Emerging Leaders – ‘Nextgen’
The Uniting Church in Australia (UCA), Frontier Services team trialled a new program which immerses emerging church leaders in a discovery of faith in action and the power of service.
Twelve young adults, from Uniting Churches in Sydney, Melbourne and Griffith (NSW), recently visited Coleambally in the NSW Riverina to provide practical assistance to a local farming family, carrying the weight of farm life alone. They walked away with a transformative and grounding experience.
Also with them on the journey, were Uniting Church President Rev Charissa Suli and Frontier Services National Director Rob Floyd. In the past, volunteers who undertook this kind of activity, have been older Australians with the time and flexibility to travel. The inclusion of young adults is a significant and faith-shaping step for all.
“Many of our young adults in the city have never or rarely travelled into our vast outback. To assist a family who really needs a helping hand offers a unique opportunity for young people to develop their own ideas of ministry and service within our Church,” said Rob Floyd, Frontier Services National Director.
it is hoped that Frontier Services may create similar opportunities for young adults in 2026.
Read: Nextgen leaders head to the bush to engage in new pilot program | uniting.church | by Justin Ackland, Communications Manager at Frontier Services | 3 December 2025