Each week we release a video for our children and familes to help them start to explore the reading for the coming Sunday. You can see this above. We also send out some faith resources on the Monday to start these conversations. You can find these linked on the left side of the page.

We have a number of activities across Southside for young people. You can find out details about each of them in the tabs at the bottom of the page. Here are some photos to help you see some of these groups.

JAFFA - (grade 1-5)

Girls Brigade - (prep - year 12)

Boys Brigade - (prep - year 12)

Unite Youth Group - (grade 6-12)

Richard Moors works with an amazing team of volunteers to oversee all of the activities we do with young people. If you would like to know any more details he would love to chat with you.

All our volunteers with young people are screened and commit to adhering to the Safe Ministry With Children policy.

Draw Near

God’s call, our prayer

Call

When Jesus began his ministry, he announced the coming of God:

…the kingdom of God has come near. (Matt. 4:17; Mark 1:15)

God has come near.

The world is called and invited through Christ to turn to God, accepting God’s nearness as the way the world can be renewed, reborn, and recreated through the Holy Spirit. (2 Cor. 5:17-19)

The invitation is new every day. During this season of Lent, we are called to take up God’s invitation in prayer and fasting as a sign of our commitment and love for God.

Prayer

Throughout the centuries, Christians have gathered for worship and asked God to be near. In a service of worship, this is known as the prayer of invocation: asking God to come and be present in which the worship of the people takes place. The church has asked God to come near, not only in worship but in the world – to establish peace and justice, heal the sick, and mend broken hearts.

In the Jewish and Christian tradition, being ‘near God’ is a way of expressing devotion, trust and faithfulness. In Psalm 73 it reads:

…for me it is good to be near God;

I have made the Lord God my refuge,

to tell of all your works. (Ps 73:28)

The apostle Paul expressed this ancient Christian prayer in its simplest form when he exclaims, ‘Maranatha,’ which means ‘Our Lord, come!’ (1 Cor. 16:22)

And Jesus taught us to pray:

Your kingdom come… on earth as in heaven. (Matt. 6:10)

When we ask God to come near, or pray for God’s kingdom to come on earth, we are asking for our hearts and lives to be shaped and transformed by the Spirit, so that we align with the heart and mind of God.

This Lent as we respond to God’s call to ‘draw near,’ may our prayer be that our hearts would be God’s home. And more than this: that Southside Uniting Church, our congregation, would be God’s church – empowered by the Spirit, following Jesus, participating in God’s mission: transforming lives.

To ‘draw near’ let’s seek God in prayer.

Spiritual Growth covers key elements of the life of the Christian Church, including discipleship, bible studies, developing spiritual leaders and identifying people who have a calling on their lives for future ministry and mission engagement. As One Congregation in multiple locations, Southside seeks to build our unified identity through our spiritual commitment, by developing ourselves to discipleship we can find out more about our identity in Christ and as members of this unique community in the life of our church.

To find out more about Spiritual Growth in Southside Uniting Church or to express your interest in joining a Small Group, please contact the church office.

Jesus tells us that the church "is the light of the world" (Matthew 5:14).

Southside Uniting Church takes seriously this charge to be active in sharing Christ's love locally, nationally and internationally.

For more information on our Outreach Groups please contact the church office.

As one church in multiple locations, we are keenly aware of the importance of pastoral care, since caring for each other is intrinsic to authentic Christian community and the heart and character of God. Christ proclaims in John 13:34-35 “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Networks of care are established in each of our communities, so that we may live out our motto of pastoral care being for everyone, by everyone.

How does the church engage in mission with the local community today?

This question receives many different responses for one simple reason: it is not a simple question.

Simple problems have simple solutions. The question of the church engaging in ethical, effective, authentic and compassionate ways with its local community is one that must begin with this honest acknowledgement: "We don't know."

"I don't know" is a powerful statement. It carries the potential to awaken curiosity.

When we are curious the probability of moving past our assumptions and irrelevant knowledge increases; our mind and heart opens to possibilities for new learning, asking questions, listening to people's stories, leading to adapt our practices and try new things.

The ministry area of New Missions, particularly through our established Mission Experiment Group (MEG), is our attempt to ask questions, learn, experiment, and reflect on Christian engagement with the local community in our part of the world today. Through this framework, we hope to faithfully participate in God’s action and thereby join God in the unfolding work of God’s new creation of hope, peace, compassion, and justice for all in Christ.

Watch this short video from Tod Bolsinger, as he illustrates the challenge the church is facing today.

"New Friends" Coming Soon!

We are excited to announce a new group "New Friends".

This group is being led by the Mission Experiment Group (MEG) and the focus will be to develop meaningful relationships with CALD women who are socially isolated so that God's love might flourish.

This new group is borne out of a year long discernment process where a small group of people at Southside carefully and deliberately researched various aspects of the local community and identified gaps where we could both be of service to and also significantly learn from others in our community.

Southside Uniting Church is committed to moving into God’s missional future. As part of this we will try new approaches to our worship, witness and service. A missional church for the 21st century will respect the tradition of the church whilst it seeks to engage a new generation in with the transforming message of Jesus Christ.

Our underpinning values for worship

· Christ centred

· Missional

· Inclusive of all people, including ethnicities and ages

· Community building

God has richly blessed our congregation with resources of property and finance to support our mission and ministry. Faithful discipleship requires that we act as good stewards of what we have.

The Resources Ministry Area attends to:

- property maintenance

- finance

- risk management

- Blue Card compliance

- rostering

We'd love for you to be involved

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.

1 Corinthians 12:4-7

We are gifted for the privilege of serving God and others

We believe we don’t have to do this, we get to do this. Jesus gave His life for us and left us a powerful example when He washed His disciples’ feet. His overwhelming grace in our lives makes no job too insignificant when it comes to lifting up the name of Jesus and loving His people. We serve because we want to follow in His footsteps. We serve excellently because He deserves nothing less. We serve together because this is His church, and this is our church.

So please get involved by joining a team to serve. .

Knowing our spiritual gifts is a key to be used by God to serve him and others. If you don't already know your gifts, or if you'd like to know if other gifts have been released for a season, you can follow this link to take a spiritual gifts test.

Join us for a time of Prayer

1st Tuesday of each month

10am

Tarragindi Centre, 24 Pope Street, Tarragindi

Come along and grab a bargain at one of our Market Day Sales

Every Wednesday and Friday mornings // 2nd and 4th Saturdays

9am to 12pm

Holland Park Centre, 855 Logan Road, Holland Park

Our next Congregational Meeting will be on

Sunday 18th June

11.30am

Yeronga Centre

A light lunch will be included

Key items of business will be:

- Annual Reports

- Budget 2023/2024

Our children's holiday program is back for another year. This year we are exploring the "Wonder Zone" looking at God's creation and the universe around us. It is going to be three days of wonderful fun.

Cost - $70 for one child (discounts apply for multiple children) This money covers lunch, morning and afternoon teas, craft, elective and other costs.

Ages - This is for children in grades 1-6.

You can register at:

One Child

Two Children

Three Children

Children will do one elective on Tuesday and one on Thursday. (note you will choose three options, but children will only do two, we endeavor to give the first two options but this is not always possible.) The electives are:

Easy magic – Learn some simple magic tricks to amaze your family and friends.

Messy Games – Play some games where you might well get messy.

Pet care – A former vet gives advice how to care for your pets.

Build a garden – Make a mini garden to take home and care for.

Clay creations – Make some wonderful creations using quick drying clay.

Pamper – A time to relax, have your hair and nails done and remember you are special to God.

Paper planes – Design, build and compete with your paper planes.

Cake decorating – Decorate your own cake to take home.

Billy Carts – Head down to the park and ride on the billy carts.

Knots and things you can do with them – Learn about what knots are good for setting up a tent or other useful things.

Angel craft – Make a beautiful angel to take home.

Sporty time – Run around and burn some energy with sporty games.

Chill zone - Take some time in the busy week to sit, chill, maybe play a board game.

Please join us at Southside UC @ Tarragindi (24 Pope St, Tarragindi, Q 4121) on Saturday, July 1st to hear from

Dr Loraine McKay, Researcher/lecturer at Griffith University.

Loraine is interested in ensuring beginning teachers are aware of the complexity of becoming a teacher and to challenge an idealised view of their role. Part of this quest is her research focusing on arts-based reflection used to nurture the skills, disposition and strategies that enable participants to build resilience-engagement and to support the diversity of students they will encounter in their classroom. This diversity includes children from disadvantaged backgrounds where factors such as poverty, geographic isolation, or domestic violence create barriers to their learning and potentially interrupt their education. In her presentation, Loraine will share how arts-based reflection can be used throughout life and how she uses it in her roles as academic, community volunteer and grandmother.

Enjoy a lovely morning tea, but most importantly fellowship, in a friendly atmosphere from 9.30am for 10.00am start. A small donation to cover costs would be appreciated.

So that we can organise appropriate catering, please register online by Thursday, June 29th https://southsideuc.ucareapp.com/forms/204/embed or via phone to SSUC office 3848 7093 or Ann McDonald 0403 933 369.

We are one church, in multiple locations with centres in Holland Park, Mt Gravatt, Tarragindi and Yeronga.

Our Mission Statement: Empowered by the Holy Spirit, following Jesus, we participate in God's mission: transforming people and communities.

Our Vision Statement: More people living and loving like Jesus

Our desire is to be part of God's work of discipling people in a deeper walk with Jesus. We see a future that is alive with the excitement of children, youth and their families. Where worship is vibrant. Where the people of our church have strong community connections and we are known throughout our area for proclaiming Jesus’ message of love, hope and care.

With faith, excitement, humility and filled with the limitless possibilities of the Holy Spirit, we are pursuing this future. Wherever you are on your faith journey, we'd love you to join us.

A list of different policies and procedures that are relevant to Southside Uniting Church can be accessed here.

UCare is our congregation's membership management database.

UCare allows us to track attendances at worship and groups, maintain up to date contact details,record pastoral connections and keep track of other data.

We keep this information because it is about the people of our congregation and the people of our congregation are important.

Clicking on the attached link allows you to:

- obtain a free ticker for an upcoming worship service or other event

- access a range of forms, including indicating when you have entered and left a church property (a Government requirement for COVID19)

- make a payment, including your offering, using your credit card.