Day Two Wrap: Perceiving in prayer: Seeing the Church through fresh eyes

Day Two Wrap: Saturday 241026

39th Synod - Daily Summary: Saturday 24th October | Perceiving in prayer: Seeing the Church through fresh eyes

How does the Church recognise where God is at work, and how can it make room for the voices and ideas that will shape its future?

These questions sat at the heart of the second day of the 39th Synod, held under the theme Renewal – Perceiving in Prayer.

The morning began with Welcome to Country and worship and Bible study led by Rev. Ralph Mayhew on Paul’s letter to the Colossians (Chapter 3, vs 1-7). This was followed by reports from Queensland’s presbyteries. The Moderator prayed for the Presbyteries and celebrated what they have done and prayed for what it ahead.

Members also heard from a panel of younger people, hosted by Amelia Guyatt, featuring Mitch Guyatt, Rach Hanson, TJ Scanlan and Lachlan Whybird-Capern.

This session offered an opportunity to hear directly from younger voices about their experiences and hopes for the Church. Listening to younger generations is an important part of understanding the challenges facing congregations today and imagining what faithful, vibrant communities might look like in the years ahead.

The most important distinction in the panel discussion was between being a church that welcomes young people and being a church that intentionally forms, includes and empowers them.

The speakers described both the strengths of the Uniting Church and the gaps that remain between its values and the experiences of some young people. The next step is to turn those insights into practical responses at congregational and wider church levels.

Three questions emerged for further discernment:

• How can congregations make mentoring, discipleship and leadership pathways intentional rather than incidental?
• What changes to established practices might help young people develop a deeper sense of belonging and ownership?
• How can the church ensure that listening to young people leads to visible changes in its decisions, relationships and ministry?

Young Leaders Awarded

The 2026 Young Community Leader awards were also presented, supported by Thomson Lawyers (watch their video here), the award recognises contributions from young people within the life of the Church. Recipients of this award were Austin Mann and Lysani Palley.

Discernment Continues

The day’s programme continued with the opening of ballots for a number of Synod and Assembly positions.

Much of the day’s business returned to the four general proposals introduced on Friday. Members considered responses to questions raised in the Yarning Circles and continued discussions about presbytery capacity, resourcing, appointments and elections, and artificial intelligence in ministry and mission.

The key themes of concern to come from Yarning Circles on General Proposal 3 Appointments and Elections focused on strengthening governance, accountability and trust within the Synod. They included concerns about the concentration of authority and whether Synod members have a meaningful role in decision-making; transparency and safeguards around appointments, conflicts of interest and potential nepotism; and clearer processes for reviewing the General Secretary’s performance and reporting responsibilities.

Other themes include improving theological, cultural and regional diversity in representation, clarifying why the Synod Standing Committee should appoint the chair and members of the Board for Christian Formation, and providing a simpler comparison of current and proposed governance arrangements so members can understand the changes and their implications.

AI in Ministry in Mission

General Proposal 4 – AI in Ministry and Mission was also robustly discussed, and members were extremely warm to it and themes in the feedback included The AI proposal raised three key themes:

• The pace with AI is evolving rapidly, making it difficult for guidelines and policy documents to remain relevant. An advisory body may offer a more responsive approach.

• Consideration needs to extend beyond authenticity, intellectual property and integrity to include environmental impacts and wider community consequences. The proposal also raises an explicit commitment not to use AI to generate Indigenous or culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) knowledge.
• Build on existing work by the Assembly, church agencies, councils and ecumenical partners. A national approach was suggested, with careful consideration of how a task group is selected. Relevant expertise may be more important than broad representation alone.

The proposal calls for a timely, coordinated and ethically grounded approach to AI across the Uniting Church, balancing emerging opportunities with cultural responsibility, environmental impacts and community wellbeing.

Further Yarning Circles in the afternoon gave members space to keep working through the proposals. The emphasis was on moving the conversations forward, testing ideas and considering the implications of possible changes.

The afternoon also featured the Norman and Mary Millar Lecture, with a message Learning to See Again: Prayer, presence, and renewal of the Church from Rev. Toby Thomas, followed by a panel discussion facilitated by Michael Hands.

The program included the Younger Generations Report, bringing questions of faith, leadership and the Church’s future into conversation during the Q&A session that followed.

Saturday’s theme invited members to look beyond familiar assumptions and pay attention to what might otherwise be overlooked. That includes the experiences of younger people, the diversity of congregational life and the opportunities for renewal emerging across the Church.

Watch the Livestream for Saturday here.

See the Facebook Photo Gallery here.

Day 2: 39th Synod in Session | Videos & Movies on Vimeo

Tomorrow: Sunday’s theme is Abiding in Prayer. Members will hear reports from the Moderator, the Assembly and intercultural ministry, continue general business and gather for an evening of prayer featuring youth voices.

 

Watch all the sessions here: https://ucaqld.com.au/.../39th-synod-in-session-livestream/