Looking Back
Feb 23, 2016
Looking Back
Toronto GridFinance
Mission
1
Lack the resources (people, networks, buildings, spiritual health, money) to
carry out their mission
1
1
1
STRUGGLING: (%)
1 1
3 3
STRATEGIC: (%)
Deanery Grid
1
1
2
STATIC: (%)
1
No clear mission to context,
inward looking, maintenance
focused
1
4
1
1
3
SUSTAINABLE: (%)
Able to articulate and demonstrate
a vital mission and ministry
appropriate to context
1
1
2 1
1
Have the resources (people, networks, buildings, spiritual health, money) to
carry out their mission
Looking Around
•Discovering the heart of God•Growing disciples•Reaching new generations•Transforming communities•Practising generosity
Looking Ahead
1. 40% of Stipendiary clergy will retire by 2020
2. Financial demands will increase in the same period.
2013-2018Diocese of Lichfield
to lose 40 stipendiary clergy
Could we afford these budget increases?
BUT that would mean we could not afford as many clergy as now.
But if we cannot pay more, then the reduced
numbers of stipends will look like this
2014 to 2018 …
End 2013
End 2014
End of 2015
End of 2016
End 2017
WOLVES(44%)
5.72 3.96 (9.68)
3.08 (12.76)
2.64 (15.4)
2.2 (17.6)
STOKE(36%)
4.68 3.24 (7.92)
2.52 (10.44)
2.16 (12.6)
1.8 (14.4)
SALOP(20%)
2.60 1.8 (4.4)
1.4 (5.8)
1.2 (7.00)
1.0 (8.00)
TOTAL 13 9 (22) 7 (29) 6 (35) 5(40)
Looking Different
We need clergy to:-• Celebrate the sacraments• Focus prayer and pastoral care• Provide theological reflection• Be a living reminder of God’s
claim upon people’s lives
In the Garden of Eden
Key:The Flock
The Shepherd
Every Vicar with a Church, every Church with a Vicar
After the Fall… in numbers
Key:The Flocks
The Ranchers
“Cursed is the ground… by the sweat of your brow you will eat your food”
The Nightmare Vision
“I, even I only,am left” (Elijah)
Key:Sheep without a shepherd
Vicar having nervous breakdown
Arise the Team
“The load is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone” Jethro
Key:The Ministered-to
Vicar The ministry Team (NSM, reader, authorised people)
Focal Ministries
Key:
Christian community with focal leaders
Stipendiary Priest - Focal ministry for one Church
- Oversight over others
Focal Ministers (each could be a small team)
“If anyone sets his heart in being an overseer, he desires a noble heart” [Paul to Timothy]
Missionary Communities
Key:
Missionary Communities who share the faith by word and deed
Stipendiary Priest - Focal ministry for one Church
- Oversight over others
Focal Ministers
And all are trained for their roles!
Clergy
Laity
Clergy
Laity
Min
istry
Disc
iple
ship
KoinoniaWhat we have in
commonWhat we share with
each other
We go forward under the mandate of the One who has all authority in heaven and earth.
Christ’s sovereignty We go forward together – the ‘Go’ of the Great Commission is directed at the whole church.
Christ’s SendingWe go forward with the pledge of God’s presence – ‘ I am with you until the end of time’.
Christ’s sustaining
So the choice for every human being is between death or death
The death of letting-go that hurts like hell but leads to resurrection, or the death of slow extinction as all the energies are spent on getting and keeping - instead of living and giving.The same can be said of every church congregation.