Lunenburg United Methodist Charge
Antioch UMC
Williams UMC
On our walk. . . . .
January 13, 2009
As
we begin the new year it is time to realize that our
churches are going to go through some changes as we move forward with the
programs of the Church. We will be
undertaking such programs as the Five Practices of a Fruitful Congregation,
becoming part of the Conference program “All Things New,” and developing
programs to grow our facilities and our congregations. With that in mind I thought it would be a
good time to let everybody know who the leaders of the church are and the responsibilities
of the committees that will lead us this year.
This is your church and we can only be successful with your
participation in the programs that are being considered. Your membership vows in the church state that
“you will be loyal to the United Methodist
Church, and do all in your
power to strengthen its ministries.
(You) will faithfully participate in its ministries by your prayers,
your presence, your gifts, and your service.” Are you ready to move forward? Are you ready
to be the church you can be? Are you
ready to accept the least of us as we grow and reach out to not only a
community but a world in definite need of Jesus Christ? Are you committed?
We
need to be committed. Like those football,
basketball, or NASCAR fans who are committed to their team or driver, we need
to have that same commitment to our God and His Son. We must unabashedly resolve this year to be
committed totally, joyfully, unreservedly, to the kingdom and grace of
God. This year let us, through our
missions, service, evangelism, hospitality, joyous and inspiring worship,
proclaim the beloved children of God. In
other word, let us be “loud and proud, large and in charge’ as the community of
grace, the body of Christ in this place. Let
us be committed!
Have a blessed week
Rev. Ed
Leadership Committees & Their Resposibilities
Administrative Board
The
Primary Task of the Administrative Board is to: (1) carry out the business of
the charge conference; (2) help the congregation articulate its vision; (3)
oversee planning of the congregation, (4) develop systems that assure people
are received into fellowship, guided and encouraged in their spiritual
transformation and growth, and supported as they live out their lives as
Christian disciples .
Responsibilities
of the Administrative Board
The Administrative Board is the primary
decision-making, evaluating, and forward-looking body of the church. They support ministry and oversee
administration through meetings held monthly. Some of the specific duties and
responsibilities of the Administrative Board follow:
1. Be
accountable to and serve as the executive agency of the charge conference,
overseeing the administration and organization for ministry of the
congregation. 2. Provide for effective
pastoral and lay leadership for the mission and ministry of the congregation; 3. Provide for
financial support, physical facilities and the legal obligations of the
congregation and to recommend to the charge conference the compensation,
housing needs and benefits for pastors and other paid staff; 4. Provide for the connectional
responsibilities of the congregation; to see that the congregation's relations
to appropriate annual conference and district programs and structures are
maintained; 5. Constantly monitor the
current reality of the congregation: that is, have a
continuous awareness of the concerns, hopes, and needs of the community
(including the congregation) and an understanding of how the congregation may
address those concerns and needs. This
will involve knowing the demographic facts of both congregation and community
and understanding what the congregation's standing in the community is. 6 See that the congregation (a) has a shared
vision that is clearly understood and supported by its members and (b) sets
goals which are consistent with the mission of the church and that move the
congregation toward its vision. 7. See
to the congregation's involvement in ministries of nurture, outreach, and
witness to the development of leadership and to the evaluation of the
congregation's 'discipleship in these areas of ministry. 8. Promote organizational learning in the
congregation. 9. Encourage and support
an inclusive and ecumenical spirit within the congregation.
Who is on this Year's
Board?
ANTIOCH: Pastor- Ed
DiStefano, Lay Leader- Wayne Hendricks, Chair- Tommy Barnes, Assistant Chair-
Tommy Conners, Trustees- Frank Bacon, Finance- Earl Callis, Sunday School – Walt Moseley, PPR- Mary Ann Cundiff, UMW- Nannie Sue Dawson,
Family Min- Diane Overby, Missions Brenda Barnes,
Evangelism – Betsey Hendricks
WILLIAMS: Pastor – Ed DiStefano, Lay Leader – Sammy
Reese, Chair – Charles Turner, Truustee – Charles
Turner, Finance – Ida Bowen, Sunday School – Sammy Reese, PPR – Barbara Reese,
Worship – Sam Armstrong
The Board of Trustees
What Is The Job Of A
Trustee? They supervise and maintain all
property belonging to the congregation so that the ministries of the
congregation can be effective. They will
work closely with the Administrative Board to respond to God's call.
What Are Their Basic
Responsibilities? 1. To oversee, maintain, and supervise all
local church property;
2. To report annually to
the charge conference on the state of the church's property, equipment,
investments, and resources;
3. To receive and
administer all gifts made to the congregation; 4.
To make certain that all trust funds of the congregation are invested
properly; 5. To be responsible, in conjunction with the
pastor, for all use of the church buildings and grounds; 6.
To maintain adequate insurance coverage on all church property and to
develop appropriate risk-management policies; 7.
To submit to the committee on finance annual budget requests for
insurance, property maintenance and improvement, and new property purchases; 8. To be accountable to the
charge conference and to the administrative council.
Important Ongoing
Responsibilities
1. Conduct an annual
inventory of all real property; 2. Inspect and inventory all equipment
and set up a maintenance schedule; 3. Set up a schedule for painting and
redecorating; 4.
Consider the merits of service contracts on large equipment such as air
conditioners, refrigerators, heating systems, typewriters, copiers, computers,
and other such equipment; 5. Ensure that
the church facilities are accessible to persons with disabilities; 6. Develop
guidelines for receiving and managing wills, trusts, bequests, and other
investments given to the church; 7. Contact the local utility company
for an energy audit; 8.
Evaluate the insurance coverage annually and work with the insurer to develop
risk-management policies for the church.
Who Is on this Years
Board?
ANTIOCH:
Pastor – Ed DiSteffano, Lay Leader, Wayne
Hendricks, Frank Bacon- Chair, Ronnie Overby, Jeff
Bacon, Ricky Bacon, Dee Hite, Henry Lee Cundiff
WILLIAMS: Pastor
– Ed DiStefano, Lay Leader – Sammy Reese, Chair – Charles Turner, Jim Maynard,
Sam Armstrong, Ida Bowen, Betty Yerby
Pastor – Parish Relations Committee
The PPRC is the body that
is responsible for assuring that fairness, justice, and appreciation are shown
for those who facilitate God's work in the name of the church. An effective and responsible PPRC moves the
local church toward attaining its God-given vision and mission. The PPRC works as a team within the
congregation to work with the pastor, the congregation (individually and
corporately), the community outside the walls of the church, the district
superintendent, and the United Methodist connectional church. This committee has
the primary responsibility for managing relationships among these groups. "Manage" means guide, teach,
mentor, tend to conflict, and organize celebration of ministry. Manage does not mean to control these
functions! Other responsibilities for
the PPRC include: explaining the nature and function of ministry to the
congregation, conferring with the congregation and the pastor about ministry
direction, assessing the ministry of the congregation and the pastor,
conferring and consulting with the district superintendent, supporting lifelong
learning (continuing education) for all staff, and identifying individuals from
the congregation whom God seems to be calling for ordained ministry. The committee is required to meet at least
quarterly. It may be called to meet by the bishop, the district superintendent,
the pastor, or the chairperson of the committee. It may not meet without the knowledge of the
pastor or the district superintendent.
The measure of an effective PPRC is growth in congregational ministry in
one or more of these areas: faith, service, love of God and love of others,
positive relationships.
What Are Their Responsibilities? Several functions and responsibilities of
the PPRC continue throughout the year.
These include assessing staff and listening to the congregation to
increase effectiveness of ministry and identifying candidates for ordained
ministry. First Quarter:
January-March: 1. Provide training or review for
all committee members. In reviewing
responsibilities, be sure to include a report on the current status of
candidates for ordained ministry recommended by the charge conference. The congregation needs to support and
encourage candidates through the years of training and formation for ordained
ministry; 2. Explore the nature and function of the church
and ministry. Find out the pastoral
duties that are being performed. Joys
and concerns should be shared with the committee. Second Quarter: April-June 1. Have a clear
understanding between the PPRC and the Pastor about the expectations of Pastor;
share the findings with the Pastor and agree on who will follow up to improve
ministry. Decide who, if anyone, will receive this information and how it will be
interpreted by your committee. This task
can be assigned to subcommittees to work with the pastor to complete the
evaluation of their area of ministry. Third
Quarter: July-September 1 Review non-salary support for the pastor,
such as vacation, business expenses, professional and continuing education
expenses. Make recommendations for
adjustments. Review salary-and-benefits
packages for the pastor for the coming year and send recommendations to the
finance committee for their consideration.
(That committee will report its own recommendations to the church
council for approval prior to the charge/church conference.) Fourth Quarter:
October-December 1.
Compare vision/mission statements, charge conference goals, and job
descriptions; revise job descriptions, if necessary, in consultation with the
pastor. 2. Evaluate the total work of
this committee. Ask for input from the pastor. Search for ways to improve. The committee and staff should agree on what
to report to the congregation and to the church council.
Who is on this Year's Committee:
ANTIOCH: Pastor – Ed DiStefano, Lay Leader- Wayne Hendricks, Chair – Mary Ann Cundiff, Ronnie Overby, Bobby Bagley, Abbey Barnes, William Bacon, Wanda Chumney
WILLIAMS: Pastor – Ed DiStefano, Lay Leader – Sammy Reese, Chair – Barbara Reese, Kay Davis, Betty Yerby
The Finance Committee
The job of the Committee on Finance is to
identify, perfect, and manage and report the finance system for the
congregation. The finance system is the
processes of raising, managing, and dispersing the finances so that the mission
and vision of the congregation can be achieved.
The ministry of finance in a United Methodist congregation will be
influenced, more than anything else, by our success in demonstrating the
spiritual connection between the offering and the ministry it enables. To be called into the financial ministry of
the Church is to do holy work.
Responsibilities of the Finance Committee
1. Study the mission/vision of the church
and determine how your work will assist the church in the accomplishment of
this mission/vision; 2. Identify financial and missional
goals for the year; 3. Develop the annual budget; 4. Decide when and how to conduct the annual
fund campaign; 5.
Decide how much of the annual income should be reached by the end of each
quarter and what will be done about any short-fall in expected income; 6. See that the
annual audit is completed;
7. Report to the Administrative board. The committee should meet far enough in
advance of each regular session of the board to enable it to develop a complete
report on the financial status of the church;
8. Develop a plan for the year's work, including a schedule of future
meetings. Responsibility for the financial health of a congregation is an
awesome task. The congregation looks to
you to provide for the underwriting of the ministry of their church. In providing "direction" you are
demonstrating, by word and action, that someone is in control, that there is a
plan, and that faithful stewards are leading the congregation.
Who is on this Year's Committee:
ANITOCH:
Pastor – Ed DiStefano, Lay Leader – Wayne Hendricks, Chair- Earl Callis, Financial Secretary- Susan Moseley, Abbey Barnes,
Gayle Grant, Jimmy Chumney, Mary Ann Cundiff, Ronnie Overby, Jeffrey
Bacon, Frank Bacon
WILLIAMS: Pastor – Ed DiStefano, Lay Leader – Sammy Reese, Chair – Ida Bowen, Charles Turner, Thomas Taylor, Nancy Turner, Jim Maynard
Outreach – Mission, Family Ministries, Evangelism
Churches of every size can and should
have interest, involvement, and partnership in God's mission. Mission
programs are not an option in the church; they are the foundation for spreading
the good news of Jesus Christ. Mission
is a natural aspect of any Christian lifestyle and needs to be incorporated
into the ongoing life of every congregation.
The basis of this theology is that we are all partners in God's mission
and are all called to participate. We
have heard the witness to a living God who does not stay in one place but moves
in mission to redeem, restore, and reconcile the whole creation and all created
beings. We have heard of men and women
being loosed from the bondage of sin, turning from self to embrace the gospel
of Christ, and finding new life through loving and serving others. Through the Holy Spirit, the church continues
to spread the revelation of God in Christ throughout the world by joining God
in mission. God's mission is marked by
revelation, incarnation, and redemption.
The church in mission continues the model of Jesus Christ in mission.
Responsibilities
of the Outreach
1. Develop a continuous, year-round
program of mission education so that the congregation will be better informed,
more knowledgeable, and more motivated to be supportive of the mission outreach
of the church. 2. Identify the needs of
your community, your country, and your world and engage your congregation in
mission opportunities and service projects that seek to address these
needs; 3. As mission personnel be aware
of the different opportunities for service through your church and enlist
church members to serve as missionaries or persons in mission in our nation and
around the world; 4.
Seek to expand your congregation's mission and benevolence budget and ensure
that your congregation is provided every opportunity to participate financially
in God's mission through the church.
5. Develop programs for families.
Foster family togetherness and fellowship with others. Assist Missions and Evangelism in their
endeavors to reach out to not only our church but the community. 6.
Develop program to evangelize the Lord Jesus Christ. With the assistance of Missions and Family
Ministries reach out to our community both church and unchurched
to bring the Word of God to them and lead them to conversion to Christ.
Who is on this Year's Committee:
ANTIOCH:
Pastor – Ed DiStefano, Lay Leader – Wayne Hendricks, Chair – Brenda
Barnes- Betsey Hendricks- Diane Overby, Dawn Bacon,
Robyn Fowler, Joyce Mc Daniel, Walt Moseley, Tess Barnes, Sara Hite, Trudy
Wilkins, Ginny Arthur, Audrey Smith,
WILLIAMS: Pastor – Ed DiStefano, Lay Leader – Sammy Reese, Chair - Barbara Reese, Thomas Taylor, Betty Yerby
This Weeks Event:
Saturday, January 17
SouthSide Emmaus Gathering @ Crenshaw UMC
, Blackstone @ 6:30 PM
Monday, January 19
Bible
Study @ Antioch
@ 7:00 PM
Tuesday, January 20
Bible Study @ Audrey Smith’s @ 10:00 AM
UMW @ Shirley
Hites @ 7:30 PM
Wednesday, January 21
Prayer Meeting @ Williams @ 5:45 PM
Choir
Practice @ Williams @ 6:30 PM