Being in relationship with others is instrumental to how the Uniting Church seeks to witness to Christ in the world. The Seeking Common Ground Circle invites people to learn about and participate in the ways the Uniting Church is in relationship with other Churches, other faiths, and those of no institutional faith, as together we seek to find common ground for the good of all.
Circle members will be informed about and invited to contribute to the Church’s witness through ecumenical relationships. This includes the ways that we seek to witness to the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, with churches across Australia and overseas Partner Churches.
The Circle will invite members to explore the importance of interfaith relationships as a means to witness to God in a world of many faiths. Circle members will engage with theological reflection discerning God’s openness to the world, be invited into mutually respectful interfaith dialogue and promote opportunities for friendship with other faiths.
Additionally, the circle will explore how the Church witnesses to the reconciliation and renewal of the whole creation as it engages with the search for spirituality and meaning in wider society, including with people who do not identify with any institutional faith.
The Advocate for the Seeking Common Ground Circle is Rev. Dr Amelia Koh-Butler.
We asked Amelia to share a bit about herself.
News
Uniting Against Islamophobia
By Bec Beisler Rana Elasmar was 38-weeks pregnant and sitting with friends at a café in Western Sydney, when a man approached the table, leaned over and punched her several times. In the security video that played across TV news bulletins, Rana is seen falling to the ground and the man appears to stomp
Overcoming Religious Prejudice
A new report detailing the experiences of abuse, prejudice and discrimination against Muslim women in Victoria sheds a light on the lived reality of Islamophobia in our society. The report has been compiled by April Kailahi, the Interfaith Community Development Officer for the Uniting Church Synod of Victoria and Tasmania. In its attempt to unpack
QLD Synod: Hate is not an Option
The QLD Synod Interfaith Relations Committee (SIRC) share their recent presentation at the QLD Synod and a resource for speaking at local congregations. The Committee’s current project is share their work with local communities. They have developed a number of resources to do so and have shared them here with the Seeking Common Ground Circle.