JourneyOnline
Journey jacket
Our readers must have all seen the recent dust jacket or wrap-around cover enclosing the Winter edition of Journey—a unique way to launch the Queensland Synod’s Presbytery Mission Program. This jacket is a key takeaway long after the magazine is read, to get a sense of the body of mission that we wish to make possible via our presbyteries, together with individual and congregational support.
Tomorrow’s People
Our first presbytery fundraising project is for the mission of church planting. From my perspective, this is an important area of mission because as we seek to grow the Uniting Church in size and influence, we need to also grow in closeness and connection.
We need to see new people welcomed, new neighbourhoods created and new networks established. We need spaces and places for families to enjoy each other’s company and feel a sense of true belonging, connected by the camaraderie they enjoy and the faith and mission they share.
Your support will raise up church planting teams and enable us to be church beyond our present scale and presence. So which unreached city, unknown
leader or emerging community will you raise up with your support? Refer to the church planting insert in this edition of Journey for how to give.
Conversations of Consequence
The Synod fundraising office has been busy coordinating and enabling conversations between leaders of the church and passionate congregational members to discuss the future of the church, what mission looks like today and opportunities to make more mission possible tomorrow.
The Moderator and I are also visiting congregations to advise and assist with bequest and stewardship programs whilst harnessing the imagination of our congregational members on how and what we should be doing to assist local and wider church communities.
Let’s reach out and initiate necessary change, one conversation at a time.
If any readers would like to discuss opportunities for mission with the leaders of the church, please contact me by phone on (07) 3377 9823. Who knows where our imagination and faith will lead us?
New hope for Aurukun
Our readers will be happy to know that the Uniting Church Foundation received a significant philanthropic grant recently for the construction of a church manse at Aurukun, as part of our revival program for both Indigenous ministry and remote area ministry in Far North Queensland.
The Aurukun community has not had a full-time ordained minister since 2004. The construction of a manse will enable the placement of a Uniting Church minister who can be an effective and supportive community leader for 1200 members of the local community. This will also strengthen our existing presence in Napranum, Mornington Island and Weipa, so it is a vital build for many reasons.
Raushen Perera
Chief Fundraising and Marketing Officer,
Queensland Synod
(07) 3377 9777 or raushen.perera@ucaqld.com.au
