Journey talks with Iven about his faith, his lifelong journey with maintaining fitness and what advice he has for others keen to stay active and healthy. While some people entering retirement may be keen to embark on a leisurely cruise or simply put their feet up, Iven Hewett is still going strong. Literally. The 70-year-old retired Chinchilla Uniting Church pastor ...

This edition we’re unveiling some new sections which we hope bring a fresh dimension to the magazine: “Humans of UCA”, a look at the wide spectrum of people that make up the church, and “Whatever happened to”, a trip down memory lane to examine faith-themed concepts that may have been given heavy focus in the past but have since been ...

The new Uniting Church youth camp Easter Madness was a great success. Journey reports Over 100 young people from across the Uniting Church in Queensland celebrated the Easter weekend together at the inaugural Easter Madness youth camp in March. The Easter Madness Appeal also meant that 13 young people, including two leaders, from rural and remote Queensland were able to ...

A new suite of resources to assist the church to be a safe place for children and young people was launched in March this year. Mardi Lumsden reports. The new Safe Ministry with Children resources are the result of feedback from congregations, collaboration between the Synod office, presbyteries and several committees, and a commitment that the church’s ministry with children ...

As coal seam gas mining spreads across rural Queensland, landholders are feeling the stress.  Bruce Mullan reports. A third generation farmer from the Darling Downs looks across the land his grandfather cleared of brigalow scrub in 1908 to see his precious intensive grazing acres cut by roads, pipelines, open trenches and coal seam gas (GSG) mining development. The Chinchilla farmer, ...

Pull out the popcorn, it’s time for the sermon. Dianne Jensen explores how preaching styles have changed, and why good preaching still matters. When comedian George Burns suggested that the secret of a fine sermon is to have a good beginning and a good ending, with the two as close together as possible, he could not have imagined the entertainment ...

Strolling through Indooroopilly Hundreds of people are expected to attend the annual Stroll through Bethlehem at Indooroopilly Uniting Church, Brisbane, when the church precinct is transformed into the ancient streets of Bethlehem. The free event will be held on 20–22 December from 6.30pm to 8.30pm. Contact the church office on 3878 9535 or visit indooroopillyuc.org.au. Festival of Christmas Lights Elanora ...

“FREETOWN IS very different to our home town of Chinchilla in Queensland,” say Russell and Robyn Porep, who have just finished six months of service as volunteers with Mercy Ships in the West African nation. Robyn worked as a physiotherapist on the Africa Mercy, the world’s largest charity hospital ship which has six operating theatres, a 78-bed hospital and equipped with ...

ON SUNDAY 5 June Queensland’s oldest living Uniting Church minister, Rev Ellis Bramley, will celebrate his 100th birthday with a special services at the Chermside- Kedron Community Church in Brisbane. Mr Bramley commenced his ministry as a Home Missionary in Chinchilla in 1932. After his Ordination at Albert Street Methodist Church in 1938 he served in Clermont, Longreach and then ...

THE ENORMOUS clean up is well under way in Central and South-East Queensland and the Downs Presbytery after the region experienced the worst flooding in 30 years. Thousands of volunteers have turned out to scrape mud off flood affected properties. Volunteers also fed those cleaning. Long road to recoveryDespite tragedy communities have banded together on the long road to recovery. ...