Tag Archives: June2017

I’m sure you are well aware that the Uniting Church turns 40 this month (was the cover a clue?) and it is a major milestone for this uniquely Australian church that came together to live out God’s call to Christian unity. Forty may be reasonably young in the grand scheme of history but it’s still a major milestone and I’m ...

For most of the members of the Uniting Church, our own personal 40th birthday is a distant memory! Some of us may wish that we were there again, wistfully believing that we’d do the years after 40 differently if we had that time again. If we don’t have some sense that we would have done things differently, maybe we haven’t ...

When the Uniting Church formed in 1977 three distinct denominations came together but the focus has largely been on the Presbyterian and Methodist perspectives due to their larger sizes and influence at the time of union. Rev Dr Bruce Upham—one of the Congregationalist Church’s representatives on the commission which drew up the Basis of Union—reflects on his experiences leading up ...

The word might be in the church’s name but “uniting” carries a profound sense that there is still work to go before a “united” destination. Should we still be uniting with other denominations? Rev Janet Staines offers her perspective. When the Uniting Church inaugurated in 1977 there were great aspirations to continue the work of “uniting” with other denominations as ...

Rev Trevor Foote reminisces about the origins of the Uniting Church in the Ipswich area and how Glebe Road Uniting Church was born on the old grounds of the St John’s Presbyterian Church. Church union in 1977 saw the initial formation in Ipswich of one of the largest and most diverse Uniting Church parishes in Queensland, and possibly Australia. Seven ...

Blow up the balloons, crack open the champagne (or a non-alcoholic alternative!) and light the candles: the Uniting Church celebrates its 40th birthday this month. Journey offers five great ways your congregation can celebrate the milestone. Throw a party The Queensland Synod will be sending congregations, presbyteries and schools complimentary celebration packs including a large outdoor banner, balloons, cake toppers ...

Volunteering with the Boys’ Brigade has provided Uniting Church member Rod Hurman with the opportunity to mentor youngsters outside the regular church community. Dianne Jensen reports.  When it comes to racing billy carts, organising camps and mentoring young men, Rod Hurman from Broadwater Road and St Marks Uniting Church Mt Gravatt has plenty of runs on the board. Rod has ...

The conviction last month of Jakarta’s outgoing Christian governor, Basuki Tjahaja “Ahok” Purnama, on charges of blasphemy has caused considerable soul-searching in Indonesia. John Harrison reports. Ironically, the conviction, which is still subject to appeal, came one week after Indonesia’s leadership proclaimed their support for freedom of expression in the UNESCO World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) held this year in ...

Volunteering with Frontier Services Outback Links provided Uniting Church members Brad and Jeanette Heck with the chance to support families doing it tough in remote areas. Dianne Jensen reports. There’s no question that Frontier Services holds a special place in the hearts of Uniting Church members. Through its network of patrol ministers and support for remote communities, Frontier Services continues ...

Imagine filling out the most important form of your life in a language not your own, knowing that time is running out and a mistake may end in deportation. Dianne Jensen visits Indooroopilly Uniting Church where people seeking asylum are being given a warm welcome and a helping hand. Immigration Minister Peter Dutton’s announcement in late May that asylum seekers ...