To celebrate the Uniting Church in Australia’s 40th anniversary, Bec Lindsay from Hope Uniting Church, Maroubra, explains how she came to be a follower of Christ.
My entry into the Uniting Church was through Bible Study. I discovered Christian Students Uniting, part of the Synod’s tertiary chaplaincy work, in my last year of study. In the weekly Bible studies, I found a space in which to explore previously unasked questions about how God, life and discipleship fit together. Being part of this discipleship community strengthened my desire to follow after Christ. I found my faith coming alive in a new way.
As I learned more about the Uniting Church and it’s founding, I saw that this vibrance had always been there — in The Basis of Union and the vision of three diverse denominations bringing their treasures together to worship God, as well as in the inaugural Statement to the Nation and its desire to speak into the wider Australian community.
I still see that vibrant discipleship and am excited about the possibility of God’s Spirit continuing to push us forward towards the transformation of our Congregations and the wider communities in which they gather.
For me, the vibrance is present in small moments like when we hand out percussion to everyone at Hope Uniting in Sunday worship and see the joy of being God’s people together. There are also the not-so-small moments, like the stories from Yurora or the passion for justice on display at the Palm Sunday Peace March.
My hope for myself and for this Uniting Church is that we would continue to hear and take on board some of the often repeated words of scripture — ‘Do not be afraid’ and ‘Follow me.’
Bec Lindsay is minister at Hope Uniting Church, Maroubra
