In the coastal community of Yeppoon, Central Queensland, the clean-up continues after tropical Cyclone Marcia made landfall at Shoalwater Bay (between St Lawrence and Yeppoon) as a category five storm, Matt Gees writes. St Andrew’s Uniting Church in Yeppoon, approximately six kilometres up the hill from the main beach, sustained minor damage. However Emu Park Uniting Church (around 350 steps from the ...

After a career in media Phil Smith has found himself lay pastor to a kind of faith community not often found in the Uniting Church. Rohan Salmond talks to him about faith, ecumenism and the future of church. “I have just turned 53 and really would not have expected to be in this activity in this season of my life,” ...

All giving should be rooted in relationship, writes Ashley Thompson. Last year your aunt gave you ice tongs for Christmas. You didn’t want or need them. In fact you weren’t even aware ice needed tongs! So today, like many other misguided gifts from relatives, they live in a spare cupboard waiting to be re-gifted. You’re positive you’re not the only one who’s been ...

Dianne Jensen talks to award-winning comic artist Phil Day about viewing life and faith through the lens of humour. Remember that smart-aleck kid whose clever caricatures were passed around the classroom as soon as the teacher’s back was turned? There’s a good chance that he or she grew up to be a cartoonist like Phillip Day, the award-winning comic artist who ...

The 31st Queensland Synod meeting (10–15 October) could be characterised by an energy signifying that the church is on the cusp of something different. Members from across the Queensland Synod gathered together for the 31st Synod in Session as they discussed issues important to the Uniting Church in Queensland, ranging from statistics of church decline and hardship to inspiring stories ...

A number of general proposals were passed by consensus during the 31st Synod in Session, many focussing on the church’s call to love our neighbour as ourselves. Constitutional recognition A proposal brought to the Synod by UnitingCare Queensland CEO Anne Cross and Calvary Presbytery Minister Rev Dennis Corowa called the church to join UnitingCare Queensland in being official partners of ...

The desperate woman who pushed through the crowd to tug at Jesus’ robe took a chance that his minders were too distracted to notice. There are better ways to make your voice heard at the G20, as Dianne Jensen reports. Raising your concerns directly with world leaders such as US President Barack Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel or Chinese President ...

The call for humans to care for creation—to be good stewards—goes back to Adam and Eve. As the Queensland Synod marks Stewardship Sunday (5 October), Mardi Lumsden explores how the modern church is living generously. So often, the word stewardship is underpinned by the need to fix the church roof or upgrade technology. Queensland Synod Moderator-elect Rev David Baker says ...

We interviewed Betty about her life and faith on Friday 27 June and sadly advise that since this article was written and went to print Betty has passed away. We have been informed that Betty did have the opportunity to read the article before her passing. She died on Wednesday 6 August 2014 after a short illness. How does a self-described shy ...

Dianne Jensen talks to Dave Andrews, Charles Ringma, Lin Hatfield Dodds and Sue Hutchinson about why they keep working for social transformation. “Many people start out with the fire in their belly to set the world alight when they are young; but very few people still have the fire in their belly when they are old,” says Dave Andrews. The ...