Queensland Synod News

For the female relatives of Queensland prisoners, it can often feel as if they’re “doing time” with their incarcerated loved ones. Uniting Church members along with those from other denominations are helping to ease the pain with the Kairos Outside program. Ben Rogers reports. Created in North America in the mid-seventies, Kairos prison ministry started as a course in a ...

It’s been nearly 50 years since the Fortitude Valley Presbyterian Church in Brisbane established the Kalparrin Family Welfare Centre, a pioneering project in congregational outreach and community care. Marion McConaghy, daughter of founder and director Rev James McConaghy, looks back at how one man’s vision galvanised a community. When Rev Jim McConaghy began ministry at the Fortitude Valley Presbyterian Church ...

Alexandra Park Conference Centre is located on what could be considered one of the most prestigious pieces of land owned by the Synod, but council rezoning is forcing the Synod to consider its future. Jane Moad reports. Located in the heart of the Sunshine Coast, thousands of people have visited the almost ten hectare site for Synod in Session meetings, ...

Congregations in central Queensland are having their say about the ministry models they need to sustain them amid the ongoing challenges of life on the land. Dianne Jensen reports. Rev Arthur Tutin, the new Central Queensland Presbytery remote/rural ministry project officer, is the man literally behind the wheel of a two-year project to explore how the presbytery might develop and ...

Trinity College Queensland’s new strategic model reflects a fresh direction in leadership training in the Queensland Synod. Journey reports. Against the backdrop of a constantly evolving, competitive tertiary education sector, Trinity College Queensland has unveiled its Future Ministry Model for providing lay education and chaplaincy training. The initiative has been approved by the Board for Christian Formation (BCF) and endorsed by ...

3D Movements (3DM) is gaining traction in Australia, and an upcoming workshop introducing it to Queenslanders will put further focus on discipleship in the church, one of the 32nd Synod’s strategic priorities. Journey reports. Originally devised in the United Kingdom by St Thomas’ Church, the 3DM approach emphasises discipleship and mission to everyday people through the prism of the two ...

The 32nd Synod of the Uniting Church in Queensland has closed how it begun, in a celebration of the rich cultural diversity of the church. Rev David MacGregor opened closing worship by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which the Synod gathered, the Gubbi Gubbi people. Stillness descended over the meeting as members watched a short video called ...

After fervent discussion the 32nd Synod has passed by consensus revised priority directions for 2016–2020. Brought forward by Rev Andrew Gunton on behalf the facilitation team, the original wording of the proposal was amended to reflect the concerns of 32nd Synod members. The originally discerned top five priorities of 32nd Synod members were to “adopt as its priority directions for ...

Finance, Investment and Property (FIP) Board chairperson Ralph Collins and Finance and Property Services (FAPS) director Peter Cranna addressed the 32nd Synod saying the Synod office’s finances are in a stable condition. The Synod Reserve Fund (SRF) is a reserve to cover unexpected costs or meet ongoing expenses if all other income ceased. This fund is being rebuilt, with a ...

Several Aboriginal and Islander Uniting Church members told 32nd Synod members of the challenges and opportunities for the church in their communities. Rev Dennis Corowa, chairperson of the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress and the Calvary Presbytery in Queensland, said the Uniting Church has a long history in supporting and encouraging Indigenous people. He made particular reference to the ...