Team Ministry

Team ministry - How's it going to work then?

From September 2012 the Bradford North Circuit presbyters will be working differently.  Instead of each church having its own named minister, the four remaining ministers will be working more closely as a team for all the churches in the circuit.

We need to recognise that we're going into uncharted waters.  We know how to work in the traditional way - 'our minister', 'my church' - it's safe, familiar, comfortable.  But with half the number of ministers, we will not be able to meet the expectations, in ministers and lay people, of that traditional way.  So we have to, at least for a while, do things differently, which is scary for all of us, including the ministers.

So, 'Who will be my ministers?'  From 1 September, the Team will be your minister.  So instead of one person there will be four, Nick, Sarah, Ian and Phil - we will be your ministers.  Nick will continue to be half-time and will act as Circuit Superintendent; Ian and Sarah will be full-time in the circuit, and Phil will continue to spend some of his time in the South Circuit.  We will be looking to use our strengths and gifts for the benefit of the circuit as a whole.

Which one do I call?

There will be a new public phone number available as a first point of contact with the ministerial team.  The public number will be a new landline number which will go to the minister who is on 'first-port-of-call' duty that week.  The minister on duty will not be doing everything that week, but will be the one taking calls and designating work to the team.  This public number will be come the one printed on news sheets and noticeboards.  So it will be the same number for all four of us, and will redirect to whoever is on duty that week.  (The duty rota will also be circulated on news sheets and in magazines, so you will know who is likely to be picking up the phone)

You are still welcome to contact a particular minister if you have reason for doing so.  Many of you already have relationships with us - those relationships will still exist, and you'll naturally call us about something ongoing - that's fine. (So a funeral where one of us knows the family, or a baptism where one of us has already baptised another member of that same family, or a community event that we've engaged with before, or a speaking request on a particular subject - all fine).  Each minister will continue to have their own phone number and email address.

Who will be working with the ministerial team?

The Circuit lay staff will be working alongside the ministerial team - Sharon, the worker with children and young people; Linda, the worker with older people; and the two administrative workers, Claire and Nicola.

Members of the Circuit leadership team (circuit stewards and officers as well as lay and ordained staff) will be taking particular areas of responsibility, such as 'property', 'ecumenical relationships', and 'mission'.  As these portfolios become known, it may be that you can see that your concern fits one of these headings, in which case you call the person (minister or otherwise) who covers the area your question is about.

What about ecumenical partners?

We will be supported by other ecumenical mionisters, particularly Lynn Britten, the Baptists minister at Little Lane, John Allison, authorised Anglican Priest (retired), and Andrew Taylork, associate Baptist minister.

What about Churches Together?

We will ensure that there is appropriate ministerial representation on the various CT groups around the circuit.  The reduction in ministers does make it more important than ever that there is effective lay representation.

Who will chair our meetings?

As the team, we will be planning carefully, in liaison with senior stewards and church council secretaries, to ensure church councils and other key meetings are covered, with arrangements made in good time.  We will be asking questions about the number of meetings, and the potential for lay chairs.

Will ministers visit?

Yes, but not routinely and regularly.  We need to recognise that most pastoral care takes place without ordained ministers, as pastoral visitors, church stewards, fellowship leaders, ensure that the churches' care is experienced as real and important.  Ministers will visit when particular need or opportunity is identified, guided by those mentioned above.

What about baptisms, weddings, funerals?

Where there are particular requests, we will do our best to meet them.  General requests, we will work through the team.  We will be seeking to enhance the pastoral and missional opportunities such milestones bring by, whenever possible, taking a lay person with us from the particular church.  this should enable a better personal link than happens currently.

What about our magazine letter, house-group, study, lent activity etc?

We hope that, working as a team, we can be more effective and efficient with our time, as work done for one place can be used widely across the circuit churches.  So one of us will write the September letter for all the magazines, another look at house group material across the circuit, another co-ordinate lent activities etc.

Will it work?

The honest answer is, 'We won't know'.  We do know it is more likely to work if it is upheld by prayer, and if all of us, in all the churches, do our best to make it work.  the Circuit Strategy Implementation Group, and the ministers team, have worked prayerfully and carefully and come to the point where we believe this is what God is asking of us all at this time.  This worrying time can also be an exciting time, and has the potential to be a real season of blessing as we respond in new ways to God's call.  Please pray for all involved, not praying for 'them' but for 'us'.

The Ministry Team