Why Job Descriptions are Critical for Council members and how to create them
Executive Summary
Few congregations have up-to-date written job descriptions for paid staff members let alone volunteer leadership board members. Without clear expectations, board members can easily fail to live up to expectations. Anxiety rises with uncertainty and the board does not function well.
What are we doing wrong?
We ask people to serve without telling them what we expect them to do.
We tend to seek out warm bodies to fill spots instead of seeking out specifically gifted people to help lead and guide a congregation.
We think an announcement in the bulletin asking for volunteers to serve on council is enough
It is time to let our current models go. A couple of examples:
At the council’s insistence, for four weeks we published an inspiring invitation for people to serve on the congregation council. It was well written and even had clear expectations. Still, not a single person volunteered to serve. At the next meeting we identified people with the gifts we thought we needed. It took just four phone calls to fill the three vacant spots.
If people do not know what is expected of them, why would they ever agree to a job. How long is the term? How frequent are the meetings? Do board members serve on another committee? Are there other jobs like helping to count the weekly offering? How are board members expected to participate in meetings? How can you ask someone to serve on a board without being clear about what the job entails?
Following this model, you end up with lots of surprised people who had no idea all the job entailed.
There is a better way.
The difference relationships and serving can make:
I have been able to meet and grow closer to so many more people at church through my time spent serving on our congregational council. Having this strong sense of community has been a really important anchor in my life. -Aubrey, congregation council member, Troy, MI.
It is three simple steps: Identify Roles, List Expectations and Revise
Identify Roles: Begin with the congregation constitution. What re the roles on the board. Typically, this includes President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Council Member. Don’t forget staff members, both clergy and lay, who are expected to be part of the meeting.
List Expectations: Divide up the work and for each role list the expectations. Some should apply to every like regular attendance, honest participation and respectful conversation. Others will apply to specific positions like chairing the meeting (president) and providing regular financial reports (treasurer). This could include an agreed upon Code of Conduct (see below)
Revise: Job descriptions can and should change over time. Ideally a council will return to these descriptions annually to review and update them as needed. This also serves as a reminder of the expectations of the group and helps hold everyone accountable.
The rest of this section will share how to assure you cover the key concepts: Identify Roles, List Expectations and Revise.
Important: If people do not know what is expected of them their anxiety will often increase. When people are anxious they have a more difficult time listening to others and learning.
Roles: Each congregation has their own way of organizing and functioning. At a council meeting look around the table and list all the roles present. Are committee chairs expected to be at the meeting? Which paid staff are present? What roles comprise an executive committee?
Expectations: This list comes in two forms. First, and most important has to do with how members on the board will relate to each other. Is there an expectation of mutual respect? Is there an expectation that each member of the board have an opportunity to speak on an issue? How will board members handle concerns from the congregation?
Consider the Ten Commandments for Council Members below.
Second is the more basic expectations. Much of this can be found in the congregation constitution. In addition to general expectations, there are things specific to each congregation. In some contexts, board members are expected to serve on committees. In some churches board members rotate in counting the weekly offering.
What sort of reporting or reflection or participation is expected from staff members? Do they have to be physically present or just submit written reports or not?
Revise: Use your job descriptions as a guide for two or three months. Live with them for a while. Then review what you have written. Did you leave anything out? Do you need to make changes? Are the descriptions clear enough that someone new to the council understand the expectations?
Getting Started
Once the council decides to move forward with this important work as a group there are a few lists they might want to compile: roles on the council, basic expectations and duties specific to your congregation. After that work is completed, this would be best begun by a group of two or three people. Once they complete a first draft, share that with the whole council for feedback and review. Make the needed edits and changes. Review again. Now you have a document to keep current members accountable and educate potential future council members.
Job Description Outline
Part 1: General Expectations
These are the things everyone is expected to do. This would include attendance expectations and other details often found in the Congregation Constitution. There might also be things specific to the congregation. You can list those duties here.
Part 2: Behavioral Expectations
This includes expectations around participation in discussions. Consider how you expect members to treat each other. Review the Ten Commandments for Council Members. You might want to include that or something similar.
Part 3: Expectations for Council Officers
Here list President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and any other officers or people with specific roles who regularly attend council meetings. Before you ask someone to serve as council president it is best to have a clear understanding of the expectations.
Part 4: Review and Revise
This is not intended as a one and done document. Churches change. The world changes. Job descriptions change as well. After revising and editing the document, live with it for a time. Once a year, the month new council members join the meeting, review the Job Descriptions so everyone is clear what is expected. Continue to revise this as needed.
Best Practices
Keep it Concise: People read less now than ever before. Furthermore, if you hand someone a seven-page job description for a volunteer church council position, it will seem overwhelming from the start and no one will agree to it. They should fit on the front of one page.
Write it to be read: There is no need for long paragraphs and complete sentences. Lists and bullet points will be sufficient.
Not a Job for Everyone: After the whole council has done the work of identifying roles and other details, give this to one or two people, three at most, to complete. Once a first draft is completed the whole group can help improve it.
Make it Hopeful and Inspiring: This might be the most challenging part, but also one of the most important. Once you have completed the draft be sure the job that is described is one you would want. Don’t make being on council sound miserable. Help people see this is an invitation to serve the church and Jesus by preparing the congregation for the future. What is more exciting than that?
Obstacles
Seems like Busywork: Certainly, projects like this can seem unimportant. They are until they are not. No one likes to agree to a position only later to have someone say, “Oh, by the way we signed you up to help count the offering Christmas Eve, since you missed the last meeting.” No one appreciates the “Oh by the way…” followed by a list of additional duties they were never told about.
You can get by without it: This is one of those jobs it is easy to kick down the road. It never feels like much of a priority. It is also one of those jobs that really will not take as much time and energy as people sometimes fear. So, choose a council meeting to get things rolling and find a writer. It will be that much easier to add new council members when the time comes.
Samples and Resources
· Ten Commandments for Council Members
10 Commandments for Church Council Members
You shall be actively engaged in the worship life and ministry of the congregation.
You shall share your opinions and perspectives freely and respectfully during meetings.
You shall listen carefully to others.
You shall do your best to manage your anxiety and remain calm.
You shall commit to pray for the pastor, staff and other members of the council.
You shall publicly support the decisions of the council.
You shall invite other church members with concerns to bring those concerns directly to the council.
You shall invite people to speak or write directly to the council and not bring anonymous concerns to the council.
You shall be open to the bold and creative work of the Holy Spirit.
You shall strive to be generous according to your means.