COMMITTEE IS NOT A FOUR LETTER WORD
Ephesians 4:11-12. And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.
Committees are important! It is where work can be planned and implemented and where new ideas and dreams can come into being. It is through the work of committees that most of the ministries of a church are accomplished. When members work together in committees not only is the work shared but the committees also become a means for building relationships and strengthening the body of Christ. It is in working in committees that people find a challenge to grow and an opportunity to learn about the responsibility of being a church member and being good stewards of our time and talents.
Committees are open to all interested parties. It is hoped that all members will be part of a committee or involved in some form of ministry in the life of the church. We will try and provide enough opportunities for various forms of service.
PERMANENT COMMITTEES OF THE CHURCH
Responsibilities of committee chairs:
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Set committee times and places; plan agenda; notify committee members; when appropriate, notify minister in advance that he is needed at a meeting.
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Preside at meetings.
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See to the election of a clerk to keep minutes at meetings, and that these minuets are reviewed at the next meeting.
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Assign someone to carry out each decision reached by the committee.
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Between meetings, check to see whether work is being done.
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Authorize spending of committee funds; keep spending within budget; consult with minister and Session before spending exceeds budget; formulate budget for coming year. Ordinarily, each committee has authority to allocate funds within its own budget.
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Report for each Session and Diaconate meeting.
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Meet regularly with minister to plan work of the committee.
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Serve on coordinating group or see that committee is represented.
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Minutes should be kept in an orderly manner and passed on to the next chair.
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The retiring chair and the incoming chair shall convene a meeting of the new and old committees to discuss how the past year and plans for the future.
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There shall be a training time each year to discuss committee work and ways to meet goals.
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Committees need to set goals, plan for their work and have evaluations of their efforts.
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Committee chairs are appointed by the Nominating Committee in conjunction with the pastor and clerk of Session.
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All work of the church comes under the direction of the Session. The Diaconate or other groups have delegated areas of responsibility and reporting.
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Terms of office shall be normally be for three years in rotating classes but longer terms are acceptable.
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Members shall be recruited from the entire church with a special emphasis on new and less active members who have interests in certain areas.
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The Time and Talent pledge card should be used to make sure people are contacted who wish to serve.
Membership:
Moderator of the Session, Chair of the Diaconate,
Session and Diaconate committee chairs, president of PAW or their
representatives
Functions:
- meet monthly to review and approve the
calendar of the church.
- coordinate all programs so that the
various committees and groups of the church
complement each other’s work.
Membership: chair from Diaconate, one from Session, and others from congregation and officers.
Functions:
- implement the congregational care
program.
- maintain update list of special care
people.
- recruit, train and assign care-givers.
- communicate information and prayer
requests to pastor or others as appropriate
regarding needs of members.
- establish and maintain contact with each
Sunday School class to gather information
about care needed among the people.
- meet with care-givers and Sunday School
contacts periodically to assess needs of the
congregation and to evaluate how needs are being met.
- to recruit members to be part of our visitation teams
Membership: chair from the board of deacons, at least two deacons, and other members as appropriate from the congregation.
Functions:
- plan and coordinate the church picnic,
beginning early enough to secure a site.
- provide logistical support for other committees, e.g., with dinners or refreshments to accompany programs.
- monitor and provide for the purchase of kitchen supplies, working through the office, from vendors such as Portsmouth Chesapeake Wholesale Paper, etc.
- plan and implement one other fellowship event in the course of the year. Generate and carry out other fellowship ideas.
- provide for coaches, equipment, schedules, etc. for the church athletic teams and oversee all team activities.
Membership: clerk of Session, chair of Diaconate, president of PW, chair of stewardship committee, chair of worship committee, and two at-large members.
Functions:
- serve as liaison between staff members
and the Session.
- advise the minister as he supervises the work of paid staff.
- recommend policies for staff.
- evaluate the work of all staff including the minister each year and make recommendations to the Session regarding salary and benefits.
- with the minister, hire and monitor support staff such as secretary and custodian.
Membership: chair from the Session, at least one elder, and other members of the congregation as appropriate.
Functions:
- authorize expenditures from the property
budget in order to maintain and replace
equipment.
- provide for the maintenance of all the
property of the church.
- recommend to the Session large purchases
or repairs which will require expenditures
beyond the approved budget.
- monitor the condition of church property,
especially the heating and cooling system.
- appoint a site manager who shall be
responsible for reporting on the condition of the
grounds, organizing volunteer work crews as necessary,
and recommending maintenance or improvements.
This person will consult with the custodian and the
minister regularly.
- to establish and give oversight to a
“Decorating Committee.”
Membership: chair from the board of deacons, at least two deacons, one elder, and other members as appropriate from the congregation.
Functions:
- plan and implement programs to relieve
human need and establish justice in the
community.
- administer Operation Attack food closet
and funds with appropriate records, account-
ability, interpretation, policies, etc.
- enlist and prepare volunteers for Meals
on Wheels.
- maintain liaison with PARC and PARC Place
by sending representatives to meetings
and participating according to agreed upon guidelines.
- administer Five-Cents-a-Meal program.
- coordinate Homeless Shelter activities.
Membership: chair from the Session, at least two elders, and other members as appropriate from the congregation and Diaconate.
Functions:
- recommend to Session those members to be
restored to the active roll, those retired to
inactive roll, and those to be removed from roll.
- help members find ways to express their
commitment to Christ and use their talents in his church.
- assimilate new members into the life of
the congregation.
- interpret stewardship to the congregation
throughout the year and secure pledges of
financial support for the budget of the church.
- lead budget planning for the coming year.
- keep congregation informed of the state
of the church finances, using newsletter,
bulletin, etc.
- appoint an elder and a deacon to consult
with the treasurer each month in order to
review treasurer’s report with Session and Diaconate
respectively.
- coordinate the work of the Endowment
Committee and report its work to the Session.
Functions:
- to
set the budget in consultation with committees
- to set goals for the future
New Member assimilation
Reactivation of inactive members
Membership: church treasurer and four members appointed by the Session with staggered terms. The chair is appointed annually by the Session.
Functions:
- provide investment policy and oversight
for the endowment fund of the church,
reporting periodically to the Session through the
stewardship committee.
- at the inception of each church fiscal
year, proposes to the Session the amount of endowment fund
income to be made available for expenditure that year.
- at direction of the Session, expend
endowment funds upon signature of two of the
following:
church treasurer, minister, a designated church member.
- encourage gifts by interpreting the
nature and purpose of the fund to the congregation on
a regular basis.
Membership: chair from the Session, at least two elders, and other members as appropriate from the congregation and Diaconate.
Functions:
- recommend to the Session the educational
goals of the church school and the program to
carry out those goals, including
(a) nominate to Session a superintendent and teachers
(b) recommend to Session overall policies with regard to special
programs, personnel, curriculum, space utilization and
maintenance
(c) select and purchase curriculum
(d) purchase and maintain equipment
(e) maintain records including staff, rolls,
attendance,
etc.
(F) serve as liaison between Session and church school staff,
officers, and pupils.
- plan and oversee Vacation Bible School.
- plan and carry out other programs for the
education and nurture of the congregation,
e.g., Festival of Learning, interpretation of Lent and
Advent.
- oversee the youth ministry of the church,
including youth representatives to presbytery and recruitment
for Makemie Woods.
- develop effective leadership for the
congregation’s work.
- welcome newborns with a visit and gift
from the church.
Membership: chair from the board of deacons.
Functions:
- to insure that the ushering and greeting
program of the church operates effectively; and
that offerings are deposited and accounted for accurately
each week.
- appoint head ushers and ushering teams
for the year, August - July.
- appoint a financial secretary and money
counters for each month.
- prepare and distribute a list of ushers,
financial secretaries, and money counters for each
month of the year with instructions for each task.
- contact each head usher prior to their
month of duty to insure that an adequate number
of ushers is available; assist in lining up substitutes
as necessary.
- contact each financial secretary prior to
their month of duty.
- consult with minister and church
treasurer regularly to insure that adequate records are
being kept and to communicate ushers’ concerns.
Membership: chair from the Session, at least two elders, and other members as appropriate from the congregation and Diaconate.
Functions:
- publicize the programs and ministry of
the church to non-members.
- interpret to the congregation the
international mission of the church, especially of our
denomination.
- interpret special offerings such as
Witness Season and One Great Hour of Sharing.
- publish a regular newsletter for members
and friends of the church.
Membership: chair from the Session, at least two elders, and other members of the congregation as appropriate.
Functions:
- prepare elements for communion services.
- enlist and prepare elders to serve
communion at regular worship services and to shut-ins.
- coordinate work of choir director and
organist with worship needs of congregation.
- secure worship leadership when minister
is absent.
- recommend policies to the Session for
weddings and funerals.
- plan worship services with the minister,
including Christmas Eve, Maundy Thursday, and Thanksgiving.
- make recommendations to the Session
concerning sanctuary furnishings and equipment.
- inspect the sanctuary each Sunday.
