Covenant in Ministry

"In our call to follow Jesus Christ, the Anglican Diocese of New Westminster enables parishes in their ministries as Gospel people; empowers leadership for the common ministries we can undertake more effectively together; and serves God, the wider church and the world."
- Diocesan Mission Statement

What is it?

It's a new program for the whole Diocese of New Westminster. Every three years each parish, with diocesan support, will undertake a ministry assessment process leading towards a new or revised Covenant in Ministry.

The creation of a Covenant in Ministry has three distinct steps.

• Telling of the Parish Story, gathering materials, and reflecting on ministry
• Mutual Assessment of Parish Ministry Health.
• Crafting and Celebration of a new or revised Covenant in Ministry.

This covenant includes three parties

The Parish	The Clergy	The Bishop

Why are we doing this?
The Diocesan Synod of 2001 adopted a new set of priorities that included Strengthening Parishes. The priorities also called for a ministry review process to assist with effective ministry and leadership, and envisioned the covenanting process.

In early spring of 2003, Diocesan Council mandated that we get on with the task.

What will my parish get out of this process?
Ministry Get fit/Keep fit! implies several potential benefits:

• Improved Parish Health: spiritual, physical, and economic.
• Moving from Maintenance to Mission.
• Vitality and Renewed Energy.
• Effective Utilization of Parish Resources.
• Mutuality: healthy relationships with other parishes and the diocese.
• Creating Goals and an Action Plan and 'getting rid of guilt'.

Will this mean lots of extra work for the parish?
You will get out what you put in. The process is designed to be complete over a period of several months and is an investment in 'getting in shape'. The rewards pay off over the years in parish health.

Our parish already has a vision and a ministry plan. Do we really need to write another?
This process is designed to honour what is and has been done in each parish, and is not intended to re-invent the wheel. In each case the Regional Archdeacon working with the Wardens, Clergy, and the appointed Review Team Chair will determine how the existing processes of the parish fit into the intent of the process, and may adapt the process to fit.

With everything else going on, why all this work now?
We have prepared for this for a long time. The 1990's commissions of the diocese on physical and human resources, the priorities report of 2001, have all in their own way named the need and have prepared the land.

This work is vital, we have said so in Synod, and Diocesan Council agreed. Let's do it!