Faced with a rapidly increasing shortage of ordained ministers to serve in placements in Queensland, congregations and presbyteries are looking to retired ministers, specified lay ministers and untrained lay people to fill vacancies. A greater number of ministers are achieving ordination late in life and not serving through to retirement. This situation has been described as grim. This year six ...

The 36th Synod of the Uniting Church in Queensland is underway. Members have gathered today at Alexandra Park, sharing stories of travel challenges faced to overcome widespread rain and flooding, but determined to be together to explore the Synod’s theme of Daring Hope. After a flood-related delayed start, the Synod knuckled down to work today, beginning in worship, discerning a ...

Churches across Queensland are stepping out in faith to explore innovative ways to connect with local communities and to nurture children and families. Dianne Jensen reports. Children’s pictures of Jesus usually depict him as smiling, with arms outstretched. Their bright daubs capture a child-like wonder at the divine, a reassurance that faith will be passed on to the next generation. ...

Reflecting on the past and discerning how the church faces the future was front and centre of the 33rd Synod meeting (20–24 October). The team from Journey reports. Hundreds of Uniting Church members gathered at the Alexandra Park Conference Centre on the Sunshine Coast as the 33rd Synod in Session kicked off in style with a rousing opening worship of ...

Once the stuff of science-fiction cinema like Terminator or 2001: A Space Odyssey, there’s no escaping the reality that artificial intelligence (AI) is deeply embedded in our lives, from the way we use the Internet to the medical industry using it to predict illnesses based on large quantities of historical patient data. All technological advances come with a degree of ...

 A gathering of presbytery and Assembly leaders from across the country left participants energised for the future of the Uniting Church. Mardi Lumsden reports. “Forty: fit and fired up” was the theme of the biennial national Uniting Church presbytery ministers’ gathering held over three days in Brisbane in April, which brought together around 50 presbytery ministers and people involved in ...

Most Australians will either experience disability themselves or have direct contact with someone who has, but are churches equipped to be an inclusive environment for everyone? Sue Hutchinson examines disability, faith and what churches can do to be welcoming to all. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, around one in five people in Australia have a disability ...

Telling others about the good news of Christ’s death and resurrection is a vital part of mission and discipleship, but it can be difficult—even intimidating. Rohan Salmond looks at how to overcome some of the challenges to evangelism. When Jesus was betrayed and crucified, the movement which had built up around him was shattered and immediately went underground. The eleven ...

It’s much easier to be a young person in a church full of other young people, and it’s no secret that some Uniting Church members are gravitating to younger, cooler denominations—or leaving church altogether. Rohan Salmond talks to some young people who have made the choice to stick around. It’s a statistical oddity that one of Australia’s youngest denominations—the Uniting ...

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,” ...