I had a delightful conversation with a senior student from one of our Uniting Church schools. He is considering spending a gap year to support a community in a developing country. He thinks he would like the challenge of a cross-cultural experience. Together we chatted about options for volunteering with an Indigenous community, UnitingWorld or another community organisation. He explained ...

Small congregations face a unique set of challenges, and don’t always have the resources to participate in ministry in the same way as large churches with big budgets and a large talent pool. But small churches are still an important part of the fabric of our community, and their intimate size offers opportunities that aren’t available to big communities. Here’s ...

The image of the 77-year-old Bundaberg Uniting Church awash with 60 cm of putrid water was a symbol for many of the devastation wrought by the January floods. It was the end of September before the congregation gathered in the refurbished church for worship, writes Dianne Jensen. The damage to the Bundaberg church property was extensive. As well as flooding the church, ...

HOW are we, the Uniting Church in Queensland, travelling towards our Vision 2020? This is a good question to ask at just over a year since we gathered for the 29th Synod meeting. THE role of Moderator provides me with an opportunity to visit many places. Some places have enthusiastically embraced the call to be Uniting in Christ, acting with ...

THE AUSTRALIAN population is in itself ageing but according to National Church Life Survey (NCLS) data, the church still has more people aged over 50 years and fewer under 40 years than the general population. According to NCLS data, the Uniting Church has the fewest members (8 per cent) aged between 15 and 29 of all Australian mainstream Christian denominations. ...

IN MY PRIMARY school in Bundaberg the entire school was separated into denominations for RE lessons. Once a week, about 80 children were sent to a room where one poor lady tried to teach bible stories amongst misbehaving kids. I didn’t listen that much, however I did pay attention when the forms for attending Day Camp were handed out. At ...

Strange things are afoot in the life of the Uniting Church in Queensland in youth and children’s ministry. YACMU Director Michael Jeffrey reports hearing positive stories about ministry in many areas. “Day camps in the last school holidays were as large as they have ever been and youth workers are feeling good about their ministry and excited about the growth ...

By Scott Guyatt, Synod Project Officer In this new year, as we look forward with faith for a new season, we remain energised by the possibilities of Renewal.  We seek a deep and powerful renewal that encompasses reflection, recognition and restoration, one that challenges us to resurrection and re-affirmation, that may ask us to repent or to reconcile, and that ...

By Andrew McKaysmith, Synod Writer and Content Creator  St. Luke’s Uniting Church in Hamilton galvanised the local community, rallying support raising over $3,000 in contributions for Breast Cancer Network Australia. The event, named ‘Go Pink in Our Gardens,’ was inspired by their church Chairperson, Lynelle Muntz, a breast cancer survivor. October, recognised as Breast Cancer Awareness month, highlights the lasting ...

By Andrew McKaysmith, Synod Writer and Content Creator. For children raised on a remote property far from metropolitan services, life entails spending long days alongside their parents, joining them in their daily tasks and activities. The Lyons family has taken a different approach by enlisting the assistance of an Educator through Uniting In-Home Care. Kirsty Lyons and her husband run a ...