Pastoral: looking after hearts and minds
Making discernments about mission potential and the allocation of resources is difficult work, and emotions are likely to run high. Lay and ordained leaders who are taking churches and circuits through these discernments are likely to need support.
District Mission Enablers
Around half the Methodist districts have a District Mission Enabler whose role is to help churches and circuits thrive in mission. Find out whether your district has someone in this role, and ask for their help.
The Learning Network
The Methodist Church's Learning Network officers are skilled trainers and facilitators. An officer from the Learning Network may be able to help you facilitate some of the difficult conversations involved in making discernments about merging churches. The Learning Network also offers regular opportunities for training in positive working together. Courses explore change and conflict, and the ways in which spirituality, scripture and conflict interact.
Find courses in Positive Working Together
Supervision
All Methodist ministers engage in Supervision. If you are a minister leading a circuit in making discernments about merging churches, take your experiences to Supervision. Your Supervisor will help you reflect on and integrate these experiences.
Coaching
A coach asks great questions, listens well, and helps the coachee figure out what next steps they should take to see the dreams God has given them become a reality. One-to-one coaching has great potential to help those who are leading a circuit in making discernments about merging churches. The God for All Influencer coaching programme offers coaching support to lay and ordained leaders in the Methodist Church in Britain who have the potential to enable significantchange in the missional culture in their church, circuit or district. There is a simple application form to complete, and you can make an application at any point during the year. If you have any problems or questions, please contact coaching@methodistchurch.org.uk.
Team coaching
In team coaching, a small group of leaders from the same circuit are coached all together as a team. This enables more people to receive new insights, and more of the circuit 'system' to be brought into the coaching session. Team coaching has great potential to help lay and ordained circuit leaders who are trying to discern a merger together, offering the accountability and accompaniment of a coach to help the team discern where God is calling them. You can apply to join the team coaching programme at any time of the year. In addition, there are optional monthly webinars, summer away days and a January residential offered to complement the team coaching.
Find out more about the team coaching programme
The Ministries Team
The Ministries Team have put together some resources for enabling good endings, which can be accessed here.
The Property Support Team
There is help available as you make discernments about your church buildings. The Property Support Team can advise you about all kinds of property matters. You may be thinking about redeveloping a property, or simply needing to make some repairs; you may have listed buildings to consider; or perhaps you are aiming to make your buildings carbon neutral. Contact details for the team can be found here.
The Evangelism and Growth Team
These pages have been put together by Emma Nash and Sarah Hulme from the Evangelism and Growth Team, in conversation with colleagues from around the Connexion. If you need any further support, please do not hesitate to contact them.
If you are in a rural setting, email Sarah Hulme, the National Rural Officer.
For any other enquiries, email Emma Nash, the Mission and Community Engagement Officer.