From 14 to 16 August, our Mission Centre staff gathered for a time of retreat. These days gave us the opportunity to step away from the steady rhythm of daily work and to be fully present with one another. We shared meals around the table, prayed together, wrestled with difficult policies, laughed during team-building, and entered into honest conversations about the realities of work, life and ministry. There was a broad space to step back and remember why we do this work.
Throughout the retreat I was struck again by how deeply this team cares for our Mission Centre. Every discussion was anchored in people rather than in tasks alone. When we talked about communication practices, it was with the desire to make sure people feel connected. When we reviewed child and youth protection policies, it was with a genuine concern for the safety and flourishing of our young people. When we explored pastoral care, it was with a commitment to ensure no one feels overlooked or forgotten. Even the practical work of calendars, budgets, and resource management was done with the conviction that faithful stewardship allows ministry to remain sustainable and accessible for all.
As I listened to my colleagues, I found myself returning to one of our Enduring Principles: All Are Called. This principle was woven throughout our retreat. God calls each one of us. Our gifts are different, our personalities varied, our experiences diverse, yet the call to serve is shared. Ministry does not belong only to those with titles or assignments; it belongs to the whole body. Together we are invited into God’s mission, and every act of care, no matter how simple, participates in that mission. As we answer God’s call, we shape a community rooted in love and open to all who seek belonging.
I left the retreat with a heart full of gratitude. Gratitude for the laughter that lightened our spirits, for the honesty that deepened our trust, and for the Spirit of God that continues to guide us as we care for one another and for this Mission Centre. I am thankful for colleagues who remind me daily that this sacred work is not carried alone but is shared among us. And I am thankful for all of you in our wider church community, whose own responses to God’s call bring life and hope to congregations, camps, and neighbourhoods across Australia.
As we move forward, may we continue to live out the conviction that All Are Called. May we find joy in discovering the unique ways God is inviting us to serve, and may we be strengthened by the knowledge that together, we are part of something much larger than ourselves: the ongoing story of God’s love in the world.
With gratitude,
Meredith Carr
