Cooperative Parish Covenant1

Covenant Revision 1.0

Table of Contents

Background 2

Our Mission 2

Guiding Principles of Our Covenant 3

Key Agreements of Our Parish 4

Frequently Asked Questions 7

1 The Covenant Team recommends a new name for the Parish, recognizing that as we extend our reach beyond Apex, the name “Apex” can be confusing and limiting for those churches outside of Apex. The original name is also the same name as one of our member churches which can cause confusion in conversations and confuse the Parish with a single church. A new name will increase clarity of communication and respect the unique aspects of each local church under the umbrella of a regional Cooperative Parish. The name of the Parish will be chosen by the Parish Council. Cooperative Parish Covenant Background

A Cooperative Parish is one church made up of multiple, interdependent churches. On August 20, 2018, the Apex UMC Family of Faith Communities’ Administrative Council approved a change in structure to a Cooperative Parish. This change in the structure to a Parish strikes a balance between fully centralized and fully decentralized control. The central leadership of the Parish focuses on the broad, long-term vision and management of central functions, with the governance of the church shared between local and central leaders. At the local level, authority rests with a local governing body and congregation pastor(s) with budgetary authority for spending and staffing (within overall parameters set centrally) and the freedom to contextualize the vision locally.

The Administrative Council commissioned a Covenant Team to shepherd the development of a Parish Covenant to define Parish processes and provide organizational clarity supporting the cooperative mission and ministry of the Parish. The Covenant Team prayerfully sought input from leaders across the Parish and worked collaboratively to recommend this Covenant for the relationships among its congregations and to provide transparency and clarity in their shared relationship in furthering God’s work. This Covenant and its companion Operations Guide are offered for approval to provide guidance to the Cooperative Parish and its member churches.

Our Mission

Inviting and equipping all to follow Jesus in transforming the world. Our Vision

With God’s help we are becoming a diverse, multi-generational community so unified by our love for God and one another that others are drawn to become Christ followers. We are centered in Scripture and empowered by the Holy Spirit. We invite all to join us in our passionate desire to follow Christ so that together we are transformed and prepared to serve as God calls us. We embrace God’s dream to be a Parish where:

● Everyone is becoming more like Christ through spiritual disciplines, small group support and participation in congregational worship. ● Everyone is valued and connected in community within the body of Christ. ● Everyone discovers their God-given gifts and passions and joyfully shares them. ● Caring relationships help us through life’s difficulties and celebrate our joys at each stage of life. ● Our mission work transforms local, regional and global communities. ● We share the good news of God’s love through our words and actions. ● We love and care for all of God’s creation and work to build a just world. ● We give generously of ourselves out of gratitude for what God has done for us. ● Everyone we meet experiences our heartfelt hospitality and is valued as a child of God. ● We collectively seek God’s direction to guide us.

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We are a Wesleyan movement, connected with the global United Methodist Church. We are engaged with the people and communities of Southwest Wake County, committed to their increased personal piety and social holiness through processes designed to equip leaders for multiplying discipleship. 10-Year Target

To double the number of people who are being reached through the equipping ministries of our Parish from 2020 to 2030, measured through their becoming involved, invested, and connected in the life of our worshiping congregations. Guiding Principles of Our Covenant

The following guiding principles provide guidance about the type of Parish we strive to be together. Christ-Centered: ● In all things, pursue the making of disciples for the transformation of individuals, our community and the world. ● We realize that we are a multicultural community with different social, economic and educational means and will take the needs of each into account in all decisions. United Methodist Connected: ● We will follow and adhere to the UMC Book of Discipline. Structured for Effectiveness: ● Utilize the whole Parish structure consistent with the Cooperative Parish model to gain efficiencies by: o Removing bureaucracy that gets in the way of making disciples and connecting the disconnected. o Structuring relationships in a faithful, fun and equitable manner. Empowered, Localized Expressions of Worship and Pursuit of Ministry: ● Embrace the strength of localized ministry supported by cooperative connection. ● Work together as a Parish when we can do it more effectively and/or efficiently.

3 of 8 Version 0.1 Cooperative Parish Covenant Key Agreements of Our Parish

We believe our Covenant is best expressed as a set of positive statements about the ways we agree to live, serve, share, witness, and worship together. As congregations serving together, each congregation agrees to the following:

Leadership and Administration ● All Parish congregations are part of the Cooperative Parish. ● We agree to enter the Parish with deep love for each other and a heart of service to assist each other in furthering the work of God in all our communities. ● We will follow the guidance of the Parish Operations Guide. ● The Parish Nominations and Leadership Development Team will be responsible on an ongoing basis for recommending changes as needed in the Covenant and Operations Guide based on feedback collected from each campus and each Parish team. They will discuss feedback and recommend to the Parish Council each year any suggested changes that may bring additional clarity or benefit the Parish or its congregations. ● This Covenant and the Operations Guide can only be altered with a ⅔ majority vote of the Parish Council. ● Each congregation will create and maintain a local Church Council based on the “Single Board Model.” This Council is similar to our previous Steering Team model but with added clarity. It will be accountable for making decisions for the local congregation with respect to all typical functions included in the UMC Book of Discipline. As such, this group will make decisions as if it were a joint body with responsibilities for Finance and Generosity, Staff Parish Relations, Trustees, Nominations and Leadership Development, and the Church Council. ● Local churches will nominate leaders to fill leadership positions in the Church Council and in other local congregation areas as defined in the Operations Guide. ● The Parish will bring together local churches for joint Charge Conferences each year. The Charge Conference structure is defined in the Parish Operations Guide. ● A Parish Council will conduct business for the Parish during the year. This Parish Council is defined in our Operations Guide. ● Each local church pastor and Church Council chairperson will serve on the Parish Council and faithfully participate in the vision for the Parish. ● Each congregation will nominate a single leader to serve on each of the following Parish committees for a term not to exceed three years. The operation and structure of these teams is defined in the Operations Guide. ○ Parish Finance and Generosity Committee ○ Parish Board of Trustees Committee ○ Parish Staff Parish Relations Committee ○ Parish Nominations and Leadership Development Committee ● We will prayerfully consider and support requests from the Parish Nominations and Leadership Development team to add short-term “At-Large” leadership positions to supplement our Parish administrative teams. These requests will be to provide roles to accomplish specific work, and those asked to serve will serve no more than three years. At-large members may be asked to serve on the Parish Council or on any of the Parish administrative teams. ● Our congregations will be independently chartered with the United Methodist church or will be designated as mission congregations as appropriate.

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Combined Ministries and Opportunities to Serve ● We agree to work together to coordinate shared ministry and mission work within the Parish. This work will be guided by the Parish Senior Pastor, Parish Council Chairperson, and the Parish Executive Director who will provide vision and support. We will support the following ministry areas: ○ Children and Family ○ Youth ○ Discipleship ○ Mission ○ Worship ○ Congregational Care ○ Communications ○ Parish Bridge Team

● We agree that Parish coordination of Parish Ministry Teams will be clearly established by the Parish Executive Director, Parish Senior Pastor, and Parish Council Chairperson. They will ensure teams have a clear understanding of Parish-related responsibilities and roles. ● Where staff members serve the Parish level (exclusively or in addition to their congregation), their job role will clearly define the expected percentage of Parish work that they will perform. The work will be clearly defined for each role. It is also understood that during staff transitions and in special circumstances, staff may need to temporarily assist with Parish work even if it is not part of their typical job responsibilities. ● We agree to support the Parish in measuring our effectiveness in ministry and mission as guided by the Parish Senior Pastor, the Parish Executive Director, and Parish Council Chairperson. Parish Finances ● Each congregation will provide an allotment to the Parish. This amount will be determined for each congregation based on the estimated giving for that congregation and guidance by the Parish Finance and Generosity Council. This Parish allotment will be used for the categories below. The specific amounts budgeted for each will be the responsibility of the Parish Finance and Generosity Team and approved by the Parish Council. ○ Parish Expenses: We agree to pay our portion of the Parish annual expenses. ○ Mission Congregation(s) Contribution: We agree to pay a defined percentage of revenue to assist our mission congregation(s). ○ Reserve Fund: We agree to pay into a reserve fund which resources the Parish for the following purposes: 1) to provide annual operating funds to member congregations as determined through the budgeting process to cover budgeted deficits, special projects, or strategic investment; 2) to provide strategic funds for the planting of new congregations or merger with existing congregations; and 3) to provide emergency funds to member congregations for one-time expenses required during a budget year when budgeted funds are not available. Use of the fund is determined by the Parish Finance Committee in accordance with the defined purposes. ● The Parish Finance Office will maintain and report clear revenue, expenditures, and fund balances for each church and for the Parish. Any discrepancies will be reconciled by the Parish Finance and Generosity Committee and appropriate auditing support. Parish Property Management ● Where there are agreements to share resources like facilities, transportation, or other property or services, the agreeing congregations will put their agreements into writing that is clear and available to all parties to avoid misunderstandings or ambiguity. Both congregations will agree

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and present the agreement to the Parish Council for approval. The Parish Trustees Committee owns the responsibility for facilitating these agreements. Within 6 months of the approval of this Covenant, any standing agreements between congregations will be clarified and approved. ● At the request of a congregation Church Council and with the approval of the Parish Council a congregation may be independently incorporated to improve financial management, accountability, or risk management unless detrimental to the Parish. Shared Mission with our Mission Congregation(s) ● We agree that we will work together to assist our mission congregation(s) in providing support, resources, services, and family connection as they build and encourage their community and congregation. ● Church clergy, lay leadership chairpersons, and staff that serve the Parish agree to take the Racial Equity Institute two-day training course to better understand our mission community. Training should be taken within 6 months of taking a leadership position or within 6 months of the creation of this Covenant if already in a clergy or leader position. ● All non-parish staff (local congregation staff) will be encouraged to take the Racial Equity Institute two-day training course. ● Our mission congregation, being limited in personnel and resources, will have a smaller “Executive Board” instead of the full “single board” Council used in the larger congregations. This Executive Board will be defined in the Parish Operations Guide. ● The Executive Board of the mission congregation will define a “Bridge Team” which is built to provide inter-congregational support for the mission. The membership of this team and their roles and responsibilities will be defined in the Operations Guide.

This Covenant is a living document to guide how Parish congregations work together to achieve our mission of “inviting and equipping all to follow Jesus in transforming the world.”

Operational details and processes are outlined in the Parish Operations Guide.

6 of 8 Version 0.1 Cooperative Parish Covenant Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why do we have this Covenant and how does it help us?

The United Methodist Book of Discipline requires that certain Cooperative Parishes have a Covenant document that is agreed to by congregations in the Parish. This document fulfills that need and allows us to understand the expectations of each of our congregations and the Parish.

2. We were already a family of faith communities. What has really changed?

We have been a close and growing family for years. We are the same loving family. We are working to be as clear as possible about our relationships to make it easier to run our family. The Covenant and Operations Guide will guide the Parish and local churches as lay leaders and staff change over the coming years.

3. Will this change what my pastor does and how he or she works?

It will serve as a guide to help all church leadership understand their roles better. In that regard, we hope that this Covenant helps run the parish more smoothly, allowing pastors to be more efficient and effective in the way they work.

4. Will this alter the way our church leadership works? How?

Ultimately our Charge Conference looks very similar to the way it looked before the formation of the Parish. The Covenant strives to push local leadership and decisions to the local congregations. In this way, the Parish work is more oriented to vision and guidance for the family.

5. Will the administrative teams we have today continue to be filled and serve?

For the most part, yes. The administrative teams will gradually change as we implement the Parish Covenant and Operations Guide to move toward more decisions made at the level of the local congregations. This will change the type and amount of cross-congregation work and make that work clearer.

6. Will this alter the finances and properties of the parish? How?

The money and property of our parish will ultimately not change. We recommend, though, that each congregation be more financially independent and understand clearly where we are interdependent. We will continue to have a shared Parish budget for work that we do and costs that we share across our congregations. This financial change has been under way for years. We are simply continuing to push toward clear budgeting and local financial responsibility within the financial governance and oversight of the Parish Finance Committee. The goal is that leadership will have clear, efficient discussions on finance, allowing more time for leadership to talk about our shared mission and ministry together.

7. Will my congregation have a voice in the Parish? How will that work?

Absolutely. The Covenant clearly includes all congregations. We are a family, and the intention is for all congregations to have a clear voice. There are four places where local congregations can provide input into the operation of our Parish. These are:

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a. Parish Charge Conference: Lay and staff leaders from all congregations are present b. Parish Council: Lay and staff leaders from all congregations are present c. Parish Administrative Teams: At the Parish level, the Finance and Generosity Committee, Staff Parish Relations Committee, Trustees Committee, and Nominations and Leadership Development Committee all contain lay leaders from each congregation. These teams advise our Parish Council and our Charge Conference. d. Parish Ministry Teams: At the Parish level, all of the defined ministry teams will include representative members from across our congregations. They shape our shared ministry together.

8. How will this change our congregations?

We are the same loving family. The Covenant is intended to provide clarity for all to understand our relationships between our congregations and where and how we will work together and assist each other.

9. How will this specifically affect Fiesta Cristiana?

The Covenant calls out our covenant support for Fiesta Cristiana. It also recognizes that Fiesta Cristiana is a mission congregation. As such, it allows Fiesta Cristiana to better understand how our parish will support its ministry and be brothers and sisters to them. It provides the potential for resources from the NC Conference and other sources that previously might not have been available.

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