date: Sunday 15 April
Time: 11.45 am to 12.45 pm
Location: Waratah Room, Level 1, St Michael’s Place

Staying Alive with Patricia Cameron-Hill and Shayne Yates
2018-11-11 11:45 - 13:00 | Waratah Room, 120 Collins St, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
The 1st session in the new series of Staying Alive will commence at 12pm in the Waratah Room, Level 1 St Michael’s U.C. Centre 120 Collins St Melbourne 3000

Staying Alive with Staying Alive with Patricia Cameron-Hill and Shayne Yates
2018-11-25 12:00 - 13:00 | Waratah Room, 120 Collins St, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
This will the third session in the new series. It will will commence at 12pm in the Waratah Room, Level 1 St Michael’s U.C. Centre
Check back here for updates

Staying Alive with Patricia Cameron-Hill and Shayne Yates
2018-12-09 12:00 - 13:00 | Waratah Room, 120 Collins St, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
The 4th session of the new series of Staying Alive will commence at 12pm in the Waratah Room, Level 1 St Michael’s U.C. Centre
The session will be for an hour approx.
Check back her for more details as they come to hand
