The Ugly Duckling Company

Creative Ministries Pastor Abrahm Gunn hops in front of the camera in the spirit of Christmas.       Monday was the first of two days set aside for our Table Talk for Christmas filming project. We had a few brave takers, and we can't wait to see who else will be willing as the trip continues! Sarah loves these filming sessions because they provide a chance for us to get to know a little bit about the individuals that frequent Cross Culture, the congregation we've reached out to film. We can say with certainty that she knows more about snowboarding, dogs and Japanese food than she did when the day began! Bert, a theology student and gem aficionado, helps us out with our Table Talk video project.        In true UDC style, Monday was fast-paced and conversation-heavy. In addition to the Table Talk interviews, our team spoke with various clergy to better understand where the Ugly Duckling Company fits in Australian culture and to collaborate on ...

After yesterday's slight lull, we went full tilt today. The morning began with a trip to Kew for a celebration of Kew Baptist Church's 160th anniversary celebration. Paul shared the message, and by the end of his talk about the power of prayer he had a quarter of the church down front, pretending to be their favourite Biblical characters in a demonstration of the "crowd of witnesses." Paul illustrates the crowd of witnesses with a crowd of witnesses at Kew Baptist Church Festivities continued with a BBQ in the church hall. Because of the special occasion, church members from all three services (the youth service, the traditional service and the Vietnamese service) and members from years past all gathered together. We got caught up in conversation with people from all of these groups, and Paul was so pleased to stumble into the pastor of the Vietnamese-speaking services. We're looking forward to working together to translate the Table Talk apps into Vietn...

        Two planes later, Paul, Sharon and Sarah have made it safe and sound to Australia and have successfully made it through days one and two in Melbourne. Because of our location for the month of November, prepare for us to refer to ourselves as the UDCDU contingent (the Ugly Duckling Company Down Under).   Cross Culture We are so fortunate to be set up with an office right along Swanston Street, which features a downtown hub for dining, the stunning architecture of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, and access to the river that flows right through the city. Nestled into the midst of this, right across from the Queen Victoria Library, is Cross Culture, and therefore us! Cross Culture is a congregation of roughly 600 with services that cater to Australia's English and Mandarin-speaking populations, and they are serving as our office hosts and for the week. Resolve We've been sure to make the most of it today. Together with our ...