Three Bible Studies presented at the 2010 Forum of the National Council of Churches in Australia. They were presented by Rev Fr John Gibaut, who has kindly given permission us to place them in our website. FR Gibaut is ordained in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney and a member of the Faith and Unity Commission. He is also President of the Catholic Institute of Sydney. The Bible studies relate to the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, the WCC Statement Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry to 2010 being the Centenary of the Historic 1910 Edinbugh Missionay Conference. The Bible Studies are grounded in the Gospel According to Luke, Chapter 24.  Download file

 

Three Bible Studies presented by Revd Drs David Rankin and Robert Bos at the 27th Synod of Qeensland, November 2008. They explore the theme of a Pilgrim People Participating in the Mission of God.
Study 1: Download file
Study 2:Download file
Study 3:Download file

Two Bible Studies by Revd Dr Wesley Campbell presented at the Annual Conference of the Uniting Church in Australia Assembly's Christian Unity Working Group Conference, 2008. Wes explores questions of Oversight and Ecumenism under the title: Episkope: Theology, Polity and Practice in the UCA  Download file

 Lent Event:    Rev Graeme Gardiner deepens our spiritual walk through Lent with a four part, lectionary-based, Bible Study Series. This challenging and contemporary study looks at significant stories from John’s Gospel and personal stories of Lent Event participants. It encourages us to reflect on what we might be wise to give up not just for Lent, but for life. And it reminds us to focus not on what we are giving up, but on what we are acquiring – a life lived in partnership with God. Download file
 

A Bible Study series by Bishop Michael Putney, Roman Catholic Bishop of Townsville:

“In the Shadow of the Cross (Part 1)” - Download file (doc, 47k)

“In the Shadow of the Cross (Part 2)” - Download file (doc, 46k)

“In the Shadow of the Cross (Part 3)” - Download file (doc, 45k)

An ecumenical study resource: Church as Communion - Download file (doc, 32k)

Notes of Bible Studies presented by Revd Professor Randall Prior to the Christian Unity Working Group Conference, 2005. Key Biblical material is from 2  Corinthians 5: 14-21and Revelation 7: 9-12. Randall Prior is Professor of Ministry Studies at the Uniting Church Theological Hall, Melbourne.Download file

Bible Studies presented by Revd Professor James Haire at the National Council of Churches in Australia Forum, 2001.

Theme: 'Mission at a Turning Point'. Two Studies on Discipleship. James Haire is Director of the Centre for Christianity and Culture, Canberra and President of the NCCA. He is a former President of The Uniting Church in Australia. Former Professor of New Testament Studies, Trinity Theological College, Brisbane. Download file
 

Lenten Resources - Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane:  In 2007, the Uniting Church Synod’s Ecumenical Relations Committee looked at some of the books in this series with a view to encouraging their use by Uniting Church people in ecumenical Lenten Study programs.

Three members of the Committee offered written responses – a review by Dorothy Demack of Face to Face With Jesus and comments by Anne Hulbert and Neil Ballment on the 2005, 2006 and 2007 books. Although Face to Face With Jesus is no longer available, Dorothy’s review is very reflective of the style and approach take by books in the series. Rob Cosgrove, Editor of the series, has advised us that the 2005 book, One Light, Many Journeys is still available. One of its features is the art work by Revd Dr Geraldine Wheeler, a retired Uniting Church Minister of the Word living in Brisbane. Rob can be contacted at the Catholic Centre cosgrover@bne.catholic.net.au

The three comments from the UC Ecumenical Relations Committee are here: Download file

STILL A PILGRIM PEOPLE Revd Dr David Pitman Moderator, Queensland Synod, Uniting Church in Australia. Address to Churches in Mackay; 30^th Anniversary of the Uniting Church, 2007 Download file
Two Bible Studies presented to the 2007 Conference of the Uniting Church Assembly's Christian Unity Working Group by Baptist theologian Dr Ken Manley. The theme of the Conference was 'Ordination' and Dr Manley's Bible studies explored that theme with these reflections on the First Letter of Peter. Posted here with permission of Dr Manley and the Working Group.

Companions in Christ: A resource through which:

You'll explore the Bible, but it's more than a Bible Study,

You'll learn new ways of prayer, but it's more than a prayer group.

You'll develop spiritual practices, but it's more than spiritual training.

Companions in  Christ is a powerfully transforming small ­group experience that builds spiritual practices within congregations, helping participants open more fully to God and to one another. This 28-week spiritual journey will draw you into daily time with God through individual reading and reflection and will gather you weekly with oth­ers in your faith community for deeper exploration.  For more information: Download file

An article recently published in ‘Cross Purposes’ magazine is thought-provoking: Quo Vadis Ecclesia – Church, where are you going? Revd Dr Alistair Macrae is Executive Director of the Victoria-Tasmania Centre for Theology and Ministry and President-elect of the Uniting Church Assembly. Alistair poses questions for the future of the Church in the light of the Beatitudes of Jesus. Download file

Study 1(2:4-10)

1. Why 1 Peter?

2. Called to be a chosen people, a royal priesthood.

3. The priesthood of all believers Download file

Study 2: 4:11-12; 5: 1-5

1. The Ministry of all believers

2. The Ministry of some believers

3. What about ordination?

Download file

"What are the Children Hearing?" Sermon preached at the 2007 Forum of National Council of Churches in Australia. Preacher: Revd Glynthea Finger, Chairperson, Commission for Christian World Service, Queensland Churches Together. Download file

Christians in Dialogue

Christians in Dialogue is a program sponsored by the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane, the Lutheran Church of Australia Queensland District, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane and the Uniting Church in Australia Queensland Synod. Since 1985, the program has provided a range of study kits for Christians in local areas to use as resources for prayer, study and discussion on a wide range of topics related to the Christian faith. There are ideas for putting the fruits of all this into local ecumenical action.

For more information on the range of study materials that are available – including the 2006 kit that helps people to explore and act together on the Covenants signed by all 15 member churches of the National Council of Churches in 2004: Download file 

Information about the 2007 kit is also available. Called Hope for a New Pentecost, it takes the 2006 kit's theme futher into opportunities for local ecumenical groups to look together at our various histories, points of difference and convergence and discussing and praying about what can be done together. Download file