Uniting AgeWell receives LGBTI award

Uniting AgeWell has received a prestigious Dorothies Award for its work in providing LGBTI-inclusive aged care services.

The Dorothies are organised by Working It Out (WIO), a Tasmania-based organisation that provides support for people negotiating their sexuality and gender identity.

The awards are named after Rev Dorothy McRae-McMahon, a former Uniting Church minister and respected leader in the LGBTI community. ...

Finding acceptance with the Uniting Church

Former ABC broadcaster Julie McCrossin is a familiar voice to the Australian public. Ashley Thompson turns the microphone around to find out more about her unsung faith journey.

A self-described “refugee from Sydney Anglicanism”, Julie McCrossin has found a home in South Sydney Uniting Church. Her appearance on ABC TV’s special all-Christian Q&A panel and facilitation of the UnitingWomen ...

Life in a refugee camp  

KAREN MCGRATH recently travelled to an urban refugee camp in Jordan to meet with Syrian men, women and children forced to flee their home to escape war and violence. Ms McGrath was on assignment with Act for Peace, the international aid agency of the National Council of Churches in Australia. She shared with Crosslight her reflections of life in ...

From Mooroolbark to Kampala

DEB BENNETT

In the early morning hours of 27 April 1996, a weary Australian educator and a disheartened social worker from Africa met at the breakfast bar of a café on 500 West Broadway, San Diego. Their meeting was not chosen by either of them: it was random, unexpected and unscripted. When the educator entered the café, the stool ...

Mending fences          

The Benalla Uniting Church Emergency Fencing Team celebrated the handover of a Polaris All Terrain Vehicle, trailer and much-needed tractor equipment at Thoona in April. The fencing team was formed as a response to the Black Saturday fires in 2009. The widespread devastation of the fires prompted a practical response from Alan Stafford and volunteers from Benalla, who replaced fences ...

Baristas, beans and blessings at Hoppers Crossing’s Playdate Café

ROS MARSDEN

In a happy atmosphere of anticipation, the Playdate Café at Hoppers Crossing Uniting Church launched a new community destination for church members and the wider public.

The concept for the café started in 2013 after Hoppers Crossing Uniting Church member Fiona Adams attended a Mission Shaped Ministry ‘fresh expressions of church’ course run by the Port Phillip West ...

Empowering future leaders

Young people from congregations throughout Australia will gather at the Gold Coast in July for the National Young Adult Leaders Conference (NYALC).

NYALC aims to empower young adults in the Uniting Church by equipping them with essential leadership skills. It is also an opportunity for young people to connect with youth from other states and grow together in faith.

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Discussing the budget

In May, UCA Funds Management engaged with not-for-profits (NFPs) in what was a tough month for many in the sector. Policy changes, such as an interest rate cut from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) and a relatively unfriendly federal budget, present significant financial challenges.

To address these issues, UCA Funds Management hosted two discussion events: a NFP post-budget breakfast seminar ...

Victoria trials blind job applications

Friday Forum
Your views on the news

Job hunting can be a long and frustrating process. Many hours are spent practicing for interviews and crafting the perfect cover letter. Job applicants with a non-Anglo name face an additional obstacle – the unconscious bias of employers.

This was highlighted by Waleed Aly during his Gold Logies speech, where ...

Bringing food and friendship to Richmond  

Uniting, Anglican and Catholic churches in Richmond share a long history of ecumenical collaboration. One way the churches offer pastoral outreach to the local community is through the Richmond Churches Food Centre. For more than 30 years, the centre has provided food and companionship to homeless and disadvantaged people in the area.

The program was initiated by Anglican Archdeacon ...

Uniting Church questions Dutton

The Uniting Church has called on political candidates to not use refugees as a ‘political football’ in the wake of comments by immigration minister Peter Dutton that asylum seekers both take Australian jobs and languish in unemployment queues

Mr Dutton told Sky News last night that many potential refugees “won’t be numerate or literate in their own language, let ...

Hello possums

DEB BENNETT

A lot of media coverage last week was devoted to the subject of home invasions by a gang of car thieves. While the thought of waking to find that someone had been in your home is terrifying, I must admit to existing in a smug ‘green’ bubble. It is highly unlikely that fans of Grand Theft Auto will ...