Asylum Seekers Touch the Peninsula (Vic)

The following article was published at the Australian Christian online

By : Kristen Hobby (SJN)

Further to my article on bridging visa type E, an example of an ecumenical approach was provided by churches on the Mornington Peninsula. Refugee Sunday (27th August) provided an ideal opportunity to highlight this issue. Red Hills Church of Christ (Vic), led by Minister Bill Sharrock, invited people from the surrounding churches, including Uniting, Catholic, Anglican, and Dromana Church of Christ, to hear Mark Riessen (Knoxfield) and two members of the Congolese music group Vox Congo speak. Their stories focused on how the bridging visas policy impacts on people’s lives. People attending heard a moving story of the struggle to achieve temporary or permanent status, and establish a life in Australia. Mark was the keynote speaker, and he shared his experiences within UNOH and also the contacts Knoxfield Church of Christ engages in with refugees and migrants. Mark made the group aware of the sheer numbers of refugees around the world, and how difficult it was for refugees to get into our country and have any status here. He invited his two friends to come up and give personal accounts on how hard a road it has been to get here, but how harder it is to get visas to stay. Those attending heard something of their dreams and ambitions to reach out with the love of Christ to their own peoples and to give them hope for the future. They sang songs of hope with feeling and warmth which touched many who were there. Also, the sheer poverty of refugees and migrants impacted many. All who attended were challenged by what they heard and felt a deep sadness about their plight. The response was shown by the value of the offering taken, which was very generous. Bill spoke of the highlights of the day: the unity of the evening, the frankness of the message, the two stories shared, the song of hope that was sung with harmony and feeling, the generosity of the offering and the hospitality after the service. Sunday, September 17th If you are interested in seeing Vox Congo live, then the next event is the Oxfam Concert on Sunday 17th September at 2:30pm at St Thomas Moore's Catholic Church in Belgrave, Victoria. The cost is $15 per head and all proceeds go to supporting Oxfam Australia. Come and support Vox Congo and Oxfam on Sunday Sept 17th. For more information, please contact Mark Riessen (Manager Vox Congo). Phone: 9801 5798/ 0422 115 259 or mark@knoxfieldcc.org.au Website: http://www.voxcongo.com/ or www.voxcongo.blogspot.com