Elders

In our form of church government, elders (a biblical term for leaders) are elected by the congregation to guide and direct. Elders function primarily as discerners and shepherds and serve as the conscience and guardians of the church.

 The Grace Community Church by-laws state:

           “All Church powers shall be exercised by or under the authority of, and the business and affairs of the Church managed under the direction of, its Board of Elders or by such executive(s) or other committees as the Board may establish pursuant to these Bylaws.”

           Some of the specific responsibilities and powers of the Board of Elders as stated in the by-laws are to: 

1.     Work to strengthen and nurture the faith and life of the Congregation.

2.     Establish policy and monitor the operations and ministries of the Church.

3.     Define long‑term and short‑term goals and performance objectives of the Church,   and the assignment of priorities to those objectives.

4.     Review and approve the Church's budget to ensure that it is consistent with a sound financial  plan to achieve the purposes and objectives of the Church.

5.  Review and approve major personnel policies and other administrative policies to ensure that  they are consistent with the purposes and objectives of the Church.

      6.  Select all officers of the Church.

      7. Oversee the Church's fund raising activities and establish the Church's general fund raisin policies and guidelines.

Elder Nomination and Election Process

Grace has 12 elders, each serving a 2-year term. Each year, the congregation first elects a Nominating Committee, whose members are recommended by the Board of Elders. The Nominating Committee is then responsible for bringing a slate of elder candidates before the congregation for its consideration. In 2008, the Nominating Committee will be elected at a special meeting of the membership scheduled for the beginning of the 9:15am worship service on Sunday, July 20^th. 

 The next step in the process is for members to prayerfully consider if they know a fellow member of the church who possesses the spiritual maturity, leadership, and insight to serve as an elder. Then, they should complete an elder nomination form.  This year, the deadline for submitting elder nomination forms is August 4, 2008. The Nominating Committee will then review all of the names submitted, as well as recommendations from the committee itself, and will pray for guidance in selecting individuals to bring before the congregation for election as elders. 

Once six members have agreed to serve as elders, the Board of Elders will designate a date for an annual meeting of the membership. At that time, the membership will be asked to elect those six as elders for a two-year term ranging from January 2009 to December 2010.

Elder Profile

The following represents the characteristics of an elder as set out in scripture and in the governing model of Grace Community Church.

1)      Elders are to be spiritually mature as outlined in 1 Timothy 3:1-11 and Titus 1:5-9, of upright character, commitment to Christ, and commitment to the work of God in the local church. They are to be committed to their own ongoing spiritual growth to include: regular worship, participation in the life of Grace Church, service, financial giving, prayer, the study of God’s Word, and listening to the Holy Spirit.

2)    Elders should have human and spiritual gifts that would make them good leaders and vision casters. They are to be big-picture thinkers and able to give insight into long-range visions for the church.

Elders are not simply those being rewarded for being very active or serving in a ministry area. Just because someone worships regularly, is a great servant, and is spiritually mature does not mean that she or he is necessarily naturally and spiritually gifted for leading and setting vision for the church.

3)    They are to be committed to the particular ministry of Grace Community Church.  While the purposes of every church are the same, the strategies and models used to pursue those purposes are unique to each church. Elders must desire to seek to understand and pursue how God is uniquely calling Grace Community Church to be relevant in carrying out the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.

4)    While each of the elders will certainly have areas of greater interest and passion within the church, their role is not to serve as the representative of one ministry or one issue. They should always listen to and care about various ministries. However, when voting on issues, elders do not represent a constituency, but rather answer only to God and how they believe God is leading this unique church to carry out its mission. Christ alone is the Head of the Church, not any one constituency.

5)     Elders will find themselves in deep discussions in which they will not always agree with one another at board meetings. However, after voicing their thoughts, they must be leaders who will work within the framework of the elder team and support the decisions of the board as a whole.

6)    Elders are to be prepared to make their service as elder their top priority for ministry in the church. That is not to say that they may not continue to serve and be involved in others areas, but when prioritization of time or conflicts occur, the commitment to the role of elder must come first.  Because of commitments to other areas, sometimes a “no” or “not at this time” is the best answer. 

7)    Elder nominees need to have been an active member of Grace Community for a minimum of two years. Nominees must attend worship regularly as well as be a committed participant in some form of discipleship program. They also should contribute financially to the church.