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© 2001
Grant Barclay

A Church Without Walls > Instructions to Presbytery

The General Assembly has given certain instructions directly to the Presbytery. These are noted here, together with an indication of how it is suggested these are dealt with.

Instructions

1. Instruct Presbyteries to develop a coordinated strategy to equip congregations to sustain worship, pastoral care and mission with the appropriate staffing, and monitor progress through the Quinquennial/Presbytery visits. [II.A.4.2]
   Proposed procedure:
   • Appointment of CWW Committee to initiate, oversee and monitor progress.
   • Utilise Support Groups to encourage, note, and report to the CWW Committee progress in individual Kirk Sessions and congregations.
   • Inform Kirk Sessions that there is wide flexibility in how they carry out the instructions and commendations of the General Assembly, eg. by tackling the issues at Kirk Session Meetings, or working through Kirk Session Groups, or working through groups of Elders and members of the congregation or by having open plenary sessions with Elders and members, or by meeting with other Kirk Sessions and/or congregations.
   • Discuss with Support Groups the possibility, practicality, and usefulness of joint meetings of the Kirk Sessions and/or Congregations and/or representatives of the charges in the Support Group for specific sections of the Report.
2. Instruct Presbyteries and the Committee on Parish Re-appraisal to consider the encouragement of imaginative new forms of congregational ministry as an alternative to readjustment.
   Proposed procedure:
   • Remit to Presbytery's Mission & Re-appraisal Committee to consider and report.
3. Instruct Presbyteries to study the Report as a stimulus to identifying the levers for change and the limits to growth in the local situation; to establish a "regional needs" plan of support; and to apply, where appropriate, to the Community and Parish Development Fund. [III.4.]
   Proposed procedure:
   • Utilise the January Meeting of Presbytery in 2002, 2003, 2004 to review the previous year's progress and outline the following year's suggested process.
   • Identify each year what levers for change and what limits to growth are emerging.
   • Utilise the January meeting in 2005 to outline a draft "regional needs" plan of support, to be finalised later.
4. Instruct all Presbyteries to study the Report, take appropriate action and establish the necessary accountability for progress by 2005.
   Proposed procedure:
   • Action primarily through Support Groups.
   • Instruct Kirk Sessions to have the Report 'Church Without Walls on the Agenda for every ordinary meeting of Session, and to minute what is agreed or decided in relation to the Report.
   • Presbytery to have the Report 'Church Without Walls on the Agenda for every ordinary meeting of Presbytery, and to minute what is agreed or decided in relation to the Report.
   • The Presbytery CWW Committee, in conjunction with Support Group Conveners, to build up an overall picture of progress in the consideration of the Report as this evolves, and report to Presbytery.
   • Utilise the 'Fountain' as a means of communication and raising of awareness of the Report.