Tools to Develop Mission Partnerships The Diocese of Sheffield is called to grow a sustainable network of Christ-like, lively and diverse Christian communities in every place which are effective in making disciples and in seeking to transform our society and God s world
Contents Pages Content 3-4 Definition of Mission Partnerships / Why we need them 5-6 Outline of the process of forming Mission Partnerships 7-8 Criteria for a Mission Partnership 9-13 The five stages of forming a Mission Partnership 14 Flow diagram of the stages 15-17 The Mission Partnership Agreement 18-20 Mission Partnership Agreement example 1 21-23 Mission Partnership Agreement example 2 24 Further resources 2 P a g e
What is a mission partnership? You often hear Mission Partnerships described but not defined. Here is a flexible working definition that should cover most circumstances: 3 P a g e Two 1 or more parishes 2 or benefices, committed 3 to sharing resources and ministers 4, in ministry and mission 5 to a defined area. These notes pick up the key words: 1 Two or more. The number is flexible it could be 3, 4 or 5. 2 It will normally be a partnership that crosses current benefice boundaries. In certain circumstances a united benefice may be considered to be a Mission Partnership. 3 Committed. Churches work towards some kind of formal agreement to work together. 4 Ministers. This means a mix of both lay and ordained ministers. 5 Mission to a defined area. The focus is mission. Normally this will be best achieved by partnership between geographically neighbouring parishes but this is not the only model. Note: Mission Partnerships are different to team ministries. A team ministry is a formal collaborative ministry established, by a pastoral scheme, for the area of an existing benefice or a new benefice, formed by union or other reorganisation of existing benefices, in which the cure of souls and pastoral care of those in the benefice are shared (Church of England website). Team ministries (or current united benefices ) can join with other parishes to create a Mission Partnership where appropriate. Why do we need them? Mission Partnerships are a way of expressing the diocesan network which we are called to grow. They are a way of enabling and encouraging collaboration between clergy and parishes in mission and ministry. They are being introduced for three distinct reasons: 1. The principle of partnership working is deeply embedded in the New Testament portrayal of the church, e.g. the body of Christ. We have identified in the Diocesan Growth Strategy that for the body to grow there must be strong ligaments between the different parts of the body (Eph. 4). 2. Models of ministry and mission are changing. The diocesan strategy for Sustainable Patterns of Stipendiary Ministry identified that the role of stipendiary clergy is changing to include a greater emphasis on oversight and enabling responsibilities and also identified the need to train clergy to lead clusters of parishes. This also means affirming (perhaps rediscovering in some places) the biblical model of the ministry of the whole people of God and empowering them to use their gifts. 3. The way the Church of England has organised ministry for many generations with a stipendiary priest in every parish is not sustainable. There will be 20% fewer stipendiary clergy in 10 years time due to rising costs, budgets that are plateauing and retirements outpacing the numbers being ordained. We need to re-imagine ministry for mission in ways which are sustainable in the long term. 4. Many dioceses are exploring forms of clustering parishes. This strategy acknowledges the need to group parishes together but to do this not in a one size fits all way but in a light touch way, using existing relationships and networks (where appropriate). One of Sheffield Diocese s core documents, Reimagining Ministry for Mission, summarises this with a helpful diagram on Mission Partnerships on p8-9, reproduced on the next page of this document.
IMPORTANT NOTE Strategic Development funding from the Church Commissioners will be used to appoint Mission Partnership Development Workers to provide valuable additional help to churches looking to grow in Mission Partnerships. Further details can be found on the Sheffield Diocese website. Having a Mission Partnership agreement in place will be a necessary requirement to be considered for access this funding and to receive a worker. Mission Partnerships are also emerging in terms of Centenary Project Worker appointments and some have arisen out of the Mission Action Planning process, as churches realise that they can achieve more by working together. 4 P a g e
Process of forming Mission Partnerships The 2013 Diocesan Development Day was dedicated to this theme and was followed by a tour of the deaneries. The resources section makes reference to a number of useful resources from this process. The aim of this document is to give a clear road map for the process of developing a Mission Partnership and some criteria for assessing when such a Mission Partnership is in place. Note: 1. The diocesan strategy places a high expectation that every parish will enter into a Mission Partnership with at least one other church, and recognizes that the form and structure of any partnership will largely be determined by local context and decision making. In some cases there may be good wider strategic reasons for the Bishop, or a member of Bishop s Staff, to give a stronger steer in mission planning and resource deployment. 2. Deaneries will have a key role in enabling and encouraging Mission Partnerships. Partnerships will normally be between geographically contiguous parishes, but it is also acknowledged that for some the partnerships may be ecumenical or across deanery boundaries. Team Ministries represent an earlier approach to partnership in mission; we can learn helpful lessons from them but might also need to consider ways in which they can be re-imagined within this new pattern of deanery mission. 3. Mission Partnerships are likely to be most effective where there are existing relationships and some level of shared vision for mission and ministry. Diversity enriches our mutual learning and growth but, in collaboration with partners of a different tradition, we may need to identify those aspects of joint working that will yield the greatest benefit. 5 P a g e
4. The process for developing Mission Partnerships should be resource-light, i.e. not a major diocesan initiative but rather something which is built into existing structures and processes. a. Deaneries will need to give time within existing meetings to develop understanding of partnership working and review the detailed plans. Rotherham Deanery found it helpful to set up a deanery support team to offer additional help in local enabling and review. b. Partnership Agreements (and Action Plans) should be sent to the Parish Support Team and Area Dean / Deanery Pastoral Committee (or equivalent) for comment before they are launched locally. They will also need to be reviewed by the Diocesan Mission & Pastoral Committee and Archdeacon. 5. Mission Partnerships will evolve over time. Some churches and clusters already have well developed plans and this initiative will simply reinforce what is already happening. Others have not yet begun to engage with this pattern of ministry and will need time to grow in their understanding. Most are somewhere along the road but need encouragement and support to move more quickly and develop firm plans for the future. Some Mission Partnerships will lead to formal union of benefices but it is important to monitor informal arrangements before creating formal structures. 6 P a g e
Criteria for Mission Partnerships When does working together become a definite Mission Partnership? What sort of level of cooperation is in mind? The following criteria attempt to sketch out a rounded picture of what this might mean. Later in this document this is expressed in a formal Mission Partnership Agreement, which is something that all partnerships should work towards. You can see that what is intended is a substantial commitment to shared ministry and mission, even though the exact nature of that sharing will vary considerably. So, here are the criteria: 1 IN LINE WITH THE DEANERY PLAN Mission Partnerships should be formed as part of the overall direction and mission planning of the Deanery in which they sit. It is essential, therefore, that a proposed Mission Partnership has the support 1 of the Area Dean and Archdeacon. The agreement of both Deanery and Diocesan Mission and Pastoral Committees will also be required 2 A STATEMENT OF LEADERSHIP & ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURES Details of leadership structures including who the congregational leader 3 for each worshipping community is, how the partnership will be led, and what the accountability structures to PCC s and other bodies will look like. Details of administrative and secretarial support 4 to release other ministers for mission and pastoral care. 3 COMMITMENT TO THE FOLLOWING GROWTH CRITERIA A Mission Partnership Agreement to be drawn up and signed by each PCC which should demonstrate commitment 5 to: Growth in every congregation and church (unless they represent a strategic missional presence in a tough area where sustainable numerical growth is not the top priority). A clear focus on mission (which takes into account context, demography, schools etc.). A Mission Action Plan (MAP) in place for each parish in the partnership and a MP Action Plan with an explanation of how the MP will move these targets forward. Working with all ages with a particular reference to developing work with young families, children, young people and schools. Pioneer and mixed economy working, including formation of new congregations where appropriate. A further sharing of resources and joint mission and ministry across the parishes to include collaboration between clergy and lay people within the partnership. Sustainability in terms of mission and ministry resources, including financial provision for working expenses of all clergy and paid lay workers. Commitment to mutual generosity within the partnership and to the wider Diocese with their God given resources. Explanatory notes (see over) / 7 P a g e
Explanatory notes: 1 The Agreement will need to be ratified and signed by each of the people listed when they have reviewed the content against the criteria. This section will be at the end of that document. 2 List all of these roles & say whether they will function within specific parishes or across the partnership, e.g. will ordained clergy be licensed as associates in other parishes? 3 Criterion 2 particularly applies to multi-parish benefices where the ordained clergy cannot be present every week. It has been found that an identifiable ever-present (often lay) leader can be helpful. This person can be given delegated authority by the incumbent to be a focus for pastoral and missional leadership in that community. 4 This could include a limited number of Mission Partnership Development Workers (noted earlier). 5 The eight criteria represent a challenge but are all good signs of healthy churches. Some / many partnerships will not have all of these in place at the outset, The Agreement form reflects this in its two columns, which allow you to state what is in place alongside a column in which you can commit yourself to new ventures that address any areas that are currently weaker. Since this resource for developing Mission Partnerships was first produced, we have begun the process of Mission Action Planning. This is already helping many parishes to move forward their mission agenda & its main sections build on the eight growth criteria as well insights in the report From Evidence to Action. We would encourage all churches choosing to work together to identify common MAP actions in a Mission Partnership MAP. In some instances, this could even replace the eight growth criteria in the MP agreement, though you may have to make sure that sustainability is specifically addressed. 8 P a g e
The Five Stages of Developing a Mission Partnership You will note that good communication is important at each stage. You need to form a steering group (see below), which must ensure that members of the churches involved are kept informed and also have the opportunity to offer input. It is also vital to communicate well with the wider church i.e. deanery and diocese. The first four stages ought to be able to be completed within 1-2 years. The timescale will be affected by the number of participating parishes and the need for progress to be agreed by PCC meetings in each benefice. Whilst it is important to take time to work through issues and come to a good agreement, we recommend that you do not allow the process to drag on too long A sense of momentum is important to the process. 1 EXPLORATION Timescale for this stage = typically 3-6 months Initial meeting to gather ideas & share experience. 2-3 further meetings to agree an initial outline of the partnership. Time to report back to PCCs & gain their agreement to move forward. A Mission Partnership may be proposed by a parish, a deanery or the diocese. Each parish needs to appoint representatives to a joint steering group from all the churches who are considering this partnership. This could be 2-3 lay people & an ordained minister from each parish / benefice. Where churches have not previously worked closely together, you will need to spend time sharing something of your church s vision, ministry, strengths and challenges. Do not neglect this getting to know you process. This phase will call for careful and sympathetic listening. The criteria (see above) can then be used to identify areas of ministry and mission that might be good places to begin to work together. At this early stage you must check with your Area Dean how / whether the proposed partnership fits within the deanery plan. The churches can request an external facilitator from the Area Dean or the Parish Support Team The steering group should report back their initial findings to each PCC to affirm further exploration, if appropriate. Communication: at this stage church leaders should be teaching & preaching to wider church about value of Mission Partnerships. Note: if people in parishes feel nervous about engaging in this process, reassure them that Mission Partnerships are not about one church imposing on another or about ministry by a lowest common denominator. Mission Partnerships do not replace the parish but seek to support its mission by creative interaction with neighbouring churches. Sometimes the steering group will have to work through some of the negative feelings before positive progress can be made, particularly where people seem caught up on service times / past history. 9 P a g e
2 DEVELOPMENT Timescale for this stage = typically 6-9 months Initial meeting to share the feedback from PCCs. This should include responses to the initial proposals about how the partnership might function. 3-4 additional meetings to flesh out each element, possibly involving the use of sub-groups to draw in appropriate expertise. A detailed Mission Partnership Agreement to send to PCCs for their response. Alongside the above agenda for the Steering Group, don t forget the value in this period of joint events between churches (see below). The steering group needs to continue to meet (with or without a facilitator). Initial proposals need to be worked into detailed plans including a draft Mission Partnership Agreement. Within this process, we would recommend use of the following: o Mission Action Planning. The MAP tool can help you to identify mission priorities in each parish. This will give you a solid base from which to identify areas where partnership working could be beneficial. o Mission Partnership criteria can continue to act as a frame of reference for your agenda. o You need to review ministry resources as part of the process. Each church should begin to pray regularly for the other churches in the emerging partnership and their ministry. Clergy might meet together for mutual support (not as a substitute for the steering group) and it could be helpful for clergy and Readers to preach in each other churches in the Mission Partnership. A timeline should be discussed within the deanery Area Dean / perhaps chapter. Communication: keep each local church updated with proposals and be prepared to respond to criticism (negative or positive). Note: alongside this formal process, it is important to foster some interaction between churches in the partnership that is forming. Social events are probably the best place to begin since these allow people to get to know one another but also consider prayer events, sharing worship or some kind of mission activity. Remember when sharing worship that many people only know their own church so you need to prepare thoughtfully for those visiting, especially if they are from a very different tradition. We cannot reiterate too strongly the importance of relationship-building between the people of the participating churches at each stage of this process. Time spent on this will be time well invested. Note: it is possible that attempts to develop a Mission Partnership will reveal that this particular grouping of parishes is not going to be able to work well together. If this seems to be the case, then we would recommend that you meet with the Area Dean as soon as possible to explore options. 10 P a g e
3 APPROVAL Timescale for this stage = typically 3 months (maybe more) The draft Mission Partnership Agreement is sent to the Area Dean / Deanery Pastoral Committee & Parish Support Team for comment; then to the Diocesan Mission & Pastoral Committee Any further work, if necessary, is addressed: probably one meeting. The finalised Mission Partnership Agreement is then submitted for ratification when the appropriate body next meets. The process will work as follows: o Each PCC minute that they are ready to endorse the draft Mission Partnership Agreement. o It should then be sent to the Parish Support Team & Area Dean / Deanery Pastoral Committee (or equivalent) to consider. They can choose to endorse it or suggest further discussion / development. It will in turn be submitted to the Archdeacon and the Diocesan Mission & Pastoral Committee (DMPC). o When this dialogue has reached a positive conclusion, the Mission Partnership Agreement can be ratified. The criteria & example agreements (see both below) will help you to formulate this. The agreement should be clearly mission-focused (not just maintenance), as noted in the guidelines. The Area Dean / Deanery Pastoral Committee & the DMPC will need a copy of the finalised agreement. Communication: at this stage, the focus is outward towards the deanery / diocesan structures. Note: formal recognition, ratified by deanery / diocese, is an important strategic step. It helps, for example, in the appointment process when one of the ordained ministers leaves, ensuring that the direction of mission agreed in an area is not lost. Having spoken to churches that have been in long-term Mission Partnerships or Team Ministries, they have given a useful perspective on the process of developing partnership working: Patience. It takes time for clergy to adapt to this model and often even longer for members of congregations to perceive the benefits. Wedding versus marriage. Planning a wedding is often a challenging all-consuming business but the reality is the special day is only the beginning of a much longer process of forming an enduring partnership. Similarly, reaching the point of ratifying a Mission Partnership rightly feels like a moment of achievement and may have taken careful work. But, in one sense, this is the point where the real work begins! Learning to work together and hopefully reaping the benefits of such united working is the long-term aim. 11 P a g e
4 LAUNCH Timescale for this stage = typically 1-2 months In one sense, this stage is instant : you have an event! But it will take a little time to organise; working out an order of service (if you have the launch in this format) or considering how to structure it as a social event; communicating it well within and outside of church communities; perhaps inviting a diocesan officer or member of senior staff to play a part, etc. If one of the churches in the partnership has no incumbent, consider holding the launch in this parish as an expression of their full involvement. Of course, you can begin to put these things in place during the previous stage. Find an appropriate way of launching the Mission Partnership. We would recommend coming together for a service in which this can be celebrated (see the note earlier about thinking through how you do this where different traditions are involved). Communication: consider a press release: if you need help, contact the communications team at Church House (LJ.Buxton@sheffield.anglican.org) to produce something newsworthy and positive. Too often we ignore these opportunities. The Mission Partnership steering group always works under the authority of, and remains accountable to, the respective PCCs as the legal bodies in each church. However, as the MP develops, the PCCs might want to devolve some aspects of strategic planning across the partnership to the steering group (e.g. planning of joint events, mission and outreach initiatives, etc.). This should be done with the full agreement of all PCCs and continue to be monitoring by the PCCs through regular reporting and feedback. 12 P a g e
5 MONITORING, REVIEW & FURTHER DEVELOPMENT There is no timescale for this stage This is the open future of working in partnership. As noted below, the steering group should continue to meet to monitor and improve working arrangements. Like any partnership, it will take time to settle down and it does need attention if it is to thrive. The Mission Partnership steering group should continue to meet to review your working arrangements (at least 3-4 times per year), including your Mission Partnership Agreement. Some partnerships have found it useful to meet more frequently (e.g. every two months) in order to maintain momentum. You should look to create a shared Mission Action Plan for your Mission Partnership. Other important agenda items for the Steering Group should be: o Ordained and lay ministers will continue to meet within their parishes but there are two other areas of leadership that would be worth developing. Firstly, it would be good for ordained ministers across the partnership to meet regularly to pray and plan, and to include authorized / licensed lay leaders as a Mission Partnership leadership team at least a couple of times each year. Secondly, within each parish, there could be value in growing parish leadership teams, including any focal ministers. o Making sure there is no loss of focus in each church on things such as keeping worship vibrant, giving a strong welcome, and promoting good stewardship, etc. o As working relationships deepen between the churches, you should give attention to the final 2 growth criteria sustainability (finance, use of buildings, etc.) and generosity between the churches & towards the deanery / diocese with individual churches offering some of their strengths for the wider good. Please keep the Area Dean & Archdeacon informed of any developments in your Mission Partnership. They might also wish to review periodically how things are working. Communication: it remains crucial to keep congregations informed about the Mission Partnership, noting the earlier comment that it may take a considerable time for them to adjust to this new way of working together. Developing good communication across the partnership is crucial. Note: creating a ratified Mission Partnership Agreement is not an end in itself. It s an important step but it s a means to more effective ministry and mission. Regular reviews will help you to see what is, or is not, working and make adjustments. It is hoped that partnerships will develop beyond the initial agreement, leading to additional areas of shared ministry as relationships between churches deepen. I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. Phil 1:3-5 13 P a g e
FLOW CHART FOR THE STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT At each stage the process needs input and authorisation from the local ministers and PCCs, but it also sits within the wider framework of deanery and diocese. This page summarises the five stages in a diagram to show how these different aspects interact: STAGE PARISH LEVEL DEANERY / DIOCESE 1 Exploration PCCs commit to explore partnership & form a joint steering group ~ 3-6 months 3-4 meetings to explore; report back to PCCs to approve further work Check with Area Dean & Deanery Pastoral Committee (or equivalent) that this fits with Deanery Plan & with Archdeacon 2 Development ~ 6-9 months + Teaching in the local churches to explain value of MPs Further meetings to develop a draft Mission Partnership agreement Social / prayer events to enable the congregations to meet & mix Download Mission Partnership development tool to guide you. Seek early input from the Parish Support Team. 3 Approval 4 Launch ~ 3 months ~ 1-2 months Each PCC indicates willingness to endorse the draft agreement. Sent to Area Dean & Parish Support Team Mission Partnership Agreement is finalised (PCC minute) by each PCC with additional work, if needed Launch event & press release. Licensing of clergy across the Mission Partnership, as appropriate MP agreement to Area Dean / Deanery Pastoral Committee & to Parish Support Team for review / comment MP agreement to Archdeacon & Diocesan Mission & Pastoral Committee for ratification Consider inviting a member of senior staff / a diocesan officer 5 Monitoring, review & development On-going Regularly review Mission Partnership Develop shared Mission Action Plan Deepen links between congregations Advise Area Dean / Archdeacon of any changes / developments 14 P a g e
Mission Partnership Agreement The following pages provide you with a blank template to create your own Mission Partnership Agreement along with two examples of possible agreements. These are offered purely in an illustrative way and bear no intended resemblance to any church in the diocese! We do not wish to suggest that these are the only ways to frame an agreement. One example has just one ordained stipendiary leader, supported by mainly lay leaders; the other has a larger number of paid staff. In the blank template you have the headings and some guidance notes. We recommend that you take each of these and insert it into a new document of your own. You can adapt each section to the length required to describe adequately each aspect of your Mission Partnership Agreement. Please note: Mission Partnerships are not meant to exclude other cooperative work. In the examples, you will see some instances of working more widely, e.g. across the deanery, on specific things. 15 P a g e
Mission Partnership Agreement (blank proforma) Section 1: the scope of this partnership The name of the mission partnership: normally this will be something that combines the names of the participating churches in some way or relates to the overall area in which they operate. It should not be the name of just one of the churches involved. It is good to include a brief Mission Statement or strapline, e.g. Partners in the gospel (Phil 1:5) List here the participating churches Gives details of how the partnership will function. This will include aspects such as ways of working collaboratively in and between parishes and congregations and allocation of responsibilities. Deployment of stipendiary, non-stipendiary, ordained and lay ministers. How the partnership will be led and accountability structures to PCC s and other bodies. Cut and paste the content of this agreement into a fresh document Feel free to delete the italicised notes Add in the details relevant to your situation & feel free to expand the sections so that they can contain the relevant details. It is not intended that this should be a long document so be careful to summarise activities and initiatives Feel free to adapt the format, if you wish, but please ensure that you address the criteria List the membership of the Steering Group by parish: Parish: Parish: Parish: Reps: Reps: Reps: Section 2: our commitment to the eight criteria We encourage you to work together in as many of these areas as possible but we recognise that some situations require focused partnership in a few areas in the first instance. Criterion Current situation Future plans a. Growth in each congregation & church b. Clear focus on mission c. Mission Action Plan parish level & MP level d. All ages but notably children, youth & schools e. Pioneer & mixed economy f. Sharing of ministry resources g. Sustainability h. Generosity within MP & to wider diocese 16 P a g e
Section 3: details of congregational leaders & administrative support Congregational leadership: list the ordained or lay focal minister for each congregation Administrative support: Section 4: ratification of the Mission Partnership Agreement When you have completed all of the above sections, please send copies of your Agreement to the Area Dean and Parish Support Team for review. They will consider the content and might come back to you with amendments. The aim is to help you to put in place a partnership that will be fruitful in mission as you work together. At the end of this process the Agreement will be signed as follows: Dates of PCC meeting at which this agreement was accepted by the participating churches: Church Church Church Date of PCC meeting minute: Date of PCC meeting minute: Date of PCC meeting minute: Area Dean: Deanery Lay Chair: The Area Dean & Deanery Lay Chair sign on behalf of the Deanery Mission & Pastoral Committee Archdeacon: The Archdeacon signs on behalf of the Diocesan Mission & Pastoral Committee 17 P a g e
Section 1: the scope of this partnership Mission Partnership Agreement (Example 1) The Upper Town Partnership Together in Christ and for Upper Town The Mission Partnership will be called The Upper Town Partnership and covers the three benefices named including a significant part of the town centre and the secondary schools. Church St John s All Saints with St Paul s St Mary s Incumbent Rev Jones Licensed as priest-incharge at All Saints with St Paul s and as associate at St Mary s See left (Rev Jones) Fr Green Will oversee Cursillo in the Mission Partnership & deanery Does not wish to be licensed at other churches in MP Focal minister Rev Jones see above All Saints: Mrs Taylor Churchwarden St Paul s: Children s worker, Mr Smith Fr Green see above SSM SSM in training Responsible for Messy Church at All Saints Mr Masih Willing to produce joint Lent / Advent courses Readers Mr Brown Wishes to be used only at St John s Mrs White: willing to be used across the MP on Sundays Mr Philips Willing to help with funerals across the MP Other Children s worker See later note about congregational leader at St Paul s Church administrator Willing to increase hours to serve the MP, jointly financed Each incumbent will be the leader in their own parish with shared responsibilities noted above. It is proposed that Rev Jones, who has been licensed here for 12 years, should be formally licensed as an associate minister at St Mary s to strengthen ties. The MP steering group will meet at least 3-4 times a year to guide and monitor developments and report back to each PCC (with copies to Area Dean, Archdeacon and Parish Support Team). The steering group compromises the following members (list as appropriate) 18 P a g e
Signed on behalf of each church (probably by each incumbent & maybe PCC secretary or churchwardens) Incumbent Incumbent Incumbent Representative Representative Representative Church Church Church Section 2: our commitment to the eight criteria Criterion Current situation Future plans a. Growth in each congregation & church St John s fairly static All Saints & St Mary s growing St Paul s declined slightly All 4 churches have potential to grow b. Clear focus on mission All Saints, St Paul s & St Mary s all clearly mission-focused but in different styles & St Paul s not actually grown. St John s: larger church but now seeing the need to engage more clearly in mission c. Mission Action Plan parish level & MP level d. All ages but notably children, youth & schools All 3 churches are working on MAP Jan-Mar 2015 All Saints & St Paul s already have MAP Few children at St Mary s or St Paul s Strong children s work at All Saints & quite good at St John s Appointing a congregational leader at St Paul s will help MAP process will help but the missional nature of the church still needs to be more clearly communicated to whole congregations. Considering a joint parish weekend with someone from PST Continued commitment to this at parish level Steering Group to work to a MP MAP when individual MAPs are completed & ratified Children s worker at All Saints to help train others in StM & StP Plans for a joint monthly youth event Create joint Open the Book team for the schools Send 2-3 people on Aurora training next year e. Pioneer & mixed economy Messy Church v good at All Saints. Develop Messy Church at St John s St Mary (town centre) to plan towards midweek café church f. Sharing of ministry resources The churches have not worked as MP before g. Sustainability Staffing levels currently adequate but Deanery plan is to reduce from 2 to 1.5. Expenses fully reimbursed in all 3 parishes h. Generosity within MP & to wider diocese Parishes just able to fulfil Common Fund pledges At MP level, the shared working outlined in Section 1 Encourage further vocations to SSM Seek funding for second (maybe part-time) children s / family worker Teach on stewardship & aim to increase CF pledge by 3-5% after discussion at each PCC 19 P a g e
Section 3: details of congregational leaders & administrative support Congregational leadership St John s All Saints St Paul s St Mary s Rev Jones Mrs Taylor, Churchwarden Mr Smith, Children s worker Fr Green Administrative support: Currently only St Mary s has a part-time administrator (9 hours per week, 3 mornings). She is willing to increase this to serve the other parishes and there is commitment in principle to fund this jointly. Discussions are on-going. Section 4: ratification of the Mission Partnership Agreement When you have completed all of the above sections, please send copies of your Agreement to the Area Dean and Parish Support Team for review. They will consider the content and might come back to you with amendments. The aim is to help you to put in place a partnership that will be fruitful in mission as you work together. At the end of this process the Agreement will be signed as follows: Dates of PCC meeting at which this agreement was accepted by the participating churches: Church Church Church Date of PCC meeting minute: Date of PCC meeting minute: Date of PCC meeting minute: Area Dean: these sections would need to be completed by the relevant people I have omitted section 4 from the second example below Deanery Lay Chair: The Area Dean & Deanery Lay Chair sign on behalf of the Deanery Mission & Pastoral Committee Archdeacon: The Archdeacon signs on behalf of the Diocesan Mission & Pastoral Committee 20 P a g e
21 P a g e
Section 1: the scope of this partnership Mission Partnership Agreement (Example 2) The Mission Partnership will be called (insert name) and will be responsible for the edge of town and the following villages (list names). Church Holy Trinity St Columba s St Saviour s Incumbent (Rev Woods) Rev Woods: resident vicar here & licensed to the other 2 parishes as priest in charge [Service times may need to change to allow Rev Woods to be at 2 churches on some Sunday mornings] (Rev Woods) Focal minister Mr Cohen (Reader & PCC lay chair) Rev Woods (see above) Mrs Barnes (churchwarden) SSM None None at present One candidate exploring SSM None Readers Mr Cohen (needs to be based here as ever present focal minister) [Weekly services] Mrs Smythe (will to preach across the MP) Mr Clifford: willing to preach across the MP, as St Saviour s only has a monthly morning service (but also has monthly afternoon Messy Church) Other Retired minister: Rev Potts Can cover 2 mornings a month across the MP 2 authorised Worship Leaders (W4T course); willing to help at the other churches This potential Mission Partnership has fewer resources in terms of ordained ministers but still a good mix of lay, ordained and retired ministers to create a sustained and varied mission The MP steering group will meet 3-4 times a year to monitor developments and report back to each PCC (with copies to Area Dean, Archdeacon and Parish Support Team). The steering group compromises the following members (list as appropriate) Signed on behalf of each church (probably by each incumbent & maybe PCC secretary or churchwardens) 22 P a g e
Incumbent Incumbent Incumbent Representative Representative Representative Church Church Church Section 2: our commitment to the eight criteria Criterion Current situation Future plans a. Growth in each congregation & church Patchy at present Messy Church grown 100% in 2 years but v small numbers b. Clear focus on mission Holy Trinity has declined & been quite inward-looking St Saviour s is small & in a small community but has grown through Messy Church St Columba s is growing slightly c. Mission Action Plan parish level & MP level d. All ages but notably children, youth & schools St Columba s has a MAP; the other parishes do not Small Sunday School at St Columba Nobody under 50 at Holy Trinity Plans to develop 2 study groups to deepen discipleship Will jointly run Pilgrim The plan is to focus on MAP as a means to a clearer focus on mission but there is a long way to go, especially at Holy Trinity Joint PCC day on MAP so that the team from St Columba can share good practice with the other parishes Renew Sunday School at St Columba (training / personnel?) The churches are looking for possible people to train with Aurora 6e. Pioneer & mixed economy Messy Church good at St Saviour s St Columba s to begin Messy Church Will offer to host Mission Shaped Introduction with at least 12 locals attending 3f. Sharing of ministry resources Rev Woods has been in charge of St Columba s & St Saviour s but has now been given Holy Trinity after a retirement It is important for Holy Trinity that Mr Cohen is allowed to be present consistently g. Sustainability The current pattern of services can be sustained but a trained SSM h. Generosity within MP & to wider diocese would enable expansion Finances are not great; net receivers on Common Fund Several Readers & Worship Leaders have expressed willingness to help across the MP No other people currently likely to offer for SSM; will need to look at authorised lay leadership Not had a stewardship review or campaign in any of the churches for 3 or more years; will use Giving in Grace within 6 months 23 P a g e
Section 3: details of congregational leaders & administrative support Congregational leadership Holy Trinity Fill in from table above St Columba s Fill in from table above St Saviour s Fill in from table above Administrative support: currently none but would like to apply for the strategic development funding for someone to offer 10 hours a week 24 P a g e
A list of useful resources Diocesan Development Day 2013 had a number of useful resources. These are all now available from the Mission Partnerships section of the Sheffield Diocese website (under mission) Resource Format Content summary Bishop Steven biblical reflection on MP DDD1 Animated PowerPoint intro to MP DDD2 Hackenthorpe, Gleadless, Basegreen & Waterthorpe http://youtu.be/dg_60myzfpu DDD3 NW Rotherham MP experience http://youtu.be/lxq3dtwxrk4 DDD4 Animated PowerPoint with more resources MP journey by Martyn Snow 2013 Video MP4 PowerPoint which runs as a slide show Video MP4 Video MP4 PowerPoint which runs as a slide show Word document Gives the context of the Diocesan Vision Statement, annual cycle, Salt & Light, and the need to work together (MP diagram from p8-9 of Reimagining ministry for mission). Grace, love & communion / fellowship (2 Corinthians 13) are the qualities we will need. The aim is to inspire & to set the right tone / biblical context for the process. This could be a very useful intro to a meeting. (5m 45s) Introduction to what MP are, how they relate to mission & to the diocesan vision statement & some key principles to get started on the process with neighbouring parishes Can be used as a series of slides or in video mode (4 min) Hackenthorpe, Gleadless, Basegreen & Waterthorpe Describes their experience of coming together as very different parishes, wrestling with issues including pastoral care & of affirming individual church callings within the MP. A main positive insight is about releasing gifted lay people Greasbrough, Kimberworth, Kimberworth Park, Rawmarsh Background of informal partnership & awareness of clergy numbers reducing. The video gives insights about how clergy & a lay leadership team have been licensed. Strong emphasis on not simply meeting together but using this to enable each church to fulfil its unique calling effectively (5 min) Next steps. Can be played as 4m 30s slide show. Covers: Report back to the church from DDD 2013 Deanery Development Days (these have taken place) Clergy Conferences (took place Jan Apr 2014) Mentions Deanery & Diocesan Consultants. PST? Further reading, including Martyn Snow s very accessible Grove booklet (Pastoral Series P133) Website forum www.mission partnerships.org to share ideas Defines 4 stages in Martyn Snow s Grove booklet. Includes helpful analysis of strengths & weaknesses of each stage & how this affects ministry, mission, spirituality, etc. 7 keys to moving on MP Frequently Asked Questions Word document This mainly addresses a number of concerns about MP & would be helpful for people who are asking critical questions DDD program 2013 Word Gives the outline of the day & session titles. The resource centre should have videos of the other sessions 25 P a g e