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The Stewardship Connection The Mission Endowment Fund of Trinity Lutheran Church, Ashland, Ohio |
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Congregational Mission Endowment Funds Stewardship Adventures: Increasing the Harvest 15 to 30 Percent
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BY-LAWS AND GUIDELINES PREAMBLE The Clara T. Firestone bequest has granted Trinity an instrument for extending the ministry of Jesus Christ. We have been given the rare opportunity to exemplify Christ’s ministry. No one can read the Holy Gospels without being impressed by Christ’s acts of reaching out to others in need. Therefore, the Trinity Outreach Fund shall henceforth become a perpetual instrument of Church-related outreach for members of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church. In our efforts to help the Church-related ministries, we shall share the earnings of our fund to help Church or Church-affiliated organizations. We shall also share the earnings of the fund to assist secular causes which reflect the Lord’s love for all mankind. We shall know the joy of seeing in a personal way the use of these needed funds. Article I - Ownership of the Assets The assets of the Trinity Outreach Fund shall be owned by the Trinity Evangelical Lutheran of Ashland, Ohio, hereafter referred to as Trinity Lutheran Church. The Church Council shall appoint a committee from the members of the congregation to administer the fund. Article II - Mission of the Congregation The mission of Trinity Lutheran Church is to worship and glorify Jesus Christ. As we worship and glorify His name, we are to reflect and become living examples of His love. As members of the body of Believers, we serve the Lord through our worship and prayer, our offerings, our service to others and our study of His Word. Article III - Purpose of the Trinity Outreach Fund A. To confess and proclaim Jesus Christ as the Head of the Church – God’s people, called into being by the Holy Spirit. Every action and mission of the Fund should bear witness to the Holy Scriptures as the revelation of God’s sovereign will and saving grace in Jesus Christ. B. To gather into fellowship those who respond in faith to the call of the gospel; to build and strengthen the fellowship of Believers within Trinity congregation, the Lutheran denominations and among other Christian groups who proclaim the truth of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. C. To educate and instruct members of the Church on what it means to belong to the Kingdom of God. To provide instruction and leadership in Christian truth and living, not only by its preaching, but by its entire educational program. D. To serve the needs of fellow Believers in Jesus Christ through alleviation of suffering, whether in body, mind or spirit; or to those outside the Body of Believers if such a gift can effectively witness to God’s message of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Article IV - Structure of the Trinity Outreach Fund Committee A. Membership 1. The Trinity Outreach Fund Committee is to be a standing Committee of the Church Council. 2. The Committee is to have seven members - plus no more than two full-time Pastors. 3. The Church Council is to appoint the first committee and all succeeding members to that committee. 4. A committee member shall be eligible to serve no more than two full three-year terms consecutively. 5. In the initial appointment three members are to serve for three years; two are to serve for two years; and two are to serve for one year. 6. Terms of office are to run from January 1 to December 31. 7. The Church Council is to fill all vacancies. 8. Pastors are to be full voting members of the Committee. 9. Three unexcused absences per year shall be cause to remove a Committee member. B. Officers 1. There shall be a chairman and a vice-chairman of the Committee elected by the Committee from the lay membership of the Committee at the first meeting of each year. The Committee shall appoint a secretary from the congregation, who shall not be a member of the Committee. 2. The length of their term shall be one year. 3. Vacancies in unexpired terms of the officers shall be filled by the Committee. 4. The Chairman is to call and preside over Committee meetings, report annually to the Council and to the Congregation, and perform other duties as mandated by the Committee. 5. The Vice-Chairman shall preside in the absence of the Chairman. 6. The Secretary shall send notices of all meetings, record all minutes, keep attendance figures and perform other duties as mandated by the Committee. C. Meetings 1. Regular meetings of the Fund Committee shall be held from time to time as determined by the Committee. Notice of all regular meetings shall be required. 2. The first regular meeting shall be held no later than thirty days following the date of appointment by the Church Council. At this meeting the by-laws and guidelines shall be read. 3. Special meetings shall be held when called by the Chairman or by any five members of the Fund Committee. Twenty-four hours prior notice, either verbal or written, shall be given to each member of the Fund Committee, and the purpose of the meeting shall be stated. No other business shall be conducted at a special meeting. 4. Five members of the Fund Committee shall be sufficient to transact business and shall constitute a quorum at any Fund Committee meeting. A majority of those present, or not less than four affirmative votes shall be required to pass any motion. Article V - Responsibilities of the Trinity Outreach Fund Committee A. Select applicants and potential recipients for consideration by the congregation. B. Authorize all disbursements. C. Monitor the Trinity Lutheran Church Treasurer in his responsibility for the receiving, recording, safekeeping and disbursing of all monies, deeds, properties, titles, certificates and securities. D. Require the Church Treasurer to keep all monies of the Trinity Outreach Fund separate from all other monies, and to report to the Fund Committee annually, or as requested. E. Monitor periodically the investment policies of the Investment Subcommittee of the Finance Committee of Church Council with respect to the Trinity Outreach Fund. F. Provide for the independent audit of the records annually. G. Report to the Trinity Lutheran Church Council annually, or as requested, the operations of the Trinity Outreach Fund Committee. H. Report to the Trinity Lutheran Church congregation at least annually, the operation of the Fund Committee for the previous year. I. Seek from the congregation on a regular basis, direction and input regarding the operation of the Fund. J. Insure that a maximum number of congregational members becomes involved in the distribution of the funds and the Christian fellowship this process will generate. Article VI - Guidelines for the Trinity Outreach Fund Committee A. The Investment Subcommittee shall use a professional investment firm or firms for advice in the purchase and sale of all investments. B. The Investment Subcommittee should keep the preservation of principal and the maximization of yield as its primary investment goals. C. In selecting recipients for consideration by the Trinity Lutheran Church congregation, the Fund Committee should keep in mind certain priorities: 1. Projects related directly to the ministry of Jesus Christ should be considered as being of first priority. 2. Secular projects through which by our gifts we can witness to God’s message of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ should be considered as being of second priority. 3. Donations of a personal nature should be considered as being of third priority. Prior approval by the Church Council shall be required before a particular recipient shall be approved by the Committee. 4. Monetary gifts, purchase of property, construction, equipment, or any addition to the physical assets of Trinity Lutheran Church of Ashland should be considered as being of fourth priority. Prior approval of the Church Council shall be required before a particular project shall be approved by the Committee. D. In selecting recipients for the Trinity Lutheran Church Congregation to consider, the Committee should seek to maintain a balance between local projects and those projects operating outside Ashland County. E. The principal assets of the Fund should not be spent, pledged as collateral, or in any way invaded except in cases of unusual importance, and then, only after the consent of the Trinity Lutheran Church Council. F. The Fund Committee shall strive to distribute the total earnings of the principal assets of the Fund at least annually. G. In order to acknowledge the generosity of the Firestone Family, the Fund Committee should select one donation each year to serve as a memorial to Walter W. and Clara T. Firestone. Article VII - Amendments The Fund Committee may amend the by-laws and guidelines. Any such amendment shall be adopted, after two separate readings, by two-thirds of the total membership of the Fund Committee. Any amendment shall not be effective until approved by a majority vote of the Church Council. ADDENDUM Proposal for the Implementation of Article V, Section I - Congregational Input. It is the feeling and expressed wish of the Steering Committee that the Trinity Outreach Fund Committee seek from the congregation initial input by means of a survey. The purpose of this initial survey would be to use the combined wisdom of the members of Trinity in selecting from a preliminary list of projects, and listing their order of preference. The list of projects to be considered in the survey would be substantially greater than the number ultimately selected by the Fund Committee. The final responsibility for the selection of the recipients, as well as the addition of other worthwhile projects, would rest with the Fund Committee. We suggest that, after the final selection has been made by the Fund Committee, the individual members of the congregation then be given a means of voting on the actual allocation of the funds. The Committee could prepare a ballot containing those recipients that the Committee had chosen. Each member on the active confirmed role would be entitled to vote a certain number of shares (the number and amount of each share to be determined from year to year by the size of the congregation and the amount of money available for distribution.) The Committee would have the option of listing maximum and/or minimum amounts a particular project might receive. It would also have the authority to allocate any unvoted shares to the remaining approved recipients. The ballots could also serve as a means for writing in suggestions for the Fund Committee to consider in the succeeding year. Additional surveys could be conducted whenever the Fund Committee or Council feels it necessary. The Steering Committee has chosen not to make the process of surveying and balloting a part of the By-laws and Guidelines because of the need for flexibility. Whatever procedure is selected for seeking congregational input will need to be modified from year to year. The Fund Committee should be reminded that the supreme function of any procedure they select is to maintain, and indeed, foster unity and fellowship within the Trinity Lutheran Church of Ashland and the entire ELCA body of believers.
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