Calvary Presbytery
Covid 19 Information




With worship gatherings cancelled and significant constraints imposed on people’s travel and social distance, we are being challenged to develop new ways to be church and to do church, for our own people and in service and witness to the wider community.

Carpentaria Presbytery is keen to encourage and resource Congregations and ministry agents for these times. On this page, we’ll recommend various resources, mostly coming from within the UCA context. These are also being published on our Facebook page.

You can find Synod’s formal advisories about corona virus here. This also includes a range of ideas and advice for Congregations engaging in ministry in this new context.

You will also find other resources on the Qld Synod Website here.


UNITY IN DISPERSITY #1: UCA Assembly resource page

UCA Assembly is gathering a range of resources (liturgies and ideas), curated from various places, called Ministry During COVID-19. Visit here.

 

UNITY IN DISPERSITY #2: UCA Assembly ‘Transforming Worship’ circle

The UCA Assembly’s Transforming Worship Circle is a Facebook page where people are sharing their resources, liturgies and ideas, with a current focus on worship when we can’t gather as community. If you’re not already a member you’ll be asked to join.

 

UNITY IN DISPERSITY #3: Video guide to online worship streaming

For those thinking of moving into online worship streaming, Ps Craig Hindman of Newlife Church Robina provides this informative quick guide. Thanks very much, Craig!

 

UNITY IN DISPERSITY #4: Handy guide for Zoom online meetings

If you’re thinking of using Zoom as an online meeting platform for Church Council, etc, in preference to face-to-face meetings, then Kelly Skilton, a youthworker at Murrumbeena UC (Vic-Tas Synod), has written a handy 1-page guide, available for download here.

 

UNITY IN DISPERSITY #5: Saltbush connections

Saltbush – Uniting the Scattered Community, seeks to encourage and connect smaller, Uniting Christian communities, irrespective of size or location. Saltbush seeks to embrace the reality of being Christian community in the 21st. century and to affirm the place and capacity of smaller Christian communities both to gather and be in mission. It’s an activity of Uniting Mission & Education (NSW-ACT Synod).

In the lead up to Easter, the Saltbush team have been trialing Zoom Cafés. The online gatherings will continue through to Easter with a plan to continue throughout the year. Saltbush Zoom Cafés meet every Wednesday morning at 10:30 am and every Thursday evening at 7:30 pm.

And now, in the wake of COVID-19, starting this Sunday, they are offering a special weekly worship streaming for people who need to self-isolate, or whose church community can’t gather for worship. Sundays, 9:00 am (AEDT), via Zoom. So easy to connect!

 

UNITY IN DISPERSITY #6: Lenten journey

Craig Mitchell (Presbytery Minister – Church Development, Port Phillip East, Vic-Tas Synod) produced a 5-part Lenten series on the theme ‘Water for the Journey,’ and has now adapted it for use by people who can’t go to a study group or attend worship. Have a look, and see if it inspires you for creating similar adaptations of study or worship material for sharing among your dispersed Congregation.

 

UNITY IN DISPERSITY #7: Online isn’t the only (or first) consideration

Not being able to gather for worship doesn’t mean we need to rush into the online streaming space. That can be one strategy but there are other (and deeper) questions to think about. Coming from outside the UCA is this reflection about how we might inform our imagination about what our gathered community might seek from ‘church’ when they can no longer be together for worship. From The Contemplative Cottage (the name itself is rather evocative of self-isolation!).

 

UNITY IN DISPERSITY #8: Prayers in a pandemic

Rev. Jon Humphreys is a UCA school chaplain in Sydney and an eloquent writer of prayers. His Facebook page is worth following as he reflects on the challenges of worship and ministry in a time of pandemic.

 

UNITY IN DISPERSITY #9: Great resources from Tassie

Here is a great list of resources and ideas on ‘dispersed church’ from the Presbytery of Tasmania. One resource listed here is a series from Rev. Denise Savage of Sacred Space Postcards for people worshipping alone over this period. These are simple catalysts for reflections, which can be done in each person’s home while still building a common journey with others. Here is the current series which Denise is happy for people to use; more are to come. This idea can be adapted for any context. But there are other ideas here as well. More is being added to this page in coming days and weeks, so you might like to revisit from time to time.

Latest Health Advisories

Latest health advisories on COVID-19 are on the Australian Government web site here.

Any questions or concerns about issues affecting the presbytery can be directed to the Presbytery Ministers Rev Christy Allen and Rev Garry Hardingham

Copyright ©2014 Presbytery of North Queensland. All rights reserved.