Tending the Soul
Queensland Ministry Agents Retreat with President Rev. Charissa Suli
May 20, 2026
By President Rev Charissa Suli
This week, ministry agents from across Queensland gathered at the Queensland Synod All Presbyteries Ministry Agents Retreat on the Sunshine Coast with President Rev. Charissa Suli.
Leaders came together carrying the realities of ministry across diverse communities, held together by a shared call to serve and to be faithful in the life of the Church.
“The Spirit is calling the Church back to depth. Back to prayer. Back to honesty. Back to leaders who are not afraid to rest in Jesus,” Rev. Suli shared.
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In this setting, the retreat became a space of spiritual attentiveness where silence, Scripture, prayer, storytelling and shared reflection opened space to consider not only the needs of communities, but also the inner life of those who serve them.
Central during the retreat was the recognition that those who care for others must also tend to their own spiritual wellbeing. Ministry is sustained not only through commitment and effort, but through rest, prayer, honesty and ongoing renewal in Christ.
“The Spirit is calling the Church back to depth. Back to prayer. Back to honesty. Back to leaders who are not afraid to rest in Jesus,” Rev. Suli shared.
There was a gentle but important invitation to leaders: to resist the pull of constant output, and to embrace the rhythm of returning to Christ for nourishment, grounding and renewal, even as they continue to accompany and care for communities across Queensland and beyond.
Grounded in the President’s theme, Threads of Love: Weaving Christ’s love across cultures and boundaries, the retreat held together the reality of ministry and the necessity of soul care. Leadership was seen not as separation between care for others and care for self, but as a single, integrated life rooted in God’s sustaining presence.
Across moments of worship, laughter, lament, silence and deep listening, leaders were reminded that tending to the soul is not optional in ministry — it is essential to faithful service.
As the Church continues its shared journey, this retreat offered a reminder that we are called not only to serve communities, but to remain spiritually whole as we do so grounded, rested and held in the love of Christ.
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