From Gordon to Clare and Ivanhoe with Love.

While Phill was touring down South along the Murray, Julie was headed out West to Ivanhoe and Clare with a group of 4 from Gordon Uniting Church. As part of the Church Links program, arrangements have been made for a relationship to be formed between the large city church of Gordon Uniting and the tiny town of Clare.

Janet and Paul, Bruce and Rosemary.

The idea of the Church Links program is for a city church to lend expertise and resources to a small isolated town and school and share, in return, the joys and adventure of living "out West." In a small isolated place there are often plenty of good ideas but not enough people to do them or to pay for them.






 Gordon Church hopes to fill that gap and join in the fun of helping to make things happen.This visit was a preliminary one to see and discuss, what input there could be.

The group with Megan Baker at Clare School

The group comprising Paul and Janet Swaddling and Rosemary and Bruce Watson arrived in Hillston  in time to join the Tuesday night bible study group.The next day they travelled, with Julie, to Clare, the most isolated school in NSW. Headed by Teaching - Principal, Megan Baker, the 8 student school is impressive -well equipped, with a lot of learning going on and a P & C who make a big effort to keep the school looking great.

Children at Ivanhoe central enjoy a visit.

Next stop was Ivanhoe for afternoon tea with the Mayor, School Principal and other community members, and then dinner with the Lion's Club, to find out more about the area. There is a possibility of 8involvement with the Youth Centre run by the very capable, John Walker, and at the school. Ivanhoe Central School Principal, Mark Denismore, gave the group a great tour.

Discussions with John Walker about the Youth Club.

Impromptu visits over coffee with the small the faith community in Ivanhoe, the only congregation in town, now pastored by a young Aboriginal couple from Brisbane and the Salvation Army Rural Chaplains, Maree and Trevor Strong, who were visiting pastoral properties in the area were enjoyed by all, before the return to Hillston and then home.

The Uniting Church places a great emphasis on being in Mission in the community and these partnerships are ideal opportunities for churches to be at mission in places where there is very minimal or no formal congregations.They aim to build long term relationships between the church and the community with both sides benefiting from the skills and strengths of the other.