Enriching curious minds

Every year, the Uniting Church Adult Fellowship (UCAF) supports young people engaged in theological or leadership studies through the Joan Stott bursary.

Established in 2009, the bursary provides a $1500 grant to assist people under the age of 35. The UCAF National Committee, currently based in the Vic/Tas Synod for the 2015-2018 triennium, may award the bursary to up ...

Heath continues a family tradition

With four consecutive generations of his family having preached in Methodist or Uniting Churches, it was probably no surprise that West Moonah man Heath Cowled would be installed as a lay preacher in Tasmania.

Both Heath’s parents, Lance and Heather, are lay preachers and he follows a further three generations on his mother’s side, with only one family member being ...

Fashion parade at Ocean Grove

The Ocean Grove Uniting Church congregation recently hosted a Spring Fashion Parade to raise funds for local and overseas communities.

The church op-shop, called ‘The Dove’, has been operating in the coastal town for the past five years. During that time, it has donated more than $335,000 to schools, agencies, non-profit organisations and international development groups.

In September, the ...

Beauty therapy at Phillip Island

Celtic theologian John O’Donohue once said a world without beauty would be unbearable.

“Beauty is so quietly woven through our ordinary days that we hardly notice it. Everywhere there is tenderness, care and kindness, there is beauty,” Mr O’Donohue wrote in his 2003 book Divine Beauty: The Invisible Embrace.

The UCAF (Uniting Church Adult Fellowship) at St John’s Uniting ...

College trail a blooming success

Cornish College’s Indigenous Plant Trail has been recognised in the 2016 Victoria Schools Garden Awards.

It is in the running for a state award in the Most Engaging Student Garden for Teaching category. The winners will be announced at the end of the month.

The trail was created two years ago as part of the school’s Make a Difference ...

Back to first principles

After 17 years working for synod, the last 10 as executive director of the Commission for Mission, Rev David Pargeter is, in some ways, starting again.

“I’m going back to what called me into ministry, on the ground and with the poor and the left behind,” Mr Pargeter said.

“I know that’s a cliché but that’s the truth. If ...

Clarence UC’s Mental Health Week message of solidarity

Moderator Sharon Hollis told a lunch for mental health carers at Clarence Uniting Church in Hobart on Wednesday that they were sending out an important message in an area that is still often shrouded in shame and silence.

“Mental health is one of the most stigmatised illnesses in our community,” Ms Hollis told the gathering of 30 people who had ...

Commitment to service

The synod recently farewelled legal counsel Peter Shepherd following 17 years of dedicated service.

Mr Shepherd commenced work with the synod in 1999 and during his tenure he navigated the synod’s complex legal arrangements with calmness and professionalism.

Over those years, Mr Shepherd has provided property law advice, reviewed commercial agreements and government loan contracts, advised on copyright issues, ...

Take your best shot to fight slavery

You can perfect your table tennis backhand topspin drive any time of the day or night during the annual Ping-Pong-A-Thon being held this month at the High Street Road Uniting Church in Mt Waverley to combat human trafficking and sex slavery.

There will be five tables set up for the event, which runs from noon on Friday October 28 ...

Practising the Art of Story

It is not obvious at first glance that Fiona Bottcher began her working life as an engineer, but words such as ‘build’ and ‘structure’ pop up in her description of what was enjoyable about the Art of Story course she completed in 2014 at the Centre for Theology and Ministry.

Since that time she has been putting her storytelling ...

Little green thumbs

The youngsters at Scots Early Learning Centre in Hobart put their green thumbs to the test as part of National Tree Day and Schools Tree Day in July.

Activities were spread over a week rather than just one day and included planting a herb garden, extension of the existing vegetable garden, construction of a bug house, replenishing flower pots and ...

Local church creates Commonwealth Games stars

The Penguin Uniting Church, located in a small North-West Tasmanian coastal town, will send 10,000 stars to the 2018 Commonwealth Games on Queensland’s Gold Coast.

They will not be stars of the sporting kind but, rather, the woven kind.

The eight-pointed stars will form part of the One Million Stars to End Violence project, which was begun by Maryann Talia ...