Kippax Uniting Church

Kippax Uniting Church and Community Centre, and UnitingCare Kippax, coord|35|13|23|S|149|1|6|E|display=inline,title|type:landmark_scale:1000 is part of the Uniting Church in Australia's Presbytery of the Canberra Region. The church and its community centre are located in the West Belconnen District in the suburb of Holt, Australian Capital Territory, adjacent to the Group Centre shopping complex, Kippax Fair.

Community

The church has styled itself a Community Centre, and has overt programs for all ages from baby to old-aged persons. The Community Centre uses around 30,000 hours/year of volunteer time from the church and community to provide material aid to people in need, including through food hampers, furniture, household goods and necessities, toys and gifts at Christmas time, Christmas food hampers.

These activities are branded under the Uniting Church's national community assistance organisation as "UnitingCare Kippax". Specialised services and events include:
*A Pre-school playgroup room and playground that caters for 15 playgroup sessions weekly, including specific Playgroups for Muslims and fathers;
*The local YMCA runs exercise sessions for various ages and abilities in the hall;
*A Primary school aged program is run on Thursdays of school holidays offering crafts, games and stories;
*Managing the annual Target shops'/UnitingCare Christmas Gift Appeal and distribution of toys and other gifts to community groups for donation to needy people, for the ACT;
*A parenting and effective discipline course (1-2-3 Magic) is run each school term;
*regular garage sales where donor's goods are recycled through the community

The Government of the Australian Capital Territory has funded various programs at the Centre, including:
* parent and baby music and rhythm training;
* cooking and nutrition classes;
* refugee resettlements;
* financial counselling.

eminars and Conferences

Kippax has hosted:
* two national conferences on the use of computer based multimedia resources in contemporary worship;
* three national conferences on worship, liturgy and lectionary teaching;

Among the leading speakers at these conference have been:
* Professor Bill Loader - theologian, Murdoch University

Church Development

Kippax employs a Christian education specialist who is bringing together local people to develop worship and teaching resources to be used internationally. The role is designed to help Christians develop a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ, to extend Christians knowledge of Christian traditions, the Bible and the practices of Christian spirituality.

Kippax brought together people with specialist skills from its community to write the Uniting Church's national policy on protection for children and young people.

Kippax manages a program (Digital Tree - DigTree) to develop computer based multimedia resources for use in contemporary worship, with funding from the state Synod of the Uniting Church.

Prominent Members

While in this church community all members are valued, there are several prominent members, including:
* Dr John Williams, a leading Australian scientist specialising in water, and member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists;
* Lin Hatfield Dodds, Director of UnitingCare Australia, and President of the Australian Council of Social Service;
* Dr Steve Hatfield Dodds, a prominent economist with specific interests in sustainable development and the economic impact of climate change.

Worship

The church uses a variety of worship styles — contemporary, traditional, family focused, and a once per month midday service for older people.

The Ministry Team is deliberately exploring connections between worship, education and mission through connecting preaching to resources for use by individuals and households, and the development of resources for use by study and mission groups.

Kippax services have music led by two of Canberra's leading pianists, or one of three different music and singing ensembles.

undays

The church presently runs three 45 minute Sunday services and associated activities, led in turn by creative teams that develop a series of services:
*8:30am (more traditional style)
*9.45am (contemporary)
*10.30am (family, plus Cafe church and a "kid's club")

Mondays

*first Monday of each month at 11:00 am, and luncheon

Tuesdays

*7.30pm, a Christian meditation group provides a contemplative approach to worship

mall Groups

There is a specific focus on small group and special interest meetings through the week, with 15 diverse small groups, based on the affinity principle, people forming groups and gathering around shared interests. Groups include biblical studies and theology interests, craft and well-being interests and justice and advocacy interests.

Youth groups include primary school, high school, college and young adults.

Current events

* Teaching materials and sermons are archived at the church's web site, www.kippax.org.au with www.digtree.org.au providing additional multimedia materials.
* reopening of worship centre, 15 October 2006
* National liturgy conference on teaching the Gospel of Luke, 19-21 November 2006

History

The Church was founded in 1970 as the Central Belconnen Methodist Church, and met initially with an Anglican church in the hall of the Primary School at Scullin. In 1977, on the formation of the Uniting Church, it became the Central Belconnen Uniting Church.

The church built its own centre at Kippax in 1987, and adopted a slogan of "the church in the marketplace" and soon thereafter became the Kippax Uniting Church.

A hall, office complex, and dedicated playgroup room and playground was completed in June 2001 and officially opened by Sir Ronald Wilson, a former national President of the Uniting Church and Judge of the High Court of Australia. The complex was renamed "Kippax Uniting Community Centre". Part of this development was the wiring of the centre with Category 5 cable for a fully digital computer and telephone network.

On Christmas Day 2005, a candle caused a fire that consumed part of the floor area in the worship centre. While the Fire Brigade cleaned up, and paramedics attended to minor injuries sustained by the minister, the church's Christmas celebrations went ahead in an adjacent park near Kippax Fair. Cleaning and renovations continued until the official reopening weekend.

"Jesus, All About Life"

Kippax Uniting Church is a registered church in the ongoing Jesus, All About Life campaign, that ran principally in Canberra in March and April 2006.

Governance

The church's governance is by an elected Council that prides itself on having ages from teen to retired, plus a Ministry Management Team that has volunteer leaders for the various specialised functions of the church and community activities.

Ministry Leaders

The church's ministers have been:
*Rev. Gordon Ramsay (1997-present)
*Rev. Brian Thompson (1988-1996)
*Rev. Ron Reeson (1979-1987)
*Rev. Peter Fuller (1970-1979)

Current staff include:
* Mrs Dot Thompson - Pastoral and Community Care
* Mr Brian Pearce - Emergency Relief
* Mrs Sue Gore-Phillips - Children and Family Services

Former ministry leaders included:
* John Emmett - Education and Discipleship (formerly National Director of Uniting Education)
* Ms Bernice Quinn - Pastoral Care Worker (formerly a minister of the Salvation Army)

External links

* [http://www.kippax.org.au/ Kippax Uniting Church and Community Centre]
** [http://www.kippax.org.au/aboutus/vision.htm "Regeneration" banner]
* [http://www.digtree.org.au/ DigTree] on-line worship resources
* [http://www.jesusallaboutlife.com.au/ Jesus, All About Life]
* [http://canberraregion.unitingchurch.org.au Presbytery of Canberra Region]
* [http://www.unitingcarenswact.org.au UnitingCare NSW & ACT]
* [http://www.standagainstpoverty.org/ Stand Up Against Poverty]
* [http://www.pastornet.net.au/cvan/greenwood.html Marlene Greenwood, visual art designer, "Regeneration" (1986)]