On Friday 4th December, Warrawee Park in Oakleigh was tranformed into a lively and festive gathering place for over 3000 people from our local community. Featuring school choirs, Christmas carols, cultural items, crowd games, Santa and more, 2009 proved to be the most popular carols to date.
Many thanks go to those who made the carols possible. In particular we thank Rev. Mano Manopavan who will be leaving in the new year for Queensland but has been instrumental in bringing the churches of Oakleigh together to stage four events so far. Major sponsor this year was the Rotary Club of Oakleigh who supported us generously when many businesses were struggling through the GFC. The Monash City Council Community Arts grant has also helped tremendously, alongside sponsors such as Coates hire, Huntingdale and Hughesdale Pharmacies, Lions Club of Oakleigh, Cartridge World Oakleigh, and Woodards Real Estate.
Carols in the Park will return again next year on Friday December 3rd.
Earthly Reflections of Heavenly Things, an exceptionally beautiful exhibition celebrating the transcendent and ineffable in art, opened at the University of Melbourne’s Ian Potter Museum of Art recently for a season to 17 February 2008.
The exhibition, curated by the Potter’s Joanna Bosse, brings together 21 works from three senior Australian artists who engage with mystical and immaterial subjects.
The artists, Asher Bilu, Leonard Brown and Emily Kngwarreye, are noted for their ethereal and contemplative works. Although from different cultural, religious and artistic traditions, all three have developed a language of refined abstraction that is non-dogmatic, evocative and thoroughly immersive.
Telling Lived Experience is a short course that teaches ways to tell your own experiences of faith and life.
It begins with a retreat style day to consider and reflect on significant moments. How we notice instances of grace, recognition and insight will also be looked at and how these can be framed into stories. Class size is kept to a maximum of eight.
Cost $160. Classes run 9, 11, and 18 February 2008. Facilitator: Julie Perrin.
For more information contact the Centre for Theology and Ministry, 9340 8815 or email info@ctm.uca.edu.au.
The Dalton McCaughey Library in collaboration with the Children and Family Ministry team is opening a new collection of children’s picture books on Friday 29 February.
The collection aims to provide an imaginative and narrative base to some of the big life issues for children and families. There are quality children’s books including biblical story re-tellings.
A practical workshop on using children’s picture books in ministry will be conducted by Sharon Hollis and Julie Perrin on the afternoon of the launch, from 2.30 to 4.00pm.
For more information contact Centre for Theology and Ministry, 9340 8815, info@ctm.uca.edu.au.
Passionate Arts is a one-day exhibition on 23 February 2008 that will focus on how the arts may enrich celebrations through the 50 days of Easter.Â
This will be a day for artists and worship leaders to get together and share inspiration through a wide range of art forms through panel discussion, electives and arts showcase.
Participants will contribute to a collaborative felting artwork through the day.
For more information contact Centre for Theology and Ministry, 9340 8815, info@ctm.uca.edu.au.
Music is a big part of NCYC. Not only do delegates enjoy seeing their favourite bands live, but it is also great way for promising musicians to have their music heard by an international audience.
NCYC is looking for delegates to get creative and start writing music for the National Christian Youth Convention 2009. For information about music submissions, requirements and guidelines please visit the NCYC website www.ncyc.org.au/music.
Since the Wisdom’s Feast of art and celebration mid year, the arts have been thriving with activity and creativity amongst the Uniting Church.
For the latest on what has been happening and what is planned, check out the latest edition of Artfull Faith.
Jeanette Acland offers an ecumenical intensive course in the parables. This is designed as a further step for those already familiar with the Godly Play/ Montessori method.
The course is offered over three Fridays in May 2008 and class size is kept to a maximum of eight people. Cost: $310 (includes some materials). Held at St Mary’s Anglican Church, North Melbourne.
For more information contact the Centre for theology and Ministry on 9340 8815 or email info@ctm.uca.edu.au.