tansley jnac 2008 may 13 · the staff survey was given to each staff member (ministers,...

UNITED CHURCH

JOINT NEEDS ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE

FINAL REPORT

MAY 13, 2008

To be an enthusiastic, Christ-centred family, journeying in faith, looking in, reaching out …..

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I INTRODUCTION 1

II COMMUNITY AND RESOURCES DESCRIPTION 3 1 COMMUNITY OF TANSLEY 3 2 MINISTRY OF TANSLEY 6 3 RESOURCES AND TANSLEY 9

III MINISTRY PERSONNEL DESCRIPTION 13 4 POSITION DESCRIPTION 13 5 SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 15 6 TERMS 17

IV SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATION 18 APPENDICES 20

May 13, 2008

I INTRODUCTION OVERVIEW A Joint Needs Assessment Committee (JNAC) (hereinafter referred to as the “Committee") was formed in February 2008 at Tansley United Church, Burlington. The task of the Committee was to assess and make recommendations concerning the congregation's needs for Ministry Personnel following the directive by Halton Presbytery that Tansley balance its financial budget. As a result of a review by the Board of its options to balance its budget, it recommended that ministerial resources be reduced from a total of 60 hours to 40 hours. The Tansley representatives to the Committee were elected at a Congregational Meeting held on February 12, 2008. The members of the Committee are: From Halton Presbytery: Rev. Diane Blanchard – Carisle-Kilbride United Churches

Norm Graham - Munn's United Church - Oakville From Tansley United Church:

Ron Foster Richard Hensen – Chair Denise Jormakka Kathryn Munn Cathy Nicholson - Secretary Keith Rutherford

In accordance with the requirements, as set out in the United Church Pastoral Relations Handbook, this report contains assessments and profiles of Our Community (Burlington) our Pastoral Charge (Tansley United Church) and our Resources. The report also contains our findings and recommendations as detailed in the Position Description, Skills and Terms profiles. The Consultation Process The Surveys The Committee created 3 separate surveys:

a) Congregational Survey; b) Committee Survey; c) Staff Survey.

Copies of each survey are included as appendices to this report. The Congregational Survey The Congregational Survey was completed and returned by 115 individuals identifying themselves as a "member of Tansley's family". These results are seen to be true indicators of the congregation's interest and commitment.

May 13, 2008

The focus of the congregational survey was to determine how the congregation believed the 40 hours of ministerial staff time should be spent. Members were asked to prioritize nine categories (including “Other”). The Committee Survey Current and recent past members of Board Committees were asked to complete the Committee Survey as representatives of the Board. The Committee extended an invitation to each Board Committee Chairperson to meet with members of the Committee to review and complete the Committee Survey. Only the M&P Committee accepted the invitation. The focus of the Committee Survey was to determine the minister’s participation with these committees, determine the current needs of each Committee for ministerial staff time, and whether or not there were opportunities to reduce ministerial time without jeopardizing proper function and possibly redirect precious ministerial resources elsewhere. The Staff Survey The Staff Survey was given to each staff member (Ministers, Administrator, and Music Director) and individual interviews were also conducted with each staff member. Two members of the Committee were present at each interview. The purpose of the staff surveys as they related to the ministers were to understand how much time is spent on their various responsibilities. The focus of the other staff surveys was similar to the Committee surveys. Congregation Updates The Congregation was provided with periodic Committee updates. The updates were provided either verbally by the chair during Announcements or in written form in the church bulletin and monthly newsletter. Members of the Committee were available to meet 1:1 with members of the congregation to answer questions and to clarify aspects of the JNAC process. Many such conversations took place between services on Sunday morning. Summary of Survey Results The results of the congregation survey will be included in a separate document entitled: Congregational Survey Data and Analysis.

May 13, 2008

I COMMUNITY AND RESOURCES

1 COMMUNITY OF TANSLEY

1.1 Regional Location The City of Burlington is a community of approximately 164,000 people located in the centre of an area known as the Golden Horseshoe, a large urban region situated at the western end of Lake Ontario. The Golden Horseshoe extends from Toronto in the east, (Canada’s largest city), westward through to Hamilton (Canada’s steel production centre) and on to Niagara Falls and the U.S. border. Burlington lies at the junction of three major multi-lane highways, is close to three major airports (Lester B. Pearson International Airport in Toronto, John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport, and the Buffalo Niagara International Airport). Burlington has access to a fully integrated regional public transit system with both bus and rail components.

1.2 Some Demographics Population: The median age of the population is 40 with over fifty percent living at the same address 5 years and over. In the five years between 2001 and 2006, the population of Burlington grew by nine percent while Canada as a whole grew by five percent. Eighty percent of the population is made up of a mixture of English, Canadian, Scottish, Irish, French, German, Italian and Dutch. The remaining twenty percent consists of the following: Chinese, South Asian, Black, Filipino, Latin American, Arab, Korean, and Japanese.

Family Characteristics: Eighty percent of the total number of families in Burlington is married couples with an average number of 3.1 persons in the family.

Common law couples represent nine percent of the families with an average number of 2.6 persons in the family.

Female lone-parent families represent a total of eleven percent with an average number of 2.5 persons in the family. Religions:

Catholic: 32% Protestant: 41% Other: 24% (Christian Orthodox; Muslim; Jewish; Buddhist; Hindu;

Skih and Eastern religions

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1.3 Standard of Living/Labour Force/Education Quality of life is a matter of pride for Burlington resident. The average family income is $112,500 (Ontario Mortgage Stats –2006). Sixty percent of the all persons in Burlington with earnings in 2006 worked full time.

Thirty-seven elementary and nine secondary as well as eight private schools prepare this highly educated workforce. Over fifty percent have a college diploma or university degree. This may be due to the fact that there are eight universities and eight colleges within one hour’s driving distance.

1.4 Economy and Industry Burlington’s economy is not dominated by any single employer or sector. Burlington’s economic strength is the diversity of the economic base, mainly achieved because of its geography, proximity to large industries in southern Ontario, its relationship to the Greater Toronto/Hamilton market area and its transportation infrastructure. This area is largely driven by both the automotive and financial sectors. Its leading industrial sectors include food processing, packaging, electronics, motor vehicle/transportation, business services, chemical/pharmaceutical and environmental services.

1.5 Burlington’s Downtown Burlington’s ‘downtown’ is uniquely situated in a beautiful shoreline of Lake Ontario where the community thrives, business prospers and tourism flourishes. An exciting downtown waterfront area will ensure that the downtown is the cultural centre of the City. This includes the expansion of the Burlington Art Centre, a Performing Art Centre that is currently in the development stages. Over sixty performing arts groups are active in the community offering a wide range of theatre, choral, orchestral and dance groups. Over forty restaurants and cafes featuring international foods offer a mix of fine and casual dining.

1.6 Media and Cultural Attractions/Events Burlington is serviced by two radio stations FM107.9 and FM 94.7 along with Crossroads Television System, CH servicing Hamilton and Niagara combined with a local community channel provided by Cogeco cable.

Burlington’s heritage is preserved in the City’s many museums and monuments, including the Joseph Brant Museum, Ireland House Museum, Halton Region Museum and the City Hall War Monument. Burlington is also home to many annual events such as the Sound of Music Festival, Rotary Ribfest, the Spring Craft Fair, the Burlington Teen Tour Band, and Music in the Park Festival, Joseph Brant Day, Autumn Art Market, Harvest Festival and the Christmas Parade.

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1.7 Sports and Recreation Burlington is home to many sports clubs and leagues as well as provincial teams, including the Burlington Stampeders, the Burlington Barracudas, the Burlington Eagles, the Burlington Chiefs, the Burlington Cougars and the Burlington Bulldogs.

Burlington maintains 1148 hectares, (2836.7 acres) of parkland and is home to the Royal Botanical Gardens. Exceptional hiking can be experienced in the local sections of the Bruce Trail, the Niagara Escarpment and along the Waterfront Trail. Burlington offers three indoor and four outdoor pools, ten ice pads, seven community centres and many exceptional golf courses. Organized sports include hockey, football, soccer, baseball, softball and lacrosse.

1.8 Health Care Resources Joseph Brant Hospital is part of the Halton-Peel health-care system. It is classified as a full-service, acute care hospital serving residents of Burlington and surrounding area. Its core programs are: medicine, surgery, emergency, maternal and child, mental health and rehabilitation and complex continuing care. Associated with this hospital is the Wellness House, a new life style community, totally barrier free, which offers specific rehabilitation services.

In addition, Hamilton Health Sciences is a referral hospital to 25 community hospitals in the region. Leading edge research is being conducted every day at HHS. McMaster University Medical Centre, one of Canada’s largest teaching hospitals, offers specialized healthcare to a broad population, which includes residents of Burlington.

McMaster Children’s Hospital is one of the largest paediatric healthcare facilities in Canada and second busiest in Ontario. In the past year, more than 150,000 children and their families were cared for. McMaster Children’s Hospital is also home to one of the country’s newest and busiest Neonatal Intensive Care Units.

Burlington has four after-hour and walk-in clinics, eight rehabilitation services, 22 long-term care facilities and retirement communities and Carpenter House, a hospice care facility, which opened in 2002.

May 13, 2008

2 MINISTRY OF TANSLEY

2.1 Our Mission Statement "To be an enthusiastic, Christ-centred family, journeying in faith, looking in, reaching out…" Recently, Tansley embarked on a special four-part “conversation with each other and with God to hear what we should be doing as God’s people at Tansley in the next few years”, called Living the Spirit. It is a visioning exercise to, among other things, revisit our mission statement.

The first session, History – How have we grown? was held during both worship services on Sunday, April 13, 2008. Members recalled key events, shared stories and celebrated our history with God over the last 20 odd years. We painted a picture of who we have been, what has been accomplished and how all of this has built our congregation.

The second session, Identity – Who have we become? was held on the morning of Saturday, April 19, 2008. Building upon the information gathered in the first session, participants explored the “personality” of the congregation, expressed the reasons that drew them into activity and connection at Tansley, determined how our history is reflected in who we are now. Small groups were challenged to use their imagination to create their image of Tansley using a variety of construction materials.

The two remaining sessions will be held in September and October when we will describe and shape a picture of our mission and the structures that are needed to support that mission.

2.2 Tansley - A "New Church Development" Congregation Tansley's first official worship service was conducted on January 19, 1986. The congregation worshipped in various public school auditoriums, then moved to a temporary building on the present site until construction began on the Tansley Park Community Homes project on property adjacent to our current building. Worship services were then held in the cafetorium at Notre Dame High School. In 1993 the present building was completed and the congregation had a permanent home.

As a new church development congregation Tansley benefited from United Church grants since its beginning. However, grants have decreased annually to the point that Tansley no longer received such grants. The congregation has been challenged each year to "fill in the gaps". Various stewardship campaign models have been implemented over the years. Planned givings through PAR are encouraged. In 2007 Tansley had a successful capital fundraising campaign, known as Treasure Tansley, in which members pledged funds for capital improvements over a three year period. Unfortunately, the annual stewardship campaign, in which members were asked to increase their givings 15% in 2008 and 10% in 2009, fell short. It is one of the reasons Tansley finds itself in the Committee process now.

Tansley does not have a traditional mortgage but is responsible to pay a "Mission Tithe" and struggles to meet that obligation. (See Resources Profile)

May 13, 2008

2.3 Ministry Personnel Currently, Tansley has 1.5 ministerial personnel. Linda Clark, a Diaconal Minister, was called to a half-time position, with a focus on Christian Development, Outreach and Pastoral Care, at Tansley in 2001. Rev. Dick Prince, an Ordained Minister, was called to a full-time position in November 2005.

Twice in Tansley’s history, ministerial staffing levels have been reduced from 1.5 to 1 full time ordained staff with various volunteer and/or contracted supports. Despite a demonstrated need for 1.5 ministerial staff, Tansley is not able financially to continue with this situation. We hope to again increase ministry personnel when we are financially able to do so.

2.4 Worship Services and Music Program Tansley worships at 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings from September through June. When there is only one worship service (summer), it is held at 10:00 a.m. +Kids Program+ is offered for all regular services.

Our Director of Music, Michael Mulrooney provides leadership and is responsible for the development of the ministry of music at Tansley, primarily for the 9:30 a.m. service. There is a SATB choir at the 9:30 a.m. service and a Praise Team at the 11:00 a.m. Tansley is seeking an Assistant Director of Music position to provide support for the Praise Team. This position has been open for over a year. In the interim, David Wilson provides temporary contract support for the 11:00 a.m. service. Tansley's Primary Choir is led by volunteers. Meaningful, relevant worship in conjunction with music has always been very important to the Tansley congregation.

2.5 +Kids Program+ and Youth Programs Tansley created teaching pyramids for the +Kids Program+ whereby “teaching teams” take turns one Sunday each month working with the children. +Kids Program+ is offered at both services during the year and at the 10:00 a.m. service during the summer months. Children are visible and welcome participants in worship and the invitation to communion is inclusive.

A Youth Group (TYX – Tansley Youth Xtreme), for those in Grades 6-10 meets one Sunday a month at 7:00 p.m. and is led by volunteers.

Tansley offers a confirmation class for Grade 9 youth, which is lead by volunteers with ministerial support.

2.6 Tansley Official Board Tansley's Board model is one of an Official Board. There are no elected Elders and no Stewards. The Board is a consultative body. The Chairpersons of each committee meet once a month to conduct Board business. Full Board meetings (Chairpersons and committee members) occur 3-4 times a year. Committees have autonomy to do their own work. Job descriptions are in place for committees and are reviewed on a regular basis and revised and amended as needed.

A copy of the Annual Report - Committees (June 2007) is available for more detail on the individual committees.

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2.7 Congregational Life Tansley offers many unique and innovative programs. In addition to and as extensions of the work of the standing committees of the Board and expected groups, e.g. UCW, there are various interest groups at Tansley that have regularly scheduled meetings. Prior to 2006 such groups were coordinated individually, such as "Men's Night Out" and "Women's Night Out" groups, and the Quilters.

In 2006 Tansley began “Connections Groups”. A separate committee comprising volunteers and ministerial support was established to organize and coordinate a wide variety of groups – maintaining old favourites and introducing new ones. The groups themselves are facilitated primarily by members of the congregation who volunteer their time and energy. There are usually a few groups offered throughout the year that are led by ministerial staff. There are well over twenty groups offered – spiritually focused to purely social – including the following:

- Discovering the Bible: An Introduction; - Exploding the United Church Creed; - Men’s Retreat; - Women’s Retreat; - Ballroom Dancing; - Gourmet Dinners; - Tansley Reads; - Tansley Job Jar; - Daytimers.

Some groups are offered throughout the year; others reflect a particular time of year or are offered for a specific period of time. Groups catering to families are also available.

A lot of planning goes into the success of these Connections Groups, including the tremendous dedication of our talented volunteers.

Reaching out to the larger community Tansley members serve breakfast at the Wesley Centre on Christmas morning, and lead a worship service and provide an afternoon meal at the Wesley Centre in November.

Tansley Park Community Homes (geared-to-income housing) was a project of the young Tansley congregation. These homes were built before Tansley's own church home was constructed. The Board of TPCH is made up almost entirely of Tansley United Church members.

May 13, 2008

3 RESOURCES OF TANSLEY

3.1 Introduction This section will outline present resources at Tansley United Church. It will highlight areas of strength and concern to assist in decision making regarding ministerial leadership.

A close look at the resources at Tansley reveals that, while we face a serious financial challenge, other resource categories such as volunteer leadership, church music and programs for children are very healthy.

3.2 Physical Resources The present church building was completed in 1993. It is 732 sq. meters in size, is wheelchair accessible and complies with all safety and fire regulations.

3.2.1 Sanctuary and Narthex Seating for approximately 225 persons is available in the sanctuary and 40 in the narthex. Moveable chairs provide versatility for services and other functions.

An ample greeting area is located inside the entrance. Male and female washrooms (wheel chair accessible) and coat rooms are located on this level. An elevator provides access to both the lower level of the building and the loft.

3.2.2 Main Floor Meeting Room and Administrative Area The meeting room is used by the choir and for committee and other meetings.

The administrative area consists of two offices and general office space.

3.2.3 Lower Level The lower level contains a general purpose room (185 sq. meters). It can be divided into two areas by a folding door. This area is used for +Kids Program+ on Sundays and is rented to community groups during the week. The major tenant is the Burlington Montessori Pre-School.

Also on this level are a kitchen, a small meeting room, a nursery room, singular male and female washrooms, two storage rooms and maintenance rooms. This level is accessible by two stairways and the elevator.

3.2.4 The Loft This area (60 sq. meters) was completed in 2003. It is used for youth group meetings, and is also rented to community groups throughout the week.

3.2.5 Grounds and Parking Area Ground, flower beds and grass are maintained by volunteers from the congregation. The parking lot (100 spaces) is accessible from Walkers Line and Millcroft Park Drive. Snow removal and building custodial services are contracted out.

As a result of a successful “Treasure Tansley” capital campaign in 2007, the church now has new roof over the sanctuary, a new furnace, the sanctuary floor has been painted and new flooring has just been installed in the narthex.

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3.3 Staff Support At present, the non-ministerial staff consists of:

Alan Brown – Administrative Coordinator Alan is contracted for 30 hours per week for 10 months, and 15 hours per week in July and August.

Michael Mulrooney – Music Director Michael is responsible for co-ordination of church music, and is contracted for up to 14 hours per week.

(Vacant) – Assistance Music Director The position provides music co-ordination for the 11:00 a.m. service and involves 6-9 hrs. per week.

3.4 Committee Structure Tansley United Church is fortunate to have a dedicated core of volunteers who serve on committees that have clearly defined responsibilities.

During the JNAC process, current and recently past individual members of 10 committees were asked to complete a committee questionnaire. The survey asked about the present role of ministerial involvement in each committee as well as future needs in order to best allocate ministerial resources within the 40 hour time frame. Committee responses to these key questions were analyzed and assisted in making the Committee’s recommendations.

3.5 Membership Resources As indicated in earlier sections of this report, the community surrounding Tansley is growing. Tansley continues to look for opportunities to engage this community and expand our membership.

2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000

Confirmed Resident Members 231 222 204 219 283 272 259 312

Identifiable Givers (Household and Individuals) 229 198 259 252 281 303 387 412

Oct./Nov. Weekly Attendance 158 206 207 150 275 275 300 210

Tansley continues to struggle to sustain and increase its overall membership and weekly attendance. This difficulty is a major factor in the financial situation that will be outlined in the next section of this report.

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3.6 Financial Resources

3.6.1 Long-Term (Capital) Debt Tansley funded construction of the church building using funds from two sources; a Venture in Mission Fund (VIM) loan with the United Church of Canada, and a Halton United Church Extension Council (HUCEC) loan from Halton Presbytery.

As at December 31, 2007, our total balance owing was $765,755, with $553,790 on the VIM loan and $210,965 on the HUCEC loan.

In 1996/1997 a collective agreement was made between Halton Presbytery and its six New Church Development Congregations whereby each Congregation was to increase willingly its annual payment until the annual repayment amount reached an amount equal to a tithe (10%) of the congregation’s net income until the debt is repaid.

Effective 2008, our payments towards this debt have increased from 8% to 10% of our net income. It is our understanding that the HUCEC loan has been on hold until this year, and that our 10% tithe payments will be split, directing 8% towards VIM and 2% towards HUCEC.

3.6.2 Capital Campaign In early 2007, the need for numbers of major repairs to our building were identified, projected to cost in the order of $150,000. The Treasure Tansley campaign asked our congregation to pledge funds over a 3 year period to affect those repairs. To date a total of 84 families pledged $145,000, with $54,000 received in 2007. So far, we have replaced the roof over the sanctuary portion of the building, installed 2 new furnaces, and started work on our flooring repairs.

3.6.3 Fall 2007 Stewardship Campaign In the fall of 2007, Tansley held a Stewardship Campaign in which we asked the congregation to increase giving by an average of 15% in 2008 and 10% in 2009, which would be required to achieve a balanced budget. These increases were required to achieve a balanced budget with the increased payments required to address our long-term debt (above), and reduction to zero of our New Church Development grants.

We also encouraged increased participation in Pre-Authorized Remittance (PAR) of offerings to help stabilize our cash flow, particularly through the summer months.

Of the 155 identifiable giving families, we now have 75 using PAR. The total pledged increase in giving for this year was 5%. As a result the Board needed to look other means to balance the budget, and at the Congregational meeting regarding the budget, it was decided that a reduction in paid ministerial hours would be required.

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3.6.4 Challenges Over the years, we have experienced difficulty meeting all of our financial obligations. In addition to increases in our tithe, and decreases to grants, we have constantly been faced with maintaining and repairing an aging and poorly built building using operating funds.

Halton Presbytery has been very helpful with assistance in keeping our tithe payments current. At this point the expectation is that we operate a balanced budget moving forward.

The Treasure Tansley campaign has been a huge piece of the puzzle for us, as we now have the funds to make the repairs properly, and upgrade equipment such as furnaces, which will in turn help to reduce our operating costs.

Further, at our Congregational meeting held February 12, 2008, it was decided that we had no other recourse but to reduce our paid ministerial hours from 60 to 40 in order to balance our budget.

A summary of the 2007 Operating Revenue and Expenses and 2008 Budget is attached. The full 2007 Financial Report and 2008 Budget is available.

May 13, 2008

III MINISTRY PERSONNEL DESCRIPTION

4 POSITION DESCRIPTION

4.1 Position Title Minister of Word, Sacrament, Pastoral Care, Outreach and Growth, and Christian Development

4.2 Position Description This full-time Ordered Minister will be responsible for providing inspirational spiritual guidance, through engaging Sunday worship services. Considerable time will be devoted to the nurturance and pastoral care of the Tansley congregation. A significant component of this position will be related to ensuring ongoing opportunities for spiritual growth for adults, children and youth.

The successful applicant will be expected to focus on developing meaningful relationships with lay leadership, being visible and present to all members of the congregation and encouraging the identification and sharing of each person’s unique gifts. Time will be devoted to reaching out to new members and to supporting others to reach out to the larger Tansley community.

Time is also to be devoted to serving as a resource to the lay groups providing Christian development, education and faith formation for all ages of the Tansley community.

4.3 Responsibilities

Worship • Deliver inspirational Christian messages that relate a strong biblical and theological knowledge

into the context of present-day situations and events, personal experiences and individual life, in language that is accessible and understood;

• Use inclusive language to engage everyone, regardless of identity or background; • Encourage child and youth participation in the Worship service; • Relate a message to the children that is meaningful to them; • Create and sustain a worship experience that reflects the similarities and uniqueness of our

current, two-service format; • Work with the worship committee and others to plan for and to enrich the service by being

creative and encouraging lay participation; • Assume responsibility for the celebration of the sacraments (communion and baptism); • Engage with the music team, in an ongoing and timely manner, to enrich the service with diverse

music that is sacred, solid, creative and rich; • Engage in mid-range and long-range planning with all staff regarding key events in the Christian

calendar and Tansley’s congregational life.

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Pastoral Care • Lead and support pastoral care activities within the congregation; • Provide effective support and direction for those in crisis with issues relating to health/illness,

death, other personal problems, and for those seeking direction and care in planning for significant life events such as marriage, births, and care for an aging family member, and so on;

• Plan, prepare and conduct weddings and funerals, as necessary, with respect to the Tansley United Church community and their families.

Outreach and Growth • Work with the lay leaders to plan and implement activities in an effort to reach out to our

immediate neighbours, to present ourselves as a welcoming congregation, and to identify areas of potential service;

• Support the lay leaders participating in the work of the Christian church throughout the world.

Christian Development • Act as a resource to the Christian Development Committee, in support of the leadership, program

and activity of those directly involved in ministering to the needs of our children and youth, including confirmation classes;

• Support the leadership and the development of new lay leadership in order to provide enriching and empowering adult programming and spiritual growth opportunities;

• Provide leadership to support expansion and organization of small group ministries (Connection Groups).

Other • Work with the Official Board and its Executive to execute general leadership of the church; • Collaborate and coordinate with the music ministry personnel and the office administrator to

ensure rewarding, enriching and effective programming; • Participate in Presbytery, Conference, General Council activities as appropriate.

4.4 Accountability The successful applicant will be accountable to the congregation through the Official Board’s Ministry and Personnel Committee which will execute the responsibilities mandated by the United Church of Canada. These responsibilities include annual performance reviews, coordination and implementation of the terms of the contract regarding holidays, leaves of absence, study leaves, continuing education, and so on.

Through the Ministry and Personnel Committee, the Executive and Official Board will be appraised of performance and/or changes required.

Membership in Presbytery and Conference is required.

May 13, 2008

5 SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE The successful applicant will be a member of the Order of Ministry within The United Church of Canada and will have the following skills, knowledge, aptitudes and temperament:

Worship • Passion to engage the heart, mind, and spirit of the community in worship; • Strong biblical and theological knowledge and the ability to relate this knowledge to present-

day situations and individual lives; • Communication skills that translate biblical knowledge, theology and personal experiences in

a message which is understandable, engaging and inviting to all listeners; • Skills that will facilitate and support lay participation and leadership in worship.

Pastoral Care • Skills in short term pastoral care; • Awareness of own personal boundaries, knowledge of own limits, ability to delegate and refer

people to other professionals; • Great respect for confidentiality, ability to transmit that value to others; • Appreciation of the value of the ministry of presence.

Outreach and Growth • Demonstrate success in delivering innovative strategies which reach out to a growing,

neighbouring community; • Proven leadership strengths in encouraging, recruiting, training, and supporting lay

participation in growth planning and implementation of events and programs.

Christian Development • Ability to collaborate with and/or support lay leadership involved with the children’s and

youth’s programs; • Ability to facilitate personal faith development programs and encourage and support lay

leadership in developing and leading such programs; • Ability to be creative in the use of resources and the skills of others in the broader community,

Presbytery and Conference.

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Personal Characteristics and Aptitudes • Ability to engage with and relate to adults, children and youth; • Ability to encourage and support lay ministry; • Comfort with, and the ability to engage in, theological discussions from varying viewpoints; • Ability to unify Tansley’s intergenerational church family; • Possesses a strong and sustaining personal faith and shares it with others; • Enjoys working with a variety of people; • Ability to adapt to the changing needs and expectations of the Tansley church community; • Willingness to explore alternative forms of music and worship; • Capacity to learn from and grow through major life challenges and changes; • Ability to self-motivate and self-limit to match the unbounded opportunities and demands of

the position; • Ability to reflect on own spiritual growth and development.

Work Experience Experience in the following areas would be a strong asset: • Short-term pastoral care; • Congregation undergoing transition; • Growing urban setting; • Growth/outreach programs and events; • Computer literacy (MS Word, Outlook).

May 13, 2008

6 TERMS Our congregation’s location within one of Halton’s premiere developing communities means that our potential for growth is real. The resources, facilities and amenities within our neighbourhood and community are rich and appealing. We wish to extend a call to a full-time member of Ordered Ministry as recognized by The United Church of Canada.

The Committee is unanimous in its assessment of the needs of the congregation. The Joint Needs Assessment Committee therefore respectfully recommends that Tansley Board reduce the current ministerial staff to one full-time Ordered Minister.

The Joint Search Committee will negotiate with the successful applicant the following items. The actual dollar figure that is allotted for each of these items below (as applicable) will be negotiated between Tansley United Church, the successful applicant and Halton Presbytery:

- Housing allowance; - Travel expense reimbursement; - Vacation time; - Study leave; - Book allowance; - Pension and group insurance payments; - Moving expenses (as applicable).

The annual salary will be paid as set out in the salary guidelines, according to category, as per the policy of The United Church of Canada.

The list above is merely a framework on which the Joint Search Committee can base its recommendations at the time of negotiating the terms of this call.

May 13, 2008

IV SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATION The Joint Needs Assessment Committee was established at a Congregational meeting held at Tansley United Church on February 12, 2008.

The Committee’s mandate was to assess the congregation’s priorities, specifically as they relate to ministry personnel, and to formulate recommendations to ensure that those priorities would be met.

Research The Committee issued a Congregational Survey to all individuals on the mailing list and received 115 responses. Of the total respondents, 65% were female and 35% were male. In terms of age, 52% responses were received from those between the ages of 46 and 65. Only 6% of the responses came from those under the age of 25.

75% of respondents preferred to attend the 9:30 a.m. service and 19% preferred the 11:00 a.m. service. The remaining 6% had no preference as to the service they attended.

Of all the respondents, 41% have been attending Tansley for 9 years or less. The remaining 59% have attended Tansley between 10 and 22 years. The average respondent has attended Tansley for 11 years.

Respondents were asked to provide a ranking of eight ministerial duties. In analyzing the results of these rankings, the Congregation’s top four priorities were Worship, Pastoral Care, Growth & Evangelism, and Child & Youth Programs.

The Committee also circulated a survey to all Board Members to explore the degree of ministerial involvement in their committees, and find ways to reduce those time demands. In return the Committee received: • One survey completed by the Ministry and Personnel Committee as a whole; • One survey completed by the coordinator of the Connection Group Team; • Two surveys completed by individual members of the Worship Committee; • Three surveys completed by individual members of the Congregational Activities Committee; • Two surveys completed by individual members of the Christian Development Committee; • One survey completed by the former chair of the Outreach Committee.

An invitation was extended to all Board Committee Chairs to have members of JNAC meet with their committees personally. Two members of the Committee met with the Ministry and Personnel Committee and reported on this meeting to the Committee as a whole.

Surveys were provided to the Ministerial Staff as well as the Administrative Assistant and the Music Director. In addition to receiving written comments, two members from the Committee met with each of these individuals to discuss the questions in their survey. The committee as a whole received both the written responses and a summary of the comments gathered at these individual meetings.

Any comments received by individual Committee members from members of the congregation during informal meetings were shared with the Committee as a whole.

The Committee reviewed and discussed all the results and comments provided by all of these sources prior developing the Ministry Personnel Description and making their recommendation.

May 13, 2008

Recommendation Tansley’s Joint Needs Assessment Committee respectfully recommends the following:

That the current staffing level of 1.5 ministry personnel be reduced to 1.0. This recommendation is supported and substantiated by the assessment of needs and priorities collated from the individual surveys.

May 13, 2008

APPENDICES

1. Congregational Survey 2. Committee Survey 3. Ministerial Staff Survey – Dick Prince 4. Ministerial Staff Survey – Linda Clark 5. Support Staff Survey 6. 2007 Operating Revenue and Expenses and 2008 Budget A collation of survey results and analysis has been prepared as a separate document that will be provided to the Executive of the Official Board.

May 13, 2008

APPENDIX 1 – Congregational Survey

Tansley United Church Joint Needs Assessment Committee

April 2008

CONGREGATIONAL SURVEY

The Joint Needs Assessment Committee (JNAC) has begun its wide consultations in its effort to identify the Ministry Personnel needs of the Congregation.

The intention is for this survey to be completed by all who consider Tansley as their place of Worship – whether you are very new to Tansley, or are a member who attends Tansley once a year or every single Sunday. Each adult, youth and child (as appropriate) is asked to complete a copy of this survey. Feel free to photocopy the attached survey; additional copies are available: • at the Church • on the website in early April (www.tansleychurch.com) • from Richard Hensen, Chair JNAC (905) 319-0049

This survey is completely confidential: • There is no need to provide your name • All surveys will be processed and analyzed only by JNAC Members • A summary of the results will be shared with the Congregation at a future time.

LAST DAY TO RETURN YOUR SURVEY:

SUNDAY APRIL 20, 2008

May 13, 2008

PART 1. Demographic Information: Who are we? The Joint Needs Assessment Committee (JNAC) would like to understand the congregation’s priorities. As people have unique needs, which vary from person to person based on their age, gender, and connection to the church, it is important for us to collect the following information.

1. Please check the appropriate box:

15 and under 16 to 25 26 to 35 36 to 45

46 to 55 56 to 65 66 to 75 Over 75

2. Please indicate your gender:

Female Male 3. I have been attending Tansley

for about ________ years OR (please check) _________ less than one year

4. I generally attended

Sunday worship:

5. When I do go to Sunday

worship, I usually attend the service at:

9:30 11:00 Either 9:30 or 11:00 (I have no preference)

Rarely Only at Christmas, Easter and a few other times Less than once per month About once per month More than twice per month Almost always

May 7, 2008

PART 2. Priorities and Needs:

6. Ministerial Priorities

Ministerial personnel perform a number of tasks for a congregation, including the ones listed below.

Please rank the listed ministerial duties in order of importance to you, with one being the highest priority. Please use each number only once.

Duties Priority (1-9) Administration (e.g. support of board committees, staff meetings)

Adult Programming (e.g. Bible studies, retreats)

Child / Youth Programming (e.g. Kids Program, PT&T, Youth Group)

Community Outreach (e.g. work in the larger community, community representation)

Congregational Event Attendance (e.g. fundraisers, dinners)

Congregational Growth / Evangelism (e.g. attracting and retaining membership)

Pastoral Care (e.g. visiting and counselling, baptisms, weddings, funerals )

Worship (convey the Christian message)

Other (Please specify)

7. The top five things that attract me to Tansley are:

1. _______________________________________________________________________ 2. _______________________________________________________________________ 3. _______________________________________________________________________ 4. _______________________________________________________________________ 5. _______________________________________________________________________

8. Is there something we’re not currently doing at Tansley that you’d like to see?

_______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________

9. Please provide any additional comments that may assist the JNAC committee in determining the future ministerial needs of Tansley.

_______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________

May 13, 2008

APPENDIX 2 – Committee Survey


April 2008

COMMITTEE SURVEY

1. Name of Committee: __________________________________________ 2. Responsibilities or Mission Statement:

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Number of members:___________________ 4. Number of meetings per year: ____________ 5. What role does the ministerial staff currently undertake in your committee’s work?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. Can you suggest any areas of your committee’s work where ministerial participation might be reduced?: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. Do you have any suggestions as to how you committee will compensate for any potential loss of ministerial support? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8. If ministerial participation in your committee is reduced, what impact do you think it will have on Tansley as a whole?: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9. Is there anything your committee is not currently doing that you would like to see done in the future? What ministerial support will be required? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Joint Needs Assessment Committee thanks you for taking the time to complete this survey

May 13, 2008

APPENDIX 3 – Ministerial Staff Survey – Dick Prince


April 2008 Ministerial Staff Survey (Dick Prince)

The following questions will form the basis of your meeting with two members of the Joint Needs Assessment Committee. It would be appreciated if you could provide some written comments to the questions below for ease of sharing information with the Joint Needs Assessment Committee as a whole. 1. Please take time to reflect on your work at Tansley over the past twelve months. Using the

headings listed in your current job description, please indicate the percentage of your time that was spent in each area.

a. Worship ______ b. Outreach & Growth ______ c. Pastoral Care ______ d. Christian Development ______ e. Administration ______ f. Other ______ g. _____________________ ______

2. Please indicate below the three most important duties you perform for Tansley? Why is each duty important for Tansley as a whole? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Please share any personal hopes or cautions that you feel the Joint Needs Assessment Committee should consider as we assess Tansley’s needs and make recommendations to the Board, the congregation and to Presbytery.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Additional comments/ questions for the Joint Needs Assessment Committee. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey and for meeting with members of the Joint Needs Assessment Committee.

May 13, 2008

APPENDIX 4 – Ministerial Staff Survey – Linda Clark


April 2008

Ministerial Staff Survey (Linda Clark)

The following questions will form the basis of your meeting with two members of the Joint Needs Assessment Committee. It would be appreciated if you could provide some written comments to the questions below for ease of sharing information with the Joint Needs Assessment Committee as a whole.

1. Please take time to reflect on your work at Tansley over the past twelve months. Using the headings listed in your job description dated May 2005, please indicate the percentage of your time that was spent in each area.

a. Christian Development / Education ______ b. Small Group Ministries ______ c. Outreach ______ d. Pastoral Care ______ e. Worship ______ f. Other ______ g. __________________________ ______

2. Please indicate below the three most important duties you perform for Tansley? Why is

each duty important for Tansley as a whole? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Additional comments/ questions for the Joint Needs Assessment Committee. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


May 13, 2008

APPENDIX 5 – Support Staff Survey


April 2008 Support Staff Survey

The following questions will form the basis of your meeting with two members of the Joint Needs Assessment Committee. It would be appreciated if you could provide some written comments to the questions below for ease of sharing information with the Joint Needs Assessment Committee as a whole.

1. How are you assisted in your job by the ministerial staff?

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Is the current level of ministerial support in your job sufficient?

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. What, if anything, can you do in your position to reduce demands on ministerial staff time?

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Additional comments / questions for the Joint Needs Assessment Committee.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


2007 2008 2009ACTUAL BUDGET PROJECTED NOTES

165,402 173,512 175,000 2008 Givings are based on the 2007 Stewardship Campaign

14,237 12,000 12,000 2007 Givings included a special gift of $1,0003,441 3,500 3,500

19,000 0 03,500 3,000 3,0002,015 2,000 2,000

34,443 34,000 34,500 Includes utility expense recovery from Montessori

5,500 2,500 03,543 1,800 1,800

354 0 0

0 9,600 0

We are seeking a Grant from Presbytery in the amount of $16,130 to pay the outstanding UCC "Mortgage" for 2007. In addition, we are seeking a Grant in the amount of $9,600 to pay the projected outstanding Mortgage for 2008.

251,435 241,912 231,800

108,390 94,215 79,3192008 reflects a reduction in ministry resources at mid year. The 2009 estimate reflects the full impact of the reduction.

48,780 49,805 50,801 Includes Office Administration and Music Director

528 528 5306,150 5,500 5,5004,486 5,700 5,800

982 1,000 1,0005,534 5,865 5,600 Includes Appraisal Fee for 2008

13,157 11,500 12,000 Natural Gas, Electricity, Water, Sewer, Hot Water Heater

2,664 3,000 3,0001,994 2,000 2,0002,575 2,700 2,700 Snow Removal Contract

1,577 1,600 1,600463 300 300522 520 525180 25 25

20,169 19,051 19,225 Calculated as 10% of Local Givings and 5% of Rental Income

4,539 3,650 3,650 Rate for Presbytery Membership Dues are reduced in 2008

3,942 4,500 4,5003,748 3,800 3,8001,763 1,765 1,7651,045 650 650 Includes cost of offering envelopes

232 200 2001,270 400 4002,633 2,200 2,2001,733 2,200 2,200

504 500 5001,075 1,000 1,000

628 750 75014,237 12,000 12,000

3,441 3,500 3,5001,115 1,450 1,450

260,056 241,874 228,490

-8,621 38 3,310

Contract Personnel: Music 11:00 am Service

Property: Other Expenses (incl. Elevator, etc..)

TANSLEY UNITED CHURCH OPERATING REVENUE & EXPENSES -- 2007 Actual + 2008 Budget

EXPENSES (Operating)

Givings -- PAR + ENVELOPE (incl. Loose, Kids, Other)

Givings -- Gifts-in-Kind

Rental Income

Grants (UCC/HamConf + Presbytery)

Property: Building Maintenance & Repairs

Property: Utilities

Property: Maintenance & Custodial Supplies

Executive & Board Expenses (incl. Advertising)

Ministry & Personnel (Excl. Payroll)

Bank Charges & Expenses

Presbytery Assessment

UCC "Mortgage" [ 10% ("Local" + 50% Rentals) ]

Finance Committee

Telephone + Internet Expense

Office/Admin: Supplies, Postage etc...

"Net Operating Income" REVENUE - EXPENSES

Christian Development + YouthWorship (Excl. Personnel)

Stewardship (Stewardship Project)

Connection Groups + Wonder Café

Outreach Projects -- Donations Sent

TOTAL EXPENSES

GST Expense (non-recoverable)

Congregational Activities

REVENUE (Operating)

Payroll Processing Charge

Contract Personnel: Custodial

TOTAL REVENUE

Ministry Staff (All Costs)

Committee Projects -- Receipts (eg: C-D, C-A, etc…)

Outreach Projects -- Donations Received

Other (Misc. Receipts, Interest, Rebates, etc..)

Non Ministry Staff (All Costs)

Grant Request from Presbytery

M & S Remittances to United Church

Givings -- M & S

Donations -- U.C.W.Donations -- Individual Special Gifts

PAR Service ChargeLoan Interest Expenses + Late-Payment Fees

Office/Admin: Photocopier Rental & Maint.

Property: Parking Lot & Grounds

Contract Personnel: Office Vacation ReplacementInsurance

February 12, 2008

tansley jnac 2008 may 13 · the staff survey was given to each staff member (ministers,...

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