The JGER Committee has developed Criteria for the assessment of the goals and engagements of Community Ministries for which it has oversight responsibilities. These criteria will provide guidelines in the review and evaluation of a Community Ministry, and the subsequent recommendations to Mission Support. In addition, the committee has prioritized these Criteria as an indicator of our present analysis of the most important aspects of community ministry. Numbers 1. to 7. indicate the priority placement, whereas Criteria numbers *8. to *14. do not indicate a specific order. We hope that these Criteria and Priorities will also be helpful tools for Community Ministries in their planning and self-evaluation.

The goal of transformation of both individuals and society, is a primary commitment of the CM’s engagement in seeking a just society that provides dignity, healthy living conditions, access to education and opportunity for all. The CM embodies the church in action as it seeks to reclaim God’s vision of justice and peace. Most community ministries offer front line services that otherwise would not be available to vulnerable populations. These services often act as an entry point for individuals to connect with the CM. In turn, a space is created for a mutual sharing of assistance, gifts and talents. Individuals are thus empowered to participate more actively in the transformation of the wider community. Ongoing organizational development and transformation are vital to keeping a CM vibrant and pertinent and risk taking is essential to personal and organizational transformation. Key items that need to be in place to allow personal and collective transformation are:

a well articulated corpus of policies and daily application of the mission statement
a well articulated support\accountability structure at the staff team level
ongoing dialogue with community partners through concrete joint actions

The empowerment of people in the community to be engaged in the process of change, both individual and systemic, is a fundamental commitment that is demonstrated in the practices, programs and mission statement of the CM

An empowered staff team carries out programs that empower the larger community and is the foundation of a dynamic organization. To do this, the staff must be open and responsive to critical feedback, self disciplined, passionate about their work, willing to take risks and supported in those endeavors.

A Community Ministry responds to community needs mainly through its programs and through participation in networks. Two things need to be in place to do this effectively: 1. connection with networks (see above no. 4) and 2 efficient programs. A good program structure should:

- Reflect community needs and organizational capacity to respond
- Have clearly articulated goals and objectives
- Be grounded in annual staff work plans that reflect those goals
-Have entrance and exit strategies
- Carry out annual reviews to ensure ongoing functioning and pertinence
- Consult program participants and wider community regularly

Community Ministries are Prophetic as they enable communities to seek justice and resist evil. This requires an engagement in discerning the signs of the times and an understanding of their participation building God’s kindom in the here and now.

A prophetic voice in the community requires active participation in community advocacy networks including public witness in the media and the empowerment of those benefiting directly from programs and services offered by the Community Ministry. The latter includes involvement of program participants/beneficiaries alongside staff in promoting social justice and creating diverse social initiatives.

Advocacy is a key component of the work of the CM. This is not carried out alone but with community and church networks. Advocacy work should include work with media: press conferences when necessary, petitions, letters to the editor and op ed pieces in newspapers, etc.

Inclusion of participants in their programs and within the larger community is paramount to ensure that the CM is in dialogue with all groups in which it is in relation. This dialogue and partnership should be based on mutual respect, equal opportunity for involvement and where possible, decision-making.

The key to just relations on a staff team can be summed up by the tandem: support\accountability. It is the board’s responsibility to ensure structures are in place that facilitates these relations and to support the director in providing support\accountability with the staff team.

The Community Ministry (CM) should demonstrate ability to access funding other than UCC Mission Support from other sources: congregation, foundation, community, ecumenical, government, corporations and individuals.

* 8. Supportive Partnership - Ecumenical/Interfaith/Secular

The Community Ministry by the nature of its work, is strengthened and challenged by partnerships with other faith or humanitarian organizations. Such collaboration can provide mutual support, coordination of services, creative responses to needs, the sharing of resources and larger public accountability. The community ministry is accountable to such partnerships and the community, and respects any agreed ways of working together.

CM programs that serve different age groups add to the vitality of the ministry and reflect UCC ethos of an inclusive community. While some Community Ministries may not be able to respond to the needs of all age groups, efforts should be made to organize some activities that bring together different cultures and different generations.

* 10. Educational Impact – community /staff / church

Front line work can be demanding with urgent situations requiring immediate attention. Organizing workshops and presentations may seem of secondary importance. The synergy with the wider community mentioned above, however, is greatly enhanced through the outreach done by a CM, e.g. workshops\presentation in classrooms, grass roots groups and church networks that:

engage the community in analysis of social issues and decision-making
promote the social justice issues in which the Community Ministry is involved
garner wider support for these issues and encourage others to get involved

Continuing education is essential for CM staff to be abreast of important developments in their respective fields and society. Plans to take courses, attend training workshops etc should be included in all staff work plans and money set aside in the annual budget.

Work was done a few years back by JGER predecessor Mission Outreach Committee to establish the amount of core funding for the community ministries. That information needs to be revisited and update in light of current context.

It is important for the CM to be abreast of policies, programs and actions of The United Church of Canada and be involved where possible. Some of the ways this can be accomplished are through:

- Participation in local presbytery and conference committees (in particular JGER)
- Staying abreast of and participating in UCC campaigns
- Discussion and promotion of these campaigns in the local CM and community
- Regular viewing of web page and reading of the Observer
- Contribution to the Observer through letters to the editor and/or articles

A commitment to engage in the study of the documents "Living Faithfully in the Midst of Empire" (GC39) and the subsequent "Covenanting to Live Faithfully in the Midst of Empire" (GC40) to consider its implications on all aspects of the Community Ministry, such as: programs, advocacy, structures, education methodology, partnerships, community and staff relationships, prophetic voice and role in transformation.

The significance of UCC support as a proportion of the overall budget of the CM can be an important factor in determining the maintenance of funding. However, a very nominal financial contribution can also be very significant to an organization’s capacity to leverage other funding and be validated in their ministry or to recognize the UCC’s commitment to the work and witness of this CM

The recognition by Community Ministries of UCC support received (including financial, volunteers, advocacy, etc.) through Mission Support, Presbytery, congregations and individuals offers a very important witness to the larger church of how they are engaged broadly in social ministry. In addition to financial support, the UCC provides the theological and ethical structure to all community ministries operating in Canada. Community Ministries in turn are required to be in dialogue with UCC structures in order to impact those structures with front line analysis, reflection etc. The development of new CM administrative standards, provide support to build a healthy infrastructure in all community ministries regardless of size.

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