Approved Minutes:

July 27, 2011
June 22, 2011
April 27, 2011
February 23, 2011
December 16, 2010
October 20, 2010
August 25, 2010
June 23, 2010
April 28, 2010
February 24, 2010 
December 16, 2009
August 26, 2009
June 24, 2009
April 22, 2009
February 22, 2009
April 23, 2008
June 22, 2008
August 27, 2008
October 19, 2008
December 18, 2008

---

The purpose of the church council is to plan a program of nurture, outreach, and witness; implement the plan; provide an administrative infrastructure; align the plan with the mission of the church; evaluate the effectiveness of the plan; act as the administrative agency of the charge conference.

The church council exists to create a strategic plan for a local congregation. Therefore, its primary work is one of leadership rather than management. This is an important distinction to make. Leadership is the visionary, "big picture" work that assesses critically where the congregation is at the present moment, where God is calling it to be in the future, and what resources will be required to move from the current reality into the desired reality. Management is the essential "detail work" that must be accomplished on a daily basis to make the congregation effective.

The church council model reflects and continues a historic tradition within the Church. Jesus called twelve disciples to be together in the leadership of the early Christian movement (Luke 5:1-11, 27-32; 6:12-16). Following the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, leaders of "the Way" often convened in groups to make decisions and to support each other in the work of mission and disciple- making. Acts 15 describes the Council formed at Jerusalem. Throughout the letters of Paul, especially in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12, leadership in the congregation is described as the shared work of spiritually graced men and women-the body of Christ. A church council is greater than the sum of its parts. Gifted individuals-knit together in faith, love, and commitment and empowered and guided by the Holy Spirit-can accomplish much more than any individual. We honor and glorify God best when we become the body of Christ together.

See the 2010 Church Council List on this link:  Lay Leadership