Tag Archives: SPRING2018

I recently had the opportunity to join people from around the country at a Uniting Leaders event featuring Bishop Ric Thorpe (Church of England) and exploring the topic of church planting. The story Ric shared throughout the day was one of the London Anglican Diocese setting an ambitious goal of planting 100 new churches over a five year period. They’re ...

One of the questions I have received from this column relates to the issue of how an older congregation might go about developing the capacity to meaningfully engage with younger generations. Many Uniting churches have lost generations who now have nothing to do with church. We must take responsibility for this. It hasn’t been intentional, but nor has it happened ...

Mid-2018 has been focused on securing tax-deductibility for our donors and creating a public fund that will enable educational outcomes across our state. The Uniting Church in Australia Queensland Synod Scholarship Fund was launched on 1 July 2018 to recognise student leadership in our local communities and to offer a critical bridge for those who lack opportunity. Some of the ...

Rev Richard Cassady reflects on the importance of storytelling within Indigenous culture and his own faith journey working as a prison chaplain and an educator. Most recently, Richard led a Walk on Country with members of the Synod Executive Leadership Team, facilitated by Australians Together. Communicating through story and narrative is part and parcel of my people’s DNA. Tell me ...

Jane Frazer Cosgrove is a mental health advocate and a Moderator’s Community Service Medal recipient (2014). She is one of the founding members of A Nouwen Network and has been the facilitator since its inception in November 2009. What inspired you to create A Nouwen Network? In 2006 I began advocating for the provision of specific chaplaincy outreach to those ...

Faced with the challenge of providing economically viable and Christian-centred childcare, Aspley Uniting Church members have used planning, persistence and prayer to make it happen. Dianne Jensen reports. On its first day in July 2008, Aspley Uniting Church opened the Aspley Early Childhood Education Centre (AECEC) in north Brisbane with four children and six staff. Ten years on, the centre ...

Meet the Queensland congregation which has partnered with local child safety services and school chaplains to deliver practical help to those who need it most—and learn how your church can do the same. Dianne Jensen reports. Sometimes ministry starts with one person seeing a need and offering to help. Joy Godfrey, convenor of Redcliffe Uniting Church Give From The Heart ...

Members of the Uniting Church’s 15th Assembly have returned home to share the news of the landmark decisions made at the 15th triennial meeting. Matt Pulford reports. Over seven days from 8–14 July, more than 260 Assembly members shared prayer, worship and bible studies with ecumenical and interfaith friends, church partners and each other. Former South Australia Moderator Dr Deidre ...

It’s one of our eternal questions with no easy answers: what happens to us after we die? Although the statistics suggest many Australians believe in the afterlife, what exact form that takes is still up for debate, whether you’re a Christian or not. Rev Dr David Mackay-Rankin explores the afterlife, the Christian theology underpinning it and its depiction in popular ...

The Inspired Disciples festival brings together speakers, forums and training events to inspire Uniting Church members across Queensland to answer the call to discipleship. Journey reports. The image of Jesus calling to the fishermen Simon and Andrew by the Sea of Galilee is imprinted on the heart of every generation of Christians. As Uniting Church members, it’s in our DNA—embedded ...