The Home of the De Jongs is created out of a mission to spread the Word of God. We provide church resources in Australia for the community of the Uniting Church in Victoria, Australia in this time of the pandemic.
Read further to find out the answers to your frequently asked questions:
What is the Uniting Church in Victoria, Australia about?
The people are at the centre of the Uniting Church in Victoria, Australia. In this time of physical separation and social interaction, we are called to be open to the Spirit for new ways of ministry and mission. We are seeking new ways to be the church to fulfil God’s call to be a “message, foretaste, and instrument” of his kingdom in our nation.
Who are the First Peoples?
We live and work on Aboriginal territory, as the Uniting Church of Australia recognises. We became the first church in Australia to constitutionally recognise Aboriginal and Islander peoples as Australia’s First Peoples in 2010.
When the churches that would eventually become the Uniting Church arrived in Australia as part of the colonisation process, they found a land that had been established and maintained by the Triune God they knew in Jesus Christ.
God had nurtured and preserved the Aboriginal and Islander peoples of this nation, who continue to understand themselves as the traditional owners and custodians (meaning “sovereign” in the languages of the First Peoples) of these lands and waters since time immemorial, through this region.
As the churches proclaimed the reconciling meaning of the Triune God revealed in the good news about Jesus Christ, some members of the uniting churches approached the First Peoples with good intentions, standing with them in the name of justice; considering their well-being, culture, and language.
Are community groups allowed?
It is permissible to form community groups as long as you are following proper COVID protocols. Unless the organisation has implemented an industry plan that is suitable for their operations, the public health direction’s limits on gatherings apply.
Are vulnerable people allowed to participate in church activities?
According to the safety plans, disadvantaged members of the congregation should be encouraged to remain at home and interact with the church community by non-physical means. If a disabled individual wishes to participate in a church activity, they should be accepted and cared for as a respected community member.
How to access church resources in Australia?
Here are several tools that worship leaders can use to inspire people to worship and pray together at home using common resources:
Being Church in this time
There are several different ways to be a church in a pandemic. This segment provides tools for those who are meeting online, resuming face-to-face meetings, or pursuing a hybrid model.
Live streaming worship services is an easy and convenient way to worship without having to physically attend a church service. You can use Facebook and YouTube as a tool to access church resource in Australia.
You can visit our website from time to time for more information on how to join an online church service or event. If you plan to live-stream worship from your church building, please heed the most recent government advice on the maximum number of people who may be involved and acceptable physical separation.
Up to five individuals may be involved in a live-streamed service, according to the latest directive from the Victorian and Tasmanian state governments, as long as social distancing guidelines are followed.
You can also find on our website some links to worship materials. Jim de Jong updates the resources every day. In that way, you will be able to learn something new about the Uniting Church in Victoria, Australia every now and then.
How do we think about being Church in a time of Pandemic?
The metaphor of “home” can bring life-giving insights and starting points for our new ways of gathering, treatment, and mission when many of us are forced to consider new ways of doing and being church from our homes.
For more questions, please visit our website and contact us!
Many pastors, congregations, and presbyteries are putting together excellent tools for this moment. Some of them have been connected to or reproduced on this page. This page will be updated in the coming weeks, and we’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas for new tools. For further enquiries, you can reach Jim de Jong through Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.