Ministry Retreat Team Newsletter

Ministry Retreat
Team Newsletter
1st September 2015
Welcome to our first newsletter for the year and what a year we’ve had so
Contents
far! The aim of this newsletter is to share with you the fantastic successes of
the year and to inform you of any exciting new programs we have to offer
to aid in planning for Term 4 and next year. As a facilitator it has been a
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Reflections from
Students
wonderful few terms getting to experience the thoughts floating through
the young minds we get to work with. The courage and enthusiasm I have
seen in the students has been humbling and watching our disadvantaged
and marginalised communities enter into mutually beneficial interactions
with the students; gives much faith to the future of all of our communities. It
has been encouraging to observe the work of the students and we hope
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Program information
that the spaces and experiences the programs have provided have given
rise to inspirational thinking and opportunities. Can’t wait to see the growth
in the upcoming few months!
- Jess
Reflections
The world is a place of sorrow and despair
And I don't understand how one can truly believe
The actions of an individual make change
After VicTrip, I feel now more than ever that
Cruelty and injustice outweigh love and compassion
It is completely false that
We should never judge others
The people we met in Melbourne are broken and scarred, but
Whether they arrived by boat, take drugs or are prostitutes
People choose their line of hardship
Females are certainly 'asking for it'
Depending on how they dress and act
What a ridiculous assumption to believe
We can change the world and
The stories we share will inspire someone else
I only hope
One day, people will realise how stupid this single-minded thinking really is.
Words are not powerful, action is futile
Things and people are broken beyond repair
We are often told that
Everyone is made free and equal
But this cannot be true, because
Those who are poor simply don't contribute as much
Some would have us believe
In a world so chaotic and nonsensical
None of the views I have shared are ok
And
There is danger
In telling a single story
VicTrip helped us to REVERSE this narrative
and treat everyone empathically.
~ Maddie Kelly (South Australian Student)
(Read once, and then again backwards)
Most common words used when students were asked
to describe their experience in just 3 words:
Wednesday Night Soup Van:
1st: Eye-opening
2nd: Community
3rd: Interesting
4th: Perspective
5th: Confronting
Thursday Community Placements:
1st: Fun
2nd: Eye-opening
3rd: Interesting
4th: Friendship
5th: Confronting
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Response to
“What did you take from this experience?”
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Programs
The Amberley Ministry Retreat team offer a wide range of programs that cater to all
age groups and needs. If you require any more information about these programs
please feel free to contact us.
City Justice Walks – This program is a walking tour of the “invisible” side of Melbourne
and allows the students to learn about social justice issues that may occur in the city, in
Australia and the world interactively. This program caters for students of all age groups.
Ministry Retreats (Overnight) – This is a program aimed at senior school students and
provides a retreat experience where the students are immersed in different
communities, soup vans and day placements. It is an active way for students to
challenge their thinking and learn more about marginalised communities.
Day Retreats – This program can be tailored to the needs of the group and can be
focused on group bonding, leadership workshops, social justice awareness, Edmund
Rice and more. This program caters for students of all age groups and the day is
structured of the needs of the group.
Refugee Realities- This program explores the current misconceptions and view
surrounding asylum seekers and refugees in an interactive way. This program caters for
years 9 and up.
Indigenous Heritage Walk- This program is a walk focusing on the ‘Koorie Heritage Trail’
through Fitzroy. Facilitators point out and lead a discussion about important sites that
were once the front lines of the liberation of Aboriginal people in Australia between
the 1960’s-1980’s. This program is aimed at all students.
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CITY JUTICE WALK
How lucky are we to live in the “World’s Most Livable” city? Melbourne is easily one of the most culturally
diverse, and welcoming places on the planet, globally celebrated for its own unique identity and
internationally revered for our arts, food, culture, architecture, our Universities and our history. Melbourne
really is the place to be in this century.
An integral part of the Edmund Rice Mission at Amberley is our City Justice Walks. Sometimes referred to as
the ‘Invisible Tour of Melbourne’, this immersion is designed to give students a new experience within the
city and an opportunity to explore and witness the goings on that are not so much invisible, but generally
overlooked.
Each tour tackles current social justice issues that exist here in Melbourne. Our aim at Amberley is to take
time with each group to generate a positive conversation around these issues and to challenge students
to engage with their own communities so these issues and their prevalence can no longer be overlooked.
The Walks explore the diversity of Melbourne and reveal hardships and problems that occur in our own
streets, but also celebrate the great opportunities we have if we work together in creating a safer and
more inclusive community. Melbourne is the World’s Most Livable City, a title for us all to be proud of, but a
title that comes with the responsibility that we extend this livability to everyone.
Jem Moore (Facilitator)
Notice Board
If any students are wanting to
continue on the placements they
have been on in their ministry
program, please feel welcomed
to contact us, or pass on our
email to the student and we can
guide them in volunteering with
those organisations in the future.
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We have some vacancies in Term 4,
so please contact us if interested in
booking in any of our programs.
Many Thanks,
the Ministry Retreat Team;
Anthony and Jess
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