At our AGM on the 6th April we
had a great discussion around finances, staff and also the role all of us can
play in encouraging children and young people in their growth in Christ.
In this notices you will see a summary of
our budget and finances to date. I thought I would supplement this information
by reminding us of the decisions we made last year regarding staffing.
In the light of Glen finishing with us last
year, we spent over 3 months as a church praying and discussing the way God was
shaping us for the future. This took place in life groups, focus groups,
leadership community and through individual responses. As a result we made the
decision not to fill Glen’s position as it stood but to reshape our leadership
model. The conclusion we came to was that instead of replacing Glen we would
put on 2 more part time staff (a part time office secretary and a part time
youth worker).
This would allow us to move the Resource Pastor position to that
of Executive Minister (giving the role a more strategic, systems,
organisational dimension) and to have Tim Robinson focus on the discipleship
life of the church (particularly through life groups and IFFF’s). The 3rd
member of the Senior Leadership team would focus on the gathered life of our
church (corporate worship, prayer, spirituality, care etc.). In this way the 3
dimensions of LUC – the institutional; scattered, organic discipleship; and the
gathered, would be further enhanced.
Our model will look something like:
Evangelism-Discipleship Minister –
Tim R – Associate
Minister
Congregational Life Minister (across
all campuses) Snr Minister
Executive Minister/Manager
Other
Staff
Children
and Families Pastor (17 hrs per week) current
Springwood
Music and Creative Arts Coordinator (15 hrs per week) current
Secretary/admin support (24 hrs per week) new
Youth/young adult (16 hrs per week) new
Spiritual Director, Calvary Christian College
(fulltime placement – funded by the College) current
Recovery
Pastor (18 hrs per week – funded through couns centre) current
Pitstop
(15 hrs per week – government funded) current
Note: this model is
approximately $15,600 cheaper per year than the staffing model we were using
until Glen finished (which included 3 Ministerial placements and a fulltime
Resource Pastor).
A few years ago I did some research on staffing
ratios in churches (within the Uniting Church and beyond) and discovered that
for a church our size and complexity you would expect to be funding the
equivalent of about 4.5 to 5 fulltime staff. We are currently funding (through
tithes and offerings) the equivalent of 3.8 fulltime staff and with the restructure
would be funding the equivalent of 4.8 fulltime staff (although the cost financially
is approximately the equivalent of 4.1 fulltime stipends as the Pastors, Youth
worker and Office secretary receive less than the stipend for an Ordained
Minister).
It is also worth noting that the first priority is
to find a new Senior Minister. The above model may change a little depending on
the gifting this person brings.
It is also vital to remember that the role of
Ministry staff is not to “do the work of ministry” but to be the connection,
resourcing, support people for the “work of ministry” God is doing through
every one of us.
Please pray for the Joint Nominating Committee as
they look for our new Senior Minister. Also please seek God regarding your
tithes and offerings. We, the church, function only because of God’s grace
working through each of our faithfulness.
Yours in Christ
Graham Keech
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