Pastoral Relations Toolkit
Toolkit #1 – Pastoral Relations Commission Policy Manual
CSRC Pastoral Relations Commission has created a Policy and Procedure Manual for communities of faith:
Toolkit #2 – Resources for Ministry & Personnel Committees
These resources are basic tools for the Ministry and Personnel Committee:
Toolkit #3 – Pastoral Relations Liaisons
Regional Pastoral Relations Liaisons offer leadership as a community of faith seeks out a new pastoral relationship through a new call or appointment.
Here are some resources for liaisons:
Toolkit #4 – United Fresh Start
United Fresh Start is a curriculum with over 20 modules that teach ministers and congregational leaders critical strategies for working effectively together. It contains proven methods based on the work of organizational leadership experts and is based on a program developed by the Episcopal Church over the past 20 years.
The program covers key topics, such as entering new systems, conflict management, family systems theory, polarity management, church size theory and adaptive leadership. Together, ministers and congregational leaders gain a mutual understanding of leadership expectations, role clarity and the use of power and authority.
The program will help create a fresh start for the pastoral relationship and prepare you for effective mission and ministry together. Although the program is ideally suited for new pastoral relationships, several of the modules can be used to equip congregations to be effective in the face of any adaptive challenge.
Toolkit #5 – Retirement Resource
Toolkit #6 – Availability for Pulpit Supply
If you would like to be added to the list for pulpit supply, please contact Rob Smith at: rsmith@united-church.ca
Please see our Pulpit Supply page for more information.
Toolkit #7 – Formal Association
The Pastoral Relations Commission is responsible for policies related to the practice of formal association as set forth in The Manual 2021 (noted below). In some former structures, the conferences called this practice “voluntary associate ministers” but the commission has chosen to use the language of The Manual and to refer to “formal association”. Click on the link below to view the CSRC Formal Association document.
Toolkit #8 – Voluntary Associate Minister
A Voluntary Associate Minister (VAM) is a recognized, ordered minister in The United Church of Canada who is retired or between appointments. At times, a Voluntary Associate Minister may be looking for involvement in a community of faith and at other times they may seek designation as a VAM in order to fulfill the Manual requirements of a “formal association” in order to provide the functions of ministry outside of a pastoral relationship (The Manual, section 1.2.5.3).
More details to come…
Toolkit #9 – Licensed Lay Worship Leaders
This toolkit is located on the LLWL page of the CSRC website. Click the link below to be redirected.
Toolkit #10 – License to Administer Sacraments
There will be instances where the governing body of a community of faith is responsible for requesting a license to administer the sacraments. This request must come from an official meeting of the governing body and sometimes the Pastoral Relations Commission may initiate the conversation.
Here is a resource to assist with this request:
Toolkit #10 – Appointments Policy
In the new guide for pastoral relations, Pastoral Relations: Community of Faith, a distinction is made between supply appointments and appointments (page 19). Supply appointments are requested when the community of faith requires ministry support while they work on their profile and search. Appointments, on the other hand, are longer‐term pastoral relationship as a result of a search. This policy will help communities of faith differentiate between the two types of appointments.
Toolkit #12 – ChurchHub.ca
Ministry Profiles and Searches – using the online tool of ChurchHub.ca
ChurchHub.ca is established and regularized by General Council as the required process for ministry personnel and communities of faith to search for calls and appointments.
What is ChurchHub.ca?
ChurchHub.ca 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 (tool) for communication between the denomination, ministry personnel, communities of faith and members who participate in regional and denominational ministry.
For more information about ChurchHub, a tutorial on your first log-in and how to complete ChurchHub forms, see the national United Church ChurchHub Information webpage.
How do we use ChurchHub.ca?
All Ministry Personnel and Pastoral Charge Communities of Faith have received an invitation to join ChurchHub. If you or your community haven’t received your invitation, we may have an outdated email. Please email ministry@united-church.ca with your updated information.
After you have logged into ChurchHub, you may find this ChurchHub Cheat Sheet helpful as you become familiar with how to add or access Ministry Profile and Search information.
Pastoral Relations: Guidelines for Creating Community of Faith Profile
Toolkit #13 – Covenants between the Regional Council and Communities of Faith
With the creation of the new structure for The United Church of Canada in 2019, it was decided that the relationship between communities of faith and the regional council would be based on a covenant agreement. Below you will find the instructions for developing that covenant, a template of how the covenant will look and a sample covenanting service that will accompany the signing of documents.