Telling Our Story: Administrative Committee
Please note that this blog post was shared in 2021. The rosters of the committees have (likely) changed since this was published, but the goals of each committee remain!
When you think about the work of the church, a few things probably come to mind immediately: worship services, Bible studies, maybe missions and outreach.
But how about things like budgeting, data analysis, communication audits, and personnel reviews?
Those might sound boring and very business-y, but they all play a key role in the work and health of the church. And they all happen to be just some of the tasks within the purview of City Church’s Administrative Committee.
The stated purpose of this committee reads: “The Administrative Committee carries out the necessary business of the church, communicates clearly with the church, and keeps accurate records of all of our work and ministry.”
Put simply: the Administrative Committee essentially—and gladly!— lives “in the weeds” of church business.
As Administrative Committee team member Colleen James explains it, “We help support some of the ‘behind the scenes’ work of the church.” Fellow committee member and City Church elder Frank Allen adds, “The committee helps the church staff perform their jobs more effectively and allows them to focus more on the primary goal of ministering to our members and our community.”
Like our other committees, the Administrative Committee works towards its purpose with the help of other teams within the church—specifically the finance team, the communications team, and the personnel team. These teams, under the supervision of the Administrative Committee, handle church matters like the budget; our annual report and church-wide communication efforts; as well assisting with our annual staff review process and managing benefits.
Meanwhile, the Administrative Committee also provides an opportunity for members to serve the church beyond what one might see as “standard” volunteer positions—an opportunity that taps into skill sets that could otherwise go un- or under-used in church settings. Doing so answers the call put forth in 1 Peter 4:10: “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace.”
“The administrative committee brings together members of the church who use their talents and perspectives to guide the operations of the church,” says Frank.
People like Colleen.
“It seemed like a fairly easy way to get involved and serve the church,” she says. “Plus I am curious about the inner-workings and business parts of the church.”
Frank feels the same.
“I enjoy supporting the mission of the church by sharing administrative skills developed during my career in business,” he says. “And it has been a great way to develop deeper relationships with members of our church and our wonderful staff.”
Joining Colleen and Frank in the work of the Administrative Committee is group of people representing staff, leadership, and members of the teams overseen by the committee: Susie Austin, Andrew Bleckley (chair), Erik Bonkovsky, Val Catrow, Barrett Clark, Chris James, Ryan Jenvey, and Tom Nicholas.
Specific goals for the Administrative Committee in 2021 include a refresh of the City Church website and an audit and potential revamping of our personnel review process. Meanwhile, committee members will continue their work supporting the City Church staff, monitoring the church’s finances as our country continues to reckon with the COVID pandemic, and doing their best to be good stewards of the gifts God has given them and City Church.
For more information on the Administrative Committee, please contact Andrew Bleckley at ableckley@gmail.com or Val Catrow at val@citychurchrva.com.