About Us

The Effective Living Centre is a community organisation and an integral part of the outreach program of Christ Church Uniting Church of Wayville. It is for people of any social, political or spiritual stance who seek to broaden and develop their personal vision and passion for life.

The Centre grew out of a vision that people appreciate space for reflection, learning, new beginnings, vitality and joy. The vision is based on these core values: there is growth and learning throughout life; the integrity and value of each individual and community grouping must be respected; there is richness and diversity among citizens and within families; the sacred and creative dimensions of life are an integral part of living. All ELC programs are pro-active and respect clients' belief systems.

Most staff are volunteers and ELC’s office in Wayville is open three days a week. The Centre office brings people together and is the catalyst for many of the new activities. we presently have a part-time co-ordinator, Dot Crowley and one always looking for more volunteers.

Funding for the Centre comes from a number of sources including the Christ Church community,Uniting Church Synod, City of Unley, The Forsyth Foundation, The Premier’s Fund, Community Benefits SA, Relationships Australia, National Australia Bank and the Volunteers support fund.

Private citizens also help financially by joining ‘Friends of the Effective Living Centre’.


A Place of Conversation
Our tenth anniversary celebrations gave us an opportunity to look forward as well as back. We are proud of what we have done and confident we can continue to grow.

What is the Effective Living Centre? There are many answers, yet perhaps more than anything, the Centre is a place of conversation; a place where people feel safe in expressing their opinions and a place where responses will always seek to  respect those opinions. It’s a place for positive questioning.

We encourage people to discuss important life issues. We understand that what is of great consequence for one person, may be trivial for another. We believe that  the individual’s perception of a matter is what makes it significant.  So ELC is a place for everyone.

Bringing people together in such an accepting way, helps us to engage with the general community. Our gatherings reflect an understanding of community and of the individual within that community.

Our coming programmes express this. “Bread at the Synagogue” in August will be the next in our “Bread Our Common Heritage” series and celebrates a variety of religious and cultural beliefs. Positive Parenting  brings together people with children and help them by sharing joys, problems and solutions. Poets’ Corner always delights with sometimes different, sometimes quirky and often profound insights. At the end of this month, Louise Nicholas will speak about her poetry which has an emphasis on women's’ health. Later in the year, Social Issues will host three authors talking about their books. One is about South Australian pioneer, Catherine Helen Spence, whose views on free love shocked her 19th century community. Another concerns one woman’s faith journey and the third is about the war in New Guinea.

Progressive Christianity Network, SA has long been intertwined with ELC and continues to generate many exciting tensions and stimulating discussion that requires no obvious destination.

The June workshop on Forgiveness & Healing will surely demonstrate how open conversation can revive the human spirit. The July workshop on Meditation  could be thought of as concerning a different kind of conversation and it must be a given that the Artist in Residence event in November will involve much conversation, albeit not always verbal.

The Effective Living Centre 26 King William Rd Wayville SA Ph/Fax: 8271 0329

Activities of the ELC Include
• courses and discussion groups
• seminars
• advocacy
• joint ventures with other community groups

Current activities are continued so long as they are seen to be needed. Courses which are always popular deal with various aspects of family life and run the gamut from successful parenting to divorce and separation. Others explore the integrity and value of the individual as a citizen.

New activities are always being developed.

The Centre has the experience and infrastructure to provide facilities, administration, courses and seminars for other community organisations. ELC sees cooperative initiatives as an efficient way of broadening our outreach.

Effective Living Centre/Christ Church is also available for venue hire.