As you can see from the diagram above we are now in the Yellow Sept/Oct 21 stage of the Roadmap.
The Kirk Session (elders) have looked at the Five Marks of Mission and The Core Principles (see below) and submitted these to Fife Presbytery.
Now there will be a Building Review and Cluster/Area/Grouping Conversations.
Each Cluster/Area/Group has been appointed a Cluster Facilitator (in our case Rev Alan Kimmitt from St Columbas in Glenrothes). The facilitator will assist and support open, honest and respectful dialogue. They do not bring an agenda and are not there to impose ideas. They will be supportive by asking questions, listening, taking notes and facilitating open discussion to take place in an inclusive and respectful environment.
We do not know what cluster/area/grouping we will be in, it is all new to us but will become clearer as the process proceeds.
See here for the initial Road Map post.
The Five Marks of Mission
We were asked to consider how we are fulfilling “the mission of the Church which is the mission of Christ”, defined in five strands of activity:
- To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom
- To teach, baptise and nurture new believers
- To respond to human need by loving service
- To seek to transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and pursue peace and reconciliation
- To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth.
We were to consider these in relation to our parish, and also as part of our cluster, and with ecumenical partners where appropriate.
The Core Principles
We were asked to bear in mind the core principles unchanged from the previous planning round:
- Focus on our Communities
- Ecumenical partnership
- Priority of the Poor
- Ministry of the Whole People of God
- Strengthen Congregations
- Develop a “mixed economy” of traditional and innovative churches
- Encourage financial responsibility
- Assess buildings as “well equipped spaces in the right places”