Plymouth and Devonport Methodist Circuit Policy

The Methodist Church’s Priorities are:
 
Worship – Increase awareness of God’s presence and to celebrate God’s love
 
Learning & Caring – Help people to learn and grow as Christians, through mutual support and care
 
Service – Be a good neighbour to people in need and to challenge injustice
 
Evangelism – Make more followers of Jesus Christ
 
CIRCUIT POLICY
 
Worship

• It will be Christ centred and Holy Spirit inspired
• It will be creative, relevant, welcoming, participatory.
• It will provide opportunities for new initiatives and opportunities for different styles of worship: for changing, modifying and using the worship space flexibly (if possible) to embrace a welcoming atmosphere for all people, including sensitivity to new worshippers. Preachers and worship leaders should be made aware of and sensitive to any specific needs of those attending.
• It will be appropriate to local needs and immediate circumstances.  These should be made known to local preachers and ministers to enable relevant prayer and preaching.  
•  It will enable ecumenical contributions and ethos when and where appropriate.

Learning is about:
Encouraging people to develop their Christian faith by a variety of means as specified below

• Planning and participating in bible study, fellowship and house groups. 
• Providing opportunities for study with fellow Christians and discovering concepts of other faiths where appropriate
• Training courses at local, ecumenical and district levels.   To include training for lay workers, house group and fellowship leaders and pastoral visitors
• Having available and using a wide range of up to date materials and resources and providing training in the use of modern technology

 
Caring involves:

• Spiritual, pastoral, individual and community outreach.
• Encouraging everyone to share in God’s mission and love within local communities.
• Regularly reviewing as a church the spiritual needs of all ages.
• Appointment of lay workers where required and where resources permit.
• Enabling pastoral visitors to share and support the role with ministers.
• Encouraging community involvement in our buildings.
• Encouraging dialogue with and showing sensitivity to people of other faiths.

 
Service encompasses:

• Encouraging and equipping people to offer their abilities, knowledge, skills and particular gifts within the community and the total mission of the church.
• Responsible giving and gift-aiding our money to further God’s work.
• Working together to give Christian response to and support for local community projects.
• Awareness of what can be done to promote justice and equality in this country and throughout the world.
• Promoting Fair Trade internationally and locally.

 
Evangelism enables:
 

• The good news of Christ to be shared with all.
• Opportunities to encourage and enable new people to become disciples of Jesus Christ and members of the church.
• Links to be made between different groups, children, young people, adults within and outside the church in meaningful activities and worship.  Opening opportunities for evangelism through baptisms, weddings, funerals and through users of the buildings.
• Use of District and other resources eg District Evangelism Enabler, other District Resources, Alpha, Christianity Explored, etc.

 
In support the Circuit will through good administration:

• Ensure the safeguarding procedures are complied with and that emotional, spiritual and practical help and support is given to those involved.
• Review the location and usage of all premises (churches, halls and manses) ensuring that manses are well maintained and are best sited for an effective deployment of the ministers. This to be achieved by the annual local inspection of Manses by the Property and Facilities Officer.
• Ensure that the recommendations of quinquennial inspections of churches and manses are acted upon along with church property stewards and officers.
• Maintain a circuit budget.
• Review and examine annual schedules and local church’s reserves policies.
• Publish relevant and timely circuit information literature.
• Publish details of available circuit resources.
• Maintain a Circuit website and suggest ways to help churches develop and maintain their own websites Maintain a Circuit website and suggest ways to help churches develop and maintain their own websites which will have links to the circuit websites.
• Ensure, by regular review, that the structures of the circuit committees and their operations are relevant.
• Ensure that a wherever possible a Circuit Steward attends local church council meetings.
• Maintain a circuit office and central resource centre.