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Church looks for the way, together

Participants at the first Together on the Way, enriching community workshop discuss the big issues facing the Church. Photo by Mardi Lumsden
AROUND 50 Uniting Church members and staff gathered in February in response to a 27th Synod resolution to begin to discern a shared direction for the next 10 years of the Uniting Church in Queensland which enriches community; local, state, national and global.

This is a grassroots approach that aims to inspire, renew and energise congregation members and Church and agency staff.

Over the past five months the Synod Leadership Team has been working with facilitator Sr Margaret Endicott and secretary/theological resource person Rev Allan Thompson to develop a process to enable the Uniting Church in Queensland to undertake the journey they have called Together on the Way, enriching community.

General Secretary Rev Douglas Jones hopes the process involves as many Church members as possible.

“Over the past two years a number of factors including spiritual, governance and financial have emerged that have led to a determination to invite the people of the Uniting Church in Queensland to be involved in a process to look more deeply at the essence and future of the Church,” he said.

“The journey we have called Together on the Way, enriching community provides an exciting opportunity to draw on the wisdom and inspiration of as many people as possible who share in the life of our Church in Queensland.”

The initial workshop was to train leaders from each presbytery, key synod and agency staff and chairpersons to work through a process with groups from their congregation or workplace.

As a follow-on from that workshop, there will be a series of workshops conducted across Queensland that will provide opportunity for people in the Church and its agencies to engage in the discernment process.

Worship and workshop resources are now available from a dedicated section of the Synod website: www.ucaqld.com.au. Just look for the Together on the Way, enriching community button on the Synod website home page.

Moderator Rev Bruce Johnson encouraged people to get involved and to pray for the journey.

“No matter how you share in our life I urge you to join this adventure and allow God to lead us through you,” he said.

“I am sure that together if we are open to the word of God, we will be renewed and energised by God’s Spirit.”

For more information visit http://ucaqld.com.au/about-us/about-the-uniting-church-in-queensland/together-on-the-way-enriching-community

Photo : Participants at the first Together on the Way, enriching community workshop discuss the big issues facing the Church. Photo by Mardi Lumsden