What’s in a name? One of the delights of having lived among Pacific Island peoples is to have understood how important are the names given at birth. One encounter was with a young Tongan man whose name was Lonisestoni Vaitohi. ‘The name, Lonisestoni, is the Tongan way of saying Launceston, a town in Tasmania. When…

Greetings to the Koonung Heights Community, What to write for the last time? … that’s the question.  It seems that saying ‘thanks’ is not enough for all the love, care, support and generosity that I’ve received from the members and friends of Koonung Heights congregation since I was inducted here in 2019.  We have done…

Greetings to the Koonung Heights Community, ‘O Lord, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth!’ These words are the opening verse of Psalm 8, the psalm for Trinity Sunday which we will celebrate this week.  If you read this psalm you will hear these words being repeated in the final verse,…

Greetings to the Koonung Heights Community … … and welcome to Rev Dr Avril Hannah-Jones and members of the North Balwyn Uniting Church as we celebrate worship and share in community together this Pentecost Sunday.  Pentecost is recognised as the birth of the Church and the coming of the Holy Spirit in a new way…

Greetings to the Koonung Heights Community, Next Sunday we will wear red as we celebrate Pentecost.  From Monday 18 May, landmarks across Victoria are lighting up red – the colour of volunteering – in honour of National Volunteer Week!  In its 37th year, the week marks Australia’s largest annual celebration of volunteers, recognising the contribution…

Greetings to the Koonung Heights Community, Mother’s Day is a time to honour the nurturing resilience and profound impact of mothers.  It is also a wonderful day to acknowledge other women who have been significant in our lives, friends and mentors whose selfless love has helped shape our lives.  It is also a day that…

Greetings to the Koonung Heights Community, Last Sunday we were reminded of Jesus words, ‘I came that they may have life and have it abundantly’. The invitation to us was that we might live as though we believe this promise and, as a response, be willing to share this abundance with others. I have been…

Greetings to the Koonung Heights Community, Saturday is Anzac Day, a significant day for many in our country, a day when we pause to remember the service and sacrifice of many men and women who have defended our nation in times of conflict, as well as providing support in peace-keeping missions throughout the world. Yet…

Greetings to the Koonung Heights Community, Easter is over, or so the shops would have us think.  The vast array of chocolate eggs have gone from the shelves and the holidays are passed, and so we can also be tempted to put Easter behind us for another year.  But the reality is as people of…

Greetings to the Koonung Heights Community, After Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples gather behind closed doors, unsure of what they might find outside, a little nervous of the reception that awaits them, possibly doubting what to believe. As Charissa Suli, Uniting Church President, reminds us, it is into this reality Jesus comes …    He stood…