News from Uniting Church SA
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Tuesday 22 July 2025
Awaken Adelaide Special Lecture – Thursday July 24
A unique opportunity to hear from globally recognised theologian and justice advocate Professor Namsoon Kang, Professor of Theology and Religion at Brite Divinity School, Texas Christian University, as she explores:
“Practising Neighbour-Love as Just Hospitality: Toward Cosmopolitan Leadership in a Multicultural World”.
Dr Kang's work bridges theology, ethics, postcolonialism, and intercultural leadership. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to engage with her transformative insights.
When: Thursday, 24 July 2025, 5:30–8 pm
Where: Yarthu-Apinthi, 312 Sir Donald Bradman Dr, Brooklyn Park SA.
Another Uniting Foundation Grant success story – Unity Hill UC
During the 2024 grant round, Unity Hill Uniting Church in Port Lincoln was awarded a grant of $6,000 for a grease trap, thanks to the support of UC Invest. Unity Hill UC had been made aware that the church kitchen was not compliant for wastewater management and a grease trap was required immediately for the congregation to continue their successful cooking programs.
These programs are beneficial for the socially isolated individuals in the community as well as providing positive mental health outcomes. Recently one participant in a cooking class, while stirring a pot of food, exclaimed, “I know why I came today – because cooking makes you feel so much better!” Another benefit of the cooking class is the established partnership with West Coast Youth and Community Support (WCYCS), who they provide with leftover food made in the class to meet the needs of those in the community who are in crisis.
A local plumber was engaged to install the trap and the project was assisted by a church volunteer who donated their time to replace the outside paving which had been disturbed during the installation process.
Apply now!
2025 Uniting Foundation grant applications close in just over a week, on Thursday July 31, 2025. For further information, please contact Alice Hammer on (08) 8236 4206 or ahammer@sa.uca.org.au or check out the website UCA SA – Uniting Foundation.
A whole new way of enjoying the Royal Adelaide Show
You are invited to experience a whole new way of enjoying the Royal Adelaide Show – combining volunteering at the Red Dove Café with a deeper experience of reflecting missionally on your observations during the day. This exciting initiative, offered for the first time this year, will be led by Rev Scott Litchfield from Mission Resourcing.
The whole-day event will begin with coffee or breakfast, followed by orientation and a time spent walking around the Show in ‘observation mode’. After doing a shift at the Red Dove Café, you’ll have another period of focused observation in one of the ‘worlds’ at the show, then regather as a group to share your reflections.
The program is entirely FREE, and is being offered on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 7th of September. Spaces are limited, so book early on the link below
UPDATE: The September 2 session is now booked out!
Renew – Launch of event on Eventzilla
Registrations are NOW OPEN for Renew Synod Resourcing event – a dynamic event to help you refresh, reimagine and reignite the life of your church. Click on the link below for more information or to register.
From the General Secretary:
“This event is an opportunity for individuals and entire teams – whether ministry teams, church councils, or presbyteries – to grow together. By attending, you will build new connections, share insights, and return to your congregation with tangible resources that will enrich your ministry practice. The workshops are specifically designed to provide value at both individual and team levels, offering frameworks and resources to guide you in your leadership journey. We encourage you to consider the long-term benefits of the connections made at this event and the opportunity to come together and engage in the Christian practice of collective discernment through prayer and fellowship, which we hope will help anchor your ongoing growth and provide continued support as you navigate your ministry.
So, whatever your involvement in the life of the church, whether you’re part of a small community or a large congregation, Renew is a space for all who are passionate about deepening their faith and ministry. We want to welcome everyone – because when the Church comes together, great things happen!"
Rev Philip Gardner
General Secretary
AED Reminder
A reminder that the deadline for eligible congregations to order their AED is fast approaching. To ensure receipt of the $1000 AED Grant towards the cost of an AED, orders must be received by 31 July 2025.
Ordering and purchase details were emailed to all eligible church locations on 30 June 2025. If you are an officer of the church council/responsible body (Chair, Secretary or Treasurer) and did not receive the information, please email the Synod office promptly at: whs@sa.uca.org.au
All places of worship are required to install an AED before the 1 January 2026.
Meet Anna Wilson – Disability and Advocacy Officer
My name is Anna Wilson, and I’m really excited to introduce myself as the new Graduate Disability and Advocacy Officer in the Synod of South Australia, with the Placements and Safe Church Team. I’ve just commenced this role, working part-time on Mondays and Wednesdays, and I’m already feeling excited by the possibilities of what we can achieve together.
Here’s a little bit about me: I grew up in the Uniting Church, and my love for ministry and theology continues to shape who I am today. Alongside this role, I’m currently studying a Bachelor of Disability and Community Inclusion, which is helping deepen my understanding of what true inclusion looks like in community life.
I’m passionate about disability advocacy, making sure that everyone, regardless of ability or disability, feels not only welcomed but valued and heard in the life of the church. My heart is especially focused on ensuring that people with lived experience of disability are able to speak into the changes that are needed, whether that’s improving physical access, adapting sensory environments, or simply making space for someone’s experience to be acknowledged and respected.
In this role, I hope to connect with congregation members and leaders to talk openly about what inclusion looks like in your context. I’m not here to tell you what to do, but to listen, reflect, and work alongside you to find practical and grace-filled ways to build more accessible and welcoming spaces.
One of my key hopes is to help bring the Synod’s Access and Inclusion Policy to life, working with congregations to explore how it can shape local communities in a way that honours the diversity of God’s people. Every congregation is unique, and I’d love to help you think through what meaningful inclusion could look like in your setting.
I’d love to hear from you, whether you have questions, ideas, concerns, or just want to share a coffee and a chat about disability, access, or inclusion. Let’s work together to create safe, inclusive, and welcoming spaces for everyone to thrive.
2025–26 Celebrate Together Round 2
Grant funding is now available through the 2025–26 Celebrate Together Round 2 to support multicultural organisations in hosting festivals and events that share their cultures with the South Australian community.
Grants of up to $5,000 are available for projects delivered over six months, starting from 1 January 2026.
An online information session will be held on Thursday 24 July 2025 from 5 pm to 6 pm. To register, email your name and organisation to MulticulturalAffairs@sa.gov.au.
Applications close at 11 pm on Sunday 14 September 2025. Guidelines and application forms are available at Multicultural Affairs | Department of the Premier and Cabinet. For more information, contact the Grants Team on 1300 239 468 or email MulticulturalAffairs@sa.gov.au.
Events
Through Their Eyes: Safe environments for children and young people
You are invited to attend the Through Their Eyes full-day training on Thursday, 31 July, from 9.30 am to 4 pm at Yarthu Apinthi, Uniting College for Leadership & Theology, 312 Sir Donald Bradman Drive, Brooklyn Park.
This session is designed to help participants understand their legal obligation to report when a child is, or may be, at risk of harm. It provides an overview of child protection legislation along with practical guidance on recognising concerns and responding appropriately.
The cost to attend is $30. Morning tea will be provided, and participants are asked to bring their own lunch. Please register by Tuesday, 29 July.
Lay Preachers’ Sunday
The first Sunday in August is Lay Preachers’ Sunday in SA. We encourage congregations to celebrate and give thanks for the faithful ministry of Lay Preachers, whose service brings the Gospel to many each week. Suggested short and long liturgies are available on the Synod website. You’re welcome to mark the occasion on Sunday 3 August or a nearby date.
Amplify Conference
Amplify is Australia’s largest children, youth, and family ministry conference and will be held on Saturday 2 August 2025 across four hubs in South Australia: Brooklyn Park, Salisbury, Rostrevor, and Port Lincoln. The event features exclusively recorded, inspiring messages from keynote speakers with expertise in their fields, along with a wide range of quality electives covering children, youth, and family ministry, leadership, culture, faith communities and more.
Speakers include Tery Williams (opening plenary session), Suzie and Peter Botross (youth ministry) and Ainsley Freeman (children and families).
Community Connections – Weaving Lives Together
On Saturday 23 August, come and be part of an interactive day of learning and discovery focused on how God is working in our communities – and how we can join in! The event will feature small groups, electives, a marketplace of ideas, a ‘clearinghouse’ of community connections theology, sacred space for quiet reflection, and more.
Guest speaker Rev Dr Karina Kreminski, a Uniting Church minister from Sydney and author of Urban Spirituality, will share her wealth of experience in neighbourhood mission and community engagement. Local voices from the SA Community Connections Collective will also be involved.
Cost is $30 ($20 concession, or $25 each for groups of 4+ from the same church). Morning tea and refreshments are included. Bring your own lunch or grab something nearby.
Fundraising concert – KickStart for Kids
Trinity Sessions and the Effective Living Cantre are hosting their annual fundraising concert on Sunday August 17 at 4 pm, with all proceeds going to support KickStart For Kids – a charity dedicated to providing essential school breakfasts, uniforms, and holiday programs for children in need across South Australia.
This uplifting event promises an afternoon of great music and community spirit, all for a vital cause.
Effective Living Centre – Do we need to rethink forgiveness?
The Progressive Christianity Forum’s August speaker is David McDougall, who asks, “Do we need to rethink forgiveness?”
David is an Anglican Priest, the Archdeacon for Mission in the Diocese of the Murray, Provincial of the Society of The Sacred Mission and the Co-ordinator of Adventure Connect Inc, a Christian charity that works to provide meaningful recreation to disadvantaged young people. David’s academic work includes post-graduate work on the study of trauma, resentment and forgiveness.
When: 7 pm, Thursday 7 August 2025
Where: Effective Living Centre – Christ Church Uniting Church, 26 King William Road, Wayville 5034
Cost: General admission $15 | Concession $12 | Live stream $5.
The Polkinghorne Oration – 16 Oct 2025
The Polkinghorne Oration will be held on 16 October 2025 at Adelaide West Uniting Church, 312 Sir Donald Bradman Drive, Brooklyn Park. The event will begin at 7 pm, with doors opening at 6:15 pm. This year’s guest speaker is Rev Tim Costello, who will address the theme, “The Challenge of Our Times: Climate Change in the Context of a Culture in Crisis.”
Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for concession.
Upcoming events
July
24 – Awaken Adelaide Special Lecture at UCLT
27 – Community lunch at Morialta UC
30 – How does volunteering nourish our spiritual life? at Clayton-Wesley UC
31 – Uniting Foundation Grants close
31 – Through Their Eyes: Safe environments for children and young people
August
2 – 2025 Bethany Hall SALA Art Exhibition
2 – The Buddhist Monk who Loves Jesus
2 – Amplify Conference, with hubs at Brooklyn Park, Salisbury, Rostrevor, and Port Lincoln
4 to 10 – Loneliness Awareness Week 2025
7 – Do we need to rethink forgiveness? at the Effective Living Centre
8 – Oodnadatta Congress Celebration Weekend
10 – Truth-telling and Listening at Unley UC
16 – Quiz Night @ The Corner
17 – KickStart for Kids Fundraising Concert at Trinity Sessions
17 – An afternoon with Henry Olonga at Newland-Victor Harbor
23 – Community Connections – Weaving Lives Together at UCLT
News highlights from the Assembly of the Uniting Church in Australia this week include:
Recent news
Called as Moderator: Who is next?
Renew: Synod Resourcing Event 2025 – October 17 and 18
Copyright reminders
AED purchasing update
Save the date – Resourcing Day!
Closing soon – 2025 Uniting Foundation grants
Every Generation Onkaparinga Awards
Australian of the Year Awards 2026
Join the Red Dove Café team at the Royal Adelaide Show!
Volunteers needed – Pilgrim Uniting Church
Volunteers needed – The Corner Uniting Church Op Shop
Volunteers needed – UnitingCare Glenelg
Clinical Pastoral Education at St Andrew’s Hospital
Frontier Services – Planting hope in Oodnadatta
Western Link Uniting Church – 20th Anniversary
Help create new possibilities for people facing poverty
Reflection of the week
Learning by the Light of the Moon
If we are going to talk about light, then we must also talk about darkness, because they only have meaning in relation to one another. In much of the world’s art, the sun and the moon are pictured together as sacred symbols. The solar light gives glaring brightness but paradoxically creates defined shadows. It can sometimes be so bright and clear that it actually obscures or blinds. Patriarchal religions usually preferred “sun” gods and the worship of fire, light, and order. While order and clarity are good, they also give us an arrogance about that very order and clarity.
Father Richard Rohr
Prayer points
We celebrate the news of renewed peace efforts in Ukraine.
We pray for the people of Ukraine,
for those who have fled, those who remain, and those who mourn.
May God's Spirit comfort them,
and may justice roll down like waters to bring an end to aggression and fear.
We lift up the peoples of the Middle East – in Israel, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, and beyond –
where generations have known division, displacement, and despair.
Let God's peace take root in hearts hardened by trauma, and let justice dismantle systems of oppression and hatred.
At home and in the wider world, teach us to be instruments of Your peace – to speak truth with love, to act with compassion, and to build bridges instead of walls.
Resources to help people worship and pray together as a gathered community or at home. These resources are generously prepared by Rev Cheryl Wilson.
Positions and placements
Activity Facilitator – Beyond Limits Outdoor Education – Open now
Head Cook, Nunyara – Belair – Closes 28 July
Centre Manager, Adare – Victor Harbor – Closes 28 July
UC eNews is the weekly email newsletter of the Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of South Australia. If you’d like to include content in UC eNews or on the Synod of South Australia website, please submit it by COB Mondays.
