Agency News

Redcliffe Uniting Church’s Conor Kikkert can juggle in one hand while solving a Rubik’s Cube in the other; but it’s not this talent alone that has garnered him national media attention.  Ashley Thompson writes. You may have been surprised last November to find Conor, a conscientious and unassuming 12-year-old, busking at the Redcliffe markets and outside his school, The Lakes ...

UnitingCare Queensland is on the lookout for outstanding volunteers who reflect the UnitingCare Queensland mission. Emily Murray writes. The search is on for nominations for the 2016 Moderator’s Community Service Medal. Successful nominees will have the opportunity to be presented with their medal during the Uniting Church in Queensland’s 32nd Synod meeting at Alexandra Park Conference Centre 20–24 May. UnitingCare ...

One year after opening, Queensland’s newest ministry college continues to grow. Journey explores. Newlife Uniting Church is celebrating the first full year of operations for its new ministry college. Newlife College ran two full semesters last year, and campus coordinator Shahn Dee is looking forward to what 2016 will bring. “We’ve just finished our first year of enrolling and teaching ...

Every Christmas the National Council of Churches’ international aid agency Act for Peace runs the Christmas Bowl Appeal to support people around the world living through conflict and displacement. Journey reports. “Nothing could have prepared me for the shocking reality facing refugees living in Akula camp,” says Delphine Vuagnoux, who coordinates the Christmas Bowl appeal for Act for Peace. “Walking ...

Mareeba Uniting Church and UnitingCare Community have joined forces to deliver neighbourly support to drought-affected families in north Queensland this Christmas. Dianne Jensen reports. The Mareeba Uniting Church congregation is hoping to raise at least $3000 to provide gift vouchers to nearly 70 families served by UnitingCare Community’s North Queensland Remote Area Families Service (RAFS). Burke, Carpentaria, Doomadgee and parts ...

Not-for-profit service provider Blue Care will launch new programs to care for people with dementia. Journey reports. Blue Care has received $243 000 in grant funding to implement programs to care for people with dementia. The grant funding was awarded by a coalition of philanthropic groups: the Perpetual Foundation—John Thomas Wilson Endowment, the Gladys Myrtle Brown Charitable Trust and the ...

Queensland’s  Anti-Poverty Week launch will unveil the surprising face of poverty in Australia. Rohan Salmond reports. For more than ten years, Anti-Poverty Week has been a reminder for Australians that poverty is a real part of their community and their world. From an Australian point of view, poverty can feel like a distant, abstract problem, but for Geoff Batkin, executive ...

Last month UnitingCare Queensland’s Edge Innovation Festival set out to challenge the preconceived ideas of UnitingCare Queensland staff. Ashley Thompson reports. Created with the objective to “turn your thinking upside down”, Edge is a festival of free events designed to inspire Uniting Church service groups including: UnitingCare Community, UnitingCare Health, Blue Care and the UnitingCare Group Office. Not unlike the ...

The 14th Assembly has sought to understand the reasons behind the changing circumstances of the Uniting Church’s valued remote area ministry Frontier Services. Nigel Tapp writes. Frontier Services is changing tack, re-directing its work away from aged-care to community support activities and resourcing patrol ministry. Less than a year after Frontier Services celebrated its 100th anniversary and the 13th Assembly ...

Having a job provides people with a sense of purpose, hope and dignity, writes Jessica Mewburn. For over 40 years the wmbMailpaQ printing, packaging and mailing warehouse has offered thousands of people living with disability this opportunity. “To get here I leave home at 6.30 am and catch two buses and push my wheelchair to the warehouse and to get ...