Author Archive: Kim

Donation for NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit)

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This photo of Dr. Paul Craven and myself was taken following the Overseas & Northern Luncheon at New Lambton. Dr. Paul received his yearly donation for NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit-John Hunter Hospital).  This cheque is made available by members generous help over the year, buying cards and Mothers Union goods etc.  When this photo was taken I did not think I would be seeing it in the newsletter/website, Kim has asked me to write something to you.

I think we in Mothers Union all hope that we can continue our work in the community and especially on the lines of NICU and what we can in a small way contribute to this most worthwhile project. Whilst visiting the babies over many years, I always hoped I would have enough bootees, there was always plenty and lots over. God is so good.  It is the same with the baby bundles that are lovingly made up by our Hospital Visiting Co-ordinator – there has always been plenty – thanks to the kindness of all our members.

There is a verse in the Mia Mia, “Love is of giving in so many ways thinking of others on all our days.”

How good is it to belong to such an organisation as Mothers Union!

Laurel Brook

Gloucester Branch closes after 57 years

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It is with deep regret that due to extenuating circumstances it has become impossible to continue and we have now closed our Branch of the Mothers Union Gloucester .

We commenced the morning at 10.00 am when fellow members from Dungog, Central Coast and Newcastle Executive arriving to support us during the official closing ceremony and celebrations, it was greatly appreciated.

After morning tea we adjourned to St Paul's Church for Communion and Closing Ceremony.  The service was conducted by  Reverend  Rob Llewellyn.  Our readings were read  by Mrs Leonie Benson and Mrs Pat Green before Communion was taken, then the Mothers Union Banner was lowered.  A very moving time for all our members.

Before lunch was served Mrs Thelma Potter read the History of the Branch which commenced on the 19th June, 1961.  We still have three inaugural members, Mrs Joy Myers, Mrs Val Smith and Mrs Daphne Wilson.  Fifty-seven years of service by each lady is remarkable.

Over the years we have lost many members but we still carried out our duties which included Hospital Visiting, Cleaning Silver and Brass, providing a Birthday Cake on the last Sunday of each  month, Op Shop, Church cleaning, Baby Bundles for John Hunter, Beanies for Seafarers, Knitted  bootees, matinee jackets and Teddy Bears for Baptisms.

Mrs Laurel Brook, our former Diocesan President, said Grace on this very special occasion, lunch was served. 

After lunch, on a happier note , Laurel lead us in singing and dancing the 'Hokey-Pokey' .

We wished God's Blessings to one and all.
Thelma Potter - President

 

Windale assist Homeless

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Windale Mothers Union worked together and assembled 30 packs for the Samaritans to donate to the homeless.

Father David blessed them at our Sunday morning service.

A great effort was made by all .

 

Bunny Rugs for John Hunter

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The combined Mothers Union groups at the Church of the Good Shepherd, Kotara had a working bee to make bunny rugs for the John Hunter Hospital.

Generous donations from members of the church, and others, provided cloth for the rugs as well as money for nappies, jackets, etc..

This is an ongoing annual project. The rugs and other items go into the 'baby bundles'  distributed by the Mothers Union.

The hospital is grateful for this help – as are the mothers!

A good time of fellowship was had with a very productive outcome.

Cardiff Celebrate Community Giving

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Parish of Cardiff held a Mothers Union Promotion Day following their services to share and celebrate the projects the ladies do for the community.

They shared photos of the Mothers Union ladies and the craft group cutting out the comfort cushions for breast cancer patients. They are currently holding working bees to make 100 cushions due to increased demand. Cushions are taken to Lake Macquarie Private Hospital Breast Cancer and Day Admissions wards and are provided free. They usually have several on hand for individual requests.

Our knitters make beanies for distribution to seafarers by the Mission to Seafarers and in December collect toiletries and other goods for gift packs to be distributed in Newcastle.

Contributing items for baby bundles provided to underprivileged new mums; knitted jackets for premature babies in Neo-Natal Intensive Care ward at John Hunter Hospital; squares for rugs distributed by Samaritans, beanies for patients staying at Ronald MacDonald House.

Supporting financially for projects in Northern Australia and overseas.

Volunteering for Coffee and Care at Worimi Children’s Court and a listening ear for young people and their support person waiting to appear.

We have a wonderful time of fellowship whilst supporting our Mothers Union.

Completed Breast Cancer Cushion

Maitland Celebrates Wave of Prayer

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Wave of prayer commenced in England in 1921. Every diocese in the World wide organization is prayed for during the midday prayers on 3 consecutive days each year. This unbroken chain of prayer provides the spiritual foundation for the mission and work of Mothers Union.

Judy, Nancy, Sue, Thelma, Margaret Jones, Betty, Wendy, Christine, Marilyn, members of the Maitland Parish Mothers Union, met for their assigned an hour, to celebrate together. They prayed for  Mothers Union as well as our link branches, Mahajanga, Mara, West Buranda, Kwoi, East Kerala and Newcastle.

As part of the 'unbroken chain' they followed on from Bateau Bay and The Entrance and  Gloucester followed on from my Maitland.

Afternoon tea was enjoyed by all.

 

Congratulations Lorette and Cheryl

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Mothers Union 50 years membership presentation took place at The Church of the Good Shepherd, Kotara South on Wednesday 23rd May, 2018.

A busy Denise Brown, Diocesan President made the presentation to Lorette Nixon and Cheryl Stoddart, with Reverend John Dring conducting the service.

Lorette, was the Enrolling member who presented membership to me in 1968.

We are both living in Kotara area now and belong to the Day group of Mothers Union.

 

50 year Celebrations at Maitland

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On Sunday 13th May, (Mother’s Day) at St Mary’s Church, Maitland Diocesan President, Denise, was able to present 50 year badges to Betty Howard, and to the late Margo Craft’s family, husband, Lew and daughters Karen and Gai.

A lovely morning tea followed the service and a cake was shared to congratulate Betty and to remember our dear friend Margo.

President of St Mary’s Mothers Union, Judy Harris
Secretary, Margaret Jones

 

Taree Welcomes New Members

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On the 13th May, Mother's Day, Fr Peter Tinney admitted 3 new members into Taree Mothers Union in the Sunday morning service. Suzanne and Josephine Cook, mother and daughter, and Bronwyn Forbes. The congregation congratulated them with welcoming applause.

Fr Peter then commission the officer bearers for 2018.

A celebratory cake was enjoyed by all at morning tea.

My Visit to Germany

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A Woman of Faith and Influence during the Reformation

Most of us would be aware that 2017 marked the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the European Protestant  Reformation. It was on October 31, 1517, that Martin Luther – monk, Doctor of Philosophy and University Professor of Theology – nailed his now famous 95 Doctrines against Indulgences onto the doors of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. Luther’s insight, gained from reading the Scriptures, that man cannot achieve the grace of God through good works but rather by faith alone, led to conflict with the practice of the Church granting indulgences which allowed donations of money to count as penance for sins and as a means to shorten or even avoid the fires of purgatory altogether. Nor could he find any reference to indulgences in the Bible. He protested against these Church practices, and although he was put on trial for heresy, he managed to escape execution, but was excommunicated and declared an outlaw.

Last year I had the privilege of joining a tour run by Ridley Theological College, in Melbourne, to visit the places in Germany and Switzerland where significant events happened with regard to the Reformation. There I learnt more about Luther and other early reformers. It was a most interesting, enlightening and enjoyable fortnight.  But for me it was also a time of serendipity, for I discovered that Martin Luther, monk and priest, had married, and the more I learnt about his wife Katharina, the more I liked her! I came to the conclusion that she was a lively, determined and courageous young lady – feisty, in fact!

As a teenage girl Katharina took vows to become a nun. In April 1523 she and several of her fellow nuns, dissatisfied with their life in the monastery and becoming interested in the growing reform movement, fled from their convent by hiding in a fish wagon which finally arrived in Wittenberg where Luther was once again living,  although by this time he had abandoned the monk’s habit for good. He and his friends managed to find families that the runaway nuns could live with, or husbands for them

to marry – all except Katharina. While Luther did not seriously consider marriage for himself at this point, Katharina declared that he was the only man she would marry, and finally he agreed. And so a 42-year-old former monk and a 26-year-old former nun were married on June 13, 1525.

Luther took her into his home, the former monastery where he had been living alone as a professor, writer and pastor, all the other monks having left.  Together Martin and his Kathe had six children, two of whom died before adulthood. Kathe ran the household, kept cows, pigs, goats and chickens, grew vegetables and brewed beer.  To boost their income, she established her own student boarding-house business in the extra rooms of the former monastery, offering room and board to up to 30 paying guests at a time. I think Kathe had lots of spunk!

It was a happy and affectionate marriage. Martin loved her, admired her intellect, trusted her to deal with his publishers, and made her his sole heir. She loved him deeply, and when he died in 1546 she wrote “...my sorrow is so deep that no words can express my heartbreak...” While fleeing the plague in Wittenberg in 1552, Katharina died in Torgau after a terrible accident with her wagon and horses. She was 53 years old. She is buried in The City Church of St Mary’s, Torgau, far from her husband’s grave in the Castle Church in Wittenberg.

Katharina is often considered a seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation because her role in helping to define Protestant family life and setting the tone for clergy marriages was so important. It was inspiring for me to learn about her.

I look forward to meeting her one day!

Jeanette Johnstone