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By Jess Pinkerton – Mission Integration Project Officer Anyone who knows me knows I love to plan. I like writing lists and ticking off tasks when they are complete. I love being organised, knowing what’s next, and getting things done. I remember someone telling me as a young adult that “planning and preparation prevents poor performance,” and I wonder if ...

By Synod Writer and Content Creator Andrew McKaysmith using content adapted from text supplied by Dawn Langford, Kenmore Uniting Church Kenmore Uniting Church’s Refreshed shop repurposes items for resale and funds projects for local and global humanitarian efforts. Last year, over $10,000 was donated to causes such as school chaplaincy, disability art classes, flood relief, Pacific Islands preparedness, and child ...

Book review by Rev Anneli Sinkko MPhil Metanoia – How God Radically Transforms People, Churches, and Organizations From the Inside Out by Alan Hirsch with Rob Kelly In Metanoia, the familiar scene is placed before us: the church has arrived at a turning point; in order to survive, she needs to change. The world we live in is in a ...

Book Review by Rev Barry Allen “Anatomy of a Revived Church: Seven Findings about How Congregations Avoided Death” by Thom Rainer I am not very good at writing reviews as such, but I want to record how my experience in ministry shows the accuracy and worth of the book, Anatomy of a Revived Church. I hope this will encourage others to ...

By Paul Wetzig, Project Officer – Discipleship  Have you ever broken a favourite item? Maybe it was a beloved coffee cup that made your mornings extra special, and one day, it fell from the dishrack and cracked. Maybe it was a toy that you loved playing with, but one day, you played a bit too hard, and the wheels literally ...

SCOTS PGC has made innovative moves to educate students on regenerative farming practices, focusing on responsible livestock grazing and diverse pastures. According to Blake Fatouros, the school’s Director of Teaching, Learning, and Innovation, the approach promotes biodiversity and has achieved significant student engagement. He said Years 11 and 12 boast a 50% enrolment in the school’s agricultural curriculum. “And 10% ...

By Rev Janet Staines, Minister – Chermside Kedron Community Church Sometimes we forgive too quickly. Yes, forgiveness is core to our discipleship and yes, in the midst of suffering and trial we are to posture ourselves towards forgiveness. But sometimes we forgive too soon. Forgiveness is a process. It is not a one-off act of grace we offer another or ...

By Vanessa Griffiths, Fundraising Support Manager I recently read an incredible book called “The Hidden Life of Trees” by Peter Wohlleben. If you walk in a forest, you may get the impression that trees are passive and silent but quite the opposite is true. Trees are interconnected with definite family structures like we have. They communicate with one another through ...

By Rev Bruce Moore, Moderator Have you ever found yourself in a place where you question or second guess decisions that you need to make? Maybe you find yourself overthinking things … over and over again. In a study that was undertaken recently with a sample of over 10,000 people, they asked the participants whether they struggle with overthinking. Guess ...

Book review by Struan Robertson, Strategic Risk Manager, Uniting Church Qld Synod Office. We are told by others that have read this work that Rainer’s focus is on looking at faith communities on the brink of closing down. He identifies simple yet vital shifts in culture, attitude, and practice that these congregations made to release new life. I went into ...