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Discipleship resources and leadership development
- What resources are available to help people grow in their faith?
- There are people in the congregation interested in further study. What do we do?
- There are people in the congregation who are interested in being a lay preacher.
- There are people who interested in being a minister.
- What do we do if someone wants to get baptised or confirmed?
- We don’t have a minister and need someone to do Baptism and/or Holy Communion. What do we do?
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Mission and ministry planning
- We have a great ministry idea but don’t have the funds – what funding is available?
- We have some great education and training opportunities – what funding is available?
- We want to start a ministry with children, families, youth or young adults. What support is available?
- Our Minister is leaving – what do we do?
- We want to start a new ministry – who can help us?
- We are in between ministers and need supply? Or we would like some relief ministry
- Another denomination wants to work with us – what do we do?
- What is a faith community?
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Worship and preaching
- How do we plan for worship?
- There are people who want to preach who don’t want to be trained?
- What do we do about copyright for songs and videos?
- How much do we pay a visiting preacher?
- What do we do if someone wants to get baptised or confirmed?
- We don’t have a minister and need someone to do Baptism and/or Holy Communion. What do we do?
Discipleship resources and leadership development
[ps2id id=’section-1a’ target=”/]What resources are available to help people grow in their faith?
The Presbytery Ministry Team can direct you to a number of resources from bible study, to activities, to workshops, mentoring and more formal training and qualifications. Check out the other parts of this website for some ideas or contact the office for some advice.
[ps2id id=’section-1b’ target=”/]There are people in the congregation interested in further study. What do we do?
The Presbytery Ministry Team can direct you to a number of resources from bible study, to activities, to workshops, mentoring and more formal training and qualifications. Check out the other parts of this website for some ideas or contact the office for some advice.
[ps2id id=’section-1c’ target=”/]There are people in the congregation who are interested in being a lay preacher.
Denise Savage (Presbytery Minister- Leadership Formation) is the best person to contact
[ps2id id=’section-1d’ target=”/]There are people who interested in being a minister.
Denise Savage (Presbytery Minister- Leadership Formation) is the best person to contact
[ps2id id=’section-1e’ target=”/]What do we do if someone wants to get baptised or confirmed?
We become part of Christ’s body through Baptism; united with Christ and with each other. Confirmation provides for baptised members to affirm their faith in Jesus Christ, accept the responsibility of membership and acknowledge the discipline of the Church (Constitution para 6).
The Church Council receives names of candidates for Baptism/Confirmation for approval. It is good for the church council to encourage those being baptised/confirmed to share their story of faith. The Church Council is also responsible for encouraging those who are about to be baptised/confirmed to participate in activities that grow and nurture faith.
Following confirmation the person’s name shall be recorded on the membership roll. Please note that people who are baptized as believers are confirmed as part of their Baptism service.
[ps2id id=’section-1f’ target=”/]We don’t have a minister and need someone to do Baptism and/or Holy Communion. What do we do?
Where there is no minister available the congregation/church council can nominate people to the presbytery in order for them to be given the responsibility of administering the sacraments (Assembly Standing Committee minute 95.69.01 September 1995 and Reg 3.1.3(p) )
The Church Council needs to contact the Pastoral Relations Committee with a request for an appropriate person/s to be given permission to preside at Holy Communion and/or Baptisms. The PRC will then get back to the Church Council with suggestions and training for the approved person/s. This permission is to be reviewed every 2 years.
Ministry and Mission Planning
[ps2id id=’section-2a’ target=”/]We have a great ministry idea but don’t have the funds – what funding is available?
The Presbytery and Synod has funding available. Contact the office and we will help you apply.
For more information on Presbytery Grants head here.
[ps2id id=’section-2b’ target=”/]We have some great education and training opportunities – what funding is available?
The Presbytery and Synod has funding available. Contact the office and we will help you apply.
For more information on Presbytery Grants head here.
[ps2id id=’section-2c’ target=”/]We want to start a ministry with children, families, youth or young adults. What support is available?
The Presbytery and Synod has funding available. We can also help you with training, policies and starting off. Contact the office and we will help you.
For more information on Presbytery Grants head here
[ps2id id=’section-2d’ target=”/]Our Minister is leaving – what do we do?
Let the Pastoral Relations Committee know that your minister is leaving. The Pastoral Relations Committee will then appoint a Joint Nominating Committee. This committee will organise for a time of reflection and planning with the congregation and church council that will inform the process of replacing your minister.
[ps2id id=’section-2e’ target=”/]We want to start a new ministry – who can help us?
The Presbytery Ministry Team is here to help. Give us a call or email and we’ll arrange a time to meet with you.
[ps2id id=’section-2f’ target=”/]We are in between ministers and need supply? Or we would like some relief ministry
Supply ministry can occur when
- long service leave OR
- the minister in placement is on extended sick leave OR
- there is temporary vacancy between placements OR
- for short term relief for a lay led congregation.
For Long service leave it is the responsibility of the minister in placement to arrange supply
For Extended sick leave or vacancy between placements or relief ministry it is the responsibility of the Church Council.
Contact the Pastoral Relations Committee who can give you advice on people who are available for supply. If you have someone in mind the Pastoral Relations Committee needs to approve this person. Once there has been a conversation with either SLM or Secretary of PRC contact the potential supply minister, fill in this form and send to Pastoral Relations Committee. Supply Arrangements Tasmania (PDF 115KB).
[ps2id id=’section-2g’ target=”/]Another denomination wants to work with us – what do we do?
As the Church Council you are able to do joint ministry with other churches. If you need assistance in this conversations please contact Rohan Pryor (Synod Liaison Minister)
[ps2id id=’section-2h’ target=”/]What is a faith community?
In the Uniting Church a faith community is a group of people who explore faith and life together without the responsibilities of being a congregation. If you are thinking about starting a faith community or would like more information contact Michelle Cook.
Worship and preaching
[ps2id id=’section-3a’ target=”/]How do we plan for worship?
In worship, we respond to God’s invitation to us to be loved. But worship is not only our human response. The central things which give Christian worship its shape—word and sacrament –are God’s initiative to care for us, to speak to us, to touch our lives. The following resource from the Assembly may assist you. Docbyte 11: Worship (PDF 447KB)
The church council, along with any minister in placement, has responsibility for determining the time and place of services of public worship (Reg 3.1.2 (b) (v)).
The minister and the church council should discuss the worship plan taking into consideration
- the theology of the Basis of Union
- the mission of the congregation
- the pastoral needs of the community
- the time and place where Holy Communion will be celebrated
- Code of ethics and ministry practice for lay preachers and the Code of ethics and ministry practice for ministry workers.
Church Council may give consideration to the forms of support that lay leaders and lay preachers may need to help develop their capacity for leadership of worship, eg regular encouragement and review of the ministry offered, financial support to assist participation in initial training and continuing education events.
[ps2id id=’section-3b’ target=”/]There are people who want to preach who don’t want to be trained?
The Church Council, along with the minister in placement, has the responsibility to determine who can or cannot preach. It is also the church council’s responsibility to encourage people to grow in faith by participating in ongoing training and education.
[ps2id id=’section-3c’ target=”/]What do we do about copyright for songs and videos?
A copyright licence means that the songs, videos, etc that you use are used with the permission of the creator. The following document will help work out what type of copyright licence is required (Copyright Licence for Uniting Church Congregations PDF 391KB)
[ps2id id=’section-3d’ target=”/]How much do we pay a visiting preacher?
If you have a minister of the Word, a deacon, pastor or youth worker preaching for you occasionally the rate is $145 for a one off service.
If you have a recognised lay preacher or other visitor taking the service it is appropriate to offer travel costs based on the Synod’s ad hoc travelling allowance, currently
- $0.76 per kilometre for cost reimbursement for ministers not in placement, theological students, retired ministers and lay preachers not in business or employment; or
- $0.39 per kilometre for marginal cost reimbursement only (which includes 19.0 cents per kilometre as the fuel cost component), for ministers in placement or other employment and other lay preachers; and
- restricted, as a guideline, to a daily limit not to exceed reasonable commercial car rental costs.