(A Draft Document)

A Partnership for Ministry

between

Schwarzwald and Community

United Churches of Christ

of

Jacksonwald and St. Lawrence, Pennsylvania

OBJECTIVE: By working together, at all levels of each congregation, both congregations may

increase the effectiveness of their efforts at ministering to their members and the

communities they seek to serve in Jesus’ name.

MEANS:Through this partnership in ministry between the leadership, administrations, and

organizations of each congregation, the cooperative efforts being developed shall

seek to do those things which we can do better, together.

STRUCTURE:1) Each congregation, in seeking pastoral leadership, will include this concept of

partnership in ministry as a part of each congregation’s profile.

2) Each congregation’s administrative bodies will include the question as to how

any of its planning and/or decisions will:

a)effect the life and ministries of the other congregation

b)whether and how the proposed projects can be better done together than separately

3) There shall be a Ministries Council, composed of five (5) representatives from

each congregation:

  1. It’s members should be positive, open-minded, committed, brain-stormers, and dreamers.
  1. They should be a diverse group, representing such groups within the church they represent as the Consistory, Music & Worship, Christian Education, Spiritual Needs, the Guild, and any other groups involved in the ministries of the church.
  1. For the first year, The Ministries Council shall meet monthly, at a time of its choosing; thereafter, the Ministry Council shall meet at least quarterly
  1. The Ministries Council shall elect a Chairperson and Secretary
  1. The Term of Office for the Chairperson shall be for one (1) year, and shall be held by a member of first one congregation and then the other
  1. The Term of Office for the Secretary shall be determined by the Ministries Council, itself
  2. The Term of Office for the Members of the Ministries Council shall be Two (2) years, and after the first two years of the partnership, 3/5’s of the Members being appointed by their consistory each year via a system devised by the Ministries Council, itself.
  1. The Ministries Council shall replace The Pastoral Relations Committee of the Schwarzwald UCC (Community UCC does not have a PRC)
  1. The Ministries Council shall be the “hub” through which concerns of the congregations and those of the pastors are shared with their opposite numbers: e.g.
  1. The Ministries Council shall be dedicated to:
  1. listening to both the pastors and members of the congregations for the purpose of being able to suggest reasonable evaluations of ideas, concerns, and complaints
  1. being a forum where:
  1. “trial balloons can be floated – to see whether or not they are likely to fly with both of the congregations
  1. Ideas can be proposed to see how they should be modified before presentation to each of the Consistories
  1. Nothing proposed by The Ministries Council will be implemented until and unless both Consistories and/or Congregational Meetings agree
  1. When Community UCC calls a pastor, the following changes shall be put in place:

The Ministries Council shall have the responsibilities of:

  1. Annually reviewing the pastoral ministries of each of the pastors
  1. Annually recommending to each of the congregations any adjustments to each pastor’s salary and benefits package it deems to be necessary or advisable
  1. The Consistory of each congregation will decide whether or not to pass on as recommended or with modifications the recommendations of the Ministry Council to their Annual (or specially called) Congregational Meetings, for adoption.

4) The work of the Ministries Council shall be Advisory and Supportive for the

Pastoral Leadership and Administrative Bodies of the two congregations

a)The Pastors of both congregations shall meet regularly (monthly) with the Ministries Council to:

  1. Share with the Ministries Council their plans, expectations and needs for the effectiveness of their pastoral ministries
  2. Be informed by the Ministries Council regarding any unmet needs or opportunities about which the Ministries Council members have been informed by any source within either congregation

b)The Administrative Bodies and Organizations of both congregations shall communicate with the Ministries Council any and all plans in which it may be more effective if done cooperatively rather than separately

  1. The Ministries Council shall seek to coordinate and guide all cooperative efforts proposed by either congregation
  2. The Ministries Council shall be the clearing house for all such efforts

c)The Ministries Council shall inform, by whatever means possible, the members of both congregations regarding every cooperative effort being undertaken by the Partnership in ministry

5) The structured relationship between the two pastors shall be:

a)One pastor is expected to be “Less-than-fulltime,” and be prepared to provide “Pastoral Care”1 for the members of both congregations, at the request of those members

b)The other pastor may be “full-time” or “less-than-fulltime,” and is expected to be prepared to provide leadership in both “Church Growth”2 and “Outreach Ministries”3 for both congregations, as requested by the Administrative Bodies of each.

c)In future cycles of seeking pastoral leadership, each congregation’s search committee shall follow the dictates of their congregation

d)The pastors shall seek to operate as a “Team;”

  1. meeting together at least bi-weekly “Team Meetings,” to:
  1. discuss and plan the upcoming ministerial efforts
  1. support each other personally and professionally

OR

  1. meeting together at least bi-weekly “Staff Meetings”with other members of each congregation’s staff to:
  1. discuss and plan the upcoming ministerial efforts
  1. support each other personally and as a staff

e)The pastors shall seek to do cooperatively, as much as is possible, while fulfilling the requirements of the congregation to which they have been called

f)When making hospital visits, both pastors shall seek to visit all of the hospitalized parishioners of both congregations

6) The Ministries Council shall seek to provide opportunities for each pastor to be

come known to the other congregation as “their pastor,” as well as their called

pastor

7) Every effort shall be made to cooperatively coordinate such activities and

programs as, for example:

a)Vacation Bible School

b)Youth Ministry Efforts

c)Outreach Programs

d)Special Events

e)Joint Worship Services during special times and seasons of the year

IMPLEMENTATION:This Partnership in ministry shall be deemed in effect and established

when adopted by the Administrative Bodies5 of both congregations, and

shall remain in effect for at least two years following its adoption by the

Administrative Bodies5 of both congregations; after that, the partnership

may be altered with the agreement of the Administrative Bodies5 of both

congregations, or may be dissolved at the discretion of the adopting

Administrative Body5 of either congregation.

FOOTNOTES:

1 “Pastoral Care” shall be considered a) hospital, and b) shut-in visitations, “Pastoral Counseling”4

2 “Church Growth” shall be considered any program which seeks to increase the a) attendance at worship services, b) participation in church sponsored activities, c) financial support of the churches, and d) discipleship formation or growing in the faith.

3“Outreach Ministries” shall be considered any program or effort which seeks to minister unto the needs and people of the communities our churches are seeking to serve

4 “Pastoral Counseling” shall be considered any experience in which a pastor is listening to and/or advising someone on circumstances that person has brought to the pastor. In this context, “Pastoral Counseling” is not considered “Therapeutic.” “Pre-Marital Counseling” is not considered “Pastoral Counseling,” in this context

5 “Administrative Bodies” shall be considered either the Consistory or Congregational Meeting; whichever is deemed most appropriate by each congregation’s Constitution and By-Laws

Revised on 11/29/12 by the Ad Hoc committee of three representatives from the Consistories of both congregations, and further clarified by both pastors meeting on 12/5/12.

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