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They are your representatives on the focus and direction of your Church. Their operating principles are outlined in the Constitution and Bylaws and the Policy Manual approved at the December 2005 Voters Assembly Meeting. The Policy manual outlines the responsibilities, values, governing policies and process. Your representatives are: Jack Querfeld, President; Tim Searcy, Vice President; Judy Overturf, Secretary; Matt Hubbard, Treasurer; Bob Meister, Elder; Jill Goeglein, Member at Large and Wayne Schmidt, Member at Large.
Also, the Spiritual Oversight Committee of Bob Meister, Dennis Poppe and John Davis report to the VRB
What is policy-based governance, which was approved at the Voters Assembly Meeting?
Many growing and larger churches around the country are successfully adopting this policy-based governance. It is designed to empower our members and staff to use all the various resources available to the Church in a more efficient and timely manner. It is a transparent system, with clear lines of authority and encouraging more communication. It gives people freedom to do their jobs creatively and without micro-management. We started this process almost two years ago now when meetings were held with members of Holy Cross to develop our value statements, mission statement, and critical targets based on Pastor Sattler’s vision he shared with us in January 2004. After this was accomplished, we had a task force look at our structure and Constitution and Bylaws. Thus the recommendation to move to a policy based governance model---- lay led by the VRB and staff directed with Pastor Sattler as the Executive Officer of the Church reporting to the VRB who in turn reports to the members.
As we continue to experience both growth in our membership and the reality of complex and busy lives of our members, ever increasing demands on the Church, our staff and our members, it is critical that we had an efficient, overarching, clear framework that focused our resources on the Church’s major goals and priorities and helped us to achieve them. We are all anxious to spend our time in meaningful, mission-driven endeavors rather than overly detailed administrative sessions and cumbersome processes for decision-making such as the case with our former Constitution and Bylaws, Planning Council and Board structure. The former system served us well but as we continued to grow we needed to reform our system to avoid future frustration and wearing-out our members, leaders, and staff in the proper use of our resources.
The congregation continues as the source of our mission, priorities and inspiration. The elected VRB is charged with determining the outcomes and goals that the church wants to achieve, setting broad policy about how they may be attained, and monitoring progress and activities. Members elect and serve on the VRB thus the connection to the members. This leadership group will interpret the vision of the congregation and set the framework for the staff’s work.
Led by Pastor Sattler, the staff and ministry teams interpret the broad policies laid out in the Constitution and By-laws and developed by the VRB in the Policy Manual. The staff put goals, policies and plans in motion to achieve the end results of the Church. Members and others served take part in the programs as recipients and participants.
The VRB uses the vision statements developed in discussion with the Pastor and congregation as a foundation, and sets broad goals in the form of “critical targets or end policies” for the staff to attain and develops broad policies for the staff to operate with. They are often stated with limitations on how they may be implemented, placing boundaries but freeing up creativity and efficiency. These policies delegate the implementation to the staff. The VRB then monitors how well the Pastor, staff, ministry teams, committees and boards accomplish these goals. But the VRB does not micro-manage the specifics of how they go about achieving those ends. Disentangling the VRB from day-to-day management issues allows the VRB freedom to do more “big picture or strategic” thinking, to act as leaders of the Church as opposed to managers -- a benefit not just to the VRB but to the congregation as a whole. The Pastor, staff and ministry teams perform the operational and tactical level functions.
The Church runs on a day-to-day basis under the direction of Pastor Sattler, the paid staff and volunteers. Pastor Sattler leads and directs how the policies will be implemented. Ministry Teams support the work of the staff and ministers. This is even more critical in the governance model than the former board structure. Therefore there are a wide range of opportunities to serve on mission oriented, short-term ministry teams under the direction of paid staff or another volunteer. The authority clearly rests with the assigned person or team, but the methods will generally be collaborative in achieving set goals
Pastor Sattler will apprise the VRB regularly as to the Church’s financial situation as part of its regular monitoring function. Further, though the staff and ministry teams indeed have responsibility for the detailed construction of the budget, the VRB will continue each year to review the budget, to ensure that it is reflective of the Church’s broad policies and end results. There is a necessity for the VRB to be involved in the consideration of special, “big ticket” items, which fall outside of the operating budget -- but, again, not in direct implementation.
The VRB listens to the congregation. We are devising many ways to do this, as well as seek ideas, feedback and priorities. We are also determining the means to communicate with the congregation by newsletter, via email announcements, Congregational Assemblies (or “State of the Church Reports”), one-on-one conversations, and other means. Though remaining closely in touch with the congregation is important, it is essential in the division of roles with staff, that the VRB members not involve themselves directly in operating issues or concerns. We will make every effort to direct members to the appropriate staff or ministry team to address these concerns.
Members participate at every level. As part of the congregation, you collectively and individually let the VRB and staff know what you think is most important to you. The VRB will take your ideas and envision how the church should act in our congregational and community life.
Please Join us. We meet on the second Monday each month in the Wartburg Room of the Faith Life Center at 7:00 p.m.
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