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Saltbush is part of the Uniting Church in Australia.
Saltbush – Uniting the Scattered Community, seeks to encourage and connect Uniting Christian communities, irrespective of size or location. Saltbush seeks to enable us as a broad church to embrace the reality of being Christian community in the 21st. century and to affirm diverse ways for people across the land to belong; both to gather and be in mission together. Saltbush seeks to work with individuals and Christian communities who are willing to confront traditions and habits of the past to shape new intentional gatherings for the present future!
More about us!
The Saltbush team work across a broad costal and rural landscape as part of the work of a state wide body within the Uniting Church (Synod of NSW & ACT). We work within the structures of the church, but seek to reshape and renew a call to something different, from our larger regions through to our gatherings of people in different places (Synods to Presbyteries to congregations). We do this as part of joining God in the invitation to be Christian community.
As part of this we are committed to providing ways for individuals, groups, congregations to connect both online and on ground. We offer online cafés in which people explore life and faith together – brought together across vast distances. We offer each week an online visual message and liturgy – Word around the Bush – which is for use by groups and congregations again to explore life and faith together. We offer difficult conversations for groups, councils, congregations, who want to discuss together who they are, how they gather and how they live out their faith. Each year in diverse places we hold Gatherings which bring people to one place for encouragement, conversation and hospitality.
In more complex ways we work with the wider church – Individuals, Theological Students, Presbyteries, Congregations, the Synod – to urge change in structure shaped by people, relationship and community and explore a bigger view of being in ministry shaped for people in a new world.
The Saltbush team are in ministry, so we enjoy being in contact with people for conversations. Contact Us if you would like more information or to talk with us about Saltbush – Uniting the Scattered Community.
Click here to read directly our Saltbush – Christology and Ethos
Mark Faulkner, Geoff Wellington and Tim Jensen make up the Saltbush team. As a team we will work to build relationships across vast distance and support people who are willing to explore new and creative ways of gathering as Uniting Christian community.
Rev. Mark Faulkner is a Uniting Church Minister and has served in diverse roles within the life of the church. Mark believes that the future of the church will be found in smaller, diverse gatherings of Christians who are willing to ponder life and faith in grounded, relational ways. Through his work he also affirms his belief in the wider body of the church as a way of encouraging and connecting these relational communities of faith.
Rev. Geoff Wellington comes to this role as a generational farmer, growing up in North East Victoria and then in the Eastern Riverina. Geoff also comes with more than a decade of ministry experience across three presbyteries and the synod. Geoff is looking forward to travelling alongside congregations and listening to their story in the many locations across NSW/ACT as together we discover what God is doing and calling us too in this time and place.
Rev. Tim Jensen began his life and Ministry in the Northern Territory before continuing his Ministry in outback Queensland, coastal NSW and urban ACT. Tim brings with him a deep theology that relates to everyday life and community and connects the life story of people to the faith journey in meaningful ways. Tim will focus within Saltbush on helping to create new forms of Uniting Christian community, both online and on ground.
Rev. Peter Overton has been engaged in Ministry since 1986 when he was ordained, has been engaged in multiple ministry contexts including placements in Queensland, South Australia, and New South Australia. This has included inner city, regional and rural outback Queensland communities. Peter is passionate about the Church committed to being a contemporary and courageous and growing Church in the rural context. Resourcing Leaders to fan the flame of the gifts that are within them. Peter is in a joint placement with Far North Coast Faith Region/Presbytery and Saltbush as a Saltbush Regional Minister.
Annie is a theological student in the Queensland Synod in placement in the Downs Presbytery. The Downs Presbytery is western QLD along the NSW boarder and includes Toowoomba, Goondiwindi and Dalby. Annie has been working with the Saltbush team over the past months.
Saltbush – Uniting the Scattered Community, seeks to encourage and connect Uniting Christian communities, irrespective of size or location, and to affirm their place within the wider church and community.