Tag Archives: WINTER2018

On a recent visit to Madrid I took the family to the Prado Museum, one of Europe’s most distinguished art museums. It is impossible to navigate the building’s monumental halls without encountering Christian-inspired work by history’s great painters. From Brueghel to Caravaggio, Bosch to Rubens, the collection of paintings depicting Old and New Testament tales is at once stunning, inspiring, ...

Debating the resurrection I was dismayed to read Dr John Frederick’s feature in the previous Journey (Autumn 2018 edition), especially if this is an example of the approach taken in the biblical education of candidates for the Ministry of the Word. A literalist approach is taken to the Easter story and this is overlaid with a materialistic interpretation. There are ...

This year Dr Steven Nisbet celebrates 40 years as organist and Director of Music at Saint Andrew’s Uniting Church, Brisbane. Steven was president of the Organ Society of Queensland for 26 years. He retired from Griffith University in 2013 as a Senior Lecturer in Mathematics Education. What skills does a church organist need? Firstly, there are the technical skills of ...

This article is brought to you by UnitingWorld. UnitingWorld’s Cath Taylor shines a light on the life-changing results your donations have on communities in Indonesia and how a humble goat can lead to schooling, medicine, food and economic development. Okay look, goats are good for a lot of things, but changing lightbulbs isn’t one of them. Sorry to disappoint. On ...

You may have heard the phrase “mission ready” in the context of theological learning but what does that actually mean in a practical sense? Rev Nigel Rogers—Trinity College Queensland’s Dean of Formation and Dispersed Learning—illustrates the characteristics of the mission ready graduate and how that links to the Basis of Union. Would you know a graduate from Trinity if they ...

It was recently my privilege to facilitate a number of electives at the Uniting Church Synod-wide youth camp, Easter Madness. My electives were titled, “Big Questions” which created space for groups of adolescents to ask and explore questions relating to life and faith. I was deeply impressed by the depth of questions asked, the maturity of ensuing interaction and the ...

Pub Choir is the growing craze for people wanting a fun night out singing and meeting others but as Scott Guyatt discovered, there may be some profound lessons the church can learn from their community-building efforts. Recently I found myself on the banks of the Brisbane River, a member of an impromptu Pub Choir of around 600 voices, singing Midnight ...

Rev Paul Clark draws upon the survey results of the 2017 Queensland Christian Religious Instruction Network (QCRIN) survey from more than 750 instructors, to offer this fictionalised profile of who is teaching Religious Instruction and why it matters for our youth. Janet enters her local state school every Friday. She’s a retired teacher aide who’s been part of the school ...

Wondering where all the kids went? Read our top tips from local leaders and congregations for creating sustainable ministry with children. 1. Put children’s and family ministry at the centre of your church mission. This means more than just welcoming kids and their parents or carers, but providing opportunities for them to serve and listening to their ideas. It means ...

Uniting Church members from around Australia will come together in prayerful community at Box Hill Town Hall in July for the 15th Assembly meeting. Matt Pulford reports on the issues in focus for the church. On 8 July, members of the 15th Assembly will install Dr Deidre Palmer as president, the second woman in the history of the church to ...