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About (the short version)
On retreat recently, various fragmented ideas crystalised into a plan to experiment with a Christian gathering, and maybe eventually community. One which is explicitly Earth friendly/grounded, and a safe place for people who are exploring all kinds of sexual relationships and identities to celebrate them, and reflect on them.
A gathering/community which gathers in Budaabang/Bellingen Valley, and acknowledges and learns from Gumbaynggirr people, who have lived in this area for 15 million or so days, learning how to live well with, on, and as part of Country, and celebrating their relationships with each other and the Creator Spirit(s) in story, cerermony and song. We will collaborate on a formal event to embed this if enough people flag their interest in continuing these gatherings next year. In the meantime, we highly recommend non Aboriginal people to go along to listen at the Original Nations and People’s Earth Summit in December.
Given we’ve said “Christian,” we probably need to make clear that we take it as a given that life is ancient and evolving, that gender is an irrelevant consideration in leadership and sexual relationships, and that the best person to make a decision about pregnancy is the pregnant person. We are hoping to create space for us all to explore our relationship with God in the light of Jesus’ life and teachings, without dictating to each other what that should look like. We also affirm the value of other religious teachings
We are experimenting with two gatherings in November (9:30am Wednesday 13th & 27th), inviting all people of good will to join us, and the human ones to think about if and how they would like to be involved if we continued into 2025.
Read on for some practicalities, and a little more about us- Jessi and Jason, two friends and Uniting Church ministers living in the valley.
Practicalities
The venue we use will depend on the weather. If it is dry enough we will meet under trees by a creek, if not, we will meet under cover, in a small garden just down the road.
If it is dry weather
Meet across the footbridge in the NW corner of market park in Bellingen (across the footbridge at the west end of Creek Lane- blue circle below, or see map).
We will be at the fork of the rainforest creek lovingly restored by Bellingen Urban Landcare over the last few decades
There is a public loo on ground level nearby
Children are welcome, and will be included in our gathering. We acknowledge that “it takes a village” but since we arent a village yet, an adult guardian must accompany all children under 18, and no adults apart from guardians are to be alone with children at any time. Jason and Jessi both have current Working with Children Checks.
The creek is small, but could be a drowning hazard for small children. The road is fenced and across the creek, apart from the footbridge.
Come dressed in whatever is comfortable for being outside. If you think it’s safe you can paddle in the creek.
If you have any safety related questions please ask, either beforehand or on the day.
For November, we will keep it simple, we will have a few chairs and rugs and cool water and cups, if you want a coffee grab one in town, or we can go and get one after.
If it is rainy weather
Meet at the east end of Creek Lane, Bellingen, in the porch out the back of Bellingen Uniting Church- map. (green circle below)
The church has a car park, please drive very slowly.
There is a toilet on site, with a ramp.
Children are welcome, and will be included in our gathering.
We acknowledge that “it takes a village” but since we arent a village yet, an adult guardian must accompany all children under 18, and no adults apart from guardians are to be alone with children at any time. Jason and Jessi both have current Working with Children Checks. There is no fence between the gathering spot and Creek Lane, but there we will be about 20m from that lane.
Since we will be at the back of teh church we may be able to rustle up some tea, and will have cool water. Feel free to bring a coffee from town.
About Jessi
I’ve been “Pastor” (Student Minister) of Bellingen Uniting Church since mid-2023, part of the Forest Advocacy Ministry with Jason and others since 2022, and am delighting in finding Gumbaynggirr country is home for me – 28 years after having been part of the community in Kalang valley.
Up here is where I began to open, explore, grow spiritually: through nature and community connection, hatha yoga and kirtan, learning and sharing in worship and music with the Sikh community of Woolgoolga.
My path eventually led – after trauma and tragedy – to the nurturous community of a church and to a deep and progressively transformative encounter with Christ … to being amazed, challenged and inspired by Jesus’ life and teachings; drawn into Chaplaincy (which has ‘sent’ me to women who have loved ones in prison or are in prison themselves, mental health hospital and aged care); and, most unexpectedly, called into ministry in and from the church – giving voice and embodiment to God’s passionate love for and in all beings, and the call to learn and allow that love through us.
About Jason
I have lived on Gumbaynggirr Country for about 16 years, having grown up in Kaurna Country in Adelaide. I hope I die here, eventually. I currently live surrounded by Pine Creek forest with my family.
I’ve been an athiest, Evangelican six-day Creationist, and for most of my life a “Progressive” Christian.
I am currently a forest chaplain, and work for Landcare.
I have spent most of my ministry encouraging the church and others to live as better members of the Earth family, in collaboration with all kinds of people of good will.
My thesis was on the implications of evolution for the Christian story, my books and poems and talks give a good idea of my approach to advocating for a much broader celebration of sexual relationships, especially in the context of all we have learned about our evolutionary origins and the fluidity of life.
You can suss me out in more detail here
If any problems arise which can’t be resolved by talking to us, we are both accountable to the Mid North Coast Presbytery of the Uniting Church in Australia.
Following the God of Love can be a dangerous thing, just look at what happened to Jesus, but when we come together we are informed by the Uniting Church’s aspiration to be a safe place for all people.
