Home > Tag Archives: Bruce Mullan

Tag Archives: Bruce Mullan

Review: Global Leadership Summit

Newlife's band led Global Leadership Summit worship

Bruce Mullan attended the Global Leadership Summit and came away surprised and impressed. From the moment you were greeted in the car park of Newlife Robina Uniting Church it was clear that this event was going to be something special. A team of over 40 volunteers welcomed 250 people to hear video presentations from experts in leadership training and church ...

Read More »

Finding your own theological voice

Testing Tradition and Liberating Theology cover by Dr Val Webb. Morning Star Publishing, 2015 ($39.95).

Testing Tradition and Liberating Theology is a little Aussie gem from our own pre-eminent lay theologian Dr Val Webb.  Webb’s goal in this book is to unlock theological process from the rarefied academic world of the seminary and encourage everyone to do their own theological thinking, “rather than continually accepting the often dumbed-down scraps from the altar of others”. Testing ...

Read More »

Marriage: We’re talking about it

A traditional wedding cake with a rainbow layered sponge. Photo by Holly Jewell.

The 14th Uniting Church Assembly will be talking about marriage when it meets in Perth in July this year. Bruce Mullan explores some of the issues. Marriage has been a constant theme in the political conversation in Australia for several years as part of broader discussion about the legal recognition of same-gender relationships. The increasing public debate was acknowledged by ...

Read More »

Statistics don’t tell the full story

Lifeworks Uniting Church minister, Rev Tim Griggs.

Are the people in your church representative of the people that live in the wider community? The Stats have Faces process helps churches connect with their neighbours. Journey reports. Queensland Synod Research Officer Bruce Mullan was surprised to discover that the greatest number of people employed in his suburb worked in retail and construction. “We often make assumptions about our ...

Read More »

Deal or no deal?

Bruce Mullan explores the ethics of churches accessing gambling revenue. Cartoon by Phil Day.

While Queenslanders spend up to $175 million at the pokies each month, some congregations are receiving a portion of the state government’s take in grant allocations. Bruce Mullan explores the ethics of churches accessing gambling revenue. Australians spend a staggering $20 billion dollars each year on gambling, and in 2013 Queenslanders spent more than $2.1 billion on pokies alone—the equivalent ...

Read More »

Navigating the moral minefield

Ethics With or Without God: Christianity and morality in the 21st century by Noel Preston. Published by Mosaic Press in 2014. Recommended retail price: $22.95.

When I was younger, making ethical decisions seemed a fairly straightforward process. As a Christian I had the Bible and centuries of Christian tradition to draw on when it came to making wise ethical choices—all pretty black and white and all pretty easy to understand. Now I am older things seem much greyer. As a practising Christian and in the ...

Read More »

Both are transformed

Lovelyn Tonavi from Guadalcanal United Church in the Solomon Islands congregations and Kristy Coleman from Beenleigh Regional Uniting Church participate in a pastoral care workshop in Aola village. Photo taken by Alan Robinson.

Bruce Mullan looks at two very different churches with a great partnership. The United Church in Solomon Islands Guadalcanal Circuit and Beenleigh Regional Uniting Church in Logan have nothing much in common except a partnership which has been inspirational and transformative for both churches. Stephen Haase first travelled with two others from Beenleigh to the remote village of Koleasi in ...

Read More »

Courageous faith paves the way

Betty Willis (Order of Australia), at her home in Blue Care Toowoomba. Photo taken by Ashley Thompson.

We interviewed Betty about her life and faith on Friday 27 June and sadly advise that since this article was written and went to print Betty has passed away. We have been informed that Betty did have the opportunity to read the article before her passing. She died on Wednesday 6 August 2014 after a short illness. How does a self-described shy ...

Read More »