Corrales Church Ministry Descriptions Table of Contents (Revised 10/18/2015) Ministry Description: Children s Ministry Coordinator Ministry Description: Church Clerk Ministry Description: Deacon Ministry Description: Head Deacon Ministry Description: Elder Ministry Description: Head Elder Ministry Description: Greeter Ministry Description: Greeting Coordinator Ministry Description: Prayer Ministry Leader Ministry Description: Sabbath School Superintendent Ministry Description: Church Treasurer Ministry Description: Women s Ministry Leader
Date approved by Church Board: 3/09/2015 Date revised: 07/13/2015 Reports to: Ministry Description: Children s Ministry Coordinator The Children s Ministry Coordinator is responsible to oversee the church s children s ministry to ensure a smoothly operating, safe and effective program. Oversee and implement all programming for Children s Ministry. Cast the vision for children s ministry and keep it in front of the people Work with pastor to coordinate church programs and functions in concert with the church s overall mission, vision and purpose statement. Represent the interests of children in the church s care at decision making meetings and sessions. Oversee and coordinate all aspect of the children s ministry from birth through 8th grade Organize training and planning sessions for children s leaders/workers. Implement and maintain the church s child protection policy Approve all children s ministry programs and activities Plan and oversee special events such as children s church, VBS, etc. Organize cooperative ministry under the leadership of the pastor and church board Provide training and orientation to the position s successor. Suggest to supervisor revisions as appropriate to this ministry description. Engage in one or more professional development activities as discussed with supervisor. Qualifications Good organizational skills, good communicator Love for children and families Passion for ministry to children and seeing children grow in faith with a desire to teach and mentor children with patience and an accepting heart Possess the ability to use appropriate judgment, discretion, sensitivity and confidentiality Have a personal relationship with Jesus Resources The following resources are recommended for your ministry. You can purchase these by Calling AdventSource (800 328 0525), the Adventist Book Center (800 765 6955) or your local Christian bookstore. Beyond the Edge, by Sarah Kelnhofer Contains 52 mission stories from the front lines, plus a three part activity section for children following each story Corrales SDA Church Ministry Descriptions Page 1/19
How to Help Your Child Really Love Jesus, by Donna Habenicht A child development specialist explains how children develop spiritually and offers practical suggestions on how you can help children establish a lasting friendship with God Little Voices Praise Him This delightful collection of 315 songs is part of the new GraceLink curriculum for Beginner and Kindergarten, but can be used in VBS, children s church, and at home Also available on CD Visit wwwchildmincom for A volunteer ministry information form and directions for its use An electronic filing system for student information Visit wwwgracelinknet for Sabbath School curriculum. Visit wwwacma onlineorg for a Children s Ministries support network. Corrales SDA Church Ministry Descriptions Page 2/19
Date approved by Church Board: 03/09/2015 Date revised: 07/13/2015 Reports to: Head Elder Ministry Description: Church Clerk The duties of the clerk include: maintaining church records, transferring members, notifying the conference of delegates elected to represent the church and provide monthly and quarterly reports to the conference. 1. Attending Meetings a. Board Meetings b. Business Meeting 2. Maintaining Church Records a. Transcribe board meeting minutes and submit for approval during the current meeting. b. Transcribe business meeting minutes and submit for approval during the current meeting. c. Maintain requests for membership transfers d. Maintain current membership list e. Maintain ministry descriptions and policies & procedures f. Check mail weekly and distribute to appropriate people 3. Transferring Members a. Effect membership transfers using e adventist. b. Process notifications of request for transfer of membership to Corrales SDA church i. The clerk will receive email notification when a member is requesting a transfer to the Corrales SDA church. ii. The clerk will notify the Board of Directors. The board will make the decision by vote. iii. The request for membership transfer will be placed in the bulletin for a first and second reading. iv. If approved by the membership, the clerk enters the date of membership transfer approval in e adventist. v. Communicate with the member when the transfer has been completed. c. Process notifications of request for transfer of membership from Corrales SDA church i. The clerk will notify the Board of Directors when a member is requesting a transfer to another SDA church. Corrales SDA Church Ministry Descriptions Page 3/19
ii. A notice of the request for membership transfer will be placed in the bulletin for a first and second reading. iii. If approved by the membership, the clerk enters the date the membership transfer request was approved by the membership. iv. The clerk of the requesting church will enter the membership transfer into e adventist. 4. Notification of current Board Members a. The clerk will notify the General Conference of the names of the following positions by early November to the General Conference Secretary: i. Head Elder ii. Clerk iii. Treasurer iv. Sabbath School Superintendent 5. Notify the General Conference of Elected Delegates a. The clerk will notify the General Conference of the board designated delegates. 6. Provide monthly and quarterly reports to the General Conference a. The Baptism, Profession of Faith, Transfer and Death Report b. The Local Church Sabbath School & Church Service Monthly/Quarterly Report will be emailed to the General Conference at the end of each quarter. 7. Prepare other reports as requested by the board. 8. Provide training and orientation to the clerk s successor. 9. Suggest to supervisor revisions as appropriate to this ministry description. 10. Engage in one or more professional development activities as discussed with supervisor. Corrales SDA Church Ministry Descriptions Page 4/19
Date approved by Church Board: Date revised: 07/13/2015 Reports to: Head Deacon Ministry Description: Deacon The deacons perform a wide variety of duties in the church emphasizing the physical work and care of the church. Deacons take responsibility for the upkeep of the church property. Greeting and ushering: They may do the greeting if needed and are generally the ushers for functions. Property upkeep: They assure that the furniture, microphones, offering plates, and other worship service props are in place and ready for use. Safety & comfort: They care for the safety and comfort of those persons who are in attendances at church functions. Baptism: Deacons assist with the baptism service usually including: preparing & filing the pool, assisting male candidates, and physical labor related to the service. Communion: They provide the physical arrangements including: placing the table, placing the towels, placing the basins, placing the water, dispensing physical objects, and giving aid or attention to anyone needing it. Administration: Bring to the Head Deacon any items that require attention and keep this ministry description up to date. Corrales SDA Church Ministry Descriptions Page 5/19
Date approved by Church Board: Date revised: 07/13/2015 Reports to: Head Elder Ministry Description: Head Deacon The Head Deacon organizes and leads the deacons to perform their work (see the Deacon Ministry Description). 1. Schedules the deacons and other volunteers to as needed to address the following Church needs: a. Greeting and ushering: providing a warm welcome that provides a warm and professional first impression b. Property upkeep: i. Ensuring the furniture, microphones, offering plates, and other worship service props are in place and ready for use. ii. Assuring the facilities and grounds are maintained c. Safety & comfort: caring for the safety and comfort of those persons who are in attendances at church functions. d. Baptism: assisting with the baptism service usually including: preparing & filing the pool, assisting male candidates, and physical labor related to the service. e. Communion: providing the physical arrangements including: placing the table, placing the towels, placing the basins, placing the water, dispensing physical objects, and giving aid or attention to anyone needing it. f. Administration: i. Engaging in professional development activities relevant to the deacon or head deacon functions. Examples include conference courses, books, or other structured learning. ii. Bringing to the Head Deacon s attention any items that appear to be overlooked. iii. Keeping this ministry description up to date. 2. Performs a quarterly walk through of the property to identify and remedy items requiring attention. 3. Takes steps to address items requiring attention, which may include assigning work to the deacons or deaconess, doing the work himself, or hiring others to perform the work (bringing items that exceed the Head Deacon s spending authority to the Church Board for approval). 4. Reports to the Board, within three months of assuming this role, the following items (after reviewing the previous report): a. Deferred maintenance items and estimated costs to address b. Identified safety concerns Corrales SDA Church Ministry Descriptions Page 6/19
Date approved by Church Board: Date revised: 08/02/2015 Reports to: Head Elder Ministry Description: Elder An Elder is a church leader who has felt the call of the Holy Spirit to fulfill the biblical call to ministry as a resource to the pastoral staff. He or she is available, supportive, and responsive to the ministry of the pastoral staff. Exists as a resource to the elders ministry Meets regularly with the Pastor and Elders staff to identify the ministry needs of the church Facilitates a culture of open communication regarding differences according to Matthew 18. Visits members in their homes, encourage others to do so, and assist in the training of prospective members. An elder should visit and should pray with specific members for their individual needs on his or her own initiative and as assigned. Demonstrates commitment to outreach. It is especially important for the Elders to be committed to the outreach of the church. The congregation needs to know that its leaders have a clear vision of the mission of the church. Oversees the worship service. The involvement and leadership of an elder can make a tremendous difference in the weekly worship celebration service of the church. Quality leadership and participation can transform a dull, lifeless worship service into meaningful celebration and praise. Skills in worship leadership, such as the reading of scripture, offering public prayers, planning the order of service, and in smaller churches at least, delivering the sermon, should be developed. Grows spiritually and professionally. Should participate in at least one professional development activity per year. Has one pre prepared sermon that can be given in Church at a moment s notice. Is a spiritual mentor. The spiritual life of an elder should constantly lead members of the church to seek a deeper spiritual experience for themselves. An elder should model, by his or her devotional life, Christian personality and spiritual interest, a higher ideal for each member to reach. The elder should reflect the fruits of the Spirit in his or her relationship with others: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. An elder should be in tune with the spiritual needs of the church and individual church members. Understands beliefs. An elder should understand and support the basic beliefs of the SDA Church. Corrales SDA Church Ministry Descriptions Page 7/19
Church Administration. An elder should always attempt to make a positive contribution to the organization and progress of the church. While doing this, he or she attend church meetings as appropriate and enable others to participate in decision making in the church and ministry. An elder communicates progress to the church board and encourages a unified mission. Oversees the Church service. As scheduled, be in charge of the Sabbath morning worship service. Assure the service starts on time, all the participants are in place, and that the service flows smoothly. Keeps this ministry description up to date. Corrales SDA Church Ministry Descriptions Page 8/19
Date approved by Church Board: Date revised: 08/02/2015 Reports to: Pastor Ministry Description: Head Elder The Head Elder is a church leader who has felt the call of the Holy Spirit to fulfill the biblical call to ministry as a resource to the pastoral staff and Church elders. The Head Elder assumes the responsibilities described in the Elder Ministry Description as well as the following. The Head Elder has ultimate responsibility for overseeing the work of the local church and organizing all leaders reporting to him or her (see the Corrales Seventh day Adventist Church Organization Chart.) The Head Elder works with the Pastor to coordinate special Sabbaths around various themes (e.g. Mother s Day, Christ s resurrection, or ad hoc themed worship services), and preparing agendas for Board meetings. Trains, or ensures that all positions reporting to the Head Elder have appropriate training. Meets with all direct reports at least quarterly to discuss What has been working well and not so well for each leader What the Head Elder can do to help each leader be as successful as possible What training the leader has engaged in or is planning to engage in to fulfill his or her role as effectively as possible. Corrales SDA Church Ministry Descriptions Page 9/19
Report to: Greeter Coordinator Date approved by Church Board: Date revised: 08/31/2015 Ministry Description: Greeter The greeter holds is one of the most important positions in the church. It involves far more than giving a bulletin and a handshake. The greeter is the first person most people meet at a church function. The first impression of these people is set by the greeter. It is essential that this impression convey a loving, happy, caring atmosphere. The needs of our regular attendees are to feel they are a valued part of the congregation, that their presence and involvement is valued. That they are part of a family and this is where they belong. The greeter must reinforce that these members are valued. Visitors need to get the message our church is friendly and accepting and there is a place for them in our congregation. Dress in a neat, clean, and modest manner. Clothing should not draw undue attention to the person. The deportment of the greeter makes an impact. We all have our individual personalities and we can t all be "Mr or Miss Congeniality." So we must all assess and draw on our own strengths as we interact with those arriving at the church. Greeter must arrive by 9:10 AM. Greeters should remain on duty at least until the sermon begins. Expand the greeting ministry into the parking lot. Especially the men greeters should go out into the parking lot to greet people there, to aid the elderly or those needing help in getting from their cars to the church, open the church doors for those entering, and help those who are carrying items into the church. Also a number of people with children go to the fellowship hall for their children to attend classes, but they stay for church. These people especially need a welcome and to receive a bulletin. If there is rain or snow, have an umbrella available and make sure the elderly get in safely. We will try to keep two large umbrellas in a back corner of the pastor s office for that purpose. When welcoming someone: Open the door for those who are arriving, Provide a warm welcome to each person as they arrive, Provide a handshake or hug, as appropriate, If the person is a visitor, invite him or her to the fellowship meal, Help visitors find a class for themselves and their children, Corrales SDA Church Ministry Descriptions Page 10/19
If the person is a first time guest, invite the guest to complete an interest card. But respect the fact that some people are very private and do not want to provide their personal information. Leave the card upside down on the Pastor s desk. Offer the arriving person a bulletin. Letter mailed to each visitor: Deposit in the mail box a letter for each visitor using the address from the registration cards found at the greeter s podium. The letter should contain a church letter, the Pastor s business card, 2 church outreach calling cards, and a bookmark. After the service: Greeters need to take note of who the visitors are, and then after the service is over, make sure someone chats with them again and they are again made to feel welcome. Promptly prepare and mail out to each visitor, a copy of the church letter that has been prepared for that purpose. Miscellaneous: Be on the alert for suspicious people hanging around the church or in the halls. Also be on the alert for small children going in or out or to the bathroom unaccompanied by their parents. If you are concerned about anything you see, notify an elder, deacon or deaconess. DO s: Say positive things about the church and our school Look directly at the person s eyes when you speak Invite the person, if a visitor, to the fellowship lunch Show the person where to go Try to learn interesting things about the person Focus your undivided attention on the arriving person Treat people from all walks of life the same Open the door for those entering DON Ts: Say negative things about the church Say negative things about church doctrines Bring up your personal problems, investments, or politics Look at the persons chest, waist, or feet, or off in the distance Allow yourself to be distracted by other conversations in the foyer Chew gum Corrales SDA Church Ministry Descriptions Page 11/19
Report to: Assigned Elder Date approved by Church Board: Date revised: 08/31/2015 Ministry Description: Greeting Coordinator The Greeting Coordinator Select greeters. Obtain from the Nominating Committee the list of people who indicated on the church nominating committee survey that they would be interested in greeting. The more greeters that are recruited, the easier everyone s job will be. Train greeters. Before greeters begin their ministry, provide an orientation for the greeters. At a minimum, the orientation should cover the following: The duties of a Greeter What to do and what not to do in order to be as effective as possible. Develop a schedule and post it to the church s Google calendar for greeters. Show greeter how to subscribe to the calendar so they receive reminder alerts on the preceding Friday. Review any protocols for revising the schedule. Try to have at least one greeter who works outside in the parking lot. Supervise greeters. Communicate to the bulletin secretary who the scheduled greeters are for the current and following week. Make sure the bulletins are folded and stuffed with any inserts before 9:10 AM on Sabbath morning. (Greeters must not be distracted from greeting by folding and stuffing bulletins. Folding and stuffing when people are arriving ignores arriving worshipers and gives the impression we do not have our act together.) Corrales SDA Church Ministry Descriptions Page 12/19
Date approved by Church Board: Date revised: 10/18/2015 Reports to: Ministry Description: Prayer Ministry Leader The Prayer Ministry leader is part of the overall spiritual life of the church members. Organize a team to participate in the Prayer and Praise time of the worship service Coordinate the 10 Days of Prayer in January Be available for special times of prayer with church members Serve as part of Texico (Zone 1) Network of Prayer Ministries Be responsible for burning the prayer cards once or twice a year Fill in for other members of the prayer team who may not be able to perform the duty of Prayer and Praise on a particular Sabbath Provide training and orientation to the position s successor. Suggest to supervisor revisions as appropriate to this ministry description. Engage in one or more professional development activities as discussed with supervisor. Resources Corrales SDA Church Ministry Descriptions Page 13/19
Date approved by Church Board: Date revised: 08/03/2015 Reports to: Head Elder Ministry Description: Sabbath School Superintendent To foster supportive Sabbath School environments that foster spiritual growth and understanding, personal relationships, and deepen members relationships with our Savior. Qualifications 1. Committed born again Christian and sound in the faith. 2. Example in Christian and family living. 3. Ability to consistently organize, plan and be a cooperative team player. Trains, or ensures that all positions reporting to the Sabbath School Superintendent have appropriate training to effectively fulfill their duties Organizes Sabbath School volunteer schedules and publishes the same to the appropriate church s calendar Develops the S.S. leadership and recruits volunteers Calls Sabbath School Council meetings as appropriate Authorizes expenditure of funds for the S.S. in harmony with the budget Implements a mechanism to ensure accountability for Sabbath School responsibilities Arranges for supplies, equipment, and meeting space for divisions Meets with all direct reports at least quarterly to discuss: What has been working well and not so well for each leader What the Head Elder can do to help each leader be as successful as possible What training the leader has engaged in or is planning to engage in to fulfill his or her role as effectively as possible. Engages in at least one professional development activity relevant to the duties contained in this ministry description. Reviews this ministry description and suggests revisions as appropriate to the Head Elder. Corrales SDA Church Ministry Descriptions Page 14/19
Date approved by Church Board: Date revised: 10/18/2015 Reports to: Assigned elder Ministry Description: Church Treasurer The treasurer is the custodian of all church funds, including tithe, monies given for specific purposes, and offerings for church, conference, union, division and worldwide projects. The treasurer provides timely financial information to the board to facilitate decision making. General responsibilities Supervise the collecting, counting, receipting, posting, and banking of the funds of the church. Disburse funds in accordance with Church Board direction. Report to the church board and supervising Elder Report monthly to the conference office the remittance of all tithes and offerings other than local church offerings. Direct the preparation of the annual budget. Serve as a member of the Church Board. Prepare key performance indicators with relevant trending or benchmarking Specific responsibilities Count or oversee the counting of all contributions Keep a careful record of all receipts Honor intention of donor when posting contributions Oversee deposits of receipts into the local church s bank account (to be done weekly) Ensure disbursed funds receive appropriate approvals from Church Board, are with in budgetary guidelines, and proper signatories have been obtained Ensure bank statements are reconciled to the books within 30 day s of the statement date Forward a copy of the church financial reports to the conference each month, accompanied by a check covering the amount of tithe given and the offerings received that were designated other than local church offerings Ensure financial reports are prepared and presented during Board and Church Business meetings as follows Statement of financial position Statement of activities Budget monitoring reports Management reports as requested Corrales SDA Church Ministry Descriptions Page 15/19
Keep church staff and appropriate committees informed of relevant trends or changes in fiscal matters. Issue receipts to donors for income tax purposes Work with staff members, officers and organizations in administering financial details of church projects Keep proper record of all transactions Qualifications The Church Treasurer should be familiar with accounting principles and internal control methods and should be able to: Oversee supporting staff Communicate to the Board and church members on treasury matters Prepare budgets Use computers to prepare reports and analyses, and maintain the church s financial records Make appropriate time commitment to complete duties and tasks of position. Corrales SDA Church Ministry Descriptions Page 16/19
Date approved by Church Board: Date revised: 07/13//2015 Reports to: Head Elder Ministry Description: Women s Ministry Leader The Women s Ministry Leader will assist the church in meeting the spiritual, emotional, and intellectual needs of women in their various stages of life and cultural diversity. She will create an environment that encourages productivity, rewards effort and initiative, and provides a spiritual climate in which each woman can experience growth. The leader assesses the needs of the women in the church through surveys and interviews. The leader is an active member of the local church board disseminating information on women's activities and harmonizing these activities with the larger church program. She works closely with the pastor and the local conference Women's Ministries director. Attend basic training sessions sponsored by the local conference Establish a committee to brainstorm, develop strategies, and assist in planning programs and activities that relate to women's specific and varied needs. Conduct a needs assessment for women in the local church and community. Survey questionnaires can be used to obtain this information. Develop and implement Women's Ministries programs or seminars, and network with existing support groups active in the church. Sample groups or programs include abused women, support for elderly members, single parents, health care, hygiene, time management, grief recovery, spiritual care (discipleship), witnessing, personal devotions, self improvement, and support for women married to non believers, etc. Other activities may include prayer breakfasts, literacy programs, day care, and programs for the elderly, to name a few. Serve as an advocate for women s concerns, needs, and contributions. It is the leader s responsibility to keep the church membership informed of Women's Ministries and its contributions to church life. This responsibility includes allotting time during personal ministries, announcement period, or Sabbath school to share with the congregation at large. This responsibility includes being a liaison between the women of the church and the church board members, assisting the board members to keep in view the needs of the women in the church and recognizing the Women's Ministries as a significant and vital part of church growth and church dynamics. Suggest to supervisor revisions as appropriate to this ministry description. Qualifications Possess a: Commitment to Jesus Christ and to a growing personal relationship with Him Corrales SDA Church Ministry Descriptions Page 17/19
Commitment to the Seventh day Adventist Church and to its beliefs Commitment to cooperative ministry under the leadership of the pastor and church board Commitment to personal growth and learning, continually upgrading methods and skills Sensitive, caring nature, a clear spiritual understanding of God's design for women, and a burden for women's broad needs and concerns. Resources The conference Women's Ministries director is responsible for providing resources for the local church leaders. The Women's Ministries leaders at the union level provides training seminars for Women's Ministries leaders, and the Women's Ministries director at the division level is available for organizational assistance, training meetings, encouragement, and resources. Corrales SDA Church Ministry Descriptions Page 18/19