About Just Stories
Our hope is that Just Stories will provide inspiration, sparking imagination and energy for what might be possible in your communities.
Just Stories is a collection of stories of ‘justice in action’ from the Presbyterian whānau; the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand, Presbyterian Support and Presbyterian Church Schools. It also includes stories from beyond our Presbyterian whānau, reflecting the diversity and creativity of responses from individuals, groups and community organisations as together we stand alongside, work for transformation and foster hope in our communities.
Just Stories is managed by an Oversight Committee with funding and support from Presbyterian Support Northern, Presbyterian Support NZ and the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand as part of its commitment to PresCare. We are grateful to the Justice Compassion Trust of Aotearoa New Zealand for their support in establishing the Just Stories website.
Photo Credit : Martin StewartJust Stories has emerged from a small group of people who are part of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand and Presbyterian Support Northern. The initial group members were: Jill Kayser, Greg Morgan, Rachael Cox, Rev Sharon Ross Ensor, Rev Roxy Gahegan (Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand), and Anne Overton (Presbyterian Support Northern).
The story behind Just Stories
Just Stories grew out of a challenge given to Anne and Sharon from PSN’s previous CEO, Dr Bonnie Robinson, to think about how we can encourage action for justice. Alongside that, Jill had a conversation with some of us about the power of stories to spark imagination and new perspectives in order to energise, encourage and empower people to act.
We know there are wonderful things happening in the Presbyterian whānau; Presbyterian Support, the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand and the Presbyterian Schools network, which embody and promote justice and compassion in their communities. These stories remain largely untold, or are just told locally. We believe that the stories we tell can be a force for action, for sharing resources and renewing imagination.
Just Stories is our offering of ‘lifting the stories up’ in our midst and encouraging reflection and response as ‘we say yes - to justice in action.’ (See the We Say Yes statement approved by the PCANZ General Assembly 2016)
