Uniting Church in Australia. Synod of Victoria and Tasmania

Understanding the Lay Preachers Code of Ethics
2025-06-10 19:00 - 2025-06-24 21:00 (Australia/Melbourne) | Online, Australia
Understanding the Lay Preacher Code of Ethics is designed to help those training for Lay Preaching better understand the “Lay Preacher Code of Ethics and Ministry Practice”. Being able to understand and work within this Code of Ethics is one of the Core Competencies expected of Lay Preachers by the UCA Assembly.
This unit will reflect on and discuss various elements of the “Code of Ethics and Ministry Practice for Lay Preachers”, including:

the role of Lay Preaching in the UCA and the call to Lay Preaching
use of power
responsibility given by the UCA to Lay Preachers
working with others
respect for others
exercising of ministry
exercising of leadership
professional conduct
competence and continuing education
self-care and supervision
breaches of the Code of Ethics
pastoral responsibilities

To register, click here

Exploring Christology
2025-07-07 19:00 - 2025-09-22 21:00 | Online, Australia
Exploring Christology
An introductory online unit for anyone who wants to know more about the study of Christ
Exploring Christology has been created around the Worship and Preaching Competencies for Biblical studies from the “Assembly Standards and Competencies for the Formation and Education for the Specified Ministry of Lay Preacher”. So, those training for the ministry of Lay Preaching, and those needing to undertake training for the Worship and Preaching Competencies for Pastors (as these are the same), can be assured they are receiving training to help them meet these competencies.
However, Exploring Christology was also written and developed to encourage faith and discipleship formation. So, it is also a great unit for:

Worship leaders
people undertaking a Period of Discernment
Lay Preachers looking for some continuing education
people who would like to explore Christology as a way of deepening their faith and relationship with God and
anyone just generally interested in knowing more about the study of Christ.

Exploring Christology covers:

Christological questions and historical development
The ministry and mission of Jesus
Images of the Christ
Christ and the church
Why did Jesus die?
The work of salvation and atonement
The resurrection and its meaning
Christology in context
Christ in the Uniting Church in Australia
Jesus Christ and Religious Pluralism

Exploring Christology is offered through access to online learning materials and a Zoom class.
Internet not great at home? The unit is also designed so that the base material can be downloaded and saved to your computer. Others interested in learning in your Presbytery? Why don’t you learn together – and download your learning material to work on at home.

To register, click here

Justice and International Mission Convention 2025
2025-07-12 09:00 - 16:15 | Centre for Theology & Ministry, 29 College Crescent, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia
Christian Community and the pursuit of Common Good
Justice and International Mission Convention 2025

When: Saturday 12 July, 9 am – 4:15 pm
Where: Centre for Theology and Ministry, 29 College Crescent, Parkville
Cost: $50 Metropolitan/ $30 Concession and Rural and Regional, $10 online (morning sessions only) (Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea included)

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Philippians 2:3-4

When Jesus said, “Whatever you do for the least of these, you do for me,” (Mt 25:40) he was inviting us to seek the Common Good. Jesus saw a common good as fulfilling God’s will that we love and serve others, creating a society where all people are valued and treated with dignity, and where justice and peace prevail. The common good is a collective responsibility, where people live in harmony, sharing resources, offering help, and showing kindness to one another in ways that build up the community, and not just for individual gain.
Political and financial inequality across the globe and in Australia is increasing, resulting in people on lower incomes believing that the democratic system does not work for them. The increase in these inequalities also erodes trust and social cohesion in our society, and increase the growth in racism. It also makes it harder to address problems that require whole of society and international cooperation, such as climate change and pandemics.
The problem of the erosion of trust and social cohesion is enhanced by the spread of disinformation and misinformation in the online world. The ability of generative artificial intelligence to create realistic video material will increasingly make it more difficult to tell the truth from lies in the online world.
The Convention will examine what we, in the Christian community, can do to reverse these trends and rebuild a commitment to the common good in our society.
Keynote Speaker

Associate Professor Myra Hamilton
Myra Hamilton is an Associate Professor in Work and Organisational Studies at the University of Sydney Business School. She is a sociologist and social policy scholar whose work identifies and challenges inequalities arising from gender, age and social disadvantage. Among other things, her most recent work challenges the notion of the ‘generation wars’ and seeks to uncover the workings of elite privilege and its harms.
Myra will speak to her recent book on social, political and financial inequalities that exist in Australia, The Privileged Few.

Panel Members

Godfrey Moase
Godfrey is an Executive Director of the United Workers Union, that represents many workers on low incomes. He is also the chairperson of CoPower, a non-for-profit cooperative that seeks to transform the electricity and gas industries. He has published in the Guardian and New Matilda.
Godfrey will speak on the importance of democratic reform for low-income people.

Bruce Poon
In his professional life, Bruce worked as a consulting project manager and CEO in the infotech sphere. He has been the founder and director of several for-profit companies and not-for-profit charities and has led numerous expeditions overseas to aid communities in the developing world.
He joined the Animal Justice Party in 2012 and has served in various roles on the board and state committees, parliamentary adviser to our first Victorian member of parliament, and has served several terms as national president.
He is the president of the Animal Justice Foundation, which seeks to provide long term funding to valuable initiatives within the animal protection movement, including political initiatives.
Bruce will speak on the challenges faced by a small political party that lacks support from billionaires and millionaires in our current democratic system.

Mark Zirnsak
Mark is the Senior Social Justice Advocate in the JIM Cluster. He has been in Synod social justice roles for 26 years. He has been a numerous government consultive bodies in that time. Prior to joining the Synod he was a research engineer with a multinational mining corporation.
Mark will speak to the threats that financial and political inequalities pose to our collective well-being and what could be done to address them to build the common good and rebuild trust between us.

Aunty Esme Bamblett
Bangerang, Taungurung and Wiradjuri
Aunty Esme has been involved in Aboriginal Affairs for over 50 years in various capacities. She is a member of the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria, which is negotiating a Treaty with the Victorian Government.
She speak on what kind of reforms to the democratic system are necessary to advance social justice for First Peoples.

WORKSHOPS
Please list your top three workshop options when registering (eg, 6, 3, 7). Workshops will be run based on the number of participants, and will not run if not enough participants register interest. Each workshop will aim to look for a specific way forward in each area.

One person, one vote – Giving people an equal say in democracy
Unequal access – Regulation of Lobbyists
Separating ice from snow – Misinformation and Disinformation and the role of AI
The other person might be right – Addressing political polarisation
Giving First Peoples a fairer say in democracy
Limitarianism – Limiting the role of wealth in democracy
Riders of the Apocalypse – Responding to threats to humanity’s future
Make me a channe – The Synod’s role in peace-building

Program
9 am Gathering & Registration. Tea and coffee will be provided on arrival
9:30 am Introduction, acknowledgement of country and opening worship
9:45 am Keynote address
10:30 am Morning Tea
11 am Panel Discussion on the common good, democratic reforms, and trust.
12:20 pm Lightning talks: One minute presentations about what you are doing in your church or community on social justice. Please register your interest in advance if you would like to make a presentation.
12:35 pm Lunch
1:15 pm First Round of Workshops
2:00 pm Short Break
2:15 pm Second Round of Workshops
3 pm Discussion on the direction and work areas of the JIM Cluster
4 pm Closing worship
4:15 pm Finish

To register, click here
Please register by Wednesday, July 9

If you have particular access needs or need assistance to register contact Alicia Torres on 03 9340 8815 or alicia.torres@victas.uca.org.au

Understanding the UCA
2025-07-15 19:00 - 2025-10-14 21:00 | Online
Understanding the UCA has been created around the Core Competency “Work within the doctrine, ethos and polity of the Uniting Church” from the ‘Assembly Standards and Competencies for the Formation and Education for the Specified Ministry of Lay Preacher’ and UCA Assembly’s Standards for the Ministry if Pastor: Core Competencies’.
Understanding the UCA covers:

History of the formation of UCA
Theological foundations of the Basis of Union
The place and role of key aspects of the Church’s life and witness
Understanding the Councils and Ministries of the UCA
Understanding the UCA’s commitment to First Nations People and Intercultural Ministry
Act2

Those undertaking Understanding the UCA for assessment purposes, must attend the tutorial and submit the given assessment.
To register, click here
Registrations close strictly on Friday 1 July 2025

Northey Lecture - Dei Ex Machina: The Images of God in our Conceptions of AI
2025-07-29 17:30 - 19:00 | Centre for Theology & Ministry, 29 College Crescent, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia
AI has emerged as a tool for productivity, a threat to jobs, and even a stand-in for God. Much of the language used to discuss AI draws on apocalyptic and prophetic discourse, as well as on images of God rooted in divine omniscience. Rev. Dr Kristel Clayville, a lecturer in ethics in the computer science department at University of Illinois Chicago, suggests an alternative theological framework.
Rather than emphasising AI’s godlike powers of omniscience and control—traditionally masculine divine attributes —Clayville examines how feminine divine imagery might reshape our understanding of artificial intelligence. Could we envision AI through metaphors of nurturing, relationship, and collaborative wisdom instead of domination and all-knowing power? Does embracing feminine images of God offer new ways to conceptualize AI’s role and possibilities in human society? Her talk will explore this alternative and attempt to offer a different conceptual vocabulary for AI.

Northey Lecturer: Rev. Dr Kristel Clayville PhD
Rev. Dr Kristel Clayville holds a PhD in Religious Ethics from the University of Chicago’s Divinity School and completed Fellowship training in clinical medical ethics at the MacLean Center. She has served as the Acting Director of the Zygon Center for Religion and Science, and was a Fellow in the Sinai and Synapses program. She has a clinical background as a chaplain and ethicist at the University of Chicago Medical Center.
Currently, she teaches ethics in the Computer Science Department at UIC, where she also serves on the hospital ethics committee, and the medical school ethics education committee. Her research interests encompass the ethics of emerging (bio)technologies, organ transplant ethics, the role of religion in medical education, AI and religion, and the function of ethics committees in hospitals and tech companies.

When: Tuesday, July 29
Where: Pilgrim Theological College; 29 College Cres, Parkville, 3025
Refreshments available from 5pm
Lecture commences at 5.30pm

To register, click here

Resilience and Hope
2025-08-15 09:00 - 15:00 | Wesley Place, 130 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia
With 76% of young Australians expressing that ‘the future is frightening’ due to climate change, this event aims to empower young leaders to navigate climate emotions and advocate for taking action on the ongoing climate crisis. More details to come prior to the event!

**This event is specifically for schools associated with the Uniting Church in Australia Network – Synod Victoria and Tasmania

Audience: Students Year 6-8
Day: Friday, August 15
Time: 9 am to 3 pm.
Location: Business Hub, Level 1, Wesley Place (130 Lonsdale St, Melbourne)
Cost: AU$300 (Group of 10 students)

To register, click here

For further details, contact Paola Rojas paola.rojas@victas.uca.org.au

Presented by the Uniting Church in Australia Synod of Victoria and Tasmania
2025-08-30 08:00 - 2025-09-02 17:00
The Synod 2025 Meeting will begin on Saturday, August 30 and conclude on Tuesday, September 2. Synod 2025 will this year include the installation of a new Moderator, Rev Salesi Faupula. Theological reflections will be presented by Rev Tara Tautari, General Secretary of Te Hāhi Weteriana o Aotearoa (the Methodist Church of New Zealand), while Rev Prof John Flett will present daily Bible studies.

Mending Our Social Fabric: Learning from Palestinian and Israeli Women Peacebuilders
2025-08-31 18:30 - 21:00
Mending Our Social Fabric: Learning from Palestinian and Israeli Women Peacebuilders

Riman Barakat – Is a veteran peacebuilder and social entrepreneur from East Jerusalem. She currently serves as the co-CEO of FeelBeit, an Israeli-Palestinian cultural centre on Jerusalem’s East-West boundary that harnesses the transformative power of the arts to bridge divides, foster dialogue, and is a prototype of a shared future.

Peta Jones Pellach – Is an educator, activist, and blogger. She is committed to interfaith dialogue and peace-building. She is Director of Education, Elijah Interfaith Institute, co-founder and moderator of Praying Together in Jerusalem and an active member of Women Wage Peace.

The moderator for the night will be Margaret Hepworth. Margaret is an inspiring peace educator, speaker, and advocate for non-violence and building social cohesion. She is currently serving as the Victorian Education Coordinator for Together for Humanity and founder of the peace education initiative, The Gandhi Experiment.

Sunday 31 August
6:30 pm for 7 pm start

Venue: The venue will be in the inner South-East suburbs of Melbourne/Naarm. Location will be provided three days before the event for community safety reasons

Cost: $18/ $10 concession/ Free for the unwaged and those unable to pay at this time

To register, click here

For questions about the event please e-mail jim@victas.uca.org.au or melindajones613@gmail.com

2025 Women's Intercultural Conference
2025-10-03 17:00 - 2025-10-05 17:00
Join us for the 2025 Women Intercultural Conference (WIC), a three-day gathering to empower, equip, and enrich Intercultural women in ministry and leadership.
This event will include:
· Inspiring keynote speakers
· Small-group discussions
· Interactive workshops
· Networking across communities and generations

Tickets are only $60, covering all three days at all three venues, with catering included

2025 Event Schedule
Friday 3 October | 5PM–10PM
Box Hill Town Hall
1022 Whitehorse Road, Box Hill
Saturday 4 October | 9AM–5PM
Centre for Theology and Ministry
29 College Crescent, Parkville
Sunday 5 October | 1PM–5PM
St John’s Uniting Church
Cnr Mt Alexander Road & Buckley Street, Essendon
Our Speakers
Featuring leaders in theology, ministry, advocacy, and community development, including:

Rev Charissa Suli
President, Uniting Church in Australia

Assoc Prof Monica Melanchthon
Associate Professor & Research Coordinator, Pilgrim Theological College

Virginia Lavaki
Faith leader and advocate for CALD communities in the Uniting Church

Luisa Tuilau
Lawyer and activist in decolonisation and nuclear disarmament

Sylvia Coombe
Multicultural Commissioner, Victorian Multicultural Commission

Assoc Prof Hye Kyung Park
Director and Associate Professor, Department of Theology,
Chang Jung Christian University (Taiwan)

Rev Salesi Faupula
Moderator, Uniting Church Synod of Victoria and Tasmania
For full event details and to read more about our speakers, download the event flyer.

To register, click here

Be sure to follow us on Facebook at WIC 2025 for updates and announcements.

WIC is a safe space for all.

Exploring Preaching
2025-10-13 19:00 - 2025-11-24 21:00 | Online
Exploring Preaching in the UCA
An online course for anyone who wants to learn how to Preach in the UCA.
Exploring Preaching in the UCA has been created around the Preaching Competencies from the “Assembly Standards and Competencies for the Formation and Education for the Specified Ministry of Lay Preacher”. So, those training for the ministry of Lay Preaching, and those needing to undertake training for the Preaching Competencies for Pastors (as these are the same), can be assured they are receiving training to help them meet these competencies.
However, Exploring Preaching in the UCA is also a great course for:

people undertaking a Period of Discernment
Lay Preachers looking for some continuing education.

Exploring Preaching in the UCA covers:

where preaching ‘fits’ in Worship
ethical preaching
practical preaching skills
exegesis
planning to preach

Exploring Preaching in the UCA is offered through access to online learning materials and a Zoom class.
Internet not great at home? The unit is also designed so that the base material can be downloaded and saved to your computer. Others interested in learning in your Presbytery? Why don’t you learn together – and download your learning material to work on at home.

To register, click here

Discernment Day
2025-10-25 09:00 - 17:00 | Centre for Theology & Ministry, 29 College Crescent, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia
Discernment Day
Come and see … An opportunity to learn about discernment, discipleship and ministries in the Uniting Church, and pathways into lay and ordained ministries.
• Meet UCA Ministry agents and learn about their different roles and contexts
• Discover educational pathways for discipleship and ministries
• Learn about the Period of Discernment and ministry pathways
• Consider how to discern your gifts and your sense of call

This session is available both in person and online.

There is limited carparking available for people with mobility issues only. Bookings are essential and can be done by contacting CTM Reception on 03 9340 8800

To register, click here

Book Launch for Rewilding Prayer: God Beyond Gender, Faith Beyond Formulas
2025-12-01 17:00 - 18:30 | Pilgrim Theological College, 29 College Crescent, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia
You are warmly invited to join Sally Douglas for the launch of Rewilding Prayer: God Beyond Gender, Faith Beyond Formulas.

5pm Monday 1st December 2025
Yuma Auditorium, Centre for Theology and Ministry 29 College Crescent, Parkville
RSVP Wednesday 26 November.

Rev Salesi Faupula, Moderator of the Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of Victoria and Tasmania, together with Julie Perrin, storyteller and writer, will launch the book. Rewilding Prayer disrupts the idol of pretending that God is a man and upends the delusion that prayer is about wishful thinking, vending machines, or reciting words. With insight and honesty, questions about what prayer is for, what prayer does and does not do, and what we can do when we cannot pray are explored. Exuding a gritty hope, Douglas demonstrates that prayer is the call to the real. This book is for the curious, the “spiritual not religious”, the faithful, the disenchanted, and for those who thirst for more.

View the event flyer here

To register, click here

“There is deep pastoral and biblical wisdom in these honest, unfussy prayers and reflections.” —Amy Plantinga Pauw, Louisville Presbyterian Seminary.
“Attuned to human experience, and concerned with shaping language that is sensitive, straightforward, devout, and daring.”—Pádraig Ó Tuama, Host, Poetry Unbound.
“With passion and honesty, she invites us to ‘live close to the fire’ of liberating divine grace.” —Steven Shakespeare, Liverpool Hope University.
“A gentle yet insistent call to rediscover prayer as wild encounter with the divine.” —Tim Nash, Host, Nomad Podcast.
“Sally Douglas inspires us to pray with ‘guts and integrity amidst the chaos’ of everyday life.” —Seforosa Carroll, United Theological College, Charles Sturt University.
“More than a book about prayer—Douglas has gifted us a challenge, an invitation, a treasury.” —Cathie Lambert, Uniting College for Leadership and Theology.

VicTas Synod Intercultural Forum Annual General Meeting
2026-02-14 10:00 - 14:00 | Glen Waverley Uniting Church, 10-12 Bogong Ave, Glen Waverley, Victoria, 3150, Australia
The VICTAS Synod Intercultural Forum invites you to attend the SIF annual general meeting. This is a great opportunity to support the multicultural ministries and intercultural leadership within the Synod.  You will find plenty of chances to make new friends in ministry, catch up with colleagues and friends, worship and praise together, and engage in Talanoa with Synod leaders. Plus, a new SIF leadership team will be elected.
Rev Salesi Faupula, the VICTAS Synod Moderator, has been asked to open the meeting with his message and prayer.  Rev Sylvia ‘Akau’ola-Tongotongo from Toorak Uniting Church will share her experiences and insights on multicultural ministries and intercultural leadership as she continues to her journey with the Uniting Church in Australia.

Date: 14 February 2026, Saturday (10:00 am ~ 2:00 pm)
Venue: Glen Waverley Uniting Church (10-12 Bogong Ave, Glen Waverley VIC 3150)
Note:

The church carpark spaces for disability carpark permit holders and guest speakers only.

Fellowship lunch will be provided, please indicate your dietary requirement.

To register, click here
Please register by Saturday 7 February, 2026

Introduction to Uniting Learning Orientation - Semester 1
2026-02-23 19:00 - 21:00 | Online
This is a free introductory and orientation session to the Uniting Learning units offered in Semester 1, 2026. This introduction is recommended for anyone undertaking a Uniting Learning unit in semester 1, 2026. This orientation will cover becoming familiar with the online learning environment (LMS); Dalton McCaughey Library usage, access and membership; academic integrity, referencing your work and assessment submissions; meeting the teaching and support staff for this semester; and outlining the students learning expectations, supports services and resources available to you.

To register, click here

Talanoa 2026
2026-04-09 12:00 - 2026-04-11 16:00 | Centre for Theology & Ministry, 29 College Crescent, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia
Talanoa 2026 will be a platform for folx to talanoa (tell storied realities, invite conversations, explore ways forward) around the “arts of negotiation” in/from their life situations, and to unpack the “gifts in negotiation” for their communities and for the rest of us.

The theme for this conference is “negotiation,” and there will be keynotes (2), presentations (24), and panels (4). The keynotes will address “Indigenous justice” (from UAICC) and “Migration and Climate justice” (MP Anasina Gray-Barberio).

The presentations will address topics in the general areas of Pasifika cultures, theology, bible, climate justice, pastoral care, CPE, art, queer, decolonization, gender justice, youth justice, and more. The panels will be on “Justice matters,” “Negotiating identities in diaspora,” “Raising families in diaspora,” and “Youth matter!”

Thursday, 9 April 12pm–8pm
Canterbury Balwyn Uniting Church
15A Balwyn Rd, Canterbury 3126

Friday, 10 April 9am–8pm
Centre for Theology and Ministry
29 College Crescent, Parkville 3052

Saturday, 11 April 9am–4pm
Centre for Theology and Ministry
29 College Crescent, Parkville 3052

Cost
Registration fee includes conference materials and meals.
Full cost $ 120
Student $ 50
14yo and under $ 1

To register, click here

For full program details, click here

2026 Contextual Learning Group to South Korea
2026-04-13 12:00 - 2026-04-20 17:00
In 2016, a group of six people from the VICTAS Synod visited Korean partner churches. After a decade I’m privileged and moved to organise another group of young people to South Korea.

They’ll learn about Australian mission work and its missional ties between the two countries.

This 7-day intensive group tour visits 3 Korean partner churches of UCA and various mission sites established by Australian missionaries since 1889. The group aims to strengthen historical and missional ties with Korean partner churches and mission organisations.
The group will learn and appreciate the UCA’s rich history, leadership and involvement in ministry and mission works in overseas. The group will receive valuable insights, particularly highlighting the significant contributions of Victorian missionaries during the early stages of Australian mission works in Korea. There will be a series of group and individual activities with local hosting churches and organisations, debriefing and sharing sessions among participants and several group tours learning more about local culture and food.
Please submit your expression of interest by the end of 9 March 2026

Title: 2026 Contextual Learning Group to South Korea
Duration: 13 April, Monday evening ~ 20 April, Monday afternoon
Venue: various mission sites in Seoul, Busan, Masan and Chang Won in South Korea
Requirements: Participants must have a valid passport, be aware of their own medical and dietary needs and be able to walk approximately 6–8 km including subway staircases each day.
Who can join: friends and colleagues in the VICTAS Synod
What’s next: Once accepted, you need to arrange your own round-trip ticket between Melbourne and Seoul, South Korea. (after registration, a copy of ‘2026 CLG guideline booklet’ will be emailed)
Contact: Rev David Dong Won Kim, VICTAS Synod Multicultural Ministries Coordinator (0400 213 205 / david.Kim@victas.uca.org.au)

To register your expression of interest, click here

The Narrow Bridge
2026-06-30 19:00 - 21:00 | North Essendon Uniting Church, 132 Keilor Road, Essendon North, Victoria, 3041, Australia
The Narrow Bridge
Free Film screening and Discussion
A story of loss, courage and human connection

When: Tuesday 30 June, 7 pm – 9 pm
Where: Essendon North Uniting Church, 132 Keilor Road, Essendon North

“The Narrow Bridge” follows four individuals whose lives have been shattered by conflict in the Middle East – yet who respond not with a desire for revenge, but with courage and compassion.

Rami, Bassan, Bushra, and Maytal have each lost a child or parent. In the face of unimaginable grief, they choose to transform their pain into a bridge towards understanding and peace.

How do we live after a devastating loss?
How do we resist being defined by hatred?
How do we hold onto our humanity in the face of violence?

After the film there will be a facilitated conversation exploring themes of reconciliation, shared humanity and connection across faiths.

Endorsed by:
· Essendon North Uniting Church
· Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of Victoria and Tasmania
· Moonee Valley Interfaith Network
· Council of Christians and Jews Victoria

To register, click here

Live reading of Mark's Gospel
2026-07-21 19:30 - 21:30 | Brunswick Uniting Church, 214 Sydney Road, Brunswick, Victoria, Australia
In a candle lit church, gather with others to hear the whole of Mark’s Gospel read aloud in one evening. There will be mulled wine, space for reflection, and gentle silence. Whether you are spiritual-not-religious, part of a faith community, or simply curious to hear this ancient text come alive, you are welcome.

Where: Brunswick Uniting Church
When: 7.30pm Tuesday 21st July
Cost: Free

To register, click here

2026 JIM Convention
2026-07-25 09:30 - 17:00 | Centre for Theology & Ministry, 29 College Crescent, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia
Blessed are the Peacemakers – Building a Peace Church
Justice and International Mission Convention 2026
Where: Centre for Theology & Ministry, 29 College Crescent, Parkville
When: Saturday 25 July 2026, 9:30 am – 4:45 pm
Cost: $50 for metropolitan participants/$25 concession and non-metropolitan Melbourne participants

The 1982 National Assembly affirmed the Uniting Church in Australia to be a peacemaking body and encouraging alternatives to war. However, the resolution did not rule out the use of “Just War” in exceptional circumstances. With a number of serious armed conflicts around the world, and increased polarisation across communities, the following statement from the World Council of Churches is highly relevant:
We are convinced: A clear witness to peace and nonviolence grounded in justice is what the world needs today from all the churches together…As Christians, we are motivated and encouraged by the Gospel message of the peace of Christ and the rich Biblical tradition of peace and justice…We want to engage in constructive efforts to build a culture of peace.

True peace-building must seek to create socially just outcomes, not simply aim for the absence of violence. Without addressing underlying injustices, the chance for lasting peace fall to near zero.

An assessment of civil resistance movements between 2010 and 2019 found 34% of non-violent struggles succeeded compared to 9% of violent campaigns. Thus, in practice, non-violent campaigns are four times more likely to be successful than violent ones.

The focus of the 2026 Justice and International Mission Convention will be to explore how Uniting Church members can build greater engagement on non-violent peacebuilding.

Keynote speakers

Dr. Nida Shoughry
Co-Director, Center for Women, Peace and Security, Itach-Ma’aki

Dr Shoughry is a scholar-practitioner working at the intersection of feminist peacebuilding, conflict transformation, and women’s political participation. She has co-trained and accompanied over 100 Palestinian and Israeli women leaders in preparation for peace negotiations. She has collected more than 2,000 online accounts of Palestinian women documenting survival, resistance, and visions for peace.

Dr. Tsameret Levy-Daphny
Strategic Advisor and Lecturer; Fellow, Forum for Regional Thinking

Dr Levy-Daphny is an expert on Turkey and the Middle East, and a lecturer and strategic advisor with over 25 years of experience in Israeli academia and civic initiatives. She previously headed the Turkey Forum at the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, where she led research programs and regional collaborations.

Dr. Matt Anslow
Matthew is a biblical scholar and theologian, activist, author, and preacher.

Matthew’s first book, Fulfilling the Law and the Prophets, was published in 2022 and he has published numerous academic and popular articles on subjects such as peacemaking, nonviolent activism, agriculture, biblical studies, preaching, and philosophy.
Program
9:30 am – 9:45 am Acknowledgement of Country and Opening Worship

9:45 am – 10:45 am Plenary Session
Theological reflections on peace building – Matthew Anslow

10:45 am – 11:15 am Morning Tea

11:15 am – 12:30 pm
Half the Story, None of the Power: Women, Exclusion, and the Failure of Israeli-Palestinian Peace – Nida Shoughry and Tsameret Levy-Daphny

12:30 pm – 1:30 pm Lunch

1:30 pm – 2:15 pm Workshop Session 1

2:20 pm – 3:05 pm Workshop Session 2

3:05 pm – 3:30 pm Afternoon tea

3:30 pm – 4:30 pm Plenary Session – How to build support for non-violent peacebuilding and the direction of the JIM Cluster

4:30 pm – 4:45 pm Closing worship
The Workshops

Swords into ploughshares – Campaigning against the arms trade, including autonomous weapons and biological weapons

Facilitator: Mark Zirnsak

Non-Violent Strategies versus Armed Conflict – How do we assess the alternatives?

Facilitator: Mark Zirnsak

Move the Money Campaign – Increasing funding for peacebuilding

Facilitator: Heather Clarke, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom

Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel – Practical non-violent involvement in conflict zones

Facilitators: John Wardlaw (who recently returned from a placement in the West Bank) and Rev Sandy Boyce, Executive Officer, Victorian Council of Churches

Peacebuilding in Myanmar

Facilitator: Myanmar Campaign Network

Solidarity with peacebuilders in Palestine and Israel

Facilitator: Friends of Standing Together Melbourne

Correcting the historical injustice of the colonial conquest of Australia

Facilitator: Tim Molineux, Synod Social Justice Officer

Addressing family, domestic and sexual violence

Facilitator: Mark Zirnsak

Settings relationships right: practicing peace in congregations

Facilitator: Rev Michael Wood, author of “Practicing Peace: Theology, Contemplation, and Action”

What does peace-building look like in real communities today? The experience of UnitingWorld’s partner in Maluku, Indonesia

Facilitator: Antony McMullen, Church Engagement Manager at UnitingWorld

Peace-building in the Philippines

12. From Story to Strategy: What Can Australians Do for Inclusive Israeli-Palestinian Peace?
Facilitators: Dr Nida Shoughry and Dr Tsameret Levy-Daphny

Dietary Requirements
All catering will be vegetarian to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the catering.

If you have a special dietary requirement please let us know when you register.

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Understanding the UCA
2026-07-27 19:00 - 2026-10-12 21:00 | Online
This unit is designed for those interested in learning more about the identity, history, and life of the Uniting Church in Australia (UCA). It explores our historical formation, theological foundations, and the Basis of Union, as well as the Church’s life, witness, and governance structures within its councils and ministries.
Participants will also engage with the UCA’s commitment to First Nations peoples and intercultural ministry through integrated learning and an optional Enrichment Day (available via separate registration).
This unit is particularly suitable for individuals undertaking Specified Lay Ministries programs—such as Lay Preacher and Ministry of Pastor—as it addresses the Assembly Standards core competency: “Work within the doctrine, ethos, and polity of the Uniting Church.” It also serves as a valuable introduction for ministers new to the UCA.

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Registrations close strictly on Friday 17 July 2026

Exploring the Old Testament (ULVT4)
2026-08-05 19:00 - 2026-10-07 21:00 | Online
This Uniting Learning unit is an invitation to participants to deepen their response to and faith in God as Trinity. The Old Testament describes God and how God acts in history and creation. Major themes that impact on Christianity find their beginning in the words of the Old Testament scripture. The unit is closely integrated with the study of the life of Israel as a community of faith as well as historical and contemporary scholarship.

Dates: Wednesday 5, 12, 19, 26 August; 16, 23, 30 September; 7 October

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Registrations close strictly on Monday 27th July

Exploring Worship in the UCA
2026-10-26 19:00 - 2026-11-30 21:00 | Online
This Uniting Learning unit introduces participants to an understanding of worship and its biblical and theological warrant, patterns of worship in the church and in the Reformed and evangelical tradition (Uniting Church). Participants will look at elements of worship in constructing a service, exploring and choosing resources for worship (Uniting in Worship 2, video, book and online resources). The unit includes approaches and contexts for worship including multi-sensory and multi-intelligence, communicating effectively, and ethics and knowing yourself as a worship leader.

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Registrations close strictly on Monday 19th October
