2. Any meeting over an hour in length is wasting the time of participants. At an hour and a half, it turns toxic. We have no gift more precious than our time. To allow others to waste it is an abrogation of our responsibility to our Lord and we, not them, will be held accountable.
3. Any decision to be made must be on the agenda and all the information necessary to make that decision must be in the hands of the participants a week in advance. That way questions are focused, discussions are precise and decisions are made without emotional pleas, power plays or meandering "what if" brainstorming. In an issue is complex, assign it to a committee of 3 members to come back to the larger body with a recommendation that has been thought through and can be voted on. If an item is not clearly stated or is not on the agenda, hold it to the next meeting and be sure that everyone knows the reason.
4. Start every meeting precisely on time. To do otherwise, wastes the time of those who are conscientious and rewards those who are late.
5. And yes, John, in addition to making all the necessary decisions, we, as elders, reflect on a bible passage, spend time in prayer and take 15 minutes for a lesson from the "Handbook for Elders" and still never exceed an hour and a half.
6. Finally, we all go home with the feeling of accomplishment, a job well done for our Lord and his body.
You are quite correct. The leadership of our denomination is pastor centric. There are several reasons.
In the three year term of an Elder, on average, he or she will attend a single session of Classis. During that period, the pastor will attend six. The Elder will not serve again for another 3-5 years if at all. With Classical attendance so infrequent, no Elder could possibly get up to speed rapidly enough to make a difference. Rarely will they even know the names of the churches or the pastors in their Classis. In my experience, at Classis, Elders are at best tolerated. Their contributions are limited to adding volume to the yea votes.
Now, if the odds of going to Classis are about once in six to eight years, What are the odds of an Elder being selected to go to Synod? Perhaps once in a lifetime? That is just not enough time or frequency to build the credibility needed to champion a cause.
Most Elders have a day job that puts food on the table. Unless they are retired, most simply cannot take time off for Classis or Synod. Pastors have a job where time for Classis or Synod is considered part of their responsibilities. They get paid to attend these meeting and related committee meetings.
If the odds of attending either Classis or Synod are this long, and the time available is limited, what Elder could possibly take a leadership role?
Among our Elders, we have any number of high level executives who are sharp, articulate and incisive leaders, capable of devising solutions to almost any issue or problem. But our organizational framework simply does not encourage or allow for the use of their talents.
Al, you are so right in wanting Elders more engaged in the work of the church. Do you want to double the size of our church? Do you want to build the impact of Christians on society? Do you want to increase the intensity of prayer among our members? Do you want the Lord's name lifted up in praise and celebration across the world? Just name the goal, we have the expertise to make it happen among our Elders.
But the solution is not Elders uniting to demand influence or or visibility. Rather, the solution is in challenging Elders to engage their experience and talents for the work of the Lord and then allowing an opportunity to explore the possibilities.
My mother always said the the Christian Reformed version of the last line is: "And receive from him one day a crown." Only heathens would consider singing about exchanging the cross for the crown. A warning!! Do not argue with my mother.
Every month, except during the summer, six or eight members of the Wheaton CRC tell of their personal spiritual experiences in a column called Insights and Encounters in the monthly newsletter. This sharing has resulted in a community of warmth and sharing where praying for and with each other is natural and based on a level of intimacy not often found elsewhere.
FYI These newsletters are posted on the web under http://www.WheatonCRC.org. Look under Resources and then Cross Connections for an inspirational read.
If anyone is interested, we would be happy to share the letter used to solicit these stories. [email protected].
Posted in: All I Learned From Church Is How To Do Administration
Several observations on meetings:
1. All meetings adhere to a detailed agenda.
2. Any meeting over an hour in length is wasting the time of participants. At an hour and a half, it turns toxic. We have no gift more precious than our time. To allow others to waste it is an abrogation of our responsibility to our Lord and we, not them, will be held accountable.
3. Any decision to be made must be on the agenda and all the information necessary to make that decision must be in the hands of the participants a week in advance. That way questions are focused, discussions are precise and decisions are made without emotional pleas, power plays or meandering "what if" brainstorming. In an issue is complex, assign it to a committee of 3 members to come back to the larger body with a recommendation that has been thought through and can be voted on. If an item is not clearly stated or is not on the agenda, hold it to the next meeting and be sure that everyone knows the reason.
4. Start every meeting precisely on time. To do otherwise, wastes the time of those who are conscientious and rewards those who are late.
5. And yes, John, in addition to making all the necessary decisions, we, as elders, reflect on a bible passage, spend time in prayer and take 15 minutes for a lesson from the "Handbook for Elders" and still never exceed an hour and a half.
6. Finally, we all go home with the feeling of accomplishment, a job well done for our Lord and his body.
Posted in: Are We ignoring Elders at Synod?
You are quite correct. The leadership of our denomination is pastor centric. There are several reasons.
In the three year term of an Elder, on average, he or she will attend a single session of Classis. During that period, the pastor will attend six. The Elder will not serve again for another 3-5 years if at all. With Classical attendance so infrequent, no Elder could possibly get up to speed rapidly enough to make a difference. Rarely will they even know the names of the churches or the pastors in their Classis. In my experience, at Classis, Elders are at best tolerated. Their contributions are limited to adding volume to the yea votes.
Now, if the odds of going to Classis are about once in six to eight years, What are the odds of an Elder being selected to go to Synod? Perhaps once in a lifetime? That is just not enough time or frequency to build the credibility needed to champion a cause.
Most Elders have a day job that puts food on the table. Unless they are retired, most simply cannot take time off for Classis or Synod. Pastors have a job where time for Classis or Synod is considered part of their responsibilities. They get paid to attend these meeting and related committee meetings.
If the odds of attending either Classis or Synod are this long, and the time available is limited, what Elder could possibly take a leadership role?
Among our Elders, we have any number of high level executives who are sharp, articulate and incisive leaders, capable of devising solutions to almost any issue or problem. But our organizational framework simply does not encourage or allow for the use of their talents.
Al, you are so right in wanting Elders more engaged in the work of the church. Do you want to double the size of our church? Do you want to build the impact of Christians on society? Do you want to increase the intensity of prayer among our members? Do you want the Lord's name lifted up in praise and celebration across the world? Just name the goal, we have the expertise to make it happen among our Elders.
But the solution is not Elders uniting to demand influence or or visibility. Rather, the solution is in challenging Elders to engage their experience and talents for the work of the Lord and then allowing an opportunity to explore the possibilities.
Posted in: The Old Rugged Cross
My mother always said the the Christian Reformed version of the last line is: "And receive from him one day a crown." Only heathens would consider singing about exchanging the cross for the crown. A warning!! Do not argue with my mother.
Posted in: The Stories Are Out There
Every month, except during the summer, six or eight members of the Wheaton CRC tell of their personal spiritual experiences in a column called Insights and Encounters in the monthly newsletter. This sharing has resulted in a community of warmth and sharing where praying for and with each other is natural and based on a level of intimacy not often found elsewhere.
FYI These newsletters are posted on the web under http://www.WheatonCRC.org. Look under Resources and then Cross Connections for an inspirational read.
If anyone is interested, we would be happy to share the letter used to solicit these stories. [email protected].