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We held a very positive Clergy Consultancy day in March 2009 on Managing Transitions which has begun to produce some help on how we deal with times of transition in churches and teams. We plan to develop this further, as it is a key issue for many people. If you want to contribute contact:
Natasha Stone
Tel: 01452 835544
Email: nstone@glosdioc.org.uk

Here are three real-life scenarios which were shared on the day, with the issues that were identified in each situation. Then there are some principles for finding a way forward which were drawn out by the group.

ISSUES IDENTIFIED

Story 1: A new NSM colleague, with a different experience of Church life, joining a Local Ministry team in a group of rural churches
Incorporating someone new into an existing team
Helping a new colleague understand Local Ministry - esp. that it is about collaboration not delegation
Understanding the local situation
Questions raised by the new NSM re 'What is a Christian?' especially in a rural setting where those who are seen as 'belonging to the church' are on a spectrum from very committed to having very vague connections
Local church loyalties v. wider picture
Becoming a new team whenever a new person joins
How to help just one new person 'train' and learn about Local Ministry
New person joining asking challenging questions about purpose, vision etc.
Ideas about Local Ministry v. actual practice
Coping with the reality of people's lives and their busyness - especially re team meetings
How do we know how we are doing?

Story 2: New Team Vicar and later a new Curate joining a well established Local Ministry team, who have set ways of doing things. The team is also now the team for one parish, with two churches, in a new bigger grouping.
In the parish/benefice - what are the appropriate structures for Local Ministry team(s)
- raises questions of loyalties/relationships
Having a team in one place but not another
Local Ministry is always a 'work in progress'
Embedding Local Ministry in the parish
Are the team doers or visionaries?
Does Local Ministry disempower the clergy? (It's not easy when the team expect to have a share in decision making.)
The encouragement for spirituality/being to be an integral part of the Local Ministry vision (as opposed to those who want to 'do' and to operate in committee mode)
Tensions over the right way to go

Story 3: A new Deanery-wide Team Ministry has been set up with a bigger clergy team with one existing Local Ministry team covering just one group of churches, but which a new Team Vicar is joining, alongside the Team Rector
Fears of new structures
Working with real communities in the villages
How to share resources and achieve more as a team
The danger of being self-indulgent and doing what we want
Ministry is not a personal possession - We must be prepared to share it with others
What are clergy for? - Leadership not domination
Collaboration as an aid to ministry
Awareness of vogues in ministry
Building trust and relationships with people
Asking questions about the way forward
Facing up to 'We've always done it this way!'
Understanding the histories - of villages, churches, individuals

WAYS FORWARD in Managing transitions - see right-hand column

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