THE PRESBYTERY OF ……………….. – LOCAL CHURCH REVIEW [Template ‘B’]

The Presbytery of ……………...

LOCAL CHURCH REVIEW

PACK

Template ‘B’

CONTENTS

PAGE
1 / INTRODUCTION AND PROCESS / 3-5
2 / SAMPLE LCR COVER LETTER / 6
3 / BACKGROUND INFORMATION / 7
4 / LCR TIMELINE / 8
5 / LCR REPORTING / 9
6 / APPENDIX 1 – ACT 1, 2011 / 35-41
7 / APPENDIX 2 – ACT 5, 2000 / 42-44
8 / APPENDIX 3 – ACT 12, 2007 / 45-48
9 / APPENDIX 4 –
Church of Scotland Law Department circular – Charities & Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 – Remuneration for Services / 49-50
10 / APPENDIX 5 –
Bribery Act 2010 Guidelines, Bribery & Procurement Policy / 51

INTRODUCTION AND PROCESS

This form of review is focused on the missional life of a congregation and as such does not take in all of the superintendence information that previous QVs were concerned with.

This Local Church Review (LCR) resource attempts to take a holistic approach to mission and looks not just at congregational life but at the minister’s wellbeing and the parish community as a whole. The benefit of this format of LCR is that it identifies and builds on a congregation’s strengths and assets in taking mission forward.

It is based on the scriptural words from Ecclesiastes 3:

‘There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens’

The Preaching Sunday is an important aspect of this review as a way of acknowledging the process through God’s word and giving all involved the opportunity to give thanks and journey forward in faith.

There will be a requirement to have some form of awareness/training session with those who will make up the visitation teams, to allow all parties to be familiar with the group sessions and paperwork.

The final report, including the SMART objectives for each charge, will be presented to the overseeing committee and then presented at Presbytery. This will allow Presbytery to support and resource the congregation’s vision, where appropriate.

It is recommended that there is a follow up support visit scheduled with the charge within the 5-year timeframe, undertaken by a member of Presbytery – ideally it would be one of the original visitation team or, if Presbytery has such a post, the Mission Development Officer.

______

LCR PROCESS FLOWCHART

Guidance Notes

Please note this form of Local Church Review takes into account that one size does not fit all. It is designed to be flexible:

  • If a congregation has recently undertaken a Future Focus session, the information gathered from that process will help inform the review.
  • If Health Checks, Future Focus or some other form of self-audit has been undertaken in a congregation recently, it may be sufficient to gather in the Office Bearers’ questionnaire with some of the information that will be available through the Statistics for Mission work, to inform the planning process in Session 2.
  • Consideration needs to be given to smaller congregations and rural communities in how to undertake this process. For example, a meeting with one of the visitation team to discuss the review and the questionnaire may be helpful. The group sessions may not require to be as long as 3 hours, depending on numbers.
  • Linked charges can undertake the group sessions together, if that is helpful to the planning process.
  • Local Church Review is not just about the officer bearers. You may wish to invite other people who have a role to play in the life of the church – and are not on committees, Board or Session – to input into the planning process.
  • This form of review takes a holistic approach to mission and therefore it is important to include either a one-to-one meeting or group meeting of the ministers within the charges being reviewed. This is to allow issues or concerns to be discussed, support needs identified and to look at the wellbeing – mental, physical and spiritual – of the ministers and, where applicable, other members of the ministerial team.
  • This form of Local Church Review depends on the statutory information that is required of a charge in relation to supervision; that incudes safeguarding, finance and buildings to be taken up by the appropriate committee within Presbytery, eg Administration or Superintendence.

SAMPLE CONGREGATIONAL LETTER

Dear

LOCAL CHURCH REVIEW

As you will be aware, XXXXXXXX Churchis scheduled to be visited as part of XXXXXX Presbytery Local Church Review process. Local Church Review (LCR), under Act 1, 2011 of the General Assembly, replaces the former Quinquennial Superintendence system that you will be familiar with.

Enclosed with this letter:

  • Background information and timeline for the new LCR process.
  • Option sheet for the two participative LCR sessions.
  • The Office Bearers’ Questionnaire.
  • Information on the two group sessions for Office Bearers /congregations.
  • The questionnaire for the ministers involved in this round of LCRs.

It is important that the information requested is completed fully and returned in advance of the LCR sessions. The LCR Visiting Team from Presbytery will have read with great care what you have submitted and will use it as a basis for the interactive sessions.

The overall context of the LCR is mission. One of the aims of the LCR visit is to agree with your church a set of goals by creating a Church Action Plan for the next five years, with Presbytery providing where appropriate the necessary resources at its disposal to help you achieve these goals.

We hope that the questions are clear and that the processes to be followed are understood. If you have any questions at all, then please do not hesitate to contact XXXXXXXX.

Contact details are:

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The LCR papers have been produced using Microsoft Word and can be completed electronically. As you type, the boxes will expand to accommodate your text. If you would rather receive the documents in hard copy and complete them in writing, please let XXXXXX know and arrangements will be made for hard copies to be distributed. It is hoped to keep copies of the reviews in digital format so, where it is possible, please try and complete the paperwork electronically.

In order to ensure that the LCR process is conducted in a timely manner across the whole Presbytery, I would be grateful if you could complete and return the LCR option form by [insert date] and the Office Bearers’ Questionnaire by [insert date].

Following the receipt of your completed documents, XXXXXXX will be in contact with you to arrange the dates for the LCR visits to take place and inform you of the members of your visitation team.

Thank you for your co-operation in this important process in the life of your church and the Presbytery.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Background Information

Local Church Review was enacted by the General Assembly in 2011 (Act 1 2011) and replaces the Superintendence Quinquennial Visitation programme [see Appendix 1]. XXXXXX Presbytery has the responsibility for conducting a review of every congregation with its bounds once every five years.

The purpose of the LCR for the Presbytery is:

  • To give counsel and encouragement to congregations.
  • To facilitate the congregation in setting out their priorities, plans and goals for the next five years with an emphasis on mission.
  • To support the congregation with any resources required to pursue and achieve their identified goals.
  • To give advice, support or take remedial action where anything is found not to be in accord with Church Law.

This new LCR process is undertaken under the remit of the XXXXXXX Committee with the support of [the Mission Development Officer]. The statutory legal information required as part of the LCR process will be requested from the XXXXXXXX Committee.

This is a very different approach from the old QV visits, but through this new form of Local Church Reviews we hope to support your congregation to develop your potential as a faith organisation within your community.

The Local Church Reviews are an opportunity to take time out in a facilitated group session to look at where you have been and where you want to be. It is hoped that this new LCR process will help create principles to shape the life of the congregation. It is aspirational and not prescriptive, and recognises that ‘one size does not fit all’.

This process is not intended to give you extra work or burden but it is hoped that, by the end of the facilitated sessions,Presbytery will have a clear picture of your plan for mission and outreach in your community and, where applicable, Presbytery will respond with the appropriate support to assist you in bringing people to faith.

The LCR will take the form of two visits to each congregation. At these sessions, there are group activities that all attending will be asked to participate in. The purposes of these activities are:

  • To elicit your congregation’s story.
  • To look at your parish profile at this moment in time.
  • To recognise your assets and strengths.
  • To set goals for the next five years through SMART objectives.
  • To identify any support/resources required to achieve your identified objectives.

As this is a congregational review, you may wish to consider who should be in attendance at the two LCR sessions. As well as Office Bearers, you can invite additional people from the congregation who have an impact on the life of the parish and are able to assist with the planning process – eg BB Captain.

Those in linked charges may wish to consider completing either both sessions or the second planning session jointly, to ensure that goals set for each congregation are manageable.

LOCAL CHURCH REVIEW TIMELINE

The Visiting Team

Will consist of 3 people – MDO*, Minister and either a Presbytery Elder or member of the Mission Committee. (* Or another Minister or Presbytery representative if no MDO.)

Charges to be visited

[List charges and dates]

Questionnaires

Both the Ministers’ and the Office Bearers’ questionnaires for all the charges in this round of LCR will be sent out after the XXXXXXXX Presbytery meeting.

The Ministers’ questionnaire will have a three-week return date.

The Office Bearers’ questionnaire will have a four to six week return date that can be extended on agreement, subject to the date of the relevant charge’s Session/Board meeting.

The questionnaires will come back to XXXXXXX to collate and send to the relevant members of the visiting team for information.

Group meeting with the LCR Ministers to be heldXXXXXXX.

Visits

The option sheet for the visits for Session 1 and Session 2 will be sent out with the Office Bearers’ questionnaire and should returned by [INSERT DATE]. The two LCR sessions and the Preaching Sunday to be agreed and confirmed on receipt of the option form.

Two 3hour evening sessions,OR

One 3hour Sunday afternoon session andone 3hour evening session,OR

Two 3hour Sunday afternoon sessions.

It would also be helpful for the visitation team if you can give an idea of numbers that are likely to attend the two LCR sessions.

The two sessions will require to take place in the church hall or within an open space where tables can be set up, if possible. If there is an issue with this, then please contact XXXXXXXX in advance so that other arrangementscan be made.

If it is felt that two 3hour sessions are too much for your congregation, then please contact XXXXXXXXto negotiate visits and group sessions appropriate to your charge.

REPORTING

The full report with any documentation from the two sessions and collated questionnaires will be sent back to the named church, with Presbytery andXXXXX holding a copy. A summarised version will be presented at Presbytery. The copies will be in digital format.

Proposed Structure of Report

Section 1

Details of Church visited and those involved.

Details of LCR Team visiting.

Date and times of visits.

Section 2

Key background information.

History.

Key events/impacts.

Anything of relevance to note from Minister’s meeting.

Section 3

Summary of the two group sessions.

Section 4

Conclusions and recommendations that will include:

  • Vision and goals in SMART objective format set at Session 2.
  • Any Presbytery input required or requested.
  • Time line for revisit.
  • Any recommendations.

A full report will be completed and returned to the Presbytery Clerk and the named charge within six weeks of final visit.

Local Church Review Option Form

Please complete LCR group session option grid and date preferences.

Return the option form via email to XXXXXXXX by [insert date]

This is to allow XXXXXX and the LCR visitation teams to set dates for your group sessions, taking into account your preferred dates where possible. Please note that the month you are allocated for review cannot be changed.

If a charge opts for a Sunday afternoon session, the allocated minister from the LCR team will take the service on that particular Sunday where possible.

It would be helpful to have an idea of numbers likely to be attending the two sessions. If you are able to supply that information at the moment then complete the box; if not this can be supplied nearer the LCR visit date.

Please note

Times are approximate for group sessions and may not last the full three hours, as it will be dependent on numbers attending.

In some charges, especially rural ones, it may be that a shorter pre-meet with the Office Bearers and representatives from the congregation before the action planning session (Session 2) will be sufficient. If this is the case, please contact XXXXXXXX to arrange.

Options for group sessions (must be completed):

Name of congregation:

Minister:

Session Clerk:

Group Sessions / Yes/No / Number attending
Two evening sessions or 3hours, either
6–9pm or 7–10pm.
One 3hour Sunday afternoon session and
one 3hour evening session.
Two 3hour Sunday afternoon sessions.
Month LCR due / Preferred dates for visits

QUESTIONS FOR THE OFFICE BEARERS

Rationale

As part of the Local Church Review, this questionnaire has been distributed to Session Clerks involved in the LCR process for [insert date] and requires to be completed at the next available Session/Board/ Managers’ meeting.

The responses will be collated in advance of the two congregational LCR sessions and distributed to the relevant personnel on your congregation’s visitation team. The key questions within the questionnaire will help inform and lay the basis for the group sessions

Returns

Please return the completed questionnaire by email if possible to XXXXXXXXXXX

By [insert date]

If you have any queries about the questionnaire or the LCR process, or if you require paper copies of the LCR documents, then please contact XXXXXXXX

Linked charges

If you are in a linked charge, you may wish to consider whether it would be beneficial to all concerned to compete any of this process jointly. It might be that combining the second group session only will be helpful in getting an overview of the goals for both congregations. There is no requirement to do this as you are individual congregations, but it is important to bear in mind the capacity of your Minister and this maybe a goal you would like to achieve jointly.

If you decide to complete any of the group sessions together, please inform XXXXXX when you return the questionnaire. Thank you.

OFFICE BEARERS’ QUESTIONNAIRE

Name of Parish:

Session Clerk:

Type of Constitution:

WORSHIP

1. / Please give details of numbers attending worship on regular basis, age range and gender
Numbers:
Age range and gender:
2. / What opportunities are available to members/Office Bearers to participate in the preparation and leading of worship on a regular basis and/r at specific times throughout the Christian calendar?

OFFICE BEARERS:

1. / What is the number and age spread of your active Office Bearers?
2. / How are new Office Bearers recruited and trained?
3. / Are there opportunities for training and continuous learning for existing elders?
4. / Do you have committees or subgroups in place,eg Pastoral Care group, Mission group? If so, what is their make-up, egoffice bearers only, or office bearers and members of the congregation?

CONGREGATION

1. / Please list the organisations and groups under the auspices of the Kirk Session and how long they run throughout the year, [eg Guild meets weekly on a Mon pm from Aug–May].
2. / Do external groups use the church premises? If so, please list them and as above please note how often they met and how long they run through the year.
3. / Does the congregation employ any paid staff? Who manages such staff?
4. / What proportion of the membership lives outside the parish boundaries?
5. / What opportunities exist for continuing Christian education for all ages?
6. / What involvement is there with community projects/programmes and initiatives?
7. / Is there opportunity to minister in schools, nursing/residential homes, sheltered housing facilities within the parish, and who undertakes this?

MINISTERS’ QUESTIONNNAIRE

Rationale

It is important that as we undertake these new forms of Local Church Reviews (LCR) we think outside the box a little.

Although ministry is a very autonomous work life, with the parish being the workplace, it is still a workplace and, as such, it is important for Presbytery to support a healthy working environment that supports spiritual, physical and mental health and wellbeing. For the Church of Scotland to be successful as a faith organisation, it needs a resilient workforce.

The incidence of stress and anxiety are on the increase and some of the factors contributing to this are outwith people’s control, but being resilient is a way of ensuring that events that might cause stress do not have a negative impact.

Protective factors that support wellbeing do not stand alone, and that is why it is important within the review to look holistically at the parish, family life, lifestyles, leadership and management, and organisational support. We consider the good health of a church in its worship, service, fellowship, discipleship and evangelism to be important but so, equally, is the good health of those who take on the call to lead this process and God’s work.