Job Description for Church Councillors

As part of the SALT changes, we are moving from a formal council mechanism, towards a Church Council committed to building a community of love together and visioning our congregation accordingly. For more information about the SALT philosophy, please see the SaltPage.

The new Council will be committed to sharing together & exploring scripture as recommended in the steering committee recommendations. In those recommendations, it is stated "The new council will take on the spiritual leadership of the congregation more strongly than it has in the past and most of the business of the congregation will be given to the groups that are carrying out its mission. This will help overcome a number of issues within the congregation including permission giving, a move to a more strongly faith-based community, building on the relational community that already exists at GWUC. It will also refresh and focus the cooperation between the Ministry Team and the Church Council."

We are not seeking to change the responsibilities of council as outlined in the regulations (3.1.2(b)). Rather, it is a shift in focus to include more explicitly regulation 3.1.2(a), which states: "The Church Council shall give priority in its life to building up the Congregation in faith and love, sustaining members in hope, and leading the Congregation to a fuller participation in Christ’s mission in the world. This priority shall be reflected in the agenda of its ordinary meetings."

We are looking for a diverse group of councillors each bringing their unique gifts to the oversight of our community. It will be particularly helpful (and consistent with Carolyn Kitto's recommendations) if we have a range of age groups in the list of nominees, and indeed, in those nominees who are elected.

These are the sorts of attributes that we (the current Church Council Executive) think are important in fulling that focus:

Wisdom

Think deeply and share and reflect to those around them

Leadership

Mobilise people and help lead people to the vision

Mercy

Always aware of others thinking of the least of these

Administration

Eye for detail & communication

Helps

Understands the need for hands on responses, encourages people to help & do

Prayer

Intercedes

Insight

Listens deeply & shares ideas & thought accordingly

Prophet

Uncanny ability of seeing into the future & calling us to rethink and re-envisage

It is important also to remember that each nominee need not display all attributes, but should have standout skills in 2 or 3 of them.

""3.1.2 DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CHURCH COUNCIL""

(a) The Church Council shall give priority in its life to building up the Congregation in faith and love, sustaining members in hope, and leading the Congregation to a fuller participation in Christ’s mission in the world. This priority shall be reflected in the agenda of its ordinary meetings.

(b) The responsibilities of the Church Council include:

(i) sharing with the Minister(s) in mission and in the pastoral care and spiritual oversight of the Congregation;

(ii) nurturing the members and adherents in their growth in grace;

(ii) making decisions in accordance with the Regulations concerning baptism, confirmation and membership, and the keeping and reviewing of the rolls of the Congregation; (See Part 1 of these Regulations)

(iv) assisting the Minister(s) in the conduct of worship and in the administration of the sacraments;

(v) determining the time and place of services of public worship;

(vi) carrying out its functions in accordance with the Regulations concerning applicants for the specified ministries;

(vii) managing the financial affairs and the general administration of the Congregation including the reception, preparation and presentation of all necessary budgets, statements and reports;

(viii) arranging for audit, presentation and examination of

• the accounts of all the funds of the Congregation; (See Reg. 3.8.7)

(ix) managing and controlling property in accordance with the Regulations; (See Reg. 4.4.1)

(x) preparing and presenting to a meeting of the

• Congregation an annual report concerning the life and work of the Congregation including its worship, mission and service, and making recommendations with regard to the program for the ensuing year;

(xi) exercising oversight of the appointment of officers and leaders of Congregational organisations;

(xii) referral of matters to Presbytery as prescribed;

(xiii) discipline of members (See Reg. 5.1.2 – 5.2.5);

(xiv) carrying out its functions in relation to Ministers=in-Association (See Reg. 2.11.1).