Church committees

We have committees, but they do not have absolute rule over their area of service. They have no power to do anything without church approval(church vote in business meeting).
I'm not really sure what more your asking if thats not it.

 

"What kind of role do you folks believe that committees should serve in a church?"
''
To organize things that would eat up too much time if they had to be done by 'management' (elders&vicars). Or to organize things that require special skills 'management' does not have. Or both.

 

14Him
What you describe sounds like anormal state of affairs. Our 2 only very active committees are the evangelisation committee and the excursion committee.

 

Committees can be very helpful in some cases; they can be killers in others. If a committee is properly run, with adequate supervision by the pastor, they can be profitable. I use committees to delegate responsibility and get people involved in the ministry. We use no standing committees (though we have them by constitution). Standing committees are the problem. IMO, you form a committee for a specific function with a capable leader and clear directions, and then disband them when their purpose is done.

 

Before joining my current church (SBC), I was in a denomination that had virtually no committees, at least none that I ever heard about. When we had business meetings, they would last sometimes until 10 PM with almost nothing accomplished because many items were presented without any prior consideration by anyone except (sometimes including) the person bringing up an item.

My first visit to my present church happened to be on a business meeting night. It started at 7 PM, the pastor brought a devotion, business was conducted, and we broke into prayer groups for at least 15 minutes to pray for specific needs. We left at 8 PM.

I was stunned! Committees made up of a cross section of the membership had been meeting, praying, and deliberating weeks or months before bringing proposals before the body. They were also prepared for questions beforehand.

When done with the right spirit by respected, faithful, and godly members, committees can be a real asset, freeing ministers to do the work they are called to and saving members time in making well-informed, prayerful decisions.

 

Because the constitution was changed some years ago to be very heavily committee run in the church. Technically speaking, I as the pastor cannot even send out a letter without the deacon's approval. Because of the declining of the church in the 15 or so years before I came, the committees existed but never did anything. I was willing to keep up that tradition.

Yes, that is in the works.

Aggregated power in small groups; inability to make progress; people who don't really minister (they just serve on committees; unbiblical nature of them.

We need a lot more doing and a lot less meeting ...

 

Committees are a waste of time in my church. They meet and don't make that much meaningful decisions. When nominating folks for various committees, they nominate people who don't attend regularly, Sunday school, evening services or fellowships.

I had a meeting with our personnel co. That was the first time I've ever seen all those people in one room.

We had over 100 kids a night for VBS. Everyone was excited about a potential children's ministry. That was 4 weeks ago. At our business meeting, I brought up, "why don't we formulate a plan to reach out to these kids, their parents and others in our community. They formed a committee. That committee could meet for a year or so before they make a decision.

 

I see things differently than you do, Gib, on this.
I go Sunday morning, evening, Wednesday, and other times. But there are all kinds of legitimate reasons why many don't. When my kids were much younger with constant ear infections, chicken pox, etc., there were sometimes weeks I couldn't go. Yet I served on some committees and was able to do some things. I am glad my church let me.
There are a number of elderly in my church. There are people who are recovering from massive chemo. They have a place of service. Yet I never see all these people together.

If your committees are ineffective, that does not per se mean anything other than you need to review their structure and give them specific mandates, not just name a bunch of people for open-ended discussion.

Karen

 

"We need a lot more doing and a lot less meeting ..."
''
Full agreement here. However... everybody familiar with Dutch culture (where nothing can be agreed on without a roundtable discussion first) will understand why committees are a necesarry evil in my church. It has been like that overhere since the 80 years war.

 

Karen, I see your side of the coin. But, I have a problem appointing people to a committee who are not regular attenders, in hopes that they will be. That is what the deacon body has decided to do that it may encourage others to come more often. Why don't we just give door prizes?

At times, our committees meetings turn out with little or no participation, because those that make up the committee are not committed to it.