Wise as Serpents, Innocent as Doves IMPROVING GOVERNANCE IN OUR CHURCH COUNCILS

A real privilege and responsibility. An honor to be entrusted with helping oversee the direction and health of a church community. 1 Timothy 1:2, ‘It is true that anyone who desires to be a church official desires something worthwhile’.

A CC exists to serve God by overseeing the building of the church: The Church Council shall give priority in its life to: - Building up the congregation in faith and love, - Sustaining members in hope, - Leading the Congregation to a fuller participation in Christ’s mission in the world. - Regulations of UCA

What broader Governance principles may help us in our Church Councils?

The difference between Governance & Management

“Governance is different from management. Management runs the enterprise. The governing body ensures that it is being run well and in the right direction” - Robert Tricker

Governance & Management The Minister moves between these worlds. CC members obvious serve in ‘management’, and should submit accordingly. How does it work in your context? Where does the Treasurer sit?

The Role & Function of a Board To be the Active Trustees of the purpose of the organisation Ensuring value is created in line with the purpose Oversee the performance of the organisation through strategy and policy Monitoring the performance, ensuring : – Performance is in shareholders interests – Meets the objectives – Complies with legal requirements – Managing risk Recruit the CEO to manage the organisation

“The key role of the Board should be to ensure that the management is continuously and effectively striving for above-average performance, taking account of risk” - The Sydney Institute

A Standard Governance Model

Governance has two roles: 1. Conformance – monitoring management in terms of how well it runs the organisation in the interest of the community, government, other relevant stakeholders and in accordance with the law 2. Performance – setting objectives and working with management to improve the agency’s delivery against agreed objectives, in particular maximising the benefits delivered against the resources available.

Therefore the key issue is for a Board is: What is performance? (or another word) Who are you? Why do you exist? What is your purpose? What are you wanting to do?

Strategic Formulation (Strategy) = What are we going to do? Values, Mission & Vision

CS Lewis: “It’s so easy to think that the church has a lot of different objects – education, buildings, missions, holding services. But the church exists for no other purpose but to draw people to Christ. To make them ‘little Christs’. If they are not doing that, then all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the bible itself, are simply a waste of time. God became man for no other purpose. It’s even doubtful whether the whole universe was created for any other purpose”

Values What will you not compromise? What will anchor the organisation? Often defined by your activity, not your ideals. Real Values – and Desired Values.

Mission 1. What do you want to do? 2. What are you called to do? 3. If we did not exist, why would God call us into existence? 4. To whom are you sent?

Vision 1.If you achieve the Mission, what will we see? 2.What will look different? 3.The Church that I see… 4.The Community that I see… 5.They Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as in heaven – what will that look like in your neighborhood?