CHURCH GOVERNMENT

Our Voters' Assembly makes major decisions for the governance of St. Paul's.  Regular congregational voters' meetings are held in May and October.  Special voters' meetings are held as necessary after due notice. All members 18 years of age and older have the right to vote.

 

St. Paul's Church Council acts on the congregation's behalf between voters' meetings, making decisions as needed.  Members of the Church Council include our Pastors, Principal, other called staff, congregational President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer, as well as the chairperson and one representative from the Boards of Elders, Trustees, Christian Education, Finance, Stewardship, and the Evangelism Committee.  The Church Council meets monthly.

 

The President, Vice-President and Secretary are elected to two-year terms, with a maximum of three consecutive terms.  The Treasurer is an appointed position.  The members of the Boards and Committee listed in the preceding paragraph are elected to three-year terms, with a maximum of two consecutive terms.  Our Boards and the Evangelism Committee meet on a monthly basis, working for the benefit of the entire congregation, and forwarding special requests and recommendations to the Church Council for action.

 

We have many other non-elected, but appointed committees, performing specialized tasks for our congregation.  Please contact the church office if there is a certain area of service that would interest you.

 

 

BOARD OF STEWARDSHIP

Our Mission . . . Responding to God's love in Christ, through Word and Sacrament, and empowered by the Holy Spirit, St. Paul's congregation, lovingly and urgently, proclaims Jesus as Lord, seeking to disciple all generations.

 

The Board of Stewardship is elected by the voters to serve, plan and implement programs to keep our parishioners aware of their stewardship responsibilities and to motivate our parishioners to God-pleasing use of their Time, Talents and Treasures.

 

Time

As members of the body of Christ, we have many resources. Regular worship, Bible study and Holy Communion equip us to use our time in the service of the Lord.

 

Talents

Giving of your talents to Christ helps you develop, too. Your role in life is as important as anyone's in Gods plan. No matter who you are or what you do, no matter how menial or meaningless you consider your life's work, you can serve your Lord by using your talents to the best of your ability and offering it up to Him.

 

Treasures (First Fruits Giving)

We have all been blessed in many ways. Each of us must be willing to give our First Fruits back to God in order to continue Gods mission here at St. Paul's Church and School.

 

• What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits to me? (Ps 116:12)
• Bring the full tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house; and thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing (Mal 3:10).

 

When we support Christ's Church with our Time, Talents and Treasures, it shows our love for God and His mission at St. Paul's Church and School.

 

 

 

BOARD OF FINANCE

The Board of Finance meets monthly. The members rotate their attendance at council, which is the second Tuesday of the month. Additionally, some members sit on other committees like Endowment, Planning, and Tellers.

 

Stewardship and Finance are separate boards, but we try to meet at the start of the meeting to discuss joint issues.

 

Constitutional duties of the Board of Finance:

• Prepare tentative annual budget and publish to all members for the May Voters' meeting
• Analyze financial reports
• Plan and implement programs to keep congregation members aware of their stewardship responsibilities, and to motivate them to God-pleasing use of their time, talents, and treasures
• Make an annual study of salaries of all church workers and make recommendations to the congregation
• Administer and supervise any loan program of the congregation
• Concern itself with having the financial records of the congregation audited
• Make recommendations concerning stewardship and financial matters to the church council and voters
• Be responsible for a brief written summation of activities for presentation at voters' meeting

We have been trying to keep ideas in front of the congregation. Obviously there are challenges: getting the word out on programs like gift matching for the school and electronic giving; maintaining the trust of the congregation with respect to use of building funds; showing the congregation that while we are lay people we are putting forth our best effort of maintaining and improving the financial situation by looking toward the future through an endowment fund and a 5-, 10-, and 20-year plans.

 

Please pray for St. Paul's that Gods will be done and His mission expanded.

 

 

 

ENDOWMENT

The St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church Endowment Fund was established in 2001 to encourage, receive, and administer gifts received as endowments. This fund will allow people to designate mission and ministry projects they want to support during their lifetime, as well as when they have gone to heaven. A gift to the endowment fund is a reflection of our faith and Christian love over and above our normal regular support of the ongoing mission and ministry of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, our District and national Synod.

 

The purpose of an Endowment Fund is to receive gifts and bequests and use them for the mission and ministry of St. Paul's. It will primarily be used for larger gifts and bequests to be invested wisely for long term, and the interest be used to fund large needs of our church in the future.

 

It reminds God's people that wills and estate planning are part of Christian stewardship, and are a God-given opportunity to put their love for their Lord in to action. There is a Governing Board that meets quarterly to promote the fund, make good investments and make plans for fund distributions. Gifts can be in various forms. Some examples are: a bequest or gift in a will or trust; proceeds from a life insurance policy, annuity, or retirement plan; some gifts of stock and or property. They can be Designated or Undesignated gifts.

 

The following categories can be considered:

• Education
• Scholarships
• Youth Programs
• Church Music
• Evangelism
• Technology
• Building Fund

 

 

 

 

TELLERS

Ten tellers are elected by the voters to serve for a certain period of time. Each week on Mondays at 4:30 P.M. they open the safe to count, balance and record the monies collected from all Church services, school tuition and miscellaneous income during that week on summary sheets. These summary sheets are then given to the Church office and the treasurer after completion for record purposes. The tellers deposit the cash and checks at the bank weekly.

 

 

EVANGELISM COMMITTEE

Meetings: The Evangelism Committee meets monthly.

 

Greeters: Greeters are the people who welcome people to worship at our worship services.

 

New Member Reception: every 3 to 4 months the committee receives a list of new members from Adult Confirmation, transfers, etc. They are invited to a reception after late service in the Fellowship Hall. The new members are each assigned a sponsor to welcome them and help assimilate them into our congregation.

 

New Home Owner: A list of new homeowners is gotten from City Hall. An invitation is sent to all new homeowners inviting them to St. Paul's if they do not have a church home.

 

Internal Evangelism: The members of the committee each pick up 3 or 4 full mailboxes from the mailroom. They then call these people to see if the church can be of any help to them and make arrangements to deliver the materials.

 

Signs: A Christmas and Easter scene is put on the front lawn to witness Jesus to others.

  

Home Visits: We have gone on teams with Pastor to visit interested members.

 

Door Hangers: We put door hangers on in the neighborhood twice a year listing Christmas and Easter schedules.

 

Other St. Paul's Ministries:

 

1. Ongoing food collections and delivery to the Place Of Refuge home in Milwaukee
2. Ongoing donations of furniture, clothing, and children's supplies
3. Provision of financial support of the ministry through special offerings and the annual walk pledges
4. Food Banks: Food is collected weekly for the Emmaus Lutheran Church food bank and for those in the congregation and in the greater Milwaukee area that are in need.

 

 

 

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

The Board of Trustees is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of all the congregation properties. This includes setting and collecting fees for the rental of the facilities. The board also acts as the landlord for the rental units that the Church owns. The board meets monthly to determine the immediate areas of concern and to authorize necessary repairs. Usually the board has at least one work night a month to do any repairs or upkeep.

 

If interested in using our facilities, there is a Facility Usage Application that must be received from the church office. A Security Deposit of $50 is required at the time the application is turned into the church office. When the gym is being rented, a Certificate of Insurance will be required with the Facility Usage Application. There is a list of rules and regulations that must be followed as well as a checklist to be completed. A good rule of thumb is to leave the facility as clean or cleaner than you found it before your use. Please call the church office early if you wish to reserve an area. These fees will be reviewed on a yearly basis.

 

 

BOARD OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION

The Board of Christian Education concerns itself with the following four aspects of Christian Education in our congregation:

 

         Christian Day School

         Sunday School

         Youth

         Adult Education: Adult Christian Education ministers to the spiritual and life needs of post high school adults, helping them grow not merely in Biblical and theological knowledge, but also in Christian thinking and living. As the Holy Spirit works in our midst, our focus for each Bible class is Christ and His intricate role in our lives as Christians, the Church as a community of believers, and the world of our day. Typical opportunities for individuals to broaden their spiritual growth and to build new friendships are:

o   Sunday morning classes offered between services

o   Saturday night class offered either before or after service

o   Midweek class

o   Small group Bible study

o   Other small groups addressing individual needs or interests (e.g. mothers of preschoolers)

 

To better serve you, St. Paul's needs your help and input in the following areas:

 

• Bible study leaders (perhaps you or someone you know)
• Topics of interest
• Meeting times and days

 

Please contact the Church office with any questions or suggestions you may have or to review the resources available for your personal use.

 

 

 

CHURCH DECORATING COMMITTEE

Throughout the church year there are many festive occasions and opportunities in which special decorations are set up in the nave and chancel area. The Decorating Committee works with the pastors and the altar guild to help beautify our worship services. If you would be interested in using your talents to help with our decorating, please notify the church office.

 

 

ADVENT/LENTEN SUPPER COMMITTEE

The Advent/Lenten Supper Committee prepares suppers in the Advent and Lenten seasons. A free will offering is gathered at each supper to help cover the costs. Our committee usually meets two times a year. We meet sometime in October/November for Advent and again in January/February for Lent. At these meetings we first create a menu for the upcoming suppers. Each committee member chooses two nights that will work best for them. One night they will be in charge of the supper and the other night they would be an assistant. The member in charge is responsible for the shopping and preparing of the food for the supper that night along with help from the assistant. It is also their responsibility to keep the committee informed of where additional help is needed. At the meeting we will also create shopping lists together and discuss any changes or concerns that anyone may have.

 

If you are interested in joining the Advent/Lenten Supper Committee, please contact the church office.

 

 

BOARD OF ELDERS

The Board of Elders, as assistants to the Pastors, concerns itself with the spiritual life of the congregation and, under their direction, is charged with the supervision of public worship, church discipline and church publications.

 

We meet monthly to devote time to study God's word and discuss matters of concern. Between monthly meetings, we assist the Pastors prior to and during the services. This assistance includes preparing the church for worship and supervising the ushers in their duties. During the service, the Elders help with the distribution of the Sacrament as needed. Elders are involved in making calls on inactive members, urging them to make regular use of the means of grace, and encouraging them to use their talents to further the work of St. Paul's. Also, under the guidance of the pastoral staff, we assist in homebound calls as needed.

 

The Elders are also charged with supervising the work of the music staff, choir directors, and altar guild. The people in these areas are very talented and we are truly blessed.

 

The elders dedication, love of Christ, and commitment to God's word is a blessing. Utilize your talents . . . wont you consider a term on the board, as an Elder or assistant?

 

 

 

USHERS

The ushers serve our Lord by providing greetings, direction, help, collection of the offerings, and information to the congregation. The position provides for the smooth, safe movement of the congregation at the beginning, during communion, and at the end of the service. All ushers are scheduled to be on duty every third week and at some special services. The position is open for all men and women who are confirmed and members of our congregation. Training is provided. If you would be interested in serving as an usher please call the church office.