Autumn at Sunday Stuff

We've started our Autumn season at Sunday Stuff. Highlights are the return of our labyrinth (this week May 8), our famous upside down week (29 May), the creation of mugs for our hospitality (June 12) and the legendary yule feast (June 26). See www.solacechurch.org.au/sundaystuff for all the details and a down-loadable program.

Easter week at Solace

Easter holidays have started here in Victoria, and Solace is celebrating running our first seasons of Tuesday Stuff and Sunday Stuff at our new venue in Alphington. Easter week is fast approaching and we're anticipating a fantastic time. Details on gatherings are given below, but first a comment on the meaning of Easter.

Easter is the time for celebrating and reflecting on Christianities central event: the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Many Christians greet each other on Easter Sunday with the words 'Christ is risen', and replying 'He is risen indeed'. At Solace we are exploring together what it means to affirm 'Christ is risen'. There have been many attempts at explaining the meaning of the death and resurrection of Jesus over the course of the church's history. Many of those attempts have gone beyond the gospel accounts, some using the epistles plausibly, some using other parts of the bible with less credibility. At Solace we are encouraging each individual to reflect on the meaning of 'Christ is risen' for themselves. In our conversations about the meaning of 'Christ is risen' we come to a meaning that we as a dispersed community hold as truth.

One theme that has already emerged is our attraction to the opportunity to be transformed personally: by love, by grace and - mysteriously - by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We've considered contrasting ideas about Easter from Marcus Borg and from Keith Green. Really different men, different ways of understanding bible and yet both are excited (in their own way) about the opportunity for positive and loving transformation.

We hope that you also will reflect on what 'Christ is risen' means in the coming weeks and find your own excitement in this age-old phrase.

Easter Week at Solace
April 17 10am Palm Sunday
April 22 2pm-3pm Good Friday
April 24 10am Easter Sunday
See Solace Lent and Easter events 2011 for more details and locations.

Advent and Christmas at Sunday Stuff

December 5
All Ages Prayer
Labyrinth space
Conversation - what is Christmas for you?
Kid's Stuff is doing the Christmas story

December 12
All Ages Singing - carols!
Hot Topics - how many true meanings of Christmas have you got?
Kid's Stuff is doing the Christmas story

December 19 (our last Sunday for the year)
All Ages Jesus Meal and carol singing
Workshop - surviving Christmas by bringing a bit of Kingdom
Contemplation space
Kid's Stuff is doing the Christmas story

Christmas Day - get your donkeys ready, Gabriel's coming with a message.
9am champagne and salmon, stories and singing.

Sunday 2pm to 3:30pm. Chalice, 251 High St Northcote
Contact Paul Minty on paulm@solace.emc.org.au or 0418 307 475
http://solace.emc.org.au/SundayStuff.htm

October at Sunday Stuff

Sunday Stuff is an emerging Christian church, combining contemplative practices, contemporary readings of the bible and a focus on personal well-being to create a dynamic and rich spirituality in the Christian tradition. After a two-week break for school holidays, Sunday Stuff returns for the Spring term. Below is the program for October, head on over to www.solace.emc.org.au/sundaystuff/ for a full calendar and more information.

The learning theme for Spring is the 'Kingdom of God', a brilliant concept from ancient Judaism that has grown and developed in the Christian tradition and remains an inspiring and life-giving wisdom for today.

October 3
All Ages Prayer
Labyrinth Space - conversation
Kid's Stuff - The Dinner Party (7 love languages)

October 10
All Ages Singing
Presentation - The Kingdom of God
Kid's Stuff - The Dinner Party (7 love languages)

October 17
All Ages Jesus Meal
Workshop on the Kingdom of God
Contemplation time
Kid's Stuff - The Dinner Party (7 love languages)

October 24
All Ages Stories
Solace Liturgy - a contemporary and multi-sensory liturgy
Kid's Stuff - The Dinner Party (7 love languages)

October 31
Games
Blokes to lead kid's stuff, Olivia to lead the adults
Kid's Stuff - The Dinner Party (7 love languages)

Sunday 2pm to 3:30pm. Chalice, 251 High St Northcote

Church for August

We've had a short July at Sunday Stuff - but lots of fun! August is coming up, so why don't you consider visiting us at Sunday Stuff?

There's a nice calendar at Solace Sunday Stuff Emerging Christian Church

August 1
All Ages Prayer - prayerful bits using voice, body and soul that anyone can do anytime (very refreshing)
The Labyrinth - our unique take on an ancient contemplative practice.
Conversation time - 'cause chatting is what comes natural. This month: what is scripture?

August 8
All Ages Singing - a joyful noise
Presentations on the 'Sermon on the Mount' from Paul and others, actions, images, music and more.

August 15
All Ages Jesus Meal - when we come together in a sacred ritual of remembrance and hospitality
Small groups on interesting bits of the Sermon on the Mount - salt, light, ostentatious piety!
Contemplation time - experience the transcendent in a supportive and accessible environment.

August 22
All Ages Stories
Taize style liturgy

August 29
Games week! Maybe a simulation game exploring poverty in Cambodia
Blokes will be taking the kid's program and Olivia will be taking the Adults - come here our best teacher on the Sermon on the Mount

Sunday 1:45pm (doors open) for 2pm to 3:30pm. Chalice, 251 High St Northcote

July at Sunday Stuff Emerging Christian Church

Sunday Stuff is continuing our fun journey together as an emerging christian church after the mid-year holidays. We're going to be looking at the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes over the season, as well as all the rich contemplative practices that we enjoy so much.

July 11
All Ages Singing
Informal All Ages Time - some simple things to celebrate the new season together. No Kid's Stuff this week, we'll all be doing things that kids can enjoy alongside adults.

July 18
All Ages Jesus Meal - our central ritual
Learning time for adults - workshop the beatitudes from the sermon on the mount
Contemplation time - a short time for practicing contemplation, with a bit of help!

July 25
All Ages Stories
The Solace Liturgy

Sunday 1:45pm (doors open) for 2pm to 3:30pm. Chalice, 251 High St Northcote
Contact Paul Minty on paulm@solace.emc.org.au or 0418 307 475

June at Solace Sunday Stuff emerging church

6 June
All Ages Prayer
Labyrinth and contemplative prayer for adults - disorient and re-orient.
Small group - our own connection to land and place; where do you come from?

13 June
All Ages Singing
A visit from the folks at the Indigenous Hospitality House - offering hospitality to indigenous Australians on land traditionally owned by indigenous Australians.

20 June
Mid-Winter Feast! Yule Tide celebration. All welcome, so bring your friends! Carol singing, a message of hope, yummy warm things to eat.

No Sunday Stuff until July 11 - enjoy the winter holidays!

Solace Sunday Stuff. An emerging church in Northcote Melbourne Victoria Australia.
Sunday 1:45pm (doors open) for 2pm to 3:30pm. Chalice, 251 High St Northcote
Contact Paul Minty on paulm@solace.emc.org.au or 0418 307 475
www.solace.emc.org.au/sundaystuff

Sunday Stuff is back on for May

Solace Sunday Stuff has started back for May.


9 May
All Ages Singing
Video - the challenges of compassion & facilitated chat about being compassionate
Multi-Sensory Prayer options

16 May
All Ages Jesus Meal
Meditation practice
Video - a secular view on compassion

23 May
All Ages Story Time
Taize

30 May
Games for everyone!
Olivia McLean on compassion in the Seven Ways of the Christian tradition.

Sunday Stuff is an experimental emergent church in Melbourne.

Sunday 1:45pm (doors open) for 2pm to 3:30pm. Chalice, 251 High St Northcote
Contact Paul Minty on paulm@solace.emc.org.au or 0418 307 475

April 2010 at Sunday Stuff

It's a new month, so here's a reminder about Sunday Stuff for the next month.

April 4 - Easter Sunday
In the Chalice hall. Singing, Jesus Meal, Resurrection story and celebration. Easter chick hunt for the young at heart and body.

No Sunday Stuff during school holidays or for Rusty Spring

• Apr 11 No Sunday Stuff
• Apr 18 No Sunday Stuff
• Apr 25 No Sunday Stuff - Rusty Spring Festival www.rustyspring.net
• May 2 Sunday Stuff

http://solace.emc.org.au/SundayStuff.htm

Sunday Stuff Up and Running

We've debuted at our new venue: 'Chalice' Northcote Uniting Church, 251 High St Northcote. We've started at a new time as well, 2pm-3:30pm; and we'll only run during term time, plus an extra week for Easter.

The church building is cool, airy and sounds great when we sing. We've plenty of indoors and outdoors room for kids and there's plenty of parking nearby.

The young 'uns have started with a new format, they'll be learning and doing more active spiritualities than previously. The kids will learn spiritual practices, stories and understand beliefs that will encourage them for many years to come.

If you've been hanging back from doing Sunday Stuff now is the time to give it a try!

December at Sunday Stuff

Fabulous is the new normal at Sunday Stuff - I hope all churches can say that! November at Sunday Stuff was stunning - so good that even the rain started coming.

We kicked off with our Jesus Meal - which just grows in beauty as we do it together. We also explored some new ways of praying with joy and gratitude, sang with astounding gusto (on-ya, Dave!), threw ourselves into games and met aboriginal people together - and that was just all ages! Adults learned about Barak, experienced empathy with aboriginal people, suspended ourselves in music, studied a much-loved bible story and prayed through a Celtic morning prayer. Many thanks to Cate, Naomi, Andrea, James and Liz for helping out a bit extra this month whilst we were short-staffed.

December is a joyful time for Christians. At Sunday Stuff we will

6 Dec (Advent 2)
Jesus Meal
The Ways with Stu Davey

13 Dec (Advent 3)
Singing
Presentation on Missional Christianity with Paul
Planning our new venue and new year

20 Dec (Advent 4)
The Christmas Story

24 Dec 4pm (Christmas Eve)
Fairfield SPACE Christmas Eve

25 Dec 9:30-10:30 (Christmas Day)
Champagne Breakfast and Nativity Celebration

Sunday Stuff - a gathering to help people engage with Jesus-centred spiritualities - run by Solace at Fairfield SPACE.
Solace Sunday Stuff.
Sunday 10:15 (doors open) to 12:30. Fairfield SPACE, 88a Station St Fairfield

Advent is Incarnation

Advent is coming up on Nov 29. Sunday Stuff will be following a candle lighting liturgy and reflecting on the incarnation of God and how that impacts our incarnational mission.

November at Sunday Stuff

October was great - thanks to Olivia, Jacob wrestled the angel (man? Esau? Jesus?), we participated in the Open Minds Fiesta, we practiced some contemplation (thanks Stu), we spent time praying, singing, read some stories and started thinking about engaging with the indigenous people of our area.

November promises to be a great line-up

Nov 1
Jesus Meal
Lectio Divina (funky bible engagement) on 'Jesus Blesses the Children'

Nov 8
All Ages prayer
Morning Prayer from the Northumbria Community

Nov 15
Singing
'The First Australians'

Nov 22
Story Time
Guest Speaker from the Indigenous Community

Nov 29
First week of Advent
Games Games Games
Singer Songwriter Christina Green

Sunday Stuff - a gathering to help people engage with Jesus-centred spiritualities - run by Solace at Fairfield SPACE.
Solace Sunday Stuff.
Sunday 10:15 (doors open) to 12:30. Fairfield SPACE, 88a Station St Fairfield
Contact Paul Minty on paulm@solace.emc.org.au or 0418 307 475
http://solaceemc.blogspot.com
http://solace.emc.org.au/SundayStuff.htm
--
Paul Minty
Solace Sunday Stuff Leader
paulm@solace.emc.org.au
0418 307 475
http://solace.emc.org.au

Sunday Stuff Spring 2009 Calendar

My, my, we are organised.

Get your copy of the Sunday Stuff Spring Calendar for 2009.

Beware it changes!

Sign up for the Sunday Stuff email list.

October in Sunday Stuff

The details are coming clear for Sunday Stuff in October 2009.

• Oct 4: Jesus Meal and Olivia looking at Jacob Wrestling with the Angel.
• Oct 11: Open Minds Fiesta (open to the public, Prayer Flag Stall running)
• Oct 18: Singing and Stu Davey doing the Seven Ways'
• Oct 25: Story Time and Praying

See http://solace.emc.org.au/SundayStuff.htm for more details.

Woah! That was September

What a great September we had at Sunday Stuff.

We did the Way of Relating with Stu, had our Solace Liturgy, did 'Job for Dummies' thanks to Olivia and picked apart the story of Zacheus (world's shortest stand-over man). We sang some cool songs, celebrated the Jesus Meal, prayed together and had story time. The hard-working younger Stuffers (many of whom are yet to start school) raised almost a thousand dollars for development projects in Cambodia (with vital help from Kath).

A big thanks to all who helped make September a great month!

Sunday Stuff August 30

A fifth Sunday! Games, Games, Games. We have a bunch of games gear from Scripture Union (thanks, Naomi) including giant boxing gloves and we are gonna have some fun.

Check out Playing Childrens Games as Spiritual Practice

Stu Davey on the Way of Learning - the spiritual practice of learning and understanding. Stu will show how the story of the prodigal son can come alive by using a series of different ways of looking at it (including with your eyes).

Sunday Stuff August 23

THE BIG DAY HAS ARRIVED,

August 23
Bible Story for All Ages - with pictures and actions and all!
Olivia preaching on Jesus and the Woman Caught in Adultery: THAT'S RIGHT, OLIVIA IS PREACHING.
(Oh, alright, it's cheap trick to get you reading this week. Still, it's worth hearing Olivia and she doesn't preach that often at the moment. This may be a chance to get in before she gets all famous and exclusive through being a star on YouTube as a preacher.)

August 30
A fifth Sunday! Don't you people know how hard it is to plan for fifth Sundays!
Games, Games, Games. Elves TRIP giants when we're playing with pre-schoolers, people! We'll get some games from SU or something and go nuts.
Stu Davey on the Way of the Everyday - the most mysterious, yet most accessible of all the ways (I just made that up)

September 6
Carlton plays an AFL final for the first time in a little while. Can they keep their wonderful record of a premiership in every decade (except the '50s, dammit) alive?
Jesus Meal for all of us
Solace Liturgy - everyone can help prepare.

Running Commentary

There's a bit of blue sky and sun coming through our tiny, high-up, window in the Solace office in Clifton Hill today. I just hung our signature clock up from an old piece of string that I believe is attached the the ceiling. Stu is working here and he hasn't noticed yet.

Today I'll work on preparing for Sunday Stuff this week. I've got a short segment on Grace, getting some prayer stuff organised for Children and Adults (adults will do a choice of three praying stations, so we need stuff for each station). It will be 'beer o'clock' with Stu and Olivia this arvo: it's nice to sink a brew and have a winge with your colleagues! Otherwise, I'm starting to plan a working bee at SPACE and there's ongoing work pulling together strategic planning for the medium term. Feels like a god day to come.

So Far at Sunday Stuff...

Our August program at Sunday Stuff is going well (see last post). The campfire videos were great! We loved Cyclovia and the American-Muslims holding up signs with short messages. Our sing-along last week went really well, thanks to Naomi leading strongly and Andrea playing wonderfully with the minimum of preparation. I did a workshop on Spiritual Hungers that went pretty good; it's pretty abstract stuff, but with great emotional and everyday possibilities. Even though it's a cold, wet month here in Melbourne, we're having great times at Sunday Stuff.