Ministers Desk 3rd November 2013

On Sunday 27 October we held our congregational meeting.  At this meeting we approved the new Church Council structures.  Under the new structures we will have one Church Council that will be responsible for spiritual oversight.  The ministry of spiritual oversight comes from the New Testament and involves ensuring that our congregation remains true to the mission of God and our purpose and core values.  The Church Council will look to the future to discern God’s ongoing direction.  The Church Council will consist of the Ministers in placement and a Chair, Secretary and Treasurer elected to those roles by the congregation and between 5 and 7 elders, also directly elected by the congregation.  There will also be a Ministry Coordination Team that will consist of Team Leaders appointed by the Church Council.  The Ministry Coordination Team will coordinate daily management of the church and its activities.  These Team Leaders will also lead their own teams who have responsibility for various aspects of our congregation’s life and ministry.

 

These new arrangements will come into operation in April next year.  In the coming months the existing Church Council will develop role descriptions for the members of Church Council that outline the personal and spiritual characteristics (including spiritual gifts), responsibilities and expectations.  When these are prepared they will be shared with the congregation to help us discern the people to nominate and vote for and to encourage us in accepting nomination to the role of elder.  During February and March 2014 there will be a time of discernment and nomination and reflection as we work together to listen and respond to the Spirit in making decisions about the membership of the Church Council.

 

The Church Council and Ministry Coordination team will also make it a regular part of their work to consider issues of communication.  However, as I have shared before, communication is a two way process.  It involves members of the congregation seeking out information, asking questions, ensuring that they understand the information that is being shared and providing feedback.

 

Last weekend was our Thanksgiving Sunday.  Thank you to those who have responded with their thanksgiving offerings.  Up until Wednesday of this week (when I wrote this) we had received $11,100.  This is a fantastic effort.  We are well on our way to matching the $17,745 that we received last year.  It is still not too late to bring in your offering.  You can either place it in the offering bag or make a direct debit.  Either way, make sure you identify that it is a thanksgiving offering.

 

Thank you also to those who have returned your tithe or offering pledge forms for the coming year.  These are an important way in which our Church Council can be good financial stewards when it comes to putting our budget together.  Returning them also honours our Treasurer by making his job easier to compile the budget.  The form is helpful even if you are not changing your financial pledge.

 

I’ve written about some fairly mundane matters today.  Think on the ways we approach these matters and the way we acknowledge Christ as head of his church and express his kingdom in the way we treat each other.

 

Grace and peace

David Fender