UFT E-News 2010 #3

News and upcoming events from the Dean’s office. Please forward items for inclusion in this weekly newsletter to admin@uft.edu.au with the subject line ‘UFT e-news’.

1. Semester one 2010 commenced
2. UFT student prayer on Thursdays
3. UFT Indigenous working group
4. Academic Skills Workshops at UFT
5. Dr Lynne Broughton Talk on Bourges Cathedral
6. New Initiatives from the Australian Catholic Ministry
7. Richard McKinney Memorial Lenten Lectures 2010
8. University of Melbourne Chaplaincy in 2010
9. Pastoral Care Group for People with Disabilities
10. Inviting you to 40 Days United Prayer
11. The Carmelite Centre Meditation / Healing Sessions and Book Sale
12. APS CAPIG National Conference
13. Bethsaida Excavations Project plus Jordan and Israel Expedition

1. Semester one 2010 commenced
On Monday February 22, the UFT commenced semester one of the 2010 academic year. Peter and Margaret take this opportunity to welcome new and returning students and academic staff. Please be sure to acquaint yourself with the timetable and room locations at the back of your 2010 handbook or go to the website www.uft.edu.au go to ‘Important Links’ ‘Timetables’: classes in 2010 may be held at the CTM, at Jesuit Theological College or at Trinity College Theological School. Theology Online students should by now have logged into the system and begun participating in their first classes. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact the registrar Margaret Tropea on admin@uft.edu.au or telephone 9340 8890. For Theology Online queries please contact David O’Brien on dobrien@trinity.unimelb.edu.au. Please remember that if you wish to withdraw from a unit you must do so within in the first two weeks of semester to receive a refund of fees.

2. UFT student prayer on Thursdays
A short service of midday prayer will be held in the Centre for Theology and Ministry chapel at 1pm on Thursdays throughout semester. All students and staff are welcome, and students are encouraged to take part as a way of learning to plan and lead worship. Please contact Claudine Chionh at tsa@uft.edu.au if you would like to help with planning or leading this service.

3. UFT Indigenous working group
The UFT has an informal committee on Indigenous matters that takes as its brief the UFT Statement of Commitment to Indigenous Peoples (found on the inside cover of the UFT Handbook and on the website), and reports once a year to the UFT governing body, Senatus. The main tasks of this group include promoting support for Indigenous theological education within and beyond the UFT, and the organisation of events for Sorry Day or for the annual UFT Indigenous lecture. The working group includes both staff and students, and new members are welcome. The first meeting for 2010 will be on Tuesday 9 March 2010 at 11am. Please contact Peter Sherlock on dean@uft.edu.au if you’d like to be involved in 2010.

4. Academic Skills Workshops at UFT
In first semester UFT students may attend a series of Academic Skills Workshops led by the Dean, Dr Peter Sherlock and a tutor and MCD graduate, Richard Blandford. These are especially suitable for new students, and cover three steps in researching, writing and presenting essays for submission. Each workshop is offered twice, and students may register to attend one session of each workshop. Workshops will be held in the Reader Education Room of the Dalton McCaughey Library (at the north end of the second floor). Further details can be found on the UFT website at http://www.uft.edu.au/content/academic-skills

5. Dr Lynne Broughton on Bourges Cathedral
Dr Lynne Broughton, visiting Melbourne during first semester, will give an illustrated talk on the medieval imagery at Bourges cathedral at University College, 5.30 to 6.00 pm, March 16 2010. Anyone interested is welcome to attend.

6. New Initiatives from the Australian Catholic Ministry
Lake Mungo Indigenous Immersion 2010 28th June – 2nd July Cost: $650 per person all inclusive. The Edmund Rice Centre Amberley and Aboriginal Catholic Ministry Melbourne offer you this fantastic opportunity to immerse yourself in an ancient culture by walking in the footsteps of Mutthi‐Mutthi woman, Vicki Walker Clark. Information evening Tuesday 16 February 7:30 – 9:00 pm at Edmund Rice Centre Amberley 7 Amberley Way Lower Plenty. For further information and details contact Peter Hay – peter@amberley.org.au 0409008319 or 94398282. Postcards of Aboriginal Stations of the Cross ($10 plus postage) and hand painted crosses ($35 plus postage) by artist Richard Campbell can be purchased from Binnap Partners, PO Box 1088, Thornbury Vic 3071 or fax to: 9480 2163 or e-mail to: acm1binnap@bigblue.net.au.

7. Richard McKinney Memorial Lenten Lectures 2010
The Revd Dr Larry Nemer will deliver the Richard McKinney Memorial Lenten Lectures for 2010 on the theme Prophetic Dialogue at 8pm on Tuesdays March 9 (East Ivanhoe Uniting), March 16 (St George’s Anglican East Ivanhoe) and March 23 (Mother of God Catholic Church East Ivanhoe). Larry Nemer, SVD, has been teaching Church History and Mission Studies in the United States, the Philippines, Vietnam and Australia, since 1962.  He arrived in Australia in 1991 to take up a lecturing position at Yarra Theological Union in Box Hill.  He has been an active participant in the once-held Ecumenical Summer Schools in Melbourne and in the Commissions concerning Mission of the Victorian Council of Churches. Supper and fellowship at 9.15pm, gold coin donation requested. Contact Rosemary on 9497 1017.

8. University of Melbourne Chaplaincy 2010
What is happening at the University of Melbourne chaplaincy in 2010? Activities range from prayer to learning the faith and action for justice and peace. Chaplains come from various traditions. See what we are up to. You’ll find a calendar and information about student groups and places of worship or go to http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/chaplains/

9. Pastoral Care Group for People with Disabilities
A small number of older women are planning to start up a Christian ecumenical Pastoral Care group in their shared accommodation in St Albans.  The group is in its infancy, and the women are looking for men and women to journey with them as they explore different ways of expressing their love for Jesus Christ.  If you feel you might like to meet our group, please contact Andrew Cheevers on 0409915374 or simon.toad@gmail.com

10. Inviting you to 40 Days United Prayer
Join in 40 days of prayer from February 17 to March 28 2010. The focus of the 40 Days is Abiding in Jesus for Fruit That Transforms Cities. Pray for the Fruit of God’s Spirit to transform us and His Church and through us our local communities and cities across Australia. For information please visit www.transformingmelbourne.org

11. The Carmelite Centre
The Carmelite Centre offers Meditation Sessions – Thursdays 6.45pm, and Loss & Grief Support Group – every 3rd Monday evening at 7.00pm. You can find out what is on for semester one by clicking on this link: http://www.carmelites.org.au/documents/2010ProgramSemester1.pdf
The Health, Wellbeing & Healing workshop commences on Saturday 27th February at 10am – 4pm at the Carmelite Centre O’Connor Pilkington Room, 214 Richardson Street Middle Park.  Cost $60 (concession $50).  Requirements: yoga mat, comfortable clothes, notebook. BYO Lunch.  Morning tea provided.  Bookings 9690 5430 or thecarmelitecentre@pacific.net.au.  There will be a Huge Book Sale at the Carmelite Library Thursday 18 March and Friday 19 March 10 am-4.30 pm. You are invited to come along and take your pick from the hundreds of titles that are extra to the needs of the Library. The sale takes place over two days in the Parish Rooms, adjacent to The Carmelite Library 214 Richardson Street Middle Park. For enquiries call the Library in work hours on 9682 8553. We accept cheques but cannot take credit cards.

12. APS CAPIG National Conference
The Christianity and Psychology Interest Group (CAPIG) of the Australian Psychological Society (APS) will be holding its biennial conference in Melbourne this year, on April 30th and May 1st.  As committee members organizing the conference, we are warmly inviting people interested in issues of both psychology and Christianity to join us over those two days. For information and registration go to www.psychology.org.au/events or phone 9707 3499.

13. Bethsaida Excavations Project plus Jordan and Israel Expedition
Dr Greg Jenks is leading a tour of the Bethsaida Excavations Project from 6 June to 28 June 2010. Bethsaida, situated on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee, was founded in the 10th century BCE as a capital city of biblical kingdom of Geshur.  The excavations of Bethsaida began in 1987 and are carried out by a consortium for the Bethsaida Excavations Project. Thirty-five faculty members in 17 universities have taken part in the consortium.  For further information call Dr Greg Jenks on 0408 767 344 or email gjenks@csu.edu.au or contact Natalie at Mission Travel group on 1300 554 654 or natalie@missiontravel.com.au