Quadrennial Program Thrust

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The theme for the Quadrennium 2010-2014, “Discerning and Obeying God’s Will in These Critical Times”, is intended to deepen and broaden the theological horizon of those called to do mission in obedience to the call of our Lord Jesus to be “light of the world and salt of the earth”, to be a transformative presence that reflects the values and ideals of the kingdom of God here on earth, a presence that radiates hope and newness to people who otherwise would have been consigned to the dustbin of hopelessness and despair. In this new theme, the household of God is being called to a collective act of discernment of the signs of the times, as a prerequisite to its being able to render a faithful and most meaningful act of obedience. (Capulong)

The gains in the past quadrennium inspire us to renew our commitment to the continuing challenges of mission and the call for discernment and obedience in these critical times. Hence, we shall continue to pursue, rather more intensely, these thrusts:

1. Unity in the understanding of the faith of the Church:

1. a. Shared understanding of the imperatives of the Christian faith as articulated in the UCCP Statement of Faith;
2. b. Faithful adherence to the values and principles of the church as provided for in the UCCP Constitution and By-Laws;
3. c. Vibrant and contextualized worship life of the congregations manifested in a deep, warm and caring fellowship within and among faith communities;
4. d. Meaningful and profound sense of identity – of who we are, what we believe, and how we live out our faith.

2. Steadfast prophetic witness of the Church amidst wounds of conflict and despair:

1. a. Collective acknowledgement of our human responsibility and accountability to promote the wholeness of life for all of God’s creation;
2. b. Engagement of the local churches and congregations in the life and aspirations of the communities surrounding them, through relevant and responsive ministries as a concrete expression of our collective public witness;
3. c. Commitment to the promotion of human rights, respect for human dignity, and the fulfillment of the promise of abundant life for all God’s people;
4. d. Commitment to the care, preservation and restoration of the environment as responsible stewards of God’s creation.

3. Faithful and responsible stewardship of God-given resources and greater capacity of the Church to support its mission and ministries:

1. a. Care, protection and documentation of the material resources of the church;
2.  b. Initiatives towards the development and management of the properties of the church for eventual self-reliance;
3.  c. Institutional support of initiatives for responsible stewardship of the resources of the church; coordination and prioritization of such initiatives and perspectives at the conference/jurisdiction levels;
4.  d. Regular and faithful remittance of the support of local churches for the wider mission programme of the church;
5.  e. Improved resource generation and financial management system in place within the whole church organization.

4. Stronger and meaningful interfaith, ecumenical, and international relations:

1. a. Broadened and deepened interfaith relations through dialogues, consultations and theological reflections on common issues and concerns; shared commitment and response to contemporary challenges at different levels;
2. b. Varying expressions of solidarity with partners particularly in terms of advocacy on justice, peace and human rights issues, and in times of natural disasters; sustained support for the implementation of programmes and ministries; increase in the level of international/institutional cooperation;
3. c. Relevant and timely expressions of solidarity with the marginalized and excluded in their aspiration for life with dignity, integrity, peace and prosperity.

5. Strengthened cooperation and coordination with and among church-related institutions and organizations as companions in faith journey and as partners-in-mission:

1. a. Increase in the levels of cooperation among local churches, conferences, jurisdictions, and church-related institutions as manifested in inter-jurisdiction, inter-conference and inter-institutional cooperation and coordination in the implementation of programmes and ministries;
2.  b. Church institutional support to initiatives towards integration (UCCP School System, One-Management System…);
3.  c. Greater access of the general constituency to church-related institutions, and conversely more visible support of local churches to the mission and ministry of church-related institutions;
4.  d. Regular and sustained support of CRIs to the wider mission programme of the church.

6. Intentional, coherent and integrated programme ministries that give priority to the nurturing and proclamation of the faith, and inspire responsible stewardship, prophetic witness and collective response to contemporary challenges:

1. a. Intensive and dynamic Christian education and nurture programme at all levels;
2. b. Vigorous evangelism campaigns and expansive programmes for church revival and renewal;
3. c. Extensive promotion of justice, peace and human rights and human dignity; increased level of advocacy work relative to social witness and public policy;
4. d. Attention given to programmes and projects that will help mitigate climate change and related environmental issues and concerns, including disaster response and management;
5. e. Relevant capability-building processes that equip trainers/facilitators/implementers of the varying programmes and ministries of the church.

7. Rationalized human resource development that will ensure capable, responsible and effective leadership for present and future generations;

1. a. Potential individuals for the different aspects of institutional work identified and given orientation on criteria, policies and guidelines governing leadership development;
2. b. Resources for leadership development are resourced and managed responsibly and justly;
3. c. Elected officers and leaders are knowledgeable about the organizational, programmatic and institutional dynamics of the church and are adequately equipped for the conduct and fulfillment of given responsibilities and assigned tasks and functions;

8. Clear and coherent organizational and structural mechanisms that are known, understood and upheld by the broad constituency of the Church

1. a. Commissions, boards and committees on the different aspects of our life and work that are committed to the mission and ministry of the church, and have basic orientation and full grasp of their specific tasks and functions;
2.  b. Established, relevant and appropriate policies and guidelines for each area of work that are promoted studied and deliberated upon at different levels;
3.  c. Widespread adherence to the statutes, policies and guidelines of the church.

9. Commitment to the overall ministry of the church:

1. a. An Office of the Ministry that is adequately supported and equipped to oversee the various aspects of church ministry;
2. b. A relevant and contextual theological education programme in each of the MFCs – responsive to the needs of local churches and church-related institutions; increased cooperation and coordination among MFCs in terms of the mutual sharing/exchange of experiences and perspectives, human and material resources; institutional support to initiatives towards integration (UCCP Seminary System)
3. c. Adherence to the provisions of the Magna Carta for Church Workers by all the judicatories concerned;
4. d. Commitment to the sustained support and care of church workers, especially those that have retired from the ministry.