Advisors: Dick Freeman
Mission: To provide information to our area and to other interested groups
concerning our fellowship and ministries.
This ministry includes these tasks:
- Provide information on special events and other newsworthy happenings to publications affiliated with the Churches of Christ.
- Provide weekly information to the local newspaper for their regular Friday page on local churches.
- Develop advertising as appropriate.
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Advisors: Wayne Keene, Dwain Chaffin
Mission: To develop and administer an educational program that enhances our scriptural
knowledge, keeps us focused on eternity, and motivates us to make the spirit of Christ
the foundation of our Christian personalities.
This ministry includes these tasks:
- Assign coordinators for Sunday morning and Wednesday evening classes.
- With pre-approval from Elders, encourage members having the talent to teach in the program.
- Design long-term curriculum for the education program.
- Coordinate with youth minister on all classes within his purview of responsibility.
- Schedule and/or promote effective teacher training programs.
- Keep abreast of techniques being used in the brotherhood and in schools to enhance learning.
- Find ways to motivate teachers and increase their enthusiasm.
- Sponsor an education committee that meets regularly to assess results, plan for the future, and solve any perceived problems.
- Coordinate with the Western Heights Preschool Program.
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Advisors: Dwain Chaffin, Wayne Keene
Mission: To keep the exterior of the building in excellent repair and to
maintain the grounds and parking lots.
This ministry includes these tasks:
- Periodically inspect to check for any evidence of deterioration of the roof, trim, doors, windows, and brick.
- Monitor to see if paint striping of the parking lot has faded to extent of needing to be repainted.
- Inspect playground and garbage/cooling system fence.
- Monitor and replace any dead plants
- Check for proper mowing and watering of grass.
- Check for proper maintenance and watering of flower beds during growing season.
- Periodically inspect for operation of all sprinkler heads.
- Monitor for proper lighting.
- Inspect sidewalks for potential safety issues due to cracks.
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Advisors: Howard Smith, Wayne Keene
Mission: To study and implement ways to help strengthen, stabilize, and save families from failure.
This ministry includes these tasks:
- Work toward supporting and helping families in crisis.
- Devise plans for in-house family encouragement of members of the congregation.
- Consider activities to help divorce avoidance.
- Plan and implement weekend seminars, special speakers, etc. to strengthen families.
- Plan, implement, and facilitate men's retreats.
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Advisors: Giles Brown, Dwain Chaffin
Mission: To insure that all church financial matters are handled with professionalism and integrity;
that we use accepted accounting standards; that all collections and disbursements are in
compliance with polices established by the Elders; and that the Elders are apprised
timely of significant financial issues.
This ministry includes these tasks:
- To oversee all general administrative responsibilities.
- To design and maintain systems capability that supports all church endeavors.
- To oversee all financially related matters of the church and periodically report financial condition to the Elders.
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Advisors: Howard Smith, Richard Oglesby
Mission: Maintain all furniture, fixtures, and interior facilities of the building
and in the preacher's home.
This ministry includes these tasks:
- Oversee the general condition and adequacy of fixtures and furniture of the building.
- Oversee heating, cooling, electrical, plumbing, and other mechanical report of both the church building and the preacher's home.
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Advisors: Mike Keown, Dick Freeman
Mission: To search out areas of service, without regard to visibility,
and involve as many members of Western Heights as possible.
This ministry includes these tasks:
- Create a diverse team with energetic representation reflecting demographics of congregation.
- Review and analyze all current areas of involvement.
- Initiate a specific plan for new members.
- Communicate publicly or privately all areas of service available and find members to fill those needs.
- Research other methods and Churches that have shown growth and similar challenges.
- Coordinate with current WHO team to maximize usage.
- Develop visitation ministry and coordinate its activities with other ministries.
- Create a membership involvement questionnaire and dispense information to each ministry.
- Plan church fellowships.
- Evaluate the need for a bus ministry.
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Advisors: Giles Brown
Mission: To share our blessings and our burdens. To use material prosperity and our
"brother's keeper" compassion to ease financial burdens. To help those who need special
support and ease grief and loneliness whenever possible and in whatever ways are possible.
This ministry includes these tasks:
- Monitor hospital confinements.
- Serve as resource to the prime timers.
- Review reports from orphans homes and other institutions supported by Western Heights.
- Sponsor a Western Heights blood bank program.
- Help those outside the Western Heights family in accordance with policies established by the Elders.
- Oversee the church benevolence programs and take advantage of any teaching opportunities they present.
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Advisors: Richard Oglesby, Mike Keown
Mission: To make all arrangements for worship services that are well organized;
that are conducive to centering our minds on praise, thanksgiving, and spiritual enrichment;
that build brotherly love; and that minimize extraneous noises and disruptions.
This ministry includes these tasks:
- Appointing greeters for all entrances and visitor's center.
- Appointing ushers to facility seating in the auditorium.
- Appointing hall monitors to help with movement of traffic from classroom to auditorium.
- Appointing nursery attendants.
- Appoint men to help with communion and collecting the offering.
- Select men to give communion and collections prayers.
- Provide assistance with baptisms and baptismal garments.
- Arrange for representatives to handle the PA system during all services.
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Advisors: All Elders
Mission: To go to all of Sherman and outlying communities and teach the
Gospel to as many as will heed our plea to listen; to baptize those who respond
to our Lord's plea to be saved; and to help them grow in the spirit of Christ.
This ministry includes these tasks:
- Develop and implement a plan to preach the Gospel to local community.
- Develop and implement a plan to help those who are "new in Christ" grow in knowledge and faith.
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The Elders will have a more direct involvement in the following responsibilities.
These responsibilities include:
- Missions--The Elders will review all mission work during the annual budget process.
- Interface with Hispanics--most of this work is supporting the Parkview congregation's program.
- Teacher approval--The education ministry will recruit and nominate teachers and submit them to the Elders for approval.
- Worship Leaders--The Elders will continue to be responsible for selecting the worship leaders.
- Organizational accountability--Insure that our spiritual efforts are balanced, aggressive, and scriptural.
- Women's Ministries--This ministry includes the exclusively women's activities of this congregation.
- Singles Ministry--The leaders of the ministry will communicate with the Elders collectively.
- Legal assistance--As legal issues arise, the Elders will assign one or more from their number to seek legal advice as necessary.
- Issues requiring Elder's attention--This includes highly sensitive, maximum privacy, and grave eternal implications for individuals.
- Youth Program--In recognition of the crucial importance of our youth program the Elders will continue collective oversight.
- WHO Groups--The Elders will continue to work directly with WHO Group leaders.
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