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It's Good to Be Church

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It's Good to Be Church October 2005 11th Assembly looks out Page 7 It’s good to be church Speaking at the end of the 25th Queensland Synod, Bayside Youth Worker Tim Griggs said, “It is exciting, inspiring and challenging to be part of a church that keeps God’s mission and ministry the priority.” By Bruce Mullan he meeting, held over six cynicism, distrust, disrespect, fear days at Carrara on the Gold and doubt have been exorcised TCoast, was different to from within us by the grace of previous Synods with a noticeably God and we have been fi lled afresh younger age profi le and the seating with the fruit of the Spirit: love, arranged around 48 round tables. joy, peace, patience, kindness, Ms Betty O’Farrell from Inala, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness who has been a lay member since and self-control.” the days when the Synod met in the Mr Pitman said notwithstanding Suncorp Theatre, found the tables their own personal convictions a great improvement. members of Synod should listen “It’s a chance to really talk with carefully and respectfully to what people from ‘out of town’, and others have to say, especially those hearing their stories is such an who hold different views. inspiration to me,” she said. “God may well be speaking to Youth and Children’s Ministry us through them!” Director Mr Michael Jeffrey noted Dr Pitman also indicated he the average age of Synod had would be ensuring the voices of dropped. younger, female, Indigenous, and “This was demonstrated by the multicultural members of Synod numbers who participated in the were heard. Charles Farnsworthy Memorial Youth delegate Frith Foottit football game,” he said. experienced the full gamut of Opening the business sessions emotion, from initial scepticism and of the 25th Synod the Moderator cynicism to hope and expectation. Rev Dr David Pitman fl agged Rev Lorna Skilton Synod journeyonline is a hit More Synod signifi cant changes that have taken member from Toowoomba place in the way Synods operate. said, “The presence and active Over 2000 people visited the all Visitors can comment on News He said meetings are no longer participation of younger people new interactive publication www. articles, send news to a friend and about getting as many decisions was inspiring and gives me a sense journeyonline.com.au in its fi rst even download a full PDF colour Urged to be inclusive p.3 made “as quickly as we can” and of hope.” three weeks of operation. version of the current print Journey Convocation news p.3 the business of Synod is no longer There was high praise for Daily postings of the latest news and back issues. about people getting their own the Carrara venue at Emmanuel from the 25th Synod were followed News stories are posted as they Farewell Moderator p.8 way. College where the Synod meeting online by those who couldn’t be happen so you don’t have to wait “We have rejected the notion was accommodated in the school Biggest Synod contest p.8 there. a month to read news from around that the majority should passively sports stadium with other school venues used for meals, food The journeyonline website also the nation and the world. $2 million mission fund p.10 listen while the same few speak preparation, offi ces, prayer and features additional news stories, Visit journeyonline anytime for on almost every issue and that meeting spaces. reviews, opinion, pod downloads all the latest Uniting Church news Multicultural proposal p.10 arguments are won by denigrating and articles that are not available and information. those who disagree with us,” he Synod member Jenny Brecknell in the print version. said. from Chapel Hill said, “As a Dr Pitman said Synod now temporarily disabled person in meets together as a community of a wheelchair I was delighted faith, seeking through prayer and to discover that the venue was conversation to discern the mind of disability friendly.” Christ together. Summing up the Synod Mrs www.journeyonline.com.au “We should fi nd ways to June Rice from Moggill said, “I maximise the participation and guess the best part is an adrenalin contribution of everyone who is shot in learning the Uniting present,” he said. Church is on a gigantic mission and hearing the exciting stories of ONLINE “We are not ready to meet JOURNEY what is happening around the state together until the demons of – praise God.” Moderator’s From the Editor ot normally a fan of Synod deliberations there was a grace and Nmeetings, I have often generosity which amply illustrated approached them with a certain the Gospel in action. Rev Dr David Pitman degree of caution and cynicism The highlights of the Synod’s view however, I found myself surprised tells Journey his time together were many. and encouraged by the 25th Synod From the multi-dimensional hopes for his second meetings at Carrara last month. Synod celebration to a wildly term as Moderator A sensitive Convocation of energetic lunchtime game of touch Ministers at Ashmore on the fi rst football the participation and day of the Synod meeting set a camaraderie was obvious. remarkable standard of community Full credit should be given to and established the tone for the the remarkable leadership of the ON THE BRINK! meetings which followed. new Moderator Rev Dr David ’ve been refl ecting over recent to the end of their wanderings. kind of death. It was so for the Ministers, Deacons, Pastors Pitman whose wise guidance weeks on biblical images Now they could anticipate settling Israelites and it is so for us. God and Youth Workers shared stories steered the meeting along helpful Iconsistent with commencing down and working to secure their calls us to share in a journey, to be of their call, their passions, their and reasonable paths. another new phase in my life and future. What they were to discover, on a pilgrimage. To go with God struggles and their faith, and the Thanks is also due for the ministry, and have found myself of course, was that this was not the is to enter the land of promise. To spirit of God transformed the group tireless work of many behind the returning once again to one of my end of their journey; it was but a refuse to go and to turn back is to through the worship, laughter, scenes and behind the machines favourite Old Testament stories. transition from one phase of their fi nd ourselves in the wilderness vulnerability, and tears. who fed and resourced the Synod In Joshua Chapter 3, we see the pilgrimage to the next. once again. As my friend Ian Lord said, “We for its task. Israelites, the people of God, at God’s people are always a got real today and that’s when it Best of all was the good humour a critical point in their history, as starts to bite.” pilgrim people. There is never Breaking barriers which allowed people to relax and they prepare to cross over the River a sense in which we can say that Moderators Chaplain Rev unwind and enjoy each other’s Jordan into the Promised Land. we have “made it” or that we have Glennis Johnston shared her dream company. Refl ect for a moment on the This is the story of the last fi nally “arrived”. We are a pilgrim that the Synod might maintain that As Sue Page put it in the Monday phase of a journey that had lasted people, always on the way! barriers that stand between us and spirit for the next fi ve day, and not a full experience of the presence Bible study, ours is a God who 40 years. At the beginning of the The Hebrew word “abar” get caught up by the stuff “that can laughs and gives us the freedom to Exodus (Exodus 14:15), the people of God in our lives, and in the drag us down”. meaning “to cross over” or “to pass life of our church. These barriers laugh at ourselves. had been told to “GO FORWARD”, over” is used 21 times in this story. Her prayers were answered. and in the ensuing account of can be personal or relational, As the stories and pictures in this It emphasises the decisive nature The spirit of gentleness and their journey, related in the books spiritual or moral, intellectual edition of Journey demonstrate, it of this moment in the history of the openness pervaded the Synod of Exodus and Numbers, we are or psychological. They can exist is good to be church. You can see Hebrew people. The word “abar” gathering and even through the most told 92 times that the people “set in the form of prejudice toward it in their faces. implies crossing over a boundary. potentially divisive discussions and out!” Their journey was a constant other people, in an unforgiving Bruce Mullan For the Israelites, crossing over the spirit, in resistance to change, in a experience of “going forward”, of Jordan River meant entering a new moving toward the promised goal. determination to have our own way kind of life in the Promised Land. no matter what, in manipulating The long years in the wilderness or controlling other people, in the Signs of the times brought a real mixture of wounds and scars infl icted on us by experiences, and they were not New generation Community minister Dave Thomas was half the team for this creative others, or in our failure to live by sign from the Tallebudgera congregation on the Gold Coast. He reported, always as faithful to God as God faith and in a spirit of love.
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