Job Descriptions - Administrative Ministries

The Lay member of annual conference (and alternate, if elected) shall be a professing member of the congregation for at least 2 years and an active participant for at least 4 years preceding their election. This person will report the actions of the annual conference to the congregation within 3 months of the close of the annual conference session.

Responsibilities

• Become knowledgeable about the structure and ministries of the Iowa Annual Conference, The United Methodist Church, and our congregation.
• Attend all sessions of annual conference or arrange for an alternate to be seated. During the conference session, the lay member will participate in discussions, debates, voting, and all other activities of annual conference.
• Engage in spiritual practices that build a relationship of attentiveness to God's will and direction. Business sessions of the church can divert attention from spiritual discernment into parliamentary procedure and political positioning. Members of annual conference need to hold one another accountable to the mission and vision of the church.
• Interpret the actions of annual conference to the congregation of St. Timothys; interpret the needs and concerns of the congregation to annual conference.
• Meet regularly with the pastor for effective communication and planning, and to discuss the state of the church and opportunities for ministry.
• Participate fully on committees – Charge Conference, Leadership Council, Staff Parish Relations, Finance and Stewardship. 

Membership Secretary

Description

Our Membership Secretary keeps accurate membership records so that the congregation knows its current reality and can build a plan for growth in professions of faith, baptisms, members, and discipleship.

Qualifications

Spiritual gifts: servanthood, exhortation (encouragement), helping, and administration.

Experience, Skills: This role benefits from an adaptable person who understands the changing cultural understanding of "membership" and can work with individuals and the pastor to facilitate membership categories of The United Methodist Book of Discipline. Skills for this position include a willingness to attend to details; experience in record keeping, the ability to communicate well by listening, speaking, and writing; knowledge about or acquaintance with many of the members of the congregation.

Responsibilities

• Work with the pastor to keep accurate records for all membership rolls (baptized members, professing members, constituents, affiliate members, associate members, people removed from the roll of professing members, people removed from the roll of baptized members), and reports annually to the charge conference.
• Maintain a list of members received and those to be removed from the rolls. The United Methodist Book of Discipline defines categories of membership and the process for removal of members.
• Be accountable to the charge conference through the church Leadership Council.

Committee on Lay Leadership

Description

Ensure that St. Timothys has a process for discovering, inviting, nominating, and supporting people for Christian spiritual leadership positions essential to the ministries of nurture and outreach in our local congregation and community.

The committee meets quarterly, except in the fall when working on nominating leadership for the upcoming year. 

Qualifications

Spiritual gifts: servanthood, exhortation (encouragement), wisdom and discernment

Experience, Skills: Individuals show evidence of a growing Christian spiritual life and willingness to engage with others in biblical and theological reflection about the mission of the church. Individuals with work experience in human resources, job recruitment, and personnel management. Individuals show evidence of nurturing others.

The pastor will be chair of the group, and the Lay Leader will be vice-chair who may represent the committee at meetings of the church leadership team.

Responsibilities

• Lead/teach the congregation God's plan for using gifts, skills and experience that already exist in order to accomplish the mission God has for the congregation.
• Become familiar with as many persons in your congregation as possible. List their gifts, skills, inter- ests, knowledge, and commitment. Be sure to consider people of various ages (including youth, young adults, and older adults) and life situations (married, single, retired). Develop a system for keeping this list up-to-date .
• List the leadership positions established in your congregation (other than paid staff).
• Develop and track a system for helping individuals discover their spiritual gifts, name their skills, interests, knowledge, and experience.
• Work cooperatively with committees, ministry groups (work areas), and other groups or individuals in preparing job descriptions that are adapted to the needs and organizational style of your church.
• Study the responsibilities for each leadership position.
• Match potential leaders with particular leadership positions.
• Invite people to serve in leadership positions, receive their responses, and present those nominated to the charge conference.
• Present a nomination list to the charge conference for a church council chair, a committee on pastor (staff) parish relations, a board of trustees, a committee on finance, a lay member to annual conference and a lay leader. Work throughout the year to name other leaders for the ministry that fulfills the mission of the congregation.
• Plan for programs throughout the year to ensure that people are adequately trained and supported for their work.

Staff Parish Relations Committee

Description:

An effective committee works with the lead pastor and other staff to identify and clarify values for ministry of the congregation so that the staff can set priorities for leadership and service. The committee will fulfill legal and ethical responsibilities related to the staff.

The committee usually meets the fouth Wednesday of every month, except when special meetings are called.

Qualifications

Spiritual gifts: Exhortation (encouragement), wisdom, discernment, apostleship, administration, shepherding, teaching, leadership.

Experience, Skills: Some experience in human relations, personnel management, and communications is helpful. These individuals must listen well to both staff and people of all ages in the congregation while keeping a focus on the mission of the church. These leaders must be able to maintain confidentiality.

No staff member nor immediate family member of a staff person may serve on the committee. Only one person residing in the same household shall serve on the committee.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the congregation to encourage, strengthen, nurture, support, and respect the pastor(s) and staff and their families. Help the staff set priorities that strengthen the congregation's total ministry.
• Consult with the pastor to recommend staff positions to support the strategy of the church leadership team.
• Recommend staff compensation, travel, housing, and other financial matters to the church council through the finance committee.
• Create and update written policy for hiring, evaluating, promoting, retiring, and dismissing staff members who are not subject to episcopal appointment. (Procedures must comply with local and state laws.)
• Conduct proper screening (including background checks) for lay employees and volunteer staff.
• Meet with the district superintendent and/or the bishop in an advisory capacity related to clergy leadership. Considerations include the age and stage of the congregation, an understanding of feelings and desires within the congregation about the pastor's leadership and appointment, and the culture and needs of the community around the church.
• Enlist, evaluate, and annually recommend to the charge conference candidates for professional ministry.

Finance and Stewardship Committee

Description

An effective finance team proposes a budget, then raises, manages, and distributes the financial resources to support and strengthen the mission and ministry of the congregation.

The committe usually meets the first Wednesday of every month.

Qualifications

Spiritual Gifts: giving, faith, wisdom, exhortation (encouragement), teaching, and servanthood.

Experience, Skills: Committee members must have ability to listen to and communicate with people of all ages who have ideas about the mission and ministry of the congregation. These people need skills with financial budgetary matters along with understanding of Biblical stewardship and management of all the resources God provides.

Responsibilities

• Compile a complete annual budget for supporting the mission and vision of the local church and submit the budget to the church leadership team for review and adoption.
• Through the year, the finance team recommends any changes to the approved annual budget to the church leadership team.
• Develop and carry out plans to raise income to support the approved budget.
• The finance team needs to engage in spiritual practices that build a relationship of attentiveness to God’s will and direction. Financial management and daily administration can shift any leader’s attention away from the purpose of the church to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
• Recommend proper depositories for church funds; carry out the church leadership team’s directions about administration and disbursement of funds; and follow procedures for the church treasurer and the financial secretary.
• Arrange for an annual audit of financial records.

Treasurer

Description

The Treasurer will disburse funds contributed to the church in a responsible and timely manner, with funds identified and bills paid when due, as directed by the church council for the ministry of your congregation.

Qualifications

Spiritual gifts: giving, faith, wisdom, servanthood.

Experience, Skills: This leader should demonstrate skills and interest in financial matters; have the ability to keep detailed, accurate records and maintain appropriate confidentiality; have an understanding of biblical stewardship and management of all resources that God gives and provides, and have a passion for financially supporting the mission of making Christian disciples for the transformation of the world.

Responsibilities

• Disburses all money contributed to the local church budget, keeping accurate records of how money is spent.
• Manages disbursement of funds according to the guidelines established by the committee on finance for total fiduciary responsibility. This includes maintaining compliance with all disciplinary requirements and applicable governmental tax guidelines.
• Works with the Financial Secretary to check the records, quarterly, and keeps records in good order for an annual audit.
• Works with the Financial Secretary and chair of the committee on finance to make regular financial reports to the committee on finance, church council, and the charge conference.
• Essures gifts for benevolences may not be used for any cause other than that for which they have been given.
• Engages in spiritual practices that build a relationship of attentiveness to God's will and direction.  Balances financial management and attentiveness to daily administration with attention to the mission of the church to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
  

Financial Secretary

Description

An effective financial secretary will receive, record, and deposit all funds received by your congregation in a timely, thorough and confidential manner. The financial secretary will work with the treasurer and committee on finance to develop policies and procedures so that funds can be made available to support the ministry of your congregation.

Qualifications

Spiritual gifts: giving, faith, wisdom, servanthood

Experience, Skills: A financial secretary needs skills and interest in financial record keeping; ability to keep detailed, accurate records and maintain appropriate confidentiality; passion for financially supporting the mission of making Christian disciples for the transformation of the world; ability to work with individuals and ministry teams. This person needs skill in searching for new revenue sources along with an understanding of biblical stewardship and management of all resources that God gives and provides.

Responsibilities

• Works according to the guidelines established by the committee on finance to receive funds from whatever source including through the mail and by electronic deposit, record them, and report them to the church treasurer and the committee on finance.
• Deposits money in a bank as soon as possible after it is received.
• Keeps records, whenever possible, of how much money is given by whom and report amounts received to the appropriate people.
• Checks the records, quarterly, against those of the treasurer and keeps records in good order for an annual audit.
• Arranges for collecting offerings received during worship services and other church gatherings at the conclusion of these events, making certain that more than one person is involved in collecting and counting the money.
• Engages in spiritual practices that build a relationship of attentiveness to God's will and direction.  Balances financial management and attentiveness to daily administration with attention to the mission of the church to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

Trustees

Description

Trustees are Christian stewards of the property God has entrusted to the congregation. Effective trustees supervise and maintain the property of your congregation to ensure that disciple-making ministries of the congregation are effective and that local legal requirements related to the property are satisfied.

Qualifications

Spiritual gifts: servanthood, helping/assistance, administration, giving, and evangelism.

Experience, Skills: Trustees should be people with knowledge and skills for property and asset management, have the ability to listen to and communicate with people of all ages, and work well with other ministry leaders. Trustees should show genuine interest in responding to the hopes and concerns of people in the community and a willingness to partner with community interests. The Trustees chairperson should show evidence of prior effective ministry leadership, especially in the area of stewardship of assets, and show evidence of active and growing discipleship, the ability to preside over meetings, the ability to delegate responsibility and follow up in getting the job done.

Responsibilities

• Trustees, subject to the direction of the charge conference, have oversight and care of all local church property, buildings, and equipment in order to accomplish the mission of the church. This is done in consultation with the pastor.
• Engage in spiritual practices that build a relationship of attentiveness to God's will and direction.  Balances financial management and attentiveness to daily administration with attention to the mission of the church to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Trustees need to hold one another accountable to the mission and vision of the church.
• Receive and administer all gifts made to the congregation, making certain that trust funds of the congregation are invested properly. Bequests and gifts to endowment projects can, by direction of the charge conference, be directed to a special endowment or legacy committee. This committee will promote, invest, and distribute the proceeds from these gifts.
• Ensure that the Articles of Incorporation of the congregation are kept up-to-date.
• Annually review property, liability, and crime insurance coverage on church-owned property, buildings, and equipment. The team also reviews personnel insurance for protection against risk, and consults with the Staff Parish Committee (SPRC) about other personnel insurance.
• Conduct an annual accessibility audit of buildings and grounds to discover and then work toward eliminating barriers that impede full participation of all people.
• Submit annual budget requests to the committee on finance for property maintenance and improvement, as well as new property purchases.
• Trustees are accountable to the charge conference and the church council. The term "trustees" as used in the United Methodist Book of Discipline, may be construed to be synonymous "director" of corporations when required to comply with law.

Furnishings Committee

Description

The Furnishings committee is responsible for maintaining the overall beauty and functionality of the design of the church's interior spaces. They serve as a committee responsible to the Board of Trustees.  The committee meets as needed.

Qualifications

Committee members should have an eye for good interior design and color.

Responsibilities

• Recommend improvements to the interior and exterior design and furnishings.
• Review donations of items to be placed in church spaces for appropriateness relative to both appearance and usefulness.
• Refuse to accept donations that will not improve the appearance or usefulness of the space.
• Work with the Trustees, Endowment, and Gifts and Memorials Committees to gain consensus and funding for improvements.
• Work with the Trustees Committee to implement plans.

Gifts and Memorials Committee

Description

The Gifts and Memorials Committe supervises and directs the use of all monies received during the year in memory of, or as a special honor to loved ones; and also special gifts to the church. They serve as a committee responsible to the Board of Trustees. They receive, acknowledge, distribute and dedicate monies and memorial gifts. They are also responsible for updating the memorial books, boards, and plaques

The committee meets as needed but at least once every quarter.

Qualifications

• Genuine interest in concern for people.
• Ability to listen to and communicate with people of all ages.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality.

Responsibilities

• Observe, listen for and actively seek information about needs within the church for scholarships and items that could be purchased by memorial funds that would enhance the ministry of First United Methodist Church.
• Receive and administer all bequests made to the church.
• Communicate to the contributor the appreciation of the church for the bequests.
• Work with family members of persons for whom memorial funds have been given in order to use the gifts in ways that will please the family.
• Make recommendations to the Administrative Council for how the memorial funds should be best used.
• Coordinate the purchase of furniture and other items to be kept in the church building with the Board of
• Trustees.
• Refuse gifts or proposals that do not complement the mission, ministry, goals, or facilities of the congregation.
• Work with the staff to prepare for the All Saints Sunday Rememberance Service and Memorial Sunday service.
• Maintain and update permanent records of memorial gifts and how they were used.

Endowment Trustees Committee

Description

Receive, administer, and invest bequests, trusts, and trust funds given to the church.  The Endowment fund is separate from the general funds of the church, with its own charter, bylaws and board. 

The Endowment is a permanent fund derived from gifts and bequests.  The principal is invested prudently, and the income is used to help the church carry out its mission in vital and innovative ways.  Endowment income does not underwrite the annual budget of the church.  Funds are distributed to meet identified needs unless designated for a specific purpose.

General Responsibilities:

• To carry out the overall objectives of the Endowment Fund Board.
• To attend all meetings of the committee.
• To accept sub-committee responsibilities.

Responsibilities of the Chairperson (elected by the board):

• Chair all meetings and direct the work of the board.
• Attend and report to Church Council.

Church Historian

Description

Keep historical documents of the congregation in order to preserve the heritage and identity of the congregation
Maintain records so the congregation can trace its efforts of the past and built on the past into the future
Remind the congregation of its identity as God's presence in a particular location.

Qualifications

Spiritual gifts:  servanthood, knowledge, discernment, and administration

Experience, skills: This leader should have an interest in history, the ability to gather information from several sources, skills in organizing, classifying and preserving historical material. The historian should be able to listen to and communicate with people of all ages, compile creative displays, and plan programs and events to connect the history of the congregation with the vision and mission for the future.

Responsibilities

• Review the historical materials and collections of the congregation in order to determine what needs to be done to update, preserve, and interpret the material to people of all ages.
• Keep records in good order and interpret the history to others, particularly emphasizing the history of faith and the impact of “lived faith” on the larger community.
• Document current events and collect materials to add to the historical record of the congregation.
• Lead the congregation in celebration of the annual Heritage Sunday (usually in April or May) and other efforts for congregational and/or community celebration of history.
• Link with organizations, people, and resources in and beyond the congregation that are concerned with history.

Communications Ministry

Tims Tales editor

Tims Tales is our newsletter which is mailed and posted on our website monthly.  The editor accepts stories from any members or staff and produces a final layout for printing and posting to the website.

Skills needed - Good writing, language, grammar and spelling skills are required.  Experience using the computer, working with applications (e.g. Microsoft Publisher) that support embedding graphics, multiple pages, multiple columns of text are also a necessity. 

Time required - Expect to spend about 8 to 14 hours a month, 10 times per year (May/June and July/Aug are combined issues.

Website editor

Maintain the content on our Website, keeping it accurate and current.

Training will be provided.  It is not necessary to be a computer guru.  Skills required are the same as for Tims Tales.  Being able to stay on top of all things going on at St. Timothys, and subsequently including them in the website is the most important ability needed.

Time requried - variable.  Potentially 6 to 8 hours a month while maintaining current design and organization of the site.

Facebook editor / moderator

Regularly post happenings on St. Timothys' facebook page.  Watch postings to the Wall, photos, etc. to ensure appropriateness to our core values.

Training will be provided.  Being able to stay on top of all things going on at St. Timothys, and subsequently including them in the website is the most important skill. 

Take photographs

Are you pretty good with the camera?  Current pictures of events, people, ministries can greatly enhance our publications, publicity, website, facebook, the walls of our church, etc! 

Copyright General Board of Discipleship. www.GBOD.org Used by permission.