This year, we are inviting communities of faith across lutruwita/Tasmania into a conversation that matters deeply:

What do we need to do, and who do we need to be as a church, to faithfully live out our call to discipleship here in lutruwita/Tasmania?

We have listened to some feedback asking for more clarity about the Presbytery's Charter Journey.

This is a chance to be heard, to hear others, and together write down what faithfully following Christ looks like in Tasmania right now, and into the future, as we seek community, compassion and justice for all creation.

What you share will help shape what the vision and shared goals of Faithful Futures look like, lived out in your communities.

Your next opportunity to engage and contribute: 'Refining' the draft Charter

Who: all leaders and members of Uniting Church congregations and faith communities, walking together with Leprena UAICC Tasmania.

Location, date and time: save the date and plan to join one of three gatherings across Tasmania (with catering provided!)

In the registration form choose the venue that suits you:

Friday 21 August,1:00-4:00pm: Cam Rise UC: 3 Wragg Street, Somerset
Saturday 22 August, 10:00am-1:00pm: Longford UC: 3 High Street, Longford
Sunday 23 August, 1:00-4:00pm: Clarence UC: 2 York Street, Bellerive

Registrations are now open – please RSVP so we can cater for your needs

What we heard during the Listening phase

The purpose of each 'Listening' gathering was to:

hear voices, hopes, and needs from communities of faith across Tasmania
strengthen relationships across communities
discern shared themes of purpose and identity
gather insights to guide next steps

What we heard is summarised in these reports:

The Listening phase report includes a summary of what we heard from the online survey, online gathering, and the three regional gatherings.
Individual reports: online survey, online gathering, Cam Rise gathering, Longford gathering, Kingston gathering.

Read more about the Charter Journey process and each stage

Read more about the Charter Journey process in the following two PDF documents:

Stage / Phase	Date	Who	Reports and next steps
1: Preparing	Dec 2025 – Mar 2026	Project Working Group & co-design representatives	Charter Journey Plan – full version Charter Journey Plan – “plain English” version
2: *Listening*	18/23 May	All congregations & faith communities	Listening phase report: a summary of what we heard from all the gatherings. Individual reports: online survey, online gathering, Cam Rise gathering, Longford gathering, Kingston gathering.
3: *Discerning*	30 Jun-1 Jul	Presbytery committees, Leprena, UCA staff	Draft Charter + short term actions
4: *Refining*	21-22-23 Aug	All congregations & faith communities	Registrations are now open – please RSVP for our planning purposes. In the registration form choose the venue that suits you: Friday 21 August: 1:00-4:00pm at Cam Rise UC: 3 Wragg Street, Somerset Saturday 22 August: 10:00am-1:00pm at Longford UC: 3 High Street, Longford Sunday 23 August: 1:00-4:00pm at Clarence UC: 2 York Street, Bellerive
5: *Finalising*	14 Nov	Presbytery in Council	Presbytery members

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q. What is the Charter? Will it be the same as previous “strategy” documents?
Answer: The Charter will be a document that summarises the journey we take together over the coming years. Hearing and holding each others stories is important, and so is discerning where we want to focus our efforts and precious resources and faith communities. The Charter is where we will write down: shared priorities for mission and discipleship, ways we want to serve the local communities in which we are present, and guidance for how we want to address challenges we face together.
Q. Is the time frame flexible?
Answer: Yes. As always with large community conversations, we need to balance different wishes from all involved. Naturally, some people want to get to decisions faster, while others want to slow down. We have set a goal of having a draft charter to take to the Presbytery 'in council' meeting in November following a survey, 2 days of regional gatherings for Listening, and a 2 day retreat for Discerning. The process will be closely guided by the Project Working Group who will discern the balance of moving forward with time to discern. The process began with a Co-design session, led in January 2026, in late April and May we begin the Listening phase.
Q. How does our Charter Journey process relate to the wider church projects Faithful Futures and Act2 ?
Answer:
- Faithful Futures project is a collaborative effort between all eight presbyteries and the Synod to discern priorities, direct resources, and ensure we are equipped for the challenges and opportunities ahead, and it includes a Shared Vision and Shared Goals for the next five years, below.
- our Tas Charter journey process includes considering the Faithful Futures Goals as well as other matters that affect the Presbytery of Lutruwita/Tasmania such as property issues and communications and co-ordination across the Presbytery. Your wisdom and hopes from across lutruwita/Tasmania will help shape what the shared vision and goals for Faithful Futures looks like lived out in your communities.
- Act2 is a national initiative to discern, shape, and secure the Uniting Church’s future over the coming decades. It is a project of renewal and transformation designed to create sustainable, missional, and vibrant local communities of faith, rather than just maintaining the status quo. Act2 may well change the organisational structures of the church going into the future in which case the Presbytery, congregations and others will need to respond as this evolves.