ST PETER'S CHURCH FARNBOROUGH
MISSION COMMITTEE
Terms of reference
The vision of the Mission Committee is:
To promote and enable commitment to Christ’s mission in this country and overseas amongst the congregation of St Peter’s Church Farnborough
Purpose of the Mission Committee
Careful distribution of funds.
Encouraging and supporting people who are involved in mission, especially those from St Peters by personal, pastoral and prayer support.
Promoting an active awareness and interest in mission.
1. Relationship to St. Peter's Parochial Church Council
The Mission Committee is a sub-committee of St Peters Parochial Church Council (PCC) with a responsibility to:
Nurture and encourage members of St. Peter’s to develop and maintain support for mission outside the parish
Encourage members of St Peter’s to take an active part in short-term mission activities with the aim of encouraging a long-term commitment to the support of mission or participation in mission.
Encourage members of St. Peter’s to consider God’s call to mission, assist in the selection of those called to mission and co-ordinate support for them throughout their training, missionary career and eventual retirement from missionary work.
Recommend to the PCC both the recipients and the level of financial support for mission and administer the distribution of funds.
Provide an effective link with individuals undertaking mission and provide church members with information which encourages prayerful commitment for mission.
Encourage church members to support the St Peters Mission Fund.
Annually prepare a forecast of the St Peters Mission Fund income and expenditure, recommend any changes in funding to the PCC and manage financial support within the expenditure approved by the PCC.
Ensure that the St Peter’s Mission Fund is audited as approved by the PCC and that an annual report on the Mission Fund income and expenditure is presented at the Annual Parish Meeting
| 2. | Mode of operation |
| 2.1 | Copies of the minutes summarising discussion and decisions
are distributed to the PCC after each committee meeting. |
| 2.2 | Recommendations for financial and other support for
mission are delegated to the Mission Committee, although the PCC has the
right to review any decision. |
| 2.3 | Given limited financial resources and the wide range
of mission interests by individual members of our large congregation, donations
from the Mission Fund are prioritised as shown in the attached schedule. |
| 2.4 | Information and news regarding missionaries and organisations
supported by the Mission Fund is provided on a planned schedule for Sunday
service prayers and for distributing information to the congregation. |
| 2.5 | As well as regular giving to the Mission Fund through
bank standing orders and envelopes, individuals and organisations concerned
with Christian mission are supported by scheduled collections during services
at St Peters. There may be special collections at times of crisis and for
special needs. |
| 2.6 | The Mission Fund is a separate account of the PCC,
and the financial framework is described in Appendix 2. Auditors are appointed
each year at the Annual Parish Meeting. |
| 2.7 | The PCC Treasurer manages the administration of the
mission fund accounts, provides monthly reports on mission finance to the
mission committee and the PCC and prepares the annual accounts for audit
and presentation at the Annual Parish Meeting. |
| 2.8 | Recipients of financial support from the Mission Fund are shown in the accounts. |
| 3. | Membership of the Mission Committee |
| 3.1 | Membership of the Mission Committee is open to any
member of St Peter's congregation interested in mission at home or abroad.
However, in order to encourage efficient discussion ideally membership should
not exceed ten people, including any members of the PCC. Additionally, the
Rector and other ministers are ex-officio members of the Mission Committee. |
| 3.2 | Officers of the Mission Committee are:
In addition the committee may appoint a Minutes Secretary who is not a member of the Mission Committee. |
| 4. | Reporting the work of the Mission Committee |
Information about mission and the activities of the mission committee is shared with the congregation through services at St Peters, Venture, notice-boards, leaflets, special events and in other ways. The work of the Mission Committee is reported through the Annual Parish Meeting.
St Peter’s Mission Committee
October 2002
APPENDIX ONE:
Priorities for Giving
| Level of priority | Description | Type of financial support | |
|
PRIORITY ONE |
1A | Home grown individuals/families
from St Peters Church involved in long term mission. Likely to have involved a period of confirming the call, training and preparation. |
Support
up to 100% Pension, NI, and travel insurance issues to be addressed as appropriate for individual circumstances. |
| 1B | Home grown individuals/families from St Peter’s Church involved in mid-range mission activity (ie longer than one year) | Support on a needs basis but probably 50 – 100% | |
| 1C | Short-termers from St Peter’s Church People spending a few weeks, months or a year involved in Christian mission activities in UK or overseas. | Up to 50% of total cost | |
| 1D | Link missionaries – individuals, couples and families who are have strong links with St Peters – prayer, financial support, friendship, visits, general interest. St Peter’s do not have a direct pastoral responsibility for these people and are not “the sending Church." | Annual sum - usually paid in two payments
– June & December. Distribution is based on an agreed figure for an individual or a couple/family. Every effort will be made to increase the distribution year on year in line with RPI. Note: If a single link missionary gets married during the period they have link missionary status – the committee will review the level of support but do not automatically need to double the level of support. |
|
|
PRIORITY TWO |
Support for organisations Mission and Christian organisations supported by the congregation of St Peters – prayer and financially. | Payments are made twice a year. The amount paid will depend on the level of funds available and the demands on those funds to support the people in Priority One. | |
| PRIORITY THREE |
Occasional support From time to time, the PCC and members of St Peter’s request financial support from the Mission Fund for organisations or causes. | The Mission Committee will consider appropriate requests, but have a key responsibility to support the people and organisations identified in category one and two | |
APPENDIX 2
Financial Framework
1 General
Mission Fund financial procedures are set out in detail in the St. Peter’s
Financial Procedures manual, and are administered by the PCC Treasurer and
the Parish Office. The PCC Treasurer manages the Mission Fund accounts, provides
monthly reports on the Mission Fund finances, and prepares the annual accounts
for audit and presentation at the Annual Parish Meeting.
2 Income
Donations to the Mission Fund may be made in the same way as to the PCC General Fund, that is, by:
Standing Orders arranged through bank accounts
Mission Fund envelopes, most commonly through collections at St Peters church services
Collections (on12 designated Mission Sundays during the year). Plus any additional collections in response to urgent needs
Donations may either be for general support of the Fund or specified for
individual people or organisations supported by the Mission Fund.
Donors liable to Income Tax may enhance their donations to the Mission Fund through Gift Aid.
3 Expenditure
Payments are made by cheque, standing order or inter-bank transfer.
Standing orders and inter-bank transfers are arranged by the PCC Treasurer.
Cheque signatures for the Mission Fund may be any two of the following.
Decisions to make Mission Fund payments must be agreed by the Mission Committee
and recorded in the minutes of the committee’s meetings.
Rector
Office Co-ordinator
PCC Treasurer
Warden 1
Warden 2
St Peter’s Mission Committee
October 2002