| | On Monday night of this Holy Week, Assembly General Secretary Andrew Johnson attended a Eucharistic service in an unfamiliar setting and form. The pews offered little comfort, and there was no printed liturgy to guide participants. Yet, in the midst of this unfamiliarity, he encountered the presence of the Living God through Word and Sacrament. “In many ways,” he reflects, “we are like that Holy Week service. Our conversations can be uncomfortable. We do not always have a clear blueprint for the future. Even the patterns and practices we try to follow can leave us weary.” “And yet – again and again – we encounter the presence of the Living God. In Word. In action. In one another.” Andrew shares this reflection with us and challenges us with these questions: Do we expect to encounter the Living God? And how might that encounter come to us this Easter? |
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| | | | | In case you missed last week’s National Update, Uniting Church President Rev Charissa Suli’s 2026 Easter Message has been released, offering a timely message of peace, hope and resurrection in a world marked by uncertainty and anxiety. Her message reflects on the Easter story as one that begins not in celebration, but in fear behind locked doors. Rev Suli draws on the words of the risen Christ, “Peace be with you”, as a message that speaks directly into the realities many people are facing today. Watch and read it here. |
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| | | | Young adults from every culture, community and story across the Uniting Church are invited to gather for Held Together in January 2027, marking the beginning of our 50th anniversary and our shared journey with the UAICC. Hosted by President Rev Charissa Suli and the UAICC, this event will create space in the lead up to the Day of Mourning to listen, learn and honour First Nations voices, and walk forward together as one Church. Held Together is an invitation to bring your whole self, encountering Jesus in the midst of real life, finding your voice, and sharing in healing, wellbeing and hope. More than an event, this is about who we are becoming – together. Put it in your diary now: 20–24 January 2027. Further information coming soon. |
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| | | | This Friday, Christine Gordon celebrates a remarkable milestone: 25 years of dedicated service with the Uniting Church as its Archivist. With unwavering commitment and care, Christine has helped preserve the Church’s collective memory, ensuring its stories endure. Her work has quietly strengthened the Church’s identity, connecting past and present while supporting communities, leaders and researchers across Australia and beyond. |
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| | | | UnitingCare Australia, a key agency of the Uniting Church in Australia, has welcomed the Federal Government’s announcement today of an additional $11.7 million investment in emergency relief and financial counselling services for Australians in need due to rising cost-of-living pressures. Tamara Thomas, the National Director of UnitingCare Australia, stated: “We commend the Government for listening and responding to our call to support people doing it toughest and the frontline services holding communities together during a deeply challenging time.” |
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| | | | The Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) is inviting applications for the Asian Ecumenical Institute (AEI) 2026, a month-long residential formation program in Chiang Mai, Thailand this July. Under the theme, ‘Hope for Liberation Amidst the Groaning of Creation’, participants will explore ecological, social, and spiritual challenges in Asia, and be nurtured in ecumenical leadership and action. Places are limited to 24 young leaders aged 25–35 with applications closing 24 April 2026. To apply, please click here or for more information, email Rev Dr Apwee Ting at UnitingWorld. Subsidies may be available to successful applicants. |
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| | | | The Uniting Church in Australia has joined more than 150 community organisations across Australia and the Pacific in calling the Australian Government to urgently sign and ratify the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, as rising global tensions drive the risk of nuclear conflict to its highest level in decades. President Rev Charissa Suli has released this video statement, and also signed the No Nuclear Weapons in Australia Declaration, led by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (Australia). |
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| | | The significance of Easter can sometimes be hard to explain to littlies. Gordon-Pymble Uniting and Quirky the Quokka have stepped in to help with a series of short videos sharing how through Jesus we get to be friends with God! Margaret River Uniting is taking a unique approach to their outreach this Easter, hosting an artistic exhibition, Way of the Cross. Visitors are invited to reflect on the Easter story through a creative interpretation of the traditional Stations of the Cross, a centuries-old practice inspired by St Francis of Assisi. The rebuilding of the Lismore Uniting Church precinct stands as symbol of resilience and hope following devastating floods of 2022. Now the rebuild project is in the running in the Restoration of an Historic Building category at the 2026 Northern Regions Excellence in Building Awards. A recording of the Service of Thanksgiving for Dr Keith Suter AM is now available online, inviting friends, colleagues and the wider Church to honour his life and witness. A longtime Uniting Church member and respected foreign affairs commentator, Dr Suter died last December aged 77, leaving a significant legacy across church, public life and international affairs.
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| | | April
3-5 Easter weekend
24 Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide
25 ANZAC Day May
17-24 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
21 Net Zero Roundtable #1
24 Pentecost
26 Sorry Day
27 National Reconciliation Week (until 3 June)
31 Trinity Sunday June
14-20 Refugee Week
16 Net Zero Roundtable #2
22 49th Anniversary of the Uniting Church in Australia
28 UnitingWorld Sunday
Click here for the Uniting Church Assembly 2026 calendar. |
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Join us in prayer for... our hearts to be filled with hope and renewal this Easter. May our Heavenly Father strengthen our faith, guide our steps in love, and help us to live as witnesses of Christ’s victory, grace and everlasting life. the Held Together gathering next January. Lord, may your Spirit guide the planning and teaching, and many young adults be inspired to attend. Communities across Far North Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia affected by Tropical Cyclone Narelle. the staff and volunteers of the Uniting Church and agencies. Almighty God, grant them wisdom, compassion and endurance as they serve your Church and others. Poland, Slovakia, Albania, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina as part of the WCC Ecumenical Prayer Cycle.
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