38th Synod - Daily Summary: Sunday 18th May | Wellsprings of living water

MORNING WORSHIP + BIBLE STUDY – President Rev Charissa Suli

Beginning by leading the song ‘Holy Forever’, Assembly President Rev Charissa Suli encouraged us around the theme – Jesus meets us at the well – with the story of Jesus at the well with the Samaritan woman. Rev Suli challenged us with a different question – not just ‘what needs fixing?’ but ‘what needs resurrecting?’

Drawing from Revelation’s promise to make all things new, Rev Suli encouraged us to endurance – don't lose heart, don’t give up when it’s hard to believe. Some of her key points included:

Renewal requires truth-telling – Jesus didn’t avoid the Samaritan’s woman past. He was direct and honest
The water Jesus gives – Jesus doesn’t offer a refill of what we already have, but a new type of living water
Voices from the margins – renewal requires going into the communities and gatherings around food and story and entering into them

Rev Suli urged us to come drink at the well of living water, but then also to go and tell the world and invite them to come and drink the living water of Jesus Christ.

GENERAL BUSINESS – GP3

General Business centred around the details of General Proposal 3: Resourcing Renewal and Growth. This proposal involves the creation of two funds – the Church Renewal Fund and the Covenant Ministry Fund, supported by a Property Sale Proceeds Policy. These funds are to be overseen by the MC3 and the UAICC Queensland Regional Council respectively. After considerable discussion and feedback with the Synod’s discernment, General Proposal 3 was passed by consensus.

BALLOT RESULTS

The ballot results from the 38th Synod are as follows:

Moderator-Elect
Rev Bruce Moore is elected for a second term as Moderator of the Uniting Church in Australia, Queensland Synod.

Uniting Church Australia Property Trust (Q.) and Finance, Investment and Property Board Chair
Allan Hanson is elected as the Chair of the Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust (Q.) to the 39th Synod, and as Chair of the Finance Investment and Property (FIP) Board to the 39th Synod.

Uniting Church Australia Property Trust (Q.) Secretary
Peter Cranna is elected as the Secretary of the Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust (Q.) to the 39th Synod.

Uniting Church Australia Property Trust (Q.) Member
Reg Gulley is elected as a Member of the Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust (Q.) to the 39th Synod.

Synod Standing Committee (SSC) Members
Members elected to the 40th Synod – Tabitha Gulley, Rev Christy Allen and Rev Glen Schweitzer.

Synod Standing Committee (SSC) Members
Members elected to the 39th Synod – Stephanie Wade, Philippa Ferrant-Smith and Scott McDonald.

Board of Christian Formation (BCF) Chair
Gary Adsett is elected as Chair of the Board of Christian Formation to the 40th Synod.

Board of Christian Formation (BCF) Member
Jamie Smith and Trent Wheeley are elected as Members of the Board of Christian Formation to the 40th Synod.

SPIRIT OF SYNOD

The Spirit of Synod award was awarded to Jess Pinkerton, Families Pastor at Emmanuel Uniting Church and a member of the Mission Accompanying Team in the Synod Office. Jess plays a significant role in her congregation, pastoring families in partnership with her own husband and children, and working with the local Uniting Early Learning centre. She has also taken leadership of the development of the intergenerational seasonal resources for Lent and Advent which have seen widespread adoption across the Synod.

RENEWAL CONVERSATIONS AND REPORTS

Renewal Conversations are a new concept introduced for the 38th Synod. These Conversations were designed to bring themes and ideas that were already in process to the whole Synod, not for deliberation or decision around a proposal, but to help inform the way forward. The Renewal Conversations for the 38th Synod were woven through the relevant reports (and were the focus of Yarning Circles and feedback), centring around three topics:

CALD Communities Mission Resourcing
Presbytery Capacity Considerations
Formation for a Renewing and Growing Church

The first Renewal Conversation centred around CALD Communities Mission Resourcing. The Multi Cross-Cultural Reference Group (MCCRG) Chair Rev Louisa Yu, accompanied by the Synod Mission Accompanying Team, outlined the current state of CALD communities, and the report developed - “Inter-culturalism: A pathway to Renewal”. The Synod heard from Rev Yu, Scott Guyatt, Malcolm Scanlan and Rev Faye Talatonu. Each shared parts of their own stories and acknowledged that, while there is much to celebrate in this space, we have a long way to go and there is much work for us all to do.

The second Renewal Conversation - Presbytery Capacity Considerations - came as part of the Presbytery Reports. The Presbytery Ministers told stories of the green shoots of God’s work happening throughout the Synod, with two videos telling the story of Northside Mackay and Clay Church. The report noted the current

Alan Hanson, chair of the Finance, Investment and Property Board, brought the FIPB report, outlining the trends of the Synod’s position over the last 15 years and the strong position we are currently in. The great work being done in our enterprises was emphasised, as well as the work currently being done to grow and consolidate them into the future.

The third Renewal Conversation – Formation for a Renewing and Growing Church – followed the Board for Christian Formation report. Chair Gary Adsett reported on a renewed focus for formation to be a process the whole of church is engaged with, not just a programmatic approach. This also included the importance of a less uniform approach, informed by the diversity of cultures and backgrounds in those on the formation journey.

Trinity College Queensland Principal Dr Scott Downman reported on developments in curriculum and methodology at Trinity, with new courses being delivered in new ways. One key development was the introduction of a new structure – block modelling – where the faculty will deliver courses over six-week terms, with six terms per year.

Rev Linda Hanson introduced Craig Bailey who reported on the review into formation as the stimulus for our Renewal Conversation. Craig outlined the need to reshape and reimagine how we do formation across the state with four recommendations:

Engage the whole of the Uniting Church (Queensland) in the education and formation of healthy and effective leaders
Embrace a Uniting Church model of formation that is missionally re-visioned and theologically informed
Adopt a mission-centred educational approach to formation
Provide high quality education and formation of candidates for ordained ministries

The Uniting Education report was brought by Chair Nigel Fairbairn who emphasised the missional and ministry imperative of Uniting Education schools, not just formal education. Nigel outlined the challenge – to offer young people compelling reasons to stay engaged with their faith – while also bringing to us green shoots where new life and growth are happening.

Assembly President Rev Charissa Suli brought the report to us from Assembly. Rev Suli thanked the Synod for the support of the National Day of Mourning event hosted at Albert St Uniting Church, the first joint event of its kind. She celebrated the status of the UCA as a lighthouse to the world, which has become evident in her travels internationally, representing the Uniting Church.

Assembly General Secretary Andrew Johnson reported on a number of our agencies, including Frontier Services and UnitingCare Australia, and on the work being done in the Act2 program. Andrew noted the resonances between the work in the Queensland Synod and the work of the Assembly, and also some of the points of difference. He offered an invitation to the whole Synod to be part of the Act2 conversation.

THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION – Rev Dom Chan

Rev Dom Chan – the Queensland Synod’s most recently ordained minister - closed the day’s business with a theological reflection, using his dislike for new shoes to draw attention to the need to give ourselves time to stretch and grow with new things, and to give new things time to stretch and fit. In the spaces of Covenant and inter-cultural ministry in particular, it has taken courage to step into this space and will continue to take time to find our fit as a church as we commit to growing together.

NIGHT OF PRAYER

Our night of prayer and worship was led by Ps Aaron Moore who invited us into a time of testimony, opening up the microphone for people to share what God is doing in the hearts of individuals and communities. People were encouraged to lead prayer out of scripture as they felt led before a closing from Ps Netani Bolatolu.