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This Sunday, Pentecost Sunday, something beautiful begins. From 24 May to 22 June — the 49th Anniversary of the Uniting Church in Australia — we are embarking on a shared season of national prayer: 30 Days | 30 Voices | One Church in Prayer. Each day, a new voice from across the Church will lead us in praying together around one unifying question: "What does it mean to be woven together in Christ's love across cultures and boundaries?" The journey unfolds across five movements: Week 1 — Spirit, Listening and Covenant (24–30 May), anchored in the truth that "God is already at work among us"; Week 2 — Leadership, Discipleship and Trust (31 May–6 June), where "we are being shaped by Christ together"; Week 3 — One Body, Many Members (7–13 June), reminded that "we belong to one another in Christ"; Week 4 — Justice, Hope and Renewal (14–19 June), holding fast to the promise that "God is making all things new"; and Final Days — Unity and Sending (20–22 June), as we are commissioned together: "sent as one Church, one body of Christ." It is an invitation to pause, to listen, and to be reminded that we are one body — diverse, dispersed, and deeply connected in Christ. Mark your diaries, share this with your congregation, and join us this Sunday as we begin this journey together in prayer. |
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| | | UAICCSorry Day and National Reconciliation Week: All In for Justice and Healing |
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On 26 May, we observe National Sorry Day — a solemn moment to honour the Stolen Generations, acknowledge the enduring wounds of forced removal, and stand along…On 26 May, we observe National Sorry Day — a solemn moment to honour the Stolen Generations, acknowledge the enduring wounds of forced removal, and stand alongside First Peoples in truth-telling and healing. National Sorry Day gives way to National Reconciliation Week (27 May – 3 June), marked this year by the theme All In — a call for all Australians to commit wholeheartedly to reconciliation every single day. As a church in covenant relationship with the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress, the Uniting Church embraces this call with particular seriousness. Reconciliation is not a spectator sport — it calls each of us, as individuals, congregations and communities, to step off the sidelines and into action. We invite you to pray, listen, learn, and walk together as First and Second Peoples on the continuing road to justice and healing. |
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The Uniting Church in Australia joined faith and community leaders this week at the launch of Train, Engage, Connect and Support (TECS) — a free new e-learning resource developed by Settlement Services International to equip leaders with the knowledge, skills, and cultural understanding to recognise and respond to family, domestic and sexual violence. Launched by Minister for Social Services the Hon. Tanya Plibersek, the resource was shaped through extensive national consultation with representatives from 13 religions and 52 nationalities and cultures. UCA President Rev. Charissa Suli welcomed the initiative, affirming that "as people of faith, we are called to uphold the dignity, safety, and wellbeing of every person." Read about it here. |
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The Act 2 project invites the whole Uniting Church into a season of prayerful discernment and renewal. Born from the recognition that we are living through a time of massive change, Act 2 draws on the wisdom gathered from across the church to ask a courageous question: what needs to change so that we might flourish? Following the 17th Assembly's commitments in July 2024, three streams of work are now underway — strengthening local communities of faith, building a national network for theology, formation and leadership, and renewing the church's governance and resourcing — all guided by the Assembly Resourcing Unit and two national commissions. The goal is greater flexibility, reduced administrative burden, and deeper support for congregations to focus on worship, discipleship, mission and ministry. As a pilgrim people walking together in hope, we are invited to stay connected with this unfolding journey and to hold it in prayer. Check out the video for the full update. |
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| | ECUMENICALCelebrating 180 Years of Armenian Evangelical Witness |
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The Assembly Office was honoured to welcome Rev Dr Krikor Youmshajekian, President and CEO of the Armenian Missionary Association of Australia, and Mr Harout Nercessian, Global Field Director for the Armenian Missionary Association, for a visit this week. May 2026 marks a season of rich celebration for the Armenian Evangelical community — 180 years of the Armenian Evangelical Church, 60 years of its witness in Australia, 30 years since the dedication of the Armenian Evangelical Church in Willoughby, and 25 years of the Armenian Missionary Association of Australia. The Uniting Church in Australia rejoices with our Armenian sisters and brothers in faith, giving thanks for a legacy of faithfulness, resilience, and gospel witness that spans continents and generations. |
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| | ECUMENICAL / UNITING WORLDEco-Justice, Education, and Embodied Theology: A Meeting with the Church of South India |
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| | The Assembly Office was honoured to welcome a distinguished delegation from the Church of South India (CSI) this week, joining together with representatives from Uniting World and the Uniting Church in Australia for a rich and wide-ranging conversation. The delegation was led by Rt. Rev. A. Paul Francis Ravichandran, 14th Bishop of the Madras Diocese, whose ministry is deeply committed to youth leadership, community building, and advocacy for marginalised populations, accompanied by Rev. Indira Paul — Associate Presbyter of St. George's Cathedral, Chennai, and a pioneering voice for women's empowerment in the diocese. Also present were Rev. Professor Sathianathan Clarke, a globally recognised theologian in World Christianity and contextual mission, and Dr Prema Clarke, an international education policy consultant with over 25 years of experience across South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and the Pacific. The gathering drew on a fellowship stretching back to 1818 — through the Presbyterian Church — and renewed our shared commitment to eco-justice, health, and education. A particularly powerful thread of the conversation was the witness of 'barefoot theologians' from the Dalit community, whose deep connection to land and sea as sacred sources of life offered a grounding reminder that theology is always embodied, always placed, and always calls us into solidarity with those on the margins. |
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NYCC (National Children & Families and Youth & Young Adult Coalition) met in Melbourne last week. Children, youth, and young adult workers from every Synod, gathered together at the Centre for Theology and Ministry in Melbourne along with Rev. Sunny Chen from the Assembly. Those who gathered enthusiastically shared about discipleship and faith formation with younger generations in each Synod. A number Synods have moved to team models where work with younger generations is now focused on missional priorities including growing new communities and renewing others to focus more specifically on intergenerational faith formation. Read more here. |
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| | | | This week, ministry agents from across Queensland joined President Rev. Charissa Suli on the Sunshine Coast for the Queensland Synod All Presbyteries Ministry Agents Retreat — a time set apart for prayer, reflection and spiritual renewal. Through silence, worship, Scripture and shared conversation, leaders were invited to tend to their own inner life, grounded in the recognition that faithful ministry flows from a soul that is itself nourished and held. Rev. Suli reminded those gathered: "The Spirit is calling the Church back to depth. Back to prayer. Back to honesty. Back to leaders who are not afraid to rest in Jesus." Read more about this time of renewal and what it means to lead from a place of rest in Christ. |
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| | | | The Uniting Church in Australia Assembly is recruiting for four senior leadership positions that will shape the national life of the Church for years to come — and this is the final week to apply. The roles — Director, Faith & Theology; Director, Identity & Mission; Director, Advocacy & Justice; and Associate General Secretary, Strategy & Governance — each carry significant responsibility for advancing the Assembly's strategy and strengthening the Church's theological culture, public witness, missional identity and governance. Together, these positions form a leadership cohort committed to a Church that is faithful, united and active in God's mission across Australia and beyond. If you or someone you know is called to serve in this way, don't miss this opportunity — applications close soon. |
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| | | What can a small church with a big God accomplish? More than you might imagine. From an affordable housing project born out of unused land, to a dream in the night that prompted a life-changing conversation, this reflection is an invitation to offer what you have — however small — and trust God to make a way. Check out their story.
World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay expressed deep concern over the suffering caused by the escalating Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, which the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a public health emergency of international concern, with hundreds of suspected infections and many deaths reported.
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| | | May
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
July
5-12NAIDOC Week
10Anniversary of the UCA-UAICC Covenant
16Net Zero Roundtable #3
19Intercultural Neighbouring Sunday Click here for the Uniting Church Assembly 2026 calendar. |
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| | | Join us in prayer for... the elderly in need of care, families stretched beyond their means, and communities far from the centres of power. Where the decisions made fall short of what people need. Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal as part of the WCC Ecumenical Prayer Cycle.
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