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Looking Back. Toronto Grid. Finance. Mission. Deanery Grid. 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
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Toronto Grid Finance Mission
Deanery Grid Have the resources (people, networks, buildings, spiritual health, money) to carry out their mission
Discovering the heart of God • Growing disciples • Reaching new generations • Transforming communities • Practising generosity
40% of Stipendiary clergy will retire by 2020 • Financial demands will increase in the same period.
2013-2018 Diocese 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 …
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
The Shepherd Key: The Flock In the Garden of Eden Every Vicar with a Church, every Church with a Vicar
The Ranchers Key: The Flocks After the Fall… in numbers “Cursed is the ground… by the sweat of your brow you will eat your food”
Vicar having nervous breakdown Key: Sheep without a shepherd The Nightmare Vision “I, even I only,am left” (Elijah)
The ministry Team (NSM, reader, authorised people) Vicar Key: The Ministered-to Arise the Team “The load is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone” Jethro
Stipendiary Priest - Focal ministry for one Church - Oversight over others Key: Focal Ministers (each could be a small team) Christian community with focal leaders Focal Ministries “If anyone sets his heart in being an overseer, he desires a noble heart” [Paul to Timothy]
Stipendiary Priest - Focal ministry for one Church - Oversight over others Key: Focal Ministers Missionary Communities who share the faith by word and deed Missionary Communities And all are trained for their roles!
Clergy Laity
Clergy Discipleship Ministry Laity
Koinonia What we have in common What 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 Sending We 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.