A Light on the Hill

BPUC: Our Identity and Future – 2020-2025

Purpose

Following on from the “Vitality of Call and Covenant” (VoCC) process undertaken in 2018, and building on the results of the 2016 National Church Life Survey (NCLS), the BPUC Church Council wishes to engage the congregation in a process of exploring identity and future directions, expressly in terms of mission. Specifically this means “…that a clear focus for the next five years be developed to help the congregation understand who they are, who they are becoming and where they wish to reach out beyond Sunday morning worship; and within this discussion how the ministers in placement might help the congregation fulfil these hopes”.

As the NCLS report is now 4 years old, it is timely to revisit our understanding of identity and future. A new group – the “Identity and Future Group” (IFG) – was formed in April 2020 to review the outcomes of the VoCC and NCLS and then:

  1. Prepare a series of questions that can inspire us to look at the questions of Identity and Future in relation to BPUC.
  2. Develop a series of statements about Identity and Future at BPUC, which can form the start of a conversation to help us answer those questions.
  3. Facilitate an appropriate range of deeper, targeted consultations with the congregation asking what they see as the future for BPUC, and what roles they want to play to achieve their vision.
  4. Propose a process and a timeline for the community to achieve these aims.

A Snapshot and Initial Reflections

There has been an ongoing process of reflection and discernment about identify and future mission in recent years. In 2016 the NCLS provided a broad snapshot of modern church life. In 2018 BPUC worked through the Congregation Placement Profile (CPP) as it pertained to BPUC. In 2019, our Church Council worked through the book and video resources known as “Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations” (these are available upon request through the BPUC office). The “Five Practices” discussed were radical hospitality, passionate worship, extravagant generosity, risk-taking mission, and intentional faith development. Church Council had many stimulating discussions on these topics and translated the American context of these resources into more current day Brougham Place thinking. 

In 2020, the newly formed IFG has been asked to review the outcomes of those processes and prepare a summary of the aspects of community life at BPUC that the congregation at that time valued most. The table over the page provides a draft of that summary and includes some initial questions to help us refocus our missional journey. At the end of this document is a proposed timeline of activities to work through over the coming months which we hope will enable us to evolve and/or validate BPUC’s understanding of our future and identity. 

We are eager to begin conversations with the BPUC community regarding our identity and future. If you have any thoughts, ideas or concerns relating to our questions or proposed engagement, please contact a member of the Identity and Future Group. We are:

Identified Key Aspects of BPUC Life & Corresponding Questions

Aspect: Nurturing Worship
Statement: The 2016 NCLS survey identified our most important worship priority to provide “nurturing worship”.
Initial Question: What aspects of BPUC worship are nurturing, and what could we focus upon to improve the nurturing nature of worship at BPUC?

Aspect: Growing the Church of the Future
Statement: Almost half of respondents (2016 NCLS and 2018 CPP) want BPUC to prioritise ministry to young people.
Initial Question: We have a considerable children’s ministry program (Sunday School, KCO, children’s music etc.). How do we sustain and expand these programs to youth and young adults for the future, considering our position neighbouring several university colleges?

Aspect: Openness to Diversity
Statement: Our most-valued aspect from the 2016 NCLS survey was “openness to diversity”.
Initial Question: How can we better include those from other cultures and backgrounds in our community and our worship?

Aspect: Social Justice and Action
Statement: An emphasis on social justice, action and aid is clearly a valued aspect of BPUC life, and a high priority for the future.
Initial Question: How do we ensure an intentional focus on this as part of BPUC life in the future?

Aspect: Beyond Sunday Morning
Statement: We’re currently going through an unprecedented period of worshipping and being a community from home.
Initial Question: We have rapidly adapted to the circumstances surrounding COVID19, demonstrating the importance we place on being a caring community from home. What aspects of this could we continue, to better support and engage with the wider BPUC community (i.e. those close to North Adelaide, or who are unable to attend Sunday worship)?

Proposed Timeline for Congregational Engagement

Introduction

July:

  • Introduction of the IFG to the congregation (church notices, E-News etc.).
  • Sharing of this initial document with the congregation. Feedback/input from the congregation on this document is encouraged.

Consultation

July – September:

  • Questionnaire consultation with the entire congregation.
  • Targeted, in-person consultations with key BPUC groups (e.g. ministry planning team, youth & young adults, parents of Sunday-School children)

Reporting

October – November: 

  • From the results of the consultation, prepare a statement on “Identity and Future” at BPUC, and a plan of how to achieve this in the next five years. Circulate this to the congregation for prayerful discernment and deliberation.

 Adoption

February 2021:

  • Present the 5-year Identity and Future Plan at the BPUC 2021 AGM for adoption by the congregation.