Yellow Pages
413 Consultation with a Uniting Congregation
Part A
413.1 Introduction
a) The aim of the consultation is to assist a Uniting Congregation to evaluate its mission by reviewing its life and activities.
b) The consultation document, besides seeking basic information required by the respective Partners courts, should also be used to stimulate discussion within the Uniting Congregation on its strengths and weaknesses and to help in forward planning.
c) The consultation should be supportive, while dealing honestly with all aspects of its life.
d) A consultation to Uniting Congregations is initiated, arranged and co-ordinated by the Joint Regional Committee (JRC), except where the Union District Council (UDC) has taken over this responsibility of the JRC.
e) Consultations are to be made every five years, or more frequently if the JRC considers it appropriate and are quite separate from a denominational review of ministry.
f) If a consultation is due during a ministerial vacancy, the JRC shall decide whether it is appropriate to proceed with the consultation at that time or to delay it until a new appointment is established. In some instances it may be pastorally important that a consultation does take place during a ministerial vacancy.
g) The JRC should plan consultations some time in advance and spread them evenly through the year. If at all possible, consultations should take place before mid-September to give adequate time for reporting and taking any further action before the end of the calendar year.
h) A consultation pack may be obtained from the Forum office. This pack contains:
i. Procedures for Joint Regional Committee
ii. Consultation document
iii. Parish's guide to a consultation.
A consultation training pack with overhead transparencies is also available
A checklist for the consultation process is found in 626
413.2 First steps
a) Normally three months but not less than six weeks in advance of a consultation, the JRC nominates a convenor from its membership or it co-opts someone for this position and sets a date for the consultation in consultation with the Uniting Congregation
b) The regional courts are informed of the forthcoming consultation and are asked to nominate one or two representatives for the consultation team.
Note: In making all the appointments to the consultation team, the JRC and the regional Partners courts should consider persons who have experience or skills in consultation or should provide some sort of training for this task. It is important that the team has the confidence of the Uniting Congregation. Members of the consultation team should include people that have had no previous involvement with the parish. This does not rule out someone who has been on a previous consultation or those who hold office with pastoral responsibility within the church i.e. bishop, district superintendent, moderator, etc.
c) An electronic copy of the paper Parish's guide to a consultation (Part C) from the consultation pack, available from the Forum office, is sent to the parish along with a copy of the consultation document which is to be considered in advance of the consultation.
Where there is a ministerial team and where there is more than one worship centre, extra copies of the consultation document are to be sent.
d) A date for the parish to return the completed document is agreed upon by the convenor of the consultation team and the parish. This date should allow sufficient time for the consultation team to meet and discuss the completed document before the visit.
413.3 Further preparations for the Consultation
a) On receipt of the consultation document, the parish is to arrange for its completion as follows.
i) Parish council and the minister, plus any interested members of the parish questions contained in all clauses except 413.8 part 6
ii) The minister or if more than one, by each member of the ministerial team separately - completes questions contained in 413.8 part 6
iii) If more than one worship centre, the management committee of each centre - all questions contained in all clauses except 413.8 part 6
b) When the parish returns the completed consultation document, after making its own record copy the following should be included also
i) Builder/s (or some other competent person/s) inspection report on all properties within the parish
ii) The most recent annual statement of income and expenditure - preferably audit
iii) The most recent annual report
iv) The most recent Liability Risk Management Annual Compliance Statement (See 447)
v) A copy of the previous consultation report.
c) The consultation team meets and considers the material received from the parish and establishes a way in which the aims and purposes of the consultation may be achieved.
d) A decision is made on which team member will write the draft consultation report.
413.4 Actual Consultation
The consultation includes the following.
a) A discussion with the minister and partner. If there is a ministerial team, this discussion can take place with the whole team or with individual members as desired.
Note: Where there exists any other styles of ministry (eg total ministry), special consideration should be given to the inclusion of all concerned in this discussion.
b) A meeting with the parish council, minister/s and any interested parish members.
c) A meeting with the parish council alone.
d) Provision for individual members of the parish to meet with the consultation team should they wish to do so.
e) A look at relevant parish records, eg minute books, parish agreement, letter of appointment and property documentation.
f) An inspection of the plant, which can take place on a separate occasion. This can be the responsibility of one or two members of the consultation team, who acquaint themselves with the builder/s report
g) If possible on a separate occasion, attend a service of worship.
413.5 Consultation reporting
a) Immediately after the consultation the draft consultation report is written based on the headings in the document, and also included are any recommendations for the parish and regional courts. The draft is to be approved by all team members.
b) The convenor of the consultation team submits the draft to the parish council or its representatives selected by the parish council, for comment.
c) The report and recommendations are presented to the JRC for adoption.
413.6 Evaluation
The parish is invited to evaluate the consultation.
a) How did the consultation help clarify mission goals?
b) What were the particular areas of need or concern highlighted in the report?
c) In what ways has the consultation been helpful?
d) Were there any parts of the report that the parish believed were unfair or did not reflect a true picture of the situation?
e) What actions has the parish taken to implement the recommendations?
413.7 Follow-up
a) Within six months after the consultation, the JRC should follow up any recommendations and assess the progress made in implementation of the recommendations. Such an action will show the continuing interest the JRC has in the life, work, and financial position of the Uniting Congregation.
b) The follow-up may be in the form of a visit or carried out by correspondence - whichever is appropriate.
Consultation Questionnaire
413.8 Part B
Be prepared to discuss the following points with the consultation team
1. Mission/Nurture
a) What is your mission statement and how do you implement it in your community?
b) How does Parish Council implement and monitor the mission of the parish
c) What is your pastoral care system and how do you measure its effectiveness?
d) How do you provide for
i. study opportunities (e.g. Bible, contemporary issues etc)
ii. social activities/fellowship
iii. meeting the needs of special interest groupse) What opportunities for evangelism does your parish provide?
f) Have you noted any significant trends in your parish statistics and what have you done about them?
g) What planning, training events, retreats etc have you conducted over the past 5 years and what are your plans for the future?
How would you like the Partners help you to better attain your mission goals
2. Communications/Relationships
a) How do you communicate with your people and the wider community?
b) How are the decisions of Parish Council and other committees of the parish communicated to the people?
c) How would you describe your relationships with
i. the participating Partners courts (regional and national)
ii the JRC?
iii Other parishes/congregations in your area
d) How does your parish support the wider work of the Universal Church?
e) Describe your members’ involvement with the wider Church?
3. Worship
a) Tell us how you provide worship opportunities to meet the needs of your people
b) Can you share with us the any new and innovative ideas for worship which worked well for you?
c) How do you involve the people in your worship?
4. Christian Education
a) Tell us about your Christian Education Programmes.
b) What have been some of the really exciting programmes?
5. Finance
a) Do you consider that your Parish is able to carry out its mission effectively with the finance and resources you have available?
b) How do you ensure that you maintain good stewardship of the resources you have?
c) Comment on how your budget both maintains parish life and provides for the wider work of the church.
d) Based on the most recent financial statement how viable is the parish in terms of anticipated income and likely expenditure over the next five years?
e) What provision have you made for removal expenses at the change of each ministry?
f) Please attach a copy of the most recent audited statement of accounts.
6. Property
Note: Where the parish has a completed, signed Schedule or amended Schedule of Record it should be sighted by the JRC visitation team, in which case clauses (a) and (b) need not be completed.
a) What property (land and buildings, churches, residences and halls etc) do you currently administer?
i. .............................
ii. …………………...........
iii. .............................
iv. .............................
v. .............................
vi. .............................
vii. .............................
b) Which denomination holds the title deeds?
Give the name of the denomination and the regional court (where applicable) or trusts (where applicable) for each of the properties listed in clause a).
Note. If there are more than six properties please list on an additional sheet and follow the numbering sequence as in a).
c) How well do the buildings suit or disadvantage the life and mission of the parish?
d) Has any change (rationalisation ,alteration to buildings, sale or purchase) occurred since the last Review? If so please elaborate.
e) If known, please record the ratio of capital input between denominations at the time of the initial agreement.
Anglican .....
Associated Churches of Christ .....
Congregational Union .....
Methodist .....
Presbyterian .....
If the ratios are not known, it would be helpful to initiate a process that might establish them.
e) Please attach an independent report on:
i. church buildings
ii. church hall/s
iii. ministers’ housing
iv. other church properties.
f) Is your present constitution/agreement relevant for today?
If not, how is it being revised?
7. Ordained Ministry
(to be discussed with the minister(s) only)
a) Outline your workload, and priorities within it.
b) What aspects of your work do you find satisfying and constructive?
c) Describe any perplexing and frustrating parts of your work.
d) What is the nature of your relationship with the parish council and evaluate effectiveness of this relationship
e) If there are associate collegiate ministers/other ministerial team members what is your arrangement for talking and planning together? How effective is this?
f) In what ways do you relate to members of the congregation?
g) In what ways do you relate to the wider community?
h) What is your relationship with other clergy working in your locality?
i) Are there any specific issues you wish to raise in connection with your ministry?
j) What is your relationship with your own denominational Partners courts?
k) What is your relationship with the participating Partners courts?
l) Do you have an appropriate supervisor/spiritual director/mentor? If not, why?
m) As study leave is an essential part of ministry life, have you availed yourself of this? Advise length of leave and brief details of topic covered.
8. Liability Risk Management
a) Has the parish appointed a Compliance Officer for your CV?
b) Has the parish carried out regular audit checks and completed Annual Compliance Statements with integrity?
c) Is the compliance register up to date?