Cake and candles for 200 years


Victoria’s Parliament House was presented with a Contemporary English Version (CEV) Bible at a special event to mark the 200th anniversary of the Bible Society on Wednesday.

Dr Greg Clarke, CEO of the Bible Society, presented the gift to the Hon Bruce Atkinson, President of the Legislative Council. Dr Clarke said it represented the ongoing relevance of ...

QLD synod launches Cyclone Debbie appeal


Queensland moderator Rev David Baker has asked Uniting Church members to support the people of North Queensland as they face the aftermath of Cyclone Debbie.

The cyclone made landfall on Tuesday, causing destructive rain, flooding and winds exceeding 250 kilometres per hour. A number of communities in North Queensland have been cut off from communication and more ...

Surrendering to an overwhelming sense of Welcome


An emotional Welcome to Country ceremony set the scene for the recent Surrender conference, where hundreds of Christians from a wide variety of denominations gathered to be inspired, equipped and challenged to embody Christ in their personal life, ministry and mission work.

A number of Uniting Church people attended over the three days of the conference, which ...

Last child abuse public hearing to ask why institutions failed

The question of why incidents of child sexual abuse have been reported from 4000 institutions, and what effect this had on the survivors, will be the focus of the last week of public hearings by a royal commission this week.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse is holding its 57th case study titled “Nature, cause ...

Loving the country

“I really loved seeing the country we came through on the bus”, a young mother told one of the organisers as we walked over to the picnic.

She had arrived in Castlemaine with a group of people who are seeking asylum in Australia, having fled war, persecution and oppression in their home countries.

The picnic was held in the ...

Fair bet

Friday Forum
Your views on the news

It’s becoming increasingly difficult to not let online gambling ads wash over you. They dominate free-to-air and pay TV. The ads themselves are glitzy, blokey, and trying very hard to be clever. They are also filling our public spaces – on backs of taxis, billboards and of course at sporting fixtures.

...

Leading the way on interfaith unity


Young people can lead the way towards interfaith unity by showing their elders what an inclusive society looks like.

This was a theme that emerged from the ‘Journeys of Culture and Faith, Stories of Us’ forum that took place at Darebin Intercultural Centre on Wednesday night. It was organised by the synod’s Uniting through Faiths unit, in ...

Introducing the UCA NewsBot


Social media has changed the way people find their news. With a quick Twitter search or a scroll through Facebook, users can tune in to the latest political developments, from breaking news out of Parliament House to updates from the other side of the world.

Many politicians now communicate directly with their followers through social media, bypassing ...

Sharing stories of faith and culture

Young people from diverse faith and cultural backgrounds will share their stories at a forum on Wednesday 22 March.

The ‘Journeys of Culture and Faith, Stories of Us’ forum coincides with Cultural Diversity Week, which runs from 18-26 March. It will be held at Darebin Intercultural Centre and is organised by the synod’s Uniting through Faiths unit, in partnership ...

Unearthing the early life of Victoria


A church carpark has been peeled back to provide a rare and fascinating peek into the lives of Victoria’s early settlers.

The archaeological work at Wesley Church on Lonsdale St is being conducted as part of heritage requirements of the site’s redevelopment.

The carpark excavation has uncovered the lower structural remains of six single-storey terrace houses and ...

Walk for refugees


Vic/Tas moderator Sharon Hollis has described Australia’s treatment of people seeking asylum as a national shame ahead of this year’s Palm Sunday Walk for Justice for Refugees on 9 April.

Ms Hollis will address the crowd as part of an interfaith panel alongside leaders from Australia’s Jewish and Islamic communities. She will then join other faith representatives ...