JourneyOnline
I hope all our readers had a blessed Easter.
Thanks to the generosity of our donors we were able to sponsor 23 candidates across Queensland—from Toowoomba to Bowen, from Bundaberg to North MacKay—from the 2019 Easter Madness Appeal. This enabled free registration and accommodation for campers outside of the south east corner during the four day Easter Madness Camp held at Alexandra Park Conference Centre.
We also acknowledge a major donor who enabled the Uniting Church Foundation Young Leader Award which entitles a camper to attend Easter Madness Camp for three years, free of charge. Congratulations to the 2019 recipient of this award—Emily Mills from Townsville.
Thank you also to all those who contributed towards the flood relief efforts in North Queensland, especially our donor churches from other Synods. We have been able to assist families impacted by the floods in Townsville and surrounding areas including Annandale, Hermit Park and Mundingburra. Relief efforts have included counselling and pastoral care services as well as the distribution of food and general vouchers to support local businesses.
Through our patrol ministry efforts in Cloncurry we have been able to directly liaise with impacted graziers on the ground and assist them in more customised ways as appropriate to each station.
Meanwhile in presbytery land, the Presbytery Mission Program has taken shape and we have defined a program of mission to respond to the changing face of our society by planting new churches in rapid growth areas; engaging with youth and young adults in multicultural communities; reaching our members in rural and remote areas and reconciling with First Peoples.
To enable this body of mission we need your support: all contributions will be received into the Presbytery Mission Fund and used to invest in key people, both lay and ordained, who will be deployed across our state to be the faces of the Uniting Church to those who need it most.
If we don’t come together to invest in identifying and unleashing the gifts of church members who will positively impact on local and wider communities, then how can we make a move on mission?
The recently concluded 34th Synod in Session saw the launch of our inaugural fundraising vision video.
In case you missed it, please visit missionpossible.ucaqld.com.au
Thank you to all those who gave of their time voluntarily during the video production process to enable us to showcase the missional outcomes that we can make possible through the art of giving.
As always, I look forward to your comments and feedback on phone 07 3377 9777 or email raushen.perera@ucaqld.com.au
Raushen Perera
Raushen Perera is the Queensland Synod’s Chief Fundraising and Marketing Officer.
