Local Church News

St Andrew’s, Yeppoon uses the power of song to bring joy to people living with life-limiting conditions such as dementia and Parkinson’s disease. Dianne Jensen reports. The familiar music cuts through the fog of dementia, nudging at long-lost memories. For the first time in many years, the elderly man slipped his arms around his wife and they began to dance. ...

When they needed a church home, the Uniting Church congregation at Highfields outside Toowoomba decided to create a community hub. James O’Callaghan reports. Highfields Community Church has redeveloped a bowling club into a community centre in the heart of Highfields, a growing community near Toowoomba. Rev Marius Kruger says it was growth that prompted the need for the new space, ...

A range of green initiatives by Bulimba Uniting Church is fully expressing the Christian call to safeguard the integrity of God’s creation and provide sustainable stewardship of earthly resources. Journey reports. What started with a small solar panel in 2012 has blossomed into a full suite of “Green Church” policies at Bulimba Uniting Church as the congregation continues to seek ...

Glebe Road Uniting Church, Ipswich has fostered a partnership with Ekaristi Church in Dili, Timor-Leste for the past nine years. Ekaristi church operates Marcelo 2 Eskola, a kindergarten and elementary school on the church grounds and Glebe Road members have raised funds to assist in the building of extra classrooms at the school. A visit to Timor-Leste in 2016 coincided ...

It’s been 170 years since the first service was conducted in the Wesleyan chapel in Ipswich in 1848, giving birth to a faithful congregation who have continued to serve God at the Ipswich City Uniting Church. Join the celebrations on 29 April at 2 pm, and read church council member Ruth Duncan’s reflection to find out more about this historic ...

Already a role model in his home town of Mapoon, a small community an hour’s drive from Weipa in Queensland’s far north, Royston Sagigi-Baira speaks to James O’Callaghan about his career highlights, connection to the Church and his hopes for the future. Royston, who relocated to Brisbane last year to attend the Aboriginal Centre of Performing Arts, hopes to draw ...

Starting a new job can be a nerve-wracking experience for anyone but for young people with disability there can be a range of social, emotional, physical and cognitive challenges to overcome as they settle into a new work environment. With the establishment of the ORCA (opportunities, readiness, community and abilities) Project, support is now available to ease that transition. Journey ...

We traditionally tend to think of church attendance as a morning activity but The Gap Uniting Church has introduced Sunday night worship sessions catering for older youth and young adults. Emma Holmes writes about her experience attending “Night Church” and what newcomers can expect. “What does a dream worship service for young adults look like?” Eighteen months ago, this question ...

Stretching over 70 kilometres along the Central Queensland coastline, Capricorn Coast is a unique region of historical towns, farms, beaches, rainforests and wetlands. Rev Suzy Sitton—Capricorn Coast Uniting Church minister—reflects on what the Christmas season means for the area and her hopes for 2018. Like so many places at Christmas time, the Capricorn Coast is full of families enjoying the ...

A parishioner’s generous legacy is helping transform the vision for a new covenantal community into reality at Saint Andrew’s Uniting Church in downtown Brisbane. Dianne Jensen reports.  Next year heritage-listed Saint Andrew’s Uniting Church will launch Holdfast Saint Andrew’s, a contemporary Christian community rooted in the age-old traditions of covenant, mission and spiritual practice. The new venture has been made ...