How to connect with the online Assembly
In just three days, from 17-18 July, the 16th Assembly of the Uniting Church will meet online for the first time in our history.
Like many parts of the life of our Church, the need to move into the digital space has led us to be innovative and creative with how we use technology to gather as a community.
It also means there are more opportunities for the wider Uniting Church to connect into the work of the Assembly meeting in real time. From watching live to following the meeting on social media, below are seven ways to connect with the Assembly as it happens.
Join the Opening Service online
On Saturday 17 July the Assembly meeting will open with worship and the installation of Rev Sharon Hollis as President. Join others from around the country in celebrating God’s call to Sharon, assuring her of the prayer and support of the Church.
The service will be livestreamed via the 16th Assembly website and Facebook page at 11.30am AEST (QLD, NSW, ACT, VIC, and TAS), 11am ACST (SA and NT) and 9.30am AWST (WA).
Tune into the livestream through the weekend
Most sessions will be publicly livestreamed through the weekend. Check out the indicative timetable to see which sessions you might like to listen in on, and watch on the 16th Assembly webpage.
Key moments will also be streamed to the Assembly Facebook page. Make sure you’re following us on Facebook for the notifications.
Listen to the Cato Lecture
The Cato Lecturer for the 16th Assembly is Professor Anthony Reddie, the Director of the Oxford Centre for Religion and Culture at Oxford University and a leading scholar in Black and practical theology. His lecture will be publicly livestreamed on the Assembly website and Facebook page on Saturday 17 July at 7pm AEST, 6:30pm ACST (SA and NT) and 5pm AWST (WA).
Read more about Professor Reddie in Assembly report H5.
Make sure you’re subscribed to National Update
We’ll be sending a wrap of each day to the national Church by email, so make sure you’re on the list! We’ll report on key moments, share significant decisions, and social media highlights from our members. Subscribe here.
Follow and add to the social media conversation using the meeting hashtags
Regular updates during the Assembly will be available in real time on the Uniting Church social media pages. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and tag us in your own posts. Join the conversation by adding the official hashtags, #uca2021 #dwellinginlove to your posts about the Assembly.
For those who are able to gather in person, and plan to watch the Installation or other parts of the meeting together, we invite you to share photos of your watch party on socials! We'd love to see them.
Watch the Examen to close your day in prayer and reflection
At the end of the first day, Assembly members will share in a reflective practice of prayer guided by Rev Dr Sally Douglas. The Examen is a prayerful discernment on the events of the day, making us alert to God's presence and the leading of the Spirit.
A guided Examen and an explanation of the practice are available to watch here.
Read about the life and work of the National Church over the last three years
The reports to the Assembly from its Agencies, various task groups and committees, and Synods, are publicly available. Find them here.