“Live in harmony with one another.” (Romans 12:16)
One of the joys of being part of a worshipping community is the opportunity to work with each other through groups, teams, committees and, of course, Parochial Church Councils.
There is often much serious work for such groups to accomplish and our instinct is to get our heads down and just get on with it. However, spending time discussing and agreeing the ‘how’ of working together brings rich rewards. We all work better when we have a clear idea of what is expected of us and what we are trying to achieve.
We have put together some material to support you in talking about the ‘how’ of working together and, if you choose to, to create agreed ground rules for members of your groups, teams, and committees. You can find this here.
Much of it will feel like “common sense”, and you may wonder why on earth you would need to do this. However, discussing expected behaviours up front will stand you in good stead when your committee/ group/PCC needs to address controversial topics such as financial pressure or the need to change some aspect of Church life.
Doing this allows the group to hold each other accountable for working well with each other and focussing on the needs of the whole Parish or Benefice.
You are welcome to copy, use, tweak or reword the guidance to fit your group’s needs and if it would help you to discuss how you might do this, then please email Milee.
