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
FORTY-
On the Grapevine…
Hi everyone,
Last weekend was the Presbytery meeting in Townsville. It was a very good time of fellowship, information sharing and of gathering together as the People of God in the Uniting Church in North Queensland. A very sincere THANK–YOU to the congregation at Mt Louisa for their care for us and blessing of us through the catering and support they gave. If my scales are anything to go by we were well catered for. I must say a special thank you to Julie Hendle from Mt Louisa for her superb organisation, planning and presentation on the weekend.
Those at the meeting will be aware of the need for Garry to fly back on Saturday to Cloncurry as a young person in Tamara’s year 12 class had died in a motor vehicle accident. The funeral is on Friday so please pray for the family, the school and the Cloncurry community.
Pastoral Notes and prayer points:
· Pray for the family of the young man killed in Cloncurry.
· Pray also for all families who have suffered tragic loss in recent days and for those who are ministering to them.
· Pray for the preparations for Stable on the Strand in Townsville and for other Christmas events in communities across the north.
· Pray for Karen Walker (wife of John Walker minister at Wulguru) as she recovers from surgery.
· Pray for the right personnel to be available for the ministry vacancies in the north.
· Pray for Doug Jones as he begins to prepare for his change of role to become General Secretary.
Presbytery Dates for 2008
n Presbytery 16th -
n Ministers Retreat – 19th -
n Northern Zone meets 23/2/08 & 23/8/08;
n Southern Zone meets 1/3/08 & 30/8/08.
n Cape/Gulf Zone -
n Presbytery Leadership Team meets monthly (see below)
n Mission Resourcing Committee meets second Monday of every month
n Synod (31st Oct – 5th Nov 2008)
n Presbytery 10 – 12 October -
The dates for the Presbytery Leadership Team meetings for 2008 are as follows:
· Thurs. 7th February -
· Tues. 4th March -
· Fri. 11th April – full PLT (face to face -
· Tues 6th May -
· Thurs. 5th June – full PLT -
· Thurs. 3rd July -
· Fri. 8th Aug. -
· Tues. 2nd Sept. -
· Wed. 1st Oct. -
· Thurs. 13th Nov. -
· Thurs. 4th Dec. -
COMPASS ON THE ABC
Below is the information to hand about the Compass programme being broadcast this weekend. Please note the following comment from Bruce Mullan with regard to this program and view the program accordingly.
“Although Gregor (Henderson) was approached some months ago (but never contacted again), no one in the Assembly was aware of the program or has made comment in the program. I wonder who they spoke to…”
COMPASS: THE UNITING CHURCH Sunday 11 November at 21:25 ABC TV
In 2007 the Uniting Church turns 30. Our third largest Christian denomination (after
Catholic and Anglican churches) is a uniquely Australian institution formed in a
spirit of ecumenical unity and strong social justice ideals. It combined the Methodist
and most of the Presbyterian and Congregationalist churches. But over the past decade
its constituency has divided and fractured: many different expressions of faith are
today lived under one church banner. How can it survive? Compass examines the unfolding
story of a modern and dis-
Special Synod Address
Greetings,
“Praying with open hands” was the title of the sermon given at the special meeting of the Queensland Synod on 27th October 2007 by the Moderator Rev Dr David Pitman. Many people have asked for the text here are the opening sentences from Dr Pitman’s sermon.
In reflecting on the nature of prayer, Martin Luther wrote: “Prayer is not conquering God’s reluctance, but taking hold of God’s willingness.”
The title for this sermon is borrowed from a book by Henri Nouwen: With Open Hands. I want to begin by quoting some sections from the first chapter. He writes:
Praying is no easy matter. It demands a relationship in which you allow the other to enter into the very centre of your person, allow him to speak there, allow him to touch the sensitive core of your being, and allow him to see so much that you would rather leave in darkness.
The resistance to praying is like the resistance of tightly clenched fists. This image shows the tension, the desire to cling tightly to yourself, a greediness which betrays fear. The story about an old woman brought to a psychiatric centre exemplifies this attitude. She was wild, swinging at everything in sight, and scaring everyone so much that the doctors had to take everything away from her. But there was one small coin that she gripped in her fist and would not give up. In fact, it took two men to pry open that squeezed hand. It was as though she would lose her very self along with the coin. That was her fear.
When you want to pray, then, the first question is: How do I open my closed hands?
(Henri Nouwen, With Open Hands, pp 12-
[http://www.journeyonline.com.au/printView.php?articleId=1287]
Kindest regards,
Bruce Mullan
28 DAYS OF PRAYER LEADING INTO THE FEDERAL ELECTIONS
SUNDAY 28TH OCTOBER TILL SATURDAY 24TH NOVEMBER (INCLUSIVE)
The Australian Prayer
Network is pleased to join with all the major National Prayer Networks in Australia
in calling all Christians to a 28 day season of prayer leading into the forthcoming
Federal Election. There are resources available for each day prepared by the Parliamentary
Prayer Network. If you would like to receive them please contact the Presbytery office.
They are developed and published weekly.
RESOURCES
Don’t forget this section of Prompts. It is for you to share with the Presbytery any books/cds /websites or other resources that you have found useful in your personal or congregational life.
HUMOUR ME
Today’s offering from “You won’t Die Laughing” by Patricia Cameron-
“YOU ARE NOT YOUR STRESS
If you see yourself as a victim of stress, then you lose the motivation and the power to do something about it. A more helpful way to look at stress is to see it as a reaction to difficult and ongoing circumstances in your life, such as your job, deadlines, traffic, computers, relationships, raising children, balancing home and work demands and making ends meet……
……There is a big connection between stress and the way we think and feel which is why so many people actually create stress in their lives. The things that make us feel stressed are facts of life – few of us have the sort of life that will never produce stress. And yet we can deal with stress in a way that won’t harm us if we change our perspective or point of view.
That’s what this book is about. It has two messages. The first is that humour, laughter and fun can change your perspective, so that you don’t get ill or drop dead or go around moaning, but instead, live a rich and fulfilling life. The second is that you can choose which it’s to be.”
Blessings to you all,
Bruce C.
Steve’s Stuff…
Greetings in the name of Christ!
It was a great time of sharing at Presbytery last weekend. I find it inspiring to hear other people’s stories and what ministry is taking place across this great part of Qld.
Below is information regarding an excellent children’s training event. I strongly encourage your congregation to send one or two children’s leaders to this training event.
IGNITE CHILDREN’S MINISTRY EXPO 2008
Saturday 1st March, Mansfield, Brisbane
· 50 training electives on offer
· 40 children’s ministry display booths
· Children’s ministry performers on stage
· Keynote address by ‘Simon Hood’ from Logosdor
· Free for Junior Leaders (Grades 8-
· Free registration for people who live outside of Brisbane (for the first 150 people who register)
· Travel subsidy, $50 per person (for the first 75 people who register)
Ignite is organised by the ‘Qld Children’s Ministry Network’. Last year around 800 people attended this fantastic event. You will need to be quick to take advantage of the free registration and travel subsidy. You can book at www.igniteexpo.org.au from this Friday onwards.
Please pass this information onto the relevant people in your congregation.
Yours in Christ’s service, Steve.
YOUTH & CHILDREN'S MINISTRY EVENTS
October – 20th – 21st – Kids Camp Out Northern Zone
January 2008 -
What’s New…
AFRICAN CLERIC SAYS CHURCH HAS A PROPHETIC ROLE AND MUST NOT REMAIN SILENT
Zimbabwean Roman Catholic Archbishop Pius Ncube has not forgotten the massacres of the 1980s when 20,000 people were killed. With this in mind, President Robert Mugabe's crackdown in Zimbabwe, has made the Archbishop ready to give up his life to save his country.
"The Church has a prophetic role to speak the truth when no-
As a young priest, Ncube witnessed the suffering surrounding the massacres in the 1980's and was desperate to speak out, but his church superiors stopped him, and now he is "determined not to watch in silence again."
CHINA REACHES AN OFFICIAL FIGURE OF 130 MILLION CHRISTIANS
China's top religious official Yie Xiaowen has rejected decades of ambivalence toward religion by declaring that "religion is one of the important social forces from which China draws strength." He also admitted that the number of Christians in China has reached 130 million, including some 20 million Catholics! The Chinese government has intentionally understated the number of Christians for decades in a futile effort to downplay the continued miraculous growth and impact of the church. House church believers have never been recognized or counted. This announcement through the official Chinese news agency is significant. Dr. Bob Fu, President of China Aid Association, writing about this latest official revelation said, "The unprecedented growth has happened under ceaseless persecution. We pray that China will realize true religious freedom soon."
THANK YOU FROM WULGURU UNITNG CHURCH
Thank you from the Wulguru Uniting Church for the support that we had from members of our fellow churches at the 'Christmas Capers' Luncheon held on Tuesday, 30 October.
It was an enjoyable time of fellowship and as always an opportunity to catch up with friends.
The luncheon was very successful financially and Wulguru UC was able to add much needed funds to the Fairfield Waters Building Fund.
Thank you again.
Jean Johnson, On behalf of Wulguru Uniting Church
Please remember these…
NEW WEBSITE INFORMS CHRISTIANS OF ALL PARTIES ATTITUDES AND POLICIES ON KEY ISSUES
In another important contribution to the electoral process, the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) has launched a website that will inform hundreds of thousands of Christians throughout Australia – including many in marginal seats – about the different political party standpoints on issues that Christians surveyed have declared are important to them.
In all ACL put 25 questions to each of the political parties. Only one of the recognised
parties taking part on the election, the Greens, declined to respond to the questions.
The website www.australiavotes.org contains the responses of the six major political
parties to the specific questions on pro-
(A note from Bruce C., -
LAY PREACHER INFORMATION
To keep our records in order, please give to Marguerite at Presbytery the following information re Lay Preacvhers in your congregation/s
· Names, addresses and phone numbers of
1. Accredited Lay Preachers
2. Lay Preachers in Training
3. Those helping with preaching and / or worship leading not covered by 1 or 2 above.
Keeping this information is essential.
Thanks you for your assistance with this.
Marguerite Chapman, Lay Preachers Convenor
NEW ADDRESS FOR UNITINGCARE QLD AND CENTRAL FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE
The office of UnitingCare Queensland and UnitingCare Queensland Centre for Social Justice is relocating. From Monday, 5 November our address and phone details will be:
Postal Address -
Office Location -
Phone Main Line -
Fax Line -
Sandy Nolde, UnitingCare Qld
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.
Christianity for the rest of us – how the neighbourhood church is transforming the faith by Diana Butler Bass The surprising story of the thriving neighbourhood church.
The New Flatlanders by Eric Middleton When a teacher and his students, in a Socratic-
The End of Days by Robert G. Clouse Teachings about the end times can clarify your beliefs and energize your own spiritual journey.
A Farmer’s Year by Angus Buchan In farming, life is a daily struggle against the elements, and is always unpredictable. Angus Buchan, a South African farmer of Scottish extraction, has learned the hard way to rely from day to day upon God.
The Contract with God (Trilogy) by Will Eisner The legendary graphic novel and the sequels that launched an art form. (Cartoon format)
Contact Bruce Mullan at journey@ucaqld.com.au and in the subject heading put ‘Book review referred by UC Info’ 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
DECEMBER JOURNEY
The deadline for copy and advertising for the next issue of Journey is Friday, 9 November. To change subscription numbers please contact Kristine Bromiley at kristine.bromily@ucaqld.com.au or call (07) 3377 9825.
Bruce Mullan, Manager, Communication Services Unit
Presbytery Calendar (including Bruce’s and Steve’s Diary)
November 10th & 11th – 50th church Anniversary Mossman
12th – MRC meeting – presbytery office
20th – 23rd – Steve to Brisbane YACMU
21st – 24th -
December – 4th – Bruce to Brisbane for meetings
5th – PLT – full meeting presbytery office.
9th – Bruce preaching Mission Beach, Tully
11th – 13th – Steve to Brisbane YACMU
13th – Bruce to Brisbane for Placements
25th – Christmas Day
January 2008 – 9th – 14th – Summer Madness Camp, Sunshine Coast