Within the church we believe that everyone should be enabled to flourish, to become the people whom God created them to be. Promoting positive working relationships is a key part of enabling individuals and communities to flourish.
Starting from a distinctively Christian standpoint creates an opportunity for individuals associated with the Church to behave in a manner which models the very highest standards of human interaction and relationships. On an everyday basis high standards of behaviour require attention to how individuals communicate with each other, how people are treated, how information is managed and shared and how difference is understood and embraced.[1]
Positive Working Together encourages us to reflect on the importance of the way in which we engage and interact with each other within the life of the church and the wider community.
A key focus of the work is to provide a range of resources that enable leaders, lay and ordained, to be more resilient and better equipped in engaging with and responding positively to situations of transition, change and conflict, and preventing bullying and harassment so that we can model positive working together in the life of the church and wider community.
Positive Working Together is the job of everybody in the Church and the resources found on these pages aim to help everybody play their part.
Shared Commitments
Positive Working Together establishes ‘shared commitments’ to how we behave together, as Methodists, in the lives of our churches.
Positive Working Together means we commit to:
- treating every person fairly, equally and with dignity and respect
- listening carefully to each other
- speaking and acting respectfully at all times
- being courteous in all communication
- encouraging openness and honesty
- never using verbal or physical intimidation
- relating positively with one another even when we disagree
See Shared Commitments for further information and resources for use in your local church.
The Positive Working Together Guidelines provide information for people who feel they are experiencing bullying or harassment.
The Guidelines may also be useful for those who have been accused of behaving in this way. The intention is to provide help with the informal resolution of these issues, recognising that in some cases it is appropriate to seek to resolve these matters formally through appropriate Church procedures.
Also available is a summary document: Positive Working Together - A Short Guide
[1] Taken from Positive Working Together – A Short Guide, p4