TABLE REPORTS FROM THE LEADERSHIP SUMMIT
Report by Pastor Lee
On February 5, about 40 of our church leaders stayed after the Sunday service to share our visions and plans together. They sat around tables according to their mission and ministry areas. We have 3 ministry committees (Worship, Education, and Mission) and 4 administrative committees (SPRC, Finance, Trustees, and Nomination).
Some committees have sub-committees. Worship has the Flower Committee and Fellowship Committee who provide flowers on the alter and fellowship time after worship. Education has CMNS Advisory Team, Godly Play Team, Adult Education Team, Reconciling Team. Mission has Family Promise, St. Mary’s Dining Room, Angel Tree, Palestine Mission, Sierra Leone Mission, and Cambodian Mission Projects.
We selected model disciples from each table. We shared what makes them model disciples. I summarize their characteristics as VIP. They have biblical value. They seek the kingdom of God and its righteousness first (Matt 6:33). They have biblical identity. They see them as God’s beloved children (Matt. 3:17). They have biblical purpose in life. They want to be a blessing for others (Genesis 12:3).
Our church groups are on the same page. Each committee plans yearly activities to achieve that one single goal: How to make disciples of Jesus? SPRC provides staff for that goal. Nomination supplies volunteers to achieve that goal. Finance raises funds for that goal. Trustees provides facilities and tools to help us to achieve that goal.
After the group discussions, each group presented its discussions to the plenary session. I asked the group recording secretaries to write up their report in the News 3700, so that people who did not come to the Leadership Summit can read and see what our church committees are doing in 2023.
Please wait for their reports. Any committee that is ready will share their articles in this newsletter. When you read it, you will be inspired as I was inspired when I heard the reports orally at the Summit.
Nominations Committee
Historically the nominations committee met in the fall to make suggestions on members to fill vacancies in the other committees. This committee is now called Lay Leadership Development and encompasses membership including new members and member care. Our vision this year includes creating or recreating a structure similar to the phone tree started during the height of the pandemic when we were not worshipping in person. A group of callers each with a list of members would call each of them weekly or biweekly to check in and pass on information pertinent to the church community. This would allow us to follow up on pastoral visits, nurture relationships with online members, shut-in members and get to know new members. We will need to get the master list from the phone tree and update it. Perhaps in that process a new church directory can be created.
Trustees Report
- Solar carport
- New Monitors – sanctuary
- Landscape review
- Drip irrigation – Columbarium and Central Garden
- Compost recycling
- Family Promise showers
- Security on campus
- Sound system
- All Church workday, April 1
Worship Team Report
As disciples of Christ, we learn and live from His teachings. Building disciple-making worship services is the goal of the worship team. During the Leadership Summit on Sunday, the team discussed the importance of well-integrated and meaningful services. From the gathering moment and call to worship through the songs, Scripture, prayers, and sermon, the service should be intentional, coordinated, and cohesive, centering around a theme for that Sunday. Even the altar’s floral display is considered! To build this type of service, communication, creativity, and planning are key. Into each service, we aim to incorporate learning moments, as well as an optimal mingling of Central’s myriad ministries. Each person on the team brings his/her experience and expertise to the table as we delve into our duty of disciple-making!
Finance Committee
The Finance Committee utilized their time during the Leadership Summit to set a vision statement and establish goals for the year. The Vision Statement is as follows:
To be a generously giving church in order to meet needs of the congregation and the community
The Committee agreed that all activities fall under the general theme of education. Some of the activities for the year are as follows:
- Send a second letter to the congregation regarding giving. Lani will work on a draft of the letter
- Include mention of stewardship/giving on a monthly basis in sermons (Pastor Sungho)
- Expand pledge drive – start in October. Review past successes including more interactive activities of the congregation
- Sponsor an (approximately) four-week class on stewardship/financial literacy/management, etc.
- Explore opportunities to work with small groups on this topic
- Appoint a subcommittee on Stewardship and involve other church committees in it (with Finance members providing most of the resources. Utilize other committees as thought partners)
Additional discussion followed with an agreement that our desire is for financial giving to be increased so that the ministries of the church can be increased because of more financial resources. In recognition of that, the newly formed Stewardship Committee will include members from other Committees including MaryAnn Cox (Trustees), Suzi Treganza (SPRC), and Andrea Moccia from Education (one meeting only to share ideas).
Staff-Parish Relations Committee
The Staff-Parish Relations Committee consists of 9 members plus both Pastors. SPRC is there for the church staff. Its main purpose is to support the staff and make sure that they feel cared for and know whom to speak with if they ever have issues.
We have created a liaison structure so that each salaried employee has a member of SPRC that they can talk to, and the liaisons are charged with meeting with their appointed employee(s) once a month to touch base and make sure things are going well.
We created an annual calendar, broken down by quarter, to accomplish many goals. We have two main goals for 2023: Create a new Employee Handbook (which has not been updated since 2012) and create a Job Description for each employee that accurately reflects their duties. Our goal is to have these items done prior to the end of the year.
We will be holding an Employee Appreciation gathering at 5:30pm on Thursday, March 2nd. We want to acknowledge their hard work. Our plan is to hold another Employee Appreciation gathering towards the end of the year to distribute the new Employee Handbook and thank them again.