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Organisation - how our church works
1: The overall Spiritual Leadership of the Church will be the responsibility of a Kirk Session.
a) The responsibilities of the Kirk Session
As the spiritual leadership of the Church of Scotland in Stockethill the Kirk Session will:
Fulfill the responsibilities given to it by the presbytery, New Charge Committee (or equivalent) and General Assembly
Discern and communicate the vision and direction for the entire church.
Listen to the various ministry teams, community groups, individual members and the congregation as a whole as part of their discerning the vision and direction of the church.
Be responsible for strategic decision making in light of that vision
Decide upon doctrinal matters within the church (e.g. baptism, communion, marriage, appointing of elders, etc) in light of church law and practise
Teach in the church at all levels. Whilst not expected to do all the teaching, they have to make sure that the church is being well taught and that the teaching is orthodox.
Pray for the entire congregation.
Oversee the various ministries in the church and any individual exercising a particular role in or on behalf of the church. The Kirk Session has a responsibility for making sure that they are sufficiently resourced, well led and understand clearly the expectations put upon them. They also hold the various ministries etc accountable for their activities.
Oversee the entire congregation making sure that individuals have opportunity to grow, minister, be cared for, and contribute to the life of the church. The Kirk Session also exercises discipline when appropriate.
Make sure that the church’s resources are used wisely and appropriately in line with the purpose, vision and identified priorities
Identify opportunities for planting new congregations and oversee their development
Move the church towards full status
b) The initial appointment of elders
After teaching on the role of and qualifications for eldership the congregation are asked to consider whether they or others in the congregation are called to the ministry of elder and submit names, in confidence, to the Leadership Team for consideration.
The Leadership Team, in consultation with the Commission, assess whether the names submitted are suitable candidates as elders.
After consideration by the Leadership Team and Commission, those identified as potential candidates are invited to take part in a six month training programme during which time their call to the ministry might be tested by themselves and the Leadership Team/Commission.
Final assessment takes place, elders are ordained and the Kirk Session formed.
Ideally the Kirk Session will be made up of a minimum of 4 and maximum of 6 (including the minister)
A timetable for all the above will be put in place with the Kirk Session formed no later than January 2008.
The Leadership Team will undertake the same training process as the potential elders. The formation of the Kirk Session will provide an opportunity for the members of the Leadership Team to consider whether to step back from that role or, as ordained elders, to be part of the new Session.
c) The subsequent appointment of elders
The congregation will need to be regularly taught on the ministry of elders
A regular call for candidates for assessment to be come forward or be recommended by others will be made
The current Kirk Session will make both the initial assessment of the suitability of suggested candidates and the final appointment after a period of training and testing of the call.
A process will need to be put in place which helps current elders to consider if they remain called to serve in their current role.
2: The organisational structure of the church.
a) Appointments to specific roles and/or responsibilities in the church will be made by the Kirk Session.
Those given such roles will be responsible to the Kirk Session for the exercise of their ministry. On a day to day basis that oversight will be carried out by the minister or other appointed elder.
b) The Kirk Session will appoint ‘team leaders’ to oversee specific areas of the churches work and to lead a team if appropriate (for example in children’s ministry; youth ministry; worship; prayer; admin).
Each team leader will be given a job description
The team leaders will meet regularly, along with the Kirk Session, for prayer, fellowship, mutual encouragement, sharing of information, leadership training and input into the vision and strategic planning of the church as a whole.
c) The Kirk Session will appoint Community Group leaders and leaders of new congregations who will meet together as and when appropriate.
A list of the current and potential ‘team leaders’ is given below.
Those who would currently be ‘team leaders’ under the new system
Children’s co-ordinator* –
Treasurer –
Administrator –
Intercession (Anchor Group)* –
Worship Leader –
Hospitality* –
Alpha Co-ordinator* (for current Alpha course) –
Stocket Grange Congregation Co-ordinator* –
(Pastoral Care – to begin soon hopefully)
* Actually leading a team
Potential ‘team leader’ positions
Youth Co-ordinator –
Small Groups Co-ordinator –
Teaching Team Co-ordinator -
Sunday @ Centre set up and take down –
Evangelism
Woodhill Court –
Community Involvement –
Prayer ministry & Counselling
Communication and Publicity
Discipleship
???????
Others with specific roles in the church at present
Child protection coordinator –
Newsletter editor –
How to Drug Proof…course –
BACKGROUND PAPER ON THE PROPOSALS FOR REORGANISATION OF STOCKETHILL CHURCH STRUCTURES (18/09/06)
What is the Church?
The church is a community of people which needs some form of organisation the larger it gets the more formalised the organisation needs to become (see for example Acts 6). The church is not, however, a group of like minded people voluntarily associating to fulfil a commonly agreed purpose, but a called people bound together in Christ by the Holy Spirit for the fulfilment of God’s purposes. The Church is therefore a God idea and its shape is rooted in his word.
The whole of the New Testament can be understood as a ‘handbook for the church’. It tells us why the church exists, the values by which it is to live and it lets us see that vision and those values being worked out in particular contexts. The reason the church exists is unchangeable: to participate in the mission of God which is the mission of Jesus Christ and is led by the Spirit who is at work in the world. The values by which it lives are similarly unchanging (despite being often debated!): they are the values of the Kingdom of God, personified in Jesus and revealed to us by his Spirit in and through the Bible. How that mission is carried out and how the church lives by those values has changed throughout history and will continue to change as the Spirit renews and shapes the church for each culture. The structure must serve the mission of Christ and be shaped by the values of the Kingdom.
There are many places we could go in the scriptures to help us understand the mission of the Church. From the very beginning of the gospels (Matthew 1:21, “you shall call him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins”) to the very end (Matthew 28:18ff – The Great Commission) the mission of God to which the church is called is revealed. Similarly the values of the Kingdom by which the church is to live run throughout the New Testament.
Amongst a number of fruitful approaches, we might, for example, look at the various images the bible uses to describe the church:
• A people (1 Peter 2:9&10, Titus 2:14
• A Body (Rom 12, 1Cor 12, Eph 3:6 & 4:12)
• A Dwelling place for God (1 Peter 2:5, 1Cor 3:16, 6:19, 2Cor 6:16)
• A Bride (Rev 19:7
• An Army (Eph 6; 2Cor 10:3)
• A Family (Gal 6:10, Eph 3:15, Heb 2:11, 1Peter 4:17, Mtth 12:49)
• A priesthood of all believers (1Peter 2:5,9)
These can help us to understand God’s design for the church, although there is a danger of taking the images out of context. So, for example, from the image of the Bride we understand that love is the defining characteristic of the church, but we also see the importance of the Headship of Christ. From the image of the Body we might understand the variety, equality and interdependence of different gifts and callings in the Church as well as the essential unity of the Church. From the image of the People of God we might understand something of our distinctiveness from the world and of the reason for our being in it. From the image of the Priesthood of all believers we might see the primary importance of worship as well as our equal calling to participate in the mission of the church: the ministry of the whole people of God.
There are often modern images which people use consciously or otherwise including, for example:
• A business
• A club
• A democracy
• A tribe
We can take useful ideas from all of these areas but there is a danger of simply transferring concepts over. It is important to be aware of the cultural organisational habits that we are bringing into the church which may or may not be helpful (for example in the past an hierarchical mindset, more recently democratic ideals, and in some modern churches secular business thinking).
Taking into account all of this and with the direction that we feel God is leading us by his Spirit, some of the relevant distinctives of Stockethill Church are:
•A simple church: Where the structures facilitate the ministry of the people rather
than the ministry of the people serving the organisation.
•A diverse church: Which is a network of communities implying a need for –
o a broad leadership base
o a strong sense of identity with the whole
o clear lines of communication and authority
o easily understood organisational structures
•An inclusive church: With many entry points and where people can feel part of the community where-ever they are on their faith journey, again implying a need for:
• A strong sense of identity
• Clearly articulated core beliefs
• Sense of strong but open leadership
•A community church: Where there is a sense of belonging, ownership and interdependence, and where:
o Every voice is important and every ministry needed
o Maturity is respected and nurturing is valued
What do the scriptures have to teach us about church organisation?
Although the scriptures have a lot to say about what the church is and why it exists they give no blue print for its organisation at a local or any other level. They do, however, give us some pointers and boundaries (e.g. presbuteros; episkope; congregation). There is clearly a high regard given to the diversity of gifts and callings within the church. Some of these are to do with the organisation of the church’s life, some to do with the discipleship of the church’s members, some to do with the leadership of the church, and some to do with the church’s ministry to each other and to the world. When it comes to the organisation of the church’s life there is not a lot of ‘how to’ (for example when Paul tells some to make a collection for the poor he doesn’t also advise them about the appointment of a finance team) but in responding to organisational issues there is a recognition that these are not unimportant or any less ‘spiritual’ than other functions (again see Acts 6).
The importance of ‘spiritual leadership’ is, however, a feature of the early church. Although the gift of leadership is only mentioned once in the epistles, the apostle’s self understanding is clear throughout the scriptures and it’s development is seen at the Council of Jerusalem where it is the ‘apostles and elders’ making the key strategic decisions (Acts 15). It is also true that the priority given to raising up local church elders is a pattern repeated throughout the New Testament.
The church was started by Jesus, and so we might look to his leadership style for direction. As the leader of a community, Jesus is very directive (e.g. not being held by the disciples in one place, waiting before going to Lazarus, setting his face for Jerusalem – all contrary to his community’s wishes). As a leader of people Jesus was very empowering, helping them to fulfil their potential and calling. The key feature of his leadership is that of being a servant, thereby turning much understanding of leadership on its head. Although Peter is often seen as the ‘first apostle’, it would seem that Jesus passed on these leadership styles (directive, empowering and servant hearted) to a plurality of leadership rather than to one replacement leader.
In summary, the concern of the New Testament is not so much with how the church is organized, but with the values it lives by and vision it is following. The quality of its leadership is very important.
What does it mean to be part of the Church of Scotland?
In light of the above, the Church of Scotland’s Presbyterian form of government is understood not as the way to organise Church, but a way which is agreeable with the scriptures. As a Presbyterian church the denomination is organised by a series of courts. Under the headship of Christ and the authority of the Bible (with the Westminster Confession of Faith as its ‘subordinate standard’) the highest court is the General Assembly. This means that every presbytery, congregation and member of the Kirk (in relevant matters) is bound by the decisions of the General Assembly, liberty of conscience not withstanding when appropriate. However, as the General Assembly is comprised of representatives (minister and an elder) of every congregation in the denomination, it is not a hierarchical system.
At a regional level the presbytery fulfils a similar function to the General Assembly, exercising authority over every congregation and minister within its bounds. Again presbytery is made up of ministers and elders from these congregations, along with other appointments.
At the congregational level the affairs of the local church are governed by the Kirk Session; a body of elders drawn from the congregation (the method of selection varies) and convened by the minister of the charge (or someone else sanctioned by presbytery).
As a New Charge Development we exist alongside this system. In place of a Kirk Session there is a New Charge Commission; a group of appointed ministers and elders from other churches, who have responsibility for the development of the charge but who hand over aspects of that responsibility to local people as appropriate. The New Charge does not come under the authority of a presbytery (although the minister remains accountable to presbytery for his/her life and doctrine and is a member of it). Instead the New Charge is responsible directly to General Assembly through its Ministries Council. It is expected that a New Charge will become a ‘charge in full status’, but New Charges are also called to find new forms of organisation. We will therefore eventually need a Kirk Session capable of fulfilling all the functions laid down for it by the General Assembly and presbytery, but the shape, size and ways of working may not look like a ‘traditional’ Session.
It has often been a practise within the Church of Scotland to separate ‘spiritual’ and ‘temporal’ affairs. By ‘temporal’ affairs it is usually understood to mean such things as finance and fabric (buildings etc). Normally the Kirk Session deals with so called ‘spiritual’ affairs and another body (normally a congregational Board) deals with temporal affairs, although in most cases the number of elders is in the majority. There are congregations however where this separation does not take place and the Kirk Session has responsibility for all congregational matters. This form of church government is being encouraged by the General Assembly and it is difficult to see how such a distinction can be maintained. In our experience, for example, decisions regarding the building have been very much ‘spiritual’ ones.
A much better distinction is between the spiritual leadership of the church and the faithful management of it, where leadership is about making sure the right things are done and management about making sure things are done right. This would mean appointing a Kirk Session with responsibility for all congregational matters and developing an internal organisational structure to facilitate the effective running of the church.
This will involve us ordaining elders to constitute the Session. How elders are selected varies within the Kirk and so we need to make decisions on how to do that, but once ordained an elder is ordained for life, whether or not they continue their association with that particular congregation. Being an elder does not give one an automatic right to membership of a Kirk Session and increasingly churches are adopting a system of serving and non- serving elders where, for example, and elder may sit on Session for a number of years and then take a sabbatical. Whilst we are not in favour of making hard and fast rules about this, it is important that elders are encouraged to regularly review their calling. There is therefore a great deal of flexibility about how we select our elders and run our Kirk Session.
Within the law of the Church of Scotland the Session is normally chaired (or moderated) by the parish minister (except in exceptional circumstances). There will need to be a Session Clerk appointed. Traditionally the Session Clerk has been regarded as the leading elder, but in reality he or she is simply the clerk (or secretary) of the Session dealing with records, correspondence and organisational matters for the Session, and in fact need not be an elder at all. Having a Session Clerk acting as a secretary will be necessary, but the idea of a ‘leading’ elder may not be helpful or necessary in a small session.
The functions of the Kirk Session include:
• It’s responsibility to the wider church by appointing elders to the presbytery and the General Assembly (when appropriate) and carrying out any instructions from these courts.
• Having final responsibility for the procedures to protect vulnerable people in the congregation (including children)
• The pastoral care of the congregation. The outworking of this responsibility has varied over time including in the past having strict and, at times, harsh oversight of parishioners life and doctrine. More recently it has meant the wide use of ‘district elders’, giving individual elders responsibility for visiting and caring for a number of members. Some have complained that in places this has degenerated into ‘post-man’ elders only going to members homes when there is something, such as a church magazine, to deliver (perhaps the result of a system which doesn’t always recognise and release people into their calling and gifting). In practise the pastoral care of members has also involved the session having oversight of the Christian education (or discipleship) of members of all ages. It is the responsibility of the Kirk Session to make sure that the church is so structured that people are pastored both in the sense of being cared for and in the sense of being helped to grow in the faith.
• The pastoral care of the parish. It is important to remember that as a Church of Scotland charge we are given responsibility for a particular community. This involves such things as weddings and funerals, but also seeking to meet spiritual and material needs and ultimately the evangelisation of those living in the community.
• Oversight of congregational life. In the past this has meant, for example, having authority over ‘organisations’ in the church when the life of the church was so structured (women’s guild, boys brigade etc). In our context that would include things like Community Groups and Anchor, as well as administrative structures.
• In practise all this has meant that the Kirk Session have determined the doctrinal emphasis in the church (although the extent to which the session do this as opposed to the incumbent minister varies) and have made the strategic decisions for the church. It has responsibility for the vision and direction of the church.
What is our present organisational structure?
At present the Commission officially fulfil the role of the Kirk Session, although from the beginning they have done so mainly by giving the Leadership Team a free hand and acting as sounding board, critic, encourager, permission giver and guardian of the vision being followed. Whilst it is in the big strategic decisions (such as with the building) that the Commission has had most obvious input, the influence of the Commission on the vision and direction of the church is much further reaching than that. The Commission have also provided expertise (not least in financial matters) as has been necessary.
The church was effectively started by Ian, Sarah and Gail in 1999 and they have made up the Leadership Team ever since. The responsibilities of the Leadership Team were formalised some 2 years ago (see Appendix 1) and are broadly in line with that of a Kirk Session.
In 2002 a Steering Group was appointed. The role of the Steering Group and its size have grown over the years and its responsibilities were again formalised in 2004 (see Appendix 1). A number of different ‘ministry areas’ were identified (Appendix 3) which, if organised and functioning well, would allow the church to flourish and fulfil its calling. We therefore looked to move to a new structure which replaced the Steering Group and Leadership Team. Appendix 2 gives a picture of what we are aspiring to: a ministry umbrella.
‘Ministry Umbrella’
The image of the umbrella is an attempt to express a flexible system of organisation built deliberately on relationship. It is a way of collectively describing those who fulfil identified organisational roles in the church. There is a necessity for people to simply talk to one another about their area of responsibility so that work can be shared, encouraged and adapted, and so that there is joined up thinking in the church. Some areas of work overlap and others are dependent on one another (for example, we all depend on the financial people!). There is also a vital need for the strategic decision making of the church to be informed by and to inform all aspects of the church’s life. Much of that work is best done simply by bringing people together, both as a large group and, when relevant, in smaller groups. There may be some roles which are short term (for example overseeing a particular project), some which are seasonal, and some which are long term.
Those who fulfil identified roles in the church need therefore to meet regularly together and in smaller groups where necessary, and also to take part in leadership development and team building. These requirements would need to be made clear to each person when asked to take on a particular function or in the formalising of a role into which they have grown. They would have a responsibility, in other words, to the rest of those who make up the umbrella and to the church as a whole, but ultimately their formal responsibility would be to the Kirk Session (although there would in many instances be lines of responsibility as people more and more work in team settings).
The proposal being made is to appoint ‘team leaders’ (though in the first instance they might not actually have a team) with responsibility for various aspects of the life of the church. It would be the responsibility of the Kirk Session to identify where there is a need for such a role within the church and seek a person to fill it. They might also recognise where someone has begun to play a significant role in the church and it would be thought helpful and appropriate for them to participate in the wider group.
The key to this proposal is that the different people who help the church function communicate and work together in such a way that Christian community and outreach can flourish. They provide an umbrella for the churches ministry.
The future of the church – Community Groups, Congregations and Changed Lives - Leadership is key.
As a church we are looking towards full status and that has implications as to how we organise ourselves. However, full status is not the goal. The distinctives outlined above give some indication of the type of church that we believe we are called to become. A church which is made up of many different but connected communities of faith and within which people can find companionship on the road of faith. We want to keep things simple but allow for diversity and at the heart of that will be broad and strong leadership. We are committed to having small groups as the primary Christian community of every member and to the planting of new congregations. To be able to do this we need to identify and equip leaders.
Most of the roles and responsibilities mentioned in this paper involve some form of leadership; whether it is coordinating the children’s work, looking after the church’s money, leading a small group, or providing a meal, there are leadership issues involved. Indeed, some argue that every Christian is a leader because every Christian has a ministry. Certainly the effective running of the church will require the equipping of a lot of leaders at many different levels. This is particularly true in a church which hopes to encourage diversity, flexibility and a great deal of freedom in exercising ones ministry and where relationship and community are so key.
If, for example, we are going to have a multiplicity of worshiping congregations, not to mention community groups, each of these will need effective leadership and within each of these there will need to be new leadership developing. The quality of leadership within the Kirk Session will need to be very high so as to give clear direction and yet be highly empowering (see the Jesus model above).
A commitment to developing these qualities will be essential from all those involved in key positions in the church, and a commitment from the Kirk Session to providing good leadership training and support will be key.
From Leadership Team to Kirk Session
A biblical image which may be helpful is one that may be described as Paul-Timothy-Local Elders. Paul was a church planter by calling and gifting. He established local churches, taught them and moved on leaving behind a local eldership to continue to lead the church. However, it seems that oftentimes he left before the local leadership was in place and would sometimes leave an associate (e.g. Timothy) to continue to teach the church and identify and appoint local elders.
If the current Leadership Team initially fulfilled the ‘Paul’ function of starting and establishing the church, we are perhaps now in the ‘Timothy’ phase of helping the church transition to local leadership. It is worth noting that the current Leadership Team may become part of the local leadership in the sense that they are committed to the long term future of Stockethill rather than to church planting.
The Timothy Phase will involve:
• Identifying potential elders
• Equipping those identified
• Appointing elders to form a Kirk Session.
Identifying Potential Elders
The New Testament offers ample guidance on the character traits being looked for in an elder. 1 Timothy 3, for example, gives a list of the qualifications of an ‘overseer’ and a ‘deacon’, and Titus 1 for that of an elder. It would seem that a proven maturity in the faith is at the heart of these qualifications with the accompanying integrity, faithfulness, sobriety, generosity and wisdom. There may be an argument that when Jesus chose the 12 apostles they were a rough and ready lot, however by the time they were released into their ‘apostleship’ they may not have been perfect but they certainly were much more ‘mature’.
The apostles set the criteria for the selection of elders and they, or their representative, also finally appointed the elders (Titus 1:5). It would seem, however that the congregation had a role in identifying potential elders. In Acts 1 the two candidates for Judas replacement seem to be put forward by the whole congregation according to criteria set by the apostles and the final selection is done by casting lots. Acts 6, whilst not dealing with elders specifically, follows a similar pattern with the congregation told to “choose from among yourselves” according to the apostles criteria, and then they appoint the seven.
Within the Church of Scotland there are a number of different ways that elders are selected. In principle, however, it involves the congregation, to a greater or lesser degree, having a role in identifying suitable people and the Kirk Session having the final say as to who is appointed. We would want anyone appointed as an elder to already be recognised by the community to which they belong as someone with the right qualities and a mature faith, but the existing spiritual leadership (in our case the present leadership team and subsequently the Kirk Session) have the responsibility for making sure that the right people are appointed. A system where names arise from the congregation and then people are invited to become elders by the existing elders seems a good one. It is also important that those considered have a sense of personal call. Whilst not common in the Church of Scotland, people should be encouraged to put themselves forward for consideration in the same way as candidates for other ministries (e.g. Minister, Deacon) put themselves forward for their call to be tested.
Testing the call and equipping those identified
It is important not only to identify those with the potential to be elders, but to equip them and develop them for that task. A period of training should take place during which time a person would be able to test their own calling and their suitability be better assessed. As well as seeing the current leadership ‘in action’, this period of, say six months, might include a degree of teaching on church law and history, as well as some theological training and teaching in relevant areas (church growth, church planting, pastoral care, etc). Anyone being considered for ordination as an elder would probably have already been involved in leadership functions in the church and so would have been part of the leadership development programme. This would continue to be part of their equipping.
Appointment of Kirk Session
At the end of that six month period the Leadership Team and Commission would make a decision with the person as to whether or not they should be ordained as an elder. Once the Kirk Session was established they would have the responsibility of appointing new elders using the same method. A process will also need to be established whereby elders serving on the session are able to regularly assess their calling to that role.
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