Buildings and Grounds
THE CENTRE FOR MINISTRY
The Centre for Ministry opened in May 1987 “for the essential task of educating the people of God for ministry and mission”. In addition to UTC, four agencies of the UCA are based at the Centre: Education for Lay Ministry (ELM Centre), Leadership Institute (BOM), the School for Continuing Education (BOE), and the Pastoral Counselling Institute (PCI - BOE).
The Centre for Ministry is a popular venue for conferences, workshops, retreats and lectures that are hosted by the Centre for Ministry partners as well as various groups that hire its facilities. The complex consists of the main building, library, classrooms, chapel, offices and common rooms radiating from a central atrium. Student and faculty housing is located to the west of the main building. Two older buildings, originally part of the Presbyterian and Uniting Church's Burnside Children's Home lies to the north of the main building.
CHAPEL
The rhythm between thought and prayer, the passage from classroom to chapel and back again, lies at the heart of theological education. It is fundamental that we should learn "to think prayerfully and to pray thoughtfully" (D Saliers). Worship is the point at which our education becomes truly theological.
Rosters for the leadership of daily services and Friday communion services are drawn up at the start of each semester; responsibility for leading worship is thus shared among all members of the college,
ordained and lay, faculty and students.
A resource booklet offers guidelines for worship in the centre. Musicians are drawn from the people of the Centre, and aroster of such people is drawn up to provide musical leadership in worship. Those involved in the leadership of worship are encouraged to explore creative experimentation within the framework of
the ordered structuring of worship.