Church Council

About St. John's Church Council

Purpose: The council provides leadership for many of the secular and religious activities of the church. Meetings are held on the first Wednesday of each month to facilitate the management of church business. Fellowship opportunities provided by these meetings (and the excellent refreshments) ensure high attendance.

Special meetings are called on an as-needed basis to address specific issues. Council members also participate in an annual retreat structured to build teamwork among members and to provide practical training on topics such as leadership, diversity, etc.

Membership: The council is composed of 15 members who are elected from the congregation at large. Members are elected to a two-year term and are eligible to serve a maximum of two consecutive terms. Elections are held during the annual congregational meeting, usually in November.

Although no statistics are kept to measure compliance, an attempt is made to ensure that council membership approximates the demographics of the congregation. Church members of all ages, from all backgrounds, are urged to run for council. However, spouses, parents, siblings, and children may not serve concurrent terms.

Management of Church Business: Business is conducted in a collaborative fashion, with council members expressing views in a positive fashion and voting as appropriate. Roberts Rules of Order are sometimes invoked to provide some needed structure when considering particularly complex or controversial matters. All members of the congregation are invited to attend meetings to express their views and raise any concerns they may have. However, only council members have voting privileges.

The council selects a secretary, treasurer, assistant treasurer, investment officer, financial recording secretary, and assistant financial recording secretary on an annual basis. If congregational members who are not currently serving council terms fill these offices, they will provide input to council decisions but will not have voting privileges.

Church Council Meetings: Meetings are held at 7:00 p.m. in Fellowship Hall, usually on the first Wednesday of the month.

Contact the church office to get in touch with any council member or for more information.