Steps for becoming a Visioning Council

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Welcome to the Internet home of the Northeastern Ohio Synod (NEOS) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America!

These pages contain information about and links to ELCA congregations and ministries in Northeast Ohio. Our web site offers a friendly roadmap of our synod for those seeking a church home, for congregations looking for assistance, for clergy and lay people involved in NEOS ministries, or for those just visiting.

We hope that you will find our web site informative and useful. We welcome your feedback and comments.
 

 

 

Steps for becoming a Visioning Council

Below are listed a number of suggestions for church councils seeking to implement a vision for their congregation.

 

 

Community Building

  • Annual retreat

  • Begin each meeting with sharing of joys & concerns, in groups of 2-3 praying for each other

  • Lay led interactive devotions

                Community builder: Fifty Exercises for Church Groups by Rochelle Melander

                Cornerstones for Christian Committees by Kurt Bickel

  • Council members list or shout out  what ministry in the church they give thanks for

  • Covenant for personal conduct

  • Thanking families for time and dedication of council members

 

Education

  • Bible Study

  • Book Study [Discussion led by staff , council leader OR rotated; chapter outline & brief discussion (8 minutes) or presentation and discussion (30 minutes)]

    • Discovering Hope – by Marta Poling – Goldenne & Shannon Jung

    • The Equipping Church Guidebook by Sue Mallory

    • The Purpose Driven Church by Rick Warren

    • Reclaiming the “L” Word by Eric Burtness

 

Agenda

  • All committee reports are printed and distributed ahead of time

          Council time spent only on items needing action

  • Agenda follows a worship format

Transforming Church Boards into Communities of Spiritual Leaders

  • Executive committee prepares agenda and evaluates meeting.

  • Prayer for discernment and wisdom before vote of major agenda items.

  • Evaluate the progress in reaching visioning goals on monthly or bi-monthly basis

  • Mission Statement and Vision are posted, on printed materials, or table tents

Mission statement is read as a part of regular meeting or included in litany.

  • Covenant  for meeting to end in 90 -120 minutes. Extended by vote in 15 minute increments.

 

 

Structure

  • Vision is developed by council or a task force, implemented by council

  • Division of council into a ministry board, responsible for current programs and council responsible for the visioning for the future and legal responsibilities, meeting every other month.

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Copyright © 1999  Northeastern Ohio Synod, ELCA, 1890 Bailey Road,  Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio 44221-5259.
Phone: (330) 929-9022 - Fax: (330) 929-9018 - Email: office@neos-elca.org