It seems that everywhere we turn we hear about the economic crisis and the impact of the recession, both globally and locally. It’s in the news, on a national level and stories shared amongst friends.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd recently said, “The severity of the global recession has made it impossible for Australia to avoid a further period of negative economic growth.
“The worst global economic recession in 75 years means it’s inevitable that Australia too will be dragged into recession,” he said.
Whilst the government is taking measures such as its economic stimulus package to cushion the impact, many people are being affected through job losses and income cuts.
On a local level, the Hunter Valley Research Foundation (HVRF) has reported, “The impact of global economic conditions on the local Upper Hunter economy is clearly evident in this round of indicators.
“In December 2008 consumer spending was considerably weaker and business orders contracted. Businesses’ lower trading and profit levels are beginning to impact on investment and employment in the Region.”
Cec Shevels, CEO of Samaritans is mindful of the impact such an economic climate. In his article on page 2 of this edition he says, “Despite the Government’s valiant efforts, unemployment is rising and unemployment can be such a devastating experience for most of us.”
The HVRF note that both the level of employment and the rate of participation in the labour force fell in the Upper Hunter Region throughout 2008.
The latest ABS Labour Force Survey with averages to January 2009 records the Hunter Unemployment Rate as 5.3% and the Central Coast region as 7.1%.
The HVRF report said, “In December 2008 there was a much smaller increase in consumer spending in the pre-Christmas trading period than at any time since the HVRF began collecting this data in 2001. The moderation in demand can be attributed to falling employment and a decline in consumer confidence in the wake of the global financial crisis.
“The first Federal Government stimulus package appears to have done little to improve residents’ outlook for the regional economy or to boost retail spending. Activity in the housing market has slowed, with new residential housing approvals falling throughout 2008, and declining sales prices for already existing dwellings.
“HVRF surveys in December indicated that a much higher proportion of residents expected to decrease their spending in early 2009 than at the same time a year earlier. Nevertheless there is some hope that the Government’s second stimulus package may assist to lift domestic demand toward the middle of the year.”
While the figures relating to the local regions aren’t as devastating as in some other regions of Australia and other coutries suffering in this economic climate, it offers some hope to know our community has a history of pulling toghether and agencies like Samaritans are able to provide much needed assistance in times of need.
Elizabeth Keevers
Bracing for the Recession
Cec Shevels writes about the recession Australians are currently facing and invites you to pull together with others in the local community and assist those in need.
Suddenly the surge towards affluence which has besotted the nation for the past 15 years is over and we are heading into recession.
Historians will probably record that the boom of the past 15 years was unsustainable anyway, both economically and environmentally, but that we could not see this at the time.
It seems that for modern democratic capitalist economies the boom/bust cycle is inevitable, although no one seems to be able to explain why.
Now it’s recession time. Recessions always lead to hardship. Recession seems to produce different challenges and responses but each recession always brings rises in unemployment levels.
The first post war recession was in 1973 and young people were hardest hit with many youth jobs disappearing. Youth refuges were set up to assist those who became homeless and they continue to assist today.
With the 1982 recession, unemployment spread across all ages and the federal government focused its response on vocational training with skill share centres opening up across the nation.
The 1991 recession hit our region hard with unemployment rates at 15 per cent or more. This was an era when manufacturing jobs were being exported to China.
As we moved out of the recession in the mid 90s skill share centres were closed and the emphasis for the unemployed was self-reliance with work for unemployment benefits the last resort. Homeless numbers increased at this time which was contrary to expectation.
This year’s recession is different again. The federal government is responding with its economic stimulus package in order to keep people working and is promising not to overlook disadvantaged job seekers.
Despite their valiant efforts, unemployment is rising and unemployment can be such a devastating experience for most of us. One’s self-esteem is easily shattered after many unsuccessful job applications, families struggle with mortgage payments after losing their second income and there are increases in family breakdown and numbers of people who are homeless. These are all usually consequences of the recession and unemployment cycles.
Some of the young people who will be unemployed in 2009/10 are the grandchildren of the youth who lost their jobs in the 1970s. Hopefully there will be no increase in homelessness during this difficult time. The federal government has already pledged to reduce homelessness by 50 per cent by the year 2020 and is so far holding firm to this pledge.
We must all do what we can to assist in achieving such a worthwhile goal. Homelessness is not just about middle-aged men and women with severe mental health issues or addiction problems, although this group continues to need support and encouragement.
Homelessness in 2009 involves many: families struggling with debt unable to pay their rent, young people leaving home after conflict, people leaving prison or hospital with nowhere to go, retirees losing their rental accommodation and domestic violence.
Did you know that one third of the homeless are women and children escaping violent households? These are the groups Samaritans will be supporting over the next decade. Everyone can help by making a donation, by volunteering or by joining a parish care group.
Recessions can be as devastating as natural disasters, such as floods and bushfires. Fortunately we live in a region where people pull together and support each other in times of trial, and we must brace ourselves for testing times ahead.
Are We Any Closer to Being a Happy Family?
This headline could be the subtitle to a progress report on steps towards an Anglican Communion Covenant.
The story so far begins with the widely differing views around the Anglican Communion on issues such as homosexuality, female bishops, the interpretation of Scripture, authority in the church and how we belong and live together.
From discussions over the last two years, the idea of an Anglican Communion Covenant has been proposed as a way to express our unity, enhance interdependence, state our common belief, and find a way through divisions in relationship between national churches. By opting in and accepting self-limitation, national Anglican Churches affirm the Covenant as a way to live together.
As might be expected, the Covenant has been through a number of drafts, and has been commented on by the Lambeth Bishops of 2008, and by many of the national church bodies, including Australia.
In April the Covenant Design Group met in Ridley Hall Cambridge in order to redraft the Covenant document, taking cognisance of the responses of the Lambeth Bishops, national Churches and others. The next step will be for this “Ridley Cambridge Draft” Covenant Document to be presented to the next meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council. What changes were made in this draft of the covenant document?
Section One on Our Faith has added weight to the Book of Common Prayer of 1662, the 39 Articles (historically understood), and the Ordinal. There is also a fuller treatment of our Anglican ways of acknowledging the authority of Scripture, and the ways Anglicans try to discern the voice of God through Scriptures understood with the help of scholars, bishops, and the people of God.
Section Two on Our Shared Anglican Life adds a call to humility and repentance where the actions of churches have undermined the credibility of our mission and gospel. Your correspondent found himself asking the question “What arrogance and sins might the Australian Anglican church and the Diocese of Newcastle need to meet with repentance?”
Section Three Our Unity and Common Life tries to walk the line of interdependence. What does it mean to say: “The Communion guides, each Church decides.”? How can we show gracious restraint, when another part of the Communion does something which we regard as being beyond the limits of diversity?
The document reinforces the understanding that each national church is autonomous, and yet has responsibilities to maintain conversation, and perhaps enter into mediated face to face discussions. Will this decrease unseemly global slanging matches by Bishops over the internet? Listening takes time and effort, which is not required by an email or a press release crossing continents in seconds.
Section Four on Our Covenanted Life Together is a new section which seeks to address matters of joining, participating in, and leaving the Covenant and resolving matters of dispute. The emphasis is on the relationship consequences of any exercise of national autonomy in a way that strains communion. Rather than appointing a referee from the instruments of unity (Canterbury, Lambeth, ACC, Primates) to make any decision, this draft seeks to provide a mechanism by which the communion can respond to controversial actions by a part of the communion. Previous drafts spoke of national churches putting themselves outside the Covenant as a relinquishment but this draft speaks of the possibility of a determination that an action is incompatible with the Covenant.
20 National/Provincial Anglican Churches have responded to questions posed by the Covenant. Brazil, Korea and North India responded with a “No” to in principle support for the covenant process. All others who responded, including Australia, gave a “Yes”.
Many churches wanted more relational terms than juridical terms. This was a strong emphasis from Australia. The Australian national response was positive. It suggested that the most appropriate sanction for any recalcitrant church was withholding invitations to meetings like Lambeth, the Primates’ meeting, and the Consultative Council.
It is more likely that any Australian Anglican acceptance of the Covenant would be by resolution and Diocesan acceptance, rather than any attempt to change our national constitution.
The Rev’d Les Forester
Reaching Out to Those in Need
Fr David discusses a mentoring program in the Parish of The Entrance which is seeking to build connections with local families.
Don Grace and Wilma Bond are candidates for Ordained Local Ministry in the Parish Ministry Team at The Entrance. Don has responsibility for Local Community Connections, and Wilma is responsible for Welcoming Families and Children to Faith. I asked them to discuss the project which began in the parish in 2007 to connect with families through the local school.
We became aware of the need back in 2007 through conversations with the Principal of the local public school. We knew that there were a number of children at the school from difficult backgrounds, and we saw this as an opportunity for service on behalf of the church. The Rev’d Pam Fraser, our last parish priest, already had an excellent relationship with the Principal and we let the school know that we were available to help in any way that we could.
As we reflected on the situation the project seemed to design itself. It was agreed that we would establish a group of mentors from the church who would be available to spend time with children at the school. We discerned eight people from our conversations who were excited about being involved, and negotiated some rules with the school so that everyone was clear about what we were going to do.
We needed to be realistic about our own gifts. It was clear from looking at our congregation that there wasn’t much chance that we would be able to lead aerobics classes or coach the football team! But there were lots of things which we could contribute. Our eight “grandparents” bring with them huge life experience in family, community, church and professional life. We have retired school teachers, an accountant, nursing sisters, a shop assistant and a housewife.
Every other Friday afternoon we go into the school for the last hour of the day. We have the use of the school library, and the school also provides a supervising teacher. The school identifies the children (from ages 10-12) who would gain the most from spending time with us, and we then obtain permission from the parent or guardian of the child involved. One mentor is teaching a child how to play chess, another teaches knitting, someone else teaches games with playing cards, one helps a child with his or her mathematics and three of our mentors help children practise their reading.
We try to provide space for these children to talk about their successes. Some of them come from challenging backgrounds. We know that some of the children have no male influences in their lives, and not all the children live with their parents. There are some other difficult situations which some of these children live with. We try to help them to celebrate what is going well for them. Some of the children didn’t know each other until they came to our sessions, and now they have become friends.
You would be surprised by some of the conversations which we have, because the topics change all the time. We show as much interest as possible in the children and let them know how special they are. We tell them about our lives, and they tell us about theirs. One of our mentors was discussing colours, flowers and past times with a girl who said that her favourite colour was lavender. Our mentor was able to buy some lavender-coloured wool and taught her to knit with it.
It isn’t easy to connect with the wider family of the child. At Christmas one of our mentors invited two of the children and their parent to the mentor’s home for a Christmas meal. Some of our original children have now moved on to high school and their mentors have been able to keep in touch with them. This is a sign of the strong relationships which are being developed, and which we hope will be maintained for many years to come.
The best part of our session is called “telling a story”. We invite one child to start the story, and then each of the group adds a further section to it. It’s a great way to develop team work and to stimulate the imagination. We introduce the stories of Jesus to the children as well, but we try to do this carefully and sensitively.
In 2008 we were recommended for a Community Service Award. Each of the “grandparents” in the mentoring group received a certificate in recognition of his or her contribution to the program. Our mentors have come to be highly respected by the children and by the wider school community.
Easter around the Diocese
Easter reports from Parishes around the Diocese.
Merriwa
Easter week in Merriwa was heralded by a visit from our Palm Sunday donkey, Solo, who gladly visits the Church each year, patiently putting up with the excitement of patting children, waving palm branches, “Hosannas” and hymns!
She was joined by a crowd of children and adults who enjoyed the excitement of having a small donkey help illustrate Jesus’ humble entrance into Jerusalem on Passion Sunday.
Each year after Maundy Thursday’s service of foot washing, parishioners join together in a Seder Meal.
We enact a Passover Meal sharing unleavened bread, red wine, bitter herbs, roasted lamb, dried fruit and nuts.
Each part of the meal tells a story of the Exodus from Egypt and the salvation God gave to the people of Israel.
Many came to the Good Friday service to hear the Passion of our Lord read from the Gospel of John, and watch the stripping of the altar.
On Easter Saturday, the new Paschal Candle was lit from the fire that had been blessed in front of the church. Candles were brought into the church, symbolising the hope and joy that are to come on Easter Day as our Lord Jesus Christ passed from death to life.
Full churches are common in rural towns at Easter, and Merriwa is no exception. There were three baptisms on Easter Day with joyful parents and godparents promising to bring their children up in the understanding of the Christian faith as has been done for centuries at this special time of Easter renewal.
Two families joined our Easter Day Eucharist in remembrance of their loved ones now resting with the Lord. They too joined in the Easter anthem “Jesus Christ is risen – He is risen indeed!”
St John's
The Good Friday message is one that can seem stark and confronting and as a result it is easy to assume that it is too difficult for children to fully comprehend.
Our experience at St John’s Newcastle over the past three Easters seems to be proving that assumption wrong.
Our service is a somewhat chaotic yet powerful mix of music, narrative, explanation, drama, food and reflection as we journey through the Easter story from the last supper to the cross and finish with a glimpse of the resurrection.
This year it was the bigger of our two Good Friday services. For me the most profound element is witnessing the children come forward for a reflection towards the end of the service as they pray either "Jesus, I’m sorry for the things I’ve done wrong, please forgive me", "Jesus, thank you for the cross, thank you that I can start again" or something in their own words.
The care and reverence in which this is done is not only inspirational for the adults present but also demonstrates a strong understanding of what Good Friday represents.
It doesn’t always go according to script, can be a little noisy and messy at times, and you’ll often get interrupted, but to see the awe and wonder on the face of both child and adult alike is truly humbling.
My hope is that more parishes will consider the impact that this day has on children, allowing them to ask their questions and express understanding in a way that enables them to become witnesses to the Easter story.
The Rev'd Stewart Perry
Wyoming
On Palm Sunday the church was filled with families as children brought their parents to see the palm branches and the live donkey that visited to help create the scene.
On Maundy Thursday pews were pushed back to make room for tables set for a meal of roast lamb and the Last Supper was commemorated in this dining setting.
After the Lord’s Supper the church was stripped bare and made ready for the solemn liturgy of Good Friday with the remembrance of the betrayal, trial and crucifixion of our Lord.
In stark contrast, on Easter Sunday, the church was full of colour; fresh flowers were found in every corner and in front of the altar there was a simply constructed tomb - open and empty except for some linen cloth.
The early birds came just before dawn to a 5.30am service during which the coming of the Light was experienced and baptismal vows were renewed.
Families came at 9.30am and the children saw a video clip showing the resurrection from a fly’s point of view and then made their own chocolate model tombs.
In the evening, at Ourimbah Primary School, the community was invited to an egg hunt, a dramatic presentation of the Last Supper, an interview with Peter, video and a walk to the tomb in the school grounds to hear about the resurrection.
Home for Good
It was December of 1982. I had just completed my final exams after three years of theological college and we were heading off for a holiday before my ordination.
We packed the Kombi and away we went. Three days later we got the phone call. The house had been burgled.
This was not the first time that I’d been the target of somebody’s crime. X-Rays show the untreated broken bones I received as a child when I was placed in the care of somebody who was almost murderously violent. Child protection did not have a high profile in 1954.
Our son wears a broken nose from a senseless street assault when he was attacked by a gang of thugs as a teenager.
He hoped it would heal up a little bent and macho, like the hockey scar rising from his eyebrow.
He liked the idea of carrying something of his experience into the future. It does that, you know. Crime does that. It carries something into the future. Something of my childhood trauma follows me still.
Memories surface, though uncalled. Certain things stolen in that burglary I mentioned could not be replaced.
They’ve left a gap. We are being followed by trauma, by memories, and by gaps. That is the effect of crime.
At Bathurst Gaol I met a young man, ironically a pastor’s son, who had burgled my previous church.
He’d since “graduated” to armed robbery. He, too, was being followed by something. He was being followed by guilt.
So what do we do when we find ourselves being followed? We have a choice. We can choose anger and bitterness.
But this binds us to what follows us and we are never free of its footsteps. Or we can choose grace, which also binds us.
Grace binds us to the imagination of God. Bitterness is toxic, but grace is dangerous.
Grace takes us into the lives of those who might otherwise harm us, perhaps have already harmed us.
Grace takes people into prison chaplaincy, into Kairos Ministry and Prison Fellowship.
Grace is the foundation of the Home For Good chaplaincy, walking with people out of prison in the search for a different path through life.
Home For Good is looking for volunteers who make grace their conscious choice.
