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Church Council
The creation of the Church Council continues a historic tradition within the Church whereby following the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ, the leaders of “the Way” often convened in groups to make decisions and to support one another in the work of mission and disciple-making.
Although the Church Council has many responsibilities, The Book of Discipline (section 252.1) lays the following foundation for their work. “The Church Council shall provide for planning and implementing a program of nurture, outreach, witness, and resources in the local church. It shall also provide for the administration of its organization and temporal life. It shall envision, plan, implement, and annually evaluate the mission and ministry of the church. The Church Council shall be amenable to and function as the administrative agency of the Charge Conference.”
Oakton church interprets the above into seven key responsibilities:
Create a vision- for Oakton church’s ministry to make disciples of Jesus Christ
Create a strategic plan (a guiding purpose)- comprised of a program of nurture, outreach and witness, that delineates the reasons we need to do something
Create clear, concise goals (what we want to accomplish)- for the accomplishment of our strategic plan
Create measurable, achievable objectives (how we will go about accomplishing our goals)- that will lead to goal achievement, and recruit the appropriate people to lead these objectives (activities)
Align the strategic plan with the mission of the church- by establishing priorities and directing available resources to those activities that will most effectively develop disciples of Christ
Evaluate the plan - by monitoring and measuring the impact of the ministry on people’s lives
Formalize the planning and decision making of the congregation- by acting as the primary administrative agency for the Charge Conference
All members of the church are invited to attend meetings of the Church Council and to participant in their discussions. Only Church Council members, however, are permitted to vote on any offered resolutions. Click here to see a list of Church Council members.
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Administrative Committees
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The Committee on Lay Leadership
Elected annually by the Charge Conference, the Committee on Lay Leadership is made up of full members of the Oakton Church. Their mission is to identify, develop, deploy, evaluate, and monitor Christian spiritual leadership within the congregation. Committee members engage in, and are attentive to, developing and enhancing their own Christian spiritual life in light of the mission of the Church.
The Committee on Lay Leadership serves throughout the year to guide the Church Council on matters regarding the leadership of the congregation so as to focus on mission and ministry as the context for service; guide the development and training of spiritual leaders; recruit, nurture, and support spiritual leaders; and assist the Church Council in assessing changing leadership needs. The Committee recommends to the Charge Conference, at its annual session, the names of people to serve as officers and leaders of designated ministries of the Church Council required for the work of the church. In the identification and selection process, care is taken that the leadership of ministries reflects inclusivity and diversity.
The Committee is to be composed of not more than nine persons, in addition to the Pastor and the Lay Leader. At least one young adult shall serve as a member of the Committee, and one or more youths may also be elected. While the Pastor serves as the Committee’s chairperson, a layperson elected by the Committee on Lay Leadership serves as its vice chairperson. Click here to see the list of members on the Committee for Lay Leadership.
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Staff Parish Relations Committee (SPRC)
The Oakton Staff Parish Relations Committee (SPRC) has primary responsibility for working with the church staff to ensure the mission of the church is realized. The SPRC performs some of the same functions as a Human Resources department in a company; working with both individuals and groups so they perform effectively. This includes working with the Pastor and the general church staff, as well as Lay Staff, the congregation, District Superintendent, and the United Methodist Conference.
The United Methodist Church has an appointive system rather that a call system for determining clergy leadership. The SPRC consults with the District Superintendent about congregational needs, but the Conference Bishop appoints and annually re-appoints clergy. Committee members must be attuned to the movement of God’s Spirit so that they serve as guides, mentors, managers of conflict, and interpreters of ministry both to the staff and the congregation.
Specific tasks of the SPRC include: conferring with the congregation and the Staff/Pastor about ministry direction; assessing the ministry of the congregation and the Staff/Pastor at least annually; conferring and consulting with the District Superintendent; supporting Staff continuing education; and identifying and supporting individuals in the congregation who feel God’s call to ordained ministry. The Committee is also responsible for interviewing and hiring new staff members (other than the Pastor), setting performance expectations and determining salaries. The Chairman of the SPRC, in conjunction with the Trustees, also inspects the church parsonage annually to ensure it is in compliance with conference parsonage standards.
Oakton Church’s SPRC members are nominated by the Committee on Lay Leadership and elected by the Charge Conference. To provide continuity, the Book of Discipline provides for a rotation system; meaning members are nominated in groups of three to serve three year terms. All members must be professing or associate members of the church. Additionally, the Lay Leader(s) and the Lay member to the annual conference are automatic appointees to the SPRC.
Oakton Church’s SPRC meets five times annually; more often if required. In accordance with the UMC of Discipline 2004, (section 259.2.e) “The committee shall meet in closed session, and information shared in the committee shall be confidential”. All SPRC meetings are closed to non-committee members. Click here to see a list of committee members.
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Finance Committee
The role of the Finance Committee is to identify, perfect and manage the finance system for the congregation. The finance system is the process of raising, managing, and dispersing finances so the mission and vision of the church can be achieved.
The Finance Committee discharges these responsibilities by:
· Obtaining recommended spending needs from the church and committee leaders to generate a budget, considering both income and expenditures, which will allow the church to achieve its stated mission and objectives for the coming year.
· Counting and recording income on a weekly basis.
· Recording and reporting to each member of the congregation their level of giving, on a regular basis.
· Dispersing the finances and paying the bills, consistent with the budget.
· Monthly, monitoring the financial status of the church and recommending any necessary changes to planned expenditures to the Church Council.
· Seeing that the church’s financial records are audited at least annually.
Members of the Committee include the chairperson, financial secretary (keeps records of congregational giving), treasurer (disperses the finances), audit sub-committee (coordinates the annual audit of the books), teller coordinator (recruits and trains the counters), leaders of other key committees and nine at-large members from the congregation. The Finance Committee meets approximately six times per year. Click on this link to see a list of committee members.
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Board of Trustees
The Trustees supervise and maintain all church property so that the ministries of the church can be effectively implemented. They work closely with the Church Council to respond to God's call. Their basic responsibilities include:
· Overseeing, maintaining, and supervising all church property
· Reporting annually to the Charge Conference on the state of the church's property, equipment, investments, and resources
· Receiving and administering all gifts made to the congregation
· Making certain all trust funds of the church are invested properly
· Insuring the church’s Articles of Incorporation are kept up-to-date
· Being responsible, in conjunction with the Pastor, for the use of the church building and grounds
· Maintaining adequate insurance coverage on all church property and developing appropriate risk-management policies
· Submitting to the Committee on Finance annual budget requests for insurance, property maintenance and improvements, and new property purchases
· Being accountable to the Charge Conference and the Church Council.
Click here to see a list of committee members.
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Communications Committee
Serve Oakton Church and its members by providing comprehensive communication planning and support to church-wide events and activities. Ensure that the church's five major platforms for communications: the website, newsletter, external sign, narthex bulletin boards, and church brochure are visually pleasing and up-to-date. Provide general support to the various ministry areas with their communication needs. Below is a summary of the various roles on the committee. Click on this list to see a list of committee members.
Communications Chairperson
Working collaboratively with the members of the communications committee, ministry leads and church staff, assist in developing and implementing a coordinated plan to communicate the programs and mission of the church both externally and internally.
Bulletin Board Coordinators
Design and maintain attractive and informative bulletin boards in the narthex.
Historians
Gather, organize and maintain information critical to preserving the history of the church.
Information Coordinator
Select and implement an electronic method for distributing e-mail messages efficiently and effectively throughout the congregation. Working with the church office, keep the e-mail addresses up to date and train select ministry leaders in how to maintain "group lists" so they can send messages to their members.
Media Coordinator
Write and distribute news releases to the local newspapers. Assist with developing and implementing communications plans and materials for special events, such as “Fishing Expeditions”.
Oak Leaves Editor
Edit and manage the monthly publication schedule for the church’s newsletter, Oak Leaves. Remind ministry leaders of upcoming deadlines, receive and edit content (as needed), select appropriate graphics, layout newsletter and proofread the final copy. Provide softcopy to the church office for copying and mailing and to the webmaster so it can be posted to the website.
Photographer
Attend all church functions and photograph, using digital photography. Catalog and archive all photos so they can be accessed by all members of the communications committee. Create photo galleries utilized in special events.
Sign Steward
Coordinate the selection and posting of the bi-weekly messages posted on the sign in the front of the church.
Videographer
Attend select church functions and record those events using video technology. Design and develop DVDs as requested.
Webmaster
Oversee the development and maintenance of the church web site. Create and update content, design new features as needed, and oversee hosting activities. Click here to send a message to the webmaster.
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