some piccy' from our Christmas play

New plans for Sipwell

In response to feedback about our Sipwell sessions and our community needs, we have made a few changes.
Firstly, we have decided to have the meal first and begin with a blessing at 5.30pm. If people need to heat up food, the idea is to come earlier to cook or heat up food so we can start at 5.30. We will share in our community meal and then start our session around 6.15.
Our session will contain our community prayer time and a song or two around the theme, and will be followed by the session in which we will either have an intentional seperate children's activity, with at least two adult leaders, and a seperate conversation time, ... or we will have a joint all-age session around the theme. Several people have volunteered to assist with the children's focus, but please let me know if you can also assist. The evening will be timed to finish at 7.30pm.
The programm for the next few months is: Sat June 11th - the first Sipwell Christening. This will be a community time with Chloe and the children at the heart.

Saturday July 16th: Bonfire celebration of Winter Solstice (or as close as our program will permit) at Murray and Melinda's house, with a house-blessing thrown in for good measure.

Saturday August 13th: A sipwell on the theme of Miracles.


Please help us out with comments and suggestions.

Sipwell Notes from December planning meeting

- Dates for 2005 Sipwells
- Feb 12th – The Jesus Story
- Wed March 23rd – Sipwell Hagadah
- April 9th Family and spirituality
- May 14th Sipwell and gardening
- June 11th – Family and spirituality
- July 9th – Winter Solstice bonfire

Other themes that were suggested for the future and explored were
- The journey
- Dreams
- Koori Spirituality
- Myths and story
- Psychodrama
- A visit from Tim Costello – Children of the world

It was suggested that we could have some more Sipwells at people’s homes.
Small group work for when we have larger numbers was suggested.
We are trying to stick to a pattern of the second Saturday in the month as much as possible.

Sipwell is an experimental, inclusive, ecumenical, in the round, community of faith gathering in the Christian tradition. The gatherings are usually held in Maldon at 5pm at the Uniting Church hall in Fountain st, Maldon. We try to hold Sipwell on the second Saturday of each month (though we vary a bit on this). We begin with some music and a short worship at 5pm, break for a shared meal at 6pm, after which we hold both a discussion group and a creative time and finish by 8.00pm.

What is Sipwell??

In Central Victoria, (Australia) indigenous Australians moved from place to place, often stopping at small wells they'd carved along the side of granite outcrops to catch the rain. They drank from these Sip-wells with a straw to refresh themselves for the next leg of the journey.
Sipwell has taken this name to reflect the fact that we come together as a community of Christian people and searchers, seeking spiritual refreshment and nurture.
We are an open community and our gatherings reflect our search for meaning.