CHURCH COUNCIL
ARTICLE X - STRUCTURE OF CHURCH COUNCIL
Section 1. Council Members
The Church Council shall consist of the following:
*Minister(s), Moderator, Vice-Moderator, Clerk, Treasurer, *Church Business Manager, team leader from each group and 3 members at large. (*non voting member)
Section 2. Meetings
The Church Council shall meet monthly, unless approved by the Church Council to meet more or less frequency. The dates of each year's meetings will be announced by the Moderator at the Annual Meeting. Congregation meetings may be called by the moderator, the Minister, or upon written request of a majority of the Council. Written notice of any special meeting and its purpose shall be given to the business office at least one week prior to the date of the meeting. All meetings of the Council should be open to any member of the church. Minutes of Church Council meetings are made available to all members in the church business office. The Moderator shall be the chairperson of the Church Council and preside at its meetings. The Vice Moderator shall preside in the absence of the moderator. The clerk shall serve as secretary at all meetings.
Section 3. Duties
It shall be the function of the Church Council to visualize the work of the church and to confer and consult with the Minister(s) as to the general direction of the church's activities and to cooperate with the Minister in the formulation of a well-rounded church program. The Council shall schedule special meetings for the purpose of long range planning, and serve as a means of communication among the various ministries as a whole. Vacancies occurring among any of the church officers (except that of Minister and Church Business Manager) shall be filled by appointment by the Church Council. Upon a vacancy in the Minister, the Church Council shall appoint a Search Team following church policy guidelines located in the church business office. The Church Council shall have the authority to appoint a team of individuals as may from time to time be necessary in order to carry out its duties. In addition, the Church Council shall have such other powers and duties as are set forth elsewhere in these bylaws.
Section 1. Church Council membership shall be for a term of two years. Persons may be re-elected for a second term, but then be ineligible for election for one year. Vacancies shall be filled until the next annual meeting by action of Council. The Church Council shall identify active teams and report the existence and actions of such teams to the congregation in the annual report.
Section 2. Teams – All teams shall be responsible for recruiting their members. Teams should consist of no more than twelve members with the exception of the Search Team, which shall consist of not less than seven or more than nine members. Teams meet as needed and follow team administrative guidelines, which shall be reviewed by the church council from time to time.
Section 3. Group Leader- The group leader is responsible for gathering and reporting to the church council the work of each team under their respective group. Group leaders are selected by the Church Council to serve one calendar year. In the absence of a group leader, a representative of said group may serve as representative at Church Council.
Section 1. Council Members
The Church Council shall consist of the following:
*Minister(s), Moderator, Vice-Moderator, Clerk, Treasurer, *Church Business Manager, team leader from each group and 3 members at large. (*non voting member)
Section 2. Meetings
The Church Council shall meet monthly, unless approved by the Church Council to meet more or less frequency. The dates of each year's meetings will be announced by the Moderator at the Annual Meeting. Congregation meetings may be called by the moderator, the Minister, or upon written request of a majority of the Council. Written notice of any special meeting and its purpose shall be given to the business office at least one week prior to the date of the meeting. All meetings of the Council should be open to any member of the church. Minutes of Church Council meetings are made available to all members in the church business office. The Moderator shall be the chairperson of the Church Council and preside at its meetings. The Vice Moderator shall preside in the absence of the moderator. The clerk shall serve as secretary at all meetings.
Section 3. Duties
It shall be the function of the Church Council to visualize the work of the church and to confer and consult with the Minister(s) as to the general direction of the church's activities and to cooperate with the Minister in the formulation of a well-rounded church program. The Council shall schedule special meetings for the purpose of long range planning, and serve as a means of communication among the various ministries as a whole. Vacancies occurring among any of the church officers (except that of Minister and Church Business Manager) shall be filled by appointment by the Church Council. Upon a vacancy in the Minister, the Church Council shall appoint a Search Team following church policy guidelines located in the church business office. The Church Council shall have the authority to appoint a team of individuals as may from time to time be necessary in order to carry out its duties. In addition, the Church Council shall have such other powers and duties as are set forth elsewhere in these bylaws.
Section 1. Church Council membership shall be for a term of two years. Persons may be re-elected for a second term, but then be ineligible for election for one year. Vacancies shall be filled until the next annual meeting by action of Council. The Church Council shall identify active teams and report the existence and actions of such teams to the congregation in the annual report.
Section 2. Teams – All teams shall be responsible for recruiting their members. Teams should consist of no more than twelve members with the exception of the Search Team, which shall consist of not less than seven or more than nine members. Teams meet as needed and follow team administrative guidelines, which shall be reviewed by the church council from time to time.
Section 3. Group Leader- The group leader is responsible for gathering and reporting to the church council the work of each team under their respective group. Group leaders are selected by the Church Council to serve one calendar year. In the absence of a group leader, a representative of said group may serve as representative at Church Council.
Pastoral relations team
The particular relationship between a pastor and congregants should be tended deliberately, so that the ministries of both pastor and congregation complement each other and further God’s grace in the world. As with any relationship, it must be respected and nurtured to grow in healthy and productive ways. For this reason, a Pastoral Relations Team exists in a congregation to advise, assist, and promote the growth of this vital relationship. The health of the relationship between the pastor and the congregation is not an end in itself but serves the ministry of the congregation as a whole.
Responsibilities of the team:
Works in a context of confidentiality, support, care, and honesty with the pastor, while promoting healthy communication in the congregation as a whole. A Pastoral Relations Team is an appropriate and confidential place for the pastor to test possible goals for the congregation’s life, to receive support for their professional development, to reflect on their overall well-being in ministry, to listen to feedback and strategize potential responses. This team also provides a means for the congregation to express its care for the pastor by advocating for appropriate compensation and encouraging times for relaxation, exercise, vacation, spiritual development, and personal relationships outside of the congregation. This team helps both the pastor and the congregation set and maintain appropriate expectations about the scope of work. A Pastoral Relations Team is not an appropriate place to circumvent church processes of decision-making, for team members to relay anonymous complaints, for individual members to lobby for or enact their own ambitions for church life, or to empanel an adversarial group opposed to the pastor’s leadership. Finally, while the Pastoral Relations Team encourages assessment of the shared ministry between the pastor and the congregation, they do not lead the process of pastoral evaluations.
Members of this team are nominated and selected by the Church Council in cooperation with the Minister.
Responsibilities of the team:
Works in a context of confidentiality, support, care, and honesty with the pastor, while promoting healthy communication in the congregation as a whole. A Pastoral Relations Team is an appropriate and confidential place for the pastor to test possible goals for the congregation’s life, to receive support for their professional development, to reflect on their overall well-being in ministry, to listen to feedback and strategize potential responses. This team also provides a means for the congregation to express its care for the pastor by advocating for appropriate compensation and encouraging times for relaxation, exercise, vacation, spiritual development, and personal relationships outside of the congregation. This team helps both the pastor and the congregation set and maintain appropriate expectations about the scope of work. A Pastoral Relations Team is not an appropriate place to circumvent church processes of decision-making, for team members to relay anonymous complaints, for individual members to lobby for or enact their own ambitions for church life, or to empanel an adversarial group opposed to the pastor’s leadership. Finally, while the Pastoral Relations Team encourages assessment of the shared ministry between the pastor and the congregation, they do not lead the process of pastoral evaluations.
Members of this team are nominated and selected by the Church Council in cooperation with the Minister.
