II. Ministry Team Leadership

1. How will Total Ministry be coordinated?

Where financial and administrative issues for Christ Church are concerned, we have a council that includes representatives from participating congregations, clergy elected by the council, and our Pastoral Mentor.

2. What is a Pastoral Mentor?

The Pastoral Mentor is a seminary-trained priest who shares in the coordination of the team, serving as mentor and shepherd, offering resources and support for the team, and facilitating the training and formation of the ministers. Total Ministry teams are required to have a seminary-trained mentor. Pastoral Mentor will also serve as Priest in Charge and may fill in where there are vacancies on the team..

3. Will we still need to hire supply priests?

On occasion, when the team Sacramentalists and Priest in Charge are not available, vestries may hire supply priests. This is similar to when churches with full-time, seminary-trained clergy hire supply clergy when their priest is away on vacation or continuing education.

4. What is a Ministry Team?

A Ministry Team is a group of people from our congregations, chosen and called by our congregations for specific ministries. Together they will be able minister in all the ways a traditional seminary-trained priest does, but only in our congregations. Ministry Teams are designed to fit the needs of the congregation(s) they serve. Our team ideally would include lay people, priests, and deacons serving in these roles: Preacher(s), Pastoral Care Minister, Christian Education Minister, Outreach and Evangelism Minister, Stewardship Minister, Intercessor, Liturgist, Community Life Minister, and Sacramentalist(s), all supervised and supported by the Pastoral Mentor as pastoral shepherd/spiritual guide.

III. How does it work?

1. Will we still have a seminary-trained priest?

Yes. There will be at least one seminary-trained priest, who will continue to serve in our congregations, supplementing the Team Ministers.

2. Why all the visits?

As part of the team ministers' training and formation, they visited people in our congregations. It provided the opportunity for people to ask questions about Total Ministry and began to establish a pastoral relationship between congregations and their new ministers.

3. Who will visit me in the hospital?

A minister of the church. The minister will be specially prepared to make hospital visits. If there is a need for the sacraments, an ordained deacon, sacramentalist, or seminary-trained priest from the team will visit. You may also have visits from specially trained Lay Eucharistic Visitors bringing Communion after Sunday worship.

4. Will there be a priest at my burial service (wedding, baptism)?

Yes. The initial team will include three priests and within two years we expect to add two more priests. There will be other team ministers serving as well, a preacher, a liturgist, or a pastoral care minister.

5. Can I choose a minister to visit or for a special service?

Possibly. You may make a request for a specific minister to the Ministry Team (rather than to an individual minister). The Team will respond, according to availability, the gifts of the individual ministers, and the team's discernment of the overall ministry needs of the congregations served. Just as a traditional rector may not always be immediately available, ministry team members need vacations and have other commitments. A ministry team has the advantage of having several other ministers available, who are known to the congregation.

6. After total ministry starts really working, will we have Communion every week?

Yes. Having Holy Eucharist available every week in every congregation is possible with Total Ministry. Congregations that request Morning Prayer could have that as well. With more ministers, congregations can have more services.

7. Who will do the sermons?

Primarily trained and licensed team preachers will prepare and give sermons. The Pastoral Mentor will also preach On occasion, other team ministers or guest preachers approved by the Priest in Charge may preach. As needed, approved Sermon Readers will continue to read previously prepared and approved sermons.

8. When I have a church question, whom do I ask?

You may ask any team minister. If the question is not in their ministry area they will refer you to the appropriate minister. Then you may call the Church Secretary where you may leave a message for the who person who serves as communication coordinator for the team. She can refer you to the appropriate minister and/or you may leave voice mail for any individual team minister, who will return your call.

10. Will we have a priest at vestry meetings?

Team ministers, whether lay, priest, or deacon, will share the "clergy chair" at vestry meetings, so you may have a different "clergyperson" at each vestry meetings.

11. Who represents our church in our town events?

Various team ministers will participate in Community Ministerial Associations and Ecumenical Events and represent our parishes.

12. If our team ministers may only serve our parishes, what about diocesan events and programs?

Team ministers are allowed to serve in ministries of our parishes. By special permission of the bishop, they may serve at other diocesan events such as Cursillo. Canon-9 priests and deacons may vote at convention and attend clergy conference.

IV. Parish Ministries

1. What about our old ministries?

The lay ministries that were done in our congregations in the past will continue. We still need altar guild ministers, acolytes, lectors, etc. The Ministry Team is to fill the place of the seminary- trained priest, not to take on all the work of the church. Total Ministry means just that – "total." For a team to work, the ministry of all the baptized members of a congregation is necessary.

2. What am I going to have to do?

Total Ministry is not about "have to." We will each participate as the Spirit guides us in our own way in our own time. There are things that need to be done and the Church and the Spirit call people to do God's work. Being open to the call of the Spirit in prayer is a good start. Many people find Total Ministry frees them from feeling they have to do jobs they don't want and have been doing ‘because it needs to be done and no one else would do it.' Total Ministry is an opportunity to discover and do the work of ministry that is really right for you, that gives you joy while serving others.

3. We have been doing so many things for ourselves for so long, why can't we just keep doing that and use supply priests?

Experience says that leaders, wardens in particular, get burned out and still some ministries are left undone. The young people and the "aging core" are often the first ministries to be left undone. Total Ministry can free people to focus on their unique ministry without feeling that they have to work on every new ministry. Total Ministry also gives lay ministers the theological foundation for ministry.

4. Can I do something different?

Yes. Some Total Ministry Parishes have discerned wonderful and surprising gifts for individual new ministries that have been hidden behind an assumption that a particular person is the perpetual parish lector or eternal Sunday school teacher, and they are freed from that assumption.

5. Will we still need a vestry and wardens?

Yes. Those ministries are necessary for the administration of our individual parishes. Although we will share our Ministry Team, each congregation will continue it's individual identity and unique mission, guided by its own wardens and vestry.

6. What about youth?

Our youth have a ministry to serve our congregations also. Some young people may be called to travel to other congregations to minister as well, as acolyte or lector or simply as a ‘youth presence' in congregations without young people of their own yet.

7. If I am not a part of the team, will I still be able to be involved in the church and in what ways?

All the regular, traditional lay ministries will continue. For people not ministering as part of the team, the ministry discernment process may open up new ministry opportunities.

8. Are the team ministers primarily "administrators" ?

Only if you view a traditional parish priest as primarily an administrator. Just as a rector would, Team Ministers will do some supervising, supporting, and training for the other ministers in our congregations. For example, a Pastoral Care Minister on the Team would help with the preparation of lay Eucharistic visitors (LEVs); or the Liturgist would support the musicians and help train the acolytes.

9. Why don't we just find and prepare some sacramentalists and preachers?

Churches that have tried this have found that sacramentalists and preachers without a team are overwhelmed with people's expectations. They end up trying to be "mini rectors" without the time or preparation for the task. For this reason no congregation in this diocese is approved by the Commission on Ministry or the bishop to have sacramentalists and preachers without the support of a team. Experience proves that in these cases burnout destroys our most gifted ministers.

V. Authority

1. How will we get everything done?

We won't. The church never has got it all done. God continually calls us to more -- to new life and ministry. But more will get done by a Ministry Team than by one seminary-trained priest. We can trust that God continues to give us what is necessary to do the work God is calling us to do.

2. Who is in charge?

God is in charge. That's why prayer is essential to forming a ministry team. Yet God works through our human hands and the gifts we have been given. The Vestry continues with it's usual responsibilities and the Team, with the guidance of the Pastoral Mentor, makes most of the decisions normally made by a rector. Individual team members are in charge of particular areas, for which they have been trained. The bottom line, according to the bishop and the canons, is that the Pastoral Mentor will continue to be the Priest in Charge of all three parishes, delegating authority to the team but not abdicating the canonical responsibility.

3. When will we see the Pastoral Mentor?

The Pastoral Mentor's responsibilities are primarily to support and supervise the Team Ministers. However the Pastoral Minister will preside and preach in each parish on alternate first Sundays. She may occasionally participate in other liturgies or programs. The Priest in Charge will be largely in the background, though available for consulting, particularly on vestry issues of parish administration or ministerial authority.

4. Whose idea is this anyway?

Many attribute the idea to the Holy Spirit calling God's people to use their spiritual gifts. The idea has been developing for years in dioceses with many small, rural congregations, such as Alaska and those in Michigan. The idea came from local multi-church gatherings usually facilitated by Canon Missioners to discuss possibilities for the future of our congregations. The idea was formally accepted by our vestries. The vision is still growing and changing, reflecting that action of the Spirit in our lives.

VI. Cost

1. Can we get help from the Diocese and the National Church?

Yes, both have invested time and money in Total Ministry Programs. Our Canon Missioners have given much time to preparing for this ministry.

2. Is this a top-down diocesan plan?

Total Ministry is a grass-roots, defined-in-the-congregation type of plan. The Canon Missioners from the Diocese introduced the various options, but we are not forced to follow any particular plan. Total Ministry when accepted is refined and adapted to the individual situation.

3. What does the team cost in money and time?

Initial estimate is that the combined congregations will need approximately $6,600 for team support plus compensation for the Pastoral Mentor, which will be approximately $20,000 ($10,000 for Christ Church), compared to the $76,000 during the time of ministry development.

4. How is the cost shared?

For ministry to happen, parishes must either pay for it or do it themselves, giving either time or money or both to get the job done. So the "fair share" of the basic cost considers two things: (1) How many ministers a parish gives to the team and (2) How many people are served in the parish, based on the parochial report. The more ministers a parish gives to team ministry, the less they need to pay.

5. How many people will be on the team?

That's up to the congregations and the Holy Spirit. Our initial discernment resulted in ten ministry roles and it would be wonderful to have them all filled. Some of them may have more than one minister in that role on the Ministry Team. We are not setting quotas or goals. We may eventually grow to two teams.

6. Why do some people have two ministries?

Deacons and priests on the team may have (but are not required to have) a secondary specialty in addition to the liturgical ministry that characterizes their order.

7. What if we don't have enough people?

No individualcongregation is expected to fill all the roles. Even with all our congregations together, some roles initially may remain unfilled. The Pastoral Mentor or other staff may be hired to fill temporary ministry vacancies. Again, it's time to trust that the Holy Spirit will provide what's needed for our mission and ministry..

VII. Discernment

1. What does "discernment" mean?

"Discernment" is a biblical term for a spiritual gift for perceiving God at work in the world. In our case it involves a prayerful, communal effort to discover what God is calling us to do and what gifts we have received -- specifically which ministries are best done by which people in our congregations. It is not a logical process with firm rules, but a prayerful reflection involving our characteristically Anglican references to scripture, tradition, and reason.

2. When does discernment happen?

As God continues to call us to ministry, we are always trying to discern that call. People may be discerned for parish ministries at any time. The formal discernment for team ministers will happen every three years because of the three-year the formation and training program. Commissioned Team Ministers may be discerned for a different team ministry whenever the team recognizes the need and the parish and coucil affirm the call.

3. Who makes the final decision about who is on the team?

The Spirit and the Church together. Not only our congregations are involved in this discernment of the Spirit's choices, but also our diocesan Commission on Ministry (COM) must confirm and approve the choices..

4. Who decides who does what?

Initially congregations in discernment match people with ministries. Later, as the Spirit moves in the formation and training of the team, adjusting and shifting may occur as new growth occurs and new gifts are revealed.

5. What is the COM?

The Commission on Ministry (COM) assists the bishop in determining needs for ministry and in discernment of people for ordination. They provide guidance and support for those preparing for ordination as well as for both lay and ordained ministers. Total Ministry Teams and their plan to prepare ministers must be approved by the COM.

6. What is Canon 9?

Canon 9 is part of our national church law that provides for the ordination of local deacons and priests who are ordained and licensed to serve only in their own community. The details of Canon 9 may be found at Episcopal Church Canon 9

VIII. Ministry Team Selection

1. What if my name comes up for a ministry I don't want to do or think I am not able to do?

Don't panic. Trust the wisdom of your congregation and don't say "no" immediately. God may be calling you to new growth. Spend time in prayer and listening to others in your congregation about why they have chosen you for this ministry. There will be retreat days offered, providing support and space for people to reflect on their response to a call from your congregation.

2. What if I'm called and can't say ‘yes' this year?

Spend some time in prayer and reflection, on your own or at one of the retreats before responding. Our Total Ministry program is set up so that new Team Ministers can be added every three years. In the interim, those sensing a call to ministry may serve in parish ministries, participate in Education for Ministry, and attend the Open Team Formation sessions.

3. What if a team member doesn't have the time required?

Team Ministry does involve a commitment of time. The ususal is one unit a week (3-5 hours, the equivalent of a morning, afternoon, or evening) and not more than two units per week average. The team is replacing a clergy person that works an average of twelve units (50 hours) a week. Because team ministry is new to our three parishes, the time commitment will be reviewed and evaluated by team ministers periodically, and may be adjusted by team agreement Again, spend time in prayer and communal reflection about your time priorities and whether this is the time for you to make a commitment to ministry.

4. Can people who are not here for the full calendar year be involved?

Yes. Certainly in the ongoing ministries of the church, as they have been all along. There are options for serving on the Ministry Team as well, depending on how much of the year they are here. Monthly team formation gatherings are very important, but a few could be missed. Spring and Fall team retreat times are essential for the ministers to operate as a team. We are small congregations where adapting to individual needs is essential. If the Spirit is calling someone who doesn't fit the mold, perhaps the Spirit will help us change the shape of the mold.

5. What about people who are different?

God calls people to ministry according to their gifts for ministry rather than the differences we perceive. People with varied educational, physical or financial resources or limitations bring gifts to ministry and are all to be encouraged and supported in ministry. Young and old, rich and poor, gay and straight, evangelical and anglo-catholic, women and men, and various minorities of all sorts, all may be called to ministry in the ‘broad church' Anglican tradition.

6. What if the same name comes up on several lists?

It may happen. This calls for further prayerful discernment on the part of the individual and the potential team. Perhaps the gaps in the gifts of the other team members indicates the direction the multi-gifted individual might follow. Some of those ordained deacon or priest may have a secondary ministry specialty.

7. Can someone change their ministry later?

Yes. We grow and change so that, for example, a person discerned this year as liturgist may discover new gifts and be discerned later as preacher. "The Spirit blows where it chooses" (John 3:8).

IX. Ministry Team Formation and Training

1. What is "formation"?

Formation is growing and shaping in a particular direction and pattern. It is more than education. Here it refers to individual spiritual growth and the shaping of people into Christian ministers, and to the communal growth and shaping of the Ministry Team in the image of Christ. It is part of our baptismal hope to "grow into the full stature of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13).

2. Who trains and how is that done?

The Spirit of the Heartland Formation and Training Team outlined an initial plan for preparing a Ministry Team, which was approved by the COM. Training and Formation is the responsibility of the Pastoral Mentor. Trained mentors facilitate the group. Other clergy or programs may be involved with specific ministries.

3. When will the training be done?

Team ministers are required to attend. The groups are open to all interested and include people outside of our three parishes. Once a month the whole team gathers for group formation. Individual ministry-specific training or "Field Education" is included in the third year of the program.

6. When will the training process be complete?

Different ministries require different amounts of training. Some ministers' training may be completed in two years or less depending on previous education and experience. Others may need four years or more. There are also specific canonical time constraints on those who are preparing for ordination as deacons or sacramentalists. The spiritual formation of the team is ongoing, and it may take as much as two years before the team is ready to minister together. Individual spiritual formation is never completed.

7. Why all the rules about preparing the team?

Because we want ministers we can trust to guide our spiritual lives and because we want our churches to be healthy and growing. Also, the plan for preparing the team must be approved by the COM and must be in accordance with the canons of the church. For the details, "Canon 9" may be found at Episcopal Church Canon 9

X. The Team Ministers

1. How much time does it take to be a team minister?

At this time, a commitment for training/formation and ministry of an average of approximately one unit (3-5 hours) per week, and no more than two weekly units, is expected.

2. Are team ministers on the team forever?

No. Time spent on a Ministry Team will vary. Ministers may "retire," take extended leave time, or change to a different ministry. New people may enter formation/training every three years, if a call is discerned by the congregation. Commissioning of ministries may include a covenant for a certain time period to be determined between minister and community.

3. What happens when the team ministers get tired or burned out?

They may retire or take time off. Temporary vacancies on the team may be covered by the Pastoral Mentor, shared by other team ministers, or a staff person may be hired temporarily for that ministry.

4. Can we ever call our own seminary- trained priest again?

Yes, if the resources are available and a seminary-trained priest is interested. Some Ministry Teams think that even if they had the money for a traditional rector, they might prefer Total Ministry. They have real options for ministry that traditional parishes do not have.

XI. Other Ministry Teams

1. Have other places tried this?

Yes. There are many teams functioning throughout the Anglican Communion. We have two active Total Ministry teams already ministering in our diocese, and several other teams are following us in preparation.

2. How are they doing? What is the history of growth (numbers) in other total ministries?

They are doing very well, indeed. They have new enthusiasm and more money for mission and ministry. The Rev. Linda Lundgren, locally affirmed priest from Trinity, Hermantown, writes: "I can honestly say since we have implemented Total Ministry our congregation has grown 100%. Our usual attendance on a Sunday was around 20 to 25 people. We now average around 60 to 65. Our Sunday School has grown and we have moved into a new church." St. Matthew's, Chatfield, has built an addition and the Rev. Anne Scheible, locally affirmed priest, says that "All of us, team and congregation, are enthusiastic about our model of ministry . . . . Our whole congregation has learned to be ministers and we're very good at being there for each other."

(taken from www.motherflash.com)

XII. Our Ministry Team

Sally Cummings	Paula Gillman	Jill Schubert
Rhonda Rhuder	Sam Dickinson	Mike Burke
John Undem	Linda Undem	Jeanne Rasmussen
Marianne Morlan	Carla Hodgson