On The Way Together

A Spirited journey towards the future

Priorities

Priorities The UCA Synod of Victoria and Tasmania adopted four On the Way Together PRIORITIES during its meeting in May, 2010.
These PRIORITIES provide a focus for the strategic directions of the Synod between 2011 and 2015.
Other areas of the Church may also receive attention, but these four are worthy of priority.
The four priorities are:
Discipleship
Leadership
Partnership
and Risk-taking.
The On the Way Together PRIORITIES book and pdf series provides an introduction to each of the four priorities.
Three practical exercises are included in the book:
A circle sharing conversation – to become familiar with each of the four priorities
A workshop – to bring each of the four priorities into conversation with other plans and visions that might be current
An action chart – to make sure that the transitions engaging any one or more of the priorities might bring is sustainable and really will ensure change.
Full but simple instructions are provided. The three exercises have proven easy to use and helpful in various ‘test’ situations.
There are also photocopiable resources, such as the On the Way Together POSTCARD series in both colour and black and white.
Hard copies of the On the Way Together PRIORITIES book will be available from your Presbytery office and Presbytery Ministers for Mission and Education, and a few copies will also be available from the Synod’s Commission for Mission (Contact Nahum Hall). 
Each section of the On the Way Together PRIORITIES book has been reproduced as a separate pdf file for download. Each Section pdf includes the contents page so as to ensure easy assembly and use.
On the Way Together PRIORITIES is designed for use by Synod Commissions and Boards, committees and groups; Uniting Church agencies, Presbyteries and various Church Councils.
Verso page – Click Here
Introduction – Click here
Section 1 – Click here
Section 2 – Click here
Section 3 – Click here
Section 4 – Click here
Section 5 – Click here
Appendices – Click here
Resources – Click here

Priorities – Postcard series

Discipleship postcard  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The On the Way Together PRIORITIES have been produced as a series of postcards

Download and use these postcards as a way to:
stimulate conversation;
invite and respond to first impressions;
remind groups or each person of the PRIORITIES;
refresh understandings ‘at a glance’;
recall some core ideas about each of the PRIORITES;
initiate discussion and conversation;
explore critical connections between the PRIORITIES and specific, strategic planning foci.
The design of the postcards reminds us of our baptism into the Spirit of God, and notes the fluidity and flow, movement and energy of the Spirit that we can look forward to experiencing as together we engage each of the four PRIORITIES. 
The postcards also appear in the On the Way Together PRIORITIES book, and in the pdf file for Section One of the PRIORITIES book also located on this website. A black and white, text-only version is included in the PRIORITIES Appendices pdf .
Discipleship postcard front – Click here
Discipleship postcard back – Click here
Leadership postcard front – Click here
Leadership postcard back – Click here
Partnership postcard front – Click here
Partnership postcard back – Click here
Risk-taking postcard front – Click here
Risk-taking postcard back – Click here

IMPLEMENT

ImplementIMPLEMENT begins with a handover of the On the Way Together journey –

from the Facilitation Group

to The Church Council, Presbytery, Committee, Agency Board or senior staff leadership.

 This hand over represents the shift from facilitating a process,to guiding a journey into generating and sustaining the activities that are themselves the ‘plan in action’.

Implementation is focused on relationships, not programs.

 Each of the basic levels of action involved in implementation is designed to equip, enable, enrich, and enhance relationships between Christians and those to whom God’s mission in the world calls them.

 Use the practical wisdom offered in this resource to check your planning, ensuring that relationships are held front and centre at all times.

Click here

INQUIRE

On the Way Together INQUIRE: two different but complementary ways to inquire into the Church, aiding our discernment of the values, practices, traditions and capacities the Church has drawn on when the Church has been at its most faithful to its calling. Use the five Appreciative Inquiry conversations first. Then, when IMAGINE and INNOVATE are engaged, use the Asset Mapping exercise to help determine what capacities the Church has to draw on in living out its calling.

Click here

 

Click here

INNOVATE

Innovate

focuses on bridging the gap between the On the Way Together Provocative Proposals and implementing an Innovative Plan.

INNOVATE will assist various councils and agencies of the UCA in the Synod of Victoria and Tasmania to build on earlier work done in the INQUIRE and IMAGINE stages of On the Way Together.

INNOVATE offers practical advice, operational principles and detailed workshop plans for three familiarisation and planning sessions.

Click Here

Podcasts now available

Podcasts are now available to assist you with using On the Way Together.

Implement 1 – ENGAGE:-

Implement 2 – MAP

Implement 3 – Valuing On the Way Together activity

Implement 4 – Five life giving themes

Implement 5 – Exploring On the Way Together language

Implement 6 – Learning & applying terms

Implement 7 – Provocative Propositions & Proposals

Implement 8 – How many proposals are enough?

Implement 9 – Connection past, present & future

Implement 10 – Practical wisdom for leaders 1

Implement 11 – Practical wisdom for leaders 2

Implement 12 – Practical wisdom for leaders 3

Implement 13 – Three leadership tasks

MAP

On the Way Together - MAP: Twelve tasks for the implementation journey

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click here

Frequently Asked Questions

On the Way Together – Frequently Asked Questions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click here

ENGAGE

On the Way Together – ENGAGE: To bridge the gap between the Synod’s recommendations and local implementation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click here

Welcome

Right across the synod people are having spirited conversations about the future. God has gifted us a unique opportunity, a time during which we can move from one way of being Church to another, a Kairos time to listen with God about future directions. These conversation are being shared across the whole Church as the process invites the participants of all Councils, Agencies, Commissions and Boards of the Church right across Victoria and Tasmania. The pilgrimage has begun, we are On the Way Together.

There are a number of ways you can participate:

  • “On the Way Together: Report on a spirited journey towards the future” was adopted by the meeting of the Synod of Victoria and Tasmania in September 2008
  • Five life-giving themes have been discerned through the conversations so far
  • The ‘at a glance’ summary outlines how we started the journey
  • We have prepared a number of short videos explaining the project in more detail
  • Other related documents to assist implementation are available for download