Synod News Feeds

The Synod regularly publishes news items and articles, along with evergreen content that remains relevant over time. This is ideal for congregations that want to keep their sites feeling fresh and up to date but lack the resources to create and maintain content themselves. 

By drawing on a mix of timely news and enduring resources, congregations can offer their communities a consistently engaging online presence without the overhead of a dedicated content team.

A Blessing for our Firies

On 23 August, the driveway at Galston Uniting Church filled with red fire engines and a sea of yellow uniforms, as nine Rural Fire Service (RFS) brigades gathered for the church's annual Blessing of the Fleet service.

City Meets Country, Again!

This September, we were delighted to have the opportunity to visit Coonabarabran, a small town in north-west NSW, some 160 kilometres north of Dubbo and 183 kilometres west of Tamworth.

Can Green AI shape the future of sustainability?

AI's environmental cost is well documented, but a new movement called Green AI is emerging to change that, cutting energy use while tackling biodiversity loss and climate resilience. The piece looks at what this shift means for companies and investors.

Busting the Myths About Child Safety Checks for Volunteers

Working With Children Checks (WWCCs) in NSW and Working with Vulnerable People (WWVP) registrations in the ACT often attract a surprising number of myths. From concerns about privacy to assumptions that they're expensive or unnecessary, let's separate fact from fiction.

New Website and Membership Applications for the UAICC

The Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (UAICC) in NSW/ACT is pleased to announce that we have a new website and a new electronic membership application form, allowing people to apply for membership online.

Good Governance Should Help

Devin North, Head of Risk, Audit, and WHS at Synod reflects on what years of working across the Uniting Church's governance structures have taught him: that good governance isn't measured by technical correctness, but by a simpler test - does it actually help the people who have to live with it?

Stitched with Care at Kippax

Three years ago, a minister at Kippax Uniting Church left a basket of wool and knitting needles out during worship, inviting anyone to pick it up. Since then, that quiet gesture has grown into a steady stream of handmade blankets, teddies and angels, offering warmth and welcome to people sleeping rough, escaping violence, and rebuilding their lives after arriving as refugees.

Reflecting on Developing Healthy Teams Workshop

As the NSW ACT Synod reshapes itself into three new, geographically and culturally diverse presbyteries, Vital Leadership’s workshop on Developing Healthy Teams has been timely. Led by Ben Gilmour, with a significant contribution from Alicia Benardos, our new head of People and Culture, this workshop contributes meaningfully to our Synod's well-being.

It Doesn't Change God. It Changes Me.

C.S. Lewis once said prayer doesn't change God, it changes us. Michael Earl explores what that means for a church, and a world, in constant flux, drawing on Shadowlands, Scripture, and Sarah Coakley's idea of "prayer as crucible."

What is that in your hand?

“What is that in your hand?” God asks Moses as he calls him to a life of service in pursuit of freeing an oppressed peoples. That same question was posited to a group of Young Adults on the first night of our annual ritual of taking a small group of young leaders to experience and participate in the community outreach work of Alpine Uniting Church in Jindabyne.

Counting What Congregations Do

The 2026 National Church Life Survey (NCLS) gives Uniting Church congregations a chance to record what is happening in their churches and communities, and to use that information to plan for the future.

Communicating Country Through Art

Willoughby Northbridge Uniting Church has recently commissioned congregation member Beniah Brooks, to paint a large wall mural for the interior of the Willoughby Church site.

Are we ready for Gen Alpha?

Think you only just wrapped your head around Millennials and their avocado toast? Or Gen Z and their hyper connectedness? Cue the next generation on the conveyor belt of pointing out what makes us different – Generation Alpha.

Belonging, and the Sacred Work of Seeing One Another

We often begin as strangers, carrying our stories quietly within us. Yet something remarkable happens when people choose to stay present to one another. Through listening, shared meals, stories, and music, the distance between us begins to soften. We unfold.

When Home is Nowhere to be Found

During Homelessness Week (3–9 August), Parramatta Mission is inviting the community to confront this reality through a new campaign that challenges how we see homelessness.

A New World Needs a New Church

Staring into the season of the rural and coastal church it’s hard to understand what the season is, except to know that the season has changed.

So You've Been Thinking About Becoming a Supervisor?

Supervision is a requirement for everyone in ministry within the Uniting Church, Ministers of the Word, Deacons, Pastors, and Pastoral practitioners. It's time set aside regularly with a professionally trained person to reflect on your ministry. But for some, supervision raises a further question: could this be something I offer to others?

What Her Heart Was Singing

There is a moment Sarah Manche describes that stays with you. A room full of people singing happy birthday for a grown adult sitting at the table, eyes wide. People have told her, she says, that it was the first time in their life anyone had ever sung happy birthday to them.

A Prayer for the People of Venezuela

A devastating earthquake has struck Venezuela, causing widespread loss and displacement. In response, Rev Pablo Nunez has written a prayer for all who wish to join the Uniting Church in praying for the people of Venezuela. The prayer is offered in both English and Spanish.

Una Oración por el Pueblo de Venezuela

Un devastador terremoto ha sacudido Venezuela, causando pérdidas generalizadas y desplazamiento. En respuesta, el Rev. Pablo Núñez ha escrito una oración para todos los que deseen unirse a la Iglesia Unida en oración por el pueblo de Venezuela. La oración se ofrece en inglés y en español.

“No One Wants to Be Saved. Everybody Wants to Belong”

Bec Reidy does not think of herself as a good person. She will tell you that fairly early in a conversation, and she means it. "Doing what I do helps me sleep better at night," she says. "It's just as much for me as it is for anybody else."

Service is in His DNA

Will Giacometti did not come to service through a single defining moment. He came to it the way most things that last tend to arrive, quietly, gradually, and through the people around him.

The Long Way With Young People

There was a passion at Gungahlin to bring people together and drive the young people’s ministry forward, and someone had to be the one driving this. That person was Narelle Dodd.

You Are Seen

"Many of those people may never know the full impact of their faithfulness — the ways their teaching, encouragement, welcome, and witness have shaped lives and ministries beyond what they could have imagined."

The Unsung Heroes

Lifeline was the first telephone crisis support service established in Australia in 1963 by Wesley Methodist Minister Rev. Alan Walker.

Breaking Every Yoke: A Reflection from AEYA 2026

In May 2026, four young leaders from the Uniting Church in Australia travelled to Chiang Mai, Thailand, to take part in the Fifth Asian Ecumenical Youth Assembly (AEYA 2026) — a gathering of young Christians from across Asia united under the theme "Break Every Yoke" (Isaiah 58:6).

Prayer Vigil – Rev Dr Jione Havea

In the wake of the passing of Rev Dr Jione Havea, the Uniting Church Centre for Ministry will open its Chapel from 6pm to 8pm this Tuesday and Wednesday (5th and 6th of May).

The Fabric of Generosity

Some of the most valuable threads in a community are the ones you don't immediately notice. For years, Shortland-Wallsend-Jesmond Park Uniting Church has been one of those threads — showing up consistently and practically to support young people at Margaret Jurd College who are working hard to find their footing.

A Seat at the Table

Meet Lauren Harkness, Uniting Creative's new Mission Catalyst, who believes creativity has far less to do with art and performance than we might think and more to do with a meal shared, a space made welcoming, and the quiet ways we show up for one another.

Canberra Youth Gathering - A reflection by Oliver Peppermint

The Canberra Youth Gathering was graciously hosted by Gungahlin Uniting Church on Saturday the 2nd of May. Young people from all over the region attended including Molongolo, Gungahlin, North Belconnen, Kippax, Yarralumla, St. Margaret's and Wesley Uniting Churches. There were three exciting workshops, with young people choosing between puppetry, visual art and music.

Weaned from Personal Preference, Enchanted by Grace

In a culture shaped by personal preference and digital fragmentation, what does it mean to live by grace? This reflection explores why the Christian vision of grace feels so foreign today and why it matters more than ever

Synod in Session Videos and Reporting

The Synod meets every 18 months to receive reports, discern proposals, and discuss matters that concern the general oversight, direction and life of the Uniting Church in NSW and the ACT. 

Transition Commission - April Update

Throughout April, the Transition Commission will be busy hosting nine Town Halls to share the first full draft of the baseline staffing model and hear your feedback.

Step Right Up: Serving at Kids Camp Out

KCO was held at Wedderburn Christian Camp site, and welcomed over 200 people, primary school aged children and their families and leaders, from across the Synod.

Hope Lives at Parramatta Mission

Easter is a season of renewal, a time to pause and reflect on the promise of resurrection and the new beginnings made possible through hope, love and connection.

Talanoa 2026: Negotiation

The bi-annual Talanoa conference will be held at Naarm (Melbourne, Australia) from April 9–11, 2026 (following the Easter weekend). The theme for Talanoa 2026 is Negotiation.

Lent @ JPUC: Jesus flips the script …

During Lent this year, Jesmond Park Uniting Church in Newcastle, NSW undertook a deeply embodied, creative, and communal spiritual journey shaped around the theme “Jesus flips the script.” 

Uniting Unveils Corporate Hijab

One of Australia’s largest Christian community services providers is introducing an optional uniform hijab for practicing Muslim women in its 12,000-strong workforce.

Resurrection Begins in the Darkness

This Easter, the Moderator, Rev. Faaimata (Mata) Havea Hiliau, invites us into a familiar but often overlooked truth: resurrection doesn't begin with triumph.

Police Forum for Faith Leaders

On Wednesday, March 4 over 100 faith leaders attended a Terrorism Protection Unit Safe Places Forum for Places of Worship

Transition Commission – February Update

February has been a significant and productive month for the Transition Commission, with important steps taken as we continue preparing for our Transition to 3P.

Uniting’s My Aged Care Forum: Bridging Gaps and Empowering Communities

Uniting, in partnership with Mt Colah Uniting Church, hosted a My Aged Care Forum on 17 February, bringing together congregation members and the wider community for a morning designed to empower attendees with practical, accessible information on navigating the aged care system.

Reflections from Canberra Godly Play Training

The Pulse team were so excited to be able to run a 3-day Godly Play Core Training in Canberra last month. 10 curious participants from different congregations, ministries and walks of life gathered at the Godly Play Room at Radford College together with our Trainers Carolyn Handley and Judyth Rogers, assisted by Renee Simpfendorfer and Fr Christopher Lewis.

Easter time for the Young at Heart

Lent starts with ashes and reminding us, that we are God’s children. From dust we came and to dust we shall return. In a world that tells young people to perform, achieve, brand themselves and perform.