St. Paul s United Church Brampton, Ontario Joint Needs Assessment Committee Report May 1, 2013 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY... 3 ST. PAUL S WHO ARE WE?... 5 BRAMPTON COMMUNITY PROFILE... 9 FINANCIAL MATTERS... 10 POSITION PROFILE... 11 RECOMMENDATIONS... 17 WHO IS GOD CALLING US TO BE?... 17 APPENDIX A 2013 YEAR- TO- DATE FINANCIAL SUMMARY... 18 APPENDIX B ACTUALS FOR PREVIOUS FIVE YEARS... 20 2
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Joint Needs Assessment Committee (JNAC) of St. Paul s United Church (St. Paul s) has prepared this report. Below you will find short summaries of our recommendations and the process we used to reach these conclusions. More detailed discussions are included within the body of the report; section topics are highlighted in the table of contents above. This is an update of a previous JNAC report. For reasons of brevity, the appendix, which summarized congregational input, has been excluded. The information from this appendix is in the hands of council for their review and consideration. The Joint Needs Assessment Committee wishes to thank all those who took the time and had the interest to contribute their thoughts and ideas to develop the future path for St Paul s. Recommendations: The Joint Needs Assessment Committee recommends the following: 1. That the JNAC report be approved. 2. That South West Presbytery declare a vacancy for the equivalent of one full-time ordered Minister effective June 1, 2013. 3. That a Joint Search Committee be established to fill the vacancy based on the JNAC report. 4. That the Joint Needs Assessment Committee be disbanded when its work has been completed. The Work Of The Joint Needs Assessment Committee: The Joint Needs Assessment Committee resumed March 3 rd, 2013 at the request of St. Paul s council and with the approval of Presbytery. The Committee developed a plan of action and met weekly to implement this plan, by undertaking the following actions: 1. Provided the opportunity for input by the Chairs of ministries, the staff, and the congregation. 2. Interviewed the minister, and Finance ministry. 3
3. Informed the congregation of our progress and asked for their input to the Chair of JNAC by phone, in person or by email. 4. Developed and discussed a new job description based on information gathered. 5. Created and distributed the final draft of the JNAC report. JNAC Members: Elaine McShane, Catherine Robertson, Fran Smith, Don Smith, Rev. Cindy Randall (Presbytery Representative), Gail Hamblin (Presbytery Representative), and Rich Deakin (Chair). Church Address and Contact Details: St. Paul's United Church 30 Main Street South, Brampton, ON L6W 2C4 Phone Number: (905) 451-1405 Fax Number: (905) 459-5656 Email: stpaulsoffice@on.aibn.com 4
ST. PAUL S WHO ARE WE? Our mission statement: St. Paul s a caring Christian community sharing our love of Jesus through our words and actions. The People: St Paul's is a welcoming, hard working congregation with many talents, ideas and gifts. Our average Sunday service attendance is 100-150. The church is bustling with church and community activities on any given day. According to age and interest, we can exercise with yoga, Pilates or square dancing; attend book club or Bible study; participate in the Guiding movement; attend Circle of Friends, teas or meetings. We value our fellowship with each other in multiple ways. After worship, we chat over coffee and treats. We enjoy sharing meals together at the strawberry social, fish fry, pancake supper, roast beef dinner or regular congregational lunches. This gives a country feel to a city church. St Paul's offers a unique blend of the modern and traditional, especially in our music programs. For congregational singing, we use both Voices United and More Voices, complimented with original music from other sources. Our singing is led from our wonderful Casavant organ, the grand piano or the rhythmic renditions from Emmaus Road, our skilled contemporary musicians. On special occasions, we thrill to the sound of the brass. Music is a very important part of our service and with our very creative and vibrant music director, Iain Morrison, we sing new music and old favourites. We enjoy songs and anthems sung by Emmaus Road and our senior choir, ranging from contemplative to rousing - all with a spiritual message. In house, we enjoy our vocal and instrumental soloists, and on occasion, guest artists. We were recently very pleased to hear the Sunday school choir perform in our Easter service. St Paul's has amazing acoustics and has a rich history of church musical events, community concert performances and rehearsals, the Peel Music Festival and the monthly Brampton Folk concerts. Our church council shares a collaborative and supportive relationship with our minister. It consists of the chairs of our various ministry teams (which are: Worship, Children Youth & Family, Mission and Outreach (M&O), Congregational Care, Environmental Stewardship, Christian Development Adult Education, Ministry and Personnel, Finance, Communication) and other groups including the United Church Women (UCW), Trustees, Men's Club, Senior Youth Group and Stewardship. 5
Our UCW is very active in its regular meetings, fundraising with the bazaar, fall and spring sales and a multitude of social events. Our Men's Club is well attended at its monthly breakfasts with guest speakers, and also sponsors events during the year to raise money and enhance fellowship. Our Environmental Stewardship ministry has developed a Peace Garden to create a natural space for peaceful, tranquil contemplation and to grow food items for use at our Food Bank. They also joined with our Mission & Outreach (M&O) ministry to sell muffins and collect pennies to support the digging of a well for clean water in a developing country. Our M&O ministry has various projects throughout the year to support the needy worldwide and in our own community. These are just a few of the many activities and projects that enrich our life at St Paul's; none of this would be possible without the help of many volunteers who lend support. Our Sunday school is in the process of rebuilding. We acknowledge that the future of our church depends on growth in this area. We currently have twelve youth in our confirmation class. We have several young adults who are willing to provide a leadership role with youth and children in the near future. Our Values: Through our journey together in the vision planning process noted below, we found common values that we share as a community of faith. These shared values are evident in all aspects of St. Paul s, helping us to recognize who we are. They are foundational to the vision we developed and to new ministries undertaken. They provide a clear picture of St. Paul s identity to those individuals that we interact with in the community around us and beyond. A summary of our Shared Values: We are welcoming to all as part of God s family. We provide a spiritual foundation for individual growth. We are a caring, compassionate, generous and fun loving community. We are filled with hope and courage. We are responsible stewards (financially and environmentally). We act with respect, integrity and dignity. These values represent core principles that support our faith and actions as a congregation, guiding our decisions and actions now and in the future. 6
They are standards by which we can measure our behaviours and provide ready benchmarks in times of uncertainty. Our vision: St. Paul s took action to create a five-year plan in 2008 to look at all of our aspirations for the future and examine opportunities for change and renewal by developing a vision. This plan was based on the vision and the ideas captured within the document called Growing in Faith, Faith in Growing. The Joint Needs Assessment Committee used this work as the basis for a forward-looking focus of the needs of St Paul s. Many church members had contributed their thoughts and ideas, and these concepts formed the basis of much of the current work of the church. The concepts developed, shifted the focus from the clergy to the greater involvement of the church members in the work of the church and enhanced the structure of our committees, which we renamed as ministries, each with a specific focus. Our Vision for 2013: By growing in faith and with faith in growing, St. Paul s is an open, inspiring, foundational and leading Christian community, ministering to the people of a diverse and changing Brampton and world. The Building and Within: St. Paul s is a large downtown church built in 1885 of Credit Valley Brownstone. It was established as a Heritage Site under Ontario s Heritage Act in 1985 and as such requires ongoing upkeep and repairs in accordance with the guidelines of that act, dutifully and thoughtfully attended to by our church officer, Jack Drew. At present the roof of the addition needs refurbishment. Our many stained glass windows and towering spire create an impressive sight. The sanctuary seats approximately 650 (combined main-floor and balcony levels), on comfortable oak pews and with its incredible acoustics, enhances both the spoken word and musical offerings. An electronic, programmable carillon signals our presence to all in the area. On the first floor is our Four Seasons Room, a larger all-purpose room with an adjoining kitchen, with windows depicting the seasons of the year and the seasons of man, several meeting rooms, a nursery, senior youth group meeting room, our library and office for our church officer, a choir meeting room, food-bank storage room, washrooms, and a security office with monitors. On the second floor of the addition built in 1929, we have Sanderson Hall, a large meeting room (with a capacity of between 100 and 200 depending on the arrangement of the chairs and tables), with a performance stage, full main kitchen and washrooms. The second floor also 7
houses a heritage room that contains various artifacts reflecting our congregational roots, the air-conditioned offices for the ministry personnel, music director, and church administrative assistant, and the Upper Room, a small chapel or meeting room. Our offices run efficiently under the experienced guidance of our administrative assistant Tina Robinson and are fully equipped with computers, printers and a WiFi network as well as modern audiovisual equipment. The basement of the addition offers Waite Hall (a gym-size room), a woodworking room, a ceramic room, a washroom and a smaller meeting room with en suite kitchen. All three levels are accessible by elevator. The office entrance, with access to the sanctuary, is wheel chair accessible. We have a 1959 Casavant Frères organ, a grand piano, six upright pianos, a drum set, a 3½-octave set of Verdun (Malmark) handbells and chimes, Orff instruments and a large music library. At present our staff is comprised of a three-quarter-time transitional minister (Reverend Phil Rodgers), one full-time administrative assistant (Tina Robinson), one full-time church officer (Jack Drew), one part-time music director (Iain Morrison), and one part-time bookkeeper (David Maynard). 8
BRAMPTON COMMUNITY PROFILE St Paul's is located in the centre of historical downtown Brampton. It is situated across from City Hall and Gage Park with its massive old trees, beautiful gardens and children's playground. Brampton is Canada's 9th largest city with an ethnically and culturally diverse population of approximately 600,000, representing more than 175 distinct ethnic backgrounds, and over 70 languages. Residents and visitors alike can enjoy fine dining, shopping, many parks, lakes, bicycle trails, golf and professional plus amateur theatre (e.g., the Rose Theatre). There is no shortage of cultural activities or sports. Brampton is home to a variety of elementary and secondary schools of different languages and religious persuasions, a college and a university satellite campus. A number of other universities and colleges are located nearby. Our location offers easy access to the Toronto airport and the 400 series of highways. With extensive local bus service and Go service, the trip from Brampton to downtown Toronto is quick and convenient. Families and businesses thrive in this active, friendly community. St. Paul s continues to work towards adapting to the changing needs of this growing community. Further information can be found at the following links to Brampton s website: http://www.brampton.ca and the current visitor guide: http://www.brampton.ca/en/arts-culture-tourism/tourism- Brampton/Visitors/Documents/2013-2014 Official Brampton Visitor Guide.pdf 9
FINANCIAL MATTERS St Paul s present year budget and year-to-date financials (through to March 31, 2013) are presented in Appendix A; financials for the previous five-year period are presented in Appendix B. In recent years, there has been an accumulation of debt, in the form of borrowings from our line of credit with the Bank of Montreal and internal financing through borrowings from our designated and/or trustee accounts. This line of credit has a limit of $100,000, with our current borrowings against it totalling $88,858 as of March 31, 2013. Borrowings against internal designated and/or trustee accounts total $195,409 as of March 31, 2013. In summary, St. Paul s has been working to manage its finances including debt reduction, under the thoughtful guidance of our Finance ministry. Robust fund-raising and rental income from our main property and the former manse situated next door have supported these efforts. A Stewardship campaign is planned for the near future. At present St. Paul s can financially support the equivalent of one full-time ordered minister. 10
POSITION PROFILE The key areas of responsibility for the ministry position include: 1. Worship and preaching 2. Child youth and families 3. Pastoral care 4. Christian education / faith (spiritual) development 5. Outreach 6. Congregational Development 7. Administration St. Paul s will need the equivalent of one full-time ordered Minister who, can fulfil the following more detailed set of responsibilities, and possesses the noted skills and qualifications. Worship leadership and preaching: Demonstrates excellence in preaching sermons, which are biblically based and which provide direction for everyday living dealing with the human condition. Plans with other team members a worship service, which is passionate, spiritually uplifting, inspiring and coordinated with Bible readings, prayers and music. Experiments occasionally with varied styles of worship. Plans and implements in collaboration with the Worship Ministry, special worship services throughout the year e.g. Christmas and Holy Week. Incorporates lay participation in worship, including children and youth. Ensures that Children s Time is included in weekly worship. Promotes, in collaboration with the Music Director, a variety of musical styles in the worship service. Officiates at communions, baptisms, weddings and funerals as needed. 11
Children, Youth and Family: Works with the members of Children, Youth and Family Ministry to support and assist with building and delivering programs. Oversees confirmation classes. Builds open communication and a spiritual environment that supports the youth ministry. Creates greater visibility and inclusion of youth and children in the life of the church. Supports volunteer development. Supports collaboration with other churches to deliver outreach programs for youth and young families, including social and community improvement events. Pastoral care: Supports people in crisis. Educates the pastoral care team to develop a comfort level to include a spiritual component for their visits where appropriate. Is aware of community resources for referral. Collaborates with the Congregational Care Ministry to establish and maintain a confidential database so that the minister and lay pastoral care providers can access current information on the status of a member s care. Understands that the congregation is in the midst of a healing process and has the ability to facilitate reconciliation. Education / faith development: Prepares people for baptisms and weddings. Resources leadership education for the various ministries and council with particular emphasis on the worship, stewardship and finance ministries and trustees. Supports the planning and delivery of Bible Study groups and prayer circles. Plans and implements basic workshops in faith. Participates in the annual Confirmation classes. 12
Congregational development: Provides leadership in evaluating current programs and practices and is a catalyst for effecting positive change (e.g. our GIF --FIG vision needs renewal). Communicates weekly with the congregation using current technology (e.g. social media). Collaborates with colleagues and other denominational leaders towards a common end. Supports church events and participates where possible. Outreach: Supports Mission and Outreach Ministry initiatives. Mentors the church in its goal to be responsive to the needs of the community and the world. Works with and involves the congregation in joint activities with other churches in the area. Is a visible presence as a Christian leader in Brampton. Administration and church operations: Ensures that long-range plans for worship are collaborative and are shared with other participants in a timely fashion. Holds regular staff meetings to clarify roles, share vision goals, share plans related to upcoming worship services, congregational events, campaigns and use of building space. Provides input for stewardship education and campaign to inspire congregational giving of time, talent and treasure. Maintains flexible hours of work in order to be available to meet congregational needs. Supports Presbytery and activities of the wider church. Continues in collaboration with St. Bartholomew s and Grace United Churches to plan and share in Worship services on special occasions and during the summer; encourages shared Youth Events and other Christian education/adult education ventures; continues to make the congregation aware of shared Outreach projects in Brampton and beyond. 13
Skills and Qualifications: Ordered Minister of the United Church of Canada. Demonstrates a strong Christian faith. Able to love us well: o Accepting. o Respectful. o Servant leader. o Able to relate to all ages. o Is a People person with strong interpersonal skills. o Listens well and communicates sensitively with staff and congregants and responds in a timely fashion. o Is comfortable with and able to help resolve conflict. o Is able to relate well with a congregation that has a full spectrum of theological understanding. o Has the ability to provide strong leadership for healing and unifying the congregation. Experienced facilitator of an effective team (paid staff and volunteers). Is able to delegate, collaborate with, or share key responsibilities with, staff, congregants and colleagues. Creative and timely problem solver. Has the ability to use current technology effectively (i.e., YouTube, Facebook, blogs, twitter). Committed to ongoing professional development. Effectively leads change when the need for change is identified and is able to follow through. Demonstrates excellent public speaking skills. Possesses pastoral counseling skills and knowledge of community resources for referrals where appropriate. Has knowledge of and is interested in our community. Is a faith-builder. Possesses strong and effective time management and organizational skills. Possesses humility and a good sense of humour. 14
Understands the role of music in the church service and appreciates a variety of worship and praise music. Has a strong knowledge of the United Church of Canada. Is comfortable with and openly solicits constructive feedback and is receptive to yearly review of the job description and performance. Has background and training in youth ministry. Has an appreciation of music. Must have keen awareness of self-care and life-work balance. Is flexible and able to identify teachable moments. 15
Summary of Terms of Employment: Salary Housing Allowance Study Leave, Continuing education and learning resources Automobile Travel Telephone/Internet Salary and benefits shall be based upon length of service and commensurate with status and category as currently prescribed in the 2013 United Church of Canada Minimum Salary and Allowances Schedules. $24,000 per year $1,300 annually. Three weeks annually as per 2013 Salary and Allowances Schedule. Time to be approved in advance by the Ministry and Personnel Ministry. $0.41 per km. (to a maximum of $6,000 annually) paid monthly in accordance with United Church policy and congregationally approved budget. Travel is reimbursed based on submitted travel log. An item to be negotiated in accordance with job requirements and church budget. Current budgeted to a maximum of $700 per year. Pension and Group Insurance As assessed based on United Church Employee Benefits Programs. Vacation One month per year. Time to be approved in advance by the Ministry and Personnel ministry. 16
RECOMMENDATIONS The Joint Needs Assessment Committee recommends the following: 1. That the JNAC report be approved. 2. That South West Presbytery declare a vacancy for the equivalent of one full-time ordered Minister effective June 1, 2013. 3. That a Joint Search Committee be established to fill the vacancy based on the JNAC report. 4. That the Joint Needs Assessment Committee be disbanded when its work has been completed. WHO IS GOD CALLING US TO BE? Our faith has been tested by unexpected changes, but we are moving forward to a place where we can love and care for each other, our community and our world. With the love of God, the strength of Jesus Christ and the gentle leadings of the Holy Spirit, we are a caring Christian community sharing the love of Jesus through our actions and words. Amen 17
APPENDIX A 2013 YEAR-TO-DATE FINANCIAL SUMMARY 2013 Operating Budget Summary REVENUE Operations Loose Rent Yoga UCW Fundraising Events Debt Reduction Miscellaneous Donations Total Revenue 2013 Budget 245,000 5,000 45,000 4,000 10,000 12,400 11,000 15,000 347,400 Mar Mar Budget Actual 9.0% 22,050 19,433 450 592 3,750 4,637 900 3,201 0 355 990 1,055 1,250 730 29,390 30,003 YTD Budget YTD Actual 58,555 48,895 1,195 1,382 11,250 11,242 1,800 2,745 0 0 400 1,533 2,629 2,313 3,750 1,322 79,579 69,432 EXPENSES Finance & Property Administration Building Operations Property HST Rebate Bank Charges Sub-total 41,542 35,600 21,000-7,350 6,500 97,292 1,795 3,461 18,192 17,740 1,750 2,985 540 39 22,277 24,224 8,636 5,656 24,800 21,507 5,250 6,927 0 0 1,640 1,223 40,326 35,312 Personnel Security Personnel 11,000 218,121 229,121 1,200 767 17,676 13,768 18,876 14,535 3,300 2,730 52,426 45,801 55,726 48,531 Long Term Debt Reduction 7,500 675 675 1,793 1,793 Programs Adult Education Building Community Environmental Children & Family Mission & Outreach Congregational Care Finance Communications Worship 100 2,000 500 300 600 1,500 3,000 8,000 0 0 0 0 50 182 0 366 328 416 510 0 0 0 0 0 0 200 680 0 0 90 182 600 0 200 0 823 900 1,913 1,762 Total 341,913 41,569 39,268 99,757 87,398 REVENUES LESS EXPENSE 5,487-12,179-9,266-20,178-17,966 Debt Debt%Jan%1/2013 2013%Surplus/Defict Total%Debt%%%Mar%31/13 Financing Bank%Balance%Mar%31/13 Net%Bank%Position Financed%Internally (benevolent%fund%etc.) 266,300 <17,966 284,266 <88,858 <88,858 195,409 284,266 18
GENERAL & TRUSTEES FUND BALANCES Opening 2013 Adjusted Balance 2013 Balance Inter Fund Balance Jan 1/13 Revenue Disbursements Mar 31/13 Transfers Mar 31/13 GENERAL ACCOUNT General Fund -266,300 69,432 87,398-284,266 184,085-100,181 Internally restricted funds: Family Life Trust 5,703 5,703-5,703 0 Opportunity Fund 92,199 92,199-92,199 0 Benevolent Fund 9,173 1,169 356 9,986-9,986 0 Memorial Fund 37,812 35 37,847-37,847 0 M & S 2,143 3,693 2,143 3,693-3,693 0 147,030 4,897 2,499 149,428-149,428 0 TOTAL GENERAL ACCOUNT -119,270 74,329 89,897-134,838 34,657-100,180 TRUSTEES ACCOUNT Mission & Outreach 15,358 15,358-14,505 853 Organ Fund 21,255 21,255 0 21,255 Capital & Building -10,562 3,963 1,556-8,155 8,155 0 Sanctuary Fund 10,481 10,481-10,481 0 Seutter Estate 7,826 7,826-7,826 0 Peacock Estate 10,000 10,000-10,000 0 TOTAL TRUSTEES ACCOUNT 54,358 3,963 1,556 56,765-34,657 22,108 19
APPENDIX B ACTUALS FOR PREVIOUS FIVE YEARS 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 REVENUE Operations 309,626 341,777 293,620 264,919 236,735 Loose 5,528 5,570 5,818 4,582 4,595 Rent 37,097 39,877 38,333 28,577 45,360 Yoga 2,373 2,797 3,584 3,321 4,210 UCW 3,000 15,100 12,000 14,000 8,362 Fundraising Events 12,759 25,480 13,945 8,095 15,216 Debt Reduction 11,685 10,225 7,273 10,919 10,100 Miscellaneous Donations 19,506 6,305 5,389 25,868 13,767 Total Revenue 401,574 447,131 379,962 360,281 338,345 EXPENSES Finance & Property Administration 49,609 45,297 43,869 41,022 39,884 Building Operations 42,977 54,037 36,432 26,755 33,479 Property 21,072 20,318 19,658 17,746 20,209 HST Rebate -4,784-2,611-4,729-7,274 Bank Charges 8,101 6,088 8,717 8,574 7,428 Sub-total 121,760 120,956 106,065 89,368 93,726 Personnel Security 17,243 14,963 14,243 11,840 10,713 Personnel 279,472 287,708 270,702 233,425 220,489 296,715 302,671 284,945 245,265 231,202 Programs Adult Education 250 330 100 Building Community 0 0 Environmental 97 0 837 Children & Family 3,146 1,920 2,252 1,851-735 Mission & Outreach 1,110 638 518 304 40 Congregational Care 452 86 7 340 398 Finance 879 844 896 857 864 Communications 2,609 3,071 4,313 2,774 0 Worship 5,611 5,385 5,022 3,278 3,101 13,807 11,944 13,355 9,734 4,605 Total 432,281 435,571 404,365 344,367 329,533 REVENUES LESS EXPENSE -30,708 11,560-24,403 15,915 8,812 20