Monday, May 4, 2009

LSM in a really small church



I’m often asked, “What can we do when the properly called Local Shared Ministry team finds itself in some conflict with the elected congregational council?”

My answer has always been that they have different roles. The Council is the “mind” of the congregation and the team is its “hands and feet”. Council makes the policy and the team carry it out. The team does not make policy decisions, though they may bring recommendations. The Council does not initiate acts of ministry, though they may request the Team to take certain actions.

Reflecting on the undesirabiblity of small groups in the small church, I am now wondering if it is reasonable - or even wise – to require a very small membership congregation to have both a Team and a Council. Perhaps they should be encouraged to call a ministry team which will also be the council for that congregation. It would be answerable to an annual (or special) meeting of the whole membership but it would act constitutionally as the Council as well as the Team.

Some of the team members would be called to specific ministry functions in the usual way, but some would be called to be “representatives” with less specific duties related to the rest of the membership. All would meet together regularly and engage in the full routine of Team education and ministry formation with their Enabler. Ordinary team business and occasional Council agenda would simply flow together and be minuted as a single record.


See
Small Groups in the Small Church Posted Apr 28
Local Shared Ministry
Where are our Small Churches



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