Opinion

A couple of weeks ago, one Friday night, the youth group from St Stephen’s Roman Catholic Church in Brisbane hit the streets. They introduced themselves to people and told them that the cathedral was open for prayer; that they were welcome to go in, pray about something that was on their mind or troubling them, and light a candle as ...

October is Buy Nothing New month, a global movement for collective, conscientious consumption which began in Melbourne. Here are a few ideas for saving your pennies and caring for the planet. Stop making excuses The challenge is to buy nothing new (with the exception of essentials like food, hygiene and medicines), not to go without. It’s about evaluating consumer choices ...

Lending a helping hand is not only part of Australian culture, it’s central to what makes the Uniting Church what it is. Scott Guyatt writes about how churches can help one another. Queensland is a big place. Every now and then it’s worth reminding ourselves just how big Queensland is, and just how diverse its communities and contexts. To drive ...

When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on Earth? “We are as guarded and concerned about our place here as we ever have been. Some in our community are not sure if we’re welcome,” says a Queensland Muslim leader. “We are reaching out to our young men who are vulnerable —without work, from broken homes, seeking to ...

Fatherhood is an increasingly complex vocation, and all Christian fathers have a responsibility to help their children in their Christian life, writes Graham Williamson. It never ceases to amaze me: the number of areas in which Christian life is such an obvious answer to many of the social ills that are confronting society. Never has it been so true that ...

Paul’s counsel to Timothy to atune ourselves to the mind and heart of Christ is a wake-up call for ministry formation, writes Sean Gilbert. “Train yourself in godliness, for, while physical training is of some value, godliness is valuable in every way … ” (1 Timothy 4:7b-8a) Paul’s encouragement to Timothy has nothing to do with sanctimonious practices of faith ...

“Preparation for married life begins the day you are born.” It was one of those new thoughts that made such common sense that as a 34-year-old, I wondered why I hadn’t thought of it before. I still remember the time and place it was said 23 years later! We learn what married life is about by observing and modelling. The ...

University chaplain and evangelism trainer Rev Dr Ian Robinson reminds us that evangelism is about demonstrating a real faith in a real God in the real world. Jesus was loved by the people for the way he evangelised. In faith-sharing, we offer seven beautiful gifts to another person. Time The single most precious gift we can give is the time ...

For about a year, when I was a young bloke, a mate and I used to go to King George Square once a week on a Tuesday, walk up to people having their lunch break, and ask them, “If you were to die tonight, where would you spend eternity?”  This was seen in my circles at the time to be ...

For a community of faith to grow, it needs to make room for people who have never been to church before. Rev David MacGregor explores a variety of ways newcomers can feel at home in a new place. In our worshipping communities we struggle to make inclusion real in our life together, especially with those who have never previously belonged ...