📝 Worksheet 3.4: Complete Your Christian Affiliation Map

Worksheet 3.4: Complete Your Christian Affiliation Map

Purpose

Christian Leaders Alliance recognises that a Christian leader may have one, two, or several Christian affiliations.

You may be:

• Active in a local church while holding a Christian Leaders Alliance credential

• Connected to a parish, congregation, fellowship, house church, or Christian community

• Serving with several Christian ministries

• Recognised for one role by CLA and another role by a local church

• Beginning a ministry while seeking stronger local Christian relationships

• Without a current church or fellowship

• Exploring Christian Leaders Alliance as your primary formal religious body

This worksheet will help you describe these relationships accurately.

The goal is not to collect impressive titles. The goal is to establish honest affiliation, healthy accountability, clear permission, credible ministry standing, and faithful cooperation within the body of Christ.

Part 1: Your Christian Identity

Participant Name

Country

City or Region

Primary Language

In a few sentences, describe your Christian faith and calling.

Which statement best describes your present situation?

☐ I am active in a local church, parish, congregation, or fellowship.

☐ I attend a Christian community but do not yet have a formal role.

☐ I am connected to more than one Christian church or ministry.

☐ I am between churches or searching for a healthy fellowship.

☐ I have experienced church hurt and am rebuilding Christian relationships.

☐ I recently moved and have not yet found a local fellowship.

☐ I live where few churches are available.

☐ Language or accessibility barriers limit my participation.

☐ My ministry is primarily relational, online, or independent.

☐ Christian Leaders Alliance is currently my main formal religious body.

☐ I am considering whether CLA should become my primary religious body.

☐ Other: _________________________________________________

Part 2: Your Current Church or Fellowship

Complete this section for the Christian community with which you are most closely connected.

Name of Church, Parish, Congregation, or Fellowship

Location

Christian Tradition or Denomination

☐ Catholic
☐ Orthodox
☐ Anglican
☐ Lutheran
☐ Reformed
☐ Methodist
☐ Baptist
☐ Pentecostal
☐ Evangelical
☐ Independent
☐ Non-denominational
☐ House church
☐ Christian fellowship
☐ Other: _________________________________________________

How long have you been connected?

Describe your present involvement.

☐ Regular worship attendance
☐ Member
☐ Volunteer
☐ Small-group participant
☐ Small-group leader
☐ Teacher
☐ Elder
☐ Deacon
☐ Pastor or minister
☐ Chaplain
☐ Christian life coach
☐ Officiant
☐ Prayer leader
☐ Online participant
☐ Other: _________________________________________________

Name and Role of a Recognised Local Leader

How would you describe your relationship with this leader?

☐ Strong and supportive
☐ Positive but limited
☐ Developing
☐ Formal but not personal
☐ Uncertain
☐ Strained
☐ No present relationship
☐ Other: _________________________________________________

Does this leader know about your ministry calling?

☐ Yes
☐ No
☐ Partly
☐ I am unsure

Does this leader know about your connection with Christian Leaders Institute or Christian Leaders Alliance?

☐ Yes
☐ No
☐ Partly
☐ I have not yet discussed it

What support have you received from this Christian community?

What ministry opportunities have you received?

What concerns, limitations, or unanswered questions exist?

Part 3: Additional Christian Affiliations

List any other churches, ministries, fellowships, networks, denominations, charities, or Christian organisations with which you are connected.

Which of these relationships are formal?

Which are informal or relational?

Which organisations have granted you a title, role, appointment, or credential?

Which organisations have not granted you any formal authority?

Are any affiliations difficult to explain together?

☐ Yes
☐ No
☐ Unsure

If yes, explain.

Part 4: Your Christian Leaders Institute Connection

Are you enrolled with Christian Leaders Institute?

☐ Yes
☐ No
☐ Planning to enrol

Training Completed or in Progress

List the most relevant courses or programmes.

How has CLI training strengthened your ministry calling?

Which areas require further preparation?

☐ Biblical knowledge
☐ Christian theology
☐ Coaching skills
☐ Chaplaincy skills
☐ Officiant skills
☐ Pastoral care
☐ Leadership
☐ Safeguarding
☐ Ministry ethics
☐ Local legal understanding
☐ Soul Centre preparation
☐ Other: _________________________________________________

Part 5: Your Christian Leaders Alliance Connection

Current CLA Status

☐ Not yet connected to CLA
☐ Exploring a CLA pathway
☐ Completing endorsement requirements
☐ Credential candidate
☐ Credentialed CLA minister
☐ CLA minister in good standing
☐ CLA Soul Centre leader
☐ Other: _________________________________________________

Current CLA Credential or Role

☐ Soul Coach Ordination Credential
☐ Ordained Christian Life Coach Credential
☐ Life Coach Minister
☐ Life Coach Chaplain
☐ Wedding Officiant
☐ Funeral Officiant
☐ Field or Lay Minister
☐ Licensed Minister
☐ Ordained Minister
☐ Minister of the Word
☐ Licensed Chaplain
☐ Community or Ministry Chaplain
☐ Other: _________________________________________________
☐ No credential yet

Date Credentialed or Expected Completion Date

Is your name publicly listed in the CLA directory?

☐ Yes
☐ No
☐ Not yet
☐ Unsure

Are you currently in good standing?

☐ Yes
☐ No
☐ Pending
☐ Unsure

Who provided or may provide your endorsement?

Describe the relationship.

Who participated or may participate in your commissioning?

How do you describe the meaning of your CLA credential?

Complete this statement:

Christian Leaders Alliance recognises me as a ____________________________ for the purpose of _________________________________________________.

What does your CLA credential not mean?

Complete this statement:

My CLA credential does not mean that _________________________________ has ordained, appointed, employed, endorsed, or authorised me unless that body has separately done so.

Part 6: Dual or Multiple Christian Affiliations

Christian Leaders Alliance recognises that a person may be connected to more than one Christian body.

Do you presently have dual or multiple affiliations?

☐ Yes
☐ No
☐ Possibly
☐ I need guidance

Identify each affiliation and what it means.

Are all affiliations represented honestly?

☐ Yes
☐ No
☐ Needs clarification

Does each organisation understand your involvement with the others?

☐ Yes
☐ No
☐ Partly
☐ Not applicable
☐ I need to discuss this

Does your local church or denomination have a policy concerning outside credentials or multiple affiliations?

☐ Yes
☐ No
☐ Unsure

Describe what you know.

Could one affiliation create confusion about another?

☐ Yes
☐ No
☐ Unsure

Explain.

Which title should you use in each setting?

Part 7: Remaining Faithful in Your Local Church

Christian Leaders Alliance encourages participants to remain active in a healthy local church, parish, congregation, fellowship, or Christian community when they have one.

What do you value about your current church relationship?

How could CLA training strengthen your service there?

How could your Soul Centre or coaching ministry support the church?

What should you avoid doing?

☐ Recruiting members away from the church
☐ Suggesting CLA has replaced local church leadership
☐ Using church facilities without permission
☐ Publicly implying church endorsement without approval
☐ Exercising a ministry role that has not been granted
☐ Creating unnecessary competition
☐ Criticising leaders to gain followers
☐ Other: _________________________________________________

What conversation should you have with a local pastor, priest, elder, or leader?

What would respectful cooperation look like?

Part 8: When CLA May Be Your Primary Religious Body

Some participants do not currently have a church or fellowship. In these circumstances, Christian Leaders Alliance may become their primary or only formal religious body.

Is CLA presently your primary formal religious body?

☐ Yes
☐ No
☐ Possibly in the future
☐ Unsure

Why do you not currently have another church or fellowship?

☐ Few churches are available
☐ Language barriers
☐ Disability or accessibility barriers
☐ Recent relocation
☐ Former congregation closed
☐ Recovery from church hurt
☐ Online or relational ministry setting
☐ Beginning a new Christian fellowship
☐ No church is prepared to recognise my calling
☐ Personal circumstances
☐ Other: _________________________________________________

What healthy Christian relationships do you currently have?

Who provides spiritual encouragement?

Who can challenge or correct you?

Who prays with you?

Who can confirm your character and ministry calling?

What local Christian relationships should you pursue?

How will you avoid isolation?

☐ Regular Christian worship
☐ Prayer partnerships
☐ Local pastoral relationships
☐ CLI or CLA community participation
☐ Christian fellowship gatherings
☐ Ministry team accountability
☐ Annual review
☐ Spiritual mentoring
☐ Other: _________________________________________________

Describe your plan for developing healthy Christian fellowship.

Part 9: Local Endorsement and Good Standing

Study and credentials should be joined with relational confirmation and public accountability.

Who knows you well enough to speak about your Christian character?

Who can confirm your ministry calling?

Who can confirm your ministry competence?

Who can speak about your conduct and reputation?

Are there unresolved matters that could affect your good standing?

☐ No known concerns
☐ Relational conflict
☐ Church discipline
☐ Criminal or legal concern
☐ Financial misconduct concern
☐ Safeguarding concern
☐ Misrepresentation of credentials
☐ Unresolved complaint
☐ Other: _________________________________________________

Describe only what is appropriate and necessary.

What responsible action is needed?

Part 10: Your Commissioning Relationships

Christian Leaders Alliance ordination is study-based, endorsement-supported, locally commissioned, and role-based.

Have you participated in a public commissioning service?

☐ Yes
☐ No
☐ Planned
☐ Unsure what is required

Date and Location

People or Organisations Participating

What ministry role was publicly recognised?

Was prayer offered over your calling and ministry?

☐ Yes
☐ No
☐ Planned

Was your local church involved?

☐ Yes
☐ No
☐ Partly
☐ Not applicable

If your local church was not involved, who represented your local Christian community?

Who will continue to provide accountability after commissioning?

If commissioning is still needed, describe your proposed plan.

Part 11: Permission and Authority Map

Religious recognition does not automatically provide permission to minister in every church, institution, or civil setting.

Complete the following map.

Which activities are clearly authorised?

Which activities require additional permission?

Which activities should you not presently perform?

What laws, policies, or denominational rules must be researched?

Part 12: Honest Public Description

Write a public description that accurately represents your affiliations.

Your Current Draft

I am a _____________________________________________________
recognised by ______________________________________________
and connected to ___________________________________________.
I serve through _____________________________________________
for the purpose of __________________________________________.
My role does not imply recognition or authority from __________
unless that body has separately granted it.

Short Website Version

Directory or Biography Version

Spoken Introduction

Which claims must you avoid?

☐ Saying another denomination ordained me when it did not
☐ Claiming automatic institutional chaplaincy authority
☐ Claiming civil authority without legal confirmation
☐ Implying church endorsement without permission
☐ Using a title that has a different protected meaning locally
☐ Presenting CLA as part of another denomination
☐ Describing informal relationships as formal partnerships
☐ Other: _________________________________________________

Part 13: Affiliation Communication Plan

Identify the conversations needed to prevent confusion.

Conversation with Local Church Leadership

What do you need to explain?

What permission or understanding are you seeking?

What concerns might the leader raise?

How will you respond respectfully?

Conversation with Christian Leaders Alliance

What needs clarification?

What documentation may be required?

Conversation with Ministry Partners

What affiliations, boundaries, or responsibilities should be explained?

Part 14: Areas Needing Clarification

Place a tick beside every matter requiring further attention.

☐ Meaning of my CLA credential
☐ Local church policy on outside credentials
☐ Use of the title minister
☐ Use of the title pastor
☐ Use of the title chaplain
☐ Use of the title Christian life coach
☐ Denominational permission
☐ Wedding authority
☐ Funeral ministry
☐ Sacramental responsibilities
☐ Institutional chaplaincy access
☐ Public directory description
☐ Soul Centre affiliation
☐ Public commissioning
☐ Good-standing requirements
☐ Endorsement relationship
☐ Safeguarding requirements
☐ Background checks
☐ Insurance
☐ National legal recognition
☐ Charity or nonprofit status
☐ Data protection
☐ Other: _________________________________________________

List the three most important questions.

Who can help answer each question?

Part 15: Christian Affiliation Map

Use this section to summarise the relationships surrounding your ministry.

Jesus Christ

How will you keep Jesus Christ at the centre of every affiliation?

Local Church or Fellowship

Name:

Nature of relationship:

Christian Leaders Institute

Training relationship:

Christian Leaders Alliance

Credential or intended pathway:

Local Recommenders

Names or roles:

Commissioning Community

People or organisation:

Soul Centre

Current or proposed relationship:

Partner Ministries

Professional or Institutional Relationships

National or European CLA Network

Part 16: Relationship Health Review

Rate each statement from 1 to 5.

1 = Not yet true
5 = Clearly true

Which ratings are strongest?

Which ratings require attention?

What action will improve them?

Part 17: Thirty-Day Clarification Plan

Week 1: Review

I will review:

☐ My CLA credential description
☐ My church relationship
☐ My public biography
☐ My ministry titles
☐ My current permissions
☐ My endorsement status

Action:

Week 2: Conversations

I will speak with:

Purpose:

Week 3: Corrections

I will correct or clarify:

Week 4: Confirmation

I will confirm:

☐ Good standing
☐ Endorsement
☐ Commissioning relationship
☐ Local church understanding
☐ Ministry permissions
☐ Public affiliation statement
☐ Appropriate accountability

Part 18: Final Christian Affiliation Summary

Complete each statement.

My primary Christian affiliation is:

My additional Christian affiliations are:

Christian Leaders Alliance recognises me or may recognise me as:

My local church or fellowship recognises me as:

My commissioning community is:

My trusted recommenders are:

The ministry activities I am authorised to perform are:

The ministry activities requiring further permission are:

The areas I still need to clarify are:

My honest public description is:

Final Commitment

Read and affirm each statement.

☐ I will represent every Christian affiliation honestly.

☐ I will not claim recognition from a church or denomination that has not granted it.

☐ I will honour my local church, parish, congregation, fellowship, or Christian community.

☐ I will clearly distinguish CLA recognition from denominational, civil, and institutional authority.

☐ I will seek appropriate permission before exercising ministry within a church or institution.

☐ I will remain accountable to trusted Christian leaders.

☐ I will pursue public commissioning and local confirmation.

☐ I will maintain good standing.

☐ I will avoid using titles that mislead the public.

☐ I will welcome dual or multiple Christian affiliations where they can be represented truthfully.

☐ I will respect the right of each church or denomination to determine its own policies.

☐ If CLA is my primary religious body, I will still pursue healthy Christian relationships and local fellowship.

☐ I will seek cooperation rather than unnecessary competition.

☐ I will serve under the Lordship of Jesus Christ with humility, truth, and love.

Participant Name

Signature

Date

Trusted Leader or Reviewer

Reviewer’s Relationship to Participant