Bushfires, floods and other disasters effect our towns and communities.\u00a0 These are unprecedented events that effect us deeply. Our responses can help other people, offering hope and peace after tragic events.\u00a0 This page offers helpful resources for individuals, families, worship leaders, ministerial agents and congregations.<\/p>\n
To ensure you are properly prepared for the fire season we recommend you download and complete the CFA Bushfire Survival Guide<\/a> and the CCI Surviving Bushfire Checklist<\/a>.<\/p>\n For support on emergency preparation and management, contact our Synod Safety Officer.<\/p>\n The resources include liturgies and prayers for use in corporate worship, sermon preparation and pastoral care.<\/p>\n New in 2021:<\/strong> Planning Ritual Post-Trauma<\/a> is a resource to assist communities to plan a community ritual response following significant disaster or trauma.\u00a0 Created by Andy Calder and other ministry colleagues, the resource is designed to include civic, inter-faith and other community leaders, depending on the context of the ritual event being planned. It is available as a full resource<\/a> and a supplementary checklist<\/a>.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t Church leaders may find it helpful to be reminded of what the Uniting Church in Australia has already stated on creation, earth and climate change and a list of resolutions from past Assembly, Synod, congregations and agencies.<\/p>\n Two books that will assist include For a World Reconciled<\/em><\/a> (rrp $35), and An Informed Faith: The Uniting Church at the Beginning of the 21st<\/sup> Century<\/em><\/a> (rrp $40). Refer to the chapter titled, “Ecological Engagement” by Rev Dr Jason John and Dr. Miriam Pepper.<\/p>\n The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse<\/em><\/a> by Charlie Mackesy (rrp $35) is a beautifully illustrated picture book that offers hope in uncertain times.<\/p>\n Rituals for Life, Love & Loss<\/em><\/a>, by Dorothy McRae-McMahon (rrp $25), has a chapter called After The Fires <\/em>which offers an intergenerational liturgy and ritual suitable for small and large worship gatherings. It also offers prayers, symbols and a service order that is inclusive of young people.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t The following links contain a range of bushfire-related prayers, liturgies and theological reflections that may assist worship leaders and preachers in planning worship.<\/p>\n There are two additional resources included in PDF files below.\u00a0Carrying Rainbows of Hope<\/em>, edited by Philip Liebelt and an eight-day devotional written by Jon Humphries titled,\u00a0Reflections of Hope and Encouragement in a Time of Disaster and Suffering.<\/em><\/p>\n Assembly has also published a list of worship resources, which you can\u00a0find here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Uniting Earth has a\u00a0collection of bushfire prayers and liturgies<\/a>.<\/p>\n Pilgrim Uniting Church, South Australia, has many\u00a0prayer resources<\/a>\u00a0related to bushfires.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t Planning Ritual Post-Trauma<\/a> is a resource to assist communities to plan a community ritual response following significant disaster or trauma.\u00a0 Created by Andy Calder and other ministry colleagues, the resource is designed to include civic, inter-faith and other community leaders, depending on the context of the ritual event being planned. It is available as a full resource<\/a> and a supplementary checklist<\/a>.<\/p>\n The following resources are to support pastoral carers and leaders assisting people dealing with bushfire-related trauma. Included are resources aimed specifically at supporting children and families.<\/p>\n This Way Up offers a\u00a0comprehensive guide<\/a>\u00a0to understanding and journeying through trauma. It includes helpful information assisting children.<\/p>\n The Gungahlin Uniting Church has assembled a\u00a0list of resources<\/a>\u00a0for families, community leaders and carers to help children process bushfire and disasters.<\/p>\n Emerging Minds has produced a\u00a0Community Trauma Toolkit<\/a>\u00a0to support children and families before, during and after traumatic events.<\/p>\n Better Health Victoria offers a\u00a0general guide<\/a>\u00a0to dealing with traumatic events.<\/p>\n When ministering with fire-related trauma, pastoral carers may find it helpful to understand research on\u00a0ambiguous loss<\/a>. This is defined as suffering loss that is uncertain, not able to be tied up neatly, ongoing, unclear and undecided.<\/p>\n The state government has a site dedicated to bushfire education. You can\u00a0find it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t Church leaders may find it helpful to be reminded of what the Uniting Church in Australia has already stated on creation, earth and climate change and a list of resolutions from past Assembly, Synod, congregations and agencies.<\/p>\n Two books that will assist include For a World Reconciled<\/em><\/a> (rrp $35), and An Informed Faith: The Uniting Church at the Beginning of the 21st<\/sup> Century<\/em><\/a> (rrp $40). Refer to the chapter titled, “Ecological Engagement” by Rev Dr Jason John and Dr. Miriam Pepper.<\/p>\nMinistry resources<\/h4>\n\t\t\t
Worship resources<\/h4>\n\t\t\t
Dealing with trauma<\/h4>\n\t\t\t
Books<\/h4>\n\t\t\t