Changes to Senior Leadership Oversight

In April this year our Carbrook Congregation began gathering regularly on the 2^nd and 4^th Sundays of the month. This is a fantastic step forward in our vision of being a multi-location (meeting in people’s homes and coffee shops and .... during the week) and multi-campus church (gathering in at least 2 different locations to worship God together).

As a consequence it has been necessary to change our Senior Leadership Structure to better serve the changing face of Logan Uniting. The changes have been explored by Church Council, the Ministry Leadership Team and Faith and Fun Life Group leaders.

In our deliberations we have taken into account the following issues:

·         Best thinking around multi-campus models where there is no “mother ship” and where the        senior leader is seen to be across the entire church.
·         How to “keep the main thing the main thing” (disciple making movement expressed through Faith Life Groups and IFFFs)
·         Capacity of all Senior Leadership Team and Ministry Leadership Team
·         The next right answer for the next 3 years.
 Below is the model we believe is the best answer for the next period of our life together.

Senior Minister – Graham Keech
·         Vision, Direction, Preaching
·         Faith Life Groups/IFFFs
·         Church Council
·         College Council
·         Children and Young Families *
 Associate Minister (2IC and Springwood) – Glen Schweitzer
·         Fun Life Groups (Inc Soccer)
·         Resource*
·         Worship/Pastoral Care
·         Missions
·          Counselling
·          Yurana
 Associate Minister (Carbrook) – TR
·         Youth
·         Young Adults
·         Worship/Pastoral care
·          Wirunya
* Children and Young Families Pastor is already leading across both campuses. It is expected that in the next 1-3 years the Resource Pastor position will lead across both campuses.

“This model speaks powerfully to the fact that Faith Life Groups and IFFFs are the major focus for a discipleship making movement. It would mean that as Senior Minister, Graham is spending his time driving the culture and leadership of Faith Life Groups, hence this model primarily takes out of his hands those things which need to take place at each campus ie. worship, pastoral care, resource and aged care services.

It also means that there is clarity and consistency in regards to vision and direction across both campuses with FLG’s whilst allowing each gathering to have its own distinctness/flavour. It also allow each campus to have a clear sense of who is responsible for helping the congregation that gathers move forward in God’s vision.

This model also helps to alleviate some sense that there is a “mother-ship” (most books state this is a killer for multi-campus...i.e. ‘we are the main congregation and they are being supported by us’ rather than ‘we are the church equally together.’) as the Senior Minister would not have primary responsibility at either campus, rather would have primary responsibility for the vision and heartbeat of LUC and preaching.” (from a document explored by church council and other leaders)

Yours in Christ

Graham Keech

PS. I will be on annual leave from the 17^th Sept to the 8^th Oct.