SPEEDWAY UMC

The following are descriptions for Speedway United Methodist Church ministry and leadership positions.

Chair of Church Leadership Team Administrative Council

Structure

The Church Council is the administrative agency of the charge conference to envision, plan, implement, and annually evaluate the ministry of the congregation. Members of the church council shall be involved in the mission and ministry of the church: nurture, outreach, and witness. All persons with vote shall be members of the local church (BOD , ¶244.3) The charge conference will determine the size of the church council. The membership of the council may consist of as few as eleven persons or as many as the charge conference deems appropriate. The council shall include persons who represent the program ministries of the church. (The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church, 2012, ¶252) The chair of this group is elected annually by the charge conference (¶251.3).

Who is qualified for this job?

Spiritual gifts: Leadership, administration, servanthood, discernment, and teaching.

Experience, Skills: This leader should show evidence of prior effective ministry leadership, evidence of active and growing personal discipleship, ability to collaborate with other ministry leaders, preside over meetings, delegate responsibility and follow up getting the job done.

What does the Chairperson of Leadership Team/Administrative Council do?

• Lead the council in fulfilling its responsibilities as outlined in The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church, 2012, ¶252.
• Work with the pastor(s), lay leader and others to fulfill the mission of “making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”
• Through the year, this leader prepares and communicates the agenda for meetings, leads the meetings, follows up actions by assigning responsibility for implementation, coordinates the activities of the leadership team, and maintains a healthy and growing spiritual life.

Lay Leader

Structure
Out of the professing membership of each local church, the Charge Conference shall elect a Lay Leader who shall function as the primary lay representative of the laity in that local church. United Methodist Book of Discipline 2012, ¶251.1.

Who is qualified for this job?

Spiritual gifts: servanthood, faith, compassion, apostleship

Experience, skills: A Lay Leader should be a growing Christian disciple who understands that everyone has spiritual gifts and experiences that are vital to the Body of Christ (See 1 Corinthians 12). This person benefits from knowing his or her own spiritual gift(s) and living out those gifts in congregational life.
This leader should be a living example of one who “loves God and loves neighbor.” It is important for a lay leader to listen well and communicate with people of all ages. This person should show evidence of working well with both clergy and laity, with various teams and task groups. The Lay Leader must have the ability to keep a broad view of the separate parts of the congregation and help align the entire ministry toward the mission of the church. The lay leader should show interest in connecting the congregation with the community and the world in order to participate in the petition of the Lord’s Prayer “thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as in heaven.”

What does the Lay Leader do?

• This leader represents the laypeople in the congregation.
• This leader is a role model of Christian discipleship for the congregation and needs to remember that others will follow this leader’s example in spiritual living.
• This person continuously looks for ways to connect Christian discipleship with daily life and teaches others to do the same.
• The Lay Leader collaborates with other church leaders to find ways within the community of faith to recognize the ministries of laity in worship, in communication, and in other programs of the congregation.
• The Lay Leader meets regularly with the pastor to discuss the state of the church and the opportunities for ministry.
• In some congregations, the lay leader partners with the pastor in leading worship.

Lay Delegate to Annual Conference

Structure: The lay member of the annual conference (and alternate, if elected) shall be a professing member of the congregation for at least 2 years and an active participant for at least 4 years preceding their election. This person shall report the actions of the annual conference to the congregation within 3 months of the close of the annual conference session. United Methodist Book of Discipline,2012 ¶ 251.2

Who is qualified for this job?

Spiritual gifts: servanthood, teaching, giving, compassion, faith, discernment, apostleship.

Experience, Skills: This leader needs to enjoy learning about issues, programs, and hopes of people in the community and congregation and have an interest in learning about parliamentary procedure and church structure. Other qualifications to consider for this leader are listening and teaching skills, speaking, writing and interpretative skills, aptitude for networking ideas with interests of people in the congregation, and a desire to participate in discussion and decisions affecting ministry in many communities.

Finance

Structure: The committee is comprised of a chairperson, the pastor, lay member of annual conference, chairperson of the church council, chairperson or representative of the staff-parish committee, a representative of the trustees, the lay leader, the financial secretary, the treasurer, and others determined by the charge conference. The positions of church treasurer and financial secretary should not be combined, nor should they be members of the same immediate family (The United Methodist Book of Discipline, 2012, ¶258.4)

Who’s qualified for this job?

Spiritual Gifts: giving, faith, wisdom, exhortation (encouragement), teaching, and servanthood.

Experience, Skills: Committee members must have the ability to listen to and communicate with people of all ages who have ideas about the mission and ministry of the congregation. These people need skills with financial budgetary matters along with an understanding of Biblical stewardship and management of all the resources God provides.

Responsibilities

• Compile a complete annual budget for supporting the mission and vision of the local church and submit the budget to the church leadership team for review and adoption. Throughout the year, the finance team recommends any changes to the approved annual budget to the church leadership team.
• Develop and carry out plans to raise income to support the approved budget.
• The finance team needs to engage in spiritual practices that build a relationship of attentiveness to God’s will and direction. Financial management and daily administration can shift any leader’s attention away from the purpose of the church to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
• Recommend proper depositories for church funds; carry out the church leadership team’s directions about administration and disbursement of funds; and follow procedures for the church treasurer and the financial secretary. Arrange for an annual audit of financial records.

Pastor/Staff-Parish Relations Committee

Structure: The committee shall be composed of not fewer than five nor more than nine persons. All must be professing members of the local church. One member shall be a young adult and one member may be a youth. In addition, the lay leader and lay member of annual conference shall be members. No staff member nor immediate family member of a staff person may serve on the committee. Only one person residing in the same household shall serve on the committee. The United Methodist Book of Discipline 2012, ¶258.2

Who is qualified for this job?

Spiritual gifts: Exhortation (encouragement), wisdom, discernment, apostleship, administration, shepherding, teaching, leadership.

Experience, Skills: Committee members should be diverse in age, experience, and interests in order to bring all ministry opportunities of the congregation to the attention of the staff. Some experience in human relations, personnel management, and communications is helpful. These individuals must listen well to both staff and people of all ages in the congregation while keeping a focus on the mission of the church. These leaders must be able to maintain confidentiality.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the congregation to encourage, strengthen, nurture, support, and respect the pastor(s) and staff and their families. Help the staff set priorities that strengthen the congregation’s total ministry.
• Consult with the lead pastor to recommend staff positions to support the strategy of the church leadership team.
  Recommend staff compensation, travel, housing, and other financial matters to the church council through the finance committee.
• Create and update written policy for hiring, evaluating, promoting, retiring, and dismissing staff members who are not subject to episcopal appointment. (Procedures must comply with local and state laws.)
  Conduct proper screening (including background checks) for lay employees and volunteer staff.
• Meet with the district superintendent and/or the bishop in an advisory capacity related to clergy leadership. Considerations include the age and stage of the congregation, an understanding of feelings and desires within the congregation about the pastor’s leadership and appointment, and the culture and needs of the community around the church.
• Enlist, evaluate, and annually recommend to the charge conference candidates for professional ministry.

Young Adult Ministry Coordinator

Result Expected: An effective leader will work with church and community leaders of all ages to address the needs of young adults and opportunities for growing as Christian disciples. The young-adult ministry shall be for, with, and by young adults. Young adults in the congregation and community will grow in faith as Christian disciples.

Who is qualified for this job? 

• The young-adult ministry coordinator benefits from having one or more of these spiritual gifts: servanthood, teaching, exhortation (encouragement), leadership, administration, evangelism (meeting new people), helping, and shepherding. This leader should show evidence of passion for young-adult ministry, prior effective ministry leadership, and evidence of active and growing discipleship.
• Useful skills for this position are the ability to listen to and communicate with people of all ages and the ability to work with other ministry leaders, delegate responsibility, and follow up to complete tasks.
• This leader should show genuine interest in responding to the hopes and concerns of young adults in the community.

Responsibilities of the Position

• The coordinator of young-adult ministry will be attentive to the hopes, concerns, and needs of young adults in the community to determine how the congregation might serve them and how they might serve one another as Christian disciples and good neighbors. The coordinator will identify key people in the community and congregation for collaboration and advocacy for young people’s issues.
• The coordinator needs to be familiar with the congregation’s overall goals and how they are achieved through the congregation’s ministry with young people.
• The coordinator will promote understanding of Christian vocation in daily life, building an understanding of God’s call to all Christians.
• This leader will advocate that all young people are welcome and expected to be vital participants in the congregation.
• The coordinator will work with people of all ages to plan and carry out ministry with young adults in a varied and wide-ranging program that includes worship, study, fellowship, service opportunities, and more.
• The coordinator will be informed of and follow the conference child safety/vulnerable adult policies, procedures, and requirements to be followed by the local church.
• The coordinator intentionally communicates with organizations, people, and resources in the community that relate to young adults and seeks to connect the congregation with the community.
• The coordinator will guide the work of the young-adult leadership team (if organized) throughout the year, including planning its agendas and presiding at its meetings.
• The coordinator will work with other leaders to learn about curriculum and other resources available for young adults in order to help teachers and group leaders select appropriate resources for study and growth.
• The coordinator is accountable to the charge conference through the church council.

Trustees

Structure: The Board of Trustees shall be composed of not fewer than three nor more than nine persons. Trustees shall be of legal age as defined by law, and 2/3 shall be professing members of the United Methodist Church. No pastor is a voting member unless elected as a member. The Board of Trustees will elect their own chairperson. Legal requirements for trustees of property are outlined in the United Methodist Book of Discipline 2012, ¶2524 through 2550.

Who is qualified for this job?

Spiritual gifts: servanthood, helping/assistance, administration, giving, and evangelism.

Experience, Skills: Trustees should be people with knowledge and skills for property and asset management, have the ability to listen to and communicate with people of all ages, and work well with other ministry leaders. Trustees should show genuine interest in responding to the hopes and concerns of people in the community and a willingness to partner with community interests.

The Trustees chairperson should show evidence of prior effective ministry leadership, especially in the area of stewardship of assets, and show evidence of active and growing discipleship, the ability to preside over meetings, the ability to delegate responsibility and follow up in getting the job done.

Responsibilities:

• Trustees, subject to the direction of the charge conference, have oversight and care of all local church property, buildings, and equipment in order to accomplish the mission of the church. This is done in consultation with the pastor.
• Trustees need to engage in spiritual practices that build a relationship of attentiveness to God’s will and direction. Church administration and attentiveness to daily affairs can distract trustees from the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Trustees need to hold one another accountable to the mission and vision of the church.
• Trustees receive and administer all gifts made to the congregation, making certain that trust funds of the congregation are invested properly. Bequests and gifts to endowment projects can, by direction of the charge conference, be directed to a special endowment or legacy committee. This committee will promote, invest, and distribute the proceeds from these gifts. Congregations should seek assistance from their conference or area United Methodist Foundation.
• Trustees ensure that the Articles of Incorporation of the congregation are kept up-to-date.
• Trustees annually review property, liability, and crime insurance coverage on church-owned property, buildings, and equipment. The team also reviews personnel insurance for protection against risk, and consults with the Pastor-Parish team about other personnel insurance.
• Trustees conduct an annual accessibility audit of buildings and grounds to discover and then work toward eliminating barriers that impede full participation of all people.
• The team submits annual budget requests to the committee on finance for property maintenance and improvement, as well as new property purchases.
• Trustees are accountable to the charge conference and the church council. The term “trustees” as used in the United Methodist Book of Discipline, may be construed to be synonymous with “director” of corporations when required to comply with law.

Youth Ministries Coordinator

Result Expected: An effective youth ministries coordinator will work with other church and community leaders to address the needs of youth and maximize opportunities so that all youth grow in strength and wisdom. Youth ministry shall be for, with, and by youth. Youth in your congregation and community will grow in faith as Christian disciples.

Who is qualified for this job?

The youth coordinator benefits from having one or more of these spiritual gifts: servanthood, teaching, exhortation (encouragement), leadership, administration, helping, and shepherding. This leader should show evidence of passion for youth ministry, prior effective ministry leadership, and evidence of active and growing discipleship. This person demonstrates a basic knowledge of youth development.

Useful skills for this position are the ability to listen to and communicate with people of all ages and the ability to work with other adults, youth ministry leaders, and youth. Other skills needed include the ability to delegate responsibility and follow up to complete tasks.

This leader should show genuine interest in responding to the needs and concerns of youth in the community.

Responsibilities of the Position

• The coordinator of youth ministry will be attentive to the hopes, concerns, and needs of youth in the community to determine how the congregation might serve them and their families and how they might serve one another as Christian disciples and good neighbors. This person will identify key people in the congregation and community for collaboration and advocacy for young people’s issues.
• The coordinator needs to be familiar with the congregation’s overall goals and how they are achieved through the congregation’s ministry by, with, and for youth.
• This leader will advocate that all youth are welcome. The coordinator will raise congregational awareness of the needs and contributions of youth in the community and the world.
• The coordinator will promote the understanding of Christian vocation in daily life in work with youth, building an understanding of God’s call for all Christians.
• The coordinator will advocate for quality leaders and excellent mentors who encourage young people to develop their own gifts, skills, strengths, and ideas.
• The coordinator will be informed of and follow the conference child safety policies, procedures, and requirements that are to be followed by the local church.
• The coordinator will work with others to plan and carry out ministry by, with, and for youth in varied and wide-ranging programs that include worship, study, fellowship, service opportunities, and others.
• The coordinator will intentionally communicate with organizations, people, and resources in the community that relate to youth and seek to connect the congregation with the community for a strong program.
• The coordinator will guide the work of the youth leadership team (if organized) throughout the year, including planning its agendas and presiding at its meetings.
• The coordinator will work with other leaders to learn about curriculum and other resources available for youth in order to help teachers and group leaders select appropriate resources for study and growth.
• The coordinator is accountable to the charge conference through the church council.

Children’s Ministry Coordinator

Result Expected: An effective coordinator will encourage all children in the congregation and community to grow in faith as Christian disciples. The coordinator will work with other church and community leaders to address the needs of children so that all God’s children grow in strength and wisdom.

As Coordinator of Children’s Ministries, you are “responsible for assuring that children are considered and included within the life of the congregation. The coordinator will work closely with clergy and other program-related staff. The coordinator will vision, plan, and advocate for children, particularly in the areas of faith development, safety, and discipleship. The coordinator will work with other leaders in the congregation to assure that policies and procedures are in place to help keep all children and the adults who care for and work with them safe.” These policies and procedures include such things as background checks, having at least two adults per group, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first-aid training. “The coordinator will also advocate for mission education for children, including The United Methodist Children’s Fund for Christian Mission” (Discipline, ¶ 256.2a).

Who is qualified for this job?

• A children’s coordinator benefits from having a combination of these spiritual gifts: servanthood, teaching, exhortation (encouragement), leadership, administration, and shepherding. This leader should show evidence of passion for ministry with children and deep commitment to faith formation of children, prior effective ministry leadership, and evidence of active and growing discipleship. This person should demonstrate at least a basic knowledge of child development and understand the importance of providing a safe and nurturing environment for children.
• Useful skills for this position are the ability to listen to and communicate with people of all ages, the ability to work with other ministry leaders, the ability to delegate responsibility and to follow up to complete tasks.
• This leader should show genuine interest in responding to the hopes, needs, and concerns of children in the community.

Responsibilities of the Position

• The coordinator of children’s ministry will be attentive to the hopes, concerns, and needs of children in the community to determine how the congregation might serve them and their families and how they might serve one another as Christian disciples and good neighbors. The coordinator should identify key people in the congregation and community who are advocates for children’s needs and issues.
• The coordinator needs to be familiar with the congregation’s overall goals and how they are achieved through the congregation’s ministry by, with, and for children and their families. This leader should pray intentionally for children and their families.
• This leader will advocate that all children are welcome and expected to be fully engaged in the ministries of the church.
• The coordinator will work with others to plan and carry out a comprehensive program for children that includes worship, study, fellowship, service experiences, and other experiences that guide children as they grow in faith. The coordinator will advocate for quality leadership and ample funding.
• The coordinator will lead the church in creating and annually updating Safe Sanctuaries policies and guidelines and living into them as a community of nurture.
• The coordinator will regularly and intentionally communicate with parents, families, and children’s ministry leaders in other churches, denominations, and non-profits so that children have multiple opportunities to thrive.
• The coordinator will keep an overall perspective of a quality, comprehensive ministry.
• The coordinator will work with other leaders to develop and secure theologically aligned and developmentally appropriate resources and curriculum that support the work of teachers and group leaders in ministry with children.
• The coordinator is encouraged to maintain a healthy and growing personal spiritual life and to lead others to do the same.
• The coordinator is accountable to the charge conference through the church council.

Spiritual Formation Team Leader Job Description

Oversee learning and teaching experiences for the congregation so that people of all ages grow in their understanding of the gospel and become better equipped for daily living as faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. Lead the congregation to understand the importance of lifelong growth and learning as Christian disciples.

Result Expected: An effective leader will assure that people of all ages will have opportunities for learning so that they will grow in their understanding of the gospel and become better equipped for daily living as faithful disciples. The congregation will have a comprehensive plan for growth and nurture for all ages and all stages of faith.

Who is qualified for this job?

• This education leader benefits from having one or more of these spiritual gifts: servanthood, teaching, exhortation (encouragement), leadership, wisdom, knowledge, faith, discernment, administration, helping, and shepherding.
• This leader shows evidence of passion for learning and helping people learn and grow in faith.
• Useful skills for this position are the ability to listen to and communicate with people of all ages; interest in a wide range of educational experiences; the ability to work with teachers, small-group leaders, facilitators, and others involved in Christian nurture; and skills for researching educational issues and developing programs and events.

Responsibilities of the Position

• This person will coordinate the planning and implementation of a comprehensive Christian formation ministry so that all people at every stage of faith have an opportunity to grow in discipleship.
• The leader will be familiar with the overall goals of the congregation and how these goals influence and contribute to the educational programs.
• The education leader will be familiar with United Methodist curriculum resources, facilitate their use, and be able to recommend appropriate resources for all age levels and faith stages.
• This leader will learn about and link with organizations, people, and resources in and beyond the congregation that promote Christian discipleship in the Wesleyan tradition.
• The education leader will make efforts to ensure that people of all ages have opportunities to consider their vocation as Christians and how they may express their Christian discipleship in their careers, occupations, and daily living.
• The education team will lead the congregation in celebrations of worship and fellowship to highlight Christian education in events such as rally day, giving Bibles to children, and the launch of special programs such as DISCIPLE® Bible Study, Companions in Christ® and vacation Bible school.

Missions Ministry Team Leader

Results Expected: An effective leader will guide the congregation to spread the gospel message of God’s love through witness and service in the community and the world. This congregation will have a plan for mission service opportunities for all ages and all stages of faith so that people live as Christian disciples transforming the world.

Who is qualified for this job?

• This leader benefits from having one or more of these spiritual gifts: servanthood, exhortation (encouragement), leadership, compassion, faith, miracles, administration, helping, and evangelism.
• This leader should show evidence of passion for active service and helping others engage in ministry in the world.
• Useful skills for this position are the ability to listen to and communicate with people of all ages, genuine interest in mission and outreach in the community and the world, openness to new views and different people, creativity in developing ways to interpret and support mission, and ability to work with volunteers of various skill levels.
• This leader should show passion for responding to the hurts and needs of people in the congregation, community, and the world.

Responsibilities of this Position:

• This leader will coordinate the planning and implementation of a comprehensive ministry for involving the congregation in mission.
• This leader will develop a year-round program of mission education for all ages, so the congregation will be better informed and strongly committed to supporting the mission of making disciples for the transformation of the world.
• This leader will be familiar with the overall goals of the congregation and how these goals influence mission programs and projects.
• The missions ministry team leader will link with organizations, people, and resources in and beyond the congregation that are concerned with mission.
• This leader will guide the congregation in worship and fellowship that highlights mission in events such as mission studies and speakers, observing World Communion Sunday, and regular opportunities for children, youth, and adults to engage in service projects.
• This leader will ensure that the congregation has every opportunity to share in financial giving for mission.