General Information
VENUE: Mercy Place, 371 Simpsons Road, Bardon, Qld.
COST: Full registration: $450 pp.
Theme: Healing and Hospitality
The focus of this Gathering will be to explore Healing and Hospitality.
The Gospel of Mark records that Jesus sent the disciples to the villages. Take nothing. Share what you have. Rely on the hospitality offered. If none is offered, move on, don’t take even the dust of that place with you. To those offering hospitality, share the good news, free people from mental illness, anoint the sick and heal them.
There is a close connection between healing and hospitality. No hospitality—no healing. Hospitality is a personal response to our need to connect with other people. No connection—no healing. Healing happens when it is welcomed.
Hospitality goes both ways. The disciples and their hosts brought gifts and new life to each other. When the disciples came as guests, the kingdom of God came to villagers as a gift. (Mark 6:1-13)
Guest Presenters
Dr Nora Amath, Humanitarian and 2017 State Finalist for Australian of the Year. Dr Amath was born in Vietnam and belongs to the Muslim minority Cham people. Nora and her family fled their homeland when she was just four, after facing persecution from the communist regime.
Ms Brooke Prentis – Common Grace’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Justice Team’s Spokesperson, is a descendant of the Waka Waka people, an activist for indigenous rights, a Christian pastor, and an accountant.
The Revd Dr Jo Inkpin, Lecturer in Church History, St Francis College, Brisbane and partner The Revd. Penny Jones, Director of Formation and Lecturer in Homiletics, St Francis College, Brisbane.
The Rev John Martin, retired Uniting Church Minister and volunteer with the Fair-Trade Association.
Judith Keller and Gerard Sullivan, are Friends of Wellspring. They have backgrounds in education and spirituality and are delighted to be involved in the Gathering.
Programme
The programme begins in the early afternoon on Thursday 1 August with arrival and registration, and ends after lunch on Sunday 4 August. As well as guest presentations there will be creative time, and on the Saturday a Big Day Out involving visits by bus to three locations that centre on Muslim, Aboriginal, and Creation themes. At each location the hosts will provide an experience expressing in some way an aspect of healing and hospitality. Participants to choose one morning and one afternoon activity.
It will be possible to organise stay-overs at the Mercy Centre on Sunday night at an additional cost. However there are no meals provided. There are shops, takeaways and restaurants in easy walking distance. To assist planning, please indicate on the registration form if you wish to do this.
Post-Gathering Tour
Two itineraries are being planned, of which one will be chosen according to level of interest, which will be to sites of interest in southern Queensland at an extra cost. The chosen tour will run from
5-8 August. Inquiries and reservations to Heather Eckersley at hdecks17@gmail.com
