Presbytery of Coastal Carolina

FIVE GOALS:

1- Improve overall communications
2- Address issues relating to Presbytery size
3- Grow churches spiritually and numerically with special emphasis on small Churches
4- Enhance leadership, education and training strategies
5- Improve planning, organizing, and evaluating strategies

Regional Councils and Regional Coordinators - Each of the six regions in the Presbytery will create a council made up of a representative from each church. A part-time Regional Coordinator will facilitate communications among congregations and committees of presbytery and presbytery staff.

  Associate Executive Presbyter - The Associate for Mission staff

position is eliminated and replaced by the Associate Executive Presbyter. This staff person will have general oversight of the Regional Coordinators, overview responsibilities for the "program" side of Presbytery's life and give major emphasis to Church Revitalization/Transformation, New Church Development and Communications.

   Reorganization of existing committees and creation of new committees - Three new committees have been created: Committee on Communications, Committee for Church Revitalization/Transformation, Committee for strategic Planning and Organizational Review. (See committee descriptions on back of this sheet.)

    Term of Presbytery Moderator - one year rather than quarterly. A Vice-Moderator elected for a year to become the moderator the next year. They will serve on Presbytery Council as Vice-Moderator, and Council member the year following the term of Presbytery Moderator.

   Coordination and/or approval of reports, studies and recommendations shall be made through Presbytery Council, with all committees able to report to Presbytery after consultation with Council.

 

PRESBYTERY OF COASTAL CAROLINA
PROGRAM COMMITTEES

COMMITTEE FOR CHURCH REVITALIZATION AND TRANSFORMATION
To determine needs and provide opportunities and resources to churches as they prepare for Revitalization and Transformation

COMMITTEE FOR COMMUNICATION
To improve overall communications in the Presbytery

COMMITTEE FOR CHRISTIAN EDUCATION AND STEWARDSHIP DEVELOPMENT
To plan and oversee all programs of Christian Education and Stewardship Development

COMMITTEE FOR MISSION, SPECIAL MINISTRIES AND INSTUTIONAL RELATIONS
To interpret, encourage and support mission programs of PC(USA); to interpret, encourage and oversee partnership in missions with other governing bodies

COMMITTEE FOR NEW CHURCH FORMATION
To plan for New Church Formation by determining the feasibility of new church development in a particular location and to follow through with the plans

COMMITTEE FOR OUTDOOR MINISTRIES
To oversee all aspects of providing support and supervision for camps, conferences and retreats for various age and interest groups

COMMITTEE FOR RACIAL ETHNIC MINISTRIES
To assist Coastal Carolina Presbytery to become a more racially just, inclusive as well as culturally diverse group of churches and to strengthen the ministries of the racial ethnic congregations within the context of their unique faith heritages

COMMITTEE ON SELF-DEVELOPMENT OF PEOPLE
To partner with others seeking to change the structures that perpetuate poverty, oppression and injustice

OPERATIONAL COMMITTEES

COMMITTEE ON MINISTRY
To serve as pastor and counselor to the ministers of the Presbytery, to facilitate the relations between congregations and ministers, and the Presbytery, to settle difficulties on behalf of Presbytery when possible and expedient, and to provide for commissioning persons as lay pastors.

COMMITTEE ON NOMINATIONS AND VOLUNTEER DEVELOPMENT
To identify and nominate qualified candidates to serve on various entities and to development strategy

COMMITTEE ON PREPARATION FOR MINISTRY
To have responsibility for care and oversight of persons from churches in the Presbytery who are preparing for ministry of Word and Sacrament and other church vocations

COMMITTEE ON REPRESENTATION
To advise the Presbytery with respect to its membership and to that of its committees, boards, agencies, and other units in implementing the principles of participation and inclusiveness to ensure fair and effective representation in the decision making of the church

COMMITTEE ON SESSIONAL RECORDS/OVERTURES/HIGHER COURT DIRECTIVES
To ensure that churches in the Presbytery keep proper records according to the Constitution of the church and to review and make recommendations regarding requests and communications to Presbytery from other governing bodies

COMMITTEE ON STRATEGIC PLANNING AND ORGANIZATIONAL REVIEW
To oversee the various aspects of Strategic Planning and Organizational Review for the Presbytery

1. What was the purpose of the Presbytery’s Strategic Planning initiatives?

Answer:

1. To help discern where GOD is leading this Presbytery in Ministry and Mission in the first decade of  the 21^st century;

2. To enable Presbytery to affirm a new vision, core beliefs, mission statement, priorities, goals, objectives and implementation plans; and

3. To build upon the work done by other feasibility, self-study groups, and others.

2. How will this Strategic Plan differ from previous planning efforts?

Answer: This is a more comprehensive initiative to gain feedback from external and internal stakeholders actively seeking input from every single session and congregation. While previous plans offered good recommendations for strengthening Presbytery’s ministry and mission, Presbytery did not always follow through with specific implementation steps. Our Implementation Task Group is currently working on Action Items for implementation purposes.

3. What is the purpose of Strategic Long Range Planning?

Answer: The purpose of Strategic Long Range Planning is to anticipate the future needs of stakeholders and to develop strategies to meet those needs.

4. Is there a model for Strategic Long Range Planning or some basic elements to be considered?

Answer: Briefly outlined below are the six basic elements included in our Strategic Long Range Model:

5. What were the major phases of work?

6. How widespread was the involvement and participation?

Answer: Over 150 individuals were actively involved, not counting the participation of 154 Church Sessions and 261 Congregational Gatherings.

7. What are some of the most significant changes due to this Strategic Long Range Plan?

Answer: Changes in our organization structure include such things as the following:

• A new Presbytery committee to focus on communications throughout the Presbytery;

• A new committee focusing on transformation and revitalization of churches, and a separate committee looking at the area of new church formation;

• A fresh emphasis upon the six geographic regions of Presbytery, as a means for feeling connected within the Presbytery family, for communications flow (in all directions), for mutual assistance and support of one another;

• Combining some functions and responsibilities into what appear to be more logical grouping of responsibilities within Presbytery committees;

• A new committee to assist Presbytery as it continues to live out its life and mission, accountable in terms of the goals, plans and standards it has made for itself, accountable to the requirements of the church’s constitution, accountable to Presbytery’s churches.

• Revised Program and Operational Committee missions and responsibilities

Other significant changes are explained in four amendments. Briefly, they are:

Amendment #1: Term of Presbytery Moderator - one year rather than quarterly. A Vice-Moderator elected for a year to become the moderator the next year. They will serve on Presbytery Council as Vice-Moderator, Moderator, and the year following.

Amendment #2: Program and Operational Committees rather than Divisions and Committees.

Amendment #3: Titles of Chair and Vice Chair for Committees rather than Moderator and Vice Moderator.

Amendment #4: Coordination and/or approval of reports, studies and recommendations shall be made through Presbytery Council, with all committees able to report to Presbytery after consultation with Council.

8. What were some of the most significant findings/discoveries from the "Listening Sessions with the church sessions and congregational gatherings?

Answer: While there were approximately 150 ideas/suggestions generated, they were "boiled down" to five major areas needing improvement. These five areas were translated into major goals for the Presbytery.

• 1. To improve overall communication.

• 2. To address the Presbytery size (geographic) issue.

• 3. To address the growth issue - numerical, spiritual and financial.

• 4. To enhance leadership, education, and training strategies.

• 5. To enhance planning, organizing, and evaluating strategies.

9. How will churches benefit from the results of those Strategic Planning initiatives?

Answer: Some of the benefits will be realized through:

• 1. Improved communication, i.e. newsletter, e-mail, websites, other communication strategies.
• 2. Improved relationships, more togetherness and connectedness through the Regional Councils.
• 3. Increased leadership and education activities leading to enhanced spiritual, numerical and financial growth.
• 4. Increased involvement/participation at the local level and within Presbytery through clearly defined   expectations for various committees and subcommittees.

• 5. Improved "sense of direction" by proven and highly effective planning, organizing and education tools.

• 6. Experienced and talented resource consultants.

10. How will churches know that their suggestions have been implemented?

Answer: There will be Annual Reviews and Annual Reports with an increased emphasis on the value and importance of measuring performance through various evaluation instruments. Churches are encouraged to utilize evaluation tools, too.

11. What should churches consider doing after learning more about the changes and challenges regarding this Strategic Long Range Plan?

Answer: Churches may wish to consider the following things to do:

• 1. Participate in the Regional Council.

• 2. Concentrate on leadership training.

• 3. Provide education/training for all committees along with clearly defined objectives.

• 4. Increase mission support for Presbytery.

• 5. Utilize Percept (a demographic planning tool).

• 6. Concentrate on growth - spiritual, numerical, financial - consider 3% numerical growth.

• 7. Adopt the Strategic Planning Model.

• 8. Review/revise church communication strategy.

12. What are the potential budget implications regarding these recommended improvements?

Answer: The Budget and Finance Committee of Presbytery Council already is exploring how Presbytery needs to reallocate its available benevolence/mission dollars in light of its stated program and priorities. Particularly, as Presbytery calls a person to serve as part time coordinator and communicator in each of the regions, additional dollars will be needed to support these important positions and the persons filling them.