Willed remembering or willed forgetting? “People have forgotten God.”

What happens when an awareness of the divine dissipates in a culture? Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s arresting quote below is worthy of reflection.

NCCA Assembly Roundtable on Professional Supervision 

NCCA’s roundtable meeting on 18 July gathered 33 participants from Australia’s churches to discuss the opportunities and challenges of implementing Recommendation 16.45 of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, that:

The Modern Slavery Bill 2018

Bishop Philip Huggins, on behalf of the NCCA, recently submitted a paper to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee on the Modern Slavery Bill 2018.

Addressing the refugee issue from the perspective of faith communities

The Statement highlights refugees and asylum seekers remaining on Manus and Nauru as at 23 July 2018, many now entering their sixth year in these processing centres. With very real concerns for the mental and physical damage sustained by people who have little hope, our policy makers are urged to bring closure to this situation.

Early Bird tickets are now available for the Voices for Justice 2018 Conference

When: 1-4 December 2018 
Where: Canberra (TBC), ACT 
Who: All ages are welcome, the only pre-requisite is you have a heart for justice. 
The early bird price is only available until the 31 August.

Catch up on some good free-to-air-TV on a cold night
ABC - Compass program - Jesus’ Female Disciples – The New Evidence - Part 1 and Part 2
SBS - The Song Keepers

Coming soon
SBS - Marry Me Marry My Family - casting call
ABC - new episodes of Songs of Praise announced

Replacing parliamentary prayer

On 27 June 2018, the Senate referred this matter related to the Committee on procedure for inquiry and report by 22 August 2018.

Public Forum on Human Trafficking - Canberra

Sunday 29 July 2018 7:00 pm

Haydon Hall, behind St Christopher's Cathedral, Manuka ACT

National Church Life Survey (NCLS)

During NAIDOC Week, NCLS Research released research results on Indigenous and non-Indigenous relations in churches.

Hear from church attenders on attitudes to treaty and constitution and the gap between their aspirations and actions in reconciliation efforts. Hear leaders views about the way forward, and what's actually happening in local churches.

Knapsack for the Journey of Faith: Pilgrimage Bible Studies

World Council of Churches - Theological Study Group

Micah 6:1-8 and Matthew 10: 1-42.
You are invited to reflect on the diverse stories of these pilgrimages in the Bible and connect the dialogue between biblical contexts and contemporary contexts.

World Council of Churches

Building bridges of faith in the HIV response

At the Global Village of the International AIDS Conference 2018 in Amsterdam, faith-based organizations have been demonstrating efforts at “overcoming barriers, building bridges”. This was the theme of the 22nd conference addressing the global response to HIV.

Diakonia: “a tool to reach abundance of life” (John10:10)

The WCC recently held a seminar on young people’s involvement in “Ecumenical Diakonia and Sustainable Development,” in Matanzas, Cuba.

Ecumenical movement needs renewed interfaith orientations

The Asian Ecumenical Institute (AEI) of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) is being held at the Payap University in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Students at the institute have heard encouraging words from ecumenical theologian Dr S. Wesley Ariarajah in relation to the challenges of 'authentic gospel values and Christian witness'.

Youth PoWR 2018 - Harmony for Humanity: Unity in Diversity
Join in, have a voice in shaping our multi-religious, multicultural society.
When: Sunday 19 August 2018, 2:00 - 5:00pm
Where: SGI Australia, 3 Parkview Dr, Sydney Olympic Park, NSW 

Invitation to lunch with Rabbi Bob Kaplan - "Keeping the faith in interfiath work in the age of Trump"
When:Thursday 23 August 2018, 12:30pm – 2:00pm
Venue: Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, Level 9, 225 George St, Sydney CBD.

Conversation
“DIY Spirituality: A growing modern trend?”
Date:Wednesday 12 September 2018
Time: 6:00pm – 7:30pm
Venue: Trinity College, Old Warden's Lodge, 100 Royal Pde, Parkville VIC 

 Australian Religious Press Association

Early bird registrations end 31 July 2018

Communicating Hope and Trust in a Public Faith 

September 7-8 2018

Novotel Hotel, 200 Creek Street, Brisbane QLD