Different Gifts, Different Service | Rev. Dr John Squires

Ever wondered how your unique gifts could be a blessing to others in mission and ministry? In our new series we feature the many faces across our Church who are serving where they are, with what God has given them. We hope that it will be a blessing and an inspiration. 

Meet Rev. Dr John Squires

I am the Editor of With Love to the World , a daily Bible reading resource. The material is largely Australian-written and fully Australian-produced, making it a unique resource; there are other English-language daily Bible reading resources but mostly they originate in the UK or the USA. The resource began 48 years ago as a joint project of the Strathfield—Homebush Uniting Church and United Theological College in Sydney. It is published in hard copy each quarter as a booklet containing 13 weeks of commentaries, and also as an online App which is accessible via iPhone, iPad, or computer.

The role of Editor involves arranging a Bible reading for each day of the week for the 13 weeks of each issue; commissioning writers from around Australia and beyond to write short commentaries, with a song, a prayer, and a discussion question on each passage; editing the contributions received; also commissioning a relevant image for the cover of each issue; confirming the proofs for printing; and liaising with the printer for their work. Once each issue is printed, the distribution is managed from the Strathfield Office by Trevor Naylor, our Officer Manager, and a team that he co-ordinates. He also arranges subscriptions and works with our Treasurer to ensure we remain a viable business.

In parallel with my work on With Love to the World, I also write a blog in which I provide more detailed commentaries on lectionary passages, as well as discussion of other matters of concern in the church and in society as a whole. The blog, An Informed Faith, is can be found here.

What you love about being involved in this ministry?

I am a person who loves words—I have served the Uniting Church over almost five decades, as preacher and pastor, lecturer and writer—so I love engaging with the rich variety of ideas and images that find their way to me for each issue of With Love to the World.

I enjoy applying myself to the wide range of tasks that are involved in the role of Editor, and the various initiatives that I am able to explore as I constantly canvass new writers for this enterprise. I especially love finding people who provide wonderfully creative images for the cover (paintings, photographs, icons).

In the three years that I have been in this role, I have enjoyed the challenge of finding new writers that clearly reflect the multicultural nature of both the UCA and of Australian society. I have been recruiting writers with varied cultural heritages, from across the Pacific, Asia, and Africa, as well as First and Second Peoples in Australia and Aotearoa—New Zealand. I encourage these writers to reflect on how their cultural heritage shapes and informs the way they read and understand scripture.

What do you find most challenging?

Well, to be honest, what challenges me most is when material that I have commissioned and which is promised fails to arrive in a timely manner, meaning that I have to negotiate revised deadlines or, in some cases, write the material myself with very short notice. However, as I enjoy writing, and as I have undertaken extensive study and teaching relating to the Bible over the years, this is a challenge I quite enjoy!

The other area which, honestly, is a challenge, is the need to grow our subscriber base. There are many subscribers who tell me that they have been reading the material for two, three, even four decades—and some original subscribers still receive the resource! However, as you can imagine, there are the inevitable endings that come from this ageing demographic, through incapacity or, sadly, death. So the challenge is to encourage more younger people to practise the discipline of a daily devotional relating to the Bible passages of the lectionary, to see this as a worthy enterprise—and that With Love to the World can really help by providing resources to enrich this practice!

What you are looking forward to in your role in the year ahead?

Over the next year or so, I will be working with the Convenor of the With Love to the World Committee (Rev Assoc Prof William Emilsen) to prepare a short book which will explore the origins, the ethos, and the development over 50 years, of this distinctive Uniting Church-based resource. The book will be launched at a celebration of 50 years of WLW which will take place early in 2026 and will be available for purchase from the With Love to the World office (contact details below).

Anything else you might want to share?

As from the current issue, With Love to the World now contains material relating to the four Bible passages proposed each week by the Revised Common Lectionary, as well as the one weekly passage offered by the Narrative Lectionary. The resource offers Sunday worshippers the opportunity to prepare for hearing passages of scripture in the week leading up to that day of worship. It seeks to foster “an informed faith” amongst the people of God. We think it is worth exploring!

For details on app subscriptions and hard copy resources, visit With Love to the World. For other inquiries, contact Trevor via email at wlwuca@bigpond.com or call +61 (2) 9747 1369.

We'd love to tell your story

We would love to tell the story of your ministry in your Congregation. Simply get in touch and we'll send you some questions.

If you are interested in telling us your story, simply send an email to contactus@nswact.uca.org.au.