27 October 2026

National Update

Your snapshot of the Uniting Church in Australia

Featured story

Bringing community voices to the heart of Parliament

UnitingCare Australia’s annual Advocacy Day has brought frontline community service leaders to Parliament House to advocate for a fairer system of care and support.

Held on 13 October, the event gathered 24 leaders from across the UnitingCare network for 22 meetings with parliamentarians from across the political spectrum. They shared insights from their work with communities nationwide, highlighting barriers to care and opportunities for meaningful Government action.

The conversations supported UnitingCare Australia’s 2027–28 Pre-Budget Submission, which calls for earlier investment in care and support to prevent people from reaching crisis point before receiving help.

As an agency of the Uniting Church in Australia, UnitingCare Australia is committed to ensuring community voices inform national policy and that everyone can access the care they need at the time they need it.

From where will liturgical renewal come?

The Assembly’s Liturgical Renewal Project Lead, Matthew Julius, explores three key foundations for the Uniting Church’s liturgical renewal: ecumenism, the pattern of Christian spirituality, and the wholeness of a church that embraces all people. Read more here.

ACT2

Voices from the Commission for Governance, Resourcing and Administration

It’s been 15 months since the Uniting Church’s Commission for Governance, Resourcing and Administration (CGRA) came together for the very first time, marking a significant milestone in the Church’s renewal journey following the 17th Assembly.

Two of the Commission’s members, Rev Janet Staines and Rev David Dong Won Kim, share their insights into the work of the CGRA, and its role in better supporting local congregations and strengthening the national church.

COVENANTING

Held Together artist shares meaning behind artwork

No single strand tells the whole story. But woven together, individual strands can create something stronger, richer and more enduring than any one could become alone. This is at the heart of Corina Sumner’s artwork for Held Together, a conference that will bring young adults together in January 2027.

AROUND THE CHURCH

Queensland gathers for its 39th Synod

How can the Uniting Church embrace renewal, strengthen local ministry and empower the next generations of leaders? These questions shaped four days of worship, conversation and discernment at the 39th Queensland Synod.

Gathering under the theme ‘Renewal: Praying Without Ceasing’, members from across Queensland explored the challenges and opportunities facing the Church, guided by daily reflections on listening, perceiving and abiding in prayer.

Click here for the full wrap and photos.

FRONTIER SERVICES

A barbecue and the joy of giving back

At the William Creek Gymkhana in South Australia, everyone was looking for shade. Everyone except Chris and Leonie, two of our Outback Links volunteers, who took up position beside a four-metre barbecue and helped feed 300 people.

For Chris, it’s about letting remote communities know that someone cares. It was their fourth visit to William Creek, and he has helped on other projects – from painting a house to building a wheelchair ramp. He says volunteering is a two-way street: “Giving is receiving”.

Read why they keep coming back.

UNITINGWORLD

Christmas cards with a purpose

Christmas is coming! UnitingWorld’s Christmas cards come in four Advent designs, in packs of eight for $15, with recycled paper envelopes.

Designed and printed in Australia, every pack sold helps UnitingWorld’s church partners in the Pacific, Asia and Africa support families facing poverty and the impacts of climate change. Order yours today!

Rev Dr D’Arcy Wood and Rev Bruce Barber first met in 1948 and were ordained together 18 years later. As they celebrate 60 years in ministry, they spoke with Crosslight magazine about their shared faith and friendship.
With Halloween approaching, John T Squires explores the Christian traditions of All Hallows’ Eve, All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.
Synod of Victoria and Tasmania’s General Secretary Rev Dr Mark Lawrence will be formally farewelled on Thursday 26 November with his Conclusion of Placement Service being held at Wesley Church in Melbourne, starting at 2pm. RSVP here.
The Pacific Conference of Churches has rejected the United States’ call to end the mandate of the UN Decolonization Committee, urging member states and regional leaders to uphold Pacific peoples’ right to self-determination, dignity and freedom to determine their own futures.
Associate Professor Rev Geoff Thompson has released a new book. Eavesdropping on Karl Barth: Occasional Essays explores contemporary theological and cultural challenges, including ecology, religious pluralism, post-truth politics and solidarity.
Missed a recent edition of National Update? Catch up here.

Join us in prayer for...

the Filipino National Conference taking place this weekend in western Sydney.
the leaders of UnitingCare Australia as they advocate for the voiceless across society.
our siblings in Indonesia. For months, forest fires across many islands have claimed human and animal lives, and the situation continues to worsen.
Nations and territories of the Caribbean as part of the WCC Ecumenical Prayer Cycle.