The Country Board

Characteristics of a good board meeting.

Glenn Daman — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 22:13:00 +0000

Characteristics of a Good Board Meeting
Part 1

When we come to a board meeting, what do we expect to accomplish? How do we know that we have had an effective meeting? For many, a good board meeting is when there are no problems in the church, no disagreements on the board and enough time is left to talk about the latest commodity trends and hunting or fishing trips. However, an effective board meeting involves much more.
An effective meeting is centered upon prayer. Prayer is central to the ministry of the board. In Act 6:4 we find that prayer was one of the highest priorities of the church. In 1 Samuel 12:23 we read where Samuel considered prayer as part of his responsibility as a leader. For him, the failure to pray would be a dereliction of his duty. First we are to pray for spiritual direction and wisdom. The danger is that we can make decisions for the church without spending time seeking God for wisdom and guidance in those decisions. The result is that the church becomes marred by division (see Jeremiah 10:21). When we are making decisions we should spend time praying specifically for the issue and asking God for wisdom and guidance in the decision so that it would honor and glorify him. We should pray that the decisions that are made would bring unity rather than division within the church. Second we are to pray for the spiritual growth of people. When we examine the prayers of Paul in Ephesians 1:15-23,Philippians 1:3-11,Colossians 1:3-14 and 2 Thessalonians 1:3-12 we find that he spent a great deal of time praying for the spiritual needs of people and for their spiritual growth. We are to pray for those who are ensnared in sin, we are to pray for those in conflict, we are to pray for our young people to know God’s will. The advantage of the small church is that we often know when people are struggling spiritually. Consequently we can pray specifically for people and the issues they are facing. However, a word of caution: When we pray for individuals it is important that we maintain strict confidence both individually and as a board. The issues that we pray for should never be repeated outside the board meeting, even to our spouse. Third, we are to pray for the physical and emotional needs of people. When people are going through difficult periods of their lives and under physical or emotional distress, we are to pray for them (James 5:12-14). Fourth, we are to pray for the ministries of the church. We should pray for their effectiveness and for those who are involved in the leadership of those ministries. This also means that we should pray specifically for the needs of the Pastor and his family. As a board we should always support the ministry of the pastor in prayer and seek God’s blessing upon his life and work.
Tragically prayer is often a sideline of the board meeting. One or two people pray at the beginning and at the close of the meeting. Even these are general prayers that are offered for God’s blessing. While it is certainly appropriate to ask for God’s blessing, we should also spend much more time praying for the specific needs of the church.

The Priority of the Board

Glenn Daman — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 22:09:00 +0000

Country Board
(December, 2007)

The Priority of the Board:

When we are asked to serve on the church board we often lack a clear perspective of what we are to do. For many, the board is responsible to make sure the church remains financially sound, oversee the various ministries and deals with any problems arise. However when we view the pages of scripture we find a completely different emphasis. In the book of acts we find that the focus was not upon the oversight of the organization of the church, but oversight of the spiritual life and needs of people In Acts 20:28-32 we read of Paul addressing the leadership at Ephesus for the final time. In these words he challenges them concerning their role within the church. It is in these final words that we discover two essential elements concerning our priority and role as board members.
First, we are to develop our personal relationship with Christ. Paul challenges them to “Keep watch over yourselves.” A healthy church begins with a healthy board and a healthy board begins with a dynamic relationship with Christ. Keeping watch means to be on guard and give careful consideration for. Furthermore, the emphasis of this command is that we are to do so continually. It is easy to become slack in our personal relationship with Christ. Our only intake of the scriptures is the instruction we receive on Sunday. Protecting our spiritual relationship with Christ requires that we be disciplined to study the scriptures and spend time in prayer.
Second, we are to “keep watch over all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.” As a board, we are responsible to oversee the spiritual health and growth of the congregation. Too often in the board we spend the bulk of our time discussing organizational issues within the church and leave the spiritual oversight to the pastor. But Paul makes it clear that the responsibility for the spiritual well being of the church rests upon the shoulders of the pastor and the board. Furthermore, this task is not merely assigned by the churches selection of us to serve on the board, but by divine authority and appointment. God holds us responsible for caring for the spiritual needs of the church. This means that we are responsible to be involved in the lives of people and minister to the needs of people. We are to spend time praying for people. We are to be passionate in our pursuit of God’s will and purpose rather than our own personal agenda or anyone else’s. We are to set the example for others on how to live their Christian life. Being a leader is more than just making decisions about the budget and the programs, it encompasses how we live and how we minister to the needs of people.

The Prioritiy of the Board

Glenn Daman — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 18:26:00 +0000

When we are asked to serve on the church board we often lack a clear perspective of what we are to do. For many, the board is responsible to make sure the church remains financially sound, oversee the various ministries and deals with any problems arise. However when we view the pages of scripture we find a completely different emphasis. In the book of acts we find that the focus was not upon the oversight of the organization of the church, but oversight of the spiritual life and needs of people In Acts 20:28-32 we read of Paul addressing the leadership at Ephesus for the final time. In these words he challenges them concerning their role within the church. It is in these final words that we discover two essential elements concerning our priority and role as board members.
First, we are to develop our personal relationship with Christ. Paul challenges them to “Keep watch over yourselves.” A healthy church begins with a healthy board and a healthy board begins with a dynamic relationship with Christ. Keeping watch means to be on guard and give careful consideration for. Furthermore, the emphasis of this command is that we are to do so continually. It is easy to become slack in our personal relationship with Christ. Our only intake of the scriptures is the instruction we receive on Sunday. Protecting our spiritual relationship with Christ requires that we be disciplined to study the scriptures and spend time in prayer.
Second, we are to “keep watch over all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.” As a board, we are responsible to oversee the spiritual health and growth of the congregation. Too often in the board we spend the bulk of our time discussing organizational issues within the church and leave the spiritual oversight to the pastor. But Paul makes it clear that the responsibility for the spiritual well being of the church rests upon the shoulders of the pastor and the board. Furthermore, this task is not merely assigned by the churches selection of us to serve on the board, but by divine authority and appointment. God holds us responsible for caring for the spiritual needs of the church. This means that we are responsible to be involved in the lives of people and minister to the needs of people. We are to spend time praying for people. We are to be passionate in our pursuit of God’s will and purpose rather than our own personal agenda or anyone else’s. We are to set the example for others on how to live their Christian life. Being a leader is more than just making decisions about the budget and the programs, it encompasses how we live and how we minister to the needs of people.

Temporary post

Matthew Farnell (McFarnell) — Thu, 17 May 2007 17:10:00 +0000

This is a temporary post. Check back soon for The Country Board blog.