St Michael's Uniting Church

Lunchtime Organ Recital
2023-12-14 13:00 - 13:30 (Australia/Melbourne) | St Michael’s Uniting Church, 120 Collins Street, Melbourne, Australia
Make an organ recital part of your lunch plans and join us for the St Michael’s Lunchtime Organ Recital series this Thursday.
The recitals series feature St Michael’s organist, Rhys Boak and guest artists.
Free event.
Doors open at 12:30pm
Share our flyer
This is the last Lunchtime Organ recital for 2023.
There will be a small break over the Christmas break and no organ recitals on Thursday 21 & 28 December and 4 January 2024.
We look forward to seeing you Thursay, 11 January 2024 at 1pm.

Advent Sunday Gathering - in church and online
2023-12-10 10:00 - 11:15 | St Michael’s Uniting Church, 120 Collins Street, Melbourne, Australia
Image: Bethlehem New Light by Mike Torvelli
Second Sunday of Advent – 10 December 2023, 10am
“Preparing a space…for peace” “
Minister: Rev Dr Margaret Mayman
Music in church: Peter Sheridan (Flute) & Rhys Boak (Organ)
Music online: Peter Sheridan (Flute) & Rhys Boak (Organ & Piano)
Sunday Gatherings are in church at 10am.
For those unable to attend, online services still continue and are available Sunday afternoon.
Watch the Online Gathering here

Lunchtime Organ Recital
2023-12-07 13:00 | St Michael’s Uniting Church, 120 Collins Street, Melbourne, Australia
Make an organ recital part of your lunch plans and join us for the St Michael’s Lunchtime Organ Recital series this Thursday.
The recitals series feature St Michael’s organist, Rhys Boak and guest artists.
Free event.
Doors open at 12:30pm
Share our flyer

Don’t forget to check out our Christmas Reimagined Servie: Carols and Readings
Thursday, 21 December at 7:30pm

Sunday Gathering - Awake to the Sacred
2023-12-03 10:00 - 11:15 | St Michael’s Uniting Church, 120 Collins Street, Melbourne, Australia
Image: Hope by Lois Armstrong
First Sunday of Advent – 3 Decmber 2023, 10am
“Awake to the Sacred“
Minister: Rev Dr Margaret Mayman
Music in church and online: Edwina Cordingley (Cello) & Rhys Boak (Orga & Piano)
Music online: Amir Farid (Piano), Bruno Siketa (Trumpet) & Rhys Boak (Organ & Piano)
Sunday Gatherings are in church at 10am.
For those unable to attend, online services still continue and are available Sunday afternoon.
Watch the Online Gathering here

Lunchtime Organ Recital
2023-11-30 13:00, 2023-11-16 13:00 - 13:30, 2023-11-09 13:00 - 13:30, 2023-11-02 13:00 - 13:30, 2023-10-26 13:00 - 13:30, 2023-10-19 13:00 - 13:30, 2023-10-12 13:00 - 13:30 | St Michael’s Uniting Church, 120 Collins Street, Melbourne, Australia
Make an organ recital part of your lunch plans and join us for the St Michael’s Lunchtime Organ Recital series this Thursday.
The recitals series feature St Michael’s organist, Rhys Boak and guest artists.
Free event.
Doors open at 12:30pm
Share our flyer

Growing Around Grief with Dr Irene Renzenbrink
2023-11-26 11:45 - 12:45 | Waratah Room, 120 Collins St, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
The first in a series about loss, grief, and bereavement, with Dr Irene Renzenbrink.
This session will explore Lois Tonkin’s model of “Growing around Grief”
The late Lois Tonkin, a leading grief counsellor and educator from New Zealand suggested that rather than grief diminishing over time we grow around our grief and our lives develop in different and often surprising ways . Please join us to explore how this model might be helpful in your own life and in supporting others.
About Dr Irene Renzenbrink
St Michael’s member, Dr Irene Renzenbrink, PhD, DVATI, M.Soc.Admin. B.A. Dip.Soc.Studs. is an Australian social worker and pioneer in the field of grief and bereavement, having worked in hospice/palliative care, paediatric and adult oncology services and the funeral industry since the late 1970s. She qualified as an art therapist at the Vancouver Art Therapy Institute where she currently teaches an Art of Loss course. She also holds a PhD in Expressive Arts Therapy from the European Graduate School in Switzerland. Irene works as an art therapist and volunteer at Melbourne City Mission Palliative Care in Thornbury.
Irene is long standing member of the International Work Group on Death, Dying and Bereavement. She has worked for the Irish Hospice Foundation developing volunteer training and staff support programs, the Prairie Hospice Society, Saskatoon Saskatchewan and was a regular instructor at St.Christopher’s Hospice in London. She has spoken at international grief and bereavement conferences.
This year Irene participated in a palliative care study tour in Northern India led by David Oliviere, the former head of Education and Training at St Christopher’s Hospice, UK. She will return to India in February 2024 to visit hospices and cancer treatment centres in South India and to participate in teaching.
Irene’s has published numerous articles and book chapters, most recently, a book based on her doctoral research, An Expressive Arts Approach to Healing Loss and Grief: Working Across the Spectrum of Loss with Individuals and Communities
(Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2021).
Reliable Resources for Helping Others and Ourselves with Grief and Bereavement
Googling the word ‘grief’ will generate 294 million results.
The word ‘death’ gives even more results , 3 billion at least count. Not all websites are helpful nor accurate. The websites listed here are recommended:

Grief Kind , a program developed by the Sue Ryder Foundation in the UK
www.sueryder.org
Grief Australia.
Helpful information, free grief counselling and support in all circumstances of bereavement, including pet loss. Opportunities for on line and in person training and education.
www.grief.org.au
Canadian Virtual Hospice
For people who are wanting to find out more about death, dying and bereavement
http://www.virtualhospice.ca

Irish Hospice Foundation
An excellent website with a wide variety of information and creative resources for grieving people and their carers.
http://www.hospicefoundation.ie

Local services that can be contacted at times of need.

Lifeline
Griefline
Beyond Blue

Sunday Gathering - In church and online
2023-11-26 10:00 - 11:15 | St Michael’s Uniting Church, 120 Collins Street, Melbourne, Australia
Reign of Christ – 26 November 2023, 10am
“Sharing hope: the impact of the Christmas Bowl“
Minister: Rev Dr Margaret Mayman
Reflection: Stephanie Lenert
Music in church and online: Helen Bower (Violin) & Rhys Boak (Organ & Piano)
Sunday Gatherings are in church at 10am.
For those unable to attend, online services still continue and are available Sunday afternoon.
Watch the Online Gathering here

"One Health" with Cheryl Power
2023-11-19 11:45 - 12:45 | St Michael’s Uniting Church, 120 Collins Street, Melbourne, Australia
“One Health” is an approach that recognises that the health of people is closely connected to the health of animals and our shared environment.
This approach is becoming increasingly important as we experience climate change, the encroachment of people into new geographic areas and international travel and trade increases.
Cheryl Power spoke on this recently in church and will discuss this in more depth in this session.
Facilitator: Cheryl Power

Sunday Gathering - In church and online
2023-11-19 10:00 - 11:15 | St Michael’s Uniting Church, 120 Collins Street, Melbourne, Australia
Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost – 19 November 2023, 10am
“An unsettling story about money“
Guest Minister: Rev Peter Burnham
Music in church: Jesika Clark (Soprano) & Rhys Boak (Piano)
Music online: Fancesca Hiew (Violin), David Paterson (Piano) & Rhys Boak (Organ)
Sunday Gatherings are in church at 10am.
For those unable to attend, online services still continue and are available Sunday afternoon.
Watch the Online Gathering here

Repair, Reuse, Refashion: The Christmas Edition
2023-11-12 11:45 - 12:45 | Waratah Room, 120 Collins St, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
Get into the spirit of a green Christmas with a wardrobe refashion.
Ange Tang presents her popular workshop to make tired clothes new again.
During the session Ange will offer tips (and a place) on repairing buttons, replacing zips and hooks, and inserting drawstrings.
For those with no repair projects, come along for a session in making simple felt Christmas decorations for a heartfelt gift (felt supplies will be provided).
Facilitator: Ange Tang

Sunday Gathering - in church and online
2023-11-12 10:00 - 11:15 | St Michael’s Uniting Church, 120 Collins Street, Melbourne, Australia
Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost – 12 November 2023, 10am
“Living courageously in a spirit of radical connectedness”
Minister: Rev Dr Margaret Mayman
Music in church: Joe Chindamo (Piano) & Oscar Herrick (Organ)
Music online: Zoe Black (Violin) & Joe Chindamo (Piano) & Rhys Boak (Organ)
Sunday Gatherings are in church at 10am.
For those unable to attend, online services still continue and are available Sunday afternoon.
Watch the Online Gathering here

Meditation in Mingary
2023-11-05 12:00 - 12:30 | Mingary, The Quiet Place, St Michael's Uniting Church, Russell Street, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
Regroup and refocus. join this calming meditation session to help you reset in the beautiful space of : Mingary, The Quiet Place
Facilitator: Neil Blood

Sunday Gathering - In church and online
2023-11-05 10:00 - 11:15 | St Michael’s Uniting Church, 120 Collins Street, Melbourne, Australia
Image: World of peace and justice by John-August-Swanson
Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost – 5 November 2023, 10am
“Justice is the Path to Peace”
Minister: Rev Dr Margaret Mayman
Music in church: Edwina Cordingley (Cello) & Rhys Boak (Organ)
Music online: The St. Michael’s Singers conducted by Rhys Boak (Organ)
Sunday Gatherings are in church at 10am.
For those unable to attend, online services still continue and are available Sunday afternoon.
Watch the Online Gathering here

Exploring the Act2 Project
2023-10-29 11:45 - 12:45 | St Michael’s Uniting Church, 120 Collins Street, Melbourne, Australia
The Road to Eemmaus by Daniel Bonnell
The Uniting Church of Australia is engaged in a major transformational change project called Act2.
Act2 is focussed on discerning and deciding the future of the Uniting Church in Australia.
The Act2 Project is an invitation to every Uniting Church member and council to discern together where God is calling us into the future.
St Michael’s Council is considering its response to the third stage of this Project. Chris Phillips will lead a discussion on Act2 and to explore how faithfully following Christ in our time and place shapes the life of the Uniting Church.
It’s been over 45 years since the The Uniting Church of Australia was founded. The Uniting Church looks very different now, than in 1977. In response the UCA is currently engaged in a major transformational change project called Act2, a comprehensive review of the structure and functioning of the Uniting Church.
‍As a Uniting Church congregation, St Michael’s is governed by the UCA rules and regulations. It also means St Michael’s has been offered the exciting opportunity to engage with the Act2 report to ensure our needs, collectively and individually, are met going forward. There are proposed changes that will affect St Michael’s. For example, the responsibilities of the other Uniting Church councils; Presbytery, Synod, Assembly; are likely to be restructured and regulations regarding the responsibilities and flexibility St Michael’s as a congregation have are also to be discussed.
The ACT2 project is seeking feedback on some of the options and proposals on its latest report Act2: In Response to God’s Call.
St Michael’s Council is preparing a response, but the the Act2 project are inviting people to provide individual feedback that can help shape the change.
On Sunday, Chris Phillips will summarise the history and current position of the Act2 project to keep people up to date and informed should they wish to submit feedback to the project individually to the Act2 project.

Sunday Gathering - "Living Fully in the Face of Death" - In church and online
2023-10-29 10:00 - 23:15 | St Michael’s Uniting Church, 120 Collins Street, Melbourne, Australia
Image: Sleeping beauty by Marie Louise Anderson
Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost – 29 October 2023, 10am
“Living Fully in the Face of Death”
Minister: Rev Dr Margaret Mayman
Reflection: Irene Renzenbrink
Music in church: Dr. Kim Tan (Flute) & Rhys Boak (Organ)
Music online: Zoe Wallace (Cello), Dr Kim Tan Flute) & Rhys Boak (Organ & Piano)
Sunday Gatherings are in church at 10am.
For those unable to attend, online services still continue and are available Sunday afternoon.
Watch the Online Gathering here

Repair Reuse Refashion with Ange Tang
2023-10-22 11:45 - 12:45 | Waratah Room, 120 Collins St, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
Help give your favourite clothes another chance and reduce textile waste.
Step into Spring with a wardrobe refresh.
This week Ange will show us how to deal with woven fabric in fixing shirts and blouses.
Ange will bring some darning wool so that you can give your woollens some TLC before you pack them away until next winter.
If you have your own sewing kit you are welcome to bring it.
The workshop is open to everyone, regardless of skill level.
Come along, slow down, and enjoy a relaxing hour and revive an item you love.

Sunday Gathering - In church and online - "God and Empire"
2023-10-22 10:00 - 11:15 | St Michael’s Uniting Church, 120 Collins Street, Melbourne, Australia
Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost – 22 October 2023, 10am
“God and Empire”?
Guest Minister: Rev Peter Burnham
Music in church: Joe Chindamo (Piano) & Rhys Boak (Organ)
Music online: Zoe Black (Violin), Joe Chindamo (piano) & Rhys Boak (Organ)

Sunday Gatherings are in church at 10am.
For those unable to attend, online services still continue and are available Sunday afternoon.
Watch the Online Gathering here

Progressive Pages: Digital Bookclub
2023-10-19 19:00 - 20:00, 2023-10-12 19:00 - 20:00 | Online
Progressive Pages is a digital book club exploring progressive Christianity, hosted by St Michael’s Uniting Church and VicTas Synod New and Digital Ministries, with Kelly Skilton and Chris Phillips as the facilitators.
We are covering a chapter a week of Robyn Whitaker’s new book Even the Devil Quotes Scripture on Thursdays at 7pm AEST.
We are meeting on Discord, an app that works like a hybrid of Zoom and Facebook.
If you need help with Discord, please contact Chris via the church office.
Thursday October 12th – Discussions on Chapter 6

Thursday October 19th – Discussions on Chapter 7

More information and the sign up form can be found at bit.ly/ProgressivePages

Living the Questions 2.0
2023-10-15 11:45 - 12:45 | Waratah Room, 120 Collins St, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
Explore the biblical foundations, theological grounding, and spiritual practices at the heart of Progressive Christianity in these DVD-based discussion series.
Join us for Session 11: The Myth of Redemptive Violence.
Facilitator: Neil Blood

Sunday Gathering - "Healing and hope to soothe our souls" - In church and online
2023-10-15 10:00 - 11:15 | St Michael’s Uniting Church, 120 Collins Street, Melbourne, Australia
Image: Tree of Life by Peggy Bowie Davis.
“Healing and hope to soothe our souls”
Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost – 15 October 2023, 10am
Minister: Rev Dr Margaret Mayman
Music in church: Kristen Leich (Mezzo Soprano), Dr. Elyane Laussade (Piano) & Rhys Boak (Organ)
Music online: Francesca Hiew (Violin), David Paterson (Piano) & Rhys Boak (Organ & Piano)
Sunday Gatherings are in church at 10am.
For those unable to attend, online services still continue and are available Sunday afternoon.
Watch the Online Gathering here

Referendum Eve Vigil - “Constituted by Love”
2023-10-13 16:00 - 17:00 | St Michael’s Uniting Church, 120 Collins Street, Melbourne, Australia
“Constituted by Love”
Minister: Rev Dr Margaret Mayman
Music: Judith Dodsworth (Soprano), Edwina Cordingley (Cello) & Rhys Boak (Organ & Piano)
Over the past two weeks, the Uniting Church Assembly has been sharing 14 Days of Prayer for the Voice.
On Friday 13 October, these prayers will culminate in a national Vigil on the eve of the Referendum, a time of reflection, faith and unity in solidarity with First Nations people and the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress.
From Larrakia Country (Darwin) to Lutruwita (Tasmania), and many places in between, congregations will open their sanctuaries for the local community to gather and pray. Each location will also be connected to a single Zoom webinar, taking turns to lead prayer and worship.
St Michael’s will be one of the locations connected to a single Zoom webinar, taking turns to lead prayer and worship and we welcome you to join our in-person gathering at 4pm.
Join online at any point across six hours of prayer between 2:00pm and 8:00pm AEDT.
The Vigil will be livestreamed on Zoom from 2pm-8pm (you must register to attend, please register here)
Rev Dr Margaret Mayman will lead St Michael’s special service of liturgy, prayer, hymns and music from 4pm onwards.
Join us online or in-person.
Vigil running sheet – Zoom
2-3pm AEDT (local time 12:30pm ACST)
Nungalinya College (President Rev Sharon Hollis)
Larrakia land, Darwin
3-4pm AEDT
Ballarat Central Uniting Church
Wadawurrung and Dja Dja Wurrung land
4-5pm AEDT
St Michael’s Uniting Church
Wurundjeri land, Melbourne
5-5:30pm AEDT (local time 2pm AWST)
Star Street Uniting Church
Wadjuk Nyungar land, Perth
5:30-6pm AEDT
Devonport Uniting Church
Punnilerpanner land, Tasmania
6-6:30pm AEDT (local time 5pm AEST)
Rev Roberta Stanley (UAICC QLD)
6:30-7:15pm AEDT (local time 6pm ACDT)
Brougham Place Uniting Church
Kaurna land, Adelaide
7:15-8pm AEDT
Leichhardt Uniting Church
Gadigal and Wangal land, Sydney
In person visiting hours will be communicated by the host locations. Most will be open for at least the above times (local time).
The Vigil will be live-streamed to the Uniting Church in Australia Facebook page from 2-3pm and from 7:15-8pm.

A Voice for Country with Rev Dr Garry Deverell
2023-10-10 18:00 - 19:00 | St Michael’s Uniting Church, 120 Collins Street, Melbourne, Australia
As part of our St Michael’s. Week celebrations we invite you to A Voice for Country: Say “Yes” to the Ecological Wisdom of the First People with Rev Dr Garry Deverell
Rev Dr Garry Deverell speaks on the relationship between empowering First Peoples through a Voice to Parliament and the ecological wellbeing of the land.
Followed by Q & A.
Chaired by Dr Mayman.
Garry is Academic Dean, Lecturer and Research Fellow in the new School of Indigenous Studies at the University of Divinity, which he helped to found.
He is a trawloolway man from northern lutruwita (Tasmania) and a canon priest of St Paul’s Cathedral here in Naarm/Melbourne.
Share our flyer

Sunday gathering: In church and online
2023-10-08 10:00 - 11:15 | St Michael’s Uniting Church, 120 Collins Street, Melbourne, Australia
Best Buddies by Keith Haring
Sunday Gatherings are in church at 10am.
For those unable to attend, online services still continue and are available Sunday afternoon.
Watch the Online Gathering here
Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost – 8 October 2023, 10am
Rules won’t make us loving, but they might help
Minister: Rev Dr Margaret Mayman”
Music in church: Edwina Cordingley (Cello) & Rhys Boak (Organ & Piano)
Music online: Zoe Wallace (Cello) & Rhys Boak (Organ & Piano)
