By Jamie Breden
Last month, I had the privilege of attending the 2026 Uniting Connections Conference with colleagues from Uniting Church schools across Australia.
1) What I most enjoyed or found meaningful about the conference.
What I found most meaningful was the opportunity to listen to and learn from people across the Uniting Church school community who are all grappling with similar questions about identity, belonging, formation and purpose.
As someone who has recently commenced in a newly created Head of Faith and Community role at Scotch Oakburn College, it was encouraging to hear how other schools are seeking to live out their Uniting Church identity in contemporary and increasingly diverse contexts.
I was particularly inspired by the keynote address from our President, Rev Charissa Suli, who said that education is ultimately about who young people are becoming, not simply what they know. Her reminder that schools are engaged in the sacred work of fostering wisdom, belonging, hope, love, dignity and purpose resonated strongly with my own experience during the first six months in this role. God sees possibilities before we do.
I also appreciated the honesty of conversations around chaplaincy, spiritual formation, safeguarding, and how schools can authentically express their Christian heritage through everyday relationships and practices rather than programs alone. The conference reinforced my belief that faith is most powerfully experienced through presence, connection, service and community.
Across the conference, themes of belonging, relationships, purpose, spirituality, formation and service emerged again and again. These themes were reinforced by the ‘Student Flourishing in Australian Christian Schools (2026)’ research study presented by Dr Daniel Pampuch, CEO, and Dr Darren Iselin, Director of Research and Innovation Christian Schools Australia. The study found that flourishing grows when students experience meaningful social connection, supportive adults, spiritual practices, gratitude, service and opportunities to contribute to their community. These are all areas in which chaplaincy can make a significant contribution.
2) One key takeaway you’d want other school chaplains to hear, particularly those who weren’t there.
My key takeaway would be that chaplaincy is as much about presence as it is about programs.
Throughout the conference, a consistent theme emerged across multiple presentations: the most significant work often happens in ordinary moments through conversations, relationships, encouragement, listening, creating belonging, and helping students make sense of themselves and the world around them.
Whether it was Rev Peter Morton describing chaplaincy as “being alongside”, or discussions about character, purpose, and spiritual formation, the message was clear: people are formed through relationships and community.
For chaplains working in schools where students come from diverse faith backgrounds, or no faith background at all, this was an encouraging reminder that our role is not simply to deliver religious programs. It is to create spaces where students feel seen, valued, heard and connected. When belonging is established, voice emerges; when voice emerges, meaningful action and growth become possible. That, for me, was one of the most powerful messages of the conference.
Charissa spoke about the important relationship between schools and the Church. The conference prompted important reflection around the future relationship between Uniting Church schools and the wider Church. How do we build stronger partnerships between schools and congregations? How do we better understand each other’s contexts? And how do we share stories of hope, faith and transformation more effectively across the life of the Church? These feel like important opportunities for the years ahead.
Ultimately, my biggest takeaway is that chaplaincy and faith leadership remain vitally important because they work in the spaces where flourishing grows—relationships, belonging, spirituality, purpose and service. In a world increasingly focused on information, achievement and outcomes, schools still carry the profound responsibility of helping form human beings of wisdom, character, compassion, faith and hope.
Jamie Breden is Head of Faith and Community, Scotch Oakburn College, Launceston, Tasmania