Three Year Session Visit

Appendix 12

THREE YEAR SESSION VISIT

Conducted by COM liaison team with Pastor(s) and Session

CONSTITUTIONAL MANDATE

The Committee on Ministry has the responsibility (G-3.0307) to:

...visit with each session of the presbytery at least once every three years, discussing with them the mission and ministry of the particular church and encouraging the full participation of each session and congregation in the life and work of presbytery and of the larger church. (W-1.4002)

BEFORE YOU VISIT

The liaison team should send a letter to the Clerk of Session requesting time for a discussion on the docket of a session meeting. At the same time, the liaison team needs to make an appointment to meet with the pastor(s) apart from the session meeting. So that the team will be better informed about the congregation before the visit, the following list of papers should be requested—as they are appropriate and easily available. The letter should ask the clerk to include anything else that might be of help to the liaison team.

In addition, the liaison team should download the ten-year statistical profile for the particular congregation from http:///www.pcusa.org/tenyeartrends/pages/default.jsp

LIST OF PAPERS TO BE REQUESTED

·  List of names and addresses of session members

·  The church’s website address

·  Latest annual report (financial and program) as distributed to the congregation

·  Recent issues of the church newsletter

·  Recent Sunday bulletins

·  Copy of latest stewardship campaign materials

·  Any statement the session may have adopted about the church’s mission

·  Any printed materials about the congregation that is given to new members

·  Copy of the church’s anniversary booklet, if recent

·  Copy of major fund drive booklet, if recent

·  Copy of Mission Study, if recent

·  Copy of Church Information Form, if recent

·  Any other printed material that might give a picture of the church’s program and mission

VISIT WITH SESSION

This is to be a pastoral visit, not an inquisition. The questions below are offered as suggestions. They are not part of a checklist. Use your own judgment as to which to use—or make up other questions. After introductions but before discussion, it might be useful to mention the provisions of the Book of Order that call for a triennial visit with sessions

·  What are your dreams for the church? For the community?

·  What do you see as the strengths of the congregation? What ministries are thriving, fulfilling your Christian mission and why are they thriving? What ministries need the attention of Session?

·  Are there areas in which you would like to grow?

·  Are there gaps in your program you would like to fill?

·  Are you clear about the relationship of your congregation and the Presbytery?

·  In general, how can we, or other committees of Presbytery, be helpful to you?

·  What have you accomplished in the last few years that you would like to share with us?

·  How would you describe your congregation? If a thoughtful stranger were to ask the Session “Why is your congregation ‘in business?” what would you say to him or her?

·  If the congregation were given an undesignated gift of $1,000,000, how would you suggest that it be used?

·  If your congregation dissolved today, what difference would it make to the community?

·  How do you interpret the ten-year data supplied by the denomination?

·  How is your community changing? How do you understand the social and demographic realities that surround your neighborhood?

·  How would you describe the ministry of your pastor(s)?

·  What roles in the next five years do you expect him/her to fulfill?

It is appropriate also to discuss the effectiveness of the pastoral ministry and matters relating to the pastoral relationship during both the visit with the pastor(s) and the visit with the session. It is expected that the pastor(s) will be excused from at least a portion of the visit with the session so these discussions may be engaged in easily.

VISIT WITH PASTOR(S) BEFORE OR AFTER SESSION MEETING

The preparation done for the meeting with the session is equally applicable to this visit. State the purpose of your meeting with the pastor, formally, to fulfill the requirements of the Book of Order (G-3.0307), and ask his/her opinion on how most helpfully to fulfill the requirement. Ask how the Committee on Ministry can be of help to session members in their individual pastoral situation or to the session as a whole, and how other committees of Presbytery might be of assistance to the congregation.

Possible Questions:

·  How, friend, are you doing? I.e. along the lines of family life, professional challenges, devotional life, life-long learning, collegiality.

·  As far as you can discern, what will shape your priorities in the next three years?

·  What (or how) can the Presbytery of New Brunswick be helpful to you, your ministry, and the congregation?

·  What are you pursuing in the arena of “professional development?”

Or—What is the best book you have read in a while?

·  When we meet with the session, how would you like us to proceed?

·  How and about what may we now pray for you?

AFTER THE MEETINGS

·  The liaison team prepares a written report;

·  The team sends a letter of thanks to the pastor and clerk, including a copy of the written report;

·  Copies of the report are distributed at the next COM meeting, with supplementary oral comments on concerns or other negative aspects, if any;

·  A copy of the report and any other papers or printed materials should be given to the Presbytery office for the church’s file.

The Committee on Evangelism and Church Development prepared a description of a Mission Critical Church, approved by Mission Council in December 2007, much of which provides a useful conceptual framework for reviewing the ministry and health of any congregation. The various elements of the Mission Critical Church definition may form the basis for questions, along with the other sample questions provided above.

A Mission Critical Church is a church which

I Enthusiastically pursues the Great Ends of the Church,

II Has undergone a mission study and has adopted an appropriate strategy for its ministry,

III Is strategically significant to the overall ministry of the Presbytery and the PCUSA

I Enthusiastically pursues the Great Ends of the Church as evidenced by characteristics such as those listed.

A Proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind 1

1. There is a clear program of outreach to the immediate area and beyond. 2

2.  New believers are being brought into the church. 2

3. Members are being equipped as evangelists. 2

4. Sermons are preached on the call to be evangelists.

B The shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God .1

1.  There is a joyful spirit. 2

2.  There is evidence of changed lives.

3.  There is a true sense of community as demonstrated by a significant bond between members .2

4.  The spirit of the community emphasizes deep relationship with God and true spirituality. 2

5.  There is broad participation and a significant level of volunteerism.

6.  There is broad based lay leadership and decisions are made collaboratively.

7.  The programs and leadership respond to the spiritual needs and the lives of the members in all their diversity. 2

8.  Leadership boldly confronts real problems within membership. 2

C. The maintenance of divine worship 1

1. Worship is innovative, thoughtful, alive, and relevant. 2

2.  Worship honors Christian tradition but is not static. 2

3.  There is a joyful spirit in worship. 2

4.  Attendance at worship is being maintained or increased

D. The preservation of the truth 1

1.  Worship has scripture-based preaching .2

2.  Scripture-based Christian Education is provided for all ages.

E. The promotion of social righteousness. 1

1. The church boldly and actively confronts real issues within the community.

2. The church reaches out to people and needs in the immediate area and beyond. 2

F.  The exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world .1

1.  The church is welcoming and open to everyone 2

2. The church responds to spiritual and physical needs in the community

II Has undergone a mission study and has adopted an appropriate strategy for its ministry

A.  The church has a clear vision for its ministry and has adopted mission and vision statements within the past five years.

B.  The church is clear about the target population it is trying to reach. 2

C.  The church is undergoing a redevelopment/transformation process( if needed). The church has either conducted a study of itself and the neighborhood and found evidence of strength in the six areas of redevelopment/transformation or has undertaken the redevelopment/transformation process and shows clear evidence of change including progress in these areas:

·  Spiritual Energy

·  Church Identity

·  Re-Connecting to the Community

·  Leadership

·  Ministry Plan

·  Financial plan

D. The church has adopted three to five year goals and objectives.

III Is strategically significant to the overall ministry of the Presbytery due to one or more of the following:

A.  Critical location where the population warrants the presence of a congregation

B.  A ministry that is unique either in its target population or in its response to the needs of the community

C.  Potential for ministry due to the demographics of its area

D.  Unique contribution toward the Presbytery’s mission and vision 3

E.  Significant contribution to the denomination’s goals for racial ethnic diversity 4

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1. The Great Ends of the Church, Book of Order G-1.01

2. Taken from When Better Isn’t Enough by Jill Hudson

3. Plan of Presbytery, Sections 1.02 and 1.02

4. PCUSA 211th General Assembly’s adopted racial ethnic goals (10% by 2005, 20% by 2010)

5. Percept Map, Interview, question 10