Agenda and MinutesSPECIAL CIRCUIT MEETING
JULY 6th at ADDINGHAM at 7:30pm
MINUTES
Opening devotions led by Revd Arnold Clay on seeking guidance for our Mission Present Rev Arnold Clay; Rev Rob Hilton; Michael Noble; Angela Pearson; Geoff Halsall; Sheila Carruthers; Chris Eagle; Enid Eagle; Alan East; John Sayers; Robert Warren; Patsy Bastow; Sue Gray; Juliet Amos; Tom Collins: Brian Scott; Steve Pitts; Brian Armitage; Rita Armitage; Chris Mannall; Helen Singleton; Ann Gill Apologies Roger Davy; Judith Smith: Tim Mutton; Debbie Mashiter 1a) New Chair of District. Rev Peter Whittaker will retire in 2011. A new appointment needs to be made at Conference next year so that the new appointee can shadow Peter for a year. Please email any views to AP so she can contact Rev Jacky Hale. 1b) Circuit business AP i) Circuit weekend feedback has been good but no plans for repeat until new boundaries have been agreed. ii)“Heave 2009” a boat from Leeds is being pushed around a district route. It will be in Addingham on July 21 at 3pm when it will stop in the school car park iii)Ilkley will host Sept 2010 synod at Christchurch. Volunteers needed for car park etc. iv)Rev Peter Whittaker will lead Beamsley anniversary 2010 on May 16th Please give your full support. v)Dates for circuit news letter to AP from all churches please. 2 A Way Forward For Mission see enclosed notes from Mike Dixon (following these minutes) Update from MN • A circuit is a resource for each church to draw on for mission. • New circuits will create dynamism • New circuit agreed in Airedale Sept 1st including Silsden • No further development in the part of Leeds district nearest us, • Two others – Bradford North and Bradford South agreed • Ilkley is not an “average “circuit • Changes will be national There followed much discussion. MN - the driver is to liberate resources in the locality to be used more effectively. The Circuit Leadership Team will draw up a paper for discussion at the next Circuit meeting Tuesday 15 September at Ben Rhydding. The meeting closed with a prayer. “A Way Forward For Mission” Mission objectives of the individual churches Addingham: • Improve outreach to children and young people through new initiatives in Junior Church and youth work. (Seek to share with Christchurch in the appointment of a Youth and Community Worker.) • Create self-awareness whereby people are helped to discover their God-given gifts and talents and to use them in Christian service • Deepen the spiritual life of the church through study, worship, fellowship and prayer Beamsley: • The small number of members poses the question, ‘How do we maintain regular worship and fellowship on this site?’ An examination of the frequency / timing / nature of services is required, and a fresh consideration of church structures and governance? • Development of Beamsley Chapel as a Circuit and Project resource – a quiet, sacred space for others to enjoy • Convene a small group to consider the future of Beamsley and its further enhancement for the benefit of Circuit and Project. Ben Rhydding: • Establishing a ‘Way Forward’ group to share ideas • Outreach possibilities include a monthly luncheon club and regular Saturday coffee mornings for local residents and, hopefully, some of the large number of people who use the premises through the week • Closer links with St John’s • Nurture and growth of their members by undertaking a York Course (beginning with the one on the Lord’s Prayer) at their Wednesday meetings Christchurch: Christchurch is in the midst of re-thinking where we are with our vision: “Christ at the centre of the Church at the heart of the town”. The following is a brief abstract from the midst of that process July 2009. So far we’ve identified three areas for focussed development: Space – A re-ordering of internal space within the current building. • Spiritual space – a set aside space for prayer, quiet and counselling which is always quiet and available. The sanctuary – is not big enough for both congregations to worship together • More efficient use of space, for example office space, not going through one room to enter another etc • Extension to the Coffee Centre to provide a more relaxed lounge area with sofas coffee tables etc • A more attractive entrance and reception area • All the premises DDA compliant and Wi-Fi connected. Community Engagement – mission shaped, much more outward looking. • Spirituality – reaching un-churched people with the gospel – meet the spiritual hunger that ‘The Happiness Centre’ is tapping into and we’re not! A Christian prayer and healing presence at the Ilkley Alternative Medicine event for example • Desire to reach more young people – CTI Uprising is providing opportunities. Appoint a new Community worker late this year. • Co-operate with activities led by other community groups on the premises Tensions – An external focus will require internal change • A tension exists between care for and feeding the current membership, and reaching out to meet new people and evangelism • Current strong and dear traditions will be challenged by a mission perspective • Christchurch needs to be seen even more as a people rather than a place ‘What is our Circuit’s vision for the future?’ In moving into the next phase of our journey we need to have in mind the nature of Mission. Discussion led to the following statements about the meaning of Mission for us: • Serving the communities in which we are placed and responding to their needs • Offering Christ to others / Bringing people to Christ • Developing effective Worship that is relevant and accessible • Providing Christian pastoral care The way forward must be driven by discerning what God is calling us to do and liberating resources in the locality to fulfil that mission. Our resources: • People – paid and voluntary • Buildings – current and potential, adapted (or relinquished?) • Finance What is the value of a larger grouping of churches to fulfil this Mission? • Enlargement means an opening up and sharing of resources. New opportunities in mutual support, in training, in the sharing of specialist staff – administrators, youth workers, presbyters and deacons. • It provides an opportunity to create relevant structures for the times we live in. For instance, a new grouping could include centres of employment so that mission in the workplace as well as mission in our home communities is supported, or churches that may be widely separated but share a similar social and demographic make-up in their communities could be grouped together • There can be savings of scale in fulfilling administrative demands, and responding to external bureaucratic pressures from organisations like the Charity Commission, or in regard to Safeguarding, etc. At the same time, the Methodist Church at connexional level needs to look at its own organisation and bureaucracy to relieve presbyters and others of unnecessary administrative work • A new enlarged grouping could capture ecumenical boundaries within it, fostering relations with other denominations. A way forward that includes LEPs and URC churches (and possibly others) in the grouping must be borne in mind. We must recognise existing local ecumenical links and share in the resources available to strengthen them. Is the mission of the Circuit different to the sum of its individual parts? One response was that membership of a larger grouping gives us access to resources – human, buildings and finance, that provide for activities such as training, World Mission initiatives, Circuit Weekends, and the like, that would be beyond the capabilities of individual churches. Michael Noble, in his role as District Development Enabler, gave us other important points to ponder. The Circuit needs to have a policy/strategy to decide what resources it needs and can finance, and also for the use of those resources. As Circuit is the resource unit within the Methodist Church it has jurisdiction over allocation. The Circuit Meeting has the power to impose on constituent churches constraints on the way they use such resources, be they financial or matters of personnel. “We don’t accept your use of resources in undertaking this or that activity”, or “We perceive that you are into maintenance rather than mission. We will give you a reduced level of support commensurate with maintenance.” How would you respond to these new realities? Mike Dixon July 2009 |
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