How Our Congregation Works
A. Who We Are
Peakland Baptist Church is a community of disciples who have been claimed by the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. It is our committed purpose to accomplish an individual and corporate embodiment of this divine love.
We desire to become mature disciples of Jesus Christ and to use our influence to build, on earth as it is in heaven, the beloved community in which each accepts the other as all have been accepted by God in Christ. We seek to express in our horizontal relationships with others the divine agape love which we have discovered in our vertical relationship with God through “His” Son and our Savior and Lord, Jesus the Christ.
In experiencing life as a community of disciples at Peakland Baptist Church, we seek to organize our life around two core principles: the priesthood of the believer and a simple and functional structure. First of all, we honor the principle that God seeks a relationship with each individual. As God values our individuality and calls each person to a unique journey of becoming and a distinctive expression of service, so we receive and celebrate this gracious way that God has chosen to relate. We wish to receive what God is doing in each individual’s life. However, God has also shown us that private and individual spiritual growth must be harmonized within the boundaries and expectations of community. God has created us not only for “Himself” but also for one another; therefore, we are committed to our life together as the community of Jesus’ disciples.
B. The Structure of Our Congregation
The structure of Peakland Baptist Church is characterized by clarity, simplicity, and functionality. Imagine, if you will, a circle of people who are gathered around a common focal point. This focal point is a statement of our purpose as a people of God: “To embody Christ and God’s love within and beyond our faith community.” As individuals within this circle we are each devoted to the process of spiritual formation though which we seek to embody God’s love. As children of God we are each devoted to the mission of expressing this divine love within and beyond our faith community. However, the accomplishment of our purpose calls for assignments that are beyond the abilities and energy of one person. Therefore, we form circles of purpose within the larger circle of our community of disciples. As we are each led by the call of God and the encouragement of other believers, we join with teams who work toward the accomplishment of our stated purpose in dedicated areas.
As you imagine the circle of people gathered around our common purpose in Christ, would you now see these individuals beginning to form smaller circles of purpose, still gathered within the larger circle? We have given names to these teams that express the function they serve in supporting the focal purpose of the congregation. Briefly identified, these are the teams of Peakland Baptist Church:
1. Worship Team – This team leads the congregation in understanding the church year and the importance of Christian worship. It provides leadership and resources to enrich the worship life of families as well as the congregation.
2. Education Team – This team formulates goals and recommends staff and resources for the Church School, Vacation Bible School, youth, and other educational programs as approved by the congregation.
3. Diaconate – It is the responsibility of the Diaconate to plan for the supervision and care of the internal expression and external witness of the spiritual life of the congregation. The spiritual nurture offered by deacons is organized through “care groups” which include all interested members and friends of the church.
4.
Missions Team – This team leads the congregation in
establishing
outreach ministry
goals and in offering practical service to others.
5.
Women’s Christian Fellowship – This fellowship of
women serves
the congregation by promoting and involving the church in
direct missions projects and by providing circles of Christian
growth and encouragement for the women of the
congregation.
6.
Stewardship Team – This team leads the church in the
process of
defining an annual unified budget and monitors receipts and
expenditures in keeping with the fiscal boundaries of the budget.
7.
Denominational Relations Team – This team monitors and
reports to the
congregation on the activities of other religious bodies with which
Peakland decides to cooperate.
8.
Ministry Support Team – This team matches individuals
with suitable
ministry opportunities and provides for the ongoing
development of all
volunteers.
9.
Personnel Team– This team establishes and maintains
written policies
and procedures, including job descriptions, for all paid staff members.
10.
Facilities Team – This team maintains, in proper and
attractive condition,
the buildings and grounds belonging to the congregation and all
associated
equipment.
11. Outreach Team –
This team provides leadership for efforts to increase
the visibility of our congregation, to publicize events and ministries, and
to
invite people to become members of our congregation.
12. Fellowship Team – This team offers
opportunities for persons to
establish
bonds of belonging with one another and the
congregation
through a variety of social, recreational and
relational activities.
We have used the phrase “team” rather than the more typical “committee,” because the structure calls for each member of the team to have an assigned responsibility which is coordinated with the work of other team members to accomplish the greater good of the community. Doesn’t that sound like a team, in which each “player” makes a direct contribution to the work of the whole? Unless specified otherwise in our by-laws, each team member makes a commitment to serve for one year.
Each team calls out a member to serve as the chair to give overall coordination to their effort, to be the point of contact with the congregation as regards the work of the team, and to serve with other chairpersons on the Congregational Council.
The key leaders in the life of our congregation are these team chairs who serve on the Congregational Council, for they are charged with two vital functions: (1) providing guidance for a specialized team and (2) working with the Minister and staff to define an annual plan for the congregation as a whole. These positions probably require the most time commitment of any volunteer role within the church.
The Congregational Council is the coordination and planning body for the whole congregation. It is the “mega-team” where the goals and activities of individual teams are orchestrated to accomplish our core purpose statement.
C. Authority for Decision Making
As a congregation of the Baptist tradition, authority for decision-making is completely vested in the people. For the sake of efficiency, authority is delegated to teams to make many decisions and to the Congregational Council to make some decisions on behalf of the whole church. However, the congregation always has the right to ask for information, to confirm, or to change the decisions of one of the groups functioning with delegated authority.
D. How Can I Become Involved?
Since one of our core values is the priesthood of the believer, we highlight individual initiative as an expression of your personal discernment of the call of God. At the congregational anniversary each September, every member completes a “Discipleship Commitment Form” through which instrument he/she indicates the areas of involvement for the coming year to which she/he senses God’s call. At this time of the year, we also hold a “Commitment Fair” in the Fellowship Hall following morning worship, in which you can visit the tables of the various teams, learn more about their work, and volunteer to be a part of specific teams.
In addition to being called by God, people are “called out” to serve by church leaders. The purpose of the Ministry Support Team is to identify people who have experience or desire in various areas of service and to invite them to serve on one of our teams. Their work is climaxed in our annual meeting in December, when people are elected to leadership roles for the coming year. The Ministry Support Team also offers training and development resources and opportunities throughout the year.
If you are new to Peakland Baptist Church, a member of the Deaconate will be glad to meet with you and explain our structure with the hope that you will discern your place within the purpose of our congregation. Or you could speak with our Minister or call the church office, if you have questions. We want you to know how our congregation works, so that you can become a part of what God is doing in and through us!
Last Updated: 09/28/05
www.peaklandbaptistchurch.org