Queensland Synod News

THE ACCESS All Areas campaign was launched in Brisbane today, aiming to break down the barriers disadvantaged Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience in accessing services within their community. Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Human Services Coalition executive director Garth Morgan said the campaign was about improving both service access and delivery. “We’re talking about improving outcomes in everything ...

DR SHIRLEY Coulson, the new Synod General Secretary, began at the end of January. Journey asked Dr Coulson how she hopes to assist the Church. Journey: How are you settling in? Dr Shirley Coulson: I have had many expressions of welcome and feel blessed by the prayers and support of so many people across our Church in Queensland and even ...

Former Trinity Theological College principal and current Grace College principal Dr Sue Fairley will be the first female World President of Camps Farthest Out (CFO) International. “Becoming the first female World President is quite daunting but at the same time extremely exciting,” said Dr Fairley. “I feel very humbled to have been chosen for this position. “When I made my speech ...

The Queensland Government will intervene in a High Court matter to support school chaplains. Attorney-General Cameron Dick said the constitutional validity of Queensland’s school chaplaincy services was being challenged in the High Court (Williams v Commonwealth of Australia and Others). Under the Commonwealth Judiciary Act 1903, State Attorneys-General with an interest in a particular High Court case can intervene, with ...

IT MAY feel like we just celebrated Christmas but it is time to start preparations for Easter. This year the Synod Communication Services Unit will provide Easter postcards for congregations to invite members of their community to their Easter events and services. The 2011 Easter postcard theme is: “Hungry? Satisfy your sweet tooth and your soul this Easter.” The back ...

THERE MAY be few people with the title Youth Worker in the Queensland Synod these days but National Faith Development Consultant for Youth and Young Adults, Tom Kerr, said that that doesn’t mean there are fewer people doing the job. Many youth workers have transitioned to being ministers, deacons, or pastors and Mr Kerr suggested it was time for people ...

Rev John Mavor’s newly-released autobiography is not just a compelling account of one minister’s amazing life, it is also a valuable social history of church and community life in Australia and the Pacific over seven decades said ABC religious programs executive producer David Busch. Mr Busch made the comment in launching Mr Mavor’s book, Come On! Come On! A Journey ...

AS PART of the Together on the way, enriching community journey to discern the direction of the Uniting Church in Queensland, Journey invites people to explore the Call through a photographic competition. The competition is open to all people to submit photos that represent one of the five sections of the Call – Uniting in Christ: acting with love; living ...

Australian documentary filmmaker Gary Caganoff’s latest film on Afghanistan has been honoured with a Human Rights award from the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC), and SIGNIS (the World Catholic Association of Communication). Both WACC and SIGNIS announced their joint Human Rights Award for 2010 in Brussles late last week. Unanimous in their decision, the award has been given to ...

The Uniting Church in Australia has welcomed today’s announcement from the Australian Government that asylum seeker families and unaccompanied minors will be moved out of detention and into the community. Rev Alistair Macrae, President of the National Assembly of the Uniting Church, said, “This is a long overdue common-sense decision, given all that we know about the devastating effects of ...