Act2 News

    The Uniting Church in Australia Assembly is recruiting for four senior leadership positions that will shape the national life of the Church for years to come. The roles — Director, Faith & Theology; Director, Identity & Mission; Director, Advocacy & Justice; and Associate General Secretary, Strategy & Governance — each carry significant responsibility for advancing…

Key week of discernment in shaping the Church’s future Last week, Leaders across the Uniting Church gathered for a pivotal time of meetings, shaping shared vision, national priorities and future direction   Leaders from across the Uniting Church in Australia gathered in Sydney last week for a significant series of meetings, marking an important time…

Theology, Formation & Leadership Commission: February Update The Uniting Church in Australia Commission for Theology, Formation and Leadership met in February to continue key work shaping ministry and leadership across the Church. p     Subscribe to our newsletter If you want to get the latest news from the Uniting Church in Australia then subscribe…

  Focusing our Shared Life on Local Communities Responding to God’s Call The Assembly’s new CGRA held its first meeting of 2026 last week, where they explored governance and resourcing reforms to better support local communities responding faithfully and sustainably to God’s call in mission.   by Dr Paul Minty, Executive Officer of the Commission…

Commission meets in person for first time It was yet another milestone moment for the Commission for Theology, Formation & Leadership   By Rev Dr Cathie Lambert, Chair for the Commission for Theology, Formation and Leadership On 10–11 November the Commission for Theology, Formation and Leadership met for the first time in person in Sydney.…

The Assembly Standing Committee meets in November The approval of a new Assembly Strategy was top of the agenda in a packed weekend of business at the Assembly Standing Committee meeting from 21-23 November   The Assembly Standing Committee (ASC) gathered in Sydney from 21–23 November to continue giving oversight of the life, ministry and…

An update from the National Commission for Governance, Resourcing and Administration   In this new video, Chair of the Commission for Governance, Resourcing and Administration Rev David Fotheringham gives an update on the work of the Commission which is now underway. Drawing on decades of ministry across rural, suburban and synod settings, David speaks about…

Embracing a new future together Amid promise and pain, the Assembly’s General Secretary is calling on Uniting Church members to embrace deep, systemic change and live out our faith together   by Andrew Johnson, Assembly General Secretary A little over a year ago I stood on the floor of the Assembly in Session to accept…

Paul Minty appointed as full-time Executive Officer to National Commission for Governance, Resourcing and Administration Dr Paul Minty brings to the role a unique blend of technical expertise, leadership experience and ministry engagement       Subscribe to our newsletter If you want to get the latest news from the Uniting Church in Australia then…

  New National Commission gathers for first time The Assembly’s new Commission for Theology, Formation and Leadership met for the first time, beginning a vital journey of renewal, connection, and faithful stewardship across the life of the Church   by Dr Damian Palmer, Executive Officer of the Commission for Theology, Formation and Leadership The Uniting…

Position Available: Executive Officer – Commission for Governance, Resourcing and Administration Apply your leadership skills, strategic thinking and understanding of the Uniting Church in Australia to a new phase of the national Act2 ProjectExecutive Officer – Commission for Governance, Resourcing and Administration Uniting Church in Australia Assembly PURPOSE OF THE POSITION: The Act2 Project is…

Historic first gathering for New National Commission The Assembly’s new Commission for Governance, Resourcing and Administration met for the first time, beginning a vital journey of renewal, connection, and faithful stewardship across the life of the Church by Michelle Farrall, Interim Executive Officer of the Commission for Governance, Resourcing and Administration The Uniting Church in…

Executive Officers appointed to new National Commissions The Uniting Church in Australia Assembly is pleased to announce the appointment of key personnel for the two new Uniting Church National CommissionsThe Uniting Church in Australia Assembly is pleased to announce the appointment of two key personnel to the work of the new National Commissions. Established by…

  New Commission Members announced Following the naming of the new Chair of the Commission for Governance, Resourcing and Administration and new Chair of the Commission for Theology, Formation and Leadership, the Members for these two Commissions have now been approved.   The Uniting Church in Australia Assembly is pleased to announce the appointment of…

Chairs appointed to lead new National Commissions The Uniting Church in Australia Assembly is delighted to announce the appointment of Chairs for two new Uniting Church National CommissionsThe Uniting Church in Australia Assembly is delighted to announce the appointment of Chairs to lead two new National Commissions. Established by the 17th Assembly out of a…

Position Available: Act2 Project Lead Apply your project and change management skills, interpersonal gifts, and understanding of the Uniting Church in Australia to a new phase of the national Act2 Project   Act2 Project Lead Uniting Church in Australia Assembly The Role The Uniting Church in Australia is living through a time of change, opportunity…

Your invitation to contribute to our theological culture and common life and wealth Seeking Expressions of Interest to join new national Commissions established by the 17th Assembly and to provide feedback on their Terms of ReferenceAndrew Johnson, Assembly General Secretary It is my pleasure to share this opportunity for you to play a critical role…

  Translation of three Act2 vision statements The three vision statements which were part of the 17th Assembly resolutions on the Act2 Project have now been translated into 17 languages     The 17th Assembly in July 2024 adopted three clear visions for the future of the Uniting Church as part of a suite of…

A new call for papers from the Act2 Project What do the words ‘mission’, ‘discipleship’ and ‘evangelism’ mean for the Uniting Church? A new call for papers from the Act2 Project invites your reflections   Earlier in the Act2 Project, we invited a variety of reflections on the theological culture of the Uniting Church in…

What’s next for the Act2 Project? The work of the Act2 Project is by no means over. Rather, it is in a time of transition after the 17th Assembly   The work of the Act2 Project is by no means over. Rather, it is in a time of transition after the 17th Assembly. Excitingly, the…

  17th Assembly resolved on Act2 The 17th Assembly has adopted three new visions for the life of the Uniting Church, established two new national Commissions and requested further work on the national structure of the UCA   The 17th Assembly has made a series of decisions arising out of the Act2 Project, adopting three…

  First information session for Act2  Rev Sharon Hollis and Rev Linda Driver introduce the Act2 report and proposals to the 17th Assembly   Members of the 17th Assembly have had their first opportunity to engage with the Act2 Project report in an information session on Friday afternoon. Now in its fourth year, Act2 is…

Act2 speaks your language The Act2 Project team has released a suite of language resources to help people engage with the Act2 reportAct2 resources are available in 17 languages – and counting! The Act2 team is proud to be able to make available a suite of multilingual resources to help the Uniting Church engage with…

Uniting in Prayer: your community From 19 May – 22 June we’re Uniting in Prayer. Here’s five ways to be involved #UnitinginPrayerWe are so excited for Uniting in Prayer to begin this Sunday 19 May, Pentecost Sunday. For 35 days across the national Uniting Church, we’ll be upholding in prayer our communities, our life and…

Act2 report to the 17th Assembly released  The final report of the Act2 Project has been released as a PDF and will soon be a websiteCover image: Illustration commissioned by the Act2 Project for the cover of the report from Melbourne-based illustrator Cat MacInnes. See the image in full and read the illustration statement here.…

‘For the Future’ An illustration commissioned by the Act2 ProjectThe Act2 Project Unit commissioned this illustration for the cover of the Act2 report from talented Melbourne-based illustrator Cat MacInnes. In her signature bright and whimsical style Cat offered this image to fulfill the brief, ‘For the future – the Uniting Church in a flourishing future’.”At…

Act2 Advent reflection Act2 Project Lead Andrew Johnson reflects on the beginning of Advent and the end of the Collective Discernment phaseby Andrew Johnson, Act2 Project LeadThere are 24 hours to go before we end the Collective Discernment Phase of the Act2 Project. Over the last six months we have received 98,500 words on our…

Two weeks to go!Make your response to the Act2 ProjectPeople across the Uniting Church have only two weeks to make a response to the Act2 Project in the current major phase of engagement. The Collective Discernment phase, which launched in June with the release of a major Act2 report, will close on 30 November after…

Less than a month to go!Make your response to the Act2 ProjectPeople across the Uniting Church have less than a month to make a response to the Act2 Project in the current major phase of engagement. The Collective Discernment phase, which launched in June with the release of a major Act2 report, will close on…

Act2 Theological Culture papers We’re wrapping up the series. Get all the highlights!In April 2023, the Act2 Project issued a Call for Papers to hear from people across the Uniting Church about our theological culture. The intention was to cultivate a vibrant and honest conversation across the whole life of the Church about the shape…

Reflecting back: Act2 Focus Groupswritten by Rev Cyrus Kung, Act2 Administration and Engagement Officer As a part of the Act2 Project’s ‘Collective Discernment’ phase, 12 Focus Groups explored conversations around Workstream 1, Local Communities of Faith and Discipleship, and the Directions offered in Section 5 the latest report Act2: In Response to God’s Call. This…

Act2 National Online Prayer Gathering The Act2 Project team with Assembly leaders will host a national time of prayer on 30 November to close the Collective Discernment phaseOn Thursday 30 November, the Act2 Project team along with Assembly leaders will be hosting a national online prayer gathering to give thanks to God and pray for…

“This big, bold experiment called the Uniting Church” Act2 Project Lead Andrew Johnson reflects on how anniversaries can invite us to see anewImage: The Sydney Opera House is officially opened on 20 October 1973. (Fairfax Archives) written by Andrew Johnson, Act2 Project Lead Earlier this year I read an article in the Sydney Morning Herald…

8 key takeaways from the Act2 report The Act2 Project released a major new report in June 2023. What have we learned?In June 2023, the Assembly’s Act2 Project released a major report, Act2: In Response to God’s Call. It is the product of seven months of intensive and personal engagement across the whole Uniting Church…

Act2 reflects back: So what are we hearing? Act2 Project Lead Andrew Johnson reflects back on what the team is hearing from across the UCA as they support people to engage with its latest reportBy Andrew Johnson, Act2 Project Lead “I am no longer my own, but yours.”Those eight words commenced the final prayer of Uniting…

Act2 Report Reflections Richard La’Brooy offers the first in a new series of reflections on the Act2 ReportIn June 2023 the Act2 Project released ‘In Response to God’s Call’, its newest report and the first since the 16th Assembly. Drawing on a deep well of insight gathered over six months of engagement, during which time…

Unpacking our theological culture The Act2 Project is calling for papers about the theological culture of the Uniting Church. But what is ‘theological culture’?By Andrew Johnson, Act2 Project Lead The 16th Assembly asked the Act2 Project, “[T]o review governance structures and practices that reflect our contemporary context… (and) further develop theological culture of the Uniting…

New Act2 Report is ready to launch  The latest report of the Act2 Project is now available and will be formally launched on 13 Julywritten by Bethany Broadstock, Act2 Communications Officer The Act2 Project team is excited to announce the release of the latest Act2 report, Act2: In Response to God’s Call. This is the…

Closing Uniting in Prayer with thanks Uniting in Prayer closes on 22 June after 26 days. Deep thanks to all who took part – be sure to share your stories with usThursday 22 June marks both the 46th anniversary of the Uniting Church and the end of Uniting in Prayer. This celebration closes 26 days…

Dreaming dreams and seeing visions The Uniting Church begins 26 days of prayer on Pentecost. Download a new message from the President for use in worship.Next Sunday 28 May begins Uniting in Prayer, 26 days of prayer across the national Uniting Church. Born out of the national Act2 Project, Uniting in Prayer is about bringing…

Uniting in Prayer: your community From 28 May – 22 June we’re Uniting in Prayer. Here’s six ways to be involved #UnitinginPrayerWe are so excited for Uniting in Prayer to begin this Sunday 28 May, Pentecost Sunday. For 26 days across the national Uniting Church, we’ll be upholding in prayer our communities, our life and…

Reflecting back: what are we hearing? Act2 Project Lead Andrew Johnson shares this Update on the consultation of the Act2 projectBy Andrew Johnson, Act2 Project Lead These reflections flow out of significant consultation undertaken by the Act2 Project Unit from February-April, which has included inviting written responses from church councils across the country, making contact…

Making space for God Act2 Project Lead Andrew Johnson invites you to reflect on making space for the Spirit’s calling this LentBy Andrew Johnson, Act2 Project Lead What are you giving up for Lent? A common question we ask one another at this time of year. Yet in recent years I’ve been told by people…

Save the Date! Uniting in Prayer 2023 Joining together in thanksgiving and hope to pray for the Uniting Church and our future 28 May-22 June ‘For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope…’ Jeremiah 29:11 NRSVUE…

Act2: coming to a church near you! Get an update on the Act2 Project Plan and current opportunities to participate in the ProjectIt’s full steam ahead on the Act2 Project! The Act2 Project Steering Committee met last Wednesday evening (1 February) to endorse the Act2 Project Plan. Through 2023 there will be many opportunities for…

Act2: calling all submissionsIt’s key to the success of the Act2 Project that we engage as far and wide as possible across the whole Uniting Church. We are having important conversations about how we can work together as a whole Church and shape our life in for the future, and every person that calls the…

‘Enterprise in hope’: an Act2 Advent reflectionwritten by Andrew Johnson, Act2 Project Lead Christmas is a story of hope. Fragile, uncertain hope, but hope none the less. It is the fulfilment of a foretold promise, ringing down through the ages, and renewed by a messenger of God. It is found down a bumpy road -…

You’re invited: Act2 Drop-Ins The Act2 Project Team is excited to invite you to a new opportunity to get involved with the Act2 Project. Fortnightly Act2 Drop-Ins are a relaxed and informal opportunity, hosted on Zoom, to chat with some of the Act2 team, hear about the Act2 Project, share your insights and get advice…

A new website for Act2 The Act2 Project Unit is excited to launch a brand new website for the Act2 Project! Act2 is a whole-of-Church national process focussed on the future of the Uniting Church. It is now moving into a new moment of exploration and discernment, shaped by the decision of the 16th Assembly.…

Congratulating Andrew Johnson, Act2 Project LeadThe Assembly is pleased to announce that Andrew Johnson has been appointed to the role of Act2 Project Lead. The Act2 Project is a whole of Church process led by the Assembly to consider how we can shape our life as the Uniting Church to support local communities of faith…

      Act2 Discernment   Members of the 16th Assembly have had their first opportunity to engage with the Act2 report in an information session on Saturday morning. Act2 is process of discernment about how faithfully following Christ in our time and place shapes the Uniting Church into the future. Catherine Pepper, who is…

Act2: who are we hearing from?In less than a minute and a half, this video will bring you up to speed on the Act2 consultation so far – and some to come – as we continue to hear thoughts and insights from across the national Uniting Church.Keep up to date with Act2 by subscribing to…

The Assembly Circles and Act2: ReflectionsAs part of a wide consultation process taking place through the Act2 project, the Assembly President and General Secretary held a series of conversations with the Assembly Circles to explore the work of Act2 through the lens of each area of the Church’s work. We invited participants in these conversations…

The vision of Act2 for the UCAWhen the Assembly Standing Committee commissioned the Act2 Project in 2020, there was a clear task: to identify and implement sustainable structures, practices and ways of working. Exploring where the practical arrangements of our life are (or are not) serving us well will continue to be a key aspect…

Act2: where are we?Right now the Uniting Church is engaged in a national conversation about its future. The Act2 project is the biggest conversation we are having as the UCA – a whole-of-Church process and approach to discerning the future to which God is calling us.Act2 is a process with many parts. Here we break…

Our Life Together: Reflections on the Basis of UnionThe Act2 project has begun its next phase with the launch of a new series of five reflections on the Uniting Church’s key foundational document, the Basis of Union. Developed for use in a range of settings across the UCA, the studies are designed to foster reflection…

 TOWARDS A MORE EQUITABLY RESOURCED & SUSTAINABLE CHURCHThe question of good governance and stewardship is directly related to the question of sustainability and resourcing. The movement of resources to places of most significant potential is hindered by the siloing of such resources into specific Councils of the Church. How can resources be harnessed to serve…

The Act2 conversation about the future shape of the Uniting Church is seeking input from Presbytery Ministers across the country.UCA President Rev Sharon Hollis and General Secretary Colleen Geyer will host the two-day Act2 Presbytery Ministers National Consultation on 22 October and 5 November 2021, with a focus on the future of the UCA through the…

Growing Up Uniting: a new narrative for our ChurchGrowing Up Uniting, Edited by William W. Emilsen & Elizabeth A. Watson (MediaCom, 2020) Review written by Bethany Broadstock For many years a powerful narrative about the aging profile of congregations and the absence of younger generations has been shaping the life of the Uniting Church.In some places, this has been a driving…

Taking the Pulse of the UCA for the futureFrom now until the end of 2021, we will be taking the pulse of the Uniting Church as we consider the shape of our future. There will be opportunities to respond to what we’ve heard so far through the Act2 project, participate in consultations, and reflect on…

Welcoming the 16th UCA PresidentLeading with creativity and hopeWhen Rev Sharon Hollis was named President-elect of the Uniting Church in Australia, the world was a different place.It was pre-COVID-19. Before mandatory check-ins, the ubiquitous hand sanitiser, the mask-wearing emoji and we all got used to WFH. On 17 July, Sharon will be installed as President of…

Dreams for the futureThis is a series of Act2 contributions being offered over the coming weeks. From Catherine Pepper, 1st May Something that’s been emerging and something we’ve been talking about is Our Vision for a Just Australia, and how these deep commitments that have defined us as a Church don’t stand alone but are…

What’s the future of the UCA? Get ready for Act2. Have you been a member of the UCA since it began in June 1977? Or have you been a member of the UCA your whole life? Maybe you’re a recent member, drawn to this movement of God after reading the Basis of Union or after…

The Act2 Project is a process of imagination and discernment about the kind of future into which the Uniting Church is being called. We find ourselves in new contexts, with new challenges, and these offer us an opportunity to reflect on our life and consider the way forward together. Last month President-Elect Sharon Hollis, General…

As part of the Act2 Project, you’re invited to join a conversation about where God is calling the Uniting Church. Since the UCA began its journey 43 years ago, things have changed, in our Church, in our country and in the world. In this new context, as we consider afresh the ordering of our lives,…

The UCA in 100 words or lessUniting Church members are still responding to the Act2 Survey.We want to hear your voice and your insights as we consider the challenges the Uniting Church faces in the next five years, and the strengths we have as a church to face them.Of course it’s important to know who…

Book in yourAct2 Conversation As we look to the future, what is God saying to us as the Uniting Church about how we order our life so we can be committed to transforming lives and communities in God’s love? We’re inviting you to be a part of the UCA Act2 project as we discern God’s way together.In…

Describe the UCA in 100 words or lessAs part of the Act2 Project Survey, people are being asked, in the light of the Basis of Union, to describe the Uniting Church in 100 words or less.How would you describe the Uniting Church? What’s important for us to remember?Here’s some examples from people who have already…

 What’s in a name? UCA Act2So why did we call a project that’s thinking about the future of the Uniting Church, “Act2”?  In a movie/story the first act introduces the hero/main character and identifies the challenges that need to be faced or the problem that needs to be solved.In the second act, the main character…