Last month UnitingCare Queensland’s Edge Innovation Festival set out to challenge the preconceived ideas of UnitingCare Queensland staff. Ashley Thompson reports. Created with the objective to “turn your thinking upside down”, Edge is a festival of free events designed to inspire Uniting Church service groups including: UnitingCare Community, UnitingCare Health, Blue Care and the UnitingCare Group Office. Not unlike the ...

A church for all God’s people There’s a lot of thought going on at the moment as to how the Uniting Church can do things differently in order to adapt to demographic changes in the broader community. It’s a topic that sparked a lot of conversation during Open Space at the 31st Synod in Session last year. It’s not a ...

The problems facing the Uniting Church are common to many denominations around the world, and there is much we can learn from how they are responding, writes Rev Orrell Battersby. At the 31st Synod we received some sobering statistics—attendance in the Uniting Church across Australia is in sharp decline. The prediction: continued decline. The problem: failure to attract young families. ...

There were plenty of passionate discussions around how the Uniting Church forms people in their faith at the 31st Synod in October last year. Mardi Lumsden explores how theological study deepens and even shakes your faith, and why that could be essential to your faith journey. The Uniting Church’s foundational document the Basis of Union outlines the importance of the ...

This is the first Journey of the New Year, so I want to outline for you again the discernment of the 31st Synod regarding the broad priorities for the church’s life going forward. Synod discerned the following: making our worship accessible and attractive growing our members in their passion and ability to share their faith planting new communities of faith ...

Every 18 months UnitingCare Queensland recognises significant contributions to the community made by volunteers. Journey reports. Twelve Queensland volunteers have been acknowledged for their outstanding contribution to the community by being awarded a 2014 Moderator’s Community Service Medal. Seven of the 12 recipients were presented their medals by Queensland Uniting Church Moderator Rev David Baker and UnitingCare Queensland CEO Anne ...

“Well, that’s the question, folks, what’s your response?” This was how Brendan McKeague kicked off a day and a half of discernment for the Synod as it met at Alexandra Park Conference Centre in October. The question was, “Our church is on life support; what’s our call now?” About 70 members of Synod stood up and named an issue they ...

The 31st Synod in Session closed five days of work and fellowship on 15 October with a worship service reminding members to “keep the charge”. Moderator David Baker reflected on the church as a flotilla; a group of ships traveling together, supporting each other. He reflected on past moderator, Kaye Ronalds’ question: “Are we there yet?” “I hope you have ...

After three days of structured business, the 31st Synod is moving to a time of open space to discuss the question, “Our church is on life support; what’s our call now?” The open space discussions come after a sobering report from Mission Engagement Project officer Scott Guyatt which indicated that if current trends continue, the Uniting Church in Queensland will ...

Uniting Church Assembly General Secretary Rev Terence Corkin presented members of the 31st Synod with the Assembly report on Monday 13 October. Terence reminded the Synod of the date of the next Assembly meeting, 12–18 July 2015, and the theme Hearts on fire. The deadline for submissions for the next Assembly on the discussion on marriage has now passed and ...