Elder Monthly Update

Dear Faith Community Church,

Your Board of Elders desires to inform you of our recent activities and request your prayer for us as we collectively pursue our Spirit-led mission of making more and better disciples of Jesus Christ. Below please find our monthly update report for August 2022. If you desire to learn more about a given subject, please don’t hesitate to contact a pastor or elder. Thank you for your interest and desire as we seek to help thousands more experience Jesus through a gospel inspired life. 

August 9, 2022  

Membership Updates: The elders shared and discussed a variety of membership-related news and observations.  

Elder Board Structure Proposal: As discussed in previous reports, the current elder structure comprising Family of Family Elders and Extended Family Elders is thought to be non-optimal.  Sense-of-the-elders discussions indicate we should implement a ‘single elder structure’ that enables the expanding ministry of our church without unduly burdening our elders with excessive time expectations. A proposal for amending the current by-laws concerning ‘elder organization’ was presented and feedback was received. A revised draft incorporating many of the suggestions offered will be brought to a future elder meeting.

Missional Community Plans Update: The elders were updated on the work of a task team focused on strengthening missional communities (MCs) for the critical role they serve in our discipleship framework as an FCC ministry where people belong and grow. The group finalized its agenda for training MC leaders on August 26 & 27.  Plans and content for future trainings are being pursued next.

Policy for Youth Worker Digital Communications with Students: As discussed in last month’s report, an FCC policy to define how youth workers are allowed to communicate electronically with students in our student ministries has been developed. A full policy statement was brought to the board, slightly amended, and approved. This policy will be in place for the upcoming student ministry semester.

771 Carmichael Transitional Housing Pilot: Steve and Nopaluck Cable, our long-time global ministry partners who work in Thailand, will be on furlough shortly. The elders (following this meeting) approved a one month stay at our 771 Carmichael property in September.  Renovations are scheduled to be complete by that time. 

Sense of the Elders – Printed Materials distributed at Sunday Worship: A proposal was presented to the elders showing a new format for printed material that will likely be used as handouts at future worship services. The materials will guide worship attenders to “next steps”  in our discipleship framework and also provide a calendar of upcoming events. These materials will replace the historic bulletins that were ceased during COVID. The elders affirmed the initiative’s direction.

Sense of the Elders – Elder Agenda Prayer Time: A sense-of-the elders discussion was held concerning the subject and how future agendas might be modified to increase time available for prayer. Elder direction was provided and future elder agendas will be modified accordingly.

Other Business: The second August elder meeting was cancelled. Our next scheduled meeting is September 13th.

How you can pray us:

• For God’s grace, healing, and presence for the Prince family.
• For God’s grace, healing, and presence for our entire body as we mourn.
• For God’s grace and blessings upon our church and our leaders.
• In thankfulness as Dan and Leah Clancy join our body and for wisdom and blessings as Dan’s leadership of our next generation ministry begins.
• In thankfulness as we implement our next generation discipleship principles, new curriculum, and new spaces we have identified for that need.
• In thankfulness for the three men who have expressed interest in being future non-vocational elders and for wisdom as the mutual vetting process continues.
• For God’s guidance and wisdom as we contemplate how to best shepherd, via a deaconate structure, those who call FCC home.  We earnestly desire to do this well while being a church of our size.
• For God’s guidance and wisdom as we continue to pursue utilizing the house next door for potential transitional housing needs and for the Ukrainian refugee who has been identified.
• For God’s guidance and wisdom as the elders further contemplate the future structure of the elder board and the qualifications of ministry leaders.
• For God’s guidance and wisdom for our staff as communication plans for our vision frame, vision script, and discipleship framework are prepared.
• In thankfulness to God for his continued and faithful provisions to FCC and his work in drawing many more in joining with us.
• For God’s wisdom, guidance, and unity for the elder board as we continue to contemplate and discern many matters of importance. 
• For God’s wisdom and guidance as we enter into another election cycle and that we maintain unity in the gospel and speak well toward God’s heart in such matters.
• For God’s wisdom and leading as we look to broaden our marriage ministry.

In Love and Peace,

Gregg Bennett – Chairman of the Elders on behalf of your Elder Board: 

(Gregg Bennett, John Blum, Jim Duffy, Dan Fosterling, Josh Graham, Steve Holsteen, Eric Lent, Tim Porter, Tim Prince, Pat Stream, and Larry Szyman