St Thomas' Uniting Church

21/06/2026

An emblem we are familiar with and see throughout the country, but how well do we know our story?

On 22 June 1977, three Australian Christian denominations joined together to form the Uniting Church in Australia.

Here are some handy resources from Judyth Roberts to help your congregation tell the story of how the Uniting Church was formed to younger generations or new members, so that the joy of that momentous occasion is not lost.

https://www.nswact.uca.org.au/resources/celebrating-our-anniversary-resources-for-children/

21/06/2026

Heartfelt.

𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿
𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟵: 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵

In the name of the Triune God,
Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer.

God of the first breath,
God of deep waters, open shores, and the table with room for all,
we come in this season of Pentecost
asking again for the renewal of your Spirit.

We give thanks for the Uniting Church in Australia,
for its journey of courage, covenant, repentance, and hope;
for its calling to seek unity without demanding uniformity;
and for its witness to reconciliation, justice, and love.

On the land now called Australia,
we honour the First Peoples,
the oldest continuing peoples of our Blue Pacific Continent,
custodians of land, waters, story, song, memory, and sacred belonging.
May the Church listen with humility, walk with truth,
and make justice visible in relationship.

We give thanks for the deep bonds
between the Uniting Church,
the Pacific Conference of Churches,
and the wider household of God:
a communion deeper than distance,
held by grace, baptism, bread, Spirit, and shared calling.

Lord Jesus Christ,
you prayed that your disciples may be one:
not the same,
not without wounds,
not without hard conversations,
but one so the world may believe,
one so love may be seen,
one so your household may have many rooms,
space for all, dignity for all, love for all.

Holy Spirit, come again.
Come as wind where we have become still,
as fire where our witness has grown cold,
as breath where we are weary,
as courage where fear has taught us silence.

Send us as one Church
to stand with those pushed to the edge,
to protect children, honour elders, uphold women,
listen to young people,
and care for creation where the ocean rises and the land groans.

God of the mat, the basket, and the sail,
weave us again:
a mat for community,
a basket for abundance, hospitality, and service,
a sail wide enough to catch the Spirit
who blows where it will.
Come, Holy Spirit.
Reweave us in love.
Send us as one Church.
Amen.

𝗥𝗲𝘃 𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗕𝗵𝗮𝗴𝘄𝗮𝗻
𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 - 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮𝘁
𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗖𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝗻 𝗙𝗶𝗷𝗶

17/06/2026

Keep us close in Christ. Amen.

𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿
𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟱: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲

God of justice and mercy,
Before we were one Church,
before our stories were woven together,
your Spirit was already at work,
stitching grace through this ancient land,
breathing hope into fragile hearts,
calling your people to walk in the way of Christ.

We thank you for the threads entrusted to us.

Threads of courage,
woven by those who dreamed of a Church
that would serve rather than be served.

Threads of justice,
carried by those who challenged inequality,
spoke truth in difficult times,
and stood alongside those pushed to the margins.

Threads of reconciliation,
woven through encounters of listening and learning,
through truth-telling and repentance,
through the long and holy work
of walking together with First Peoples.

Threads of welcome,
stretching across oceans and generations,
gathering many cultures, languages and traditions
into one household of faith.

And threads of compassion,
quietly woven every day:
in prayers whispered beside hospital beds,
in meals shared, in hands extended,
in communities rebuilt,
in strangers welcomed as neighbours.

Yet still the weaving continues.
Where the fabric of our common life is torn,
teach us the art of mending.
Where fear would unravel hope,
strengthen our resolve.

Where injustice scars your creation,
make us bearers of your healing.
Where division hardens hearts,
teach us again the pattern of your peace.

Keep us faithful to the vision you have set before us:
to live as a fellowship of reconciliation,
to seek justice, to embody Christ's love,
and to join your work in the world.

For we are not the makers of the tapestry,
but threads held in your hands.

And so we place ourselves once more
into the weaving of your grace;
through Jesus Christ, whose love binds us together,
and through the Spirit,
who never ceases to create, renew and restore.

Amen.

𝗥𝗲𝘃 𝗦𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘆 𝗕𝗼𝘆𝗰𝗲
𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱
𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗩𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀

02/06/2026

Prayers for the church.

𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿
𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟲: 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁, 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗻𝘁

Spirit of the living God,
we come as your people, Pilgrims of the Spirit;
a Church on the move,
trusting that you are already at work among us.

Across this wide land,
and from our life together in Victoria and Tasmania,
we give thanks for the many ways your Spirit is stirring;
in congregations and communities,
in ministries of care, justice, and witness,
in voices both strong and quiet,
calling your Church forward.

You call us into relationship;
with one another, with this land,
and with the First Peoples who have held story, faith, and wisdom across generations.
Teach us to listen more deeply;
not only to what is familiar, but to the voices we have not yet fully heard.
Shape us as a covenant people,
committed to truth, shared responsibility, and faithful action.

Christ who gathers us,
you remind us that we are not who we are in isolation.
We belong to one another.
And so we ask:
where are we yet to listen?
Who is present among us, but not yet heard?
And what is your Spirit inviting your Church to become?

As Pilgrims of the Spirit,
lead us beyond what is known and comfortable,
into the wider life of your kingdom;
where diversity is honoured,
belonging is nurtured,
and unity is shaped in love.

Renew your Church,
that we may listen with humility,
walk with courage,
and share in your work of justice, healing, and hope.

And in this season of prayer,
bind us together as one;
one Church, many voices,
held in the grace of Christ,
and led always forward by your Spirit.

Amen.

𝗥𝗲𝘃 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀𝗶 𝗙𝗮𝘂𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗮
𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿, 𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗩𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗮𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗮

12/05/2026

Funerals mean many things to every mourner, Graham Redding writes. In 35 years of ministry, I have taken many funerals. Many for those who died...

07/05/2026

Let’s sing along!

23/04/2026

As we pause to commemorate ANZAC Day tomorrow, Army chaplain and Uniting Church minister Rev Matthew Stuart offers a reflective video message on the themes of remembrance, lament and hope. He names the reality of violence in our world and the difficulty of prayer in such times, inviting us instead to honest lament: “Where are you, Lord?” Yet he also points us to Christ, the Prince of Peace, and the unexpected places God is found - among those who serve, suffer and speak peace.
Read more and watch the video at the link below:
https://uniting.church/anzac-day-2026/