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The Anglican Church in Tasmania Search |
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a healthy church...transformingLIFE |
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A healthychurch transforminglife...
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Strategic directions1. Creative and flexible Christian communitiesTransformation will require that we be creative, innovative and flexible. All clergy and lay people must search for ways in which they can live more deeply the life of Christ. I believe that this means using all our resources, human, financial and buildings, in different ways. Flexibility allows clergy and lay people to explore together new ways of working. We need to use a rich variety of ministry: full and part time, paid and unpaid, clergy and lay people. Some of the roles traditionally filled by clergy may be undertaken by lay people as clergy focus on their particular gifts or explore new areas of ministry. The development of lay and clergy ministry teams, differing according to the needs of the locality, will enable us to use in more creative ways the gifts that God has given. Priestly and pastoral ministry must be seamlessly delivered in the local context by those called by God to these responsibilities. It is likely that as we develop new forms of Christian community we will need to review how we use some of our church buildings. We will need to work together to provide ministry across parish boundaries as well as working with and across denominational boundaries. There must be opportunity for parishes, schools and agencies to work together experimentally. Our diocesan legislative base expressed in the ordinances must become instruments enabling the mission of the Diocese. Governance structures, committees and parochial arrangements must also become clearly focused on facilitating mission. The Trustees must help us understand how to resource the Church in transition. transformingLIFE means a commitment to creativity and flexibility. |
