We sat down with Josh Saxby to talk about his journey of faith so far. We learned about some very challenging health issues, about how good looking he is, and other important things. You’ll have to hear it for yourself.



We hope you are blessed by listening to Josh’s story.

We sat down with Hayley Saxby to hear about her journey so far, following Jesus. Hayley and her husband Dave have been off the usual track, and it is always good to hear how God engages people through the years to propel them in unexpected directions.



We hope you are blessed by hearing Hayley tell her story.

In September 2022 we were visited by Andrew Gunton, who was Moderator of the Uniting Church in Queensland at that time. Naturally, we talked with him about his faith journey.



We hope you are blessed by listening to Andrew’s story.

Christene Van Wyk sat down with me in June 2022 to share her faith journey. As you will hear, she was nervous about doing that. Sharing their story is a thing of courage for a lot of people.



I do hope you are blessed by hearing Christene tell her story.

Jim Francis has been a part of Northside Mackay UC since the beginning, in 1992, and part of the Uniting Church in Mackay before that.



Jim shared with us what he found most important along the long road to where he is today, and now you get to hear it for yourself. I hope you enjoy the hearing about from Jim’s journey with Jesus.

During COVID-19 partial lockdowns during 2020, Bev was kind enough to come in and talk about her journey of faith.



Bev has been part of Northside Mackay Uniting Church for most of my time as minister at Northside, and she has been a big advocate for RI and Kids’ Church. She was also a huge contributor when we reupholstered all 232 of our church chairs in late 2024-early 2025, sewing almost continuously.



We hope you enjoy listening to Bev’s very clear enthusiasm for Jesus.

Bob Arnold is another long term member of Northside Mackay Uniting Church, having been involved in an enormous range of roles during those years.



We sat down with Bob to hear how his faith was formed, from childhood and through the years. We hope you enjoy hearing his story.

David and Verlie Hutchinson are leaders of Moura Uniting Church, and Moura UC joins us as a congregation online on Sunday mornings. David and Verlie are farmers, living out on a road I never want to drive on again when it is wet!!



One weekend David and Verlie came to Northside Mackay face-to-face, so we took the chance to talk faith with them. This is that conversation.



Warning: we had issues with the audio level for this recording, and while efforts have been made to compensate, the result is below the usual standard.



We hope you enjoy listening to the core faith stories of David and Verlie Hutchinson.

Back in the COVID-19 year of 2020 Janine Searles sat with me to discuss the core of her faith journey.



There are parts of this story that I doubt you’ve heard before, and I’ll drop a spoiler and say that Janine is a regular visitor – but you’ll have to listen to find out what that means.



Janine has been part of Northside Mackay UC for some years now and has involved herself in lots of stuff. I hope you enjoy her story.

One Sunday morning we put Phil Searles in the chair. Okay, in truth Phil was gracious enough to sit down during church and talk with us about his faith journey through life.



Phil has been part of Northside Mackay Uniting Church for most of my time as minister, and he has taken quite a few roles during that time – even chief donut maker at our fair.



But Phil has also served as a pastor and church leader, and this will help you know how he got here. I hope you enjoy listening to Phil.

In 2020, during the COVID-19 limited lockdown period, I sat down with Bronwyn Saxby, long-time member of the Uniting Church in Mackay, elder at Northside Mackay, and lead coordinator of our Kids’ Church.



Bronwyn shares with us how she was born into the faith, grew in that faith, and in a broad way, how she comes to be a person of faith in Jesus today.

This Real Faith podcast series is about sharing the core faith journeys of ordinary Queensland Christians within the Uniting Church in Australia.



This episode is simply to say “Hi” and let you know that you’re in the right place.



Your host is Rev Wayne McHugh, minister with Northside Mackay & Seaforth Uniting Church, in Central Queensland.

In this episode, we sit down with Rev Scott Ballment, Presbytery Minister for the Presbytery of Central Queensland in the Uniting Church in Australia. Scott shares insights into his personal faith journey, his approach to ministry and leadership, and the unique opportunities and challenges of serving diverse communities across regional Queensland.



With warmth and deep theological reflection, Scott talks about what it means to live out the Gospel in practical ways, the role of the Church in regional Australia today, and how his own experiences have shaped his calling to serve. Whether you’re a person of faith, a church leader, or someone curious about how spirituality intersects with community life, this conversation offers something for everyone.



👤 About Rev Scott Ballment:Scott Ballment has served as the Presbytery Minister for Central Queensland since 2019, supporting congregations across a vast and diverse region. With a background in local church ministry and more recently broader church leadership, Scott brings a passion for equipping others in ministry, fostering healthy church communities, and growing healthy local churches. Known for his thoughtful leadership and down-to-earth presence, Scott is deeply committed to the mission and values of the Uniting Church in Australia.



🔍 Topics Covered:



We zero in on Scott’s journey with God, especially the foundations, to see what makes his faith tick.