By Alistair Macrae
Have you ever wondered where the Uniting Church’s voice in the “public square” has gone?
When did you last read an opinion piece by a UCA leader in the mainstream media? Why do mainstream church leaders rarely appear on panel shows such as Q&A on the ABC or The Project on Channel 10?
Late last year, I had the privilege of representing the Uniting Church at the annual conference of Te Hahi Weteriana o Aotearoa (the Methodist Church of Aotearoa New Zealand) at which they celebrated their 200th anniversary. It was a joy to join with a partner church to celebrate with them.
Eaglehawk resident Judith Richards’ many years of commitment to the town’s Uniting Church has been recognised with an Australia Day honour.
Judith was one of six Victorians with Uniting Church connections to be awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia yesterday.
Over a period of nearly 60 years with the Methodist and Uniting churches in Eaglehawk, Judith has been ...
By Andrew Humphries
The day I sit down to chat with Heathmont Minister Brendan Byrne on Zoom, I’m quite intrigued by the T-shirt he is wearing.
It carries a short but sharp message which, as I discover during our conversation, says much about Brendan’s values and how they drive much of his attitude to life.
We swear on the Bible that these sentences appeared in church bulletins or were announced at church services.
The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals.
The sermon this morning: “Jesus Walks on the Water”. The sermon tonight: “Searching for Jesus”.
Ladies, don’t forget the rummage sale. It’s a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the ...
By Andrew Humphries
In some circumstances, a tap on the shoulder can be the equivalent of the kiss of death. In others, it can be the kiss of life.
For new Victorian Council of Churches executive officer Sandy Boyce, taps on the shoulder have opened new worlds in her ongoing faith journey.
By Rev Jennie Gordon
Christmas, they say, is a ‘family time’. In most families there will be at least one empty chair, an absence amongst those present, for whatever reason. As we get older the table might be filled with new family, partners and children’s children, as the candles of remembrance multiply.
By Andrew Humphries
Fifteen years ago, Kevin Rudd was Leader of the Opposition when he addressed the National Climate Summit at Parliament House and described climate change as the “great moral challenge facing our generation”.
There was no time to waste, he said, as the world faced its greatest crisis.
A child taking flesh is a wonderful and slightly terrifying thing!
I know it as a parent, and we all know it as we reflect on our own births and the journey of growing with all of our vulnerabilities and gifts.
God delights over us in our births and journeys of growth.
By Donald Moss
Having lived in George Town since 1961, Beryl Osborne is very much a part of the heartbeat of the bustling community situated in Tasmania’s north east.
Beryl has been a member of the town’s Uniting Church since its 1977 formation and, before that, was part of the Methodist congregation. She is now its chairperson.
By Andrew Humphries
When Pilgrim Theological College Rev Associate Professor Monica Melanchthon addressed a recent Synod Intercultural Forum event she spoke on a topic very close to her heart.
Monica’s talk on how the Bible can be read among marginal communities explored a theme central to her life and work: a strong commitment to those marginalised in society, particularly women ...
“Advent invites us to see clearly the challenges that are around us, and to pray for God’s response.”
I am expecting a very different Christmas this year, for which it’s very difficult to do too much planning.
Robyn and I can’t commit to particular plans around Christmas gatherings because very close to the date that we celebrate Jesus’s birth, we ...