March2017 Archives - JourneyOnline

Future shock: creating sustainable church communities

QLD Synod Webmaster — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 03:11:54 +0000

Carolyn Kitto’s fourteen-month trek around Queensland to take the pulse of presbytery life has produced a wide-ranging report which doesn’t pull any punches about what lies ahead. Journey talks with Carolyn about what she discovered. Uniting Church member and mission consultant Carolyn Kitto doesn’t mind being on the road. Her three-decade career in youth work, ...

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Behind the Basis: where it all began

QLD Synod Webmaster — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 03:06:09 +0000

The Basis of Union is the foundational document that provides the Uniting Church its renewal and encouragement but how much do we really know about its origins and its evolution from the fifties to the seventies? Rev Dr D’Arcy Wood delves deep into the Basis of Union’s past. The early decades of the 20th century ...

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Letters March 2017

QLD Synod Webmaster — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 02:02:18 +0000

To drink or not to drink To drink or not to drink is an individual decision hopefully based on factual information. While the alcohol policy from the 23rd Queensland Synod is admirable, the effect of alcohol in human suffering, family violence, child abuse, neglect and poverty as well as cost to industry and the community ...

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Book review: Coming Back to Earth

QLD Synod Webmaster — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 01:49:14 +0000

Jonathan Cornford’s book of essays explores climate change, agriculture, resource decline and how Christianity can speak to these global challenges. David Weddell reviews. Coming Back to Earth is definitely not the biography of a returned astronaut but it does take us outside our current world to look at how Christians can be genuine good news ...

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Apocalypse now?

QLD Synod Webmaster — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 01:40:06 +0000

Should we still fear the end times as predicted by the Bible? You’ve probably seen end times in films or books but is it just the stuff of wild imaginations or should we as Christians prepare for humanity’s final act? Rev Dr Peter Hobson, Dean of Formation and Dispersed Learning at Trinity College Queensland, offers ...

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Unearthing gold and God in the west

QLD Synod Webmaster — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 01:32:37 +0000

A recent Uniting News advertisement for free accommodation in return for providing Sunday services sparked an adventure from Ipswich to Kalgoorlie. Ruth Duncan reflects on her experiences moving westward and how she struck gold in the faith community. A small advertisement in the weekly Uniting News email late last year popped up the day after ...

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Mutual learning for Wontulp-Bi-Buya teacher

QLD Synod Webmaster — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 01:25:22 +0000

Rev Dr Rob Brennan reflects on his experiences teaching Indigenous faith leaders in Cairns and what he learnt about himself from his encounters with the culture and history of Australia’s First Peoples. The moderator has said a few times that the best way to make God laugh is to tell God our plans. As a ...

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Switching on to digital discipleship

QLD Synod Webmaster — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 01:14:50 +0000

Mobile phones, the internet and video games may seem like an inseparable part of the lives of our youth but engaging them in the digital realm is critical if we want to emotionally and spiritually connect ourselves to the next generation. Steve Molkentin, the Queensland Synod’s new Digital Youth Discipleship project officer, writes. “I’ve come ...

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7 tips for planting a new congregation

QLD Synod Webmaster — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 00:11:34 +0000

Ready to take the plunge and start a new congregation at your church? Journey asked Duncan Barlow for some tips on building a healthy church community. Ask questions Seek the wisdom of those who have been serving the congregation long before you came along. Knowing what has and hasn’t worked in the past can save ...

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Stepping out in faith: planting a new congregation in the city

QLD Synod Webmaster — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 00:07:50 +0000

There’s more to creating a new congregation than adding a new time slot to the church sign and putting out the tea and biscuits. Dianne Jensen talks to Duncan Barlow, pastor at Toowong Uniting Church, Brisbane about what it takes to build a healthy Christian community. After seven years with the Church Missionary Society (CMS) ...

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