Toton Churches

Toton Churches Enabling Group

Following the signing of our renewed Covenant in January 2019, arrangements for leading our joint working have now been put in place.  Our Ministers and two representatives from each church now meet as an Enabling Group.  At its first meeting in March, Andrew Pearson was elected as Convenor, Rev Ali Jones as Deputy Convenor and Heather Rolfe as Secretary. The other members are Judith Coomber, Julie Houghton and Rev Colin Bourne.

St Peter's Church Leadership Team

The work and mission of St Peter’s church is led by our Vicar, Revd Colin Bourne and our Churchwardens working in partnership with the PCC (Parochial Church Council).  Our Churchwardens, Andrew Pearson and Jamie Briggs, were elected at our recent annual meeting in April 2019.   

Our church also has a Leadership Team with supports the work of the PCC and the Minister.
The Leadership Team comprises:

• our minister  Revd Colin Bourne;
  
•  two St Peter’s Churchwardens – Jamie Briggs and Andrew Pearson
• Four elected members -  Gill Dann and Gill Stone elected in 2017, Lynne Pearson elected in 2018 and Irene Smith elected in 2019.

The church elects four people to join the Leadership Team by a ballot of all the members of St Peter's.  Elected members serve for a maximum of four years before taking a break. To ensure continuity on the team, arrangements are in place to create rolling terms of office so that each year there will normally be one vacancy to fill.   

What is the Leadership Team for?

• The Leadership Team should serve the church and model collaborative leadership between minister and members.
  
• It sets time aside to listen to God and ensures mutual trust and honesty among its members.
  
• It develops and leads the churches’ purpose and vision in relation to Jesus Christ.
  
• Members need to hold shared values and to demonstrate a commitment to the faith and to Toton Churches.
  
• Discussions should keep to big picture issues (rather than dabbling in too much detail).
  
• Everyone should ensure leadership is regarded as a spiritual ministry which is gift from God. 
  
• The Leadership Team therefore takes the lead, under the direction of the PCC.  
  

  What does the Leadership Team do?
Leadership Team usually meets around three times a month currently on Tuesday evenings.  It spends its time:

•        Seeking Direction - towards the churches’ vision, forward planning and discerning  priorities; 
  
•        Praying - seeking guidance and discernment, developing discipleship;
  
•        Discerning gifts and opportunities, empowering members, developing leaders
  
•        Coordinating – the churches’ overall programme and life at a strategic level 
  
•         Managing – major pastoral or other issues
  
•        Deciding– items referred from TCC and new initiatives being proposed to the TCC
  
•        Liaising – with and supporting Coordinators and other key leaders
  
•        Communicating - devising and maintaining a comprehensive Communication Strategy
  
•        Leading – suggesting, initiating, responding and acting between meetings of the TCC

The Team does not lead everything or do everything!   Its work is to hold together all that God is doing in Toton Churches, seek His Will for what to do, or stop doing, in the future, and support all members in their various ministries.  

Who is the Leadership Team responsible to?

The leadership team is responsible to St Peter's Parish Church Council (PCC). It reports to the Council and it implements decisions made by the Council.   All members of the leadership team (except our Minister) are subject to periodic election so are accountable to the membership as a whole.