The Session has identified five core ministry areas at Good Shepherd and has chosen to organize the work of the Session into five Ministry Teams. Ministry Team, instead of Committee, we feel is a better way to speak of the work of the church. These five Ministry Teams will take effect in 2011 and will supplant our current seven Committees. The five Ministry Teams are as follows:

2011 Ministry Teams

The Ministry of Praising - Helping people worship God.

The Ministry of Connecting - Helping people bond with God,

each other and the environment.

The Ministry of Organizing - Helping unite all ministry areas

in common focus, caring for our campus and finances.

The Ministry of Growing - Helping people mature in knowledge and faith.

The Ministry of Serving - Helping people communicate God’s love

in Word and Deed beyond the church campus.         

You will notice the first letter of each Ministry area begins with P-C-O-G-S. This lettering now, not only represents, “Presbyterian Church of the Good Shepherd,” but also reminds us of who we are called to be as a church “Praising, Connecting, Organizing, Growing, and Serving.” I believe these 5 ministry areas will help us focus our efforts and help us take another step in Good Shepherd’s the long journey as a witness of God’s love and grace in Melbourne.

The Ministry of Praising, team of the Session

The Mission statement for the Praising team is “By providing variety in Worship experiences, the Praising team demonstrates our commitment to Christ in ways that allow all members to participate and grow.”

Biblical Basis:

“First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, requests, and thanksgivings be offered to God for all people; for kings and all others who are in authority, that we may live a quiet and peaceful life with all reverence toward God and with proper conduct. This is good and it pleases God our Savior.” First Timothy2: 1-3

The Task Description of this Committee--

Ensures that the church has worship services regularly. Makes sure that the elements for communion services are prepared and that Elders and Deacons are lined up to serve the sacrament. Makes sure that any lay participants in the worship services are lined up. Makes sure that there is a music program for the church (though staff for same would be hired, supervised and dismissed by the Head of Staff Pastor.) When the church is without a Pastor this committee would be responsible to line up supply preachers and make sure that all matters related to having worship services are taken care of. Is responsible for any decor related to worship and the sanctuary of the church.

The Praising team supports the overall church mission by focusing on Christ-centered worship, which shares Christ’s love and encourages growth as disciples in a nurturing way.

The Ministry of Connecting, team of the Session

The mission statement of the Connecting team is “Like Martha, the Connecting team encourages members and friends of the church to “break bread together” in Christian fellowship.

Biblical Basis:

Martha preparing food for Jesus, while Mary sat at his feet.

The Task Description of this Committee

Ensures that the church has activities, which help the members and friends (constituents) of the congregation to get to know and enjoy each other. Coordinates dinner, lunch and breakfast functions, fellowship hours, hosting functions (such as for weddings and funerals.) This is a community-building team. Groups within the congregation, which are primarily social and/or group building in nature, are accountable to and report to this committee.

The Connecting team supports the overall church Mission statement by nurturing the congregation and sharing Christ’s love through fellowship opportunities.

The Ministry of Organizing, team of the Session

Committee Mission Statement: Through the Stewardship program, the Organizing team encourages spiritual growth as members explore their own talents and determine where their contributions (time, talents, and wealth) can make a difference. As administers, this team seeks to implement decisions which enable the goals of the church are carried out.

Biblical Basis:

Jesus parable of the talents, as found in the book of Matthew, chapter 25, verses 14 - 30. And, “And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers or miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues” from Corinthians 12:28 (New International Version).

The Task Description of this Committee--

Ensures that the church conducts adequate efforts to fund the mission and ministry of this church. The chairperson of this team chairs, also, the Budget Committee of the church. Monitors and reports on the finances of the church throughout the year. Works with the church Treasurer. Makes sure that an every-Sunday donation-receipts system is in place and that donations are adequately recorded and reported. Approves and supervises policies related to any fund-raising efforts by any of the groups in the church and supervises the finances of all groups within the church. Oversees all administrative matters including personnel, corporation business, insurance, and tax matters.

The Church Treasurer receives church funds, disperses church funds based upon approval provided by authorized signers, keeps records of all action on all accounts and reports income, expenditures and balances to the Stewardship Committee as defined by and requested by the Stewardship Committee Organizing team acts as Comptroller of the Church.

Organizing team supports the overall mission statement by encouraging the member’s growth as disciples.

The Ministry of Growing, team of the Session

Committee Mission Statement: As followers of Jesus Christ, The Ministry of Growing team continues the tradition of teaching by overseeing the materials used for all Bible Studies and training the teachers and leaders.

Biblical Basis: 

Jesus teaching in the temple.

The Task Description of this Committee:

Ensures that the church has a good Christian education program for all age groups, a program that seeks total commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and to be God's faithful people. All educational efforts, even those conducted by other groups in the church are accountable to the Session through this team to be sure that the education conforms to the Christian Faith and the norms of the Session.

The Ministry of Growing team contributes to the overall church mission statement by helping the congregation grow as disciples in a nurturing and loving environment.

The Ministry of Serving team of the Session

The committee mission statement is: “The Serving team leads Good Shepherd to follow Christ’s commandment to feed the hungry, to cloth the naked in the world, to alleviate other physical and spiritual sufferings, and to provide housing for the homeless.”

Biblical Basis:

Christ calls us to feed the hungry, to give drink to the thirsty, cloth the naked, visit the sick and imprisoned, and house the homeless,. (Mathew 25 v35-45 paraphrased)

The Task Description of this Committee:

Ensures that the church is involved in the mission of Jesus Christ. Recommends the mission budget of the church each year. Makes sure the congregation is able to participate in the special mission offering opportunities of the General Assembly (the processing of such receipts are to be handled by the Organizing team.) Coordinates and supports mission work efforts and mission interpretation activities.

Endowment Committee

The Task Description of this Committee

This committee advises and supports the Pastor in all matters related to staff and employment policies and practices.  The committee is not the supervisor of the Pastor or of the staff of the church. (The committee represents the Session in its obligation to discuss annually with the Pastor and the staff the adequacy of his or her salary and benefits.  It must do this before the committee recommends to the Session the salary and related contractual financial budget items for each upcoming annual budget.) (Adopted June 1998; Updated Oct 2008)

The Memorial Fund Committee

Appointment by Session is for three years and can be renewed for only one more consecutive term of three years.  The Pastor is a member ex-officio.

The Memorial Fund Committee meets on the call of the commit­tee chairperson or of the pastor.

A quorum is two of the three appointed members and the pastor when the church has a pastor.

The committee is accountable to the Session, through the Stewardship and Administration Committee, in that it must take any direction the Session chooses to give it and it must report at the end of each year all income, expenditures and fund balance, as well as all items purchased by the Fund in the year.

The committee receives memorial gifts with the money deposited into a Z-Fund account for Memorial Fund Committee use. The committee thanks donors, advises families of the memorialized or the honored of all donors (but not amounts of each donor's gift) and decides what items to purchase for the church from the Fund. 

The committee maintains a list of appropriate items the Fund would approve as useful for the church.  This list needs to be available for the pastor to use in dealing with families when families wish to provide items in memory of or to honor loved ones.  The pastor may agree with donors regarding any item on the MFC-approved list.  It is understood that in no case does a family or any particular donor maintain any control over any article provided for the church.  Nor are names of donors or of the memorialized or the honored applied to any gifts.  All gifts must be given to the Glory of God, not to a person(s), and the church must feel completely free to use and manage the items as the church feels it must.

The Memorial Garden Committee

Session policies, which affect this committee (any policy set by the session requires the approval of the Session for any variation in or from the policy):

CGS has a memorial garden. (Approved January 1, 2003)

The Memorial Garden Committee is a standing committee under Administration and Stewardship. The Memorial Garden Committee has 5 elected members from the congregation, proposed by the Nominating Committee each year.  Each term will be for 2 years; a person can be elected to a second 2 yr term for a total of 4 yrs.  After that time 1 yr. will have to be spent off the board.  The Committee will also have a serving Elder named by Session.  The Pastor is an advisor and ex officio of the Memorial Garden Committee. (Adopted August 18, 2005; Updated Oct 2008)

The Annual Audit Committee

This committee of three people examines the books and records of the Church Treasurer at the end

of the year and prepares a report to the Session as early in the new year as possible.   Members of the committee should be members of the congregation learned in matters of accounting.  Appointment is for three years on rotation. None of the members may be related to each other or related by family either to other members of the committee or to the Church Treasurer or Pledge Recorder.  Members may succeed themselves but should not serve more than six consecutive years.  After six years there should be one full year off the committee before renewed eligibility. 

The Budget Committee

Session policies, which affect this committee (any policy set by the session requires the approval of the Session for any variation in or from the policy):

That CGS continue making the equivalent of a monthly mortgage payment by transferring funds into a designated account for the purpose of accruing funds for future building expansion. (Adopted October 19, 2005)

The Budget Committee meets to develop a proposed annual budget.  The members of the committee are the chairpersons of the Standing Committees of the Session, the church treasurer and the pastor.  The chairperson of the Stewardship and Administration Committee is automatically the chairperson of the Budget Committee.  The Budget Committee presents to the Session, at its December meeting, a proposed budget for the coming year.  When acted upon, the budget is set.  The congregation does not set the budget.  The Session does.  (Adopted 1993)

The Stewardship and Administration Committee serves the Comptroller function.  When mid-year budget adjustments are needed that is normally work prepared for the Session by the Administration and Stewardship Committee serving in its role as Comptroller.  Normally, the Budget Committee serves only to prepare and recommend the new annual budget of the Church.