The Statement to the Nation (1977) made by the Uniting Church in Australia 40 years ago spelled out the enduring connection between the founding denominations and the churches of the Pacific and South East Asia. A partnership between Glebe Road Uniting Church, Ipswich and Ekaristi Church in Dili, Timor- Leste is proof positive of that evolving relationship. This report by ...

With a major humanitarian disaster unfolding in Nepal, India and Bangladesh due to dangerous flooding, UnitingWorld’s Cath Taylor asks where is the media coverage and what can we do to help?  The first I knew of 16 million people inundated by floodwater were the photos from a friend on Facebook. Outstretched hands, bare shoulders, muddy torrents: they were the first of what ...

Our standard vision of poverty is often restricted to images of people lacking all the necessities but as Cath Taylor discovered in West Timor, our preconceptions can get in the way of facilitating change. The moment I spot the mobile phone I flash an eyebrow at our photographer. It says, “Uh-oh, can we get that out of there? If not ...

Art has been on my mind: I visited Sydney’s Art Gallery of NSW and Museum of Contemporary Art Australia during a recent holiday and it reminded me how art can unlock ways we see the good, the bad and the ugly in our society, and gave pause for contemplation about who we are and where we’re headed. I also stumbled ...

Phil Day’s cartoon above highlights the juxtaposition the church in many parts of the west is finding itself in relation to the broader western society. I recently noticed one hotel in Brisbane advertising a family-friendly Easter, with Easter egg hunts, special menus, the whole nine yards. While there are powerful commercial and ideological interests at play now in the Easter ...

While there’s seemingly no escape from the onslaught of consumerism during the Christmas season, Cath Taylor unwraps the act of giving in a theological context.  Australians give a lot of gifts—about $8.9 billion worth last year, apparently. But how good were they? A jaw-dropping $500 million worth ended up back on eBay within a month and quite a few of ...

Members of The Gap Uniting Church recently completed a challenging trek through Sri Lanka to raise money to support children with disability. Joanne Allen-Keeling shares her account of the adventure and how UnitingWorld are shaping lives and communities abroad for the better. On 21 September 2016, the Bridge The Gap team set off for Sri Lanka to visit the projects ...

The Pray for Our Pacific campaign from 3–11 September is encouraging Australian faith communities to host a special service or event to highlight the region’s ongoing challenges of climate change and environmental damage. Pacific Island nations, which are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, face a range of environmental threats such as cyclones, floods and droughts. Thousands have ...

The Uniting Church in Australia may be a leading light when it comes to gender equality in leadership but we still have some way to go. Ashley Thompson talks to five key church leaders at UnitingWomen 2016 about how we can fully annihilate the glass ceiling. Shift your thinking  Colleen Geyer is the newly appointed general secretary of the Assembly, ...

One thing that brings children together is their love of drawing. Dianne Jensen finds out why KidzArt is booming at Southport Uniting Church. Exploring spirituality through art is just one of the things which makes KidzArt an effective mission of Southport Uniting Church. The innovative program was started four years ago by Rev Dona Spencer to provide a creative Christian ...