Committees on Ministry; MidAmerica Webinar
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Transcript of Committees on Ministry; MidAmerica Webinar
Webinar on Committees on Ministry
will begin soon!
A DOZEN GOOD IDEAS ABOUT COMMITTEES ON MINISTRYRev. Barbara Child, Accredited Interim Minister
And host Lisa Presley, District Executive, Heartland District,
MidAmerica Region
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MIDAMERICA REGIONCentral MidWest, Heartland and Prairie Star Districts
WELCOME!WelcomeIntroductionsTechnical Issues
THIS WEBINAR IS BEING RECORDED
A DOZEN GOOD IDEAS ABOUT COMMITTEES ON MINISTRYRev. Barbara Child, Accredited Interim Minister
And host Lisa Presley, District Executive, Heartland District,
MidAmerica Region
BROUGHT TO YOU BY MIDAMERICA REGIONCentral MidWest, Heartland and Prairie Star Districts
CHALICE LIGHTING
IDEA 1: AGENT OF THE ENTIRE CONGREGATIONAllows professional clergy, lay
leaders and congregation at large to work toward fulfillment of mission and covenant
Bylaws should support COM made up of well respected persons
Regular rotation and term limitsShould not have adversarial
approach!
IDEA 2: IDEAL MEMBERSMembers of COM are:
Active members familiar with congregation’s history and culture
Generally respected by lay and clergy
Do not bring personal agendaAble to focus on big picture of
mission, covenant and ministrySkilled at communicationCommitment to well-being of whole
IDEA 3: COM IN THE CONGREGATIONAL SYSTEMShould be no overlap between
Board and COMEngages more congregants in
significant leadership rolesLeadership training groundRecipient of trained leaders
IDEA 4: COMMUNICATIONGood COM communicates
constantlyThrough every meansRegarding the state of the
mission and covenantKeeps people from going to sleep,
becoming complacent, or forgetting the church’s mission
IDEA 5: EDUCATE ABOUT COMHistory of Ministerial Relations
Committees (MRCs) and COMsShift from support group to
congregational check-up“Our COM,” not “Minister’s COM”Which is yours?
IDEA 6: EVALUATIONEvaluation of ministry:
Everything done by professional clergy, other paid staff, and congregants involved in the ministry
Not just about the professional clergy
Agent to monitor everyone’s accountability over time
IDEA 7: TRUE FOCUSCOM helps congregation focus on
true reason for evaluation:How are we doing on our mission
achievement?Are we living within our covenants
with each other?Help congregation know the
mission and covenant
IDEA 8: POLICY AND MONITORINGClear distinction between work of
Board (policy-makers) and COM (congregation monitors)
Board’s authority to make decisions
COM’s authority is power of persuasion
COM invites people to mission- and covenant-focused perspective
IDEA 9: CONSULTANTSCOM consults regularly with
professional clergy and other staff, Board, task forces, teams, committees involved in ministry
Will share impressions on how ministry going
May make recommendationsOthers decide what to do
IDEA 10: CONFLICT MANAGEMENTEngages in on-going conflict
managementSponsoring workshops on
understanding systems and healthy practices
Not arbiter or judge but encourages responsible resolution
Never takes sides
IDEA 11: MODELS SHARED MINISTRYModel and teach value of shared
ministryEducate about ministry in
general, and congregation’s ministry in particular
Help people understand short- and long-term goals for congregation
IDEA 12: TRUST AND ACCOUNTABILITYModel and teach mutual trust and
accountabilityWorking with Board and
professional clergyFostering right relationship in
accord with congregation’s covenant
AND ONE CAVEAT:Safeguard against COM being MRCShould not be “palace guard” or
complaint bureauLarger congregation may not need
a COM to be healthyMay not be for everyone but . . .Well conceived and managed can
serve healthy shared ministry of professional clergy and congregants
MAJOR RESOURCE Robert T. Latham, Moving On from
Church Folly Lane: The Pastoral to Program Shift (Tuscon: Wheatmark, 2006)Addendum VI: The Committee on Ministry
(an Original and Workable Model), p 244-72
Can be ordered through www.mythinglink.com or the UUA Bookstore www.uuabookstore.org
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS?
THANK YOU!This Webinar, and others, can be
found at:
www.midwestuuleadership.org