24 July 2025

National Update

Your snapshot of the Uniting Church in Australia

Our Featured Story

JUSTICE

UCA President renews call for Australia to sign treaty

On 6 and 9 August 2025, the world will commemorate 80 years since the catastrophic atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In 1945, two cities were utterly destroyed and more than 200,000 lives were lost.

As these significant anniversaries approach, Uniting Church President Rev Charissa Suli has written to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong urging the Australian Government to immediately sign and ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

"For more than four decades, the Uniting Church in Australia has rejected the use, proliferation and threat of nuclear weapons in the strongest possible terms," the President wrote. "These weapons are morally indefensible and fundamentally incompatible with the Gospel of Christ."

“We urge you now to translate commitments into action by immediately signing and ratifying the Treaty, and offering leadership in international disarmament efforts for the sake of the whole creation.”

You can get involved in events and actions during the Week of Action for Abolition from 2-9 August, led by the International Campaign for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons. Help us build pressure for progress by joining events around the country and writing to the Government yourself.

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ACT2 PROJECT

Historic first gathering for new National Commission

The Assembly’s new Commission for Governance, Resourcing and Administration met for the first time earlier this month, beginning a vital journey of renewal, connection and faithful stewardship across the life of the Church.

EVENTS

Join the President in a time of prayer for peace and unity in Korea

Each year, in solidarity with the Korean and global ecumenical community, the Uniting Church joins together in prayer for peace in Korea. To mark the World Council of Churches Sunday of Prayer for the Peaceful Reunification of the Korean Peninsula, Uniting Church President Rev Charissa Suli will be hosting an online time of prayer at 7:00pm AEST on Friday 8 August. More details and registration available here.

WORSHIP

Uniting Creative launches new worship album

Uniting Creative in the Synod of NSW/ACT has released its highly anticipated new worship album Witness – a bold, soul-stirring collection of original songs that calls the Church into deeper relationship with Jesus, as well as justice and community.

EVENTS

Your invite to exclusive screenings of a poignant and powerful film

The Uniting Church in partnership with the Armenian Missionary Association of Australia are proud to be holding two exclusive screenings of The Golden Chain of Mercy, an award-winning documentary uncovering Australia and New Zealand’s forgotten role in aiding Armenian genocide survivors in the shadows of World War I. Join events taking place in North Parramatta and Sydney CBD.

ASSEMBLY RESOURCES

Official Assembly resources now available from Wayzgoose

Following the closure of MediaCom Education in 2024, official printed Uniting Church resources are now available through a new publisher, Wayzgoose, ensuring continued access to essential worship and faith formation materials. Check out the online store for a range of resources from the the Constitution and Regulations to the Basis of Union, Uniting in Worship 2, official liturgies, certificates and books.

RENEWAL, REFLECTION AND HOPE

You’re invited – President's Conference 2025

Registrations are now open for the President’s Conference this November in Tonga! This special gathering is an opportunity to come, share together and renew our commitment to weaving Christ’s love across cultures and boundaries. Open to all members of the Uniting Church, the conference will be a time for worship, reflection, cultural immersion and dialogue with young leaders, elders and theologians. Spots are limited to 100 attendees, so early registration is encouraged.

ICMYI: The Assembly has a new digital home for UCA resources. It's called uHub. It brings together a wide range of materials – from Assembly resolutions and governance documents to justice statements, liturgical resources and more – in one accessible location.
Frontier Services is urgently seeking volunteers for a trip to Harden, NSW between 3–9 August. Help is needed to clean, sort and salvage flood-affected items at the local museum which was severely impacted by a major storm earlier this year.
The NSW-ACT Synod recently held its 41st session in Sydney. Full coverage can be found here.
UnitingWorld’s National Director recently joined Pacific leaders at the Civil Society Climate Summit in Fiji, standing together in a strong call for climate justice and true representation of grassroots voices at COP31.
The UCA National History Society Conference is being held from 3–5 October at Canberra City Church. 'A Prophetic Voice' is the conference's theme with speakers discussing the impact of the church’s influence in the past, giving focus to the present and offering inspiration for the future.
lCYMI: Planting hope in Oodnadatta. Catch the video of Pastor Julia Lennon's dream being fulfilled for the tiny town in outback South Australia.
The UAICC Leprena Children's Day Gathering is coming up on Wednesday 6 August. All are welcome – RSVP is essential.

Next edition of National Update

Please note that National Update is now sent fortnightly on a Thursday. Our next regular edition will be on 7 August. Shorter editions are often sent in between. We gladly welcome contributions of stories, news and events from across the Uniting Church. Email comms@nat.uca.org.au

Join us in prayer for...

The Assembly Standing Committee as they meet from 25–27 July.
The ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza as aid agencies warn that relief supplies have been nearly exhausted.
Relief in Pakistan. Monsoon rains continue to batter the Punjab province. Last week, 65 people died and over 300 were injured, bringing the nationwide death toll since late June to more than 180.
The nations of Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Gabon and Sao Tome as part of the WCC Ecumenical Prayer Cycle.

Jobs: Lay Ministry Worker - Engadine Uniting Church (Synod of NSW/ACT)
A new role to strengthen ministry, grow church presence, foster community transformation and ensure future resource sustainability.

Jobs: Remote Area Disaster Chaplain - Katharine, NT Northern Synod / Frontier Services)
Provide practical, pastoral and spiritual care to those who live and work within the region of Katharine in the Top End.