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Conference Equipping Network "…to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ." Ephesians 4.12-13 The Proposal The proposal is to eliminate the Conference Council on Ministries and to replace it with a new organization called the "Conference Equipping Network." This proposal was endorsed by the Conference Council on Ministries on December 5, 2003. The Conference Equipping Network will live out the Florida Conference vision and mission by equipping local churches, various "mission outposts" of the conference, districts, and conference boards and committees for the task of making disciples of Jesus Christ. This organization will help prepare for the future and the challenges of ministry through research, development, and the equipping of leaders of the church. What we are trying to address with these changes To move from a structure that is grounded in maintenance of ongoing programs to one that is focused on identifying, living into the future needs of, and equipping leaders of the settings of ministry of the FL Conference. To provide a place in the conference structure where decisions and planning can happen that requires the crossing of our traditional committee and board boundaries Desired characteristics of the new organization Interactivity o o Between Leadership Connection and Task Teamso Between conference committees and boardso Among Task Teams Fluidity Stays focused on the mission Permission-giving and Empowerment Accountability Simplicity Interpretability Collaborative/non-competitive Core Values of the new organization Faithful to: o o Inclusiveness.o Commitment to Witnesso Rooted in Spiritual Giftednesso Hospitality People friendly Servanthoodo Innovation o Culturally Relevant Aware of social trends and issues IndigenousProposed Structure Click here for Proposed Structure Diagram Leadership Connection: Responsible for visioning, identifying needs of the "many settings" of ministry in the FL Conference, and insuring the fulfillment of the mandates of the Discipline regarding ministry development Identifies trends, needs of society, and needs of churches and other ministry settings in the conference and calls for task teams or for cross-disciplinary action by other conference boards and committees. Coordinates leadership, decision-making, and recommendations to the annual conference on major cross-disciplinary issues/matters for conference committees and boards. Creates the criteria for calling and disbanding task teams, maintaining the role of providing permission and holding teams accountable for their mission, their work, and their funds. * Criteria for forming a team would be established as a set of questions that must be answered such as: "How does the task team focus fit the vision and mission of the conference?""Why does this task need to be done by the conference as opposed to by a district or local church?" "How does the focus of this team reinforce the values of the CEN? *Criteria for disbanding a team would be established in a similar way. Membership of 15. Modeled on but not intended to replace the Conference Table. o o Open meetings, anyone can attend, including leaders of task teams. Voice/no vote.o Elected by the Annual Conference.Must be the group looking five years down the road, not reacting to current situations. Must recognize capabilities and enable cross-functioning teams. Decides on criteria for and funding to Focused Task Teams. Focused Task Teams: Responsible for strategic thinking, planning about various issues facing the many settings of ministry in the Florida Conference, and implementing. Also responsible for fulfilling various ministry –actions as defined by the DisciplineResearch, prepare and provide strategies to local churches, districts, boards, and committees in the conference. Disband once the task is accomplished or criteria met. These are not elected by the Annual Conference.
Shift in Core Process Of the "Equipping Structure" of the Conference Historic Core Process of the CCOM Church members and pastors were "moved" through large, centralized events that had the purpose of training clergy and members for positions of responsibility in the churches and conference, providing inspiration, and providing fellowship. Dollars were moved from local churches to the conference and out to ministries, the conference, and the general church. New Core Process for the Conference Equipping Network - click here for diagram The core process of the Conference Equipping Network is best described as that of a feedback loop in which information is provided through a variety of delivery systems, (including but not limited to task teams, staff, communications and properties), in the form of events, technology, deployment of staff, etc. to the "many settings" of the conference. These settings, as well, provide information back to the CEN through evaluations, expressions of need, and offerings of their own expertise received through staff, data management, communications and other forms of contact. The core process can be summarized as "Research ->Develop->Equip->Gain Feedback->Evaluate->Receive input->Research..." Sources for external input would include Percept, other types of research that is targeted as important for staff and task teams to access, Florida IMPACT, Outreach Ministries, and information from local churches and other organizations. Implementation During the year 2004, the CCOM has already committed to testing out new procedures for funding decisions similar to what would be proposed for the new organization. Upon approval by the Annual Conference of 2004, the Conference Council on Ministries would use the next year as a year of transition to the new Conference Equipping Network. The committees as nominated at the 2004 annual conference would continue to serve, with the focus being on implementation of the new organization. Enabling Standing Rules changes and nominations would be prepared and voted on at annual conference 2005 for immediate implementation. The Conference Equipping Network would be fully operational with the beginning of the 2005-2006 conference year. |
