Worship Ministry Team Charter

Purpose:

To plan, on a long-term and short-term basis, the worship life of the congregation including both regular and special worship services, to endeavor to enhance the worship experience of the congregation through intentional selection of musical and liturgical resources, to cultivate the development of choral leadership for the services of worship, to provide for the instruction and training of lay worship leaders, and to oversee the responsibilities of the altar guild, the acolytes, the communion assistants, the ushers, and the Sunday morning nursery.

Ground Rules:

Respect for the opinions of others as we strive for consensus in the decision-making process, to begin and end meetings promptly, and to keep focused during the course of the meeting.

Responsibilities:

To plan for regular and special worship services, to manage junior and senior choirs, the altar guild, acolytes, the Sunday nursery, to ensure that the altar linens and vestments are properly cared for, to provide for necessary supply clergy, to render oversight to the ushering process, to care for the pipe organ, to assume responsibility for any other musical instrument issues, to assume responsibility for the provision and care of hymnal and all other worship resources. To form appropriate task forces and sub-committees in addition to the Altar Guild.

Meetings:

The ministry team will meet on a quarterly schedule with additional meetings scheduled as necessary; sub-committees will meet as necessary to accomplish their responsibilities. In addition, the provision for an annual meeting amongst all five ministry teams would be helpful and productive.

Budget:

The ministry team will be responsible for monetary expenses as related to the worship function of the congregation in accordance with the budget of the current fiscal year. The team will have the latitude to re-appropriate funds within its budget categories. The necessity to expend funds related to the worship function of the congregation beyond the current budget will be referred to the congregation council for its authorization.

Boundaries:

The Congregation Council has delegated the responsibility of all management of the programs that fall under the worship function of the congregation. These responsibilities include to plan for regular and special worship services, to manage the junior and senior choirs, the altar guild, acolytes, the Sunday nursery, to provide appropriate care for altar linens and vestments, to provide for necessary supply clergy, to oversee of the ushering process, to care for the pipe organ, to be responsible for any other musical instrument issues, and to be responsible for hymnal and other worship resources. In addition, in the event that a decision is reached which results in any major changes in worship (i.e. the times of worship services), these decisions should be brought to the attention of the congregation council for any necessary approval. Although minutes of the team’s meetings will be available to members of the council, the ministry team will also need to determine which items of business, if any, need to be verbally highlighted and reported to the congregation council.

Measure of Success:

The measurement of success can be difficult with regard to the worship life of the congregation. The measurement of success can be related to monitoring attendance, anecdotal feedback, and self-assessment. Mutual assessment by the five ministry teams might also prove helpful.