Everything in Common Gifts
Last Sunday afternoon I attended the Canberra launch of Uniting-
World’s Everything in Common Catalogue for 2018 along with a few
others from Kippax and people from other congregations around
Canberra.
Although I have been aware of UnitingWorld and Everything in
Common I did not realize how unique they are in the overseas aid
space. While Oxfam, Tear and others do good work, what UnitingWorld
does is work in the background to support local partner organizations in
the countries they work in – it’s partnership rather than simply charity.
UnitingWorld’s approach is:
We translate rigorous sustainable community development principles
through the lens of our Christian faith.
We work with and through churches, but our programs include all
people regardless of their faith, sexuality, ethnicity, ability or
gender. We seek out the marginalized and the vulnerable. We listen to
the voices of the poorest.
We believe that local communities are best placed to identify the
solutions to their own problems. Our partners are the local church,
helping communities unlock their God-given potential to set themselves
free from poverty and injustice.
Our partners know the culture and the context. So often, they can see
simple, inexpensive solutions. We contribute our capacity as an
accredited development agency to help fulfill their vision.
As we walk with our partners on this transformational journey, we help
to build leadership and organizational capacity.
In the process, we ourselves are changed by the rich wisdom of our
partners, their courageous actions and their tenacious faith. We offer
this gift back into the life the Uniting Church.
If you like the sound of this, can I encourage you to consider giving gifts
this year from the Everything in Common Gift Catalogue? You can find
the 2018 Catalogue at https://everythingincommon.com.au/collections/
all-products
- Karyl Davison, Minister, Kippax Uniting Church
(Reprinted from Canberra Region Presbytery Website)
St Margaret’s News
4
October 2018