Shortly after our Newcastle congregation opened nearly 25 years ago, we formed a Craft Group as an outreach ministry. What began as a small class introducing and teaching needlework—smocking, candlewicking, silk and wool embroidery, patchwork, and more—quickly grew as participants developed their skills and discovered their favourite crafts. Before long, individuals were excelling in their chosen areas and producing some truly beautiful work…

We have now entered the Christian season of Advent celebrated in Christian communities right throughout the world.  The word Advent comes from the Latin word adventus meaning “coming”.  It is a season observed in many Christian churches, a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus…

The Bendigo congregation was the host for the Victoria Gathering last Sunday. My day started early with preparation for this special day, with a luncheon to prepare for our many visitors followed by a worship service and then my Ordination to Elder…

This past week took me into two communities whose faith and welcome left a deep impression on me. Our first stop was the Sunshine Coast, where we gathered for the baptism of Daniel Brand. It was a gentle and joyful service, filled with warmth and a genuine sense of support. As Daniel entered this new life in Christ, the community around him offered encouragement, support, and a place to belong. It was a beautiful reminder that God works through the sacraments to shape us, bless us, and call us into community…

Over the past week, I travelled from Adelaide to Sydney, then on to Queensland to visit in Brisbane and Toowoomba. I moved through busy airports, long stretches of road, and very different landscapes. While the locations kept changing, the relationships did not. Our schedule moved between congregational gatherings, conversations with Mission Centre staff, and meaningful visits in people’s homes. Each encounter had its own tone and setting, but all of them were marked by hospitality and a genuine desire to connect.

Thursday Church in Melbourne grew from a mutual need. Climate change was highlighted with devastating bushfires in Victoria over the summer of 2019-2020. Life’s uncertainty was disquieting.  Connectedness felt during church camps at Kallara nurtured the desire of a few to meet together in one of their homes…

Tuesday Church began during the COVID-19 lockdowns, not as a program, but as a conversation between friends who needed space for honest questions, spiritual depth, and connection. What started as four people sitting with uncertainty has become a small and trusted community that meets online each week, holding sacred space for learning, reflection, and care…

Across the Australia Mission Centre, people are gathering in creative, courageous, and Spirit-led ways—sometimes in homes or congregations, sometimes online, and sometimes in forms that have grown naturally out of the needs and rhythms of our communities. These expressions of faith are a vital part of our shared story, revealing the many ways the Spirit continues to form community, nurture discipleship, and call us into deeper belonging…

Over the past week, I have been deeply moved by the way God’s presence becomes visible through the sacraments and through the simple act of gathering of community. Our travels from Perth to Adelaide were filled with moments that reminded me how the Spirit draws us together, invites us to deeper belonging, and meets us in worship, blessing, and hospitality…

There are moments in the life of every community when the way ahead may feel less defined than it once was. The paths we once knew have shifted. Our gatherings may feel quieter. The world around us seems louder and more uncertain. In such times, it would be easy to believe that something essential has slipped away. Yet the Spirit continues to move among us with a quiet and steady presence, inviting us not to step back, but to listen with open hearts and to lean forward with hope into what is unfolding…