Wanted: Snowchangers

Ever thought about making a "seachange" or a "treechange"? How about a "snowchange"? The Alpine Uniting Church congregation is putting out a call for people interested in relocating to the Jindabyne area to make up their own skills shortage.

"We have an enormous amount of ministry to do and a ready and willing community to do it in and so we need to try and entice people to move to this area and join us in the exciting work that God is doing with us and through us here in the Alpine," said Pastor Matthew MeBurney. "By coincidence, the Federal Government's regional develop-ment body - the South East Area Consultative Committee - is conducting a drive for people to move to the area to meet a wider skills shortage."

In May this year, the Alpine congregation compiled a short video presentation of its ministry for the Synod Mission Resource Fund application, and the con-gregation intends to send a copy of that DVD to each Presbytery or possibly to each congregation to give some idea of the area and the work.

"The Alpine region is a great place to live, work, raise a family and grow in God. There are excellent schools, child care facilities, employment, plenty of water, lots of recreational activities and you can combine your spiritual life and witness with all of them," said Matthew. "We are loving, welcoming, supportive and growing in our faith. I am blessed to say without any stretch of the truth that we have 100 per cent active participation in the life and witness of the church and, even better, 100 per cent active participation in the personal development of the relationship with God.

"We have Bible studies that lead into and out from the Sunday sermon, maximising the benefit of the sermon to the listener. We have discipleship courses, baptisms and opportunities to share your faith with pre-Christians on a regular basis. "There is a Children's Church called Noah's Lark', a Mothertime group providing time out for mums, a Men's Shed for the blokes, a Mobile Op-Shop (AMOS), Bus Luncheons, social activities both formal and informal, along with a Neighbourhood Centre, Youth Week activities, community events such as the Snowy Relay for Life, Snowy Ride, and all the other usual events that bring the town together through the year.

"We value our heritage and have established a Garden of Memories to house the memorial plaques from the old church in the old town that was flooded more than 40 years ago. All of this is before we even get to the exciting and challenging work in the mountains in and out of snow season.

"The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few! We invite you to see if God is calling you to make the 'snowchange' and move to the NSW Al-pine Region," said Matthew. For further information, contact Matthew on 6456 2411 or email him at mcburney@bigpond.net.au