Uniting Church in Australia
Presbytery of North Queensland
PRESBYTERY PROMPTS
29 Wentworth Ave Mundingburra 4812 Ph: 07 4779 5818 presbnq@bigpond.net.au
Website: www.presbyterynq.net
THIRTY -
On the Grapevine…
Hi everyone,
Sometimes it is good to read a feel good story about someone making life a little better for another person. In Bruce Mullan’s Daily Mail for this morning was one such story which I want to share with you. Thanks Bruce for the story.
Apparently a true British Postal Service story – there are angels and some of them work in the Post Office.
Our dog, Abbey, died on 23 August, and the day after Abbey died, my four year old, Granddaughter Meredith, was SO upset. She wanted to write a letter to God so that he would recognize Abbey in heaven. She told me what to write, and I did.
Then she put two pictures of Abbey in the envelope. We addressed it to God in Heaven, put two stamps on it because, as she said, it could be a long way to heaven. We put our return address on it, and I let her put it in the drop box at the post office that afternoon. She was absolutely sure that letter would get to heaven, and I wasn't about to disillusion her.
So today is a bank-
On the back page was the other picture of Abbey, and this handwritten note on pink paper: "Dear Meredith, I know that you will be happy to find out that Abbey arrived safely and soundly in heaven. Having the pictures you sent to me was a big help! I recognized Abbey right away! You know, Meredith, she isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me, just like it stays in your heart... young and running and playing. Abbey loved being your dog, you know.
Since we don't need our bodies in heaven, I don't have any pockets to keep things in. So... I am sending you your beautiful letter back with the pictures so that you will have this little memory book to keep. One of my angels is taking care of this for me. I hope this little book will help. Thank you for your beautiful letter. Thank your Grandma for sending it. What a wonderful Grandma you have. I did pick her especially for you.
Signed, God
Pastoral Notes and prayer points:
· Please keep the upcoming Emmaus Walks, team members and pilgrims in your prayers.
· ALL people, especially family and their incomes, affected by the horse flu outbreak.
· Pray for Greg Rankin from Mt Isa as he prepares after 7 years there to leave. He is a candidate for ministry and will attend Theological College in Brisbane next year.
· Pray for consultation teams and Joint Nominating Committees as they begin their work in seeking new ministry placements.
· The Synod Leadership Team met today – pray for effective follow through of decisions
Presbytery Leadership
For your information, the Presbytery Leadership Team or the executive are now meeting monthly. We have not at this stage formulated a regular meeting schedule but hope to have that soon but they will be in the first half of the month. Meeting dates for the rest of the year are currently 6th September, 9th October, with the November and December ones to be finalised tomorrow.
Garry Hardingham will be attending a rural conference in Victoria on behalf of the Presbytery.
Thursday Island Manse – a Quote Yippee !!!!!!!!!
We are celebrating the fact that we have a quote to repair the manse on Thursday Island including the downstairs flat. The quote is from Dave Kennedy Homes, in Cairns for $66,700 of which we have in hand $33,000. In faith we have given the go ahead for the work as it is very necessary. We believe that the finances will become available at the time we need them. The builder can commence work in November and expects to be finished by Christmas. This means that we will need the full amount by then. If there are congregations or individuals who would like to donate to this ministry opportunity please let us know. All the accounts for this project will be managed through the Presbytery Office so please send any donations here rather than direct to Thursday Island.
Synod Property Committee – new dates
For your information the Synod Property committee now meets on the 4th Friday of the month. As you will be aware the North Queensland Presbytery Mission Resourcing Committee meets on the 2nd Tuesday of the month. This means that in order for any property matters that need to go to Synod to be processed in a timely manner they must be in the Presbytery by the 2nd Monday of the month.
Synod Annual Report:
The Synod annual report that appeared in Journey last month and included an overview of where the finances for the Synod come from and go to is available in a PDF format that we can email or fax to you. I believe that it is a very useful tool to help Church Councils and congregations understand the financial situation of the whole church in Queensland. Please ask us at the Presbytery office if you would like a copy emailed to your congregation.
BlueCare Chaplaincy
In accordance with general practice and established processes, there will be an advertisement in this Saturdays Townsville Bulletin for the position of part time (50%) BlueCare chaplain in Townsville. This position will become vacant from 31st December 2007 when John Walker leaves so that he and Karen can begin the process of preparing for missionary service in Cambodia. The interview team will include both BlueCare and Presbytery personnel.
BP Fuel Card Extension
Please note the following which you may well have received from UCIS yourself if you have a BP fuel card.
During a final process testing, a number of critical external policy and practical issues have arisen that need to be resolved before a roll out of Caltex fuel cards can take place. Therefore the cancellation date for your existing BP cards will be extended, and you can continue to use your BP card as normal until further notice. You will no longer be receiving fuel at a discounted rate on your BP fuel.
If you have already forwarded your application forms to Caltex, be advised that no Caltex Starcards are being processed while the issues are being resolved.
Prayer Workshop
Below in the What’s New section I have added information about a Prayer Workshop hosted by Reef to Outback (YWAM) in Townsville in Oct/Nov. The flyers and info sheet referred to are available from the Presbytery Office.
Blessings to you all,
Bruce C.
Steve’s Stuff…
Greetings in the name of Christ!
It has been a busy fortnight with both the State Youth Ministry Conference and National
In-
We were truly blessed at both events to have Prof. Roland Martinson as our guest
speaker from Luther Seminary, Minneapolis. I have never met such a humble and gracious
man. Roland is sixty five years of age and has the sharpest mind. Before Roland
retires he wants to carry-
Roland shared that there is a huge need in the church to have ‘Triple A Adults. Adults who are Authentic, Available and Affirming. Roland asked us to think about a teenager that God has put in our sphere of influence that is waiting for a Triple A Adult. Who has God placed in your path who needs a Triple A Adult?
Kids Camp Out – Southern Zone
KCO is now only ten days away. If your congregation is sending a group of children, please ensure that you send me your group registration form as soon as possible.
Yours in Christ’s service, Steve.
YOUTH & CHILDREN'S MINISTRY EVENTS
September 15-
October 12-
October – 20th – 21st – Kids Camp Out Northern Zone
January 2008 -
What’s New…
PRAYER WORKSHOP
Greetings from Reef to Outback!!
I’m writing to present a wonderful opportunity for your church. We are offering a 2 week dynamic Breaking the Silence Prayer Workshop from October 29 – November 9 this year.
Picture this….an auditorium full of people connecting with the heart of God for themselves and the nations, radical worship, excellent speakers sharing on the excitement of prayer, and hands on workshops that will prove that prayer CAN be exciting and creative! That’s just a small taste of the Breaking the Silence Prayer Workshop.
As you know, prayer is critical in this time and season and it is the cornerstone of our communication with the Lord, yet often one of our most difficult challenges.
Our desire here at Reef to Outback is for people to experience the life and exhilaration of connecting with the Lord in real and dynamic ways. The Breaking the Silence Prayer Workshop is all about uniting our hearts with God’s heart – learning how to break the silence in a way that’s creative, life changing and far from boring!
We’ve attached a flyer and also an information sheet on the workshop with this letter, feel free to copy and distribute to your congregation.
We would love to have you involved in this incredible opportunity! Please feel free to contact us at rto@reeftooutback.com or call 4771 2123 if you have questions or would like more information.
Hope to hear from you soon!
Ken Mulligan (Director)
UCONNECT – A NEW KIND OF DIRECTORY
A public version of the new online Synod Directory UConnect is now available at www.uconnect.ucaqld.com.au.
This is a public site for people wishing to contact Uniting Church congregations
or Synod departments and services. The UConnect Directory can be accessed from any
notebook or desktop computer connected to the internet. The exciting new UConnect
service will give you the ability to search congregations by name, suburb or postcode.
A more comprehensive version (including lists of ministers and church office holders)
is available for Ministers, Presbyteries, Church Council Secretaries and others who
have legitimate reason to access this information for church use. People who feel
they need access to the full UConnect directory service can register for a logon
and password at http://www.uconnect.ucaqld.com.au/new-
Bruce Mullan, Manager, Communication Services Unit
WORKPLACE RELATIONS INFORMATION
As you may be aware, the Federal government is attempting to ensure that all employees
under federal industrial relations legislation know what their conditions of employment
are. As part of this process, it is a legal requirement for employers in the federal
system to supply a fact sheet (Workplace Relations Fact Sheet: Your rights and obligations)
to their employees. This legal obligation takes effect from the 20 July 2007. For
new employees, they must receive it within 7 days of commencing work. For current
employees, the fact sheet must be provided by 20 October 2007. The fact sheet can
be found on the site of http://www.workplaceauthority.gov.au/docs/EMPLOYERS/FactSheet/FS-
Ann Warren, Synod Human Relations Advisor
PASTORAL CARE 10 SOFTWARE
The new version of Pastoral Care Church Management Software is now available. New features include CarePlus (a module to help Congregations manage their legal obligations under the Blue Card legislation), compatibility with Windows Vista (earlier versions are not compatible) and much improved email integration. Full details can be found at www.pastoralcare.com.au. Order Pastoral Care 10 or your upgrade from any earlier version by visiting our web site at www.uca.net.au. Also check our prices on Microsoft software for Congregations and those in ministry. Some are as little as 20% of the street price.
Ken Griggs, Information Technology Services
EMAIL GUIDELINES
With an increase in the number of junk emails received increases, the possibility of legitimate email being mistaken, ignored or removed by spam filters increases. Staff at the Synod office are particularly concerned that they might not receive messages sent to them because they are mistaken for spam. Please help avoid this possibility by following these guidelines:
· Include a subject line which is meaningful, doesn’t have repeated characters or gaps (e.g. ‘h e l l o’) or words that make it look like it may be advertising (e.g. cheap, cost, price, replica, shop, watch). Do not send messages with no subject line.
· Do not use either all capitals or all lower case for the subject line or the body text.
· Do not use multiple fonts or colours, including in your signature block and do not leave successive blank lines in your message.
· Plain text messages are safest. Background templates, HTML (especially Microsoft Word documents saved as HTML), and messages that are a single large graphic are more likely to be filtered.
And just a few more tips on email protocol:
· f you are sending a message to multiple recipients it is polite to put their addresses in the ‘Bcc’ field and put your own email address in the ‘To’ field. If you put a large number of names in the ‘To’ or ‘Cc’ field you are revealing them to all others (a privacy issue) and increase the chance of the addresses falling into the hands of spammers.
· Typing your entire message in capitals is considered to be shouting and may offend.
Thank you for your assistance.
Bruce Mullan, Manager Communications Services Unit and Ken Griggs, Manager, Information Technology Services
JOURNEY FOR OP-
Congregations and agencies managing Opportunity Shops or second-
Bruce Mullan, Manager, Communications Services Unit
PASSION FOR PREACHING CONFERENCE CDS
Just a brief note to let you know that the CDs (audio only) from the recent Passion for Preaching conference are now available. In this set of six CDs, David Cook, Jenny Salt and Grant Thorp look at the essential elements in preparing Biblical sermons and talks that hold peoples’ attention and connect with everyday life.
· CD 1 A Model for Preparing a Sermon or Talk – David Cook
· CD 2 Being a Better Preacher to Women – Jenny Salt
· Conference Workbook (pdf format)
· Preaching Pyramid (pdf format)
· CD 3 Take-
· CD 4 Reaching Women with the Gospel/Preparing an Evangelistic Talk -
· CD 5 Connecting with the Head & the Heart: Illustration & Application – David Cook
· CD 6 Setting Hearts on Fire: Preaching with Passion – Grant Thorp
David Cook is the principal of Sydney Missionary & Bible College (SMBC) and the Director of the SMBC School of Preaching. David speaks regularly at conferences throughout Australia and overseas. He has wriiten books on preaching and a number of bible studies.
Jenny Salt is the dean of women at SMBC and is on the staff of the SMBC School of Preaching. Jenny is a regular speaker at women's events and conferences.
Grant Thorp is the Senior Pastor of Randwick Presbyterian church in Sydney and is a visiting lecturer at the SMBC School of Preaching. Grant has ministered in a number of churches in Sydney and rural NSW. He is an experienced conference speaker and trainer.
How to Prepare a Bible Talk -
In addition, an excellent book -
Prices -
Special Pack Price -
Ordering -
Greg Middleton, Gospel Outreach Ministries
FRIDGE MAGNETS
Fridge magnets for Prison Ministry are available. If you are interested contact ph: (07) 3250 1900.
Beatriz Skippen, Senior Prison Chaplain
MINISTRY SUNDAY ON 21ST OCTOBER
Resources will be on Synod Website. Please use this opportunity to talk about ministry in your congregation.
Lynne Davis for Future of Ministries Project Team
Please remember these…
TOWNSVILLE CENTRAL UNITING CHURCH FETE
Saturday, 15th September, 9 am to 1 pm
Church Grounds Wills cnr Stokes St Townsville
Craft ** Trash & Treasure **Plants**Kids Entertainment**Silent Art Auction**
**Sausage Sizzle**Cakes, Sweets and Preserves***
ALL WELCOME!!!
LENT APPEAL 2008
A decision of the Council of Synod last weekend determined that in 2008 the Synod
annual Lent Appeal will partner with the Uniting Church Lent Event program. More
than just a fundraising venture, Lent Event will invite people to participate in
a spiritual journey. It will provide educational and community building resources
for children, youth and adults; liturgies, sermon starters and worship suggestions;
comprehensive promotional resources including a DVD presentation for use in worship;
and detailed project fact sheets for each supported project. The supported projects
will be coordinated though Uniting Church Overseas Aid (UCOA), the aid and development
arm of Uniting International Mission (UIM). Under the Lent Event program donations
can be given by credit card and cheque as well as cash, and will be tax deductible.
Lent Event will support the poorest of the poor through projects that bring the greatest
possible benefits to very needy communities, are wanted and embraced by the communities,
and are sustainable in the long term. Projects supported by the Lent Event through
UCOA have included water tanks for Zimbabwe, education and meals for tribal children
in the Nilgiris (South India), safe drinking water supplies for rural villages in
PNG, education and nutritional support for orphaned children in Zambia, and micro-
Bruce Mullan, Manager, Communication Services Unit
LEADERSHIP RESOURCING
Most ministers and church councils would quickly agree that as congregations our greatest resources are our people. The Holy Spirit indwells each local expression of the Body of Christ. However, the challenge we face continually is how to best encourage, develop and release the gifts of God's people for mission and ministry. The Synod Mission Consultants offer a variety of resources and consultancy services to help your congregation make the most of the gifts and capacities of your people. Examples include:
· DiSC Behavioural Profile -
· Discovering & Using God's Gifts -
· Developing Small Groups and Teams -
· What Makes a Leader? -
· Systems Leadership -
In addition to these are other services, the Consultants are available to work with your congregation to develop resources that respond to your specific leadership development needs. For further information, please contact me as below:
Graham Beattie, Synod Mission Consultant
NOMINATIONS FOR FINANCE, INVESTMENT & PROPERTY BOARD (FIPBOARD)
Nominations and expressions of interest from members of the Uniting Church are sought for two positions on the Finance, Investment & Property Board (formerly Finance & Property Board). The Board supports and resources the strategic missional planning of the church by providing a framework for planning, monitoring, reporting and acting on the stewardship of assets of the Church. The Board exercises oversight in relation to Church investment strategies, audit risk management and effective property and asset management. Board members need to have a mix of skills including an understanding of the Church and governance. Expressions of interest are being sought from individuals with particular skills in banking, finance, investment, and audit and risk management. A full information pack is available via the website (http://www.ucaqld.au/employment.php) or contact Ana Mila on ph: (07) 3377 9705.
Jenny Tymms, General Secretary
ADMINISTRATION OFFICER -
Located at the Uniting Church Centre, Auchenflower, a vacancy exists for a full time Administration Officer within Synod Support Services. Reporting to and as directed by the Executive Administration Assistance, the successful applicant will be responsible for the provision of administration support to the Queensland Synod’s Executive Committees – Council of Synod, Synod Leadership Team and Placements Committee, the Office of the Moderator and General Secretary and Synod Support Services. The administration support provided should be done in a manner which is deemed timely and helpful and enhances the overall quality, effectiveness and efficiency of duties performed and responsibilities carried out by the Office of the Moderator, the General Secretary and Synod Support Services. If you are interested in working in a friendly supportive team environment where individuals are committed to ethos and mission of the Uniting Church in Australia, Qld Synod, then please contact Ana Mila for an application package on ph: (07) 3377 9709 or email ana.mila@ucaqld.com.au . The closing date for the receipt of applications is close of business on Monday, 24 September 2007. Applications should be marked CONFIDENTIAL and addressed to Rev Jenny Tymms, General Secretary Qld Synod, GPO Box 674, Brisbane Q 4001.
Ann Warren, Synod HRA
UNITINGCARE HEALTH CHAPLAIN – EDUCATOR
Applications are invited to fill the position of UnitingCare Health Chaplain-
· Co-
· Contributing to the implementation of the Mission, Vision and values of the hospital and the Foundational Values of Uniting HealthCare.
· Providing pastoral care in the hospital community.
· Participating as a member of the Pastoral Care Team.
For additional Information contact the Acting Synod Chaplaincy Co-
Alan O’Hara
MICAH CHALLENGE AWARENESS
Micah Challenge has been seeking to raise awareness of world poverty and injustice over the last three years. They have asked the Christian Research Association to assist them in the evaluation of their activities. For that purpose, we have prepared a short questionnaire for leaders of local churches / congregations. Whether you know much about Micah Challenge or not, would you help us by going to www.cra.org.au/micah1 on the Internet and completing a short questionnaire? It will take just a few minutes to complete, but will greatly assist Micah Challenge in evaluating their activities and in planning future activities to inspire and equip Christians to speak out against poverty and injustice. We would be most grateful if you could complete the questionnaire prior to Friday, 14 September 2007. If you have any questions about this research, please contact Philip Hughes by email: p.hughes@cra.org.au) or by ph: (03) 9878 3477.
Philip Hughes, Christian Research Association
ALAN ROXBURGH ON CULTURE CHANGE IN THE CHURCH
Duncan Macleod has written a summary of the presentation by Alan Roxburgh at the seminar held recently in Brisbane. Roxburgh was talking about the ways in which congregations and their members are helped to engage with the world in which they live. Read it online at www.missionresources.unitingchurch.org.au and leave a comment.
Duncan Macleod, Vision for Mission Advocate
THANK YOU FROM TRINITY THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE
A couple of weeks ago, Trinity Library sent out a plea for help in acquiring multiple copies of J. Weingreen's A Practical Grammar for Classical Hebrew. The response was wonderful. Some of you loaned us your copies, so that they in turn could be loaned to students studying Biblical Hebrew I, and others of you donated your copies. We are most grateful to everyone who has helped us out. So, thank you very much.
Alethea Hubley, Librarian, Trinity Theological Library
SONGS OF THE NATIONS
A complete set of masters of Songs of the Nations as well as plastic transparencies of most of the songs is available to give away. An incomplete set of plastic transparencies of Songs of Praise and Songs of the Kingdom is also available to give away. Contact Beverley Bell on ph: (07) 3264 4317.
Yvonne Sutherland
NCLS RESULTS – WORSHIP NOT BORING NOT AWESOME
The following article appeared in Journey and www.journeyonline.com.au. Church Councils, worship teams, Elders and ministry teams are encouraged to read the article together with the statistical information and use the questions below as a basis for group conversation and discussion.
That those attending Uniting Church worship services in Queensland are not bored
is the good news story from the National Church Life Survey (NCLS) results from 2006.
Questions on the impact of worship on the lives of people show that fewer than 2%
of Uniting Church worshippers always experience boredom. None of those over 65-
Read the full article in September Journey or online at www.journeyonline.com.au
Survey results relating to vital and nurturing worship (NCLS 2006 – UCA Queensland)
15-
In church attenders always experience
Inspiration 16 21 20 20
Joy 27 26 24 28
Boredom 2 1 1 0
Awe or mystery 4 4 6 5
A sense of God’s presence 22 25 30 35
Growth in understanding of God 21 20 21 22
Challenge to action 14 13 12 9
Being strengthened spiritually
17 23 26 30
Preferred styles of music
Traditional music styles 27 42 64 89
Contemporary music styles
81 86 83 64
Note: up to two music options could be selected, so percentages may not add to 100%
Questions for discussion:
1. Were there any surprises for you in the story or the statistics?
2. Where do you find your sense of “awe or mystery” in your relationship with God?
3. What are the implications of the lack of boredom and the lack of awe and mystery for the worship life of your congregation?
4. What are the implications of the research regarding preferred styles of music for the worship life of your congregation?
5. What is your response to Rev Ian Lord’s comments on the strength of meaningful community? How could the worship life of your congregation help strengthen this sense of community?
Bruce Mullan, Manager, Communication Services Un
OCTOBER JOURNEY
The deadline for copy and advertising for the next issue of Journey is Friday, 14 September. Journey will be looking at the issue of “mental health” and providing some election 2007 information for voters. To change subscription numbers please contact Kristine Bromiley at kristine.bromiley@uccentre.ucaqld.com.au or call: (07) 3377 9825.
Bruce Mullan, Manager, Communication Services Unit
BOOKS FOR REVIEW
Journey is looking for reviewers for the following books. A reviewer’s brief will be provided. 300 words length, one month to review and you get to keep the book.
· A spectator’s guide to World Views: ten ways of understanding life Edited by Simon Smart Highlights society’s most influential voices including New Age, Secular Humanism, Relativism and Postmodernism.
· Spirited Practices: Spirituality and the Helping Professions Edited by Fran Gale,
Natalie Bolzan and Dorothy McRae-
· After the Heavy Rain Khmer Rouge killed his family. He tracked them down -
· On the Front Line A father and son, 30 years apart, debate what it means to live all out for Jesus. Clive and Gavin Calver We must no longer proclaim a gutless gospel in which Jesus is relegated to the exclusive status of "Saviour" . . . This Jesus has always demanded that he must be, now and forever, my Lord and King.
· Finding Our Way Home Turning Back to What Matters Most Mark R. McMinn In some quarters, Christians have a reputation for being deathly afraid of diversity, conflict, humour, sexuality, and most of the other things that help make life worth living. Here is a book to prove it need not be so.
· Destiny What's Life All About? Krish Kandiah Have you ever dared to stop and ask the big questions of life? This book invites you to look at six questions we all need to answer: 1. Who shall I be today? 2. What am I supposed to be doing? 3. Why am I so mixed up? 4. What on earth is going on? 5. Which way should I go? 6. Where is my life going?
· The Scrapbooking Journey A Hands-
· If Jesus were Mayor How your local church can transform your community Bob Moffitt with Karla Tesch How would your community change If Jesus Were Mayor? The local church is of pivotal importance to the welfare and development of its community. Jesus' agenda for community health and transformation is expressed and modeled through His church. How can local churches be equipped and mobilized?
Contact Bruce Mullan at journeyonline@ucaqld.com.au with the subject heading Book review referred by UC Info 24th July 2007 to offer to review. First in first served. Reviews will be published in Journey or at www.journeyonline.com.au.
Bruce Mullan, Manager, Communication Services Unit
CEM WEEK: 4TH -
We regret to inform you that due to insufficient numbers, the CEM Week scheduled
for 4th -
Trinity Theological College
Presbytery Calendar (including Bruce’s and Steve’s Diary)
September –3rd – 6th – Steve to Brisbane for Triple P Training
6th – PLT Executive meeting -
6th – 9th – Emmaus Mens Walk
11th – Mission Resourcing Committee Meeting – presbytery office
13th – 16th – Emmaus Women’s Walk
18th – 20th – Steve to Brisbane YACMU
18th – 21st – Bruce meetings in Brisbane
30th – Bruce to Preach at Malanda
October – 3rd – 6th – Bruce to Frontier Services Board meeting -
8th -
9th – Presbytery Leadership Team teleconference
12th – 14th – Young Adults Camp
13th – Bruce to Brisbane for Synod Selection Panel
16th – 25th – Bruce to Brisbane for meetings – Placements etc, CoachNet training
20th – 21st – Kids Camp Out, Southern Zone
21st – Ministry Sunday
24th – 26th – Steve to Brisbane for Discernment Retreat
28th – Bruce to preach at Wulguru
November 2nd – 4th – Presbytery meeting – Townsville area Venue to be advised
11th – 50th church Anniversary Mossman
12th – MRC meeting – presbytery office
20th – 23rd – Steve to Brisbane YACMU
21st – 24th -
24th – Special Synod Brisbane
26th – PLT teleconference
December – 5th – PLT – full meeting presbytery office.
11th – 13th – Steve to Brisbane YACMU
13th – Bruce to Brisbane for Placements
25th – Christmas Day
January 2008 – 9th – 14th – Summer Madness Camp, Sunshine Coast