Who Are We?
The United Church of God - Australia traces its origins to the Church that Jesus founded in the early first century. We follow the same teachings, doctrines and practices
established
then.
We Are Part of an International Association
We are voluntarily affiliated with the United Church of God, an International Association, an association of United Church of God congregations around the world. The Fundamental Beliefs of the United Church of God - Australia are identical to the Fundamental Beliefs of the United Church of God, an International Association, (PDF (768.54mb) or HTML). Local congregations and ministers are located throughout North, Central and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and the Caribbean
What does Our Name Signify?
The name of the United Church of God signifies that we are united in our commitment to faithfully follow the way of life and mission for the Church revealed and established by God and His Son, Jesus Christ, in the Holy Scriptures.
Jesus prayed that His Church would be unified and preserved in the name of God (John 17:11). Also, the New Testament’s most frequent designation for the original body of believers is the church of God (Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 10:32; 11:22; 15:9; 1 Timothy 3:5). Some New Testament passages also attach the location, such as the church of God which is at Corinth (1 Corinthians 1:2; 2 Corinthians 1:1).
Because many divergent groups refer to themselves as the Church of God, we attach the word United to provide us with distinctiveness. It was also chosen to convey the unity in belief, mission and purpose for which Jesus prayed when He asked that the Church be kept in God’s name.
Mission of the Church
The mission of the United Church of God is to proclaim to the world the little-understood gospel taught by Jesus Christ—the good news of the coming Kingdom of God—and to prepare a people for that Kingdom. This message not only offers great hope for all of humanity, but also encompasses the purpose of human existence—why we are here and where our world is headed.
Nearly 2,000 years ago, at the beginning of His public ministry, Jesus Christ arrived on the world scene with a specific message. Mark 1:14 tells us He came preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God. But what was His message? Christ's gospel—the word gospel meaning good news—focused on God's wonderful promise of world peace that all of humanity will enjoy after Jesus comes to earth a second time. As the Prince of Peace and the King of Kings, Jesus will establish the Kingdom of God on earth and begin instituting lasting peace and universal justice. This Kingdom—the Kingdom of God—is the central theme of all that Jesus preached and taught.
Responsible Stewardship and Accountability
The Bible repeatedly emphasizes that God's servants are to be wise stewards and managers over the resources He provides. They are to recognize that those resources—financial, physical and human alike—actually belong to Him rather than any individual or organization.
To enable the United Church of God in Australia to fulfil its commission, and to operate as a legal entity in Australia, it has been registered with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission as a Company “Limited by Guarantee”.
Financial integrity of business affairs is a priority of the Church. The Church's work is supported by the voluntary tithes and offerings of members and other supporters — following the biblical teaching of honouring God with one's substance as the means of supporting the preaching of the gospel and financing the work of the Church. Accordingly, the United Church of God - Australia has put in place systems of checks and balances to avoid the possibility of abuses or financial improprieties.
What Do We Publish?
The Good News: A full colour bi-monthly magazine which focuses on issues relating to modern life from a biblical perspective.
World News & Prophecy: A monthly publication which keeps readers informed of events happening around the world, in the light of Bible prophecy.
Vertical Thought: A quarterly full colour magazine with articles written specifically for the benefit of young people around the world.
Booklets: We publish a range of booklets which explain Biblical subjects.
Bible Study Course: 12 monthly lessons focusing on the main themes of the Bible.
In line with Christ's reminder Freely you have received, freely give (Matthew 10:8), our literature is distributed without charge or obligation to all who request it.
Personal Counsel
We desire to share God's way of life with those who earnestly seek to worship and follow our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Our ministers are available to counsel, answer questions and explain the Bible. If you would like to contact a minister or visit one of our congregations, please contact our Operations Centre. If you prefer to contact a local minister directly, please refer to the list of congregations for their contact details.
Please feel free to write to or e-mail us with any questions you might have.
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