Annual Church Return (ACR)
Every year, church secretaries are asked to return a form with updated details, such as current membership numbers and contact information for church officers.
Authorised to Preside
Ministers, Church Related Community Workers and Authorised Elders are ‘authorised to preside’, or to celebrate, the sacraments of baptism and communion.
Big Day Out (BDO)
The Big Day Out is a gathering for everyone in the Synod, held every other year at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells.
Calling
A ‘calling’ refers to how an individual may express their service to God. It is also the term used when a church seeks to appoint a new minister.
Children’s and Youth Development Officer (CYDO)
The Children’s and Youth Development Officer supports churches in the Synod in their work with children and young people.
Church House
Church House is the denominational headquarters of the URC in London.
Church Related Community Worker (CRCW)
A Church Related Community Worker is a community developer who enables a church to work within its local neighbourhood. CRCWs are equal colleagues with Ministers of Word and Sacraments.
Concurrence
For certain projects, particularly relating to buildings, churches need to seek concurrence or agreement from Synod through the Finance and Property Board.
Councils of the Church
The Councils of the Church constitute the structure of the URC, from Church Meetings and Elders Meetings to Synod Meetings and General Assembly.
The Covenant and Covenanted Churches
In 1975, five denominations in Wales signed a Covenant to commit to working more closely together. The Covenanted Churches are the Committee of the Covenanted Baptist Churches in Wales, the Church in Wales, the Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church of Wales and the United Reformed Church.
Cytûn
Cytûn: Churches Together in Wales is the council that brings together different Christian denominations in Wales.
Deployment
Deployment refers to the placing of Ministers across the Synod.
Eco Church
Eco Church is an initiative by A Rocha UK that aims to help churches become more environmentally-friendly.
Ecumenical
‘Ecumenical’ refers to partnerships between different Christian denominations.
Finance and Property Board (FPB)
The Finance and Property Board is a Synod committee that meets jointly with the Directors of the URC (Wales) Trust Co Ltd on a quarterly basis.
General Assembly
The General Assembly meets annually to celebrate, discuss, worship and make decisions about the life and work of the URC. It is the church’s highest decision-making body.
Local Ecumenical Partnership (LEP)
A Local Ecumenical Partnership is where more than one Christian denomination is working together under a formal agreement. In Wales, we have LEPs with the Church in Wales, the Methodists, the Baptists, the Presbyterian Church of Wales and the Union of Welsh Independents.
Ministry and Mission Fund (M&M Fund)
The Ministry and Mission Fund provides the financial resources to support the work of the URC, through contributing to the costs of Ministers, CRCWs, Synod Team and Church House. Churches are invited to contribute to the fund according to a formula agreed by Synod Meeting.
Mission and Discipleship Board (MDB)
The Mission and Discipleship Board meets quarterly to support local churches in their mission to the wider community and in the discipleship of members and attenders.
Moderator
The Moderator is the head of the Synod. With a range of responsibilities across the Synod and the wider church, the Moderator’s priorities are the pastoral care of ministers and the encouragement and support of churches.
National Synod of Wales
One of thirteen Synods that constitute the URC in the UK.
Quinquennial
‘Quinquennial’ means every five years. It usually refers to an architect’s inspection of a listed building, which is recommended to take place every five years.
Regional Pastoral Committee (RPC)
The Regional Pastoral Committees are regional meetings of Ministers and church representatives that report to the Synod Pastoral Committee.
Risk Assessment
Risk assessments enable assessors to:
1. identify what could cause injury or illness (hazards) in a given activity or setting;
2. decide how likely it is that someone could be harmed and how seriously (the risk);
3. take action to eliminate the hazard, or if this isn’t possible, control the risk.
Safeguarding
Safeguarding involves keeping children, young people and ‘adults at risk’ safe from harm, abuse or neglect.
Synod
The grouping of churches in a geographic region.
Synod Meeting
A meeting held twice year bringing together ministers, Synod Representatives from individual churches, Synod Team members and ecumenical guests to discuss Synod matters.
Synod Pastoral Committee (SPC)
The Synod Pastoral Committee supports the ministry of churches in partnership with the Regional Pastoral Committees.
Synod Team
The Synod Team is based at the Synod Office in Cardiff. The team comprises: Moderator, Clerk, Treasurer, Administration Officer, Children’s & Youth Development Officer, Finance Assistant, Moderator’s PA and Office Manager, Officer for Ecumenical & Inter Faith Relations, Property Officer, Safeguarding Officer, and Training & Development Officer.
The URC Acts
The United Reformed Church Acts of 1972, 1981 and 2000 form the legislative foundation of the URC.
URC (Wales) Trust Co Ltd
The United Reformed Church (Wales) Trust Company Limited is a registered charity and a registered company. It is the legally-recognised body that acts to facilitate the objectives of the National Synod of Wales.