the junction

Steve Swain presented an informal session, starting with an interview with Helen Crothers on her affiliation with African Action International. (done at very short notice - well done Helen!)

Why did Helen go to Africa? All her life she had an affinity with coloured people. She wanted to go but was scared to, after the Entebbe airport hostage crisis in 1976. However, her interest in Africa grew and she was encouraged further by her first trip there in 2005. She loves the people of Africa and what God is doing in their lives.

Things to remember and celebrate at the junction. The Hammond’s Team Leaders January 2002-July 2009.

Dreaming with the Swains. Serving together.
Opening in a pub, giving $1000 to Windermere.
Working bees at their Pakenham house,
Ignition at the Berwick Inn, 2 H fundraiser at Berwick Inn. Using the Common Room (Front Bar).
Tutoring kid with parents with intellectual disability.
Steve and I, Adam and Judy at Kambrya college.
Lunch time program, breakfast, sports days and swimming carnival. We were part ofthe school community.
Caesar playing b/ball.

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.

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.

Sunday 5th August was our first Big Gathering at Doveton Neighbourhood Centre.  Thirty-five members of the Junction and visitors, along with our 20+ children helped launched a new chapter of the Junction with the move to a new location.  The move came about due to our diverse locations, with Doveton chosen as a reasonably central location.  The Doveton Neighbourhood Centre has a large meeting hall, more than we anticipate needing for a while, a great kitchen feeding off this area and several meeting rooms, two of which will be used for the children’s ministry.