Act2 speaks your language

Written by Erik Lennestål, Act2 Project and Research Officer

Act2 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 the Act2 report, proposals and envision our future together as a Church. 17 language groups can now access the following summary resources:  

• An Executive Summary of the new report Act2: The Gift of the Spirit 
• A Proposals Summary of the proposals brought before the 17th Assembly 
• An Implementation Roadmap and Timeline of what work lies beyond the 17th Assembly if the Assembly in session passes the proposals 

Our bold statement in 1985 that we are a multicultural Church is one of the things that has resonated with our Church in a significant way. This is also specifically mentioned in some of the Project’s findings about our shared identity. In bringing the most significant report in 50 years to the Uniting Church, it was important to us that this is reflected also in how the report is brought to life across the whole multicultural tapestry of our Church.  

On the day of Pentecost, in Acts chapter 2, one of the miracles was that everyone, from near and far, were able to hear from God in their own native languages. This is of foundational importance to both the present and the future of the Uniting Church, and that requires opportunities for engagement and resources to be shared across the whole Uniting Church!

We want every part of our multicultural Church to hear this loud and clear. You matter. You are not an afterthought. You are the centre and not just the periphery or the exception! The Uniting Church in Australia is not a white, English-speaking Church, but is made up of a variety of cultures, languages, ethnicities and First and Second Peoples in covenant relationship.   

Careful thought and work have gone into the preparation of these resources. We have liaised with National Conferences, groups and networks across the Church and done some prioritisation according to need. We have used a combination of both professional translators and our own people to ensure the best outcome.

Work is also still underway in some specific First Nations-focused resources both in plain English and Indigenous languages. If you have other languages you would like to see us help resource the conversation in, please do not hesitate to reach out: uca.act2@nat.uca.org.au

You can also see the translations on the newly-launched Act2 report website.