By Lynne M. Baab, The Alban Institute, 200, RRP $33.95 Reviewed by Karyl Davison. EVERYTHING ABOUT a congregation speaks of its values. Imagine walking into a church you know nothing about. If you see children’s artwork posted on the noticeboard, hear children singing and playing, and see posters for youth camps or outings you will know that this church caters ...

THE GATHERING of God’s people in worship is at the heart of the church’s life. Week by week we are drawn together to be fed by word and sacrament and sent out into the body of the world to share the hope and love of God with others. This is how the Basis of Union describes it: “The Congregation is ...

TUESDAY NIGHTS in the back of an art gallery and framing shop, a few good men from the Ingham Uniting Church, North Queensland, prove that blokes can multitask. “We can talk, eat Tim Tams and drink tea or coffee!” claimed David Rowe. This is church where two or three (or at most eight or nine) gather to support each other ...

FOR SOME Uniting Church people church is not a building with the cross out the front, but rather somewhere in the community where people gather to relax, have fun and meet friends. At Indooroopilly Uniting Church, across the road from one of Brisbane’s largest shopping centres, that space has become the local pub. Rev Josie Nottle said their Pub Church ...

Lion Hudson 2010 RRP $17.99 Linda Hanson worships at Pomona Uniting Church and has three children. My First Holy Communion is a well presented hard cover book that will make a lovely gift for someone celebrating their first communion. The first page allows for the details of the gift giver and the child’s baptism and first communion dates. The book ...

The Alban Institute, Virginia, 2008 RRP $24.95 Reviewed by Karyl Davison.It would be hard to find a preacher who would argue against preaching with personal integrity. While that may be so, this is no easy task. It is very challenging to practice integrity in our preaching, particularly at times of controversy, after there’s been a local or national crisis or ...

THE UNITING Church’s foundational document, the Basis of Union, states many different purposes of the church. Some of these include: “preaching Christ the risen crucified One” (para 3); “to be a fellowship of reconciliation” (para 3); “be led to deeper commitment to the faith and service” (para 12); “order its life in response to God’s call to enter more fully ...

LAST OCTOBER Rev Sue Pickering led a small group to Chennai, South India, to put their faith in action. Ms Pickering’s local community in Wilston also got behind the trip with local businesses donating money to projects supported by the Church of South India. “The aim of the visit was to be challenged by the idea that we believe God ...

WHILE MANY young people were planning New Year’s Eve celebrations, more than 900 people from Australia and overseas came together for the biennial National Christian Youth Convention 2011 (ncyc11) on the Gold Coast. Approximately 350 delegates were from Queensland and around 100 delegates were part of the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress group. From 29 December to 4 January, ...

The Mary Burnett Presbytery will host the Rural Muster in Nanango from 13-15 May. Rural Muster is a three-day gathering of Uniting Church ministers and lay people from country Queensland and smaller urban congregations to seek God’s direction for ministry in their communities. Previous Rural Musters have been held in Mundubbera, Roma and Oakey. Organisers encouraged people from all over ...