Organization
Overview
While Imago Christi is formally a ministry team within Church Resource Ministries (CRM), its foundational organization and functional nature is relational and organic rather than task driven. The lifestyle of the team is that of a covenant community, like an order whose life together is the force out of which ministry emerges. Core members of Imago Christi are staff members of CRM, located in various countries around the world. We minister together in various events, retreats, and seminars and we minister separately in our specific locations. In several of our locations, new affiliate spiritual formation communities have arisen.
Internal Structure
There are two convictions that guide the formation and structure of Imago Christi organization:
Spiritual formation occurs most powerfully in the midst of committed community relationships centered on God. We therefore need a "core covenant" dimension of the team and of its leadership.
For spiritual formation development to be of use to the Church in our global society, it is best approached cross-culturally and internationally. Therefore a "missional" dimension of involvement allows for a wider participation in the community, through Imago Christi Partners. Our Core Community is connected through our common role in CRM staff in Imago Christi, and our Partners meet and work with our community on a more informal basis.
Leadership Triad
Leadership of Imago Christi is provided through a "leadership triad" which includes the CRM Team Leader and two other members of the Imago Christi Core Community. This triad works together to provide organization and leadership for the Imago Christi ministry and facilitate the leadership process within the Core Community. The Team Leader maintains the accountability link within the CRM organization.
Core Covenant Members
Our mutual responsibility is described in
the Core Covenant, to which we all ascribe and commit ourselves to God and each
other. We renew that commitment annually.
This Covenant represents our pledge to God and one another to mutually support
our First Order Calling to love God in deepening intimacy, and our Second Order
Calling to encourage and facilitate the spiritual formation of the Church and
its leaders. This Core Covenant can only be changed through the consensus of
the whole Core Community.
Novitiate Members
Membership in the Core Community is entered through
a one-year novitiate, during which a person has the opportunity, together with
the community, to “discern” their calling to spiritual formation ministry through
participation in the community, practice of the Covenant, participation in
projects, and other core formational activities. The community also has the
opportunity to “discern” God’s call, and then potentially to invite that person
into the Core Covenant, Readiness to covenant as a member of the Core Community
will be determined by the person in the novitiate and the Leadership Triad.
Partners
Imago Christi provides an opportunity for participation in its life and ministry
through an extension of the Core Community. An Imago Christi Partner
relationship is established for those who share our First and Second Order
callings, whose passion and ministry direction coincide with Imago Christi’s vision, values, and/or
covenant, but who’s calling and commitments do not allow full participation or
involvement in the Core Covenant Community. These Imago Christi Partners
participate in an extension of the Core Community, by attending open Core
Gatherings, and participating in or supporting Imago Christi ministry. The Partner relationship is guided by the Imago Christi Partner Covenant which
like the Core Covenant of the Core Members must be renewed annually. Each
Partner’s ministry relationship with Imago
Christi is defined by a Role Description which is updated annually. As part of the Partner Community, individual
Partners are responsible to the leadership relationships in the Core Community
as they pertain to a Partner’s interaction in the Imago Christi community.