The vision of Act2 for the UCA
When 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 of the Act2 process and outcomes.
But it is not where we begin, nor is it the end-goal we are hoping to achieve.
Act2 is first a process of imagination, vision and discernment about how faithfully following Christ in our time and place shapes our own life and the presence of the Uniting Church in the world.
So what is the vision of Act2 for the UCA?
To be a church of missional, vibrant and life-giving local communities of faith
How we nurture and grow vibrant local communities of faith, discipleship, worship, witness and service is the key driving question at the heart of Act2. This is the core business leading us into conversations about structures, governance and resourcing. What does it look like to enable local mission and ministry more fully? Perhaps: a renewed emphasis on faith formation, releasing communities from major administrative workloads, simpler processes, or sending resources where they are most needed. What do you think it will take?
To be a church always attentive to where the Spirit is leading
Act2 is a moment that wills us to be alert to God’s presence and invites us to partner with God to create a faithful future. As we consider the shape of that future, we open ourselves to where God is leading, to renewal, and to the living Christ. This asks us to be vulnerable and let go of what we think the future might hold so we – like the Uniting Church at Union – might look ahead with openness to confess Jesus Christ in fresh, innovative and culturally engaged words and deeds.
To be honest about our strengths, challenges, and context
Act2 has in part been prompted by two things: the recognition that we face some significant challenges, and that much has changed in our church and world since Union. We also know we have many strengths to confront these challenges. To work towards a faithful future, we must be honest about the past and present as we seek to follow Jesus in a radically changed context. What are the assumptions we need to confront, and what do we need to change, so that we might be a vibrant and sustainable witness in this time and place – not that of our history. We carry our traditions forward, even at the same time as God calls us beyond comfort and in new directions.
To make sure our structures and ways of being Church truly reflect who we are
How we structure, govern and resource ourselves across the national church is never set apart from but is directly shaped by our identity. Act2 is an opportunity to look afresh at how the key markers of our faith come alive in our practices – reflecting who we are, enabling the ministry of the whole people of God, and living out our commitments to equality, inclusion, justice and reconciliation.
What is your vision?
Read the latest Act2 report, and have your voice heard by filling in the survey. You can also contact us directly by email or post: PO Box A2266, Sydney South, NSW, 1235