National Church Life Survey (NCLS) research has found that despite considerable differences between key issues facing churches in rural and urban environments, across measures of health and vitality there is little difference between rural church attendees and the national average. Some 42 per cent of churches that took part in the 2006 NCLS were in rural settings (and more than ...

A prominent Sydney clergyman was once quoted as saying: “God cares for people more than sheep. So we need to send gospel workers where there are more people than sheep.” There were plenty of sheep and quite a few people in western Queensland sixty years ago when wool was a pound a pound and the church was a central plank ...

You don’t have to analyse National Church Life Survey (NCLS) data to realise that life in rural communities has different challenges from those of urban centres. In fact, the best way to understand what life is like further than 100km west of the coast is to talk to the members of our churches and agencies. In communities all over the ...

By Heidi Popp Independent RRP $27.95 Reviewed by Tara Burton who is the community liaison officer for Journey.Heidi Popp delivers a beautiful and seamless album, filled with inspiring and up-lifting music. Say I am Strong is comprised of ten stellar songs. With lyrics such as “his strength is perfect when our strength is gone, he’ll carry us when we can’t ...

By Mick Sykes Boom Box Records, 2008 Reviewed by Tara Burton, community liaison officer at Journey.You may have heard some of Mick Sykes music on the popular Christian radio station 96five. There is no doubt that Mick Sykes has a subtlety powerful voice. His album Forgiven consists of twelve songs that have teachings of worship, love and devotion. The lyrics ...

THE UNITING Church in Queensland is embarking on a process to gain a fresh understanding of how it can use property resources for mission, beginning with an online Property Assessment Tool. All congregations and faith communities with beneficial use of property have been requested to provide information in the online survey about their current property usage and how well each property ...

“Malo e lelei”, Unity College’s Tongan Travellers called out, flaunting their new language skills as they emerged from the airport in July. This was the second trip that students from Unity College, a joint Uniting and Catholic Church school in Caloundra, have made to visit their twinning school, Peteli Middle School, a school of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga. ...

THE ABERGOWRIE Uniting Church in Ingham was decommissioned on 6 June with a special service conducted by North Queensland Presbytery Chair Rev Bruce Cornish. Its opening in March 1959 as the Abergowrie Methodist Church saw four baptisms that day. Dwindling numbers and high building upkeep costs forced the congregation to reassess their use of the building. Event Coordinator Liz Bosworth ...

MEMBERS OF the Esk Uniting Church celebrated the birthday of their oldest member, Ivy Fox (nee Feldhahn), at her 100th birthday lunch in Toowoomba in August. Baptised at the Lowood Methodist Church in 1910, Mrs Fox has had a continuous association with her church, showing adoration for her Lord in the way she quietly shares her faith by love and ...

IT MAY only be August but the Synod Communication Services Unit (CSU) has been hard at work consulting as many people as possible to help decide on the 2010 Christmas postcard theme. This year the slogan is: “This seat is reserved for you this Christmas.” The back of the card will say “Worship with us” and have a space for ...