By Ivan Badcock
I grew up in a Methodist family and was baptised at the Bracknell Methodist Church in 1943, travelling there by horse and jinker.
Sunday School was attended from the age of five at the Little Hampton Methodist Church, about 1.5 miles from the family farm.
In the early years we reached Sunday School on dad’s bicycle, with ...
By Marcus Campbell
Christmas brings out our best selves.
We love to give and be generous to our loved ones, our neighbours and even strangers.
The holiday season carves out precious time to spend with family and friends and, when times are good, there’s extra food and presents to share.
We’re annoyed by the consumerist culture that pressures us to ...
In the Australian outback, Christmas can be quiet.
In some remote communities, there won’t be Christmas carols in the air.
In some faraway properties, children won’t have presents to unwrap come Christmas morning.
The sad reality is that children in rural and remote areas often miss out, not just at Christmas but all year round.
By Aimée Keay
For 75 years, church communities have been uniting through the Christmas Bowl to give hope to families who are displaced.
In 1949, Rev Frank Byatt first laid a bowl of remembrance on the Christmas dinner table asking his family to “share your good dinner with hungry children in other lands”.
By Mark Zirnsak
With Advent upon us, I have been reflecting on Charles Dickens’ 1843 ‘A Christmas Carol’ and its connections to the New Testament.
Dickens follows Ebenezer Scrooge, intent on hoarding wealth, as three spirits visit him.
Professor of theological studies Matthew Robert Anderson postulates that the Biblical inspiration for the story is the parable of the rich man and Lazarus ...
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Advent marks the beginning of a new year in the Christian liturgical calendar. We begin with the world waiting, wondering what the coming of God will be like; and then comes Christmas, through which we learn so much about God’s intentions, love, and willing vulnerability.
A year ago I wrote about the passage in Isaiah, in which the prophet awaiting ...
By Brad Denniston
The Ormond Learning Hub began in 2020 at Ormond Uniting Church as an idea by our then-Minister Andrew Boyle.
The timing of the hub’s inception, amid the COVID-19 lockdowns in Melbourne, shaped its purpose and format.
As people grappled with isolation and uncertainty, the hub became a place to connect, learn, and reflect together.
By Dennis Freeman
Throughout Term 3, Cornish College primary visual art students were fortunate to have Aunty Vicki Thomas, an indigenous artist, working with them in the primary art studio, to create a new mural for the college.
Aunty Vicki is a Bunurong/Trawlwoolway artist who feels a strong connection to her cultural stories through art practice.
October 24 was a big day in the life of the PWMU Cookbook, when it celebrated its 120th anniversary with a high tea at North Ringwood Uniting Church.
Guests and friends from across the Uniting and Presbyterian churches in Victoria who attended enjoyed delicious food prepared using recipes from the cookbook, and a wonderful time of fellowship.
By Rev Colin Gurteen and Rev Carol Bennett
What possible connection could there be between isolated Uniting Church communities scattered across the expanse of the Northern Territory and Western Australia and those faith gatherings in which we worship here in lutruwita/Tasmania?
The short answer is everything.
In May and June we had the privilege of working for the Pilgrim ...
Readers are advised this article covers issues around online child sexual exploitation and sexual extortion.
By Andrew Humphries
Injustice, in its many forms, sits very uneasily with Kate Fitzpatrick, particularly when it’s children who suffer.
As a Human Exploitation Community Officer (HECO) with the Australian Federal Police, Kate is at the coalface in the fight against online child sexual exploitation, ...
By Andrew Humphries
He may be the current Senior Tasmanian of the Year, but that sort of recognition isn’t what floats Rev Jim Colville’s boat.
What does keep him going, well into his ninth decade, is an unwavering commitment to making a difference in young people’s lives.
And for more than 50 years he has been making the lives of ...