St. Martin's Lutheran Church

Proposed Organizational Structure and Function

First Draft – June 3, 2003

 

 

 

 

 

 

Text Box: 7But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it…  11It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. - Ephesians 4:7, 11-13

 

 

 

Guiding Values

The Apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians, uses the image of the body as a way to describe the church.  Using that image, the blood flow (the guiding values) of St. Martin's Lutheran Church’s organizational structure is made up of a number of assumptions.

  1. Mission drives ministry.  Flowing out of the Great Commission to “go and make disciples of nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them all that I have commanded you” and our current mission statement, our governance model strives to release God’s people to do God’s work in God’s world.  Therefore, it is the Great Commission as restated in our mission statement, rather than votes or personal opinions, that leads us as a congregation in all we decide and do.
  2. God will raise up gifted people who have a passion for ministry.  To that end, our model seeks to remove blockages of control and hierarchy that have historically constricted our desire or ability to do ministry to free gifted people to begin ministries quickly and faithfully.
  3. Trust is essential.  When people are given permission to create ministry that is in line with our biblical vision, it is our trust in them that gives them the freedom and enthusiasm to carry it out.  Therefore, the Pastor, Council, and Congregation will covenant to:
  4. Ministry is to be multiplied.  A core understanding is that all leaders are trainers and equippers for others to do ministry rather than just ministry doers.  So all ministries should constantly train new leaders, expand the base of participants, and spawn new ministries.
  5. Scripture is the guide, source, and standard for all vision casting, decision making, and ministry shaping, recognizing that we serve a living Lord, not an institution, tradition or structure.

 

Governance Model and Ministry Description

When we extend Paul’s image of the body to congregational governance we can describe the three functions of ministry in this way:  The Hands and Feet of serving are the Ministry Teams.  The Heart of passion and the mind of planning are the Mission Networks.  The Eyes and oversight describe the Vision Network and Administrative Network.  They are the planners of our ministry five years out and beyond.

  1. Ministry Teams – The Hands of Serving

·         Ministry Description: These teams participate in the mission of St. Martin's Lutheran Church by carrying out one aspect of that mission.  From those who fold and assemble newsletters to those who deliver furniture for LSS, the participants on the Ministry Teams are the hands of service using their spiritual gifts to the glory of Jesus.

·         Team Members:  Team members participate on the basis of their gifts for ministry and passion for carrying it out in a specific way.

·         Accountability:  All Ministry Teams are accountable to the mission of St. Martin's Lutheran Church through the Mission Network in their ministry area and to the Values, Mission, and Vision (VMV) statement.  The Mission Network will evaluate every Team annually using their purpose statement, the VMV and any relevant job descriptions.

·         Resources:  The monetary resources, if any, for these ministries are budgeted in consultation with the Mission Network and are fully available to the Team as they carry out their ministry.

  1. Mission Networks – The Heart of Passion and the Mind of Planning

·         Ministry Description: The Ministry Networks take a longer view of ministry in each of the specified mission areas of St. Martin's Lutheran Church.  Their primary activity is to support the work of their Ministry Teams, develop plans and deploy new ministry teams, and to create and administer the budget in their area in consultation with each team. 

·         Network Members:  The Network is made up of one coordinator and every Team Leader in the Network.  The Coordinator is chosen according to the Bylaws and based on that person’s giftedness and active participation in that mission area.

·         Accountability:  All Mission Networks are accountable to the mission of St. Martin's Lutheran Church through the Mission Network in their ministry area and to the Values, Mission, and Vision (VMV) statement.  Every Network Coordinator will be evaluated annually using their purpose statement, the VMV and any relevant job descriptions as specified in their job description or bylaws.

·         Resources:  The Ministry Networks are responsible for creating an annual budget for their ministry area for submission to the Finance Team.  While each Ministry Team drafts and administers its own budget, the Network provides accountability for each Team and advocacy for additional or new resources.  

  1. The Vision and Administrative Networks – The Eyes of Vision and Oversight

 

The Vision Network

·         Ministry Description: The Vision Network is responsible for working with the pastor to discern, maintain, and promote the mission of the congregation.  The Ministry Teams include the Annual Planning Team, the Leadership Retreat Team, and the Vision Team.      .

·          Network Members:  The Network is coordinated by the Pastor and made up of all Team Leaders in the Network. 

·         Accountability:  All Mission Networks are accountable to the mission of St. Martin's Lutheran Church through the Mission Network in their ministry area and to the Values, Mission, and Vision (VMV) statement. 

·         Resources:  The Mission Networks are responsible for creating an annual budget for their ministry area for submission to the Finance Team.  While each Ministry Team drafts and administers its own budget, the Network provides accountability for each Team and advocacy for additional or new resources.  

 

The Administrative Network

·         Ministry Description: The Administrative Network provides the internal leadership for the administrative and oversight functions that provide for a vital congregational life.  Working with the Pastor, the Administrative Network maintains and promotes the mission of the congregation as articulated in the VMV.  

·         Network Members:  The Network is made up of one coordinator and every Team Leader in the Network.  The Administrative Network Coordinator is the Church Council President.  

·         Accountability:  All Mission Networks are accountable to the mission of St. Martin's Lutheran Church through the Mission Network in their ministry area and to the Values, Mission, and Vision (VMV) statement.  Every Ministry Team will be evaluated annually using their purpose statement, the VMV and any relevant job descriptions as specified in their job description or bylaws.

·         Resources:  The Administrative Network works to provide the basic resources that support all the Mission Networks and Ministry Teams as they carry out the mission of St. Martin's Lutheran Church.    

  1. St. Martin's Lutheran Church is a non-profit Ohio corporation operating under a congregationally approved constitution that specifies and organizational structure that both meets Ohio statutory requirements and is approved by the Northwestern Ohio Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.