Traditional Christmas celebrations complete with nativity scenes and religious carols might be too much for people used to an increasingly-secular Christmas, so Maleny Uniting Church is using the humble Christmas tree to bridge the gap between church and the wider community. Rohan Salmond reports. Christmas time is a great opportunity to share the love and hope of Jesus with people ...

The Uniting Church in Australia mourns the deaths of those caught up in the hostage-taking incident in a café in Sydney’s Martin Place. Moderator of the Uniting Church in NSW and the ACT Rev Myung Hwa Park has offered prayers and condolences on behalf of the Church. “We continue to pray for those caught up in the terrible events at Martin ...

What would it take for your church to become a place of refuge? Think carefully, because God’s hospitality demands that we welcome the outsider with open hearts and minds. Dianne Jensen reports. Kieran is an ex-prisoner who went looking for a church where he would be welcome. He was a new Christian whose life had taken a radical about-turn in ...

After a career in media Phil Smith has found himself lay pastor to a kind of faith community not often found in the Uniting Church. Rohan Salmond talks to him about faith, ecumenism and the future of church. “I have just turned 53 and really would not have expected to be in this activity in this season of my life,” ...

Here we go again, Christmas is coming. Families looking at their budgets, kids looking at catalogues, grandparents looking at new opportunities for indulgence. Some people are looking at options to help them just survive it. Retail stores are looking for the boost that they’ve already accounted for to get to the year’s projected sales. One of the issues for ministers ...

When was the last time the sound of singing drew passers-by into your church? Dianne Jensen discovers why people can’t walk past St Mary’s by the Sea in Port Douglas, North Queensland. At the picturesque St Mary’s by the Sea in Port Douglas, the worship service is relayed by loudspeaker to the markets just outside. The voices from around the ...

We all know that you should never work with children or animals, yet the annual nativity play is a cherished tradition in which church communities across Australia re-enact a story precious to our faith. Journey staff present the following tips to ensure that your nativity play is an angelic experience. Apocalypse now Much wailing and gnashing of teeth is caused ...

Every year in the lead-up to Christmas there is an increased focus on giving, but Jane Frazer Cosgrove says generosity is more than that. When we think of “generosity” our thoughts usually go first to gifts of money, goods, and charitable acts. These kinds of giving are important to us all. However at this time of the year, when such ...

“Mum, I just want to tell you I’m gay.” These are the heart-stopping words that greet countless parents both inside and outside the church. As a Christian with pretty black-and-white views on homosexuality, I never thought this would happen to me because my son was a Christian! But it did happen. Late one night 12 years ago my son drove ...

Sick of giving people socks or undies for Christmas? Mardi Lumsden explores gifts that give more than once. Christmas gift giving can be a stressful and expensive exercise, especially if purchasing for people who already have so much. A number of organisations provide alternative Christmas ideas and ways to help others when it comes to gift giving. Here are a ...