PROCEDURE MANUAL OF CRESCENT HILL BAPTIST CHURCH

The Procedure Manual of Operation of Crescent Hill Baptist Church shall be used by ministry teams, staff and Church members. Each Crescent Hill Baptist Church ministry team may have its own operational manual, which shall not conflict with the Crescent Hill Baptist Church Bylaws and the Crescent Hill Baptist Church Procedure Manual.

I: MEETINGS OF THE CHURCH

A. BUSINESS – The business meetings of the Church shall be held monthly on a Wednesday evening.

B. SPECIAL BUSINESS MEETINGS – Special business meetings shall be called upon and only upon the request of a majority of the Ministry Coordination Council; any such call to be announced by the Pastor, or in the Pastor's absence, by the Moderator, or in the absence of both, by the Church Clerk. Notice of such special business meetings shall be publicly given from the pulpit at the morning service on the Lord's Day preceding such called meeting.

C. ELECTION – Church officers will be elected during the regular business meeting in November of each year for terms of service commencing January 1st.

D. QUORUM – Fifty (50) members shall constitute a quorum at any business meeting of the Church, and the majority of those present and voting shall control, except as set out in Article IX and XI of the Church Bylaws.

II: MANNER OF CONDUCTING BUSINESS

A. The Moderator, or in the Moderator's absence the Vice-Moderator, shall preside at all meetings for the transaction of business; or in the event of their absence a Moderator pro tem shall be elected who shall preside at said meeting.

B. ORDER OF BUSINESS RECOMMENDED

Prayer
Call to order
Sick and special concerns
Reading the minutes of proceedings since and including the last meeting.
Unfinished business
Reports of ministry teams, Ministry Coordination Council, and staff
New business
Reception of members
Granting letters of dismission
Adjournment
Prayer

C. Every motion or proposition presented before the Church for action shall be introduced in writing and, upon its passage, said copy shall be signed and handed to the Clerk for recording.

D. No member shall be allowed to speak more than twice upon the same subject, except by the special consent of the Church.

E. Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised shall be used and applied in the conduct of all meetings where official business is conducted and decisions of the Church are made.

III: CHURCH STAFF

The Crescent Hill Baptist Church shall have such additional staff, as recommended by the Personnel Team and the Ministry Coordination Council and as approved by the Church, with duties and responsibilities as set out in their covenant with Crescent Hill Baptist Church.

IV. MINISTRY TEAMS

Crescent Hill Baptist Church will be organized for mission and ministry through the establishment of gift-based ministry teams. Ministry Teams are formed as individuals perceive a need and discern a call to meet that need.

Ministry Teams are free to form at will, provided:

the teams do not violate the core values of the church
the teams find a large enough group of people to carry out the ministry
the teams find the funds to pay for the ministry.

V. MINISTRY TEAM LEADERS

Ministry Team Leaders should:

Have the spirit of Christ and a passion for the area of ministry, as well as the gift of leadership
Be a member of Crescent Hill Baptist Church
Schedule planning meetings/ministry sessions…and continually ask the team, “what do we need to be doing?” (“Doing ministry” not “attending meetings” is the focus.)
General meeting times for all teams will be offered. Teams may set their own meeting times if the general schedule does not meet the team needs, but teams are encouraged to meet prior to the MCC monthly meeting.
Lead in the development and fulfillment of a ministry team covenant
Require accountability of team members
Lead the team to set goals and establish a budget
Serve as a member of the Ministry Coordination Council

VI. MINISTRY COORDINATION

The Ministry Coordination Council (MCC) is composed of the leaders (or a representative in the absence of a leader) of all the ministry teams and the ministerial staff. The MCC will meet monthly to coordinate the ministry efforts of the various teams within the church. This meeting will occur prior to the monthly business meeting so that important team information/events can be shared at the monthly business meeting. The Pastor will convene the MCC meetings. On an annual basis, the MCC will select an Assistant Lay Moderator to convene the MCC meetings in the absence of the Pastor and to call together a Pastor Search Team should the need arise.

Shares information among teams to allow collaboration of ministry ideas and opportunities
Endorses the Gifts Affirmation Team
Requires accountability of teams based on their covenants
Stimulates creativity among Team Leaders
Fosters an environment in which people can live out their spiritual gifts
Fosters an environment of empowerment and freedom.
Reviews budget requests from ministry teams and functions as the Budget Planning Team
Insures organizational standards
Every four months, issues a written report to the congregation summarizing its activities

VII: FINANCE AND PERSONNEL TEAMS

A. The Ministry Coordination Council will offer names of persons to assist in the ministries of the Finance Team and the Personnel Team to the Gifts Affirmation Team in September of each year. Individuals may also volunteer for these teams

B. The Gifts Affirmation Team will propose a slate of membership for each of these teams to offer to the church for affirmation in November of each year.

C. There will be a minimum of seven but not more than nine members on each of these teams.

D. No one person may serve on either the Personnel or Finance Team for more than three consecutive years before taking one year off. Team Leadership will be evaluated annually.

E. No one person may serve concurrently on the Personnel Team and the Finance Team.

F. The Church Treasurer will be a regular member of the Finance Team.

G. The Finance Team will appoint one Finance Team member to be an ex-officio (non-voting) member of the Personnel Team. This ex-officio member may be the Finance Team Leader, the Treasurer or another Finance Team member at large.

VIII. GIFTS AFFIRMATION TEAM

The Gifts Affirmation Team may have membership up to ten persons and is endorsed by the Ministry Coordination Council.

The Gifts Affirmation Team is responsible for guiding, equipping, and empowering Crescent Hill Baptist Church members for ministry in the church and the world. The team will encourage and help church members to: discover and explore their gifts, passions, skills and interests; discern their calling as followers of Christ; and discover ways to use their gifts in service to church and to the world, which may include creating or joining ministry teams.

In addition, the Gifts Affirmation Team will:

Recommend an annual slate of church officers and members of the Finance and Personnel Teams to the Ministry Coordination Council, subject to the approval of the congregation
Provide tools and encouragement for doing ministry
Seek to be alert to burnout for those who have been serving

IX: LISTING OF INACTIVE MEMBERS

It shall be the duty of the Church office during the latter part of each year to make up a list of such members who have not, to our knowledge, attended our Church services for two years, who have presumably moved out of the area and who have not remained in touch with the Church and its work for this length of time. This list will be posted in the Church for the information of our members, who are asked to furnish the Church office any information that may lead to locating said absent members. After the above list has been posted for one (1) month, all of the names of members whose whereabouts are still unknown shall be read before the Church by the Clerk at the next regular business meeting; and the Church shall be asked to place said members on the list of Inactive Members.

X: AMENDMENT

The Procedure Manual for Crescent Hill Baptist Church may be amended at any time by majority vote of the membership, provided that notice has been given to the congregation thirty days prior to the vote.

1. September 1994

2. Amended August 1996

3. Amended February 1998

4. Amended September 1999

5. Amended October 2002

6. Amended April 2004

7. Amended February 2007

8. Amended May 2007