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Practices for Community Change
I've just discovered the wonderful community development work of the Tamarack Institute at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. Their Five Interconnected Practices for Community Change are spot on for considering a range of work that we are doing both with churches...
Four Lenses for Faith Formation
Last Saturday I spent time with a church council, and a perennial question was raised. "Why aren't more people interested in Bible Study?" We were discussing what it means for a church to see faith formation at the heart of its life together. Is Christian education just for the...
Mission in New Housing Estates
Across our synod there is rapid population growth on the fringe of greater Melbourne and in regional cities and towns – including Ballarat, Bendigo, Phillip Island, Inverloch, greater Geelong, the surf coast. The rate of growth of new housing estates in our presbytery alone is...
Praxis-based Learning
Thomas Groome's work on Shared Christian Praxis is one of the most influential things in Christian Education since the 1980s (Harper & Row, 1980). The field of practical theology covers a range of approaches to theological reflection, including Groome's approach. Richard...
This is Our Story
Tim Beale and I wrote this song in 1998 for the 1999 National Christian Youth Convention. There was a slight error in the music score in the NCYC songbook (which Tim repeats here!). Here are the correct words and an audio recording by Tim. The music score is also in my book...
Encounters with Jesus: Guided Scripture Meditations
Take yourself back into the Bible narratives through contemplative reimagining of the sights, sounds and other senses. As an exercise in prayer, look and listen to what God might say to you as you experience these events. This is a book of guided prayer meditations based on...
20 Statements about Communities of Disciples
"Congregations make intentional discipling a priority. Faith formation and education for the congregation, connecting with the wider community, are vital for discipleship and mission." Here are 20 statements for discussion among church leaders about Christian faith formation...
Port Phillip East Video
Here's the video that I recently produced on behalf of our presbytery for the 2022 meeting of the Synod of Victoria and Tasmania. The Synod arranged for the filming of the opening and closing segments featuring my colleague Rev Duncan Macleod, and they produced the logo. I...
“Meeting Together” Resources
"Meeting Together" is a new booklet from the Uniting Church, Victoria and Tasmania designed to help committees and other groups to explore what make meetings healthy and how to recognise and name poor behaviour in meetings. The booklet was produced by the Presbyery eLM...
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