A. BASIC PRINCIPLES
All: Adhere and be loyal to the standards, traditions and faith of our particular denomination, and respect those of the other denominations in the congregation.
View the shared ministry as ecumenical and collaborative, marked by love, trust, service, stewardship and exemplary personal behaviour.
Congregation: Accept the responsibility to share in the ministry of the congregation as volunteers.
Ministers: Accept the responsibility to minister in the name of Jesus Christ to all people within the congregation(s) in a professional manner.
B. COMMITMENT
All:
- To acknowledge and celebrate that this is a shared ministry not only because it involves different denominations, but also because we are all, clergy and lay, part of the ministry offered here.
- To respect and affirm the ecumenical environment in which we all minister.
- To work collaboratively with all who share in this ministry, respecting our differences and affirming each other’s gifts.
- To endeavour to serve with faithfulness, courage, integrity, charity, humility, justice and openness.
- To respect ourselves and care for our own personal, intellectual, physical, emotional and spiritual well-being.
- To maintain a disciplined spiritual life through prayer and devotion.
- To recognize that true leadership is about service, and that it calls and enables others to serve.
- To strive to lead personal lives in such a way as to honour God and respect the normative expectations of our denominations.
- To affirm that everyone is created equal and in the image of God; therefore, to respect the dignity of each person and serve all without discrimination.
- Not to abuse or harass any person in any way.
- To support financially the work of the Body of Christ at home and abroad.
Congregation:
- To share in the ministry of Christ in the community.
- To work with others in the congregation for the mutual benefit of all in Christ’s name.
- To respect the ministry offered to us by our ministers as a gift from God and support them in every way possible in that ministry.
- To share in that ministry by accepting responsibility for leadership and service within the congregation.
Ministers:
- To minister in the name of Jesus Christ with caring concern for those with whom we minister, with our colleagues in ministry, and ourselves.
- To accept and honour the trust placed in us.
- To respect the privacy of the people with whom we minister; hence, not to disclose confidential information inappropriately
- To respect the physical and emotional boundaries of pastoral conversations, and in those relationships to promote human and spiritual growth and not foster dependency.
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