Anglican Church of the Holy Cross Melville

Mothers Union

Reaching out into the community with Christ.

" Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. " Ephesians 6:18

MU Australia News 3/11/09

We continue to support the Northern Outreach Project. We are busy making little teddies for King Edward Hospital. When a baby dies at birth the siblings are given a little teddy for comfort. Some of these you may see in the foyer. If you would like to help we are making them at WOW on the first Wednesday of the month. Would love to see you there. Betty Rushforth

On Lambeth........

A most enjoyable and enlightening talk was given by Mrs Cheryl Herft on Friday morning (13th Feb) at Holy Cross Church. The morning was organised by the MU and many gathered from all over the Diocese for the occasion. Mrs Herft shared with us some of what really went on behind the scenes at The Lambeth Conference 2008. There were some thought provoking as well as entertaining stories shared and this was enjoyed by us all. The morning was a great success and was followed by delicious morning tea provided by MU.

Thank you to all involved with organising this great event.

Mothers Union in Australia is now known as MU Australia. MU Australia is a member of a worldwide Christian organisation with more than 3.6 million members in 78 countries worldwide. The member ship is predominately woman however men are now becoming members. The backbone of Mothers' Union is its worldwide network of grassroots volunteers. Whatever their individual backgrounds, members are united in their commitment to supporting marriage and family life. They give their time to generously help others, whether by running local projects, supporting international campaigns, or fundraising.

MU members worldwide are passionate about caring for families all around the world. MU's work is threefold:-
1. a diverse range of Mothers' Union programs meet the needs of individuals and families every day
2. our policy work challenges root causes of injustice
3. all of our work is underpinned by our Christian faith

MU is also involved in campaigning and lobbying on a number of worldwide issues such as parental rights, international debt relief and child poverty. MU works in partnership with various organisations, including the United Nations and other ecumenical groups.

Our local branch is made of members of our parish family and neighbouring parishes and has been meeting for over 40 years, undertaking many local projects including raising money for programs in the northern areas of our nation and in other countries.

Our group gathers on the second Monday of the month and meetings start with a short service. We share information from other programs around Australia and the world, have guest speakers, bible studies and outings. One of our members is part of the State Executive and is the Area President for the Southern District which is made up of 18 branches. The branches plan and organise an annual Area Festival, usually held in June each year.

Woman and children from a woman's refuge in Fremantle have been directly benefiting from the efforts of our members. The members make and assemble toilets bags full of essentials. Women at the refuge often leave their homes with only the clothes they are wearing and the gifts of the toilet bags ensures they have the dignity of being able to care for their personal hygiene.

Our group recently organised a trip to York for all parishioners and has been instrumental in developing and supporting the WOW (Welcome On Wednesday) program. The have been supporting Operation Christmas Child (shoe box appeal) for many years.

An ongoing project of MU Australia is P.E.P ( the Parenting Education Program), a Christian based program to support and educate parents. The Melville branch was one of the first in Western Australia to hold a course in their parish and continues to support the program by hosting training meetings for the trained facilitators.

Our group is currently made of younger and older members of our parish and is growing in numbers every year. All the members are endeavouring to live up to this year's theme "are we meeting the challenge".

Please consider joining our group and becoming a voice against injustice. With 3.6 million members and growing it is a voice to be to be heard at the highest levels. It is also a practical way of joining in the great work already being undertaken.

Part of the World Wide Mothers Union Theme for 2008

"ARE WE MEETING THE CHALLENGE"

Life is all a challenge
Becoming a wife is a challenge
Then a mother, another challenge
To say NO when it's easier to say YES is a challenge
To keep your faith is a challenge
Becoming a grandmother is fulfilling
Your circle of life becomes a huge challenge
To help your loved one day-by-day is a challenge
Everything in life may be a challenge
But with God and Love all will be achieved