ARW Toolkits
Congregational Support and Pastoral Relations
Toolkit #1 - Searching for a new minister
- Search Team Training Video
- Preparing to Search Process
- Position Description – Template
- Position Description – Worksheet
- Position Description – Terms to Consider
- Pastoral Relations: Guidelines for Search and Selection
- Search Team Training Registration
- How to use ChurchHub for Position Description, Search, record of Call/Appointment and adding Search Team members
In the new guide for pastoral relations, Pastoral Relations: Community of Faith, a distinction is made between supply appointments and appointments (page 19). Supply appointments are requested when the community of faith requires ministry support while they work on their profile and search. Appointments, on the other hand, are longer‐term pastoral relationship as a result of a search. This policy will help communities of faith differentiate between the two types of appointments.
Toolkit #2 – Completing your Community of Faith Profile
Profile Preparation Handbook: Step by step instructions for completing the profile worksheets and living faith story.
Financial Viability Worksheet: A tool to assess current and future financial well-being for planning purposes.
Demographics Worksheet: Asks the questions, “Who are we” and “Who are our neighbours”.
Real Property Worksheet – A record of property, such as cemeteries, if applicable. Does not refer to the church building or manse.
Living Faith Story Worksheet – A more detailed description of your ministry using headings that will assist with writing a position description and reviewing applications.
Toolkit #3 - ChurchHub
Search Teams see Toolkit #1.
Look here to log in to your ChurchHub.ca account.
How to use ChurchHub:
See United Church ChurchHub Information webpage.
For help or questions please Submit a request – ChurchHub (united-church.ca)
Current instructions for administrators of the church’s ChurchHub account:
ChurchHub – How to Enter Your Information
ChurchHub – How to Upload Your Files
VIDEO: How to Add, Edit or Delete Officer Roles on ChurchHub
Toolkit #4 - Ministry & Personnel Committees
- Ministry and Personnel Committee Handbooks and Resources | The United Church of Canada
- Pastoral Relations: Supporting the Pastoral Relationship
- Restorative Care Roadmap
- Ministry & Personnel Team Training Registration
- Pastoral Relations: Congregational Designated Ministers
- Ministry and Personnel Training
- M&P Lay Employees FAQ
- M&P Lay Employee templates
Toolkit #5 – Property
Regional Council Property Policy
Sale of Congregational Property Basic Steps
Property Resolution – Trustees – A template for requesting approval to list, sell, purchase, mortgage or lease property
Congregational Property Transactions – A guide to property transactions for communities of faith.
Leases and Rentals of Congregational Property Policy
Lease Agreement Template – A lease agreement with template and information about rentals.
VIDEO: Managing Church Property and the role of the Regional Council
Toolkit #6 – Collaborative Agreements
Collaboration – Steps in Process – An overview of the Collaboration Process
Collaborative Ministry Handbook – A Handbook containing information to help create a successful collaborative ministries.
Collaborative Covenant – Sample – Basic template that can be adapted as needed.
Collaborative Agreement Information (PowerPoint) An overview of ministry sharing with examples, benefits and considerations.
A series of questions to assist the collaborative conversation between congregations.
Collaborative Ministry CoF Inventory – A series of questions to assist the collaborative conversation between congregations.
Steps for ending a Collaborative Ministry Agreement and Pastoral Relationship
Toolkit #7 – Amalgamating
Step by step information for communities of faith that are amalgamating.
Amalgamating – Steps for Beginning Well
A sample agreement that can be adapted as needed.
Amalgamation Agreement Template
If there is a change in your pastoral charge (e.g. amalgamation, disbandment, name change, etc.) please fill out this form and send it to the Minister, Congregational Support.
Information Update Pastoral Charge Change
Archive Information for Closing Congregations
Please refer to Toolkit #22 – Archives – Regional information about properly archiving your records.
Toolkit #8 – Disbanding
Step by step information for communities of faith that are disbanding.
Disbanding Steps for Closing Well
Checklist for Disbanding Congregations
Disbanding – Asset Disbursement Calculator Form
Ministries Supported by Disbanding Communities of Faith
Disbanding Community of Faith – UCC Foundation Support
If there is a change in your pastoral charge (e.g. amalgamation, disbandment, name change, etc.) please fill out this form and send it to the Minister, Congregational Support.
Information Update Pastoral Charge Change
Please refer to Toolkit #22 – Archives – Regional information about properly archiving your records.
Toolkit #9 – Pulpit Supply
The Ministry Personnel Pulpit Supply list is now on ChurchHub.
For Communities of Faith: Pulpit Supply List
For Ministry Personnel: How to make yourself available for Pulpit Supply
Toolkit #10 – Pastoral Charge Supervision
What is the Pastoral Charge Supervisor Payment Policy?
Pastoral Charge Supervisor Handbook
Pastoral Charge Supervisors Reporting Form
CHURCHx Course on Pastoral Charge Supervision
Are you interested in being a pastoral charge supervisor? Fill out this form.
Pastoral Charge Supervisor Information Update Form – If you are a current PCS and your information has changed please update it.
Toolkit #11 - Policy Templates
Annual Self-Assessment Information
Online Self-Assessment Checklist
Accessibility Policy
A generic template that can be adapted by communities of faith. Highly recommended.
Accessibility Policy & Training Template
Personal Information Privacy Policy
A guide and generic template that can be used by communities of faith for compliance with government regulations.
Personal Information Privacy Policy Guide
Personal Information Privacy Policy Template
Behavioural Covenant and Conflict Resolution Process
Behavioural Covenant and Conflict Resolution Process templates
Toolkit #12 - Annual Meetings
Annual Meetings Best Practices – A guide to help congregations and pastoral charges prepare for the Annual Meeting.
Annual Reports Best Practices – A tool to help congregations and communities of faith ensure their annual report is complete and easy to read.
Toolkit #13 - Maintaining the Historic Roll
Toolkit #14 - Community of Faith Finances
Resources related to community of faith finances.
On January 11th, 2023 the Tri-Regions hosted a Deficit Dilemma Workshop – VIDEO, with over 185 people in attendance! If you missed this workshop, or would like to review the content, a link to the recording and the Powerpoint Slides are available here: Deficit Dilemma Presentation – PPTX
Toolkit #15 - License to Administer Sacraments
There will be instances where the governing body of a community of faith is responsible for requesting a licence to administer the sacraments. This request must come from an official meeting of the governing body and sometimes the Pastoral Relations Commission may initiate the conversation.
Here is a resource to assist with this request:
Toolkit #16 - Licensed Lay Worship Leaders
The Licensed Lay Worship Leaders (LLWL) Resource Team will implement the Licensed Lay Worship Policy. The Pastoral Relations Commission is responsible for licensing LLWLs for Antler River Watershed Regional Council. The Resource Team will provide support and oversight to LLWLs within the regional and be a recommending and reporting body to the Pastoral Relations Commission:
- LLWL Application for Initial License in MS Word
- LLWL Application for Initial License Online
- LLWL Yearly Report Form in MS Word
- LLWL Yearly Report Form Online
- LLWL Annual Declaration
Request the list of current LLWLs for pulpit supply from Micol Cottrell
Toolkit #17 - United Fresh Start
A Pastoral Relationship Program
of The United Church of Canada
United Fresh Start is a curriculum with over 20 modules that teach ministers and congregational leaders critical strategies for working effectively together. It contains proven methods based on the work of organizational leadership experts and is based on a program developed by the Episcopal Church over the past 20 years.
The program covers key topics, such as entering new systems, conflict management, family systems theory, polarity management, church size theory and adaptive leadership. Together, ministers and congregational leaders gain a mutual understanding of leadership expectations, role clarity and the use of power and authority.
The program will help create a fresh start for the pastoral relationship and prepare you for effective mission and ministry together. Although the program is ideally suited for new pastoral relationships, several of the modules can be used to equip congregations to be effective in the face of any adaptive challenge.
https://www.unitedfreshstart.ca/
For a list of facilitators, please contact Micol Cottrell
Toolkit #18 - Retirement
Toolkit #19 - Volunteer Associate Minister
A Voluntary Associate Minister (VAM) is a recognized, ordered minister in The United Church of Canada who is retired or between appointments. At times, a Voluntary Associate Minister may be looking for involvement in a community of faith and at other times they may seek designation as a VAM in order to fulfill the Manual requirements of a “formal association” in order to provide the functions of ministry outside of a pastoral relationship (The Manual, 2025 section 1.2.5.3).
Here are some resources for Voluntary Associate Ministers:
Toolkit #20 - For Liaisons
Toolkit #21 – Ministry Personnel
- Check here for GC Handbooks and Guidelines and the Manual
Marriage Licence
- Marriage Licence Registration Policy and Guidelines Handbook The Governing Official for Antler River Watershed Regional Council is Max Watkinson, Executive Assistant at mwatkinson@united-church.ca.
Toolkit #22 - Archives - Regional
Records with permanent value should be deposited at the appropriate Regional Council Archives. Records set for transfer to the Archives should be recommended by the governing body, prior to their transfer. To make transferring of permanently valuable records to the Archives easier it is recommended that records be transferred at five year intervals whenever practical or when a particular book or register is full. Files must be transferred when a community of faith disbands.
Please consult the “Community of Faith Archive Section” and the “Sample Retention Schedule” sheet for information on records that should be transferred to the Regional Council Archives.
Toolkit #23 - Worship Resources
Human Resources Commission:
Worship Resources for Lay Led Services
Perhaps you are a member of a worship committee that worries about how they will “fill the pulpit” when the minister is away. Or maybe you belong to a lay-led community of faith that is either between ministers or has decided to be a church without a called or appointed minister. In either situation you have probably faced the challenge of organizing worship services. While the first option is often to hire a Licensed Lay Worship Leader or retired minister to lead the service, there are also some other excellent options available. Here are some to check out.
United in Worship Project https://www.united-in-worship.ca/
Developed to support lay-led congregations in northern Ontario, this resource is available to everyone.
For an annual fee of $232.00 a congregation has access to a complete bulletin, prayers, power point slides, and video recorded sermon. There is also a text of the sermon so that it could also be read by someone at the church. While some volunteers are needed to read sections of the service, all of the written material is provided.
The United Church of Canada Worship Resources https://united-church.ca/worship
Check out the UCC website for complete services on a wide variety of topics. Content often includes ideas for sharing the theme with children, or additional bulletin inserts related to the theme. This is a FREE resource that only requires readers.
Gathering Worship https://gatheringworship.ca/about
If you are familiar with the Gathering Magazine which offered amazing resources for worship planning, this is the online version which offers so much more. Annual subscription price is $75.00
Together We Worship https://ucrdstore.ca/products/together-we-worship-package-of-five-worship-services?_pos=7&_sid=3197b5e98&_ss=r
A set of 5 complete worship services for $300 through UCRD. The package includes a bulletin, leader’s notes, power point for complete service and recorded video of the sermon.
Worship Service Packages https://ucrdstore.ca/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection&options[prefix]=last&q=worship%20service%20package*
Also from UCRD you can purchase individual services for $65. These include the same resources as Together in Worship, including the recorded sermon. These sermons are presented by a variety of worship leaders to provide your congregation with the opportunity to hear from different voices.
Rural Connect http://www.ruralconnectucc.ca/
Rural Connect is a system for sharing worship at multiple locations at the same time through “live streaming”. Equipment and support are available to assist communities of faith get set up as either a “hub” church or a “satellite” church. All points are able to interact and participate in the service at the same time. Fees for equipment and the leadership of the hub church is approximately $200 per service.
Due to the tremendous advancements in online worship in recent years, many communities of faith have the equipment needed to livestream their service. If you are interested in sharing your service, or participating other to join you via the internet, talk to your Congregational Support Minister.
