Resource C: What is Shared Mission?
Shared Mission
contributions are defined by each session and shared between the work of the
Presbytery and the General Assembly Mission Agency. The Presbytery is
responsible for defining the percentage distribution.
- Currently our percentage distribution is 32.5% for the General Assembly Mission Agency and 67.5% for the Presbytery. We are proposing a change in this distribution percentage for 2015. This change is proposed in order to focus more of our financial resources within the Presbytery. This proposal is also motivated by the action of the General Assembly Mission Agency. The Mission Agency has responded to the recent decline Shared Mission Giving by creating a funds development program to raise funds for their ministry from individuals across the Church.
- The Presbytery of Carlisle has, since 2006, created a financial system that functions with one, unified budget. Thus the Presbytery does not maintain a distinction in our financial system between Per Capita and Shared Mission contributions. All Per Capita contributions and Shared Mission contributions from our congregations are unified into one operating budget from which all expenses are drawn.
- Within the Presbytery, shared mission contributions are used to support the general operating budget.
- Within the General Assembly Mission Agency, Shared Mission contributions are used to support these areas of ministry:
1001 Worshiping
Communities
Compassion, Peace and
Justice
Evangelism and Church
Growth
Racial Ethnic and
Women’s Ministries
Stewardship
Theology, Worship and
Education
Vocation
World Mission
- It is important to understand that Shared Mission Giving is shared between the Presbytery and the General Assembly Mission agency. Shared Mission Giving supports the general operating budgets of the Presbytery and the General Assembly Mission agency. But these funds are not used in specific, designated ways within either the Presbytery or the General Assembly Mission Agency.
Questions for prayer, pondering and
discussion:
- How does your session understand mission work? Has your understanding of mission changed recently? Do you believe everyone on your session shares an understanding of mission?
- Does your session consider your participation in and support of the work of our presbytery to be an expression of your mission?
- Does your session contribute to shared mission giving? Why or why not? How is this decision made?
