Ministry Team Discernment Committee:
Connie Claxton, Canon Missioner
Dorothy Peterson, Good Samaritan
Lu Tax, Our Saviour's
Mary Ann Erdmann, St. Stephen's
Pat Gillespie, Pastoral Mentor
Sam Calvert, St. John's
I. PRAYER
Pray always.
Today we will move frequently back and forth between discussion, prayer, and whatever else God asks of us. Anyone at any time may (and should) call us to prayer, with words or silence, formal or informal, brief or extended. Each section will be ‘collected' in prayer before moving to the next one.
We begin with the prayer that Jesus taught us.
And any other prayer that anyone is called to offer at our beginning.
II. INTRODUCTIONS OF THE COMMITTEE
Your excitement and fear about today.
Your parish selection process.
Your experience with discernment and ministry.
III. OUR MINISTRY TODAY
Our ministry today is
holy – set apart, belonging to God.
Let us take time to listen for the Spirit's guidance.
For ourselves and our congregations: Pray for open ears and hearts.
confidential – done with faith in safety.
What is said here in God's presence, let us leave with God.
For ourselves and our congregations: Pray for faith.
forgiving – let go, release.
Let us forgive the past and let go of what we hear today.
For ourselves and our congregations: Pray for forgiveness.
truthful – that which sets us free.
Let us speak honestly & freely, naming our own prejudices and our own wisdom.
For ourselves and our congregations: Pray for humility.
not perfect – all have sinned.
Let us accept that we will make mistakes and be forgiven.
For ourselves and our congregations: Pray for courage to act.
a blessing – bringing joy, peace, and celebrating God's reign among us. Let us
For ourselves and our congregations: Pray for God's blessing
What else about our work together today do we need to name and pray for?
IV. GROUND RULES<
* Confidentiality.
* Take detailed notes if you like, but leave them here.
* I have an outline of the process (not the specifics) that will be added to and amended as we go along. Before we leave, we will review it, and if all approve, it will be made public so everyone will know how our discernment was done.
* Speak in first person. When speaking for others as we are called to do, name them. Share the assumption that when we speak for others we are making an "I statement" through our own brokenness and wisdom: "I understand/hear that N. thinks/says ..."
* Ask for prayer or time when needed. Our time says that will leave by 5 today. God's time for our ministry may be completed far sooner or later than that.
What other ground rules do we need to keep our ministry today both holy and human?
V. LISTS
Clarify understanding ministerial roles, though may shift when team in place.
Add names to lists on wall:
In capital letters, the list your congregation has discerned.
In lower case, any names you may personally feel called to add.
Churches are color coded (to match your own name tag, so in conversation we recognize who knows about whom:
green: our saviours - youthful, growing
red: good sam - on fire, risking leading
blue: st johns - living water, refreshing
black: st stephens - solid, doing priestly work already
purple: canon missioner for the bishop
brown: pastoral mentor: what's left ? or the soil we're growing in
VI. INTRODUCTIONS OF THE MINISTERS
* Each person is introduced by their parish minister, then others who may know them may add comments.
* Process is explained, then there is a break to be used however people need to prepare for the introductions.
* Explanation of introductions:
-- Be clear and honest about your relationship with this person and how it may color your vision.
-- Share the problems and weaknesses as well as the gifts and strengths.
-- Consider and comment on (where possible)
specific gift for specific ministry
ability to work as a team
prayer/worship life
listening ability
any specific personal problems with congregation members or clergy (past or present)
commitment to church
their big issues, church or theology (e.g. high church liturgy, very liberal, hates bishop...)
busyness of their life
a wild guess about possible response to a call (leaving room for the surprise of the Spirit)
What Else needs to be considered?
VII. MINIMUM, MAXIMUM, OPTIMAL TEAM SIZE
For overall team and for individual ministries:
How many do we need?
How many do we want?
How many do we call?
VIII. MULTI-GIFTED MINISTERS
Name, mark on all lists.
Discuss (if not already done) relative strengths of gifts and personal call discernment (if known).
Do we call them for a specific ministry?
If so, do we call based more on individual strength or on team balance?
Or do we make an ‘open call' with specific ministry to be discerned later as team takes shape?
Or?
IX. SELECTION BY MINISTRIES
This process will be discerned by the group as best suits the group:
discussion, consensus, vote, whatever?
X. BALANCING OF TEAM
Consider the whole picture.
From this picture, what is the minimum that will function as a beginning team?
If everyone says ‘yes' will it work?
Is there a balance of ministers from each congregation?
Other concerns about the overall picture?
XI. CALL PROCESS
How do we let people know the church is calling them to ministry:
Letter, phone call, personal visit, combination, other?
Who does the above?
Pastoral mentor, parish representative, divide up names?
When is it done?
ASAP, this evening, next week?
Consider:
we will see many of these folks tomorrow; they'll know we've met.
there is a retreat scheduled next Saturday.
Anything else?
XII. PRAYER
Thanks and Blessing
NOTE: We met both Saturday and Sunday, a total of about 6 hours.
We decided to send call letters (written by the pastoral mentor, reviewed by other committee members as available) to those called.
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