314 Covenants for other Cooperative Ventures

Sample A

314.1 The parties to the covenant

........Anglican parish or mission district
........Church of Christ
........Congregational Church
........Parish, the Methodist Church of New Zealand
........Presbyterian Church.
(or any other parties acceptable to the five Partners)

314.2 The purpose

Believing that the congregation(s) at ..............  currently ministered to by the parties is serving a growing community and has already established a witness to the whole community reaching beyond these churches.

And believing  that the past years of cooperative effort by the local community under the guidance of the ...............Church committee has reached the point where further steps need to be taken for the establishment within the foreseeable future of a Cooperative Venture.

314.3 The covenant

The parties now covenant together to

a) explore the formation of a ......................  based on .....................  and in the meantime continue giving the fullest possible physical and spiritual encouragement to the congregation(s)

b) delegate certain powers of oversight and authority to the .........Church committee as set out in Schedules of the covenant

c) jointly appoint ….(ministry name/s) ……..for a period of.....  years acting in accordance with Common Provisions 211-217. The appointee/s shall exercise the fullest possible ministry on behalf of the above Partners

d) with the ......  Church committee, provide financial support for this ministry in accordance with standard practice.

e) review this covenant in .....  years time under the oversight of the .......Joint Regional Committee which shall be the co-ordinating committee of general oversight in accordance with its terms of reference.

This covenant is entered into by the parties this ....day of ...................  20.. 

For - the parties (each party signs)

(The Schedules would include reference to relevant sections of the Common Provisions)

Sample B

314.4 The parties to the covenant

(Hawkdale Anglican Parish (or mission district)
Hawkdale Methodist Church or other acceptable group)

314.5 Preamble

We the vestry of the Parochial District of (Hawkdale), having approval to negotiate a Cooperating Agreement with the (Methodist Church) in order to become a co-operating parish from a general meeting of parishioners on ......  (date)

We the leaders meeting of the (Hawkdale) Methodist Church, being part of the (Wilson) Methodist Circuit having approval to negotiate a co-operating agreement with the Parochial District of (Hawkdale) in order to become a co-operating parish from a meeting of the congregation on ......  (date)

(Other groups entering into this covenant use similar words)

314.6 The covenant

Now declare our intention to work in cooperation according to Guide to Procedures

(as published by the Forum of Cooperative Ventures) as from Sunday ...........  20..

This covenant is entered into by the parties this ....day of ............  20..

For - the parties (each sign)