From the General Secretary

Pastoral Statement from the Synod Standing Committee

Last week the Synod Standing Committee issued a pastoral statement to the Synod in light of the resolution around same-gender marriage. Read the full statement.

In the event that you wish to contribute to or participate in the Synod-wide program please contact the General Secretary.

Rev Heather den Houting
General Secretary, Queensland Synod

From the Moderator

Monday morning prayer

Join us for the Monday morning prayer in September:

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God” Matthew 5:9

Lord, give us courage, tenacity, and wisdom to be peacemakers in our fractured world. Amen

Statement regarding Termination of Pregnancy Bill 2018

The Uniting Church in Australia, Queensland Synod is deeply concerned about the Termination of Pregnancy Bill 2018 introduced by the Queensland Government and fundamentally opposes it.

We believe the foetus is a human life, and that it has rights that need to be protected, alongside the rights of women. Read the full statement.

Rev David Baker
Moderator, Queensland Synod

Moderator's musing

In this week's Moderator's musing, Rev David Baker reflects on the life of Jim Gibson, designer of the Uniting Church in Australia logo, who recently passed.

"Being called into life in Christ is to be called into a journey of Christian community where we overcome personalities and preferences and become the body of Christ; a sign and foretaste of the kingdom of God." Read the full story.

Synod office news

Journey magazine wins Gold at the Australasian Religious Press Association Awards

Journey magazine won two Gold awards at the 2018 Australasian Religious Press Association Awards night on 8 September.

Dianne Jensen received Gold in the Best Profile Story and Best News Story categories for her writing on Defence Force chaplaincy and the war in Syria. The judges noted Dianne’s writing left an “emotional impact” and walked the fine line between cold objectivity and sentimentality very well.

Uniting Church publications in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales also received awards.

Left to right: Dianne Jensen, Jonathan Foye (Editor of Insights magazine, NSW/ACT), Belinda Taylor (Editor in Chief, New Times, SA) and David Southwell (Editor, Crosslight, VIC/TAS) at the 2018 ARPA Awards. Photo: Ben Rogers

Position vacant

Cunnamulla, Burke and Wills patrol

The Presbytery of The Downs, in partnership with Frontier Services, is seeking a person to minister to remote rural and isolated communities in the Cunnamulla Burke and Wills area in south west Queensland.

If you have a passion for ministry with people in the Outback, you will have many opportunities to serve people in the small communities and large properties that are a part of this remote area—Bedourie, Birdsville, Charleville, Cunnamulla, Quilpie, Wyandra and the like.

Together we will discern a call from God for this ministry as there are both challenges and growth opportunities in what would become a ministry experience of a lifetime.

John Case
Presbytery Secretary, The Presbytery of The Downs

Other news

Digital piano available

I have a Technics 88 note digital piano that I would like to make available to any church that may be in need of, or could use such an instrument.

It is in very good condition, having recently been serviced by a piano technician, but has become surplus to my needs.

The only stipulation that I would make is that it must go to a church and not to an individual person. The piano can be viewed and played at my home in Alexandra Hills, Queensland.

Bill Mayerle
Member, Capalaba Uniting Church