Features

They are an integral part of popular culture and a multi-billion dollar industry but video games have largely shied away from religion: from the earlier years of Super Mario, Sonic the Hedgehog and Pac-Man to the current crop of Call of Duty, Pokemon and Grand Theft Auto, Christianity has rarely featured in a substantial or meaningful way. Things might be ...

Whether on the front line with Australian troops or working with military personnel and their families, Defence Force chaplains like Uniting Church minister Rev Charles Vesely are a potent reminder that the end state of conflict is always peace. Dianne Jensen reports. In the deep night silence of a forward operating base in Afghanistan, Australian Defence Force (ADF) members cluster ...

Reflecting on the past and discerning how the church faces the future was front and centre of the 33rd Synod meeting (20–24 October). The team from Journey reports. Hundreds of Uniting Church members gathered at the Alexandra Park Conference Centre on the Sunshine Coast as the 33rd Synod in Session kicked off in style with a rousing opening worship of ...

Aitkenvale Uniting Church member Dr Scott Heron is at the forefront of research into the crisis facing the iconic Great Barrier Reef. Dianne Jensen reports. Most Aussie hearts beat with quiet pride at the thought of the Great Barrier Reef. It’s one of the seven wonders of the natural world and right here on our doorstep, a 2300 km ecosystem ...

The Statement to the Nation (1977) made by the Uniting Church in Australia 40 years ago spelled out the enduring connection between the founding denominations and the churches of the Pacific and South East Asia. A partnership between Glebe Road Uniting Church, Ipswich and Ekaristi Church in Dili, Timor- Leste is proof positive of that evolving relationship. This report by ...

The 2016 National Church Life Survey (NCLS) data results have been released to the public but what do the numbers say about the state of the Uniting Church in Queensland and, more broadly, about Christianity in Australia? Queensland Synod Director of Mission Scott Guyatt investigates. Results from the 2016 National Church Life Survey are filtering through after more than 240 000 ...

Digital technology can be a powerful tool for the church, whether it’s being used for ministry, administration or general communications. Ashley Thompson and Ben Rogers meet some global leaders in the faith-tech space and talk to members of the Uniting Church community in Queensland about what is being done closer to home. In the constantly evolving landscape of digital technology ...

Brisbane medical specialist and Uniting Church member Dr Ian Airey, chairperson of Wesley Mission Queensland’s Art from the Margins, talks to Dianne Jensen about the healing power of the creative arts. Anaesthetist and former intensive care specialist Dr Ian Airey is no stranger to ministering to people undergoing trauma or dislocation. Yet walking into a Brisbane park with other Albert ...

As we continue to celebrate our 40th anniversary year with reflections on the church’s storied past, Rev Duncan Harrison reminds us of the importance of remembering the Basis of Union, the tensions around union, and the leadership team who guided the new church. Moses on Mt Moriah challenged Israel after their 40 years of wandering, “Remember your bondage in Egypt ...

Cyclone Debbie may have vanished from the news but the work of rebuilding and strengthening local communities is gaining traction, thanks to Synod appeal funds from donors nationwide. Dianne Jensen reports. When Cyclone Debbie let loose its fury on the north Queensland town of Bowen, Uniting Church minister Rev Tevita Mone and his five children took refuge in the church ...