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Pastoral Relations Liaisons

Quick links to sections on this page:
About | Community of Faith Profiles | ChurchHub | Search Teams  |  Covenantings  | EquityStaff Support

About

Thank you for your willingness to be a regional council liaison to the community of faith group (a team developing the community of faith profile, a search team, the governing body, or the whole community of faith) offering leadership in the pastoral relations process, as the community of faith seeks a new pastoral relationship through a new call or appointment.

A regional council liaison or another regional council representative will, at minimum, touch base with a community of faith and a ministry personnel at the following times:

  • for any discussion about the pastoral relationship
  • any time support is needed to explore a living faith story, whether or not the community of faith is experiencing a change in pastoral relations
  • when a change in pastoral relations has been requested
  • when the community of faith begins writing their profile
  • when the community of faith is ready to post their profile
  • when a search team is appointed
  • when the governing body calls a meeting of the community of faith to hear the recommendation of the search team
  • at the covenanting service

Most importantly, please see the Pastoral Relations: Regional Council Liaisons (PDF | January 2020 – 30 Pages) resource handbook for best practices that provide information, guidance, and advice on the recommended ways to live out mandatory policies and procedures.

 

 

Guidelines for a Community of Faith Profile (Word | 43 pages) – An editible version that you can provide to the search team, which may make it easier for them to edit, cut and paste some of the templates, such as the Living Faith Story, Position Description, Financial Viability Report etc. It may also allow easier sharing with you for your review and approval.

Discussions Around Changes in Pastoral Relationships

As a member of the covenant that is foundational to the pastoral relationship, the regional council participates in any conversation about the pastoral relationship. During these conversations, a liaison represents the regional council. A liaison is a resource to the community
of faith during their process to begin a new pastoral relationship. In addition, a liaison engages in conversations around either of the following:
• a request by either the community of faith or ministry personnel to renegotiate the terms of the current pastoral relationship
• an addition of ministry personnel to the community of faith to form a team ministry, and subsequent changes to the job descriptions of existing ministry personnel.

Community of Faith Profiles

A liaison can guide the team through the pieces they will need to knit together for the community of faith profile. If they have further detailed questions about the search portion of the process, those questions can be included in your training of the search team.

When a community of faith is not searching for a new pastoral relationship, the profile must
include the following:
• living faith story
• financial statement
• demographics
• manse report, if applicable
• real property
• learning site requirements, if applicable

When a community of faith is experiencing a change in pastoral relations, its profile needs to be updated. A community of faith profile that is ready to post for search and selection must include the following additional elements:
• financial viability review
• position description(s)

Descriptions of the elements of the community of faith profile can be found in Guidelines for a Community of Faith Profile.

Overview of the Profile and Search Process  –  (PowerPoint | 10 Slides) November 2020 – This can be used to present the “big picture” process to the Search Team when you first meet them.  This presentation is much like the stepping stone image that Todd presented at the training event – shows all the steps to the covenanting service with a new minister.

Position Descriptions

Overview: Do’s and Don’ts (June 2019 – 1 pg)  PDF

Example of a Position Description (updated March 23, 2023 – 4 pages) PDF | Word

Guidelines for Part Time Ministry Profiles (February 2024 – 3 pages)  PDF | Word

Financial Viability Review

Fillable Financial Viability Review Form [Word | 6 pages]: this Word document is also found in the Pastoral Relations: Guideline for Community of Faith Profile (Page 31-36).  The fillable version makes it easier for a Search Team to pass on the review on to their treasurer.

 

Living Faith Story

The living faith story articulates the community of faith’s ministry focus. This story is your opportunity to share why you exist as a community of faith. All communities of faith are expected to develop a living faith story, review it regularly, and share it with the regional council so that support can be programmed. The living faith story is an opportunity to tell where God is leading your community of faith. Creating this story is an invitation to articulate, assess, and perhaps even reframe how you are being church.

Living Faith Story ( Word | 16 pages) June 2019 – A companion to the Pastoral Relations: Community of Faith handbook, this resource helps a Search Team create their Living Faith Story.

A community of faith can update its profile at any time, even when it is not experiencing a change in pastoral relations. The regional council uses this profile as part of their oversight of the community of faith and as part of a self-assessment. Completing a profile can help to articulate your community’s beliefs, ministry needs, and financial realities.  Please see the Pastoral Relations: Guidelines for a Community of Faith Profile for more guidance.

Church Hub

ChurchHub is the national database for information for every community of faith and all ministry personnel in The United Church of Canada. ChurchHub is part of a significant shift in the life of our church and how we live out our call to ministry and discipleship. It is both a policy that was passed by General Council to be “regularized as the required process for ministry personnel and communities of faith to search for calls and appointments” and the support structure for communication between the denomination, ministry personnel, communities of faith and members who participate in regional and denominational ministry.

To date, many groups have been invited to join ChurchHub, including:

  • all active ministry personnel
  • pastoral charge community of faith administrators
  • pastoral charge treasurers
  • candidates for ministry who recently began the Candidacy Pathway
  • search team chairs
  • various committees and task groups (both lay and ministry members), with more joining each month

Please note that ChurchHub requires a login using a unique e-mail for each account to keep your data safe. We recommend community of faith administrators use an organizational address if possible, such as office[@]firstunited.on.ca or info[@]trinityunited.net, and others use their personal email.

Statistics, Assessment Tools, and Officers

Several features for Statistics, Assessments, and updating Officers and Roles are available in ChurchHub. Charge treasurers have also been invited to ChurchHub with access to Statistics and Assessment information. Learn more on The United Church of Canada's Statistics and Assessments page.

Search Teams

Pastoral Charge Community of Faith administrators can add a Search Team role via the Officers and Roles tile. See "Creating a Search Team Role" on The United Church of Canada's website under downloads here for details. When completed, search teams will receive an email invitation to join ChurchHub and will gain access to:

  • Community of Faith Profile
  • Submit a new position
  • Find a new Minister (once position is approved)
  • Record of Call or Appointment
  • Request Assistance

Learn More

Learn more about how ChurchHub fits into the strategy for the United Church. Watch videos or download how-to guides today!

Intro to ChurchHub Here

one hand reaching for a lower hand under water

HELP!!

Many issues on ChurchHub can be resolved quickly by reviewing items in the ChurchHub Support Centre.

FOR LOG IN OR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WITH CHURCH HUB PLEASE CONTACT: ministry@united-church.ca

Congregational Meeting

A liaison is present for the meeting of the community of faith that considers the search team’s recommendation. You can attend in person, by telephone, or electronically.

Community of Faith Congregational Meeting Template for Presentation of Ministry Personnel by Search Team (Word | 2 pg) December 2023 – Outlines the agenda for the congregational meeting and the wording of motion.

 

Covenanting With Our New Minister

After the new pastoral relationship begins, a liaison participates in the covenanting service. You are the representative of the regional council as the covenant among God, the community of faith, the ministry personnel, the regional council, and other parties that are integral to living out the gospel in community is celebrated. The ministry personnel and a member of the search team will ask you to coordinate the best time to hold the covenanting service.

A sample liturgy for recognizing the covenant that provides the foundation for the new pastoral relationship can be found in the Milestones and Transitions worship page of the United Church website.

Covenanting Service Template | Word (5 pages, 2 column layout) December 2023 – A covenanting service sample template

Covenanting Service Template for Intentional Interim Ministry appointments | Word (8 pages) December 2023 – A covenanting service sample template for IIM appointments.

Equity Training and Resources

Equity Training Resources

Search Team Equity Training – [PowerPoint – 9 Slides] – February 2022

Equity Training Module for Search Teams – [Word – 4 pages] – updated December 2023

Why is Equity Important? – {PDF –  1 page] – February 2022

Staff Support

 TODD McDONALD

TODD McDONALD

Pastoral Relations Minister

Phone: 416-231-7680  |  1-800-268-3781
Extension: 6235
Email: tmcdonald@united-church.ca

Serves in: Shining Waters Regional Council

Location: Teleworks and works in the Guthrie Office.

Role: Todd encourages and supports ministry personnel toward health, joy, and excellence in ministry practice.

Contact Todd about: Conflict Resolution; Finding A New Minister; Licensed Lay Worship Leaders; Licenses To Administer Sacraments; Pastoral Relationships Policy; Resources for Transition Times; Retirement; Sabbaticals; Sick Leave; Short Term Supply Ministers; Visiting Minister Options. Todd is responsible for all the Communities of Faith and ministry personnel in the region that are located north of Highway 407.