Local Church News

Dianne Jensen reports on a central Queensland congregation that is shining a light on effective home-grown mission. The congregation at Proserpine Whitsunday Uniting Church are firm believers that when local folk get inspired, they can undertake mission projects which will transform themselves, their local community, and the world. This is the home of Compassion candles and Chappy sticks (lip balm), ...

Mt Louisa House of Praise is located in Townsville, North Queensland. The congregation has strong links with local churches and engages with the community through a range of outreach ministries. Tara Burton spoke to minister Anne Harley. How are you enriching your community? We play a significant role in Stable on the Strand, a Christmas event put on by the ...

The lower Dawson River, which is fed by the Mimosa Creek south of Baralaba, and the Don River feeding flood waters from the Callide Valley, caused some severe inundation of properties in the Lower Dawson. Large stream flows and flooding wreaked havoc on irrigation infrastructure along with some machinery, including a 485 hp tractor submerged. A number of stock were ...

The morning of Australia Day saw the people of North Burnett enjoying gentle soaking rain. By evening it was constant, heavy rain with the rivers and streams becoming a destructive force which was totally unexpected. Sunday morning worship services in Mundubbera and Gayndah were cancelled and it was "all hands on deck" to evacuate over 100 homes and businesses in ...

Dozens of homes were inundated in Stanwell, near Rockhampton, when flash floods ripped through the community on January 25. The water roared past. Never before had it risen to this height; at least a 1.5 m higher than any previous flood. Vegetation, branches, logs, silt, fences, and household belongings were all swept along by a torrent hundreds of metres wide ...

Some members of the congregation are on farming land which was affected by floodwaters. Fences have been damaged, cattle had to be located and topsoil was washed away. Parts of Banana Shire were inundated with fast-flowing, rapidly rising water. The township of Jambin was evacuated to the school a few kilometres away on higher ground; parts of Goovigen, Dululu and ...

Gradually, all of the church, halls and storerooms were inundated with flood water. In 80 years, this has never happened. With 1.5 m of water in the storage shed, fridges, freezers, tents, canoes and thousands of sundry items were all wet and muddy. Most had to be dumped. Sterling Centre was swamped: carpet, furniture, Sunday School resources and items from ...

Our congregation consists of three worship centres; South Rockhampton Uniting Church, and Bushley Uniting Church and Mount Morgan Uniting Church (both out of town). Bushley is completely cut off from Rockhampton due to the Neerkol Bridge receiving extensive damage in the flash flooding. The congregation will likely not gather for worship for several weeks until the bridge is repaired. Mt ...

Ashmore Uniting Church is in the heart of the Gold Coast. The congregation has experienced an 80 per cent turnover in membership in the past seven years, and continues to expand. Tara Burton spoke to minister Bradley Foote. Who makes up your congregation? We are a wonderful eclectic mix of people covering more than 16 nationalities. The congregation has grown ...

MIDDLE Ridge Uniting Church has responded to the Queensland Synod Call statement of 2010, and the challenge set by their minister Rev Rob Callow to "do the theme", with the creation of a special banner. Church member Jan Pennington spent 18 months designing and creating a banner to symbolise the themes of the statement, using hand appliqué. The completed banner ...