How to Make it Work was first published some years ago as a folder containing a number of leaflets. Recently, the leaflets have been reviewed and the material has been republished as 'a website within a website'. The idea is that local Methodist and URC websites can include a link.
It is easy to assume the two traditions are similar. Nothing could be further from the truth! Granted there is a lot of common ground between the them but their ecclesiologies are quite different. It is easy to make mistakes about the ways in which decisions are made, particularly in joint congregations.
How to Make it Work is divided into five sections and they are available as word or pdf files.
- The first paper, called How to Make it Work, is an introduction to such matters as membership, ministry of word and sacrament, other ministries such as the Methodist diaconal order or lay workers, the worship of the local church, property, Sharing Agreements, finance and a list of other published resources. It is in the nature of these publications that they can quickly become out of date and the section on constitutions has been superseded. When it is updated it will have a date later then this blog post.
- A service for the induction and welcome of new ministers.
- The checklist for church stewards and elders, compares the two roles and their duties.
- Orientation for incoming ministers to Methodist and United Reformed LEPs is a paper that suggests an induction process for new ministers. This was an addition to the original printed version and provides a much needed approach to clarifying the differences between the two traditions.
- Baptists in LEPs with the Methodist Church and United Reformed Church.
No comments:
Post a Comment