Nurturing ~ Connecting ~ Equipping

Team Ministry Structure

Significant Features of the
TEAM MINISTRY STRUCTURE
 
 
· A LEADERSHIP TEAM will be established that represents a cross-section of all adult ages in the church;
 
· FOUR MINISTRY COUNCILS (with Ministry Teams under them) parallel the four areas of ministry in the current church budget;
 
· FIVE COMMITTEES will support the administrative functions of the church;
 
· MINISTRY TEAMS will address individual ministry passions and efforts, and will be formed through an annual sign-up process and as needs arise;
 
· A FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE will recommend budget goals to the Leadership Team;
 
· MINISTRY COUNCILS will prioritize and recommend, for vote by the church, the actual resource (budget) plan.

Leadership Team

Responsibilities:

· To encourage people to follow their calling

· To develop a prioritized ministry and resource plan for the Church

· To develop a stewardship plan for the Church

· To review plans to insure that they support the Mission and Vision of Forest Hills Baptist Church

· To review outcomes of ministries

· To recommend any additional funding for ministries during the two-year cycle to the Church

· To adjust resource allocation to ministries if needed during the two-year cycle

· To report plan progress of Ministry Councils and individual ministries to the Church on a regular basis

· To recommend individuals to serve as Ministry Council Chairs and Vice-Chairs to the Nominating Committee

· To report on new ministries and resource adjustments on a regular basis to the Church

· To recommend one individual from each Adult Sunday School Dept. (Adult 1-8) and one at-large member to serve as Nominating Committee members for election by the Church

Membership:

· Eighteen elected members, with seventeen voting members. The Chairperson only votes to break ties:

o One member from every Adult Sunday School Department, currently Adult 1-8 (8)

o Representatives from the Board of Deacons – Chair and Vice-Chair (2)

o Three At-Large members (3) (1 20-40 years old) (1 40-60 years old) (1 60+ years old) – may be individuals not in Sunday School

o Senior Pastor (1) - not eligible to be the Chairperson

o Ministry Council Chairs (4), Vice-Chairs (4), non-voting unless the Ministry Council Chair is not present

o Clerk of the Church (1), Church Treasurer (1), and Pastoral Staff members to serve as Ad-Hoc members (non-voting)

· Leadership Team members will have a three year term (1/3 replaced every year)

· First year term designations are as follows: S. S. Representatives – Adult 3 and 6 1-year term, Adult 2, 5 and 8 2-year term, Adult 1, 4 and 7 3-year terms; the Deaconate Chair and Vice-Chair each have a 1-year term; At-Large members will have 1 1-year term, 1 2-year term, and 1 3-year term; Ministry Council Chairs and Vice-Chairs will have 4 1-year terms

· Leadership Team members cannot be re-elected for one year after serving on the Leadership Team

· Leadership Team members will elect a Chairperson-elect annually

· Leadership Team members will appoint one member to serve as the Resource Coordinator to track and document re-allocation of funds

· Leadership Team members must be members of the Church

· Leadership Team members from the Sunday School Departments will be elected by their individual Sunday School Departments. See Attachment #1, Nominating S.S. Representatives, for the process for electing S.S. Representatives.

· Leadership Team representatives from the Deaconate will be elected by the Deaconate

· Leadership Team At-Large members will be recommended by the Nominating Committee and elected by the Church

· Leadership Team Ministry Council Chairs and Vice-Chairs will be recommended by the Leadership Team to the Nominating Committee and elected by the Church

Ministry Councils

Ministry Councils are a collection of related/interdependent Ministry Teams. Each member of a Ministry Council should be called by the Holy Spirit to serve.

Responsibilities:

· To help people follow their calling to serve

· To develop and amend, as necessary, a ministry and resource plan for their respective areas of ministry

· To provide leadership and input in their respective areas of ministry

· To elect the leaders of Ministry Teams

· To add, modify, or disband Ministry Teams as needed

· To assist in developing new Ministry Teams

o New Ministry Teams are started when an unmet need is brought before the Ministry Council for consideration and is approved

o If the Ministry Council chooses to fund the new ministry plan with existing resources, the ministry plan is incorporated into the Council’s plan. If not, the ministry plan is presented to the Leadership Team for resource funding consideration

· To elect from among its members a Resource Coordinator*

Membership:

· The Ministry Council consists of a Council Chair, Vice-Chair, a Pastoral Staff Member, and the Team Leaders of each active Ministry Team. One Ministry Council member will also be a Resource Coordinator

· The Ministry Council Chair and Vice-Chair will be recommended by the Leadership Team, based on input from Ministry Teams, to the Nominating Committee and elected by the Church

· The Pastoral Staff Member on the Ministry Council may not be the Chair or Vice-Chair

· All Ministry Council members must be members of the Church

· The Ministry Council Chair and Vice-Chair may serve up to three (3) successive 1 year terms, so long as their service on the Leadership Team does not exceed the three year term. The Ministry Council Chair must wait 1 year before being re-elected.

· Ministry Council Chair may not be a Ministry Team Leader

*Resource Coordinator tracks the financial status of Ministry Teams and reports to the Ministry Council

Ministry Teams

Ministry Teams consist of people who are called to contribute to the needs of a specific ministry.

Responsibilities:

· Address a ministry that is encouraged by the Church

· Recruit team members

· Enable Christians to follow their calling

· Develop prioritized tasks and resource plans for the team

· Develop desired outcomes for the ministry

· Are empowered to meet new needs during the year, but will report changes to their respective Ministry Councils

· Represent part of a Forest Hills Baptist Church Ministry Council

Membership:

· Ministry Teams have unlimited terms of service and do not require Church membership

· Ministry Team Leaders are elected by the Ministry Council for a 1-year term, and may be re-elected

· Team Leaders must be a Church member

Committees

Five standing committees will be part of the Administration and Support Ministry Council. They are Financial Management, Property Management, Personnel, Nominating Committee, and Rules of Procedure Committee. These committee members will be recommended by the Nominating Committee and elected by the Church. Term limits and qualifications are as follows:

· Three year terms

· Members cannot be elected to the same committee for one year after serving.

o If no qualified members agree to serve, the Leadership Team may

waive the rotation time for being off of a committee

o A member may only serve on one committee at a time

· Committee members must be members of the Church

· Committees are within the Administration and Support Council of the Church

· One Pastoral Staff Member will be assigned to each committee as staff liaison

· Committees should have representatives from all adult age groups in the Church

· A husband and wife will not serve simultaneously on the same committee

Committees and Duties:

· Financial Management Committee

o Duties

§ Recommend budget goals to the Leadership Team

§ Track spending and budget trends

§ Review financial records of the Church

§ Implement plans to meet financing needs of the Church

§ Develop plans for the retirement, restructuring or refinancing of debt

§ Educate the Church membership regarding the importance of financial and estate planning

§ Recommend adjustments to the total budget to the Leadership Team

§ Manage insurance policies of the Church

§ Manage endowment funds of the Church

o Membership

§ Financial Management Committee will have twelve members

§ Financial Management Committee members will be recommended by the Nominating Committee and elected by the Church

· Property Management Committee

o Duties

§ Manages all facilities and property of the Church

§ Develops and manages property use plan

o Membership

§ Property Management Committee will have nine members

§ Property Management Committee members will be recommended by the Nominating Committee and elected by the Church

· Personnel Committee

o Duties

§ Recruit, interview, and recommend all Pastoral Staff, except the Senior Pastor, for Church employment. Consult with the Senior Pastor and the appropriate team, council and/or committee in selecting Pastoral Staff

§ Consult with the Senior Pastor and Associate Pastor(s) in the employment of all other staff

§ Prepare, study, and update position descriptions, organizational charts and Church policies that pertain to all staff

§ Collect annual performance evaluations from supervisors of each employee

§ Evaluate the Senior Pastor’s personal growth, development and performance each year

§ Study and recommend salary and benefits packages for all staff to the Financial Management Committee each year

o Membership

§ Personnel Committee will have nine members

§ Personnel Committee members will be recommended by the Nominating Committee and elected by the Church

· Nominating Committee

o Duties

§ Selects and presents the At-Large members of the Leadership Team to the Church

§ Selects and presents the Property Management Committee members to the Church

§ Selects and presents the Financial Management Committee members to the Church

§ Selects and presents the Personnel Committee members to the Church

§ Selects and presents the Rules of Procedure Committee members to the Church

§ Presents the prospective Ministry Council Chairs and Vice Chairs to the Church for election

o Membership

§ Nominating Committee will have nine members

§ One member will be from every Adult Sunday School Department (Adult 1 – 8) and one at-large member

§ Nominating Committee members will be recommended by the Leadership Team and elected by the Church

· Rules of Procedure Committee

o Duties

§ Continuously study the Rules of Procedure, receive recommendations, and propose changes to the Church for approval in conference

§ Maintain a supply of governing documents in the Church office for access by Church members

o Membership

§ Rules of Procedure Committee will have six members

§ Rules of Procedure Committee members will be recommended by the Nominating Committee and elected by the Church

Nominating SS Representatives for the Leadership Team

Background: The church leadership team will include one member from each of the eight adult Sunday School departments. Terms will be for three years,

rotating two or three members each year. This document outlines the process by which members will be identified and how the rotation cycle will be implemented.

Rotation Cycle

The first year all eight positions will be filled. The term for each department will be as follows:

a. One year terms – departments 3 and 6

b. Two year terms – departments 2, 5 and 8

c. Three year terms – departments 1, 4 and 7

Therefore, in the second year positions representing departments 3 and 6 will need to be filled again. In the third year positions representing departments 2, 5 and 8 will need to be filled and beginning in the fourth year we will replace the members who rotate off of their three year term.

Selection Process

Members will be elected by the Sunday School department whom they will represent. The process will involve nomination in one week and election two weeks later.

Nomination – Each member of the department will be given a list of department members provided by the Sunday School Council. (Note: About a month prior to the nomination process, we may want to update our rolls for accuracy.) Each member may nominate up to two individuals from their department for the role. The department director will collect all nomination forms and submit them to the designated SS Council representative. Over the following week, the SS Council, possibly with assistance of the department director, will contact each nominee to determine their willingness to serve.

Election – The following week, a ballot will be distributed to the SS department for review. Members who know that they will be absent the next week may vote at that time. The following week, ballots will be collected and made available to members who need one for their vote. Each department member may only vote for one representative. Ballots are collected by a member of the SS Council. The results are announced at the end of the SS hour.

Schedule – The process will be conducted over three consecutive Sundays beginning with the Sunday School Assembly in August. Following the assembly, all members of departments with elections will remain for a few minutes to hear a

description of the process and responsibilities of the leadership team. The presentation will be made by the chair of the leadership team.

Preparation – Department rosters, nomination forms and blank ballot forms will be prepared in advance by the Sunday School Council.

Other

1. Members may not serve consecutive terms. Each individual must be inactive from the leadership team for at least one year following their term, even if they have moved from one department to another. The only exception being when wither the initial term or replacement term is for less than eighteen months.
2. Spouses of either current members of the leadership team or church staff are ineligible for election.
3. If a vacancy is created through the resignation or other termination of a SS department representative, the vacancy will be filled by the individual with the 2^nd highest number of votes in the last department election. A new election will be held only if there is no one remaining in the department who received votes in the last election that is willing to complete the term, and there is at least 6 months remaining in the term.
4. Each Sunday School department should take measures to include associate members both in the nomination and election process. Associate members are also eligible for election as a department representative.

Leadership Team Selection Timing*

When Who

Leadership Team Member (s)** Selected Confirms

- Adult Sunday School Depts. 1-8 (8) Aug/ Elected by

o Representative selected by ballot Sept. Sunday Sch.

system within the Depts. Departments

- Chair and Vice-Chair of Deacons (2) Aug/ Elected

o Requires changing the timing Sept. by Deacons

for selection currently in use

- At Large Members (3) Oct/ Nominating

Nov Committee

selects

names and

presents

to Church

for vote

- Ministry Council Chairs (4) Oct/