United Church of Christ Philippines

Middle Luzon Jurisdictional Area UNITED METROPOLIS CONFERENCE

LOCAL CHURCH PROFILE Local Church Declaration of Approval

As a Church, our relationship is strengthened when vital information is shared. To that end, we attest that, to the best of our abilities, we have provided information in this profile that accurately represents our church. We have not knowingly withheld any information that would be helpful to the ministry of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines, particularly in the United Metropolis Conference.

Print name and Signature Church Council Chairperson

Date

Print name and Signature Administrative Pastor

Date

Print name and Signature Church Council Secretary

Date

COMPLETING THE LOCAL CHURCH PROFILE

Introduction: The Local Church Profile should be completed by the church council or a committee appointed by the church council. As part of the process, it is essential that the congregation be given the opportunity to contribute information and offer perspectives through small group meetings and/or written surveys. This profile will serve as your annual church report. It shall be the basis for assessment and planning of the whole church, particularly the conference, in providing local churches their needs in doing mission and making the local church as the locus of mission. As you prepare material for the Local Church Profile, remember to be as candid and honest as possible in your descriptions of the history, traditions, hopes, and dreams of the members of your church. .and make your light shine. Be good and honest and truthful, as you try to please the Lord. (Eph. 5:9-10)

LOCAL CHURCH PROFILE

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Please return the completed document to the conference office. Name of Local Church Address: Contact Number: Fax: Email: MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION Membership:
Last Year 2 Years Ago 5 Years Ago

(optional) a. b. c. d. e. f. Regular Members Associate Members Affiliate Members Preparatory Members Honorary Members Average attendance at worship

(optional)

Profile of Congregation
The number of members in your church. AGE 0 5 years old 6 12 years old 13 30 years old 31 45 years old 46 60 years old 61 -74 years old 75 + Numbers

STEWARDSHIP OF THE CHURCH

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Last Year

2 Years Ago

5 Years Ago

(optional) Total Church Income

a. Tithes b. Pledges c. Loose Offerings d. Other sources School Rentals Cooperative Others Last Year 2 Years Ago

(optional)

5 Years Ago

(optional) Total Operating Budget

a. Our Churchs Wider Mission Support b. Administrative Expenses c. Program/Ministry Expenses d. Debts

(optional)

Identify UCCP special offerings the church conducts throughout the year and the amounts from last year:
_____ Great Time of Sharing _____ Denominational Contribution

Mission a. Beyond your contributions through the UCCP, name the most significant local or global missions/ministries or agencies that supported your local church last year and the amount of support: NAME AMOUNT

b. What mission project has excited your church the most in the past two years? Why?

Indebtedness Page 3 of 8

a. Total amount of debt: PhP Describe: b. Are payments current? yes no

Does the church has a land title? _____ yes _____ no If yes, on whose name it is registered? _____________________________________________
Describe buildings and property of your church:

If a building program is projected or underway, describe it, including estimated

Does the church consider a full time or part time church worker? _____ Full Time _____ Part Time (specify) __________________________________________

Salary History
To provide a profile of salaries for the position you are seeking to fill, indicate salaries at the beginning and ending of the church workers term. If a parsonage is provided, insert the letter P in the others. Provide information for the last 2 leaders or the last five years. Year a. Last b. Previous c. Next previous Start Date Salary Benefits Others Year End Date Salary Benefits Others

During the above period, has your church ever failed to fulfill its financial obligations to its church worker? _____yes _____ no If yes, please comment: Salary, Benefits, and Expenses Offered Page 4 of 8

a. Cash salary offered PhP____________ b. Customary benefits: Vacation: ________ weeks annually Maternity/paternity leave Health Benefits ( _____ other health benefits) Social Security Continuing Education Funds _____ Other benefits (specify) ________________________ c. Ministry Expenses Travel Reimbursement _____ Representation Reimbursement

CONGREGATIONAL LIFE
Comment on the following with what you believe to be the generally-held responses of the congregation. a. Identify the three most important faith experiences or events in the history of your church and the year each took place: Event Year

b. What is God calling your church to do/become over the next few years?

c. Chose the statement that most accurately describes the theological/faith stance of your church: You may check more than one. We tend to be theologically conservative. We tend to be theologically moderate to conservative. We tend to be theologically moderate. We tend to be theologically moderate to liberal. We tend to be theologically liberal. We tend to be quite diverse theologically. Other Comments:

Conflict Page 5 of 8

Most churches experience conflict at various times. Characterize your churchs experience with conflict given the following possibilities. Indicate the extent to which each statement describes your church: C = closely; S = somewhat; N = not at all. as a church, we respect and listen to each other and work things through without generating divisiveness as a church, we try to respect and listen to each other, but it is not uncommon for differences of opinion to be a problem and for some people to choose sides some have left our church because of conflict conflict hurts our sense of unity, but we tend not to talk about it painful experience with conflict has been present, but it has been worked through, and we have learned from the experience we have had some painful experiences with conflict, and they linger in the background open conflict is present, and we need a minister who can help us deal with it other Specify: Comment:

Worship
a. Describe the weekly worship schedule (number of services, times, languages in which the services are conducted, frequency with which communion is included, special emphases such as healing services, contemporary worship, etc.)

b.

Identify how worship is planned on a regular basis in your church _____ by a worship committee _____ by the pastor _____ by the pastor in consultation with the church musician _____ other specify: What hymnal(s) are currently used by your congregation in worship?

c.

CONFERENCE PARTICIPATION Page 6 of 8

United Metropolis Conference

a. Programs and activities in which church members participate: Activity Date

Do you send delegates to conference activities/meetings? Regularly __________Occasionally __________Never__________ Have members of your church ever served as delegates to Annual Sessions? Yes_______ No_______Not Sure _________ b. Choose the word that best describes how lay leaders of your church consciously identify with the United Church of Christ in the Philippines: closely Comment: moderately nominally other

Ecumenical and Interfaith Activities

a. Describe ways your church participated in ecumenical and interfaith activities during the past three years:

RELATIONSHIP WITH MINISTERIAL LEADERS Relationship With Prior Leaders

a. Characterize your churchs experience with pastoral leaders over the past 10 years. You may check more than one response: In general, our lay leaders have a history of strong, cooperative relationships with the churchs pastoral leadership. We have had some fairly rocky moments, but we have worked them through, and relationships with pastoral leaders have grown in significant and important ways. We have had some tough times and things did not always work out. Other. Specify:

Does the church have a Church Workers Call Committee? Page 7 of 8

yes

no

If yes, describe its purpose, functions and how often they meet:

Leadership Expectations
A list follows of 45 items which represent a range of qualities in the ministry of the church. Place an X beside the 12 items which your church feels are the most important aspects of ministry for your church at this time. All the qualities are important. However, please mark those 12 which you feel need first priority at this time. Do not rank the items. If the aspects you consider to be important are not included in the list, place them at the end in the blanks provided. Mark only 12 of the following items. Do not rank the items. Our church needs a person who 1.
2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. is an effective preacher/speaker 24. regularly encourages support of continues to develop his/her Our Churchs Wider Mission theological and biblical skills 25. reaches out to inactive members helps people develop their 26. works regularly in the development spiritual life of stewardship growth helps people work together in 27. is active in ecumenical relationships solving problems and encourages the church to is effective in planning and leading participate worship 28. is a person of faith has a sense of the direction of 29. writes clearly and well his/her ministry 30. works well on a team regularly encourages people to 31. is effective in working with youth participate in United Church of 32. organizes people for community action Christ activities and programs 33. is skilled in planning and leading helps people understand and act programs upon issues of social justice 34. plans and leads well-organized meetings is a helpful counselor ministers effectively to people in 35. encourages people to relate their faith crisis situations to their daily lives makes pastoral calls on people in 36. is accepting of people with divergent hospitals and nursing homes and views those confined to their homes 37. encourages others to assume and makes pastoral calls on members carry out leadership not confined to their homes 38. is mature and emotionally secure is a good leader is effective in working with children 39. has strong commitment and loyalty builds a sense of fellowship among 40. maintains confidentially the people with whom he/she works 41. understands and interprets the mission helps people develop their leadership of the church from a global perspective abilities 42. is a compassionate and caring person is an effective administrator 43. deals effectively with conflict is effective with committees and 44. officers 45. is an effective teacher has a strong commitment to the If there are other comments you wish to make educational ministry of the church about expectations, include one or more is effective in working with adults paragraphs here on an additional sheet. inspires a sense of confidence works regularly at bringing new members into the church.

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