Opinion

By Andrew McKaysmith, Synod Writer and Content creator.  Blue Care Sunday is a special day to reflect on the origin of Blue Care. It honours the story of the Rev Arthur Preston, superintendent minister of the West End Methodist Mission and Sister Olive Crombie, the first nurse for the Blue Nursing Service in 1953.  Participating in Blue Care Sunday means ...

By Rebecca Riggs, Communications Manager – Office of the Synod, Uniting Church in Queensland. What seems a very long time ago I was the sort of heartbroken you can only be in your early 20s – sitting by the edge of the road waiting for a bus. Everything was a bit blurry in the midst of my struggle and I ...

By Andrew McKaysmith, Synod Writer and Content Creator, with Kym Korbe – Koa, Kuku Yalanji (Wakka Wakka), Manager RAP Program, UnitingCare In partnership with QPAC, Multicultural Australia recently hosted an enlightening series of discussions called “Changing the Conversation”. This series brought together esteemed thought leaders from academia, government, business, and the community to engage in robust conversations about the complexities ...

By Vanessa Griffiths, Fundraising Support Manager – Church Enterprise Development This is the amazing story of one man’s dream to serve his community and create a legacy that, thanks to the Alcorn Trust, lives on today. Cyril David Alcorn was born in 1911 in Ipswich.  He attended Brisbane state schools and then went to Teacher Training College. He was so ...

By Kate Welch, Raymont College  In recent years, young Christians worldwide have been actively responding to the call to love their neighbour and care for people in need. Many of them have found inspiration in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, who taught his followers to love and serve others as he did. A key focus of young Christians ...

By Andrew McKaysmith, Synod Writer and Content Creator.  March 21st in Australia is Harmony Day, a chance to honour the diversity of nations that have made Australia their home. Rev Stanley Tuilovoni, originally from Fiji, is a Minister of the Word at Kangaroo Point Uniting Church and has established a family in Australia, which now includes four grandchildren. He said ...

By Steve Drinkall, Manager, Mission Engagement Synod Support Services The story of the Good Samaritan is possibly one of the best-known stories of the bible.  This story came about originally after a lawyer approached Jesus and asked “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”.  Jesus responds with a fairly standard answer of “Love the Lord your God with all ...

International Women’s Day is an important event that (UCA tagged) is celebrating this year with a showcase of some of the incredible women who work within our services and teams and men who actively advocate and empower their female colleagues to achieve great things. We recognise that empowering women is essential for building stronger organisations and communities as we strive ...

By Rev Heather den Houting, General Secretary – Queensland Synod, Uniting Church in Australia At this time of Lent, three insistent themes have been emerging in my prayer and spiritual life. The first is Ecclesiastes 3:14, the second is the notion of Pilgrim people as articulated in the UCA’s Basis of Union and the third is Teresa of Avila’s prayer ...

By Rev Andrew Gunton – Moderator In many of Jesus’ stories, he uses excellent illustrations to point out who and how we are called to be God’s people.   In the story of the Good Samaritan, Jesus is put on the spot by a lawyer who, after finding out what he must do to inherit eternal life, that is, to ...