Ministries Council |
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INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the Ministries Council. On this page you
can find read about our:
Remit
Committees
Task groups
Prayer Diary
Remit
The remit of the Ministries Council is recruitment, training
and support of recognised ministries for the mission of
the Church and assessment of the patterns of national
deployment of parish ministries. Key responsibilities
of the council under this remit include developing patterns
of ministry which allow the Church to be effective in
missionary calling and remaining faithful to the one ministry
of Jesus Christ.
The council is also responsible
for recruiting people of the highest calibre to
lead the Church through its ordained ministries
and to provide the Church with a range of ministries
including the ministry of word and sacrament, the
diaconate, auxiliary ministers, readers and specialist
workers.
For an explanation of these roles, visit our glossary
page page.
The council also undertakes to provide education, training
and appraisal to ensure that those engaged in the various
ministries of the Church are equipped to the highest level
to engage in Christ's mission and make the gospel relevant
in our rapidly changing society while offering pastoral
support and care to all the ministries of the Church.
Part of the council's remit also includes assisting the
Church to meet the gospel's lessons of giving priority
to the poorest and most marginalised in society while
ensuring that emerging patterns of church life are effective
at local level and are a viable use of Church resources
and are relevant.
The Ministries Council undertakes an annual review of
its work and provides a written report to the annual General
Assembly of the Church.
Click
here to visit our dedicated Assembly pages.
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Committees
The policy development and implementation of the work
of the Ministries Council is managed under the following
committees:
Strategic Planning Group- comprises the Convener, Vice-Conveners and senior staff of all five areas (including Finance) of the Council and is empowered by the Council to engage in broad-ranging thinking regarding the future outlook and plans of the Council. It reports directly to Council and brings forward to it ideas and consultation papers offering options as to the future strategic direction of the Council’s work. Though a key part of the Council’s work, it is a consultative and advisory group rather than a decision-making one.
Vocation and Training Committee - responsible for the development and oversight of policy in relation to the enquiry and assessment process for full time and auxiliary ministers of Word and Sacrament, Deacons and Readers, together with the admission and re-admission of ministers. It is further responsible for the supervision of those in training for the recognised ministries of the church, and operates with powers in relation to both of these areas of work to make recommendations on suitability for training and readiness to engage in ministries at the end of a training period. This work is implemented primarily through two Task Groups: Assessment Task Group and Candidate Task Group.
Planning and Deployment Committee - responsible for the overall planning of the deployment of the Church’s ministries, primarily through the ongoing monitoring of the development of presbytery plans. The committee also oversees work on emerging ministries (including new charge development work) and deals with all issues relating to policy in respect of employment matters. The committee receives regular reports from the three task groups relating to the above remit.
Support and Development Committee
- implements the council's policies for pastoral care
and the promotion of development of those involved in
the recognised ministries such as study leave and personal
appraisal. It also deals with the work of interim ministry,
new charge development, area team ministry and chaplaincy
work.
Finance Committee
- deals with the National Stipend Scheme, vacancy
schedules, maintenance allowance, hardship grants and
bursaries and stipend advances.
Priority Areas Committee
- develops, encourages and oversees the strategy within
priority area parishes by developing resources to enable
congregations to make appropriate responses to the needs
of people's lives in Scotland. It also co-ordinates
the strategy of the wider Church in its priority of
Scotland's poorest parishes.
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Task groups
The council also has several ad
hoc task groups. These include:
- Accompanied Review Task Group
- Assessment Task Group
- Candidate Task Group
- Chaplaincies Task Group
- Communications Task Group
- Curriculum Development Task Group
- Emerging Ministries Task Group
- Employment Issues Task Group
- Health and Healing Task Group
- Interim Ministries Task Group
- Pastoral and Spiritual Care Task Group
- Presbytery Planning Task Group
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Prayer Diary
A quarterly prayer diary is produced by the Ministries
Council, detailing main conference programmes as well
as highlighting a group of people or area of our work
for you to bring to God in prayer. The information can
be also used for church noticeboards.
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This essential resource is available
on our central Worship on the Web pages here. |
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Extranet
Visit our extranet site - provided for staff, office bearers
and those in the ministries - for specific information
on the council's minutes and meeting dates.
Contact us
If you have any difficulty using this section of our website,
please contact the webteam
using our feedback form.
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