2. Power
For
personal reflection
i. What rôle do I usually find myself
taking in a group?
ii. In the church, have I ever felt taken
for granted, exploited or ignored? What did I do about it?
iii. How do I contribute to decision-making
in the church?
For group discussion
i. How are Agendas for meetings drawn up?
How are people enabled to contribute to them?
ii. How far does the congregation share
in the planning and leading of worship?
iii. What are the channels of communication
in the parish/deanery/ diocese? How could they be improved?
3. Theology
For
personal reflection
i. If I strongly disagreed with a sermon,
or it made me uncomfortable, what would I do?
ii. What opportunities do I have (or would
I like) to explore and discuss Christian faith?
iii. What experiences have really tested
me as a Christian? How have they shaped my faith?
iv. Do I use theological language to browbeat
people, or lean on them, eg If we have enough faith, it
will happen….I'm sure this is God's will for you…
For group discussion
i. How are people enabled to understand
the words and symbols used in worship?
ii. In what ways does the church seek to
engage with the issues which concern people in their families,
places of work, and as citizens?
4. Boundaries and confidentiality
For
personal reflection
i. When does talk become gossip? How can
I prevent it doing so?
ii. Are there differences between calling
as a friend, and making a pastoral visit on behalf of the
Church? If so, what are they?
iii. Is it ever appropriate to pass on
something told me in confidence? If so, in what circumstances?
iv. Who would I talk to if I felt I was
being touched inappropriately?
v. In pastoral visiting, how do I ensure
that the person I am visiting feels safe?
For group discussion
i. What rules of confidentiality are followed
in the Ministry Team (PCC, Committee, Staff Meeting, Chapter
etc)
ii. If the Ministry Team (PCC, Committee,
Staff Meeting, Chapter etc) includes men and women, what
issues does this raise? If it is all women, or all men,
what issues does this raise?
iii. In what contexts in church life are
breaches of confidentiality most likely to happen? How can
these be prevented?
iv. What guidelines about touch are provided
for pastoral ministers?
5. Conditions in
which ministry takes place
For
personal reflection
i. How easy is it for me to say 'No' when
invited to do something for the church?
ii. As a Christian, should I always be
available to those who need help?
iii. How do I feel about the use of my
house/kitchen/car/coffee/pc etc for church business?
For group discussion
i. When people take on new rôles
or responsibilities, how are they inducted into their tasks?
ii. Are those who handle the church's administration
given the tools to do the job efficiently?
iii. What provision is made for the expenses
of 'volunteers', eg flower-arrangers, house group leaders,
crêche organisers?
iv. What assumptions are made about tasks
undertaken by men or women, eg serving refreshments, gardening,
church cleaning, handling finance?
6. In cases where abuse takes
place, or is alleged
For
personal reflection
i. What should I do if I feel I am being
abused?
ii. What should I do if someone tells me
they feel abused by someone else?
iii.
What should
I do if someone tells me they feel abused by me?
For group discussion
i. Are current members of the group (Ministry
Team, PCC, Committee) aware of the Policy, Definition and
Code of Practice? How are new members informed about them?
ii. Do we know how to respond if an allegation
of abuse is brought to the group?
iii. Has the group reviewed its own activities
in the light of the Code of Practice?
iv. Are the documents known and available
to church members outside the group?
