Features

Thinking about making a few changes to your church facilities—perhaps updating the kitchen or building a new hall? Dianne Jensen looks at church redevelopment. Many Queensland congregations faced with ageing infrastructure or changing demographics have made the decision to redevelop their facilities, with some outstanding examples of clever design generating new ministries. Others have chosen to transform existing areas, creating ...

As coal seam gas mining spreads across rural Queensland, landholders are feeling the stress.  Bruce Mullan reports. A third generation farmer from the Darling Downs looks across the land his grandfather cleared of brigalow scrub in 1908 to see his precious intensive grazing acres cut by roads, pipelines, open trenches and coal seam gas (GSG) mining development. The Chinchilla farmer, ...

In today’s rapidly changing media landscape, a new wave of writers, musicians and filmmakers are finding their voice and connecting with audiences in ways never seen before. Rohan Salmond spoke to Shawna Howson and Tessa Violet, a creative pair invited to speak and perform at Easterfest. If you are an artist, you no longer need a studio or professional broadcast ...

This July, long-distance athlete David Holleran of Mundubbera Uniting Church will run across the Great Victoria Desert, the epic last leg to a 19-year journey. Ashley Goetze reports. Everybody has a story, you only need ask. Dave Holleran is your typical Aussie bloke. Family man and owner of David Holleran Cleaning Services, it could be easy to miss that this ...

This Anzac Day, remember those who continue to pay the price for serving their country. Dianne Jensen reports. “I still don’t see the people we killed in ambushes and stuff; I don’t see our guys who were killed or wounded yet I was there. It is like being in a car accident but you don’t remember anything about it.” Rev Jack ...

Christians hear the Easter story regularly, but how do we breathe new life into the story—and do we even need to? Mardi Lumsden explores. For some people the Easter story is a reminder of the purpose of their faith. For others it is the impetus to change their life. It is an epic tale of betrayal, loyalty, suffering, death, love, ...

Like a voice crying in the wilderness, Frederika Steen AM won’t be silent about Australia’s treatment of asylum seekers and refugees. Dianne Jensen reports. “I have looked into their faces, I know their names and I have heard their stories of suffering. What else could I do but speak out?” Refugee advocate Frederika (Freddie) Steen doesn’t mince her words when ...

Life is about to get tougher for young Queenslanders in trouble with the law. Dianne Jensen reports. “Tough on crime” has a reassuring ring to the outraged householder who discovers a smashed car window or graffiti on their freshly painted wall. It’s time these kids faced up to the consequences of their behaviour, right? The Queensland Government is currently considering legislation ...

The Intervention has caused controversy since its introduction, and Indigenous Australians are calling for genuine respect and partnership. Rohan Salmond explores. At the Uniting Church in Australia’s 13th Assembly, members of the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (UAICC) told their stories about what it is like living under the Stronger Futures legislation in the Northern Territory. The Assembly was ...

NCYC 2014 was a vibrant celebration of the life and diversity found among Uniting Church young people. Tilly South reports. “Faith is a practical thing,” preached Rev Julian Hamilton, chaplain at Trinity College, Dublin and guest speaker at the 2014 National Christian Youth Convention (NCYC), a biennial event held by a presbytery or synod of the Uniting Church. “We must ...