Circuit Mission Policy

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Agreed at Circuit Meeting

30th June 2009

1. Our Mission

To Love Christ,

To Grow in Christ,

To Show Christ's love,

To Make Christ known.

2. Our Vision

The sense of mission conveyed here can be furthered through a statement of vision which expresses the kind of Circuit we seek to be:

The Middlesbrough and Eston Methodist Circuit seeks to be a connected community united in Christ to pursue our common mission. We are dependent on God's grace and dedicated to God's service. We seek to nurture Christian discipleship which can take root, develop and flourish. We seek to share our stories of God's love with others in the hope that they too will come to faith. We seek to show Christian love in action in the hope that the vulnerable will grow stronger and that the poor will be helped. We aim to be passionately committed to:

" God centred worship which is biblically based, doctrinally sound, culturally relevant and accessible to all

" Underpinning our sense of mission with a strong commitment to prayerfulness

" Life-long learning as a fundamental element of our common vocation as disciples of Jesus

" Mutual support, encouragement and care

" Showing God's love for society through practical acts of service

" Sharing our faith with others - always with gentleness and respect

" Helping others to grow in their Christian discipleship.

3. Our Strategy

1. Encourage each church to adopt the Circuit's mission statement as their own and to develop their own vision, strategy and three year action plan that is rooted in this mission and in the needs of each local context. It is hoped that each local vision statement will begin with the phrase 'As part of the Middlesbrough and Eston Methodist Circuit XXXXXXX Methodist Church will …'

2. Enable Circuit outreach projects and partnerships to grow and develop by resourcing and encouraging prayerful, financial and practical support and providing opportunities for everyone to become involved

3. Actively seek to work ecumenically whenever possible

4. Co-ordinate training programmes in order that everyone may feel supported as they grow in their service of God

5. Encourage and train churches to develop their work with children and young people - to reach out to them where they are and nurture them in their faith and discipleship

6. Develop mechanisms to ensure that workers within the church (lay/ordained - paid/voluntary) feel well supported, valued and cared for

7. Continue to raise funds through Churches' Offerings to the Circuit (also known as Assessments) and through applications to other sources in order that the Circuit's mission can be fulfilled effectively

8. Provide resources for effective and efficient administration to serve the Circuit

9. Ensure good communication of Circuit work and concerns to both church and the wider community

10. Work to ensure that the work of the Circuit is informed by and responsive to the concerns and needs of the wider community

11. Continue to encourage innovation in expressions of worship, discipleship, fellowship, service to the wider community and evangelism

12. Wherever possible, support churches as they seek to develop buildings in order to make them more effective resources for worship, outreach and community service.

13. Support all groups that exist to nurture faith, fellowship, outreach and community service.

4. Our Action Plan: 2009/10

Action When

Evaluate the effectiveness of the circuit review process and procedure in order to record lessons learnt to assist the next review in 2011 - 2012. June/July 2009

Focus on Circuit Leadership Structures in order to continue or form the following groups: September 2009

Circuit Finance Team (to assist the Circuit Stewards in the preparation, communication; agreement and management of the Circuit annual budget); September 2009

Circuit Property and Policies Team (to assist the Circuit Stewards in coordinating the planned maintenance of manses, overseeing quinquennial review and other schedules and developing generic policies {e.g. risk assessments} to assist the work of mission in each local place); September 2009

Circuit Communications Team (to assist the Circuit Stewards in coordinating mechanisms and processes to ensure effective communication both within the circuit and beyond); September 2009

Circuit Training Team (to assist the Circuit Stewards in coordinating the delivery of suitable training programmes in accordance with the Circuit Action Plan and in response to specific needs which may be identified at any given time); September 2009

Form and establish a Circuit Mission and Development Team (CMDT) which should consist of the ordained staff, any probationers and the circuit stewards. This team will replace the present Circuit Leadership Team.

It will be the role of the CMDT to oversee the development of the Circuit's life in accordance with the Circuit mission, vision, strategy and action plan. The CMDT should evaluate progress each year, report this progress to the June Circuit Meeting and recommend detailed action plans for each successive year to be approved by the June Circuit Meeting. September 2009

Re-establish coordinated approach to Children's ministry across the circuit.

Autumn 2009

Focus on developing each church's policies with respect to church life and mission. Each church to be encouraged to adopt the Circuit's mission statement and develop their own vision, strategy and action plan in the light of this. Church strategy documents to be in place by June 2010.

Training focus on mission/community audits to inform each church's thinking with respect to planning for the development of church life and mission and to develop confidence in sharing the faith with others. To begin in autumn 2009 and continue to June 2010

Support project based outreach ministries through management and support committees, especially in training paid staff and volunteers. To begin in autumn 2009.

Focus on increasing awareness of project based ministries and partnerships (eg. Live at Home, Kara) to be achieved through MEMO; Circuit Prayer Diary; Rota for project co-ordinators each to contribute to Sunday worship once a quarter until all churches have seen each project co-ordinator; consider developing a 'special Sundays' calendar so everyone has opportunity to think about and pray for the work of each project each year. To begin in autumn 2009.

CMDT to review and respond to business plans and annual reports from project based ministries. To begin in autumn 2009.

Establish Management and Support Committee for Families Outreach Project. (Other Projects already have this in place) September 2009

Circuit wide audit of CRBs and safeguarding policies. Spring 2010

Explore continuation funding for MEMCRASP (if necessary), Youth Works and diaconate ministry. To begin in summer 2009 and continue to June 2010

Review financial provision for the work of the Circuit Office and ensure adequate provision November 2009

Increase awareness of the financial demands upon the circuit through MEMO, speaking at services, involving church treasurers earlier in the Circuit's budgeting processes. To begin in autumn 2009.

Following Conference 2009, review appointment of Rev. Martin Ramsden with recommendations to be made to Circuit Meeting in September 2009. June 2009 to September 2009

Following Conference 2010, review appointment of Deacon Jane Gibson with recommendations to be made to Circuit Meeting in September 2010. June 2010 to September 2010

Report progress against the Action Plan in June to Circuit Meeting and agree the Action Plan for the coming year. June 2010

Circuit Service to celebrate the work of God during the past year. July 2010

Arrange Circuit social gathering. July 2010

4. Indicative Action Plan for 2010 - 2011

Action

Respond to church reviews and project business plan reviews seeking to offer training and support which is identified in those processes.

Other training provision to focus particularly on growth in discipleship / understanding of vocation / training for office holders / support of community outreach initiatives / ministry to children and young people.

Continue initiatives to raise awareness of project based ministries and partnerships.

Seek continuation funding for Families Outreach Project.

Seek continuation funding for Project Funding and Development work.

Report progress in June to Circuit Meeting and agree objectives for the coming year.

Circuit Service to celebrate the work of God during the past year

Arrange Circuit social gathering

Initiate review of Circuit Strategy.

Following Conference 2011, review appointment of Rev. Huw Sperring with recommendations to be made to Circuit Meeting in September 2011.

5. Indicative Action Plan for 2011 - 2012

Action

Continue to support churches, projects and other ministries to develop in accordance with their identified policies and sense of vision.

Review Circuit Strategy and report to June Circuit Meeting.

Training Focus on Evangelism, Fresh Expressions of Church and Making Christ Known

Explore continuation funding for Chinese ministry.

Report progress in June to Circuit Meeting and agree objectives for the coming year.

Circuit Service to celebrate the work of God during the past year

Arrange Circuit social gathering

Adopt Circuit Strategy document for period 2012 - 2015.

Following Conference, review appointment of Revs. Rosemary Nash, Susan Greenwood, Lawrence Law with recommendations to be made to Circuit Meeting in September 2012.