Congregation Meeting
Our first annual meeting as Hope Springs!
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Sunday, March 5
12:00 Noon
Beginning with a Potluck Lunch!
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Our very first Annual Meeting is coming up in 4 weeks. This is an important time for Hope Springs. We'll be choosing our first elected Board. These people will help form the church that we, together, will be. We'll need people in the area of Outreach, Family Nurture, Christian Formation, Fundraising, Property and Finance.
I want you to think about whether you have gifts in any of these areas. This group will work together to shape our church.
What's involved? The Board meets 10-12 times a year. Board members may also take one of a number of special projects that come up. These are the people who can make our church all that we want it to be.
Once we have our Board in place, we'll also be looking for people to work in different areas to create the day to day happenings in our church. Think Children's Worship. Think lawn mowing. Think Community Dinners. And much more! What is your gift?
Judy McMullan
Official Board chairperson
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Hope Springs' Leadership Teams
A more-detailed look
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When our amalgamation took place, we merged the existing leadership groups from the Alma, Bethany, and Elora congregations. They are serving as interim members of our leadership teams.
At the annual meeting, together we’ll be discerning who will serve on the teams moving forward. This might include current team members. It will also include new people.
Committee members can serve for a term of up to 4 years. After 2 consecutive terms (8 years total), people need to take a year off. Exceptions are the minister and the treasurer. At our first annual meeting, we’ll be choosing people for different term lengths so they end at different times.
Summary: We need to choose . . .
6+ for the Official Board/Mission committee
4 for the Official Board/Stewardship committee
3+ for the Ministry & Personnel committee
Again, these can include current committee members.
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This is the governing body of Hope Springs UC.
Our Official Board has 10 people from the congregation. These must be full members of Hope Springs UC. Our Minister for Worship, Christian Formation and Pastoral Care is also on the Board.
Sometimes the board meets as a whole body. Other times it meets as 2 separate committees: Mission and Stewardship. Each board member sits on 1 of these committees.
We also have working groups! These focus on particular areas. We encourage everyone in the congregation to join a working group that interests them. Each working group has a board member who is a liaison between that group and the Board. (The Mission and Stewardship committees can adjust the working groups and their tasks along the way).
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Mission Committee
Part of the Official Board
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The Mission committee tends to Hope Springs’ spiritual life so the congregation can live its mission as a community of Jesus Christ. Responsibilities include: worship, Christian formation for all ages, pastoral care, serving our communities, social justice, evangelism, congregational membership, and relations with the broader United Church, other churches and partners.
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The Mission committee has 6 (or more) members and our ministers:
- Official Board Chair
- Official Board Secretary
- Representatives to Our Regional Council (we can have up to 3!)
- Rep from Family Nurture Working Group
- Rep from Christian Formation Working Group
- Rep from Outreach Working Group
- Minister for Worship, Christian Formation, Pastoral Care
- also, the Minister for Children in Youth is a non-voting member
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There are 3 groups that work under the Mission committee's umbrella. Someone from each group also serves on the Mission committee. Anyone can belong to these groups!
Family Nurture group
responsible for Children, Youth, Family (perhaps 3-5 people)
Christian Formation group
responsible for Adult Education, Worship, Renewal (perhaps 2-3 people)
Outreach group
responsible for Pastoral Care, Community Nurture (perhaps 3-5 people)
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The Mission committee’s interim members have been: Judy McMullan (chair), Christine Grose (regional rep), Bonnie Young, Lesley Weaver, and Dorothy Hemingway.
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Stewardship Committee
Part of the Official Board
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The Stewardship committee tends to the day-to-day use of Hope Springs’ financial and property resources. Responsibilities include: overseeing revenues and expenditures, annual draft budget, regular property upkeep and maintenance, financial stewardship education, fundraising activities.
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The Stewardship committee has 4 members and one of our ministers:
- Treasurer (might also be the congregation’s staff bookkeeper)
- Rep from Property Maintenance Working Group
- Rep from Finance Working Group
- Rep from Fundraising Working Group
- Minister for Worship, Christian Formation, Pastoral Care
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There are 3 groups that work under the Stewardship committee's umbrella. Someone from each group serves on the Stewardship committee. Anyone can belong to these groups!
Property Maintenance group
regular upkeep of building and ground, minor repairs (perhaps 3-5 people)
Finance group
work with Treasurer & Bookkeeper (staff) on financial decisions (perhaps 1-2 people)
Fundraising group
lead fundraising and stewardship initiatives (perhaps 4-5 people + oodles of helpers)
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The Stewardship committee’s interim members have been: Beverly Bond (treasurer/ bookkeeper), Jim Fairles, Judy Howse-Ward, Gary Hall, Robert Koeslag, Sue Shifflett, Eileen Parkinson.
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Ministry & Personnel Committee
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The M&P committee tends to relationships between the congregation and its staff members. Responsibilities include: oversight of staff work, position descriptions, staff evaluations, and conflicts involving staff. It reports to the Board, including making recommendations about staff remuneration and hiring of non-minister staff.
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The Ministry & Personnel committee has 3 or more members
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The Ministry & Personnel committee’s interim members have been Willa Hopkinson (chair), Robert Koeslag, John Wilkie, Nancy Watson
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The Board of trustees own and tend to the financial and property assets of the congregation on behalf of the congregation and the United Church of Canada. Responsibilities include: investments, insurance, considering major renovations, property sales and purchases
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There are 5 or more trustees, including a minister.
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Each trustee from the founding congregations will continue until they resign or the congregation decides otherwise. The plan is to have 5 trustees by December 2024. Once the number falls below 5, new trustees can be chosen.
Since November 1, we’ve had 14 trustees: Gord Grose, Carl Hall, Gary Hall, Betty-Anne McBey, Robert McMillan, Jeff Negrave (treasurer), Shannon Shan, Sue Shifflett, Dave Smith, Greg Smith-Young (chair), Morley Trask, Nancy Van Veen (secretary), Bruce Weech, Linda Wilkinson.
These trustees have agreed to continue: Gord Grose, Carl Hall, Betty-Anne McBey, Jeff Negrave, Sue Shifflett, Dave Smith, Greg Smith-Young,(chair), Morley Trask, Linda Wilkinson. So there are no trustee vacancies to fill.
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Want to find our more?
Interested in serving on one of these teams?
Please speak with Judy McMullan
(jamcmullan@gmail.com | 519-572-3833)
or Greg Smith-Young
(minister@hopespringsunited.ca | 226-384-9084)
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office@hopespringsunited.ca
519.846.0122
75 Geddes Street Elora ON N0B 1S0
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Find our page by searching for "Hope Springs United Church."
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