Features

THE Uniting Church is a community of worship, witness and service but it is also a place of learning. Our schools are not the only learning organisations within the Church either; one of UnitingCare Queensland’s values is “Leading through Learning”. In Paragraph 11 of the Church’s foundational document, the Basis of Union, it states: “The Uniting Church acknowledges that God ...

SINGLES come in all shapes, ages and conditions – students away from home; semipermanent visitors; recent migrants; separated or divorced folk; people who have lost a loved partner. They all have one thing in common: the need to belong – to be included. Our church communities are good at catering for groups of people: prayer groups, Bible study, craft or ...

I grew up in a community that was both microscopic and networked at the same time. It was a microscopic community because my family lived on lighthouse stations. At the same time it was a dynamically networked community across the whole country, with 24 manned stations and the accompanying support networks. Looking back, it was a safe community. There were ...

IN the service of Congregational Reaffirmation of Baptism, the members of the congregation are invited to trace the sign of the cross on each other and to declare as they do so: “You belong to Christ”. It is a powerful moment in which we are reminded of the identity we received at our baptism. If we allow the sign and ...

BORN in the Northern Territory, Trinity Theological College student Fa Ngaluafe speaks rather eloquently about belonging and the challenges that come with belonging to two different cultures. “Belonging is a worldwide human desire that we all seek,” she said. “It is like a missing piece within our hearts and lives which we continuously search for. “I have come to a ...

WHEN a church calls a person in ministry it is not just that person who answers the call. A move to a new congregation or role impacts their whole family. Partners in Ministry (PIM) originated in the Methodist Church over 60 years ago to support this group of people. Queensland PIM secretary Andi Griggs said that although the group was ...

ONE year on and the physical and emotional scars of the January 2011 floods and cyclone are still evident throughout Queensland. In an area which bore the brunt of the flood’s casualties, The Downs Presbytery Minister Sharon Kirk said she deliberately did not watch any news replays of the footage from the devastating events. “I just can’t bring myself to ...

PEOPLE all over the world are searching for a sense of belonging. A National Church Life Survey (NCLS) report determined that inclusion is one of nine core qualities of vital church Life. The report, The Role of Innovation in Church Life and Health, released in March 2010, states that innovation inspires belonging when it comes to church attendance. “Research shows ...

ON MONDAY 17 October Playgroup Queensland staff visited the Indooroopilly Uniting Church Playgroup to help celebrate their win of the 2011 Playgroup Excellence Award (Community Playgroup) for their two groups. A fun filled morning was had by all and volunteers, Gaylynn Bailey, Erica Henley, Jill and Terry Mudie, Jann and Rex Niven and the parents were thrilled to receive a ...

 THE WORK of 11 remarkable individuals was celebrated in October with UnitingCare Queensland’s Moderator’s Community Service Medals. The awards were presented at the 29th Synod at Alexandra Headland on Sunday 9 October by Moderator, Rev Kaye Ronalds. Beryl Roylance, Carole Lyall, Dulcie Turner, Iuma Apelu, Lyn Paynedoc, Margaret Sear, Pat McMurtrie, Wendy Kent, Clyde Nicholl, Joyce Rieck, and Jeannine Moye ...