Turnover Background Documents

 

Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M) for Pastor Turnover

Tom’s Synopsis for Who We Are

 Turnover List (One of Many)

Balance

Turnover List

 

First Steps

Moderator Pro Tempore. By the first of the year, elect a moderator pro temp. This will help run meetings and routing items for discussion/decision.

Action/Decision items

Website. Develop a website. The one we have now is part of my account without severability options. I did this without paying for a service. If the session wants to continue a website, it must first decide to “make or buy.” I don’t know how many in our congregation use our site. Most of the calls and emails in response to our site were from people outside our congregation. This was their first exposure to us.

You will need a domain name. These are currently available:

·         Burnsflatcpc.com

·         Burnsflatcpc.org

·         Burnsflatcpc.info

·         Cumberlandpresbyterianchurchburnsflat.com

·         Cumberlandpresbyterianchurchburnsflat.org

·         Cumberlandpresbyterianchurchburnsflat.info

·         Cumberlandpresbyterianchurchburnsflat.us

Cost? When I created and managed our web page for the first 10 years, I spent between $30 and $50 per month. Since we didn’t use all the bells and whistles, I opted for a blog-based site at no cost (June 2016).

Facebook page. The church needs to set up a new Facebook page if it wants to continue visibility in this way. I might be able to separate the page from my personal stuff, but you will likely want something more to your liking than what I have. This is an easy to do. Set up the page, and I will put a redirect link on the one tied to my account for a few months.

World Vision Child. If the session desires to continue this, I would suggest a different child. Someone will need to register with World Vision. I would adopt Jesus as my own. He is on my credit card now, so his support continues even if the offering is short. So far, we have stayed in the black for both children.

Voting site. If the session wants to continue hosting a polling place, someone will need to be assigned to be in charge. When Gayla did this, it was easy. We gave her a key; she was on the site team and knew her way around the building. The liaison does not need to be here for the entire time the polls are open but would ensure that the building is available at 6 am and was put back in order by 8 pm.

Simple Turnover Tasks

Bulletins – Sourcing, preparation, printing, and distribution

Liturgists – Scheduling and promulgation

Prayer List – Compilation and promulgation

Mail pickup/open—I have one key. I think Phil has the other. You will want someone to determine what to do with the mail (route, reply, discard, post, or otherwise promulgate). This duty is less than a signatory. The most likely candidate is the clerk.

Ministerial Alliance Representative—I suggest that one of the other MA churches host meetings, but you should select a representative to attend and be the contact for the times between meetings.

Read Board—Keep and maintain or discontinue. Few elders use it to stay current on items that do not demand a place on our session agenda.

Thanksgiving Baskets and Angel Gifts: Someone to keep the pulse of those in need on a year-round basis and those who need/would benefit from these blessings. 

Some Caretaker Duties

·         Sunday Open and Close (Usually 8 am until all leave [normally by 12:30 pm]).

·         Church Building Key Manager

·         Thermostat Manager

·         Oversee Janitorial contract, supply requests, and performance

·         Property Manager for the Manse.

Already in Place (decision to continue)

Copier Maintenance and Replacement (includes supplies)

Pulpit Supply—Session

Requiring Immediate Action (Early 2025)

Annual Report—The clerk and treasurer should be able to compile this report. All information should be available by mid-January 2026. Form attached.

Church Number: 6301

Clerk: Lines 1-8

Treasurer: 9-11

Line 12: Currently valued at about 2.1M for insurance purposes.

Session Minutes for 2024 are due at the end of January 2025.

Looking Forward

Form a Search Committee. Hopefully, the meeting(s) you conducted about what you wanted in a pastor will contribute to your guidance to this committee. I suggest putting your guidance into writing and meeting with them to share this counsel and begin the process with prayer. A Napoleon’s Corporal review of the guidance before issuing would be profitable.

Update the Church Information Form (CIF) and send it to Cordova.

Moderator Report March 2025

 

Moderator Report

March 2025

 

One fourth of 2025 is in the books. That went by fast! We are observing Lent, gearing up for Palms Sunday, Resurrection Sunday, and Red River Presbytery.

Seek Justice. Love Mercy. Walk Humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

Our standing committees have not met, but we have had activity in these functional areas.

Missions.

NTR. Note place in bulletin and announced.

Worship.

We should learn Whosoever Will. It would be a good selection for our Presbytery worship.

Education

NTR

Building and Grounds.

There is an assortment of B&G items in the B&G Mailbox that has been there for a while.

Food for thought.

·         We should make a few minor repairs in the sanctuary before Presbytery (does not have to be the long-term solution).

·         Pastor turnover might be a good time to replace the desk and workstation. The next pastor will also need a CPU & monitor or notebook. The office printer is over 15 years old and is surely due for replacement but it has given us a good run.  I would advise budgeting for these things for the FY 26 budget and then discussing what is needed with the next pastor.

Fellowship

We had a small but enjoyable fellowship meal on 2 February 2025. We need to decide what to do with fellowship meals going forward.

Other

May is Membership Month. Let’s coordinate to invite those who attend regularly or with more than the twice a year frequency to join the congregation. I am not talking about Tom making an announcement several times and hoping for the best. Let’s plan this work and work our plan.

Pastor Turnover. CIF Goal is 1 April; 2025. What you want in your next pastor goal is 1 May 2025. These are not dates to turn in the forms but to get the nuts and bolts established.

Sometime after Spring Presbytery, we (the session) should send a letter to the BOM and Committee on Clergy, Theology, and Social Concerns requesting to dissolve the pastoral relationship with me and approve one in which I am designated as Stated Supply. This keeps us in line with not searching for a pastor while such a relationship already exists. This would go to Presbytery in September for approval.

Since the last time you called a pastor, the Standing Rules of Red River Presbytery have been updated to require the Board of Missions to have a liaison during your search and for the BOM to review the pastoral contract. Note:  The rules do not say approve. The BOM does not have approval authority of who the church calls, but they are the committee assigned to recommend the minister receiving the call to Presbytery.

Therefore, I have enclosed a copy of a contract we reviewed at this month’s BOM meeting. I redacted only the pastor's name.

I suggest that each session member drafts their own verbiage before meeting collectively to arrive at a corporate synopsis. I would also suggest that the session have a “Define who we are” meeting following the scheduled session meeting.

I am on the BOM and can be your liason.

Annual Report. Submitted.

Minutes. Submitted.

Finances.

QR Code Link to Online Giving. Are we there yet? This item was moved to the report section of the agenda.

Projects in Search of a Champion.  

Dates for Planning Purposes.

Unfinished Business.