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Planted in Unity, Growing in Grace: The Story of Blacktown Regional Uniting Church
Just over two years ago, Blacktown Uniting and Grantham Heights Uniting came together to form Blacktown Regional Uniting Church — a vibrant, intergenerational, and intercultural community grounded in shared purpose and strong relationships. Since then, BRUC has flourished through joyful worship, creative discipleship, inclusive community activities, and service to the wider community. From multicultural services and Sunday School programs to refugee support, community gardening, and public celebrations, BRUC continues to grow as a welcoming congregation, grounded in Christ and shaped by connection.
Geoffs Reflections
A Call to Action – to Make a Difference for Love!
Earlier this year I bought some jazz music for saxophone and amongst the various standards, was a song I didn’t know, God Bless the Child. I was interested in the song, a gentle lilting melody that is strong and pushes forward. I listened to the original version by Billie Holiday and read through the lyrics.
A Prayer for A Desperate World…
I sat and listened as a fellow told his story. It was messy and complex and somewhat outrageous. It was also filled with desperate yearning and pathos. This man had grown up in a fairly tough context, time and place. Life pushed people and violence within and beyond the home a common occurrence.
The ‘One Good Thing’ – for You and Me!
Sometimes life wears us down, its frenetic activity, its demands and expectations or the list of things to do. Sometimes we are drained by the emotional experiences of life where we are drawn down into deep and hard places or feel the overwhelming pain of a world spinning out of control through wars and conflicts, violence, and abuse. We are worn down
Bringing Peace to a Troubled World!
A story I’ve read many times and one that I re-read in the light of current tensions and conflicts, and discussions around peace in the Middle East: Five Jewish students, two from New York, travelled Hebron to visit the Cave of the Patriarchs, revered by the Abrahamic faiths as the resting place of Abraham
Letting Go to Find Our Life!
There’s an old, old story. It comes in various forms and takes different directions, but the theme is familiar. A rich, powerful man (usually a male but not always) who has guile, ambition, drive and thinks big – for himself and those he wants to impress – suffers something that causes his life and ambition to be threatened.
Setting Our Face Towards Love and Peace!
I remember sitting with a man, some years ago. He was someone who had been recommended for me to meet with as I wanted to hear, more deeply, stories of people who had served in wars and how they experienced ANZAC Day. We sat over a cup of tea, and he recounted some stories as he was able.