Welcome! Welcome! Welcome!
My name is Yvonne, and I’m a minister here at the Pilgrim Uniting Church in Wagga Wagga – along with another 50 or so ministers from the ages of 0 to 90(+!) who are journeying together in life, and love, and faith, and questioning, and wonder.
If you’re still reading, you’ve probably realised that most church websites don’t start like this – but we have a reputation for doing things a little a differently and even this space needs to be true to who we are so that we don’t create any false expectations.
So, if you are expecting beautiful stained glass windows, worship teams who sing like angels, a separate Sunday School or space in which your child can grow, or a 30 minute long sermon to encourage you in your own faith, we offer something that looks a little more like this:
As you can see, most Sundays, when you walk through our doors, you might not be entirely certain what you’ll get. And we know that that can be quite uncomfortable and confronting – but it can also be surprising and refreshing and authentic and interesting and healing and liberating and that’s why we’re committed to it.
But we hope that knowing what you can expect will give you the courage to start a conversation with us (see our contacts page) or even come and see what what might be going on in our midst this week. So, here goes:
- We are intentionally intergenerational and inclusive.
- We affirm the dignity and worth of every person – and celebrate that God has made us all different.
- We have covenanted to walk together with First Nations people and honour the song lines and stories of the Wiradjuri people who cared for this earth long before we set foot on it.
- We believe that each person has a story that is part of a larger story that we remember through Scripture and the Lord’s Supper (Holy Communion) and Baptisms and the changing seasons of the church year – Advent to Christmas to Lent to Easter to Pentecost to Ordinary Time.
- We seek to be a safe place for all people. And we’re sincerely sorry for all the times that the Church (that’s us!) have gotten it wrong and caused those who come seeking sanctuary to feel unwelcome, excluded, and unloved.
- We are learning how to put the best interests and well-being of our children first. We value them and what they have to teach us about joy and passion and creativity and imagination.
- We talk to each other. Often over morning tea. Sometimes during the “service.” Even during the week, as we encounter the health, mental health, financial, relational and spiritual struggles that are part of human life, and seek to pray for and support one another.
- We cherish our connections with the Uniting Church in Australia who gives words and form to what we believe. And to the other congregations of the Southern Region of the Riverina Presbytery, which includes Uranquinty-The Rock, Lockhart, Culcairn-Henty, Walbundrie, Holbrook, and Tumbarumba.
- We really are pilgrim people – on the way, questioning, changing, moving, trying to keep pace with one another, looking to God for how we build the “one day” of no more sorrow or sighing in the here and now.
We do hope you’ll walk with us!
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On this site, you will find more information on Pilgrim life, booking our modern multi-spaced facilities for your community event, spiritual resources and reflections on our blog, and administrative details (including our policies and practices) under contacts.
You can also follow us or get in touch through our Facebook page @PilgrimUCA.