b'Director ofOur purpose, Missions Report values and When and is the most important word. foundationAbout 20km from the vast desert plains of to know staff and volunteers. I heard stories New Mexico, close to the Rio Grande (Spanish of how the Uniting team and Uniting Church for big river), sits a small group of historiccongregations in Tasmanias north had embracedOur purposebuildings that collectively form the Center forthe and that connected them. Action and Contemplation.Members of these congregations talkedWe work to inspire people, enliven Founded almost 40 years ago by Franciscan priestenergetically about their deep commitment communities and confront injustice. Richard Rohr, the Center exists to strengthento using their time and resources to pack compassionate engagement in the world throughChristmas hampers for Uniting consumers and thought and action. When describing the Centersproviding pastoral care and support to a Uniting work, Father Richard says the most importantworker who does valuable and difficult work in aOur valuesword in the Centers name is and.more remote Tasmanian town. Uniting staff were The way we think, our values and the ideas wequick to point to the value of the partnership, which added heart and enhanced sustainability Imaginative Respectfulhold dear are important, but they really comeof programs in ways that would have been to life in action. The way we act and behaveasdifficult to achieve as a community serviceWe challengeWe act with honesty individuals, as organisations, and communitiesagency acting alone. convention, exploreand integrity, andis important, but if action is not underpinnednew possibilities andopen our hearts to by, or does not lead to, reflection on values,In a time of increasing division and polarisation indare to dream for aall people without motivations and beliefs, we risk inauthenticityour society, Uniting is embracing the and as webetter future. exception.and tokenism.seek to create a more inclusive, connected andAs I have moved around Uniting during my firstjust world.six months in the role of Director of Mission, I haveCompassionate Bolddiscovered that and is a very important word forWe are nurturing,We face injusticeus too. Despair and hope. Addressing the causesgenerous andhead on, standing up and effects of injustice. First and Second Peoples.thoughtful in ourfor what is right and A workforce of volunteers and employees.words and deeds. true with confidence Consumers and workforce in collaboration.Jessica Hateley-Browne Victoria and Tasmania. Founding agency legacyand strength.and our united future. Church congregation andDirector of Mission, church agency. Faith and action.Uniting Vic.TasDualistic thinking would trade each off againstOur foundationone another, creating competing interests andOur leadership offering oversimplified solutions. Naturally, itsChrist invites us to serve humanity important to differentiate between whats clearlyby creating an inclusive, connected right and whats clearly wrong, but what about when theres goodness in more than one place?and just world.The and invites us to go beyond the dualism, towards something richer, more complex, and oftentimes trickier!Find out moreI was struck by many examples of this during my first months at Uniting; Ill share just one. In February I spent a few days in Tasmania learning about our service delivery footprint and getting 6 Uniting Vic.Tas and Uniting Housing Annual Report Uniting Vic.Tas and Uniting Housing Annual Report 7'