The Presbytery of Glasgow A Pilot Process for Quinqennial Visits using Future Focus : A Way Forward for Congregations How to use these Notes Pages 1-5 are to be sent to the minister in advance of the meeting with the Planning group with a letter of explanation about the process and the timetable. This alerts the congregation to the scope of the consultation and the focus of the report. Pages 6-7 are to be issued after the initial conversation with the Planning Group and to be returned within four weeks of the first evening. Background What? Why? How? In consultation with the Panel on Review and Reform, who have been evaluating the process of Quinquennial Visits across the Church of Scotland, the Presbytery of Glasgow has agreed to pilot an alternative process during 2008-09. This process is designed to help congregations discern God s calling for the next five years, and to give the Presbytery a better handle on the decisions relating to support and mission planning. The resource materials are extracted and adapted from a congregational resource called Future Focus A Way Forward for Congregations. This material was commissioned by the Mission and Discipleship Council and is being piloted more widely across Scotland. The Glasgow Pilot Scheme is therefore part of a two-track initiative to help congregations take a serious look at their calling at this time one broader scheme which is entirely voluntary, and this more specific version which is designed to be integrated into the regular work of Presbytery support and oversight. The process involves some advance preparation by the congregation and with the visiting team. The team will be expected to meet the congregation on two evenings and over the course of a day to glimpse new horizons together. In the light of these explorations of the congregation s life, the facilitator and visiting team will prepare a report for the Presbytery modelled on a suggested template to ensure some consistency in the reporting. These notes outline: 1. The preparatory phase a brief meeting with the local planning group to explain the process, and to issue the congregational questionnaire to be returned four weeks before the first evening.
2. The consultation phase Evening No 1: The Healthy Church Evening No 2: The Timeline and Mapping our Community Day Event: Glimpsing New Horizons A meeting with the Minister will be arranged on Evening No 1 and a meeting with the Treasurer and Fabric Convener will be arranged with the appropriate team members on Evening No 2. (or as is convenient). 3. The reporting phase the completion of the draft report, to be checked with the congregation for accuracy and submitted to the Presbytery Superintendence Committee within six weeks of the final visit. Who? - The Facilitator and Team As Churches take a fresh look at their future, it helps to have a companion to share the journey. The one thing the facilitator cannot do is to anticipate the destination. It is not the role of the facilitator to impose a particular shape which would be his or her desired outcome. That is between the congregation and God. However, the facilitator will ask challenging questions along the way to stimulate, encourage and confront issues that emerge. The Presbytery Facilitator will be accompanied by members of the Support and Development Team appointed for that congregation. On the first evening, the team will arrange to meet with the minister on the same evening as The Health Check. On the second evening, team members will meet with the Treasurer and Fabric Convener at an appropriate time. The whole team will be present for the day conference and be responsible for the final report. With whom? Congregational Leadership This process is directed at the leadership of the congregation elders, office-bearers and others with significant roles of leadership. We do not meet with the elders and financial court separately. This is an open process where various stakeholders help the congregation to gain future focus. The Preparatory Phase In order to ensure that dates are lined up in diaries, the Facilitator will contact the minister of the congregation three months in advance by phone to outline the process, to suggest dates and to fix a date for meeting a planning group. This initial contact will be followed up by letter confirming the arrangements. We suggest that the congregation appoints a small Planning Group consisting of the minister and no more than six other office-bearers. In order to explain the new process in detail, and to confirm the sequence of dates for the consultation times, it is recommended
that the visiting team meet briefly with the Planning Group two months ahead of planned visits. The Planning Group will be responsible for completing the questionnaire which is to be found in Appendix No 1. This will be issued after the initial conversation and returned at least four weeks before the visit. Conversation Starters The conversation with the Planning Group relates the congregation s story, setting, style, strategy, structure and spirituality. This will give early indicators of the congregation s life, health and missionary opportunities. Think back over the last ten years. Share the recent story of your congregation the celebrations, the struggles and the dreams. Where have we seen God at work among us? Looking ahead for the next five years, what changes are we experiencing in our communities? What challenges and opportunities do these changes present to our congregation? What would Jesus do here? As we look at our congregational life, what encourages us? What concerns us? Review the general facts about membership, worship attendance, leadership structure, fabric and finance. What story do they tell to us and to the outside observer? [Introduce the questionnaire which asks for more detail about these issues and ask for it to be returned four weeks before the first evening visit.] How is the spiritual life of people in this congregation being deepened? What biblical passages or themes shape the life of the congregation? Presbytery Plan: what are the interim steps and 10 year conclusions for your congregation in the Presbytery Plan? How do you see these working out? Key Question In the light of this conversation, what question if answered - would help you share more effectively in God s mission in your community at this time?
The Consultation Phase There are no short-cuts to vision, but we have identified a starting route which offers some analysis, reflection, vision-building. Since this material is extracted from a larger range of resources, we call this The Green Route : The Health Check The Timeline Mapping our Community Glimpsing New Horizons Note: The order of the first two evenings is optional. The timeline and mapping are more interactive in eliciting the local story. This may be a better place to start for some congregations. That choice can be discussed at the meeting with the Planning Group. The Reporting Phase Presbytery Focus Since this exercise is being undertaken on behalf of Presbytery, the team will require to consider some strategic questions and decisions that may have to be made. The following questions are a guide to the questions which the team may want to ask as they prepare their report. Where the congregation is thriving How can the Presbytery affirm and nurture this life further? How can the Presbytery encourage the sharing of this vitality with others? Where the congregation is facing up to specific challenges (internally or externally) What changes are needed in attitudes, relationships, strategy or structure? What specific resources are needed to meet this challenge eg developing worship, discipleship, practical skills in finance/fabric, deepening spirituality? What are the potential partnerships with other agencies, other churches? What support is needed to resolve internal conflict/dysfunction? Where the congregation can no longer sustain this model of church life or engage in effective mission What other form of Christian presence would they consider? What other partnerships would they consider? What resourcing is needed to equip the congregation for a new future? What is the pastoral process of closure and/or dissolution?
Where the congregation is no longer in synch with the community What long-term process is needed to help them reconnect? Who will be the facilitator of the process? The Report The report will be written in two stages. The congregational dreams and goals articulated at the vision day will be summarised and relayed back to the congregation as a collation of their ideas and suggestions. There will be a rich mixture of big ideas and small steps which must not be lost for the congregation. This can be used as a reference point for implementing the specific recommendations of the Presbytery Team. The second stage is writing the report for the Presbytery Superintendence Committee and the Mission Strategy Committee, consisting of 2-3 sides of A4. This will include specific visions and goals agreed by the congregational group present at the vision day, and also any specific recommendations from the visiting team regarding a Presbytery response. The report will include comment on the Presbytery Plan. The recommendations will include specific points for the Mission Strategy Committee to update the Presbytery Plan if required eg in terms of appraisal, partners, personnel, buildings, noting the effect of these recommendations on the grouping. The Presbytery Report should follow the following template: A. Reference Information 1. Charge and Ministry Team 2. Team visiting 3. Timetable of visits B. Background Information 1. Brief historical background 2. Significant local factors C. Executive Summary Summarise key conclusions in 100-200 words. D. Conclusions 1. Identify the vision and goals articulated by the congregation. 2. Identify any specific areas for encouragement or concern 3. Identify any Presbytery response required. D. Recommendations (as appropriate) 1. For the Kirk Session 2. For the Minister/Ministry Team 3. For the Financial Court
4. For the Presbytery for Superintendence and Mission Strategy (Presbytery Plan) 5. For the Councils of the Church Appendices (to be retained in the Superintendence files, but not presented to Presbytery) 1. The response to the Advance Questionnaire 2. Any interim reports/notes of the various stages of the process. 3. The current audited accounts The Timetable The following timetable should be strictly adhered to and any delay reported to the Committee member responsible for overseeing arrangement for Quinquennial Visits: within two weeks of completing the process facilitator to complete the first draft within three weeks to clear the report with other team members within four weeks to clear factual accuracy of the Presbytery report with the Session Clerk and send a report of the summary of the congregational responses to Glimpsing New Horizons for information and appropriate action. within six weeks to submit report to the Presbytery office.
Presbytery of Glasgow Pilot Scheme for Quinquennial Visits Future Focus : A Way Forward for Congregations Advance Questions for Congregations Congregation Dates of Consultation Facilitator Support and Development Team Return to Return by When the visiting team meets with the planning group they will engage in a conversation that allows you share something of you story with your encouragements and concerns, and to identify some of the challenges which you face as you face the future. The conversation will help the team understand a bit more of the way this congregation operates and the spirituality that shapes your life together. Factual Questions These deeper issues are best dealt with in conversation, but it also helps to know a few facts. In order to help us all make the most of this consultation process, please provide information and appropriate comment on the following areas of your church s life: 1. Membership: graph of statistics for the past ten years, age profile (estimated) 2. Worship: average attendance over a month (numbers, age groups, gender), style, musical range, use of visuals, innovations 3. Pastoral Care: baptisms, weddings, funerals per year, specific demands of the situation, ways of sharing responsibilities 4. Christian Nurture: numbers involved in Christian nurture: children, young people, young adults, adults; resources used 5. Mission: specific mission initiatives local or international, school involvement or other chaplaincies, evangelism training and strategies, communication 6. Leadership: staffing, numbers of office-bearers, training, structure, constitution
7. Buildings: usage, state of repair, suitability, projects 8. Finance: accounts, budget, allocations, shortfalls, Christian giving plans, special projects, graph of giving over ten years 9. Support for Minister: administrative support, travelling expenses, study leave, additional staff needs 10. Wider Church: relationship with Presbytery, Councils of the Church and ecumenical relationships 11. Presbytery Plan: what are the interim steps and 10 year conclusions for your congregation in the Presbytery Plan? How do you see these working out? Legal Questions We are required to check that certain legal regulations are being fulfilled: 1. Safeguarding requirements: Child Protection Policy, Child Protection Officer 2. OSCR requirements: copy of accounts 3. Presbytery Plan Key Point What key issues would you like to discuss with the visiting team?