Energising Local Ministry Project

An Update

Alison Way, Dave May, Janet Drury and Anne Pretty

Energising Local Ministry

• Started in February 2011– Creative, empowering and enabling ways of working

for all in the church. – Energising, equipping and freeing more people to be

involved across a wider range of activities and leadership.

– How to do this effectively for multi-parish benefices, teams (particularly things that can only be achieved together)

Inspired by ideas from Evreux (but not limited to them)

Diocese the size of Salisbury with 36 priests……

What is and needs to be visible in the baptised Christian and the Church?

solidarity confidenceanimationlocal

What are the underlying principles that make this possible?

What this looked like in Evreux• Each parish had

– A co-ordinating team (EAP)• Appointed from local suggestions but not elected• Low profile but effective

– Multiple local teams (EALs) – Every meeting began with 20 minutes discussing the

gospel of the day– Joined up thinking, strategy and publicity that was

outward looking

Evreux Learning Points• Start where it is most likely to work• It will take time (in some cases it had taken 10 years

to get to what we saw)• We don’t have the same absolute necessities, so we

will need to do more work on sales/marketing to get everyone to understand

• Where it wasn’t working– Personalities, ancient history and one-man band priests

(what the Bishop said!)

Lyneham withLyneham withBradenstokeBradenstoke

Sept 2011 - different times here too!Capitalise on where we are stronger

together?

Early days• Spring/Summer 2011 - A couple of meetings open to all

with John Wraw• Autumn 2011 - Visit to Evreux – (scales fell from my

eyes!)• Winter/Spring 2011-2012 - Presentation and

agreement from each of the six PCCs• Took quite a while to get agreement to proceed

– Fear of change (perceptions about ordained ministry)– ‘Making us Roman Catholic by the back door’– Too many meetings, too much travel

Our implementation 1

• A strategy group from the 3 areas (7 people)– 2 representatives from each benefice plus one of the

clergy staff team– feed back to the individual PCCs/benefice council/clergy

staff team– capitalising on the existing good working relationships– members of the strategy group to feed into Diocesan

Reference Group– using the Bible at each meeting

Our implementation 2

• Sharing expertise, local initiatives, good practice and ensuring clear communication

• Joined up thinking - Identifying where we are stronger or more capable working together from what is entirely and appropriately local

• Encouraging the local too!• Enjoying working together across the

boundaries – lots of laughter• What is working for us – other pilots different!

local

EXAMPLES

Lyneham withLyneham withBradenstokeBradenstoke

ACROSS THE PILOT AREA - Marriage Preparation

WORKING TOGETHER

• LPAs from neighbouring parishes attending a course on Marriage Preparation

• Lay led venture• Part of our working together as a pilot area• 2014 year content led fully by LPA team

MARRIAGE PREPARATION DAY CONTENT

• Introductions• Session 1 – Understanding, difference and

communication• Session 2 – Communication and conflict• Session 3 – Finances• Session 4 – The Church Wedding Service, etc.• Splendid and generous refreshments

throughout

LESSONS LEARNT

• Very very valuable to the couples • Helped us with our working together

ethos• Better together too

LOCAL TO ONE OF THE PARISHES

• Two interconnected strands of life in the local parish

• The ‘open the book’ team

• Leads into a lay team working with the local school into the Community …….

LOTS OF FUN WITH THE CHILDREN!

MAGIC SHOW

FROM THE REFERENCE GROUP IN APRIL 2013

From one of the other pilots we heard about an idea they had for a

Men’s breakfast…….

What we mere males have all been waiting for! 

A chance to get together with peers for a friendly get together where we can talk about sport, and anything we are not

allowed to discuss at home whilst tucking into a good old English breakfast at the inaugural

 

Gentleman’s Breakfast ClubP.S YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE A GENTLEMAN TO COME, JUST MALE!

 

Saturday, 31st August 2013 

9.30 a.m(WELL IT IS BREAKFAST)

 

at the Mallard PubLyneham

 

there will be a full English breakfast with coffee/tea and toast included, all for £6 per head.

 

We are starting this venture with a speaker,

Francis Burroughes from Bristol Blue Glass  

Tickets are limited to 36 persons, and are being sold on a first come first served basis. Contact Dave May on 01249 891 783 (e-mail:davemay104@yahoo.co.uk) to reserve your

place.

Men’s breakfast club

• Willingness to embrace change (important strategic outcome)

• Involvement in and serving the wider community (key priority)

• Developing shared initiatives & events

News from the other pilots

All approaching the challenges differently!!!

MELBURY TEAM• Progress in ELM has been hindered by David's illness. • However: we have formed a group of 15 lay people to

take Open The Book into the local schools; • Discussions about Messy Church are emerging; • A coordination group has been formed and is meeting

regularly. • The future structure of the team is being worked on

WHITTON TEAM

• Continuing to build on excellent work of the Lay Pastoral Assistants across the team

• Current focus of Energising Local Ministry is looking at worship and bringing together a vision for worship across the 6 churches for 2018

The Golden Cap Team

• The Team Council has agreed to set up three Clusters of four parishes in each Cluster, to enable closer collaboration between our diverse parishes.

• New Projects arranged in each Cluster (two of which have already started meeting) will be increasingly lay led, with the two stipendiary clergy taking a supportive role.

AVON RIVER TEAM

• We are continuing to work together in various initiatives and projects, and the concept of portfolio holders amongst the Ministry Team is something that enables a number of different gifts to be realised.

• The staff members meet together regularly for Bible study and to discuss pastoral concerns.

• A mechanism is in place for information sharing across the team from all seven parishes.

To finish

Take time out to think about the question

What energises local ministry?

• Being enthusiastic from the ‘top’

• Being interested in one another

• Building relationships and friendships

• Caring• Communicating well• Drawing out one

another’s abilities

• Encouraging people to be themselves

• Enjoying the new things we are doing

• Evolving from the foundations of good relationships and friendships

• Feeling the Holy Spirit in what we are doing

• Following God’s call

• Having a culture of equality

• Having a culture of sharing ministry

• Having clergy who are willing to delegate

• Having and growing in confidence

• Meeting needs• Organising and having

effective organisation

• Promoting non-pastoral leadership

• Providing training for new things

• Reaching out (outreach) and its importance

• Serving • Sharing as a team and good

team working• Sharing food• Speaking, asking and listening• Stepping out in faith together

Underlying principles• Proclaiming the gospel

– In how we live our lives– But also through reaching

out, pastoral care and faith development

• Worship– Provision of worship and

liturgy– Part of who we are and what

matters irrespective of geography

• Service– All the many and varied

ways in which people can serve

– Using our unique gifts and talents as God intends

– Service needs to be understood in terms of God and our role in the kingdom

– and not in terms of helping the vicar

4 key foundations• Valuing the local but not being held to ransom by it

– Holding the tension managing local identity but not being territorial!

• Solidarity – walking alongside the poor and vulnerable• Animation

– Facilitating– Coordinating– Being a master of ceremonies

• Building up confident Christians– Depth of Discipleship important– Targeted training for people in specific tasks and

leadership– Fits in with what was already happening