Agenda Volume 3 - Methodist Conference

57. The Fruitful Field Project
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lay and ordained Methodists
who share in the ministry of God
within the life of the Methodist
Church to be effective leaders,
servants and partners in God’s
mission
church and community
development: challenging and
equipping Circuits and Local
Churches as they change
and grow as mission-focused
Christian communities of faith,
hope and love.
158 As with the Network as a whole, the
team will:
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focus on serving and supporting
Circuits, Local Churches and
Districts, working with all those
who lead and serve Circuits,
Local Churches and Districts
work through interactive
relationships and in dialogue
with local communities –
their diverse and continually
developing contexts, needs and
aspirations
provide a coherent,
comprehensive and excellent
service through embodying a
breadth of knowledge and skills,
through working to enhance the
quality of its work, and through
being well-coordinated.
159 The establishment of one staff
team was prefigured both in the
consultation document and in the
Committee’s interim response. The
Committee was particularly pleased
to note the warm reception given
to the concept by those already
working for the Church within
institutions and existing expert staff
posts. A submission made by a
tutor during the consultation period
noted that “the vision of a single
connexional network of skilled and
knowledgeable staff is exciting and
energising, enabling the sharing
of skills, resources, expertise and
stimulating creativity and debate.
There is the potential for more
engagement with the diversity of the
Church; for avoiding duplication of
work; for enabling creative thinking
through releasing resources and
linking different people; and for using
and encouraging a greater variety of
people’s skills, gifts and expertise.”
A regional forum’s submission
similarly noted that “integration of all
the people involved in training and
development would be desirable and
strengthen the Church.” A learning
institution’s submission noted
that “the concept of a connexional
network is welcomed... [It] can be
a means of bringing together the
wide range of professional expertise,
knowledge and theological awareness
from a range of bodies and
institutions from across the regions
that will enable cross-fertilisation in a
way which has always been intended,
but not always implemented.” Another
institution noted that “we support the
vision of a single network of skilled
and knowledgeable staff. We see
the current disconnection between
regional/ District officers and learning
institutions as profoundly unhelpful.
The experience of forming ‘networks’
Conference Agenda 2012 707