Ruling Elders
Grace Presbyterian Church is governed by the Session of Ruling Elders. The Ruling Elders are elected from among the members of the congregation, by the congregation. Together as the Session, the Ruling Elders discern the mission and direction of the congregation. The meeting of the Session of Elders is always moderated by the Pastor. Within the local church, the Session has the particular responsibility "to provide that the Word of God may be truly preached and heard, to provide that the Sacraments may be rightly administered and received, and to nurture the covenant community of disciples of Christ." Outside of the local church, Ruling Elders have the same authority as Ministers/Pastors of the church in making decisions on matters of the larger denomination. In other words, all authority to make decisions about the church lies within the Session of Ruling Elders and not the Pastor. The Pastor - also called a "Teaching Elder" - has authority and autonomy over what she/he preaches and teaches. But the pastor cannot even administer the sacraments without the permission of the Session of Ruling Elders. It is through this polity of shared authority, of checks and balances, and representative governance that we, as Presbyterians seek to discern the will of God for our particular time and place.
The Session of Elders regularly meets on the Second Monday of each month at 7:00 pm and other times when called.
The Session of Elders regularly meets on the Second Monday of each month at 7:00 pm and other times when called.
Seasonal Structure
Our church doesn't have the traditional committees that meet every month. Instead we use a "Seasonal Structure"--based upon the liturgical calendar of the church--to provide leadership for the congregation's ministry each season. We divide the year into 8 seasons. People then sign up to be on a team for a particular season. Each Seasonal Team then studies scripture together and discerns a theme. The Seasonal Team then uses the scriptures and theme for the season to plan all the ministry and activities of the church for that season, including worship, hospitality, mission, education, and stewardship. Past themes have included, Epiphany: The Season of Love, Lent: Knowing Jesus..., Easter: Seeing/Believing, and Pentecost: Empowered.
The liturgical calendar guides us on our faith journey as we encounter different aspects of scripture, God's call, and the life of Jesus through each season of the year. Each season lasts approximately 5-8 weeks, plus a planning period of 7-8 weeks, so the total time commitment for each team member is approximately 3-4 months. No one is allowed to be on consecutive teams, so each season has its own flavor, and no one gets burned out.
The Seasons of the Church Year are:
Epiphany (January - February)
Lent (March - April)
Easter (April - May)
Pentecost 1 (May - June/July)
Pentecost 2 (July - August)
Peace (September - October)
Harvest (October - November)
Advent/Christmas (December)
The liturgical calendar guides us on our faith journey as we encounter different aspects of scripture, God's call, and the life of Jesus through each season of the year. Each season lasts approximately 5-8 weeks, plus a planning period of 7-8 weeks, so the total time commitment for each team member is approximately 3-4 months. No one is allowed to be on consecutive teams, so each season has its own flavor, and no one gets burned out.
The Seasons of the Church Year are:
Epiphany (January - February)
Lent (March - April)
Easter (April - May)
Pentecost 1 (May - June/July)
Pentecost 2 (July - August)
Peace (September - October)
Harvest (October - November)
Advent/Christmas (December)