Tag Archives: God

The Journey team selects stories that got us talking this week.   Question mark hangs over Census request News.com.au has reports that the Census could change the question regarding religion following numerous complaints from Australians. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) the biggest complaint they received following the 2016 Census was around religious preferences. 30 per cent of Australians stated they ...

The Journey team selects stories that got us talking this week.      Parent not sub-scribing to Mohammad’s class  The Christian Post reports on one West Virginian parent’s fury at his daughter being asked to practise writing the Islamic declaration of faith in Arabic calligraphy at school. The conservative Christian Rich Penkoski has made contact with his daughter’s school, Mountain Ridge Middle School, ...

This Friday, at Karana Downs Uniting Church, the Synod Ecumenical Relations committee is hosting a retreat on the theme, “Being Uniting in a polarising world” (10 am–4 pm; you’re welcome!). We thought it a fitting reflection in the world-wide Week of Prayer for Christian Unity that culminates in Pentecost this coming Sunday. Bringing a unifying power to the diversity of ...

After being admitted to hospital following a serious fall, retired Uniting Church minister Anneli Sinkko used the time to write her latest spiritual memoir God is bigger than Google and explore her own relationship with Jesus. Queensland Synod’s Director of Mission Strategy Scott Guyatt and his daughter Riley Guyatt review. The introduction to retired Uniting Church minister Anneli Sinkko’s book ...

It’s been 170 years since the first service was conducted in the Wesleyan chapel in Ipswich in 1848, giving birth to a faithful congregation who have continued to serve God at the Ipswich City Uniting Church. Join the celebrations on 29 April at 2 pm, and read church council member Ruth Duncan’s reflection to find out more about this historic ...

Ever wondered how beliefs in God, the supernatural and worship evolved in the period between the Old and New Testaments? Philip Jenkins’ latest book Crucible of Faith examines the development of Christianity in the “Crucible Era” (the intertestamental period) and will likely kickstart fascinating conversations about the faith. Nick Mattiske reviews. A universal God, monotheism, heaven, hell, the Day of ...

As the seasons of the church’s year bring us around again to Easter, we are given a renewed opportunity to again enter into what for the Christian faith is the heart of the whole Judeo–Christian tradition. Pared to what could be described as observable, we have a Jewish rabbi who wants renewal of the faith of his people; a few ...

You may have heard the term “pioneer” before but do you know what it means in a faith context? Queensland Synod Director of Mission Scott Guyatt examines pioneering leadership and some of the ways Queensland congregations are already living out the pioneering spirit. If you’ve bounced around the missional church conversation over the last few years, you’ll have almost certainly ...

At the heart of the Easter narrative is a miraculous tale of life after death, of sacrifice and renewal, but how can we practise this concept of resurrection in today’s world? Dr John Frederick—Trinity College Queensland’s New Testament Lecturer—reflects on Jesus’ miracle and how Uniting Church members can embody resurrection in their own faith communities. With the coming of Easter, ...

Wesley Mission Queensland (WMQ) superintendent minister Rev Lyn Burden and CEO Geoff Batkin used a number of personal stories via video in their Synod presentation to highlight the organisation’s ongoing commitment to reaching vulnerable people. Their report noted that the activities since the 32nd Synod have taken place within the context of one of the most profound periods of reform ...