this is what we stand, sit and roll over for…

if next were a photographer:
We’d Focus on letting everyone in on God’s big secret - I’m changing everything and you’re invited. You’re invited to be changed. You’re invited into a changed community. You’re invited to be part of changing the world.

if next were a photographer:
Our Subject Matter would always include things inside, outside, and upside down.

inside — our inner healing, growth and spiritual maturity
outside — the mutual strength, support, encouragement and accountability of the those who identify themselves with the next community
upside down – the ways of Christ manifest through our lives lived outside the walls of 89 colborne street (after all, that’s where we spend 97% of our time)

if next were a photographer:
We’d Frame each and every shot with our endearing qualities - next at our best:
centred|father|son|spirit|scripture|cross|kingdom|prayer|
needed|effective|useful|purposeful|accessible|life-giving|
neighboured|local|contributing|involved|helpful|influential|salty|
created|innovative|fun|expressive|creative|adaptive|inventive|
familied|shared-lives|belonging|accountability|responsibility|home|
moved|grow|mature|change|transform|become|respond|initiate|

if next were a photographer:
Our Dream Shot would be a candid little picture of everyone everywhere part of a healthy community.

—

tl is the newest in a long line of next madministrators. having lived in japan, oz and elsewhere, tim is getting used to being a canuck again. he keeps the coffee hot and the freezies cool. ask him about almost anything; he might know, or else connect you with someone who does. during warmer months he tends plants at Oak Street Community Garden and beyond. in cooler days he can be found cleaning and organizing at next. tim also has the role of intern taking care of the nextKids department of next church. he is also known to play fiddle.

Recently Developed Documents

Becoming a Partner at Next Church
April 2009 – Rev.0 1-2
What does “partnership” and being a “partner” mean at Next Church?
To be a “partner” at Next Church means to be actively committed to the community and to be
empowered to vote on decisions at the Annual General Meeting (AGM). In some circles, partnership is
called membership. We call it partnership because we like the way that word makes us think of working
alongside, together, and with each other to have God’s best interests at heart as we make decisions for
Next. Partnership is a way of saying, “I call Next Church home.”
Why does Next Church have partnership?
There are a few reasons. We require some kind of formal partnership to maintain our legal charitable
status. Plus, we are committed to working within the Free Methodist Church of Canada - and they need
us to define partnership as well. But more fundamentally, partnership helps us create and formalize a
sense of belonging and commitment to Next as a community.
When does the partnership commitment process happen?
The partnership commitment process happens twice a year. We do it prior to the Annual General
Meeting (in January or February), and also at one other time. We’ll give information about two months
in advance.
How do you become a partner? (How does the partnership commitment process happen?)
The process looks like this.
1. Invitation to all
2. Individual review and reflection on Next Church’s defining statements
• Mission and vision
• Enduring qualities (values)
3. Posting of individual names and photos of partners on the Next Partnership Tree

HERE’S MORE INFORMATION ON WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE:
First, invitation to all: Each year, before our AGM and at one other time during the year, we invite
people who have been hanging around the Next Church community to become partners. Some may
have been around for the long term and others may be newer arrivals, but all are invited. (Partners
need to be 18 years or older.)

Second, individual review and reflection on our defining statements: To become a partner, you
first review and reflect on our mission and vision:
“We want to let everyone in on God’s big secret - I’m changing everything and you’re invited.
You’re invited to be changed. You’re invited into a changed community. You’re invited to be part
of changing the world. Our vision is to see what God is doing, and join in however we can.”
Not only that, you also review and reflect on our endearing qualities. Next wants to be:

CENTRED | father | jesus | spirit | scripture | cross | kingdom | prayer
NEEDED | effective | useful | purposeful | accessible | life-giving
NEIGHBOURED | local | contributing | involved | helpful | influential | salty
CREATED | innovative | fun | expressive | creative | adaptive | inventive
FAMILIED | shared-lives | belonging | accountability | responsibility | home
MOVED | grow | mature | change | transform | become | respond | initiate
GIVED | gracious | generous | openhanded | sacrificial | trusting | spent
Becoming a Partner at Next Church
April 2009 – Rev.0 2-2

Third, posting of individual names and photos on the Partnership Tree: After reviewing and
reflecting on these statements you make a decision. If you agree to stand with the Next Church
community and to throw your energy, prayer, gifts, financial resources and commitment behind our
vision, you are invited to become a partner for one year.
To do that, you write your name, and bring a photo or reasonable facsimile and stick it to the
Partnership Tree. Presto. You are a partner, and you are able to vote at the AGM. If you have already
declared your partnership in a previous year, you’ll have a chance to reaffirm your commitment before
each AGM.

What if you are a member of another church, but you still want to be a partner at Next?
If you will have us, we will have you! If you fulfill the partnership commitment process above, we’d love
to have you as a partner. Remember, your commitment is only until the next AGM, after which you will
have the opportunity to renew it if you wish.

What if you want to become a partner, but the Annual General Meeting is still a long way away?
Sorry, you’ll have to wait a while. But remember, we do the partnership commitment process twice a
year so it won’t be long. Of course, in the meantime, you can dive headlong into your support and
involvement at Next. But, you won’t be able to declare yourself formally as a partner, and thus, to vote,
until you have fulfilled the partnership commitment process.
What decisions are made by vote at the Annual General Meeting?
The things we decide by vote at Next Church are very few… but they are also very important. By vote
we:
• Approve the annual budget
• Approve the annual program priorities (these are prepared by the Next Church Board in
consultation with the broader community)
• Elect the Board
• Elect the Nominating Committee (aka the “nom-com”, the group that nominates board
members)
• Elect one person to be a delegate to the Free Methodist Church in Canada
• Decide on major capital changes (like buying/selling property)
• Decide on changes in full-time staff positions
• Decide on major new projects that will impact the whole community, for example church
plants

If the Board identifies issues that are significant enough to need the voting approval of the entire
community and they come up after the AGM, the Board will call an extra emergency meeting. If this
happens, there will be an opportunity to become a formal partner before the vote happens. If you
choose not to become a partner, you will have a voice, but not a vote at the AGM.

What if you love Next and want to hang around, but you don’t want to follow through the
partnership commitment process?
Whether you are a partner or not, you are still most welcome to fully participate in all things Next,
including most positions of leadership. The only exceptions are that to be on the Board or the
Nominating Committee, you need to be a partner.

we are committed to working within the free methodist church in canada.

—

Who Decides What and How at Next Church?
April 2009 – Rev.0 1-2
WHO is involved in making important decisions at Next?
Next Church is a diverse community of folks. We believe if you come, you belong. We gather together under

Next’s defining vision and mission:
“We want to let everyone in on God’s big secret - I’m changing everything and you’re invited. You’re
invited to be changed. You’re invited into a changed community. You’re invited to be part of changing
the world. Our vision is to see what God is doing, and join in however we can.”
When it comes to making important decisions, different people and groups have different roles. Some of the
key players are below:
• The Community as a whole (also known as the “Society”): This is the whole group of us who call
Next home. We meet once a year at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) to make important
decisions together. The Community as a Whole also meets to do things like pray, celebrate, dream
and make plans for Next in regular Community Meetings organized three times a year, and of
course, at gatherings like Sunday morning services or other special events.
• The Board: The Board is made up of 5-8 people who love and pray for Next. There is a Chair, a
Secretary, a Treasurer and some regular Board members. The Pastor also attends all board
meetings. The Board defines and shepherds the vision and mission of Next, as well as our annual
priorities. They create and watch over our policies – “the words we live by”. The Board is also in
charge of creating and stewarding the budget. The Board meets once a month. If someone from the
Community wants the Board to address something, they just need to put it in writing and give it to a
Board member seven days in advance of the Board meeting.
• The Pastor: The Pastor leads the community in living out the vision, mission and priorities of Next
that are defined by the Board. The Pastor prays for the community, selects and supports the Ministry
Team leaders, organizes our Sunday services and generally fulfills the requirements of the Pastor’s
job description.
• Ministry Leaders: Ministry Leaders head up the various ministry teams at Next. Examples of
ministry areas include music, greeting, small groups, and hospitality. Ministry leaders carry out the
vision for their area, and steward the money within their approved budget line.