# Our Story – A new series inspiring hope and confidence

> In the last few years, none of us has been strangers to unfortunate news. Waking up each day to a new statistic, a new restriction, a new normal – confronted with one almost unbelievable story after another.

15 February 2022 · News / Church News

Canonical: https://insights1.uca.org.au/articles/our-story-a-new-series-inspiring-hope-and-confidence/

In the last few years, none of us has been strangers to unfortunate news. Waking up each day to a new statistic, a new restriction, a new normal – confronted with one almost unbelievable story after another. In response to a deep yearning for more hopeful winds of change, the Mission Enablement Team from Uniting Mission and Education have created the short documentary series – *Our Story.*

*Our Story* is a five-part series, with the first episode available on the UME website from 24 February. It explores the many unique contexts across the NSW and ACT Synod and the way in which these congregations participate in worship, witness, and service – that may just lead you to ask some questions of your own.

![](https://www.insights.uca.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/210315_5D_Our-Stories-Condobolin-049-1024x1024.jpg)

Each episode captures a congregation as they confront their own frailties, and with growing confidence and hopeful action, endeavour to bring about change and to live out the mission of God in the community they find themselves in.

The UCA congregations profiled in *Our Story* are from a diverse range of backgrounds and contexts and are framed in a sympathetic light with a personal approach to the storytelling akin to programs such as the ABC’s *Australian Story*. Subjects are filmed on location in their context and balanced against insightful context and commentary made by wider church members, family, and friends.

The series draws its focus from the *Future Directions* proposal accepted by the Synod in April 2021, with all five episodes to touch on the five direction-setting commitments – Regional and rural ministry, Ministry for people born after 1970, Walking together with Australia’s First People, Active stewardship of the earth, and Being a contemporary, courageous, and growing church.

![](https://insights1.uca.org.au/media/30gcxs3z/210315_5d_our-stories-condobolin-541-1024x1024.jpg)

Our hope is that what comes to light in each story are four themes: diversity, inclusion, inspiration, and courage. And that these stories connect with and inspire communities to take action, be courageous, and to try new things. Underpinning all our intentions is the universal message – “This is what God is doing – join in”.

There is hope and confidence brewing all across the NSW and ACT Synod and these stories are merely the tip of the iceberg. To find out more, visit the UME website (link below).

The first episode, set in Condobolin Uniting Church, takes a look at a thriving First People’s congregation in a regional context and has a lively children’s ministry. The episode will be available to view on the *Our Story* web page from the 24t February at 6 pm.

#### [**Our Story** – **Future Directions Video Series**](https://ume.nswact.uca.org.au/resources/our-story-future-directions-video-series/)

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