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Information Contents Introduction 5 vision2020 7 3 Standing Orders Vision4Life 31 Marketing and identity campaign 37 9 Reports from Colleges Synod Moderator 41 Mission Council 49 Students sent by Synod Assembly Arrangements 107 Communications 109 General Education and Learning 115 Statistics in Training Equal Opportunities 133 Finance 135 Assembly Ministries 139 URC History Society Mission 153 Nominations 171 Pastoral Reference and Welfare 189 Musicians Guild Youth and Children’s Work 191 2010 Church Changes 197 Schools related to the Appendices United Reformed Church 1 Students in Education for Ministry phase one 211 Holiday Forum 2 Students in training statistics 213 3a Guidelines on conduct and behaviour for ministers of Word and Sacrament 215 Women’s World Day of Prayer 3b Guidelines on conduct and behaviour for CRCWs 217 Separate papers Women’s World Day 3c Guidelines on conduct and behaviour of Prayer – Scotland for elders 219 Information Papers and Standing Orders 4a Memorandum of Association for the United Reformed Church Trust 221 SilenceTrustees’ and RetreatsAnnual Report and Accounts 2009 4b Articles of Association for the United Reformed Church Trust 229 Resolutions see list on page 2 United Reformed Church • General Assembly 2010 • 1 List of Resolutions No. Title page Committee 1 vision2020 16/243 Mission 2 Ethical investment statement of principle 243 Mission Council 3 Nestlé 243 Mission Council 4 Nestlé 244 Mission 5 Disciplinary Process Part I 245 Mission Council 6 Incapacity Procedure Part I 245 Mission Council 7 Disciplinary Procedure Part I 246 Mission Council 8 Incapacity Procedure Part I 246 Mission Council 9 Amendments to the Structure 246 Mission Council 10 Disciplinary Procedure Part II 247 Mission Council 11 The ministerial working week 248 Ministries 12 Guidelines for conduct and behaviour 251 Ministries 13 Church changes 251 14 Appointment extensions 252 Nominations 15 Clerk to the General Assembly 2012-18 252 Nominations 16 Power of appointment 252 Nominations 17 Moderator of the Mersey Synod 253 Nominations Director of Old Testament Studies, 18 253 Nominations Westminster College 19 Appointment of committees and groups 253 Nominations 20 Vote of thanks 253 Nominations Vetting and barring Ministries and Youth 21 254 and Children’s Work Dates and venue of 2012 Assembly Assembly 22 256 Arrangements 23 Homerton College, Cambridge 257 Proposed changes to the Rules of Procedure 24 (Section C of the Manual): 257 term of appointment of the Clerk to the Assembly Proposed changes to the Rules of Procedure: 25 258 application of the standing orders Changes to the Structure (section B of the 26 259 Manual): the ‘Two Assemblies’ rule 27 Trustee’s Report and Accounts 261 Finance and URC Trust 28 Appointment of Auditors 261 Finance 29 Giving to the Ministry and Mission Fund 262 Finance 30 Resolution 49 of General Assembly 2008 262 Mission Council 2 • United Reformed Church • General Assembly 2010 List of Resolutions ...continued Memorandum and Articles of Association of the 31 United Reformed Church Trust 262 Mission Council (appendices 4a and 4b) 2012 Olympics and Queen’s Jubilee Communications and 32 113/263 Editorial 33 Properties advice for local churches 263 East Midlands Synod 34 Children in immigration detention centres 264 North Western Synod United Reformed Church • General Assembly 2010 • 3 4 Introduction Introduction This book of reports sets the scene for the 2010 General Assembly of the United Reformed Church, to be held in Loughborough from 2 to 5 July. It gives a foretaste of the many important debates members will engage in during our time at Assembly, and lays out some of the work and thinking that has taken place in the past two years in committees, synods and local churches. The title ‘book of reports’ scarcely does the material justice and I hope you will feel the excitement of a Church with a new enthusiasm for its work in God’s world. vision2020 sets the scene for our deliberations and our plans for the future. Vision4Life, now in its second year, has begun the renewal which will enable us to reach out to people with a new confidence. In the presentation of the Congregational Community awards we will again celebrate a wide range of innovative community projects that our church has instigated and developed. We will also enjoy the opportunity of sharing our thinking with members of the children’s assembly and look forward to hearing their views as, together, we reflect the broad church that is the United Reformed Church. We induct two women as Moderators: Mrs Val Morrison and the Revd Kirsty Thorpe who will serve until 2012. If you are coming to Loughborough, travel safely. We look forward to welcoming you. If you are not, please support our deliberations in prayer. May God bless our General Assembly. Martin Hazell Director of Communications 18th May 2010 United Reformed Church General Assembly, Loughborough 2010 5 vision2020 1 Background 1.1 In 2006, General Assembly resolved to bring together the work of six Assembly Committees through the formation of the Mission Committee with a clear mandate to reappraise the mission priorities of the denomination and how they are resourced. Since then considerable progress has been made particularly in relation to the operation of staff secretaries as a ‘Mission Team’ and also in planning for growth in the URC identifying a series of work priorities for 2009 and 2010. These are detailed in the Mission Committee Report to General Assembly. 1.2 At General Assembly 2008, the Mission Committee introduced the notion of a denominational ‘mission strategy’ founded upon a series of 10-year ‘outcomes’. The Mission Committee report received warm approval and small group discussions about the outcomes indicated significant enthusiasm for the broad thrust of the approach. The primary concerns expressed by members of Assembly related to the need to avoid the imposition of a strategy from the centre and for it to take greater account of issues of spirituality and worship. 1.3 During 2009, the Mission Committee led an extensive consultation with local churches, synods, other Assembly Committees and ecumenical and international partners concerning what has become known as vision2020: planning for growth in the URC. 1.4 Following over two years of discussion, this report sets out a framework which can both inspire and support mission planning at every level of the United Reformed Church. To be clear, vision2020 is a framework and not a programme. It is designed to create a context through which different levels of the Church can inter-relate; it articulates a set of themes within which we can better understand and shape our programmes and plans; and it provides something of a ‘routemap’ that will enable us to evaluate better our journey as a Church. vision2020 does not prescribe activity but we offer it to the denomination as a tool and resource that can be applied in almost any situation. We hope that over time vision2020 will become a type of ‘covenant’ between every part of the Church that chooses to work within its parameters. 2 Feedback from the vision2020 consultation 2.1 Consultation about vision2020 took place in two phases throughout 2009. The first phase focused on local congregations and took place in the spring and summer; the second phase involved synods, other networks and ecumenical partners and started in the autumn of 2009. Local churches were asked to give their feedback on the two core ideas: the statements of our mission and purpose and local mission pledges. 538 forms were returned, which represents over a third of all local congregations. The highest number of responses came from the West Midlands, North Western, Yorkshire and Southern synods. 2.2 There was a largely positive response to the statements of our mission and purpose. Three out of every four churches indicated that they thought the current statements outlined the main areas that the Church should prioritise in the next 10 years. The majority of churches (69%) further indicated that they would find the idea of ‘Local Mission Pledges’ helpful and 64% agreed that such pledges would help synod and Assembly staff plan the kind of support they could offer local churches.