Page 37 - The Church of Ireland Apologetic for Mission?

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p 347 Church of Ireland General Synod Book of Reports 2015
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of Ireland’s principal organ for relating nationally and internationally both to other Christian traditions and to national ecumenical instruments.
The Commission continues to carry
out its work through long term working groups, on Anglican, European and Inter- Faith matters.
ChurchofIrelandYouthDepartment (CIYD)
CIYD undertakes, for efficiency reasons, operational plans for two regions of Ireland, a southern and northern region. The northern region comprises of
the northernmost 5 dioceses and the southern region the other 7 dioceses. These operational plans fulfill an all- Ireland strategy but on a regional basis. They exist in parallel to each other and continue to operate under an all-Ireland structure and governance but may
fulfill the strategic objectives differently according to their region’s context and needs. Both regions are supported by a national office based in Belfast (although there is a base for the southern officer in Church House, Dublin) and collaborate on national programmes.
CommissiononMinistry
The Commission on Ministry was established by the General Synod in
1996. In accordance with its terms of reference, the Commission makes recommendations concerning Christian Ministry, both lay and ordained. This includes the deployment of stipendiary and non-stipendiary clergy appropriate to the requirements of the Church of Ireland in the future. Matters relating to ministry may be referred to the Commission by the archbishops and bishops, the Standing Committee and the Representative Church Body.
CommissiononEpiscopalMinistryand Structures
The Commission (CEMS) has been
considering the wide range of issues within its remit since 2012 and was due to submit its final recommendations
to the General Synod in 2016. With the mission of the Church as the focus of its work, CEMS recognizes current strengths but argues in this Report for significant visionary and principled change in
some aspects of episcopal ministry and structures.54
• Church21:TheParishDevelopment Working Group is a sub-committee of Standing Committee of the General Synod of the Church of Ireland. It runs the Church 21 initiative within the Church of Ireland.
Parish Development is about enabling parishes to have
• A clearer sense of direction
• A clarity of focus on priorities
• A commitment to leadership as something that is shared
• A deeper sense of ownership and more involvement from parishioners
• A greater motivation to persevere
• And hope for the future!
Parish development in the Church of Ireland is an intentional process designed to enable parishes to both define themselves in relation to their heritage and to adapt to the new challenges and opportunities that are emerging in society
Church 21 promotes parish development by:
• Envisioning parish teams at regular Parish Development Conferences
• Motivating parishes to take the next natural step on their own journey of development
• Equipping them with resources that will help them in the process of transitioning
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