Consultation around the
Case Statement

As Section 6 suggests the Case Statement is a consultative document. The initial draft of the case comes to the leadership of the church for discussion and revision. The consultation seeks creative input, consensus, ownership and personal response among the leadership of the church around the key aims of Giving in Grace. The case is not an argument to be sustained but a script to a conversation. Where this process has been followed it has been an enjoyable, creative and illuminating experience.

• The document Case Statement: a discussion paper offers an overview of the consultation process.
• A PCC meeting dedicated to Giving in Grace should take place after the third planning meeting to review the initial draft of the case statement.
• A case presentation can be used as an overview of the key points prior to discussion.
• Some questions for the consultations are found in Section 6 of the Case Statement but the discussion will generate more.
• Ensure that the Theology and the Leadership discussion papers are distributed well in advance of the PCC meeting if they have not already been considered by the leadership team.
• Do not distribute the draft case statement in advance. That is best talked through at the PCC meeting itself.
• Personal testimony or advocacy of the case by a member of the planning team is immensely powerful.
• More informal one to one conversations between planning group and PCC members should take place wherever possible. This may be a counsel of perfection but the more consensus can be built the stronger the case and the programme will be.

With a completed case statement that has been reviewed by the church leadership and with a differentiated database the planning group can begin to prepare its written communication with confidence and to explore the options for Interaction. This task is addressed in the third agenda. Planning groups should ensure that the vital ingredient of prayer is not lost as planning progresses.