Single-Board Leadership Structure Proposal from Hamline Church United Methodist Fall 2015 Committee on Lay Leadership and Nominations

Why are we here? To explore the single-board or simplified structure Fruitful congregations have organizational structures that are flat and simple. How do we make decisions, set directions, and allocate resources? Who is in charge of our facilities, finances, people, and program in order to be fruitful in our shared mission and vision?

Our present structure… Church Council (Ad Board) Trustees Staff Pastor Parish Relations Finance Lay Leadership (Nominations) Committees/Teams—Worship, Missions, UMW, Spiritual Formation etc.

Church Council/Pastor (22+ members) Mission and Ministry Teams Worship Dining Hall Membership & Outreach Spiritual Formation Social Justice & Missions Hamline Women/UMW Ministry of Memory (History) Bread Oven Finance (10) Trustees (10) Staff Parish Relations Committee (9) Committee on Lay Leadership and Nominations Staff Church Council is the primary administrative body All other teams report to Church Council Ownership and communication can be unclear and ineffective As the church has grown, competing demands have grown HCUM members are stretched to attend more meetings and read/respond to more emails to stay up to speed There’s a lack of consistency and synergy that has all too often spread people across committees and administrative teams ...the decisions and planning of the committees have tended to drift apart, creating tension. We’ve struggled to stay on the same page and make aligned decisions in a timely fashion...

What can be unified… Church Council (Ad Board) Trustees Staff Parish Relations Committee (SPRC) Finance Nominations and Leadership Development Committees/Teams—Worship, Missions, UMW, Spiritual Formation etc.

What would that look like? The new entity could be called the Church Council There would officially still be the four committees, each with their own chair, but they would share a common membership (13-15 people) and meet at the same time.

Membership Membership: 13-15 people Council Chair/Lay Leader Council Vice Chair/Lay Leader Elect 3 SPRC (one serving as Chair) 3 Trustees (one serving as Chair) 3 Finance (one serving as Chair) Lay Member of Annual Conference Secretary At-Large Member Sr. Pastor

Church Council details 3‐year terms of service, staggered classes of 4-5 members each First class will include 4 members elected to 1‐year terms, 4 to 2‐year, and 4 to 3‐year Elected by the Charge Conference, proposed by Nominations Committee

How’s it work? Council chair and pastor set the agenda in consultation with the chairs of the other committees. When the agenda is the purview of a certain committee, like SPRC, its chair opens the meeting, deals with the agenda and closes that part of the meeting. Committees can have task groups under them. For example the Trustees, could have a building & grounds team. Finance, could have stewardship and audit.

Church Council Nominations Pastor Staff Ministry Team The structure must clearly answer the questions What is the mission? What is the method? Who manages? Who does the ministry?

What its role would be… Purpose is to Govern Carry out the duties of the unified committees Focus of the Church Council is on governance It wouldn’t be… Managing ministries Supervising staff Hearing ministry reports Micro managing Purpose is to Govern Accountable to the Mission Making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Establish the Vision (in concert with Pastoral Leader) How are we fulfilling the mission in our place and time? Establish the Boundaries Policies for ministry Finance policies and budget Standards of practice and behavior (what is not allowed?) Delegation of Authorities Who has authority to decide what?

How do the parts of the church relate in the new structure? Hamline Church: Mission & Core Values Congregation (mission & ministry) Church Council Pastor Staff Church Council supports and holds accountable the Pastor  Pastor leads the church, directly supports and holds accountable the staff Staff manages administration, and equips and guides the congregation in ministry The congregation does ministry, and supports and holds accountable the Church Council Everything centers around the core values and mission of the church, and everyone is accountable to them

ACCOUNTABILITY LEADERSHIP Members = Role is ministering Staff (paid & unpaid) = Role is managing Pastor = Role is leading Church Council = Role is governance

All games have rules or boundaries

Ministering within the boundaries Mission, Vision, and Values Budget Goals Policies and Procedures

Governance includes… Focusing the church on its mission, vision, and values --Making sure all ministries, staff, building utilization, budget, and calendar are aligned to the above Setting needed policies & procedures Setting the budget and providing financial oversight Setting strategic goals Holding the pastor accountable to the management of the above

Communication is Key Annual All Church Meeting: State of the church, goals, officer elections Occasional “town hall” meetings or other “listening” processes to obtain insight and input from the congregational Minutes and agenda are published

Pastor’s responsibility Supervising those managing the ministries (paid and unpaid servants) Monitoring the setting and achievement of goals Making sure goals align with the mission, vision, & values Making sure ministry respects their budgets, policies and procedures

Pastor makes sure… Each ministry understands and embraces its part in the overall mission of the church Ministries are not necessarily competing with or limiting one another Gaps in ministry are addressed Mutual support and synergy are built between all the ministries of the congregation Communicates the vision and direction The pastor leads a Mission & Ministry Core Team, made up of ministry representatives, to accomplish this. Discern and articulate the mission and vision of the congregation in all settings. Provide alignment (through the staff) to the mission and vision. Accept responsibility and exercise authority in keeping the congregation focused on fruitfulness in the goals established by the Church Council. Assure that the ministries of the church are carried out according to the boundaries and values established by the Church Council.

Managers—Paid & Unpaid Staff Oversee those doing the ministry—recruit, train, and reward them Report to the pastor Monitor their budgets Set and implement goals that are aligned with the mission, vision, and values Share the stories of their ministry’s results; makes sure communication is flowing between the church & ministry

Members = Freed for Ministry Members are disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world Purpose of members is to do ministry. Every member fulfills the vows: Prayers, Presence, Gifts, Service, Witness Ministries of members may be within or outside of “church” work! Ministry Teams Bread Oven, Ministry of Memory, Reconciling Ministries, Social Justice & Outreach, Member Care, Membership and Outreach, Dining Hall, Loaves and Fishes, Hamline Women/UMW, etc.

What’s attractive about this? Frees people to be in ministry instead of sitting on committees Empowers people for ministry instead of micromanaging them Helps the church to focus vision, mission and values It expedites/streamlines decision making

Ministry/Mission Teams There may be as many ministry teams as there are ministries. A ministry may be a regular, ongoing program (such as a weekly worship service or the youth group), an annual event (like the Dining Hall or family retreat), or even a single major event (a one-time mission trip). Every ministry will have a ministry team. Ministry teams may be any size, depending on the demands of the ministry they are carrying out and each ministry team will have a ministry team leader. Staff members support and resource the work of ministry teams.

Ministry Core Team A Ministry Core Team consisting of ministry team leaders (or their chosen representative) will convene two - four times per year to coordinate ministry (scheduling, building use, communications, ensure ministries are not unnecessarily competing with or limiting one another) so that ministry teams are mutually supportive and well aligned with the mission of the congregation as a whole.

Is it Disciplinary? The Discipline first allowed such a structure in 1996 This way of structuring your church has been vetted by annual conferences across the US A decision to go to a new structure will require Charge/Church Conference action, our District Supt will preside at a Church Conference on Wednesday, Nov 4th 7pm

Timeline Town Hall (October 18 2015) Perfection (October/November 2015): Congregational leadership may amend the proposed structure to address concerns if that seems advisable. Another town hall meeting may be held if necessary. Sign off from District Superintendent. All-Church Conference (Wednesday, November 4 7pm): Following approval of the proposed structure by the District Superintendent, the District Superintendent will call an All-Church Conference to consider the adoption of the new structure. No amendments will be allowed at this meeting. The congregation may debate the proposal, but it must vote up or down on the proposal as presented by church leadership. Pending outcome of the vote, an additional vote will be taken to elect the leadership slate for 2016 at the Annual Church Conference on Tuesday, November 17th. Implementation (January 1, 2016): The new model is in place and the newly elected leadership team begins their terms.