Welcome to "Frank's News"  - a community newsletter for our St Francis College friends and supporters.

Contents

Frank’s News Editorial

Dear Readers, 

We are very much looking forward to celebrating St Francis Day this year with alumni, staff, students, and friends of St Francis College.  Given that St Francis Day (4 Oct) this year falls on a Sunday we are inviting community to gather on the following Wednesday (7 October).  If you are able to join us for the Eucharist at noon followed by a light lunch, please register here.  Looking ahead, the David Binns memorial lecture will be held on 9 November, and be presented by the Rev'd Christopher Waterhouse, rector of St James, King Street.

The 2026 End of Year Valedictory and Thanksgiving Service is on Sunday 15 November and you are very welcome to come and celebrate the end of the academic year with us as we award prizes and farewell students who are completing a course of study with us.

Our Student Experience Day will be on Saturday 10 October and you and anyone you know who might be interested in exploring study options at St Francis College are very welcome to come and a program and registration details can be found here. GFS provides study bursaries to people involved in youth and children's ministry and applications for 2027 are due on 30 November. Please note that GFS also provides small grants to parishes for children's and youth ministry and applications for 2027 are also now open. Information and application forms can be found here - GFS Children’s and Youth Ministry Training Bursaries — Saint Francis College

For anyone engaged with children's or youth ministry, I strongly encourage you to consider joining the monthly 1 hour on-line gathering called Pass It On.  Most recently Judith Markland led a session on supporting children who experience bereavement, and Tim Booth is presenting at the next one on 27 October. For registration and recordings see the Pass It On page on the AYCF website.  

You may be interested in auditing a unit next year to refresh your understanding or engage with new learning in an area of theological, biblical, historical or pastoral study. The Rev'd Karen Allen has written about her experience of auditing later in this edition. See Continuing to Learn Just for the Joy of It.

This year several students have been involved in writing a minor thesis covering a range of topics. There will be a showcase of some of this research work at the upcoming Student Research Day on 5 November. If you are interested in undertaking a research project please contact Associate Professor Peter Kline, our research coordinator, to discuss possibilities.  Applications for the Ivor Frederick Church Bursary for Financial Assistance for Post Graduate Study within Australia or Overseas in 2027 are due on 30 November. Details here - The Ivor Frederick Church Bursary — Saint Francis College     

On 10 November, there is an online information evening for our Spiritual Direction Formation Programs, providing opportunities to ask questions about the one-year part-time introductory The Art of Contemplative Listening Certificate and the four-year part-time Graduate Diploma in Spiritual Direction offered through the University of Divinity. On Saturday we celebrated the Graduation of three students from our very special St Francis Spiritual Direction Formation Program, which started nearly 20 years ago. This week we celebrate the contribution of Lucy Tierney RSJ now retiring as a supervisor. Lucy was one of two Brisbane-based supervisors who, together with the Rev'd Philip Carter (Adelaide) and the Rev'd John Stewart (Melbourne), established the St Francis Spiritual Direction Formation Program in 2007. The photos below celebrate Lucy's contribution to the program and mark her retirement after many years of dedicated service.

As the Very Reverend Dr Peter Catt retires from his role as dean of St John's Cathedral, I would like to express appreciation for his readiness to come and share his wisdom with classes.  It is important to acknowledge the significant role he and the Cathedral have played in the discernment and formation journey of many of our recent ordinands. Earlier this year, Peter lead the retreat for our students in the formation for ordained ministry program (GROW). He encouraged us to be attentive and modelled this stillness and deep listening.  

A Young Adults Retreat is being planned for the last weekend in November at Mt Alford Lodge, with the Rev'd Ann Edwards as spiritual director (Young Adults — Saint Francis College). Please note that the early bird discount of 50% off registration ends 1 October and advise anyone you know aged 18-30 who might be interested to register here  Retreat Booking — Saint Francis College.  You might be inclined to sponsor their attendance. 

 As we move towards St Francis Day let us, like St Francis, be attentive to the world around us as explored in these articles in Anglican Focus “St Francis inspires me to seek God’s presence in all things” by Brother Nathan James SSF and “The ‘real’ St Francis of Assisi was far more unsettling than sentimental” by Archbishop Jeremy.

Blessings for the month ahead,

Ruth

Spiritual Direction Intensive Begins

On Saturday 27 September, the Spiritual Direction Intensive commenced at St Francis College, bringing together students, supervisors and staff for learning, reflection and formation.

Three students, Diane Cassee, Moyalia Tokmak and Penny Slater, were recognised for completing their studies and received Certificates of Recognition for the Ministry of Spiritual Direction.

If you are interested in exploring spiritual direction or learning more about the College's formation programs, registrations are now open for the online Spiritual Direction Information Evening on 10 November. The evening will provide an opportunity to ask questions about both the one-year Art of Contemplative Listening Certificate and the four-year Graduate Diploma in Spiritual Direction, offered through the University of Divinity.

What is Student Experience Day?

Our Open Day has a new name: Student Experience Day. At St Francis College, we wanted a name that better reflects what happens when you visit. Student Experience Day is an opportunity to explore our learning community, meet staff and students, discover study options, and experience theological education firsthand. Whether you're considering a degree, auditing a subject, studying online, or simply exploring theology, ministry, spirituality, or leadership, Student Experience Day is designed to help you imagine what studying at St Francis College could look like for you. Register here: www.trybooking.com/DPACK

To find out more about this day, listen to what Adam has to say on YouTube here - youtube.com/shorts/F0euNQCgWxs?feature=share

Continuing to Learn Just for the Joy of It

by The Rev’d Karen Allen

Roscoe Library Matters 

Let’s Talk Resources! Year of Mark

Roscoe Library staff are excited to launch a new activity, Let’s Talk Resources! This is particularly aimed at those working in parishes and schools, but open for anyone to attend. Centred around selected Roscoe Library resources, there will be a presentation, refreshments and a fabulous discussion. Let's Talk Resources! will be a chance to see and borrow recently published resources that are directly relevant to your work, and an opportunity to share ideas with your colleagues about how these might be used. We hope that it will be lively and that you’ll leave inspired! To begin, on Tuesday 17 November, we will gather from 2pm–4pm around the theme Year of Mark. In preparation for Liturgical Year B, the Rev’d Canon Dr Ruth Mathieson will share some reflections on the Gospel of Mark. So, gather your friends, mark your diaries and please register for catering and set-up purposes.

New Grove books!

The collection of Grove Books is more than a pretty addition to the ends of the shelves in the Roscoe Library. These concise booklets (each just 28 pages) cover a diverse range of topics of relevance to the church today. There are currently twelve booklet series: Biblical, Church multiplication, Discipleship, Doctrine, Ethics, Education, Mission and evangelism, Leadership, Pastoral, Spirituality, Worship, and Youth, children & family. Each booklet series has a new title each quarter; we’ve just added 23 new booklets to the collection! Some standout topics include: What Do I Do with the Ashes? Responding to Changing Funeral Practices; Autism, Worship and Belonging; the role of artificial intelligence in processing grief; Crafting a Community Way of Life; and reflections on The Passion of Jesus in Mark’s Gospel. 

New books!

The first Christmas by N.T. Wright; illustrations by Helena Perez Garcia. N.T. Wright weaves together the biblical accounts of Jesus’ birth into a thoughtful, hope-filled telling of the first Christmas, from Gabriel’s announcement to the family’s return from Egypt. The First Christmas features: a faithful telling of the nativity story; gorgeous painted art from award-winning illustrator Helena Perez Garcia; a resource page showing how Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled in baby Jesus’ coming; and a deluxe book with a presentation page. A beautiful keepsake gift for children and adults alike, The First Christmas celebrates Christ’s birth with authenticity, beauty, and joy.

Twelve Habits for Peacemakers: A Christian Wisdom of Reconciliation edited by Gregory A. Ryan, David F. Ford, Robert Leigh, Sarah Snyder. Twelve Habits for Peacemakers brings together leading theologians and experienced peacebuilders to explore Christian Biblical Reasoning - a fresh way of reading Scripture that nurtures the habits essential for peace making. Miroslav Volf, David F. Ford, John Swinton, Tom Greggs, Maggi Dawn and practitioners from the Rose Castle Foundation explore twelve transformative habits – including Lament, Forgiveness, Hospitality, and Empathy – drawn from real-world reconciliation work. Designed for ministers, church leaders, and peacemakers at every level, they offer clear, real-life applications alongside theological depth. Blending academic insight with hands-on wisdom, Twelve Habits for Peacemakers is a vital resource for anyone seeking to bridge divides and live out the gospel of peace.

Project Kindness: Conversations About Doing Justice in Hostile Times edited by Ellen Loudon. What does it mean to be kind when the world feels hostile? Ellen Loudon gathers stories from those who dare to live gently and justly in turbulent times — activists, artists, theologians and everyday heroes whose lives radiate hope. Featuring voices and stories including those of Bridgerton star Adjoa Andoh; Rosemarie Mallett, Bishop of Croydon and advocate for racial justice; and BBC Radio 2 presenter and broadcaster Kate Bottley, Project Kindness speaks to the heart of a generation longing for meaning, mercy and renewal. Through vivid storytelling, biblical reflection and practical wisdom, Project Kindness invites readers to rediscover the radical power of kindness as a force for social change and spiritual healing. Whether you're deeply embedded in church life or simply searching for a gentler way to live, this collection will challenge, comfort and inspire. It's a manifesto for mercy in an age of outrage - and a celebration of the quiet revolution already underway.

The Anarchic Spirit: Interpreting the Bible and the World in Troubled Times by Graham Adams. Building on his previous works Holy Anarchy and God the Child, Graham Adams's latest book addresses an array of contemporary concerns (empire; economic, gendered and racialized injustices; Whiteness and Christian nationalism; and more). This book employs an imaginative mix of biblical genres and offers a hermeneutic of creative disruption, discerning evocative signs of the Anarchic Spirit who destabilizes rigid boundaries between insiders and outsiders, disrupts dominant power dynamics, and beckons to a hazy horizon where a new world is defiantly being born.

Reading Ruth in Settler Colonial Australia by Rebecca Lindsay. The author offers four reading postures for Settler bodies which may assist towards emplaced and embodied reading of both the Australian context and the biblical texts. These postures are: feet on the ground, being in relationship, ceding control, and attending to justice. Feet on the ground highlights the importance of specific location for interpretation. Being in relationship notes the condition of the settler colonial context, asking Settler readers to be aware of how they are positioned and how this impacts relationship and interpretation in encounter. Ceding control acknowledges that there are limitations to Settler knowing. Finally, attending to justice asks Settlers to be aware of how their interpretations perpetuate or disrupt settler colonial structures. These postures begin from the already entangled relationship between the Bible and settler colonialism in Australia, seeking to be part of ongoing movements and conversations towards transformed relationship and structures in this place.

The Anglican Church and Palestine edited by Kwok Pui-lan. The ongoing war in Gaza and broader Middle Eastern violence is prompting scholars to examine the British Empire's colonial legacy in the region and the roles played by the Church of England and The Episcopal Church. The Anglican mission began in Palestine with the creation of an Anglo-Prussian Episcopal See in Jerusalem in 1841. Christian Zionism in England influenced the development of Jewish Zionism and the support for the Balfour Declaration. Yet no book introduces this complex history and brings this to bear on what happens in today’s Palestine. Until now. Includes the chapter Nazareth Anglicans: Practicing the Good News of Jesus in the Shadow of Empire by the Rev’d Dr Greg Jenks.

Early Christian Theology: A History by J. Warren Smith. The history of Christian theology is often presented as a series of conflicts between orthodox believers and heretics. But such an approach can be reductive, especially if the conflicts are presented primarily as contests for power. J. Warren Smith’s Early Christian Theology offers a more nuanced account of these theological disputes. Smith explains the development of Christian theology in terms of diverse efforts to make sense of intellectual and spiritual complexities within Holy Scripture. In Smith’s telling, Scripture is polyphonic; as such, it requires an interpretive framework that is flexible but also resistant to complete relativism. According to Smith, the early Christian creeds functioned as just such a framework.

Critical Perspectives on Bivocational Ministry: Practice, Education and Research by Hartness M. Samushonga. Grounded in Scripture and developed through Practical Theology, Samushonga shows how dual-vocational calling complements traditional full-time ministry, enriching the Church's understanding of vocation, mission and service. The book traces historical developments and contemporary contexts, engaging theological education, spiritual formation, institutional practice and lived pastoral experience. Integrating empirical research with reflective practice, this volume demonstrates how faith and work interpenetrate in everyday ministry, offering biblically rooted, contextually engaged guidance for churches, seminaries, and leaders. It reframes bivocational ministry as a sustainable model of Christian leadership that strengthens congregations and complements existing patterns of ministry in the twenty-first-century Church.

These are some of the resources that have been added over the past few weeks, but this link will take you to all the items that have been added to the Roscoe Library during 2026. Please remember that if you’re a parishioner, a member of the clergy, or you work in an Anglican school or agency, you’re invited to become a member at no cost. Do join … you’ll be so glad that you did!

The Reading with Spiritual Eyes book club will be discussing It Will Come Back to You: Collected Stories by Sigrid Nunez on 17 November from 5:30pm — 7:00pm, in person and online. Register here to join us as we discuss a collection of short stories!

Growing Ministry Through GFS Grants

GFS Brisbane welcomes applications from parishes for our 2027 Children’s and Youth Ministry grants. Two grants are available for parishes: GFS Children’s and Youth Ministry Training Bursaries — Saint Francis College

• A $500 grant is available to support the operating costs associated with children’s and youth ministry in parishes. Applications for this grant are due by 30 November 2026.

• A $1500 grant is also available to support larger, one-off children’s, youth and family ministry events. Applications for this grant can be sent in at any time, prior to the proposed event.

The application forms with more information on funding eligibility can be found on the GFS Brisbane Resources and Grants webpage. For more information contact Margaret Humphries at gfsbrisbane@hotmail.com

Practical Skills for Mental Health Support

A well-attended Mental Health First Aid course was recently held over two days at St Francis College, providing participants with practical skills and greater confidence to support people experiencing mental health challenges.

Presented by Stan Fetting from Open Arms, the course explored common mental health conditions, how to recognise the signs that someone may be struggling, and appropriate ways to offer support and encouragement.

The Mental Health First Aid course is designed to help ordinary people respond effectively when a friend, family member, colleague, or member of the community may be experiencing a mental health problem or crisis. Just as physical first aid provides immediate assistance until professional help can be accessed, Mental Health First Aid equips people with the knowledge and skills to provide initial support and connect individuals with appropriate professional care.

The course was warmly received by attendees, who appreciated the practical nature of the training and its relevance to both personal and professional settings. By increasing awareness and understanding of mental health, participants are better equipped to contribute to supportive and compassionate communities.

If you would like to participate in an upcoming Mental Health First Aid course please contact CDTW at cdtw@anglicanchurchsq.org.au.

Michael Putney Memorial Ecumenical Event

Students, clergy and members of the wider community are invited to attend this year's Michael Putney Memorial Ecumenical Event, presented in partnership with Queensland Churches Together and the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

In place of the traditional lecture format, this year's event will feature a dinner and panel discussion bringing together prominent Christian leaders from a range of denominations. The panel will be moderated by Rev’d David Busch and will include Archbishop Shane Mackinlay, Bishop Bartholomew, Kym Korbe and Major Mark Everitt. First Assistant Bishop Ben Hentschke is expected to respond, with Archbishop Jeremy Greaves offering grace.

Named in honour of the late Bishop Michael Putney, a respected leader in the Australian ecumenical movement, the event provides an opportunity for dialogue, learning and fellowship across Christian traditions.

A Workshop on Preaching

On 24 October, St Francis College is hosting a preaching workshop with Archbishop Stephen Cottrell and starting at 2:00pm.

Reflecting on the importance of preaching in today’s world, Archbishop Cottrell writes: “In an Instagram ready, sound bite culture like ours where we're told that people's brains have been rewired and we only have a two-minute attention span, it is easy to stop believing in preaching.”

The aim of this challenging, stimulating and enjoyable workshop is to put hearts back into preaching and to explore the craft of the spoken word and the tricks of the oratorical trade.

More Information - Preaching Workshop with Archbishop Stephen Cottrell — Saint Francis College

Spring is in the Air: Time to enjoy those warmer days and cool nights under the stars

With spring bringing warmer days and crisp evenings, now is the perfect time to get outdoors and enjoy a camping getaway. Nestled in a picturesque setting, Pointro Campsite is becoming a favourite destination for those seeking peace, relaxation and a chance to reconnect with nature.

Whether you are looking for a quiet weekend under the stars or a base from which to explore the surrounding landscape, Pointro Campsite offers an inviting retreat from the busyness of everyday life.

To find out more or book your next camping adventure, visit Pointro Campsite online.