the junction

A good proportion of the Junction turned up at the Hammonds to enjoy good company, plenty of hot cross buns, great coffee (thanks Mark) and other drinks and of course, an Easter Egg hunt for the kids (the mini versions, not the overgrown ones).

To add to the importance of the occasion, the Hammonds spa became a baptismal tank as David was baptised, with people crammed into the ensuite to witness this special moment.

It was a time filled with family, friends, food and the importance of the day.

On an overcast but mild Sunday morning, a group of the Junction’s dedicated families got together for our first Big Gathering at Buchanan Park in Berwick.

As in past years, our January gathering is a casual affair, a lunch out and about somewhere local. A chance for those who haven’t gone away, to catch up now that Christmas is done and the new year begun.

With so many boys in our group, the cricket game was inevitable and quickly set up, whilst the adults took the time to eat and catch up. Check out the photos at Flickr.

It was another great weekend away at CYC The Island, as 50+ members of the Junction headed to Phillip Island for our church camp in the last weekend of November.

We enjoyed lots of fun, sharing, good food, good laughs, fresh air, lots of rockwall climbing, swimming, flying foxing, trampolining and much more, in a relaxed environment with great company.

Check out the photos at our Flickr account, for a record of the fun.

A gathering of Junction members, joined with Life Expedition for a sunset service on the beach at Mt Eliza on the evening of Good Friday.

Life Expedition musicians led a short, energetic and powerful worship session before they baptised two of their number in the cold waters of Port Phillip Bay.

After our Big Gathering this morning, 7 adults and 10 kids ventured off to GasWorks Park in Albert Park to experience Oxfam’s Refugee Realities - "a free interactive experience that puts you in the position of a refugee or  internally displaced person trying to find safety and a long term solution.

Refugee Realities is both an interactive performance event involving moving image, improvised theatre, audio-visual and photographic art forms as well as an ongoing online project to document the various realities refugees face.

Our Pastor Kim Hammond has become involved in a movement "100 Revs" - in which participating ministers offer their personal apologies for the treatment that the gay and lesbian community has received from the established church.

Our February Big Gathering became an even bigger family event, with Junction member Michelle inviting her family and friends to join with her Junction family for the Dedication of her twin daughters Amelia and Makayla.

This special event was celebrated with a wonderful slideshow of images of the girls first few years, accompanied by good music, a good time of sharing from Kim and of course - good food and great company.

The Junction started 2008 with what it does best - gathering together around food.  Our January gathering was held in the beautiful bushland of Crystal Brook Part at Cardinia Reservoir,with good food and great company.  The nearby children’s playground kept the kids active and happy whilst the adults took the time to catch up and relax after the hectic Christmas holiday period.

Wow, what a great time we had away at camp.

Twenty-nine adults and 21 kids headed down to The Island CYC Camp from Friday 9th to Sunday 11th November.  It was a time to spend as a community, getting to know people in our broader community, as well as spending more quality time with people from our own PCs.