GlenMar Church Council

2009 Leadership Retreat (Information TBD)

Council Archives
   Minutes from December 2nd, 2008

Church council meetings are open to all GlenMar members and interested parties.
The voting membership includes

• The Ministry Coordinators
• The Council Leadership Team
• The Council Chair and Recording Secretary
• 17-20 At-Large Members that serve 3-year terms

2009 Council and Team Membership Information (Nominations)

Council Leadership Team

Welcome to the GlenMar UMC Church Council
Welcome to the largest, most accessible point of entry to local church leadership. Whether entering leadership for the first time, or a veteran, council members play a key role in the life of the church. The church council is the governing body of the local church. It sets policies for how the church will be the church within the bounds of the Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church (2004). Members of the council serve as members of the Charge Conference. The Charge Conference is a body, not a meeting. It meets at least (and normally) once a year in the fall, is presided over by our district superintendent (DS; Andy's boss), not the council chair, and serves as an annual"shareholders'" meeting where we look back on what the church has accomplished in the past year (perhaps in the future we can devote some of the agenda to the future). Special responsibilities reserved for the Charge Conference include approving the salaries of our elders (e.g.: Andy and John), and approving candidates for ordained ministry from Glen Mar (e.g.: Mandy Sayers) .

The basic commitment of Glen Mar Church Council members is to participate in four council meetings every year (the fourth Tuesday of March, June, September, November) and the Charge Conference meeting, usually held in November on a date set by the District Superintendant. But there is a commitment beyond attending meetings. Our denomination provides guidance on being an effective council member:
   A. Serve as Spiritual Leaders - Leaders identify their own spiritual practices, cultivate new ones as they grow in their own faith and model and encourage those practices among their ministry team members and the congregation
    B. Discover Current Reality - Spend time assessing "how things are" in the life of the church; listen to your own perceptions, other church members, and the voice of God
    C. Name Shared Vision - Seek to discern the most faithful future you can imagine; how can we together become a faithful community that Praises God, Grows Disciples, and Serves the World; see yourselves as God's agents of grace and love
    D. Develop Action Plans - Discern how we get from here (the current reality) to there (the shared vision)
    E. Monitor the Adventure - Keep an eye on how things are going; be attentive to discerning the heart of the congregation and the heart of God in fulfilling the mission of the church

These are both individual and group responsibilities. To assist it in fulfilling its responsibilities (see items B-E, above) the council approved a new strategic plan (see items B and C, above) which includes a provision for the creation of a Leadership Team to serve as the executive committee of the council. The Leadership Team Charter is based on the guidance put forth in the plan (see items D and E, above).

To effectively execute their responsibilities, council members must make informed decisions. To make informed decisions they must:
    - Participate in the life of the church - By doing this they are aware of what is going on and, through our interaction with others, learn what they think of the state of the church
    - Study issues - They must be aware of church plans, and the arguments behind matters coming before the council on which they must make a decision, in advance of council meetings; it is the council chair's responsibility to make sure they have the right information at the right time.

Being a church leader is much more than making business decisions. Don't forget to pray for Glen Mar Church.

Feel free to either call or write me at 410-796-7718, or write to me at councilchair@glenmarumc.org with either comments or questions.

Glen Lauber
Council Chair

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