A DOZEN GOOD IDEAS ABOUT COMMITTEES ON MINISTRYRev. Barbara Child, Accredited Interim Minister

And host Lisa Presley, District Executive, Heartland District,

MidAmerica Region

BROUGHT TO YOU BY MIDAMERICA REGIONCentral MidWest, Heartland and Prairie Star Districts

CHALICE LIGHTING

IDEA 1: AGENT OF THE ENTIRE CONGREGATIONAllows professional clergy, lay

leaders and congregation at large to work toward fulfillment of mission and covenant

Bylaws should support COM made up of well respected persons

Regular rotation and term limitsShould not have adversarial

approach!

IDEA 2: IDEAL MEMBERSMembers of COM are:

Active members familiar with congregation’s history and culture

Generally respected by lay and clergy

Do not bring personal agendaAble to focus on big picture of

mission, covenant and ministrySkilled at communicationCommitment to well-being of whole

IDEA 3: COM IN THE CONGREGATIONAL SYSTEMShould be no overlap between

Board and COMEngages more congregants in

significant leadership rolesLeadership training groundRecipient of trained leaders

IDEA 4: COMMUNICATIONGood COM communicates

constantlyThrough every meansRegarding the state of the

mission and covenantKeeps people from going to sleep,

becoming complacent, or forgetting the church’s mission

IDEA 5: EDUCATE ABOUT COMHistory of Ministerial Relations

Committees (MRCs) and COMsShift from support group to

congregational check-up“Our COM,” not “Minister’s COM”Which is yours?

IDEA 6: EVALUATIONEvaluation of ministry:

Everything done by professional clergy, other paid staff, and congregants involved in the ministry

Not just about the professional clergy

Agent to monitor everyone’s accountability over time

IDEA 7: TRUE FOCUSCOM helps congregation focus on

true reason for evaluation:How are we doing on our mission

achievement?Are we living within our covenants

with each other?Help congregation know the

mission and covenant

IDEA 8: POLICY AND MONITORINGClear distinction between work of

Board (policy-makers) and COM (congregation monitors)

Board’s authority to make decisions

COM’s authority is power of persuasion

COM invites people to mission- and covenant-focused perspective

IDEA 9: CONSULTANTSCOM consults regularly with

professional clergy and other staff, Board, task forces, teams, committees involved in ministry

Will share impressions on how ministry going

May make recommendationsOthers decide what to do

IDEA 10: CONFLICT MANAGEMENTEngages in on-going conflict

managementSponsoring workshops on

understanding systems and healthy practices

Not arbiter or judge but encourages responsible resolution

Never takes sides

IDEA 11: MODELS SHARED MINISTRYModel and teach value of shared

ministryEducate about ministry in

general, and congregation’s ministry in particular

Help people understand short- and long-term goals for congregation

IDEA 12: TRUST AND ACCOUNTABILITYModel and teach mutual trust and

accountabilityWorking with Board and

professional clergyFostering right relationship in

accord with congregation’s covenant

AND ONE CAVEAT:Safeguard against COM being MRCShould not be “palace guard” or

complaint bureauLarger congregation may not need

a COM to be healthyMay not be for everyone but . . .Well conceived and managed can

serve healthy shared ministry of professional clergy and congregants

MAJOR RESOURCES Robert T. Latham, Moving On from

Church Folly Lane: The Pastoral to Program Shift (Tuscon: Wheatmark, 2006)Addendum VI: The Committee on Ministry

(an Original and Workable Model), p 244-72Can be ordered through

www.mythinglink.com or the UUA Bookstore www.uuabookstore.org

Dan Hotchkiss, Governance and Ministry (Alban Institute) Can be ordered through the UUA Bookstore

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS?

THANK YOU!This Webinar, and others, can be

found at:

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