Newsletter

Newsletter May 2024

The vicar's thoughts 

Do you like Eurovision? After all, it is a unique phenomenon with strong emotions! 
When I was growing up, it felt like it was something that everyone watched. My family stocked up on chips and popcorn and then sat there for a few hours and suffered through the boring vote at the end that took forever! 

The next day, we discussed with classmates about who had been good but also our favourite topic: what did they really look like?!  Maybe you remember that? Because it's a topic of conversation that really engages and that you never get tired of, and there have been a lot of fun and crazy outfits over the years, right? 

Now it's time again. For those of you who are early risers and want to watch the Eurovision contest together with other happy enthusiasts, you are welcome to do so with us at the church. We will have a good breakfast, watch the competition live and do a quiz together. There is a limited number of places so sign up now!

What is it that makes the competition continue to grow in popularity? 
One thing, I think, is the sense of community. That so many different countries and cultures can unite in something together even though the world around us is troubled, with wars and conflicts close by, many people and countries still unite during one and the same evening with joy, music and song. I think that's strong. 

It also feels as if the message in recent years in Eurovision has taken on a different focus and somehow more and more has come to be about peace, joy, respect for each other and understanding. 

"The Spirit of love, hand in hand, teaches us as brothers and sisters to walk.
Bind us together with the bond of peace, help us to love one another.
Guide our steps in the footsteps of Jesus, teach us to pray the Lord's Prayer. Spirit of love, lead us."
Psalm 161 "Holy Spirit, let the miracle that awakens us all be done”.

With the world's largest music competition coming to an end, churches all over the world will celebrate Pentecost. After all, community arises when people come together and do the same thing. The experience is shared and therefore so strong. Just like Eurovision with so many attending and watching. 

This also applies to the spiritual community. The Holy Spirit, the power of God, tells us that we all belong together, and that God is with us, both in our midst and within us. 

What happened at Pentecost (read more about it in the second chapter of the book of Acts) was that everyone felt touched.  God spoke directly to each of them, "in their own language."  God touched them, inwardly, and they felt seen by God Himself. 
Their lives and futures were transformed after that. 

We will also have to live in the result of that transformation. God still offers His fellowship to all of us. The Spirit is God's invisible presence in you and me and all people. God is close to us. In every breath. In every thought. 

The Holy Spirit gives us a gift. That gift is - very simply put that it is possible for each of us to let God into our lives.

With these words, I would like to wish you a happy Pentecost and at the same time welcome you to worship services and fellowship at the church. 

Katja Lin
Vicar
Melbourne, Australia

Church Opening Hours

Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday: 10 am - 4 pm
Sunday: Service at 11 am  Café and shop at 12 pm- 4 pm

Worship Services in May

Prayer Sunday, May 5 at 11 am
Theme: The Prayer
Swedish service with communion
Vicar Katja Lin and Staffan Thuringer, organist

Sunday before Pentecost, May 12 at 11 am
Danish service
Pastor Anja Grønne Mathiassen
Staffan Thuringer, organist 
aTempo, singing

Whitsunday, May 19 at 11 am
Norwegian service and National Day celebrations
Deacon Håvard Tønnesen Osland 
Staffan Thuringer, organist 

Holy Trinity Day or Mission Day, May 26 at 11 am
Theme: God - Father, Son and Spirit
Swedish layman-led worship
Gunnar Wenehult and Michael Spencer, organist

Coffee and soup are served after each service. Welcome!

Welcome Lukas and Gabriel

My name is Lukas Lundberg, and I grew up in Södermalm in Stockholm. I graduated from Östra Real's high school last year and today I work as a student assistant at my old primary school. 

My family has a country house in Småland where large parts of my family come from. I have therefore done my confirmation and worked several summers at Gransnäs Youth Centre which is nearby.

My grandfather was a Seamen's Vicar at Toorak House in the 60's and I visited once about ten years ago with my family. It was thanks to this connection that I became curious about volunteering.

Regards
Lukas

I’m from Lidköping and am 19 years old. Right now I'm doing seasonal work in Austria which is super fun since I love to ski. Last year I graduated from Katedralskolan where I studied business. 

I'm interested in sports and appreciate when a lot of things happen. After I did my confirmation at Gransnäs Youth Centre, I have been back every year, last year I was a youth leader which was super fun.

When my friend Lukas told me about the Swedish Church in Melbourne and that you could volunteer there, I was immediately interested. That's how it came about. This is really going to be fun. Looking forward to seeing you!

Regards
Gabriel

Life in the Church: The Garden Group

You can't think of our beautiful church in Melbourne without delighting in the stunning garden. A lovely oasis for meetings, games, coffee, reflections, markets, dinners and, not least, church services, baptisms and weddings. We simply love the garden!

And in recent years, it looks lusher and more prosperous than ever. This is thanks in part to the garden group: A group of diligent volunteers who meet every Friday to plant, dig, cultivate, weed, propagate and water.

"The garden is very important to me. It's a lovely place to be and work in. I'm very happy when I see people sitting around enjoying it," says Heather Scott, who has worked as a volunteer in the garden group for nine years. Right now, she and volunteer Irene Bekier are moving plants from a garden bed where a showy Sage is spreading, it has become too crowded. They dig and water. The garden is green and lush after the recent rains. 

"It's a privilege to work in the garden. Even though we both have our own gardens, we always look forward to coming here and working. And we're so spoiled with Stina's delicious lunch," says Irene. 

The group leads themselves and decides what they want to do in consultation with the vicar Katja Lin. Katjas husband Greg Lin, who happens to be a landscaper, is also a volunteer in the gardening group. In his spare time Greg takes care of the heavy chores like pruning trees and shrubs, mowing the grass, and delivering fertilizer. Paul Frisk is an honorary member and comes in on Fridays and works with the group.

"Greg usually gives us a suggested list of things to be taking care of, and we do most of it. The rest is up to us. We often bring cuttings from home and propagate and plant them out in the garden, so we very rarely buy anything. We do not use any chemical pesticides. Our long-term goal is to attract more insects, butterflies and birds to the garden," say Heather and Irene. 

One of the latest projects they are happy with is that they have replaced the roses on the front of the church with a billowing sea of daisies, lavender, sage and dahlias.

"We agreed with Katja that the roses looked miserable and didn't thrive, so we removed them. Next, we'd like to improve the area around the anchor at the front but it's so dry and exposed, we're going to have to find some very hardy plants," says Irene. 

The garden group has been around for a long time but got a new lease of life when Britt Wilson joined it around 2016. By then, several of the former members had become Elderly. Some may remember Bruce Massey who worked in the garden until he was over 90 years old. 

"I retrained as a garden designer and have always liked gardens. After the church was repainted a few years ago, all the flower fields were trampled down, then I thought it was time to help. Since we have the help of both Paul and Greg, we concentrate on planting perennials, herbs and flowers. We have built the compost area and right now we are working on raising the vegetable patches. We save seeds, propagate and sell seedlings at the Christmas market. It usually goes very well so it covers most of our costs. We work as environmentally and economically efficiently as possible," says Britt Wilson and shows us around the pots where the propagation for this year's Christmas market is already underway.

What does the year look like in the Church Garden? When is peak season?

"Spring is really the peak season when there is still water left in the ground after the winter and the soil is warming up. It's a great time to move plants. During the summer, we work hard to water it to keep it alive. Autumn is very nice. The sage is in full bloom, the light and the colours are so beautiful. Winter is good for larger projects when the plants are not as stressed by the heat," say Irene and Heather. 

Britt Wilson has enjoyed the church's garden for 50 years. 

"We are so lucky in the Scandinavian community to have this amazing place. Not only the garden, but also the building and all the people. It's an incredible atmosphere, a wonderful place that everyone in Melbourne can enjoy. I'm doing everything I can to keep the garden alive," she says. 

If you want to get involved in the garden group, you can come to the church on Friday mornings. 

If you have leftover plastic pots, the church is happy to accept for propagation of plants. And the garden group would love to have a birdbath!

Eurovision 2024

You are ready, right? Watch live at the Swedish Church in Toorak 

5 am Sunday 12 May 2024
Doors open at 4.45 am.

Don't forget to bring your friends and other Eurovision enthusiasts!

Luxurious breakfast buffet 

With homemade bread, delicious cold cuts, cinnamon buns, coffee, tea, juice and much more!

Eurovison Quiz & Competition

Cost: $25

Book your ticket here

2024 European Parliament Elections

Elections to the European Parliament will be held on 9 June 2024.
Vote abroad in Melbourne and Australia.

The Embassy and the Consulates organise voting locations and postal voting in Australia when there is an election in Sweden. All Swedish citizens over the age of 18 who have at some point been registered in Sweden may vote. As an expatriate Swede, you need to register for the electoral roll every ten years to remain on it. It is not possible to vote on election day, but you can vote in advance in Melbourne and Australia.

In Melbourne, you can vote for the Swedish Church on the following occasions: 
Friday May 24, 12 pm – 3 pm
Saturday May 25, 10 am – 12 pm
Sunday May 26, 12 pm – 3 pm

For general information about voting abroad, see the Election Authority's website here. 
For more information about voting in Swedish elections and the form for registering for the electoral roll, please visit the Swedish Tax Agency's website here.
Information from the Embassy's website about voting in Australia can be found here.

Are you supporting the Church by paying for your membership?

Thanks to you as a member of the Church of Sweden in Melbourne, our congregation can do a lot for many people. Your membership is a prerequisite for the continued operation of the Church.

It is still possible to renew your membership or become a new member of the Swedish Church in Melbourne.

If you are unsure whether you have renewed your membership, contact the Church. To all of you who have renewed your memberships or donated in other ways, a big thank you! You pay either through our website, Shopify, or when you're at church next time. To pay via Shopify, click here. It is also possible to pay the next time you visit the church. Pay directly to the Church's bank account (NB - The Church has a new bank account)

ANZ Bank
BSB: 013400
Account: 656398293
Account Name: Swedish Church Australia Ltd

Thank you for your support, we need you!

Thursday lunches in May

May 2 - Pea soup and pancakes
May 9 – Fish bake
May 16 – Lasagna
May 23 - Sausage in the oven with mashed potatoes
May 30 – Chilie Con Carne with rice

Vegetarian options are always available at every lunch.

Lunch is served at 12.15 - 1.15 pm (midday prayer at 12) and it includes salad, bread and coffee. Lunch costs $15 for members, $18 for non-members and for children $1 per year up to 12 years old.

Stina is happy to receive requests for lunch dishes for the coming months. You can email your suggestions to stina.dunstan@svenskakyrkan.se

From the Church Records

Deceased
Peter Waldburn Marke

Deceased 18 April 2025
Last farwell will take place privately. 

Recurring activities every month

Worship Service
Sundays at 11 am 

Lunch prayer
Tuesdays and Thursdays at 12 noon in the chapel. 

The playgroup Lille Skutt
Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 am - 12 pm in the veranda room. Singing time at 11.30 am.

Tuesday lunch
Second Tuesday of the month at 12 noon for joint devotional and lunch.
Next opportunity is May 14 at 12pm.

The Book Club
Third Tuesday of the month at 1.30 pm to discuss current Swedish books. The next opportunity is May 21. 

Thursday lunch
Thursdays 12.15 - 1.15 pm

Garden group 
Fridays at 10 am, the garden group meets to take care of the church garden. 

Ecumenical prayer group
Last Thursday every month at 10 am in one of the churches in Toorak.
This month it will be on May 30, in St Johns Anglican Church in Toorak

If you have questions regarding any of the activities or groups, please contact the church via email: melbourne@svenskakyrkan.se

We are here for you

Contact us via phone or email if you want to talk or need support.
You can also contact us if you wish to receive a home or sick visit.

How to reach us:
Katja Lin, Vicar
T: 0421 045 112
E: katja.lin@svenskakyrkan.se

Gunnar Wenehult, educator
T: 0459 225 532
E:  gunnar.wenehult@svenskakyrkan.se

Do you want us to pray for you or for someone you know? 
Every week we, who work at the Church, gather to pray for the needs that arise. We include everyone in our thoughts and prayers. No one should feel forgotten. Get in touch with your prayer topics to Katja or Gunnar.