With the ever increasing cost of living, many in our community are doing it tough. Christmas in particular can be a difficult time for many families.
A few years ago the Rev Claire Wright from Manning Uniting Church devised the idea of a Tough Christmas service, acknowledging the losses and deep seated problems of many in our community.
The special service is followed by a light lunch, then those attending can walk around the room selecting free gifts. There was a pet table, women's table, men's table, toys, Christmas items, teens, children's and babies’ clothes. food table and family bags. There was a huge number of items donated by church members, community members and help agencies. Wesley Mission and Manning Uniting Church gave out gift vouchers to the needy.
The overall attendance on Friday 15/12 was around 90 folk, clearly showing the need in our community.
A very big thank to all those who so kindly donated for the Tough Christmas.
The day before, some 30 Christmas hampers were handed out at the church, to make Christmas a little brighter.
The Manning Uniting Church would like to wish everybody a very happy and blessed Christmas.
___________________________________________________________________________
OUR OWN DAIRY COW
August 2023
For some years, dairy farmers in NSW have been running a project aimed at supporting their industry by selling fibre glass cows that can be painted and displayed outside premises around the town.
Manning district dairy farmers joined this project last year and we have started to see colourful cows around town, much like the painted koalas in Port Macquarie and the Hastings, and at Taree station.
Church Council decided to buy our own cow as a community service project and install it outside the Red Dove Café. It was picked it up from Nicholson’s dairy farm in December, and Kerry MacAulay agreed to design a paint scheme for it and do the painting.
Kerry has now completed this project and Connie the Cow is now on display outside the Red Dove, along with the street library and the Orange Sky Laundry pod – all means of connecting with our community.
These are Kerry’s comments on her design process:
“I have been inspired by the Manning Uniting Church vision of ‘connecting’ in the design of the cow. I chose to write the word ‘connecting’ as part of the design rather than including other symbols. The two front legs represent trees with branches spreading out over the hills and valleys of the Manning. I was reminded of Jesus declaring ‘I am the tree and you are the branches’.
“The colours I have chosen are representative of the grass and trees, the earth, the sky, the beach, the river, the mountains and the ocean: the natural world of the Manning Valley.
“I have deliberately left some flaws and imperfections on the surface of the cow. To me, this is a sign that the work is handmade. It also reminds me that none of us is perfect, but is none-the-less valuable, and our flaws are part of our uniqueness and beauty.
“When I first painted the cow’s hooves, I was thinking of the ubiquitous blackbutt tree, but the blackened hooves also remind me of the aftermath of bushfires.
“Apart from these ideas, I leave it up to every viewer to imagine whatever they choose about what the cow represents to them.”
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Conversation with Synod Mission Consultant Glen Spencer
Manning Uniting Church Auditorium
Saturday March 11
10am – 12 noon
Mission Audit: Rev Claire’s Manning Mission ‘Groundwork’ Report from last Saturday’s Mission Audit workshop is available for the MUC congregation in preparation for next Saturday’s conversation with Synod Mission Consultant Glen Spencer.
The Mission Audit workshop was very useful in giving those present a chance to express views and compare ideas on where we are and where we would like to go.
Our challenge is not so much in finding mission ideas as in how we can sustain them, how we might continue to operate our centre and the things that go with it. We have a great space right in the CBD, good use of our centre, and a number of good programs and connections. How to keep it going is key.
This will be the focus of our conversation with Synod Mission Consultant Glen Spencer on Saturday March 11.