Vision Team Proposal

1. Vision Team Proposal June 2018

2. Purpose, Vision and Mission Statements PURPOSE: (goal of the Vision Team) To create one nimble and responsive judicatory, faithful in mission and responsible in stewardship VISION: Gathered in Christ – nurturing Spirit, awakening gifts, loving neighbor, and serving communities MISSION: To connect and equip faith communities in following Jesus Christ

4. LANGUAGE

5. VISION TEAM’S POINTS OF AGREEMENT AND SENSE OF DIRECTION • Shared Ministry • One Judicatory/Governance setting • Responsible stewardship • Vision document is not final 

6. Proposed Structure • A single setting (judicatory) • A Leadership Board elected by the UCC faith community • Oversee 3 or 4 support centers, including their physical plants, finances, and staff • Assume the responsibilities of the current conference Board of Directors, and much of those of the governing bodies of the current associations • Include all executive and ministerial staff • Faithfully reflect the diversity of the UCC in this area • Include a leadership development team to identify persons for future service and assist in developing gifts of these persons for service

7. Anticipated Called Positions • Transitional Conference Minister – it’s not yet clear whether a CM position will continue long term or whether these duties will be handled in a different manner • General Minister in each support center • Responsible for the health and well-being of the congregations to which they relate. • Resource Committees on Ministry, Search and Call, and pastoral care • Function as a team with other General Ministers • Supported by Advisory Teams, as needed • Specialized Ministries as needed to support the vision • May be fulfilled by the TCM and GM’s • May be full-time, part-time, temporary, or volunteer • Possibilities include Faith Formation, Church Vitality, New Church Starts, and Stewardship and Generosity

8. Anticipated Appointed Positions • Administrative, financial, and support persons as needed • General Ministers would hire and supervise support staff as needed in their area, in accordance to a budget. • Remaining staff would be managed centrally but may be dispersed physically

9. Perceived Advantages • Focuses first on collaboration, then on how structure allows for collaboration • Reduces gaps and overlaps • Allows specialists to thrive as opposed to relying primarily on generalists • Responds to the goal of creating a unified purpose with ”regional applications” • Reduces administrative responsibilities for the General Ministers in the support centers • Offers more time for General Ministers to concentrate on building personal relationships and do pastoral work.

10. Best Practices We’ve identified these five focus areas • Church and Ministry • Social Witness • Faith Formation • Wider Church Relationships • Communications

11. Finance and Stewardship • An Annual Budget will be developed in collaboration with the Advisory Teams and staff and will be approved by the Leadership Board • A unified accounting and bookkeeping system will be implemented • One financial management staff will manage one payroll, one Federal ID number, consolidated accounting, and one annual audit • Donor Designated and Endowment funds will be honored according to donor parameters. • Generosity will be nurtured as a spiritual practice • Our goal is to retain a smaller percentage of OCWM so that more is forwarded to the national setting

12. Support Summary • Support Centers distributed across the territory • General Ministers in each Support Center with a focus on Committee on Ministry, Search and Call and Pastoral Care, with standardized processes throughout the territory • Other ministries such as prophetic witness, faith formation, and church vitality will be shared across the territory. • Churches will be encouraged to collaborate with sister churches, especially around social justice and mission

13. Implementation • The Vision Team is committed to a new integrated structure in Ohio, Northern Kentucky and West Virginia • We also recognize a need to strengthen covenantal relationships and build trust as we collaborate in ministry, trusting in the guidance of the Holy Spirit • First Steps: • Identify areas where the associations can cooperate and find value. Possibilities include School of Ministry, Pastoral Excellence programs, Faith Formation initiatives, and/or Committee on Ministry policies and procedures • Continue planning a new structure and begin to live into a new structure

14. Next Steps • This will be managed by a representative Transition Team, with guidance and support from the Transitional Conference Minister • Steps: • Select a non-exclusionary name • Develop Best and Standard Practice Resource • Develop standard Finance and Stewardship practices • Develop a plan for organization and structure of the new setting, including the support centers, staffing, locations, and legal structure • Reports and Approvals – provide regular reports to the associations and conference and obtain approvals, as needed.

15. Summer of 2018 • Circulate the ”first draft” proposal • Hold special informational meetings within each association • Collect and consider feedback from the associations • Modify “first draft” as needed • Provide an updated proposal in advance of the Annual Gathering on September 28-29 • Friday sessions at the Annual Gathering will focus on the recommendations from the three ”working groups” of the Vision Team

16. Expectations • Full implementation will take at least 2-3 years • Final structure may evolve as we learn from the work on Best Practices and shared financial and administrative processes