March Crosslight now available


All of the March stories are available here. Crosslight is also available in digital format.

Churches throughout Australia joined a growing chorus of protest against the forced removal of 267 asylum seekers (including 37 babies born in Australia) to offshore detention centres Nauru and Manus Island. Habitat Uniting Church in Hawthorn was one of ...

International Women’s Day

“… For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.” 1 Corinthians 14:34-35

The theme for International Women’s Day 2016 is ‘Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality’.

Since its inception in 1977, The Uniting Church in Australia has prided itself on ensuring women have equal status to men throughout the church.

In the ...

Uncovering dark secrets

Film | Spotlight | M

Review by Deb Bennett

Nominated for six Academy Awards, Spotlight is a true-life movie that can be appreciated on many levels.

It tells the story of four investigative journalists (the Spotlight team) from the Boston Globe who, in the early 2000s, uncovered widespread child abuse, corruption and deceit within the Catholic Church in Boston.

...

Deliberate blaze rocks St Columba’s

Parishioners of St Columba’s Uniting Church have been left reeling after a deliberately lit blaze caused significant damage to the recently refurbished building at Noble Park last week.

The fire, which started in the kitchen area, was first reported about 4.15 on the morning of  17 February. It took about 25 minutes for firemen to bring it under control.

...

Sudanese connections in Ballarat

Ballarat is home to a strong community of Sudanese migrants. Many worship at the Ballarat Central Uniting Church and engage in a diverse range of activities to strengthen their connection with locals.

In 2011, the Ballarat Central congregation formed a ‘Women with Women’ group to nurture friendships between Sudanese and non-Sudanese women. What started out as a monthly lunch ...

Surfin’ UCA

More than 20 young refugee men spent a sunny weekend in February surfing and kayaking on the Bellarine coast.

The activities were part of a two-day camp supported by the Queenscliff Uniting Church. The congregation provides financial assistance to Diversitat, a not-for-profit organisation that organises programs for migrant communities in the Geelong region.

Hussain Haidari (Haidari) is community development ...

ACL does not speak for all Christians

A group of Uniting Church ministers has joined forces with like-minded church leaders to distance themselves from views expressed by the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) in relation to marriage equality.

The letter, addressed to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, expresses concern that the proposed plebiscite on marriage equality will incite hatred among some sections of the community.

In a ...

Music therapy a howling success

Every Monday afternoon, the front porch of the Cross Generation Uniting Church in Heidelberg Heights is transformed into a festive musical gathering.

The marimba music group is one of the community programs run by Hope Springs, a mission of the Banyule Network of Uniting Churches. It started in 1998 as a way to mobilise community support for people living ...

Uniting churches offer sanctuary


Momentum is building ahead of the upcoming Palm Sunday Walk for Justice for Refugees.

The past month has seen an incredible community response to the February High Court ruling that legalised Australia’s offshore detention regime.

The verdict sparked an unprecedented response from churches throughout Australia. A number of Uniting churches declared their intention to offer sanctuary to ...

Jesus vs Muhammad

Book | Understanding Jesus and Muhammad: What the ancient texts say about them | Bernie Power

Review by Larry Marshall

Here is a book that purports to speak with some knowledge and insight about these two great religious leaders, Jesus and Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). Dr Bernie Power suggests that his book may help enlighten modern believers ...

Seafood industry takes action

The Uniting Church’s long-term campaign to stop human trafficking and forced labour in the Thai seafood industry is starting have an impact. Thailand is the main source of seafood imports into Australia.

Uniting Church members have lobbied the Thai government to uphold the human rights of people working in the industry.

In November last year, the Thai government announced ...

Starting school

February is one of the busiest months of the year for school chaplains in Uniting Church schools across Victoria and Tasmania.

The role of a school chaplain varies from school to school. David Hall is one of two chaplains at Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School (PEGS). The skills they draw upon are typical of those throughout the school network. ...