Where Next? (Draft for Circuit Meeting 15th Sep 2011)
Spiritual life
Bible
At the very core of the purpose of the Methodist Church is this statement: the doctrines of the evangelical faith which Methodism has held from the beginning and still holds are based upon the divine revelation recorded in the Holy Scriptures. The Methodist Church acknowledges this revelation as the supreme rule of faith and practice. John Wesley described the Scriptures as a primary means of grace.
Questions:
What place does the Bible hold in the life of the church and in the lives of the congregation?
How do we understand the complex issues of modern life in light of the Bible’s message?
Discipleship
The 2011 Methodist Conference adopted a report by the General Secretary, Rev Dr Martyn Atkins. He reminded the Conference that God was not yet finished with Methodism. “Becoming a better discipleship movement shaped for mission is, for very many of us, a thing of spiritual discernment … Very many of us feel that a more focused discipleship missional agenda is God’s thing for us and now is the time to formally and more fully engage with the consequences of that discernment.” (From Rev Atkins speech to Conference.)
Question:
How do we prioritise what deepens discipleship and strengthens God’s mission?
Partnership
Can we do everything we want to do on our own? The realistic answer to this is probably no. In today's age we could only answer yes if we restrict ourselves to a very narrow view of mission. If we accept this is true we then need to think about where partnerships can be formed to help us achieve our mission objectives. The obvious place to start is with other churches, other faiths and community groups, many of whom we work with already in a variety of ways.
Questions:
In what ways do you think the churches in your Mission Area could work more closely together?
What opportunities are there in your local area for more ecumenical work to take place?
Practicalities
The practicalities of living our lives as disciples of Jesus Christ and in encouraging others to follow are best described in looking at the example and teaching of Jesus.
In all circumstances Jesus communicated the gospel message in practical terms and to the best possible effect using what was available in his day. He used the backdrop of a mountainside and the amphitheatre setting of a lake to teach vast crowds the values of God’s Kingdom and demonstrated how to live by these standards in his every day life. This approach of being at the heart of community was crucial to John Wesley in reaching the people who subsequently came to faith and in successive generations through the practices of the Methodist Church.
Questions:
In what ways does your church share the Good News today?
How effective are these methods in reaching all generations and what further technology or practical outreach may advance your mission?
Prayer
1 Thessalonians 5:17 - pray without ceasing.
William Carey was once reproached for spending so much time in prayer that he neglected his business. He replied that supplication, thanksgiving, and intercession were much more important in his life than laying up treasures on earth. “Prayer is my real business!” he said. “Cobbling shoes is a sideline; it just helps me pay expenses.
Martin Luther said, “As it is the business of tailors to mend clothes and of cobblers to mend shoes, so it is the business of Christians to pray.”
Questions:
Is prayer central and a prerequisite to the life of your church?
How may we build up our individual and corporate prayer?
Worship
Worship is the central corporate activity of the church; it expresses our identity and binds us together as God's people - but what is it?
Worship is what happens when people encounter God. True worship is our response to God's presence and majesty, to his love and mercy, to his challenge and call. The purpose of our Methodist services is both to enable people to encounter God and also to give them a medium by which they can begin to respond to that encounter, by offering the very best they can give in a sacrifice of praise.
Questions:
In what ways do our services enable people to encounter God?
How can we use all the resources we have available to help people of all ages and backgrounds to deepen their understanding of and relationship with God?
Resources:
People
Staff/Circuit Organisation
Felixstowe Mission Area. 2 town, 2 village churches.
1 presbyter, 1 p/t children and family worker, 1 p/t voluntary lay worker (pastoral).
Woodbridge Mission Area. 3 churches.
1 presbyter, 1 URC minister (5 hrs wkly pro rata). 1 p/t lay worker (pastoral).
Ipswich Rural Mission Area. 4 village churches.
1 presbyter.
Ipswich Urban Mission Area. 5 town churches, 2 village churches (inc Brantham).
1 Superintendent, (50% time to mission area team), 2 presbyters, 1 probationer deacon.
Central Resources 1 p/t Circuit Administrator. 1 p/t Finance Officer.
Training
Different types of training may be needed by members of the Circuit Leadership Team, and also by leaders and worshippers in the circuit churches. It is important that training needs are identified by the individual, highlighting need via a training needs analysis. e.g. some people may be proficient with IT skills, others may need basic or refresher input. Some people may be skilled pastoral visitors, whilst others need encouragement and support for this role. It is likely that the skills some people have may be utilized to support and empower others.
It is also important that safeguarding training is current for all appropriate persons.
Communications
As a circuit covering a wide area good communication is essential. Over recent years modern technology has transformed much of the way we communicate with each other. Email makes for a speedier, (and cheaper), way of passing on information. Websites set up by District, and some of our churches, offer an excellent means of accessing up to date information. However a good percentage of our members and congregations do not have access to a computer, or the internet, and can feel disadvantaged because of that. Telephone and the postal service still remain a very important means of communication. Ipswich Round is published quarterly with the Preaching Plan.
New technology in some of our church buildings, power point projection, sound, and loop, systems, allow us to communicate our gospel message more effectively. We still need “physical” aids, hymn books, bibles, (large and standard print), and also good disabled and wheelchair access to our buildings.
Five year forecast
Over the next five years there will inevitably be many changes.
September 2011, - a new presbyter and deacon commence ministry at Alan Road/Landseer Road, with a focus on mission to the east of Ipswich.
September 2012 - we plan that a probationer presbyter, with a focus on ministry to children and young people, will be appointed at Bramford Road/Chantry.
September 2013 - a new Circuit Superintendent will be appointed.
Alongside these changes we wish to develop lay work in the Rural Mission Area, and build on the pastoral and children’s work in the Felixstowe and Woodbridge areas.
Questions:
Are there roles within your church which require filling? Are there folk who could fulfill these roles? Is extra training required?
Are all safeguarding training requirements being met in your Church?
Could you set up a website for your church? Could you help construct and maintain a circuit website? If you have a website is it up to date?
Is the “Ipswich Round” available, and distributed, to everyone in your church community?
Is your church news sheet distributed to everyone in your congregation?
Is your church in a position to help fund a pastoral/family/youth worker?
Are your church buildings, and equipment, accessible to all?
What skills do we have available, to each other, your church, and circuit?
Can we identify training which may be useful?
Where do you see your church in 5 years’ time? Where would you like it to be? How can the vision be put into action?
Finance
Over 95% of circuit costs are directly related to circuit staff and these costs are apportioned through the assessments to individual churches. In order to ensure that staffing levels and churches are sustainable each church needs to forecast its income (from offerings, and other sources) and its expenditure (on assessments, mission/property initiatives, building maintenance, support to ‘good causes’ etc) over the next 5 years.
In addition, we are a connexional church in which mutual support is key and there is a need to review how circuit costs are shared by individual churches. A small group is currently considering assessment apportionment and believes that a revision is necessary since the relative attendances and incomes of churches have changed considerably since the present method was introduced. Some churches may need to reduce their assessments but, if we are to maintain staffing levels and mission in the circuit, other churches will need to increase their share of circuit costs.
Questions:-
What is the likely income over the next 5 years?
If the present circuit staff level is to be maintained, it is likely that at least 75% of the church’s income will need to be allocated to assessments. In the light of this, will the church have a balanced budget in which other expenditure on mission and buildings can be met?
Are there potential partnerships in which some churches are able to carry a proportionately larger financial commitment than others?
Buildings
“Mission” is the top priority of the circuit and the primary focus in the future as now will be people before buildings.
Nevertheless we cannot lose sight that as members of the circuit meeting we are “managing trustees” responsible for the circuit’s large property portfolio. The portfolio can be broken into two categories: churches and manses. There are 18 Church buildings and 6 manses in our circuit.
The maintenance and upkeep of the churches are managed at a local level by property stewards who meet together twice a year under the chairmanship of the circuit property secretary. These meetings enable a common strategy to be applied across the circuit
A new group has been set up to manage the manses. The group will identify required maintenance and future improvements on the properties and budget accordingly. It will also ensure that the manses are kept in a good state of decoration and repair and to provide a comfortable home for our ministers.
Questions
If at some time in the future we do not have sufficient capital in the circuit to carry out all our mission work, would you consider selling a church property to make the funds available?
If a decision was taken to sell a building what criteria should be applied to select the property to close? e.g. geographical location, size of congregation, use by local community?
