Sheri Laninga

John,
Your "Pastor Transition Plans" details much of the discussion, leadership, and administrative process needed at a time of transition. Your document provides a sample to other churches. Thanks for your work on this. If you would like, I can add it to the "Church Finance and Administration Resources" on the CRCNA web.
Sheri, guide for the Church Administration Network

Hi Tony,
At Brookside we also have tried various things to connect staff and church leadership. Our Worship Planner has attended some elder meetings as a way to report and connect on worship. Our Youth Coordinator and Care Coordinator have regularly attended our elder meetings and deacons meetings also to report and participate on a regular basis as appropriate. We are currently considering aligning two of our staff positions with 1) the deacon role and 2) the elder role and therefore that staff person would always participate with that leadership group. Great question. Have other churches tried a different kind of leadership team? The goal of Brookside in their staffing is to work with our Reformed structure in a larger church setting.

Yes, a gift in memory of someone would be considered a charitable gift.  The IRS requires receipting if the gift(s) total $250 or more.  Most charities provide a gift receipt and thank you with no distinction between the gifts under or over $250. If the donor contributes cash, the donor must have an acknowledgment.

Hi all,

At our church, the nominated are approved by the council prior to their names announced to the congregation. Usually the nominee with the lowest number of votes is pulled from the choices.

Henry De Moor sent in this response to your question:

Technically, the Church Order of the CRCNA insists on having the Form

of Subscription signed by those being ordained at times stipulated by

the council and the classis (Art. 5).  For the council, in my

experience, most people sign it each time they are ordained, but there

are councils that do it only upon the ordination in the first term,

then not in additional terms.  As for the classis, most of them

stipulate that it be done by first-time delegates.  That follows a

more "Presbyterian" way of doing it since they believe in once

ordained, always ordained, and do not tie the ordination to the actual

times of service.  Interestingly, some classes ask a candidate for

ministry who has just passed the ordination exam to sign the form

right there and then, not even waiting until the first time he or she

might be delegated to the classis.  Currently, delegates to synod do

not sign the Form but "stand" for the Public Declaration.  My

prediction is that this will change to signing the new "Covenant," as

we will now call it, so it seems. 

We have used friendship registers at church for years and find them very valuable. A couple members take turns each week with entering attendance on the spreadsheet. In addition to guest information, we track member attendance also because we are a larger church. The elders then have information if one of the members hasn't attended in the last month.

Another church I know has a group of members come in every Monday morning and send out the guest letters after tracking attendance. Others have a team for visiting with fresh homemade cookies.

My favorite resource regarding churches and charitable gifts is published by Zondervan each year--the Church and Nonprofit Tax and Financial Guide by Dan Busby (check out amazon.com). This book has a wealth of understandable information on a variety of administrative subjects for churches. A copy at every church would be very beneficial in running things properly.

If someone donates quilts to your crib ministry or a DVD player to your youth ministry, a thank you for the (name of item) donation is all that should be necessary from the church. The donor is responsible for valuing the item(s) given, not the church. If the value of the item is more than $250, check out further information in the above book.

"Donated labor" is not eligible for a charitable deduction. The carpenter would be entitled to a deduction for his out of pocket expenses including mileage. Dan Busby on p. 158 says "if the donated out of pocket expenses are $250 or more in a calendar year, the carpenter will need an acknowledgment from the church."

If you check out Church Finance and Administration Resources, you will find "Sample Church #2 Council Responsibilities" under Church Organization and Administration/Administration.  This is from a church similar in size.  Also, I know of another church about that size who is redoing two of  their staffing positions to have 1) one position work with deacons and equipping them and the church for diaconal work and 2) the other position work with elders and other members in equipping them for providing care in the congregation.  If you want more information on those positions, post a comment. The goal with these positions is to equip the members to serve.  This church is interested in developing the gifts of its members and not just "hiring" staff to do the ministry.

A few performance evaluation samples are available on the web under Church Finance and Administration Resources/Employment Issues/Employees/Performance Evaluation Form.  The "Evaluation Essential for Church Leaders" encourages you to create your own evaluation forms based on thinking through the process of evaluation.  Hopefully looking at a few samples will assist you in thinking through what questions are important for staff evaluations at your church.  Also, you will find a "self-evaluation" form that is very useful for receiving input from the employee early in the evaluation process. Hopefully, conversations about performance happen all year long so there are no big surprises at the time of evaluation.  The evaluation can then provide an opportunity to celebrate how God has used individuals to bless the church and as a way of encouraging and refining their work.

I found a policy/procedure that may be adapted to a church situation--check out this website http://www.uww.edu/icit/governance/policies/camera.html.

I referred to the "Manual of Christian Reformed Church Government," article 17 regarding release from ministry in a congregation.  Article 17a allows release "from active ministerial service in a congregation through action initiated by themselves, by a council, or jointly.  Such release shall be given only with the approval of classis, with the concurring advice of the synodical deputies, and in accordance with synodical regulations." 

This and more information  can be found starting on p. 85 and the book is available for order through Faith Alive at crcna.org.  If you have additional questions about synodical regulations, contact Dee Recker in the denominational offices.