From the Associate General Secretary

Marriage Regulations 2017

The Marriage Regulations 1963 were repealed on 1 April 2018 and have been replaced with the Marriage Regulations 2017, which commenced on 1 April 2018. A copy of the new regulations can be found here.

Rev David Fender
Associate General Secretary, Queensland Synod

From the Moderator

Monday morning prayer

Join us for the Monday morning prayer during April:

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Loving God, strengthen us to overcome our fear so that we can be present to those who are mourning. Amen

Moderator's musing

In this week's Moderator's musing, Rev David Baker gives insight about the young people of the Church as part of Queensland Youth Week (6–15 April 2018).

"They don’t want to have a 'youth ministry'; they want to help young people grow into all the fullness of life Jesus wants for them." Read more.

Learning news

Mission in Focus: Missional Identity (Scott Guyatt)

Mission in Focus is a weekly segment in the Trinity College Queensland formation program. Designed to stretch and shape our missional imaginations, the event involves effective missional practitioners from within and beyond the Uniting Church sharing about their ministries and experience in both local and international contexts.

On 21 March we heard from Scott Guyatt, Queensland Synod’s Mission Strategy Director. Scott reflected on his personal journey of exploring missional expressions of church and how that has informed his current role of assisting congregations to develop a missional identity.

Click here to listen to Scott speak.

Tisa Lacey
Marketing and Event Coordinator, Trinity College Queensland

Reaching out and speaking out

Why speak out?

Why do churches need to speak out about injustice, racism, xenophobia, the rise of white nationalism, ill treatment of the most vulnerable children of God, the terrible treatment of people seeking asylum ... All of it?

Over 20 American Christian leaders speak out against bigotry, racism, misogyny, and xenophobia, calling Christians to follow Jesus in the ways of inclusive love and healing. Read more.

People forced into destitution

Could you have imaged this? In south east Queensland alone, there are now more than 90 families or individuals who have had all income support cut. They are completely reliant on charity and the good will of people in the community. In coming months, the Australian Government plans to completely cut income support for many more people seeking asylum. There will be hundreds more people.

Community groups, churches and organisations will not be able to cope. Join the Queensland Synod and the Refugee Council of Australia in calling for compassion.

While we’re talking about this …

Indooroopilly Uniting Church has a well-respected and very busy “Form-filling clinic” where they have been helping people seeking asylum with their applications for protection. They are also providing practical support for people whose income has been cut. The need is increasing all the time and they urgently need supermarket gift cards, which will give people the dignity of going to the shop for themselves, instead of receiving a food handout. Please can you help by donating cards?

Please post them to IUC Refugee Support Group, PO Box 47, Indooroopilly QLD 4068, or drop them at the Synod office for attention Sue Hutchinson.

Sue Hutchinson
Research and Policy Officer, Queensland Synod