Affirming the Cultural Diversity at GWUC

We are already a multicultural church, and becoming increasingly so. Church Council recognizes that there is a need to extend our vision beyond that which we may have had 50 years ago, before the extensive immigration flow of refugees and seekers of a better life started arriving on our shores. The following are some suggestions for Council to consider how we might go about affirming the broader cultural horizons that we see for our congregation.

Chinese Church

There are two dialogues that council is having at present: one with the Box Hill Evangelical Chinese Church, and one with the South Camberwell Uniting Church Chinese Congregation. Each of these dialogues has a range of perceptions and approaches, and we are engaged with the two groups to pursue how best our church might serve the needs of the local chinese community.

Cultural Register

There are many cultures within our church, and part of our problem is that we don't understand the extend of these. A suggestion would be to set up a register of cultural groups within the church, and publish information about them (such as with the trifold A4 leaflets available from the office) so that newcomers may make ready contact with the groups.

Social Events

We already hold an International Dinner as a fundraising event, celebrating a range of cultures. Extending this range to include more of the cultural groups would be a good initiative. Other social events could be held (suggestions?)

Overseas Links

Many will be familiar with the idea of "sister cities", creating bonds between nations and cultures. We might explore setting up similar links to churches offshore, through our many international connections.

CategoryCouncil