Tag Archives: Queensland Synod

It’s International Women’s Day this week, and it’s a brave man who comments on it! Yet I feel compelled to do so, as we have to recognise, even against the favourable comparisons that could be made in terms of other countries, that there’s still work to do here in Australia and in our own church. The theme is about pressing ...

With a partnership spanning over two decades, UnitingCare and Target’s Christmas Appeal has raised millions of dollars and delivered over two million gifts for Australians struggling during the Christmas period. Journey reports. For the iconic Australian retailer Target, UnitingCare Australia was a spot-on choice when it came to choosing a partner organisation for their Christmas appeal campaign. As one of ...

On Sunday 22 October, General secretary Rev Heather den Houting presented the report of the Synod Standing Committee (SSC) to the 33rd Synod. The report outlined the significant strategic work done since the 32nd Synod to give substance to the Together on the Way process and Priority Directions of the church. Underpinning the work of the SSC was the identification ...

Reflecting on the past and discerning how the church faces the future was front and centre of the 33rd Synod meeting (20–24 October). The team from Journey reports. Hundreds of Uniting Church members gathered at the Alexandra Park Conference Centre on the Sunshine Coast as the 33rd Synod in Session kicked off in style with a rousing opening worship of ...

The challenges ahead, and Queensland Synod’s plan to meet them, were the topics of the Synod report presented by chairperson of the Finance Investment and Property (FIP) Board Ralph Collins on 23 October. The board has the primary focus of providing good stewardship of church assets and funds. In his presentation Ralph set the context for the work of the ...

Grassroots change is happening in South East Queensland communities and the Uniting Church in Queensland is proud to be part of that change. Synod research and policy officer Sue Hutchinson reports on the founding assembly of the Queensland Community Alliance. The founding assembly of the Queensland Community Alliance (QCA)—led by Queensland Synod moderator Rev David Baker—was held in September at ...

Art has been on my mind: I visited Sydney’s Art Gallery of NSW and Museum of Contemporary Art Australia during a recent holiday and it reminded me how art can unlock ways we see the good, the bad and the ugly in our society, and gave pause for contemplation about who we are and where we’re headed. I also stumbled ...

On 24 June the Queensland Synod’s Multi-Cross Cultural Reference Group celebrated the Uniting Church’s 40th anniversary with a party highlighting the rich cultural diversity within the church. Akesa Racava reports.  Turning 40 has been equally important across all cultures in the Uniting Church. For our multi-cross cultural congregations it required a celebration of colour, music, dancing, feasting and worship. Beenleigh Regional Uniting Church ...

I recently watched the classic 1962 film Birdman of Alcatraz starring Burt Lancaster and it’s impossible to finish without contemplating the nature of revenge and rehabilitation. For those unfamiliar with the real-life story of the Birdman, Robert Stroud was an American murderer who escaped the executioner’s noose but had his sentence commuted to life in solitary confinement. There, he began ...

Following early recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, the Queensland Synod developed and implemented its Interim Redress Scheme. During the first six months of this scheme, the survivors have been reporting positive outcomes, Journey reports. Designed to be a genuine alternative for survivors not seeking common law damages, the Queensland Synod’s Interim Redress Scheme ...