presbytery meeting

At last years General Assembly, it was agreed that the number of ministry posts across Scotland would be cut by 25% over a period of 4 years. Each local area is now having to work out the reality of these cuts. Tonight , the kirk session and board are meeting with local presbytery representatives, and they are going to ask us the following questions:

Establishment and Vision


1. What distinctive contribution does your Church bring to your community? Bearing in mind the fluidity of people’s movements and networks, how do you foresee your role in the next decade?

2. How do you understand your witness alongside other Churches in your Community?

Outreach

3. How do you presently contact and build relationships with those who are not a part of the Church and how might you do this in the future?

4. What local Ministerial resources do you have to meet the strategic plan of your Church? What changes are foreseeable?

Buildings and Money

5. Is you building(s) in the right place, and of the right sort? If the present plant were to go out of commission tomorrow, what would you do? Where would you go? What financial possibilities would there be?

At the end of the consulatation period, the local presbytery has to work out a plan which will involve having 4 less ministry posts across the local area. It will be interesting to see how the process works out. Will the Presbytery look at a more radical plan which would probably require a much greater degree of flexibility in terms of ministry, or will it simply trim at the edges, and make no difference at all in the face of major decline and aging congregations?