The Glen Waverley Uniting Church PSALTER
Proposal for New Structures at Glen Waverley Uniting Church
Executive Summary
The Steering Committee believes that for these proposals to be successful, they should be taken together. There is also a significant amount of work remaining to be done, which should be undertaken by the new Church Council.
Recommendation 0: That these recommendations be taken en bloc and voted upon as a single group. The new Church Council is to take responsibility for all subsequent management and implementation of these plans beyond 1 Sep 2013.
At the core of these recommendations is the need for the whole church community to "accept and affirm" each other in a spirit of love. Our first two recommendations address this need.
Recommendation 1: All church groups, recognizing the importance of intentional worship, are encouraged to set aside time in group meetings to participate in a) deep personal reflection and sharing of concerns (10 minutes); b) interactive and reflective group bible study (10 minutes).
Recommendation 2: Every member of the congregation be encouraged to belong to a faith sharing and pastoral care group. Particular emphasis should be on developing cross age groups. Such groups would meet at a time to suit them and oversight would be through the Faith Development and Inclusive Mission Groups.
The Steering Committee was asked specifically to look at how to reduce the size of Council in a "pastorally sensitive way", and to move to a Council where 50% of its members were under 55 years in age. This recommendation addresses that brief.
Recommendation 3: That the congregation proceed to call for nominations for the 10 elected members to the new church council, and that elections be held in time for the new council to take over responsibility from the existing church council from 1 Sep 2013. Existing Councillors will be asked to voluntarily stand down from the council, unless elected as councillors from 1 Sep 2013. A service of thanksgiving to be held early in Sep 2013 for those councillors voluntarily standing down.
Recommendation 3b: That congregation recognises that a generational change in church leadership is of great importance for the future vitality of GWUC and that active steps are made towards this goal.
Recommendation 3c: That the congregation notes that the Council will continue to include up to two co-opted members of the congregation, and encourages the Ministry Team to identify one of their number who shall be the designated Council member from the Ministry Team.
In addition, the Elders Council also needed to be reduced in size, and merged with the new Council.
Recommendation 4: That the congregation acknowledge the devoted service of the many elders called to serve at Glen Waverley since Union, and recognizing the need for a clear spiritual direction for the church, approve the new identity of 10 joint Elders and Councillors from 1 Sep 2013, and encourage all existing Elders to voluntarily stand down as elders (unless elected as new councillors and elders), and transfer their service roles to the new worship and pastoral task groups. A service of thanksgiving to be held early in Sep 2013 for those elders voluntarily standing down.
The existing Mission Groups are asked to take over much of the work that previously occupied Church Council. This recommendation formalizes the transfer of such responsibilities to the Mission Groups.
Recommendation 5: That the congregation adopt the new governance structure transferring day-to-day stewardship of church life to the four Mission Groups: Faith Development, Inclusive Community, Community Hub, and Outreach, including the formation of specific task teams within Mission Groups where needed.
Most of the work of the Mission Groups will be undertaken by small groups, of whom the members will be all members of the congregation, called according to their spiritual gifts.
Recommendation 6: That the congregation calls upon all members to join in the activities of at least one Mission Group so that all members shall be seen as servants of the community.
There continues to be a need for the existing committees of Property, Finance and Communications.
Recommendation 7: That the congregation affirm the continuing need for the current responsibilities of each of the Property Committee, Finance Committee, and Communications Committee, and asks each of them to review their operations in the light of these new church structures, and any new directives from the new Church Council.
The Ministry Team will be expected to undertake a significant part of their ministry through the Mission Groups. They will also have an altered relationship with the Church Council to improve council-team liaison.
Recommendation 8: That the congregation requests the Ministry Team to identify amongst themselves their time allocation to each of the four Mission Groups, and to nominate the primary Ministry Team member for each Mission Group, and for the new Church Council.
More detail and background on these recommendations is available on the wiki at http://wiki.gwuc.org.au/gwuc/ChurchFutureScProposal, or in paper form from the Church Office.