“Well, that’s the question, folks, what’s your response?” This was how Brendan McKeague kicked off a day and a half of discernment for the Synod as it met at Alexandra Park Conference Centre in October. The question was, “Our church is on life support; what’s our call now?” About 70 members of Synod stood up and named an issue they ...

The November edition of Journey magazine is now available in PDF. You can download this edition and all previous editions back to 2005 on the download page. Strength in diversity It’s sometimes said that the diversity within the Uniting Church is both its biggest strength and biggest weakness. Wikipedia describes the theological perspectives in the Uniting Church as “broad”, going on to list them ...

A review of the Queensland Government’s poker machine ‘red tape reduction’ initiative has found it increases gambling revenue at the expense of the most disadvantaged people in our communities. The Anglican Church Southern Queensland office has released a Monash University analysis of the red tape reduction program on pokies, which was touted by the State Government as an exercise in reducing the ...

The 31st Queensland Synod meeting (10–15 October) could be characterised by an energy signifying that the church is on the cusp of something different. Members from across the Queensland Synod gathered together for the 31st Synod in Session as they discussed issues important to the Uniting Church in Queensland, ranging from statistics of church decline and hardship to inspiring stories ...

Uniting Church Moderator Rev David Baker was one of the Queensland Heads of Christian Churches who met with leaders of the Queensland Islamic Community in Brisbane on Monday. Mr Baker said it the meeting was called to consider ways of strengthening relations between the Christian and Islamic communities in the State and to promote respect and harmony. The meeting was ...

A number of general proposals were passed by consensus during the 31st Synod in Session, many focussing on the church’s call to love our neighbour as ourselves. Constitutional recognition A proposal brought to the Synod by UnitingCare Queensland CEO Anne Cross and Calvary Presbytery Minister Rev Dennis Corowa called the church to join UnitingCare Queensland in being official partners of ...

The Basis of Union is a major part of our history and identity as a church, but Robyn Goodwin asks, does the next generation understand it or even know what it is? The Basis of Union is something Uniting Church members can be really proud of. The fact that it even exists seems pretty miraculous to me. It’s our identity document ...

Janet Staines explains how an oft-repeated line from a Disney song reminds her to forgive. I recently saw a sign outside a school classroom that read, “This classroom has gone 28 days without singing the song from Frozen: ‘Let it go’.” If you have children or grandchildren you will know well the award-winning song from Disney’s animated film Frozen and ...

This article from popular spirituality network Patheos shows strong insight from American pastor Rev Erin Wathen into the church’s “obsession” with Millennials. Entitled “Dear Millennials: Sorry we’re so obsessed with you” her letter apologies to my peers for years of on and off-line badgering (stalking?); for being guilty of holding on too tightly and seeming too desperate to keep us ...

The desperate woman who pushed through the crowd to tug at Jesus’ robe took a chance that his minders were too distracted to notice. There are better ways to make your voice heard at the G20, as Dianne Jensen reports. Raising your concerns directly with world leaders such as US President Barack Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel or Chinese President ...