Humans of the Uniting Church

What’s your Uniting Church story?

I grew up in a small town called George Town in Northern Tasmania in the 1970’s. Our family was from Methodist tradition, but amalgamated with Presbyterian/Congregational churches in 1977. I recall the move to a brick, much newer building, as opposed to a seemingly tiny weatherboard structure – possibly built in the late 1800’s. I believe this building is no longer in existence.

My parents and grandparents who had moved to this town from a rural area all attended this church and over the years, my faith was formed – I guess from the faith of my forefathers. Mum and Dad were amazing examples of what it meant to be involved in the local community, but also the church community. We attended church camps annually. These were pivotal for me as a young child, looking up to my teenage elders and wanting to be like them, but also understand what faith in God meant.

At around the age of 15, I attended my first Uniting Church camp in Bridport, NE Tasmania. I had also begun assisting to run a local youth group.

As the youngest of 3 girls, of strict parents, my faith was what ‘kept me on track’. In addition, there were a few people who I looked up to in the church space during my teenage years – one of those was Rev David Jackson, whose story I read with joy just recently and realised it must have been around 35 years since we last met. Others included Fuzz and Carolyn Kitto and Bruce Mullan who were employed by the then Synod of Tasmania as Youth and/or Children’s Ministry Workers. I guess the essence of my Uniting Church story is really the people that I had developed significant relationships with over the years, revealing to me the importance of a spiritual realm and hence a faith in Jesus and a life in that example.

I have always loved the inclusiveness and kindness of the Uniting Church theology. There were a few years where my young family and I chose to attend a local Baptist church as there were many young families there at the time and the local Uniting Church did not have the capacity to offer many children’s activities. We did however, maintain some involvement in Uniting Church children’s activities, such as KUCA Campout. All the while, our theology lay with the Uniting Church and once we moved from that town, we chose to return to a Uniting Church, which is where we have been for several years.

It does sadden me that the ‘youth scene’ of the 1980’s to the mid 1990’s has waned to a point where it seems that church or faith activities are no longer relevant to young people. Our young adult children occasionally attend church and occasionally involve themselves in some church music events. I believe they have a faith of sorts, but somehow other life activities take more of a priority.

What enlivens your faith?

My faith is enlivened by interacting with people and hearing their stories. I’ve often said to my children that my three passions in order are people, food and coffee (there is also red wine and Tasmanian gin in small amounts running a close fourth).

So, spending time with people from all ages and learning about their journeys is pivotal for me to explore my own faith in greater depth. I believe that Jesus gave us so much to live up to and at times, that seems unachievable. However, with others in our camp we can have a red hot crack at offering society’s strugglers and those at the crossroads in life a snippet of the kindness and love that God shows us through the example of his son.

Through my work as a Palliative Care Nurse and Midwife, I am so privileged to be present at some of the most intimate life events and learn so much from some amazing humans through new life and also death.

What’s one thing happening in your community that’s really exciting for you?

It’s difficult to voice an exciting moment in our current Uniting Church climate, as we are going through some futuristic strategy planning at the moment. However, the exciting thing out of this is that people are conversing and listening with each other.

I am excited by the care that is shown in my local neighbourhood with neighbours checking in with each other and sharing a meal together sometimes. To me, this is when we truly get to know others and it is also a moment of spirituality, even if others are not aware of a spiritual realm.

What’s one thing you love telling people about the UCA?

I love telling people about the inclusivity of all cultures and sexualities within the Uniting Church. ALL are welcome!

What’s one thing you’d like to change, or something you hope for?

My hope is that we one day are able to separate ourselves from the ‘stuff’ tied up in church and spend more time involving ourselves in significant moments. I guess I feel this way more since the death of my beautiful dad just 4 months ago. He was a man of great faith and believed in experiences, more than ‘things'.

What's one thing you would like the rest of the Uniting Church to pray for?

For a spiritual awareness/awakening in our young people.