Local Church News

When the joy of Advent seems to mock the darkness in our hearts, Blue Christmas is a reminder that the light of God still illuminates the path. Dianne Jensen talks to Rev David MacGregor. Like every congregation, the people at Wellers Hill–Tarragindi Uniting Church, Brisbane have experienced their share of grief and struggle during the year. Some will take the ...

Bruce Mullan attended the Global Leadership Summit and came away surprised and impressed. From the moment you were greeted in the car park of Newlife Robina Uniting Church it was clear that this event was going to be something special. A team of over 40 volunteers welcomed 250 people to hear video presentations from experts in leadership training and church ...

Blackall Uniting Church in western Queensland has planted the seeds for a thriving youth ministry. Youth pastor Scott Walker speaks to Dianne Jensen. Thursday night at the Blackall Uniting Church is youth group night, and youth pastor Scott Walker starts the evening by praying with the six regular attendees. The numbers have fluctuated over the last two and half years ...

Last month, Christian political practitioners and academics gathered to unpack the presence of faith in public office. Ashley Thompson reports. To what extent should people that hold high public office constrain the expression of their personal faith and its inevitable influence over the performance of their public duties? Toowong Uniting Church member and director of Emmanuel College’s Centre for the ...

Whenever two or three people gather to eat and drink together as part of worship, café church is happening. Dianne Jensen talks to three Queensland congregations exploring fresh forms of this ancient model of being church. It’s family friendly, low key, and a lot harder to slip into the back row unnoticed. Café church is a contemporary reimagining of a ...

Logan Central Multicultural Uniting Church has launched an appeal to support Ilai Maloloi and his family after a fire devastated their family home last week, destroying everything. “Fire is the disaster that does not discriminate,” said Ilai, who is a Tongan elder at the church. “No matter where we live or the age and condition of our homes, there is ...

Sometimes life really is a picnic. Dianne Jensen finds out why Redlands for Refugees is bringing asylum seekers and ordinary Aussies together over sausages, salad and plenty of cake. It’s hard to imagine a better place to escape the city than Moreton Bay. And among those enjoying a Sunday afternoon of food and conversation are locals from Redlands for Refugees, ...

Rewarding opportunities can await ministry partners willing to venture beyond the city lights, as Dianne Jensen discovered on the moderator’s recent trip to the outback. Rev Jenny Coombes and her husband Peter had plenty of time to consider the pros and cons of moving to Longreach on the long drive to meet congregation members. Newly ordained, Jenny had asked for ...

Choirs are becoming less common in Uniting Church congregations, but some communities are continuing this proud tradition. Rohan Salmond writes. While church music is trending toward more band-focused music style, some congregations are maintaining their choirs because of the opportunities for community building, outreach and enriching worship on a Sunday morning. Adele Nisbet is choral director of Saint Andrew’s Uniting ...

On the Gold and Sunshine Coasts, church op shops are bridging the gap between congregations and the community. Ashley Thompson speaks with volunteers from the Mudgeeraba and Mooloolaba Uniting Church op shops. If you find yourself browsing through the eclectic treasure of Mudgeeraba Uniting Church Community Care Op Shop on a weekday morning around ten, it’s likely you’ll be invited into ...