Frequently Asked Questions about the New Organizational Structure and the Stewardship & Spending Plan Process
I. STAFF STRUCTURE AND MINISTRY TEAMS
Q. How will the ministry teams be organized?
A. They will be grouped in 5 ministry areas, each coordinated by a staff member:
- Congregational Life
- Faith Formation
- Liturgical Life
- Outreach Ministry
- Resource Ministry
Q. Which staff member will relate to which ministry area?
A. This will be coordinated by our Personnel Ministry Team.
Q. Are there ministry areas lacking a staff member to serve as manager?
A. Yes. We would be asking our current staff along with volunteers to oversee Outreach Ministry. Our plan calls for having a paid Outreach Minister in 2009. We also currently do not have a Resource Ministry Manager. We would seek to fill this position by mid-year 2006.
Q. Why wait until 2009 to hire an Outreach Minister?
A. 2009 is a target date. If the necessary resources are available to support bringing this person on board sooner, nothing says we have to wait that long! The first step is to formalize a description of what this position should look like. The Outreach Ministry Team has already expressed an interest in starting to develop this description.
Q. What does a Resource Ministry Manager do?
A. Our Resource Ministry Manager will manage the property, finance, personnel, and communications to undergird our mission.
Q. Which other staff members will report to the Resource Ministry Manager?
A: All office and financial staff, as well as the Preschool Director.
Q. Who will hire and supervise the Resource Ministry Manager?
A. The Personnel Ministry Team will oversee hiring as they would any other non-called staff position. Once hired, this person will report directly to the Council.
Q. How does the new Resource Ministry Manager position impact current positions?
A. The Personnel Ministry Team (PMT) is examining all administrative/support work currently being done by the full, part-time and volunteer staff and comparing that work to the proposed responsibilities of the Resource Ministry Manger. It is the responsibility of the PMT to recommend to the council the most efficient way to perform the work. At this point, the PMT is not sure how current administrative and support positions will be impacted.
Q. Does the new Resource Ministry Manger position need approval by the congregation?
A. No. If the recommendation is to significantly increase the spending plan to accommodate an increase in staff, then the congregation must approve the change in spending.
II. COUNCIL STRUCTURE
Q. Why reduce the size of our Church Council from 14 voting members to 7?
A. A smaller council’s activities will be centered on discerning and communicating our church’s vision and strategic plan. Implementation of the vision will be actively pursued by our ministry teams in partnership with staff.
Q. How will youth be trained for leadership in this proposal?
A. Since youth will no longer serve in designated slots on a smaller council, youth will be encouraged to participate in ministry teams of their choosing including but not limited to Youth Ministry. A team has been formed, including both of our current Council youth members and our Youth Director, to specifically identify potential areas for development of youth leadership in the life of Good Shepherd. One hope is to implement a youth peer ministry similar to Stephen Ministry.
Q. Who will liaison between a smaller council and the ministry teams?
A. This will be the primary responsibility of our staff.
Q. Will the Council election process change?
A. Many elements will remain the same. For example, the specific role (i.e., President, Vice President, or At Large member) of a person elected to Council will still be determined by the voting Council members. The Recording Secretary and Treasurer will remain Council-appointed positions as they are today.
Council members will still be elected to three-year terms. The process of filling a Council position vacated before a term has expired will change slightly. Initially, the position will still go to the next highest vote receiver from the most recently held election. However, this person will only serve until the next election. At that time, the congregation will have the opportunity to vote on a person to complete the remainder of the unexpired term.
Q. What about the nomination process?
A. Where today the Nominating Team is entirely composed of Council members, future Nominating Teams will include up to three non-Council members of the congregation, along with at least one Council member. The Nominating Team will continue to be Council-appointed as it is today.
The nomination and election process for (NC Synod delegates, Endowment Ministry Team, Preschool Board, Faith Lutheran School Board, and PLM Families Together Board) will not change.
III. STEWARDSHIP AND SPENDING PLAN PROCESS
Q. What is a faith-based spending plan?
A. Support for our ministries will no longer be based on pledging. We may still take pledges but these would not be opened to determine our support. Giving will be encouraged year-round and ministry needs will regularly be communicated. Giving trends will support our ministry. This approach will require us to live and act in faith as we invest much trust in our parish leaders and, ultimately, in God.
Q. So what will be our budget cycle?
A. The Congregationwill still be asked to approve and support an annual spending plan. In addition, our Council will be responsible for reviewing/approving future ministry opportunities identified by the Ministry Teams and will work with the Giving Team and the Finance Team to develop a three-year plan towards funding those opportunities. Knowing the ministry needs for the future, the congregation will be encouraged to make designated gifts. Once a new ministry is funded it is added to the spending plan. It is the responsibility of the Resource Ministry Manager working with our Finance Team to monitor these trends.
Q. Are other churches successfully managing their finances using faith-based spending plan?
A. Yes. Many churches have found in recent years that pledging did not work as well as it had in the past, and have discontinued pledging as a basis for forming a spending plan.
Q. Will anyone be tracking my giving?
A. Individual giving will still be recorded, and the Giving Ministry Team will probably continue the quarterly statement process as it is done now. What will change is that giving will not be tracked against a pledge. The Giving Ministry Team still plans to provide an opportunity for members to think about and decide on a level of giving each year, and even fill out a pledge card if desired. The pledge card would remain in a sealed envelope until later in the year, when it may be returned, unopened, to the member.
Q. Will I still be able to give to the church electronically?
A. Yes, the current process for this will not change.
Q. Will special giving opportunities have to be approved by Council?
A. The Giving Ministry Team will evaluate special giving opportunities and bring them before Council. It will be the Council’s responsibility to ensure that all special giving is consistent with the vision, mission, and objectives of the church, as well as feasible. However, special campaigns of an emergency nature (a good example is the recent collection for Hurricane Katrina relief) will not be delayed.
Q. Will a faith-based spending plan result in more special appeals to the congregation?
A. This is possible. However, the Giving Ministry Team will be working to identify giving opportunities well in advance and communicate them to the congregation.
Q. Is Synod Benevolence considered “Ongoing Expenses” or “Designated Giving”?
A. This will be considered an ongoing expense that must be funded.
IV. TRANSITION AND OTHER QUESTIONS
Q. Will the 2006 spending plan approved on January 29, 2006 be subject to change later in the year as a result of the new spending plan process?
A. No, the new spending plan cycle will begin with the 2007 spending plan.
Q. Will there be constitutional changes required to implement any structural changes?
A. Yes. Those changes will be primarily in our Council including the election cycle. The proposed constitutional changes will be presented to the congregation at a called meeting on Sunday, April 30 at 9:45am. Copies of the proposed changes to our constitution will be available by mid-March.
Q.. How will the current Council be reduced from 14 to 7?
A. Transition to the new Council structure will occur at the time the congregation approves the Constitutional changes (anticipated date April 30, 2006). The current 14-member Council will choose the 5 elected members who will form the new Council. It is anticipated that the newly-formed Council will be balanced to include at least one, and no more than two, members from each term year (first year, second year, and third year) in order to facilitate smooth transition from year to year.
Q. What if I have other questions?
A. Several small group Listening Post informational meetings will be held in February and March. These will be two-hour sessions which will present the entire organizational structure and the stewardship and spending plan process in detail and allow time for discussion and further questions.
Date/Time for the Listening Posts are:
- Sunday February 12th at 9:45am - Audience, all.
- Wednesday, February 15th at 7:00pm - Audience, all.
- Sunday, February 19th at 9:45am - Audience: High School Youth and those interested in Youth Leadership Opportunities at GSLC.
- Sunday, March 5th at 11:15am: Audience, all.
Meeting Room to be determined.
Date/Time for Summary of Constitutional Changes:
- April 23rd at 9:45am
- April 23rd at 11:15am
Meeting Room to be determined.
Please feel free also to contact the head of our Transition Team, Nancy Herje, any Council member, or a staff member.