Final Report of the Joint Needs Assessment Committee

Transcription

1 The United Church of Canada Bell Island-Portugal Cove Pastoral Charge Final Report of the Joint Needs Assessment Committee 04 June 2012

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3 A New Creed We are not alone, we live in God's world. We believe in God: who has created and is creating, who has come in Jesus, the Word made flesh, to reconcile and make new, who works in us and others by the Spirit. We trust in God. We are called to be the Church: to celebrate God's presence, to live with respect in Creation, to love and serve others, to seek justice and resist evil, to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen, our judge and our hope. In life, in death, in life beyond death, God is with us. We are not alone. Thanks be to God.

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5 The United Church of Canada L Englise Unie du Canada As the people of Jackson United and Memorial United Churches Bell Island - Portugal Cove Pastoral Charge Our Mission is to grow in faith through our belief in God s love to welcome everyone in a fellowship that is supportive, caring, inclusive and just to share the word of God through outreach, stewardship, and respect for creation to encourage all to become active participants, committed to continuing the work of Jesus for future generations.

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7 Table of Contents Introduction - Joint Needs Assessment Committee...i Memorial United Community Profile - Portugal Cove-St. Philip's...1 Church Profile...1 Jackson United History of the Bell Island United Church Congregation...3 Physical Property...3 Community Profile - Bell Island...4 Church Family and Groups Profile...5 Job Description...6 Appendix A - Results of Pastoral Charge Survey

8 Introduction Joint Needs Assessment Committee The Joint Needs Assessment Committee (JNAC) met for the first time on 22 March Follow-up meetings were held on 18 April 2012, 24 May 2012, and 30 May The JNAC is comprised of the following members. Rev. Grant Stuckless (East District Representative) Fannie Hudson (East District Representative) Rebecca Wells (Chair) Junette French (Secretary) Lorelei Billings Alf Churchill Clayton King Dwight Oates Marilyn Rose i

9 Memorial United Church, Portugal Cove-St. Philip s Community Profile - Portugal Cove-St. Philip s Portugal Cove is located within minutes from St. John s, on beautiful Conception Bay, and was amalgamated with St. Philip s in Portugal Cove has a long history, dating back to the early 1500 s and like most communities in Newfoundland and Labrador, had its roots in the fishery with the settlement of Portugal Cove and then in farming with the settlement of St. Philip s. Portugal Cove-St. Philip s is one of the largest municipalities in NL, spreading over 56 square kilometres. It offers many amenities within its boundaries such as Beachy Cove Elementary, which has over 600 students and among the best schools in the province. There are also plans for a new school to serve students up to grade 9. Grades will attend Prince of Wales Collegiate, St. John s. There are day-cares, local taxi service, post-office, service stations, restaurants, a pharmacy as well as several community groups such as Scouts, Lions and the Royal Canadian Legion. It has an active volunteer fire department and policing is provided by the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary. The development of a new doctor s clinic in the pharmacy was recently completed. The town is rapidly growing with new housing developments in numerous areas of the town. The population was estimated at 6500 in 2006 and in the 2011 census was The town has plans to expand its recreation facilities and in the 2010 Budget, provided for the purchase of 50 acres of crown land to be used for recreational purposes. As a fast growing town, the need for improved recreational facilities is apparent and the town hopes to build an educational/recreational complex with swimming pool and other recreational facilities. Recreation users currently use the services of St. John s, Mount Pearl and Torbay for many of their recreation needs. The community has no industrial park but the town is revising the 10 year plan and considering an industrial/commercial park for business. The town does not see itself as a large scale industrial base but hopes to grow the business component of the community. The Roman Catholic, Anglican and United Church all have a presence here in the community and are all striving to bring God s word to its members. All this growth is exciting and presents many opportunities for the Pastoral Charge of Memorial-Jackson United Churches. Memorial United Church Profile The roots of Memorial United Church of Portugal Cove-St. Philip's can be traced back as early as 1791 when the Rev. William Black from Nova Scotia continued the work earlier begun by the Rev. Lawrence Coughlan. By 1791 a well-worn path could be found between St. John's and Portugal Cove, which Black used to travel on his way to Harbour Grace, stopping at Portugal Cove to hold what was probably the first Methodist worship service in this community.

10 Joint Needs Assessment Report, Bell Island-Portugal Cove Pastoral Charge 04 June Some time after Methodism took hold in St. John's, and in 1830a Methodist church was erected in Portugal Cove under the leadership of Rev. Curtis. In the early 1920's the old Methodist church was torn down and new one built on the same location and opened on September 17, With the coming together of Methodist, Presbyterian and congregational churches in 1925 to form the United Church of Canada, this church, along with the other Methodist churches in Newfoundland, became integrated into the larger body of the church. For many years the folks of two churches, Memorial United in Portugal Cove and Jackson United on Bell Island were served by the one minister, who travelled back and forth. In the early 1980's the congregation of Memorial United made the decision to sell the church building and build a contemporary church that would allow for worship and other church activities such as Sunday School classes all at the one location. The land for the new church had been for years the location of the local United church school, with Sunday school classes being held nearby, but separate from worship in the church. On June 9, 1985 the present-day church building was opened, under the leadership of then student minister, Mr. Wayne Cole. 2

11 Joint Needs Assessment Report, Bell Island-Portugal Cove Pastoral Charge 04 June Jackson United Church, Bell Island History of the Bell Island United Church Congregation A Methodist congregation was established at Bell Island by the time mining began in 1895, and the congregation was served by a minister from Topsail until Jessie Hayward was the first minister to serve the congregation with the assistance of a supply person. In 1901 a church was constructed at the site of the present United Church Cemetery and it was served by the minister from Pouch Cove until At that time it joined with Portugal Cove, an arrangement, that with some interruption, has continued to this day. The Methodist church that was constructed in 1901 became the Bell Island United Church in 1925 and served the congregation until a new United Church was constructed on Davidson Avenue in This building was destroyed by fire in A new building was constructed on the same site under the leadership of Rev. Cyril Chaulk, and opened in The United Church congregation grew to a peak of more than 300 families during the 1950 s and 60 s, coinciding with the peak period of the iron-ore mining. During these years the church had a large manse and operated an all-grade school, Jackson Memorial School. It also built a house for the school principal. The mining company automatically deducted 2% of miners wages and forwarded it to the church of his choice. Along with this, the mining company supplied free coal to heat the church, manse and the school. Our present congregation has dwindled to 12 contributing families and approximately 19 noncontributing families or individuals needing pastoral care. We are blessed that we are presently sharing our building with the Anglican Congregation under a rental agreement. This helps in the upkeep of our property. Physical Property The present church was opened in 1994 and was built to accommodate the number of families at the time, and allowed some room for growth. The building is of modern design with a seating capacity of approximately 100. There is an attached social center that is separated from the sanctuary by a folding door system. This can be opened up to the sanctuary and allow seating for another 100 people. The building is approximately 4500 square feet, and along with the sanctuary and social center, has two Sunday school rooms, a kitchen, two washrooms, a storage room and a porch. The building is completely wheel chair accessible and has a paved parking lot. 3

12 Joint Needs Assessment Report, Bell Island-Portugal Cove Pastoral Charge 04 June Community Profile - Bell Island Bell Island is located in Conception Bay, NL and is connected to the mainland by a two-ferry shuttle system between the Island and Portugal Cove. The two ferries, one accommodating 36 vehicles and the other 32 vehicles, cross the tickle in approximately 20 minutes. At the peak of mining days the Island had a population of more than When mining ceased in 1966, the population quickly dropped and has now seemed to settle at just under Many of our workers and post-secondary students commute daily to St. John s and area. There are approximately 500 registered commuters who receive a reduced rate and preferential boarding on the ferries. The Island has a modern elementary school and a high school. Our 26-bed hospital has a well trained staff including 2 doctors. There are presently three denominations on Bell Island; the Roman Catholic, the largest group, followed by the Anglican and then the United Church. 4

13 Joint Needs Assessment Report, Bell Island-Portugal Cove Pastoral Charge 04 June Families and Groups Profile Portugal Cove-St. Philip's Congregation - Families and Groups A) Families Number of families Number of Contributors - 68 B) Church Groups United Church Women - 6 Sunday School - 8 Sunday School Teachers - 2 (Youth) Organist - 1 Bell Island Congregation - Families A) Families Number of families - 31 Number of Contributors

14 Joint Needs Assessment Report, Bell Island-Portugal Cove Pastoral Charge 04 June Position: Minister Job Description Location: Memorial United Church, Portugal Cove / Jackson United Church, Bell Island Mission Statement: As the people of Jackson United and Memorial United Churches Bell Island - Portugal Cove Pastoral Charge Our Mission is to grow in faith through our belief in God s love to welcome everyone in a fellowship that is supportive, caring, inclusive and just to share the word of God through outreach, stewardship, and respect for creation to encourage all to become active participants, committed to continuing the work of Jesus for future generations. The congregation of Bell Island-Portugal Cove Pastoral Charge requires the services of a full time (40 hours per week) ordained or designated lay minister. The duties and responsibilities of the minister would include regular Sunday worship, baptism, confirmation, marriages, funerals, and all meetings of the pastoral charge when and where required Minister Profile: We are looking for a minister who shares our mission statement, and someone who has the following qualities such as compassion, leadership, organization, warmth, friendliness, and team work. The minister must also possess strong preaching ability, and must be committed to visitation of all the members of the pastoral charge--especially the elderly, the sick, and the shut-in. The successful candidate must support a ministry of presence, must be willing to interact with congregational families, and must motivate interaction to encourage growth. Furthermore, the minister must engage in self-reflection and seek feedback from others appropriately. The minister must be able to engage productively in public discourse, expecting to grow and be transformed through the exchange of viewpoints. The minister must have a sense of theological identity and authority, while being responsive to the opinions and values of others, including those whom the minister will serve. Finally, the minister should possess a healthy awareness of strengths, weaknesses, and limits and be able to assume responsibility for one s body, mind and spirit. Other information: The job also includes the following: 1) Salary as per United Church of Canada salary scale 2) Travel allowance 3) Housing allowance 4) Educational allowance 5) Study leave 6

15 Appendix A QUESTIONNAIRE/RESULTS The following questionnaire has been developed to obtain input from all members of the Congregation of Memorial United Church and Jackson United Church. This information is required to provide feedback to the Minister, Committees, and Board of your church. It will help to identify what you feel is important, to identify what is being done well, and identify any areas where changes or improvements are needed. In addition, it will also provide very valuable information to assist a committee in selecting a new Minister. A copy of this questionnaire should be completed by each person in your household who is 13 years of age or older. Please take 5 or 10 minutes to complete this questionnaire and let us know what you think. There is no need to identify yourself, unless or course you want to. All responses will be anonymous and will be kept strictly confidential. This is your chance to voice your opinion about what you feel is important, what you like, and what you dislike about your Church. Please note that in this survey we want to know how important you feel these aspects of the Church are, and how satisfied you are with these aspects of your Church now. In sections that have an importance scale of one to five, please note that 1 indicates that it is not important and 5 indicates that it is very important. Results: 112 surveys were returned from the 322 sent out. The results listed below each question are percentages. Demographics are numbers. DEMOGRAPHICS Please indicate the age group to which the person providing the information for this questionnaire belongs: Under Over ` Please indicate the number of other people in your household who fit into any of these categories: Under Over

16 Please indicate how often you attend worship services at our church: Three or more times per month 25% Once or twice per month 6.25% Occasionally throughout the year 38.39% Special occasions only 22.32% If you do not attend church regularly, please indicate why not: If you do not attend church regularly and your needs indicated above are met, would you be willing to attend church on a regular basis? Yes 32.14% No 17.86% If you have a special need (e.g. Health, lack of transportation, accessibility, etc.) that affects your ability to attend church, please indicate: WORSHIP AND SACRAMENTS How important is it to provide worship that deepens your understanding of the sources and meaning of the Bible, the Church, and the Christian tradition? Importance % 3.57% 24.1% 21.43% 42.83% How important is it to provide worship that strengthens us to carry on in our daily lives? Importance % 1.79% 16.96% 22.32% 50.89% How important is it to have bulletins provided to follow the service? Importance % 2.67% 21.43% 20.53% 44.64%

17 Please indicate the time of day you would most prefer Sunday worship services to be held. 9:00am 0.89% 10:00am 11.61% 11: % 12:00 0% 3:00pm 2.68% 7:00pm 8.05% Please indicate how long you feel Sunday worship services should be. 1 hr = 91.07%; 1.5 hrs = 0.89% Which of the following best describes the number of hymns sung during regular Sunday services. enough 79.46% too many 4.46% too few 9.82% Which of the following best describes the number of scripture reading during regular Sunday services? enough 91.07% too many 4.46% too few 0.89% Who would you most prefer to do the scripture readings? clergy 56.25% congregational members 48.21% children 19.64% Please indicate how long you feel the sermon should be min = 42.85%; min = 42.85% Please indicate the preaching styles that you prefer by checking the appropriate box(es). Emphasis on the Bible 35.71% Church in the community &world 29.46% Emphasis on current issues 36.61% Personal Faith 17.86% Formal, forceful delivery 5.36% Traditional Presentation 33.04% Relaxed, informal style 51.78% Creative Presentation 30.36% How often would you wish Holy Communion to be observed in worship services? weekly 3.57% bi-weekly 6.25% monthly 39.28% every couple of months 19.64% special occasions only 27.68% How should Holy Communion be delivered? in the pews 35.71% at the communion rail 66.07% walk past 8.93% Baptism should be held only on the second Sunday of each month? agree % disagree 19.64% Other 16.96% Please indicate which of the following aspects of the worship services children should be involved in. Choose as many or as few as you wish. greeters 82.14% readings 66.07% prayers 32.14% ringing the bell 58.03% other 5.35% collection 62.5%

18 Please provide any additional comments you wish to make regarding the worship services. MISSION AND OUTREACH How important is it to encourage members to view their daily life and work as a place for ministry? Importance % % % % % Is it important for our Church members to be actively involved in community issues (ie. Health care, education, poverty issues, etc.) Importance % % % % % How important is it for us to support the world mission of the Church through study and giving? Importance % % % % % Is it important for our Church to be actively involved in community events (ie. Youth events, events sponsored by the town). Importance % % % % % Is it important that our Church actively support community/area outreach projects such as Food Sharing Associations. Importance % % % % % Would you be willing to become involved in Outreach programs of our church? Yes 26.79% No 44.64% CARING AND COMMUNITY How important is it to develop fellowship in which members can be with and get to know one another? Importance % % % % % How important is it to provide pastoral care for and counselling to members? Importance % % % % % STEWARDSHIP How important is it to educate and challenge members to support the work of the Church? Importance % % % % %

19 EDUCATION How important is it to teach children and youth about the Bible, the Church, and Christian tradition? Importance % % % % % How important is the ability to develop/support Christian education in all ages? Importance % % % % % CLERGY On a scale of one to five (one being the lowest and five the highest), how important do you believe the following tasks should be for the Minister? Please remember that everything can't be highest priority. How important is it to handle administrative tasks effectively and efficiently? Importance % % % % % How important is it to provide guidance and growth of members spiritual life? Importance % % % % % How important is it to involve lay persons in participating in and leading church events? Importance % % % % % How important is it to bring new members into the fellowship of the Church? Importance 12.68% % % % % How important is to plan and lead worship sensitive to the needs of the congregation? Importance % % % % % How important is it to preach the Word of God with urgency and conviction? Importance % % % % % How important is it to visit the elderly, the sick, bereaved and shut-ins? Importance % % % % % How important is it to possess strong preaching abilities? Importance % % % % % How important is the ability to convey the spiritual message? Importance % % % % % How important is the ability to work with different ages? Importance % % % % % How important is the enthusiasm for personal/professional development? Importance % % % % %

20 How important is the ability to plan and lead worship sensitive to Congregation s needs? Importance % % % % % Please provide any additional comments you wish to make regarding what are important in the clergy. CONGREGATIONAL PROGRAMS Of the following list, please choose with a checkmark the THREE congregational programs which are the most important to you. Biblical preaching 19.64% Social action/justice 10.71% Mission and Service 9.82% Stewardship (time/talent/resources) 9.82% Visiting (shut-ins/hospital/homes/crisis) 65.18% Bible study 5.36% Youth and young adults activities 46.43% Sharing faith 20.54% Group prayer 0.89% Community outreach 15.18% Church music 32.14% Intergenerational programs 6.25% Administration 9.82% Interdenominational activity 14.29% Fundraising 19.64% Other (specify) 0% Please provide any additional comments you wish to make regarding congregational programs. MUSIC How important is music in the life of the church? Importance % % % % %

21 Are you satisfied with the type of hymns sung at worship services? Importance % % % % % Do you think that outside music groups should sometimes be used for worship services? Yes 90.18% No 7.14% Would you like to see different types of musical instruments used during worship services? Yes 81.25% No 13.39% If so, which instruments would you like to hear? Do you think there should be an emphasis on a junior or a youth choir? Yes 90.18% No 7.14% If so, how often should they sing at worship services? every Sunday 15.18% occasionally 25.0% once or twice per month 45.54% special services only 7.14% Please provide any additional comments you wish to make regarding music at Memorial and Jackson United. YOUTH How important is the enthusiasm for youth in the church? Importance % % % % % How important is it to focus on development of a program of ministry for children and youth? Importance % % % % % How important is it to make a better effort to bring more young families into the congregation? Importance % % % % % How important is it for the church to have special programs and societies for youth? Importance % % % % % How important is it for children and youth to be involved in worship services e.g. Collection, readings? Importance % % % % % How important is it to have special worship services geared to children and youth? Importance % % % % % How important is it that a youth representative be on boards and committees within the church? Importance % % % % % Would you be willing to become involved in Youth programs at our church? Yes 16.96% No 66.96%

22 Please provide additional comments you wish to make regarding youth and young adults. SENIORS / VISITATION Do you think the needs of seniors are being met by our church? Yes 33.04% No 47.32% How important is visitation and counselling services to/for seniors? Importance % % % % % Do you think it is important for lay members of the church to visit seniors? Importance % % % % % Do you believe there are enough special worship services geared to seniors? Yes 42.85% No 41.07% How important is it for transportation to and from worship services as well special gatherings be provided to seniors if needed? Importance % % % % % Please provide any additional comments you wish to make regarding seniors. VISITATION How important is it that you receive the sacrament of Holy communion when you receive visitation from the clergy? Importance % % % % % Would you feel comfortable calling the church and requesting a visitation? Yes 58.93% No 31.25% Would you be willing to be a member of a visitation team? Yes 14.29% No 71.43% CHURCH CLIMATE All things considered worship, programs, policies our Church appears much the same as it did ten years ago. Agree 26.79% Neither Agree Nor Disagree 29.46% Disagree 36.61%

23 Our Church needs to change some of is organizational structure to reflect the times in which we live. Agree 59.82% Neither Agree Nor Disagree 25.89% Disagree 8.04% Our Church needs to change its worship to reflect today s cultural and social climate. Agree 50.89% Neither Agree Nor Disagree 35.71% Disagree 8.04% There would be a positive reaction among our members to trying alternate styles of worship. Agree 28.57% Neither Agree Nor Disagree 46.43% Disagree 16.07% Sunday worship is a time of Spiritual celebration. Agree 75.0% Neither Agree Nor Disagree 15.18% Disagree 4.46% Sunday services and clergy message give a sense of peace and contentment and a renewal of one s faith. Agree 64.28% Neither Agree Nor Disagree 21.43% Disagree 8.04% Thank you for your important input!