Board Descriptions

· The Board of Worship, Music and the Arts

· The Board of Finance and Administration

The Board of Worship, Music and the Arts

We at South Church are the recipients of a long spiritual tradition of beautiful and meaningful worship supported by music and the other fine arts. Many of our members and friends have been drawn to this church by its architectural beauty and strong commitment to finding God in and through the arts. Many of them practice art and many more share a deep appreciation for art in its many forms. Members of the Board of Worship, Music and the Arts help guide this rich tradition of the past and present into the future. Tasks include recruiting and organizing schedules for lay worship leaders, lay readers, ushers and acolytes, greeters and pourers and technicians for the radio ministry. We also coordinate adornment of the sanctuary throughout the liturgical year, special displays of visual art in other areas of the church and special projects such as the South Church Writer’s Journal. We oversee the budget for areas of ministry involving worship, music and the arts and we stay in close cooperation with the other Boards and the church council by sending representatives to those meetings.

The Board of Christian Social Action

The Board of Christian Social Action works to make God’s word alive in the world, our local church and neighborhood, to the furthest reaches of the earth, wherever there is a perceived need that can be addressed by the work of hands or financial support. In what kind of projects has the Board been involved? Following are some examples. Organizing a welcome back “event” at the beginning of the church year and planning after-service educational talks are ways to support our congregation. We have attempted to meet local needs by triaging monies to local agencies such as the Friendship Center, Pathways/Senderos, and the Prudence Crandall Center. Our annual Christmas Dinner provides sustenance for the soul and body at that special and often difficult time of year. Participation in Christmas in April helps provide comfort and safety for those with housing needs. National concerns are addressed by shepherding funds to our national church organizations and assisting in collections such as “One Great Hour of Sharing.” The Board has provided personnel for emotional support of disenfranchised youth by participating in the “Children from the Shadows” program. Many people throughout the world have basic needs for survival and connections with programs such “Habitat for Humanity” and promoting support for “Blanket Sunday” are examples of how the Board tries to make a difference in these areas.

Evangelism - sharing the good news we celebrate each Sunday - is also included in this Board’s responsibilities. A subcommittee called Church Growth Initiatives (CGI) works independently to invite others to South church through personal contact, advertising and publicity.

As a Board member, there are many ways you can participate. Hands on experiences such as the Christmas Dinner and “Christmas in April” provide opportunities for direct Christian service. If you have the gift of persuasion, presenting moments of concern as Sunday services help “rally the troops” for support of worthy collections. An open and inquisitive mind will help keep the Board aware of important social issues and new ways Christ’s message can take visible form in the world. Anyone with an open heart, an active mind, and willing hands is welcome!

The Board of Christian Living

The Board of Christian Living focuses on helping our congregation show our love to God and our neighbors. We try to help the congregation develop a personal relationship with God through prayer and study, and we hope to help the congregation become better acquainted with each other so that we may develop a true family of faith that in turn ministers to our neighbors.

The Board is specifically working with the congregation to hire a Minister of Christian Education. We remain fully committed to the need of this position to help our church grow. We work closely with our Christian Education Coordinator to meet the needs of our children’s programming We strive to keep the Sunday School and nursery staffed all year and use a curriculum that works well in our church. We also have a children’s music program in place.

Our youth programming has been evolving throughout the past two years. We currently have youth group meetings on Friday evenings twice a month. Projects and activities that the youth have participated in include: a 30-hour famine to bring awareness to world hunger, start flower seedlings to plant in the church gardens, clean up projects on the church grounds, Bible bingo and crossword races. We are ever striving to challenge our youth to be responsible adults and witnessing Christians.

Adult study groups offer several different venues to explore the Bible, our faith and our place in Christian society. Co-Pastor Bonnie Bardot leads a Bible study which meets on the first Tuesday of each month. Each season offers a different exploration of some aspect of the Bible. The group is interactive and no previous Bible study experience is required. On the first and third Thursday of each month a men’s group meets for breakfast and Bible study. The Daughters of Ruth meet monthly for dinner and featured program. Some areas of study this year include: a book review of the Red Tent, a one-day retreat to explore the Red Tent experience in our lives today, anger and forgiveness, and the story of Lydia and the wearing of purple led by Co-Pastor Barbara Marston. Additional groups and ministries which South Church supports or sponsors are: Parents’ Night Out and adoption family support network.

Vacation Bible School is an active ministry that we have available to children throughout the greater New Britain area. For a week in August, Vacation Bible School runs Monday through Friday, a picnic is held on Saturday, and a closing worship service is held during church Sunday followed by a reception with a slide show. It takes a tremendous amount of planning and recruiting. Additional all-church activities which this Board has sponsored include: ice cream social, carousel party at Bushnell Park, “welcome back” picnic in the fall, Sunday School open house tour.

We look forward to a great deal of enthusiasm and creative ideas from people who choose to be on our Board in order to keep our church growing among ourselves and in our community.

Deacons

Our Mission statement is:

The Deacons of South Church are a diverse ministry team, called and guided by the Holy Sprit to:

· Be a catalyst for service and lay ministry within the church and community;

· Collaborate with the pastors in discerning God's will for the church;

· Assist in worship leadership;

· Assist with pastoral care;

· Nurture individual and corporate spiritual practices within the church;

· Nurture each other in our individual spiritual journeys.

Finance and Administration

This Board provides financial and administrative support to make possible the ministries of South Church. We are entrusted with the stewardship of our congregation’s building and grounds, bank accounts and endowment funds and seek to manage them with care, knowing that we hold these blessings and resources in trust.

Subcommittees that help us in our work include the pledge campaign, budget, house personnel and investment committees.

The Board occasionally offers seminars on topics such as planned giving. They also sponsor church clean up days and planting parties.