December 2024 Newsletter
Gathering around a table and a meal is a picture of family, community, communion and connection with one another. Christmas is certainly the season for this, and if you are anything like me when hosting a gathering you will invite everyone to bring a plate to share. There are two reasons for this that spring to mind…the first being my own capacity to prepare all the food is limited and if I attempt this it will end up being a small gathering and I will end up stressed and tired. The second reason is because everyone gets to bring some of their favourite recipes and the meal becomes a plethora of taste and variety which would be lacking if it was left just to me.
One of the things that constantly warms us at Salt is watching a community of kindhearted, generous people bring their offerings to the Salt table. We at Salt have set the table and everyone is invited to bring something to share that extends to all those who at this point in time have nothing but their presence to bring. As we work in the office, we are interrupted by a steady stream of people bringing their “offerings of hope” through the door. They may be a couple of bags of groceries to add to the food hampers, quality second hand clothing, donations of money, brand new toys for kids at Christmas and so very often people bring their time, their energy, their service to pack hampers, distribute food and clothing, man the shelter, clean, cook, and care
for people in need.
We are thrilled that the unique taste of Salt is made up by a wonderful community that have accepted the invitation to our table. Every person, whether giving or receiving are partakers of a special kind of hope. Every time we extend this hope, we bring the promise of tomorrow to someone desperately in need of it.
At Salt, we thank you for joining us at our table this year and wish you a very Merry Christmas. It’s a wonderful time for all of us to reflect on and receive the One who is the Hope of the world, who is our very reason for setting a table in the midst of the Shoalhaven.
Much love,
Meg and Pete
In the life of church, we are ramping up to the celebration of the birth of Jesus. All of December we will be sharing about Hope and enjoying all the end of year festivities.
This week both Women’s Group and Men’s Group are celebrating Christmas as they take a break until February. We have wonderful plans for 2025 as we lean into the things God is placing on our hearts to focus on. Join with us in praying for God to provide a bigger space for us to gather as we are bursting at the seams. We are collectively going on a faith journey to ask for him to provide all that we need.
This Christmas we will be celebrating on Sunday 22 nd December at 10am, with carols, kids songs, and a shared morning tea together, which means that there will be no service on Christmas Day. The last Sunday of the year will be our annual service at Berry Beach for baptisms on Sunday 29th Dec. It will kick off at 10am, bring a picnic lunch and your swimmers for a dip.
If you are interested in exploring baptism, have a chat to Meg.
Salt Church Camp
We had the most wonderful time up at Sassafras Nuts for our inaugural Salt ChurchCamp. It was so good in fact, that we have decided to host it the first weekend in November every year.
We all camped, shared the cooking, did lots of eating, playing games, and connecting around the campfire. We also had the opportunity to be the first group of people to individually walk through the prayer labyrinth, and the Farm Gate was set up as a prayer space that we could frequent at our leisure over the course of the weekend.
In true Sassafras fashion we had 4 seasons in two days and were joined by a chorus of cicadas! It was a wonderful weekend overall and provided such a great opportunity to get to know others on a more personal level.
Looking forward to next year!
Meg
Kids Church
As we head toward Christmas, Kids church has been delving into the greatest story of all time. We have been amazed at the way God has revealed, throughout all of Bible history, that Jesus is the greatest Christmas present. He is the only one who was able to provide an answer to sin and darkness and reconnect us to God’s heart. We’ve been reminded that Jesus can be trusted. He always shares his light, and he always cares about people, just like us.
Jesus provided our greatest need on the cross and he continues to provide for us. Over the past few weeks, we have been encouraging the Salt kids to come to Jesus with all their needs and to trust God for their ‘daily bread’. We’ve discussed how our community needs day-to-day provisions like food, shelter and clothing and we’ve talked about the need for a building that is big enough for all of us to meet in each Sunday.
Last Sunday, kids’ church children traced their hands and cut out the shape. They then drew a picture on the hand that represents something that they are trusting God for. The artwork is looking great. As a church we are all moving into a period of expanded faith and it is a delight to see the children taking part in this journey together.
“Do not worry about anything. But pray and ask God for everything you need” Phil. 4:6 (Children’s Bible)
Peace and Love,
Bek and Steve
December is the pinnacle of the year for Salt Store, with everything converging towards our Christmas hamper giveaway to families in need. Every spare corner of Salt is getting filled with the generous donations from the community that will be packed in two Christmas shopping bags for each family and given away to our Salt Store clients on Tuesday 17 th December. People who have not engaged with the store through the year, and other services in town picking up for clients can come along on Thursday 19 th December to collect other Christmas hampers. Each family will need to show ID with an address on it.
We have been blessed with brand new toys from many who have been collecting for Salt, including the Mayoral Christmas Toy Drive. Families in need can come to Salt from10.30am – 1pm on Friday 20 th December to receive some gifts for their children. Only grandparents who are caring for their grandchildren can qualify to collect gifts and everyone will need to show their Medicare card so that each family is represented only once.
In the meantime, we are continuing to give out food hampers every week to those doing it tough and our amazing volunteers are working through storms, rain, and hot weather.
A huge shout out to the Store Teams who have worked so hard during the year to care for their community. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Safe Shelter Christmas Update:
We would like to inform our community that Safe Shelter will remain open on both Christmas and Boxing Day to continue providing support for our guests during the holiday season. We will be serving a special Christmas lunch to ensure everyone feels cared for. If you would like to contribute by donating food items for the lunch, please contact Daniel at 0413 054 226.
Your generosity is greatly appreciated in helping us make this holiday season a little brighter for those in need.
Salt Assisted Housing Update:
We are excited to share that Salt Assisted Housing is now supporting 40 properties, thanks to our dedicated team of support workers—Cameron, Anita, and our newest addition, Nicole. Together, they are making a real difference in the lives of our tenants.
In addition, we are thrilled to announce the upcoming launch of two new trauma-informed care properties, which will be fully operational in January next year. These new homes will provide vital support for individuals on their journey to stability and healing.
Daniel
Wow, what an amazing year!
In 2024, we’ve had the pleasure of welcoming many new clients and staff, continuing to foster inclusivity, opportunity, and hope within our community.
Salt Care NDIS provides tailored disability support services, helping individuals achieve their goals and live fulfilling lives. As a registered NDIS provider, we offer a range of supports, including assistance with daily living, community participation, and capacity-building programs.
Our mission is to empower individuals by delivering personalized services that meet their unique needs and aspirations. We encourage participants to connect, grow, and thrive in a supportive and inclusive environment.
Our Values
- Kind – We strive to be friendly, generous, and considerate to all.
- Caring – We are genuine and compassionate in providing person-centred services.
- Capable – We are skilled and committed to delivering services with excellence.
At Salt Care, we believe everyone deserves the opportunity to live a life of independence, dignity, and purpose.
Contact Belinda Dover, NDIS Manager, at [email protected] or call 0490 082 005 to learn more. Visit our website for further information.
Together, we can make a difference in your journey!
Belinda
Give a Christmas gift that gives back!
If you're gifting to a book lover this Christmas, drop in to the Book Store to find a title they'll love, and feel good about supporting your local community at the same time.
We have monthly specials, which for November are authors starting with F. December is authors starting with H and January is authors starting with K - so if you've been looking for a sign to grab a title from a favourite author, this is it!
The Book Store is located at 12/73 Meroo Street Bomaderry, near the Post Office.
We are open from 9am to 4pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and 10am to 4pm on Tuesdays and Fridays. Saturdays are from 10am to 2pm. We are closed on Sundays.
Donate
If you would like to partner with Salt by setting up a regular direct debit so that Salt can continue to do all the amazing work in our community that would be amazing.
Salt Care
BSB: 062 585
ACC: 10949687
* All donations to Salt Care are tax deductible
Or you can donate directly using the button below.
