POLICIES FOR PROTECTING CHILDREN AND VULNERABLE PEOPLE, covidsafe AND PRIVACY

St James’ is committed to creating a safe and supportive environment for everyone we serve, and especially for our children. 

The Parish of Toowoomba St James, including St Anne’s Highfields, maintains a Child Protection Risk Management Plan that helps to protect children and other vulnerable people from harm in our church. This includes the screening of the ministry team, volunteer staff and Parish office holders through the Queensland Government's Blue Card Services. 

All people who work with children must follow a Code of Conduct, and undergo a safe ministry check. Ministries are conducted in accordance with the Anglican Church's policies on child protection and safe ministry.

Our parish operates under the Covidsafe Industry Plan. You can find our privacy policy here.

Synod Apology to LGBTIQA+ people

(Sunday 23 June 2024)

The Rev’d Dr Peter Catt moved; The Rev’d Deborah Bird seconding:

That this Synod, noting Motion 18 Synod 2022 and in response to the same, offers the following apology to LGBTQIA+ people on behalf the Anglican Church Southern Queensland:

The Anglican Church Southern Queensland:

• Recognises and rejoices in the image of God as reflected in every human being, as expressed in people of every race, social circumstance, gender identity and sexual orientation.

• Acknowledges the pain felt by any sexuality-diverse and gender-diverse people who feel like second class citizens because they cannot marry in the Anglican Church of Australia.

• Apologises to sexuality-diverse and gender-diverse people for the times when:

  • 1. we have not accepted that you are who you are;

  • 2. we have denigrated you;

  • 3. we have unjustly excluded you from baptism, holy communion, holy unction and the community of the Anglican Church;

  • 4. we have supported the criminalisation of your sexuality;

  • 5. we have advocated for and/or condoned harmful practices forming part of what is known as ‘Conversion Therapy’;

  • 6. we have isolated you and subjected you to mistreatment;

  • 7. we have not spoken up to protect you from violence and exclusion.

• Apologises to the family members and friends of sexuality-diverse and gender-diverse people for the times when:

  • our treatment of your loved ones has hurt you;

  • we have failed to grieve or celebrate with you over the challenges and achievements of the ones you love;

  • we have silenced or mistreated you.

• Undertakes to:

  • pray together in humility;

  • affirm our common humanity as we walk together in following Jesus Christ in our Church;

  • recognise the diversity among us and the ministry of each person who volunteers and works in and for The Anglican Church Southern Queensland;

  • listen to you;

  • stand with you against injustice and marginalisation;

  • live into the expectations outlined in Faithfulness in Service and the Being Together document, endorsed by this Diocese, about how we relate to one another as equal members of the Body of Christ. 

Vision Statement:

We join together in our diversity to be God’s people in this time and place and to be a living and visible sign of God’s presence in the world.

Mission

The gospel is for everyone, so we accept this mission:

·       To gather and worship in ways which are relevant to our diverse community;

·       To minister through the Holy Spirit in ways that challenge community expectations and assumptions;

·       To offer blessing, and a path to wholeness and restoration to all people and all of creation; and

·       To embrace and engage with ideas and issues, within and beyond our church community.

How we developed the plan

We had two listening days during 2023 – in May online, in June in person. People were invited to make additional submissions. The results were on display at both centres for 2 weeks each. They were then discussed and synthesised by the Mission Action Plan (MAP) committee and priorities were presented to Parish Council for approval in August 2023. Each Centre endorsed the plan at their September meetings.

The four quadrants of the plan represent four phases

The axes represent implementation (doing the work), from simple to complex; and missional focus from outward (serving, attracting and growing the church, planting seeds), to inward (fellowship, discipleship and growing in faith, nurturing the plant to bear fruit). Simple to implement also means can be easily negotiated and resourced. Complex to implement means a higher level of negotiation and/or resources will be needed.

Quadrant 1: Ideas we want to progress as our first priority

We will start with the things we saw as simple to implement and outwardly focused in mission.

o   Engaging with the outside community

o   Baptism working group, then an ongoing team for baptisms

o   Internal communications review

o   Diversity banners and signage for both churches

o   Engaging children and young people

What happens next – progressing other ideas

In order of priority, we would then move to two, then three, then four. Nothing has been lost, but we have to prioritise into bite-sized chunks. If there’s something lower on the list of priorities that people would like to progress, some may take the initiative to implement after appropriate consultation and endorsement. There will be a regular review of our progress by the MAP committee and PC; and a report to the AGM. Things will change and evolve as we continually review the plan through the MAP committee. There will be a wider review around August-September 2024, at which stage we might formally add to or change our priorities, as we refocus and respond to emerging needs.

How you can help

If you’re part of our faith community, or want to get involved, you can speak to a member of the clergy or Parish Council about:

o   how we can learn and grow together

o   ways in which you can help, things you feel passionate about

o   areas and activities that interest you, but you don’t feel equipped to do or need some training in

please continue to pray for our parish and for God’s mission in our time and place.