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Notes from meeting of intercultural task group 12 May 2023

Present: Hoon, Sachin, Peter Cheung, Jan Clear, Vida, Glyn Apologies: Lucky, (Neil on leave Fridays)

1. Intercultural worship –

1. last Sunday's combined worship as a model?

• Feedback: fantastic overall; very good use of both languages
  At back of church: couldn’t understand sermon or read the screen – problem with design of slides
  Being read from screen: hard to see including for Rev Dan Sompe.
  Better to preach in first language and have translation on the screen in English
  

  • - either full text or summary
    

  Geri Kalonta helped Warren to know when Indonesian verses changes - useful.
  We thought Riedel were watching in church, but they viewed on zoom in their homes Aim – ideal: to provide both languages simultaneously with full understanding for both language groups in order to maintain the purpose of worship.
  

  • namely? “...the heart connecting with God”.
    

  Can we have combined or shared worship periodically? Including in Chinese?
  Yes, if we have the people
  Multilingual worship not feasible
  Suggestion: integrate more by having both types of food at morning tea

  • b. Planning for Workshop on Intercultural Worship: to be led by Rev You - another key part of intentional ministry.
    

  Task: Rev You has asked us to share with him in advance the questions/ issues we have about intercultural worship
  

  • alternative dates: July 16th or July 23rd (4th Sunday of month→communion for Indonesian worship and in chapel)– Sunday afternoon
    - to follow Indonesian fellowship worship at 1pm but what about the meal after worship?
    Discuss with Lucky: which works best?
    2:00 – 4:30pm in church face to face only to allow for singing
    break in the middle for afternoon tea
    Suggested light lunch after church so people can stay
    Who is invited? All worshippers/ Congregation as a whole
    

2. Brief feedback on last Intercultural Bible studies

• Safe space created so people from diverse backgrounds shared deeply personal experiences of God’s grace in their lives
  Time pressure: quite a demanding and densely packed study because brings
  

  • i) study of Bible passage,
    ii) case study of intercultural conflict and
    iii) personal experience sharing
    

  - everyone can pick up something
  Task: The editor of Kingsway has asked for written comments on the Intercultural Bible study – 5 or 6 lines.

3. The question of the Acknowledgement of Country

• Task: It was agreed that Glyn do an acknowledgement to country at both (1pm and 7:30pm) bible studies after the opening prayer.

  • Context: last Bible study (7:30) we were challenged by a new member who was offended that we didn’t acknowledge the first people; she said she rarely goes to anything where this is not done. She offered to do the acknowledgement for us and with a yes from a few people it was done. A discussion followed with opinions sharply divided on whether it was necessary or appropriate in our Bible study. Some felt it was tokenism; others felt it was an essential part of the healing process.
    “Justice with love”.
    

  How well do we understand this issue?
  What does the Uluru Statement from the Heart say?
  Task: Finding out more as the church invites us to do.

3.1. Reference was made to the Uniting Church Assembly:

“An Acknowledgement of First Peoples is a way of paying respect to First Peoples whenever we gather together and an important expression of the covenant which the Uniting Church has with the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (UAICC). This new resource offers an explanation for why the Assembly encourages the whole of the Uniting Church to ensure a Welcome by or an Acknowledgement of First Peoples is given at the commencement of worship, meetings of boards, councils, committees, schools and agencies and other occasions when the Church gathers.
.... We encourage the whole Uniting Church to listen deeply for what it means to walk together, First and Second Peoples, to lament the past and to seek to be a healing community, characterised by the love of Christ.” https://uniting.church/acknowledgement-of-country-in-the-uca/

3.2. An evening of listening and conversation about The Uluru Statement from the Heart and Voice Referendum with Rev Dr Garry Deverell

Tuesday 30 May 7:30 – 9:00 at GWUC cosponsored by the Port Phillip East Presbytery and the Victorian Council of Churches (see Weekly bulletin).

3.3. Podcast from ABC radio national “Soul Search” via the ABC Listen app

Meeting closed with prayer about 9pm

Next hybrid zoom meeting: 9th June 7:30pm