Greetings SKMB Member Churches,

Grace to you as you continue to navigate what it means to be the Church in such a challenging season. Please know that, as an Executive Board, we continue to lift you up in prayer and consider ways in which we can serve you better. One of the ways that we do want to serve you, is by fulfilling our commitment to journey with you in discerning our SKMB Common Understandings and Our Common Covenant (CUCC).
In 2019 we adopted a new collaborative model of governance and a strategic framework for the mission and ministry of the denomination. Also, in 2019, the SKMB introduced a five-year strategic framework for mission and ministry at the Leadership Forum. And so, it seemed timely that the churches that make up the provincial and national Conferences take time to discern their past, present and future commitment to the direction of their denomination. In this light, the SKMB Executive Board introduced a proposal to create a Common Understandings and a Common Covenant document for decision by the member churches. At Assembly 2020, the Executive Board received affirmation to draft a document.  this draft was affirmed at our 2021 Assembly and formally adopted the CUCC at Assembly 2022 as a clarifying and unifying declaration for the purpose of enhancing the Conference’s mission and ministry.  We now invite member churches to individually affirm their support of the CUCC in one of two ways.

1. Sign the CUCC.  We would welcome the opportunity to be present and encourage your church/leadership when you sign the Covenant.  Please contact the Director of Ministry and he will let you know which of the SKMB Executive or FLT can come.  Alternately, the Director of Ministry may choose to come himself.
2. Affirmation of the CUCC by the church council, leadership team or by the congregation.  A suggested motion might run something like this: “We affirm the CUCC as a clarifying and unifying expression of our collective ministry and mandate as an SKMB family.”

 
The SKMB Executive Board would like to affirm our commitment to you as well.  Once you’ve signed the CUCC, please send it to our office and the conference moderator will sign that copy on behalf of all the SKMB churches and return it to you.  If you’ve passed a motion in your minutes, send us a copy and we will sign it to affirm our commitment to you as well.  Our goal is to have this process complete by Assembly 2023. 

In partnership with Phil Gunther, our Director of Ministry, and our SKMB Faith and Life Team, we have put together an updated church engagement guide to assist in this process. The guide includes some frequently asked questions about the documents, as well as some discussion points. 

Once again, I would like to remind you that our goal is to articulate specific, tangible faith & ministry convictions and expectations for all member churches of the SKMB family. The Common Understandings and Our Common Covenant has been prioritized to provide a clear template for what it means to be a member church in good standing, and to be a transparent and concise witness to the community of member churches of what it means to belong to the SKMB family. 

I truly believe that being an MB Church and knowing that it means to be an MB Church, is something that is to be celebrated and cherished. This is not meant to be a legalistic or divisive practice, but rather a unifying process that brings clarity to our collaborative relationship and mission. I am excited to have our provincial community engage this document and believe our collective mission and ministry will profit.

In unity, we work to see a Church passionately in love with God, led by His Spirit on mission, bringing Jesus’ Gospel of redemption and restoration to the four corners of Saskatchewan. May God bless you as you take time to explore the attached Common Understandings and Our Common Covenant as well as the accompanying church engagement guide.

Yours in Christ and in service to our SKMB family,

Gord Schroeder

SKMB Executive Board Moderator

exebd@skmb.ca
www.skmb.ca
____________________
Saskatchewan Conference of MB Churches
604 Webster St.
Saskatoon, SK  S7N 3P9

CUCC 2020F

CUCC Guide 2.1

Encouraging, equipping and partnering with the church along mission pathways!

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