Congregational Leadership Conference: Wardens, Treasurers, and All Members of Vestries and Bishop’s Committees

February 13, 9:00am

Join us for a day-long exploration of what it means to serve on a Vestry or Bishop’s Committee and gain important tools and insights that will help you fulfill your role as an elected lay leader in the congregation. Please note: The workshops and content of this conference will be tailored for senior and junior wardens, treasurers and bookkeepers, as well as any interested lay leaders considering elected lay leadership.

Note: Registration has now closed.

RESOURCES AND VIDEO LINKS

What to Expect

• Plan to login and chat with other attendees as early as 9:00am. When you arrive, you will be put in a breakout room with a few other attendees.
• We will begin at 9:30am with morning prayer.
• The day will include a series of plenary presentations, opportunity to select two different breakout topics, as well as an opportunity to network with others in the same role as you (senior warden, junior warden, clergy, treasurer/bookkeeper, and vestry/bishop’s committee member).
• There will be a 30-minute lunch break, 12-12:30pm.
• Our adjournment is set for 4:00pm.
• After adjournment, presenters have been asked to remain for an additional 30 minutes to give attendees a chance to chat and ask specific questions.
• Bring any questions, concerns, or confusions you have around any of these topics for the panelists and workshop presenters in order to get the most out of this day-long conference. Submit your questions early via the registration portal to ensure that presenters have time to answer your questions fully.

Schedule

• 9:00am – Log-in & Chat with others
• 9:30am – Morning Prayer
• 9:45am – Welcome
• 10:00am – Plenary: Who Does What?
• 10:30am – First round of breakouts
  • Financial: Operating Budgets and Assessments – Dennis Tierney with B&F members
  • Moving from Short-Term to Long-Term Financial Planning (small congregations) – Jim Beckwith & Jeff Maxwell
  • Not If, but When – Conflict and the Role of Leadership – Bishop Rickel, Arienne Davison, Judy Andrews
  • Staying on Track – Vestry and Bishop’s Committee Best Practices – Alissa Newton & Arienne Davison
  • The Importance of Personnel Handbooks and Relevant Washington State Law – Dede Moore
• 11:30am – Plenary: Legal Duties & Obligations for Vestry and Bishop’s Committee Members – Judy Andrews
• 12:00pm – Lunch break
• 12:30pm – Plenary: Overview of Financial Obligations – Dennis Tierney with B&F
• 1:00pm – Second Round of Breakouts
  • Financial: Operating Budgets and Assessments – Dennis with B&F Members
  • Moving from Short-Term to Long-Term Financial Planning (large congregations) – Jim Beckwith & Jeff Maxwell
  • Not If, but When – Conflict and the Role of Leadership – Bishop Rickel, Arienne Davison, Judy Andrews
  • So You are in a Clergy Transition, Now What? – Alissa Newton & Arienne Davison
  • The Importance of Personnel Handbooks and Relevant Washington State Law – Dede Moore
• 2:00pm – Plenary: Financial Sustainability – Dennis Tierney with B&F
• 2:30pm – Networking / Round tables
  • Senior Wardens – Arienne Davison
  • Junior Wardens – Dennis Tierney
  • Treasurers / Bookkeepers – Jim Beckwith
  • Clergy – Bishop Rickel
  • Vestry / BC Members – Dede Moore
• 3:15pm – Plenary: Caring for our Clergy in COVID Times – Alissa Newton & Bishop Rickel
• 3:45pm – Closing remarks & Prayers

Plenary Presentations and Workshop Descriptions

Caring for our Clergy in COVID Times: The past year has been incredibly tough on everyone, but the challenges faced by clergy are unique. Join the Rev. Canon Alissa Newton as we explore what these challenges are and the role for lay leadership in supporting your clergy person.

Financial Sustainability – We expect to be about our mission until the Second Coming. To be part of the “Jesus Movement” requires sustainability. Join the Rev. Dennis Tierney for a session that will focus on key markers of financial sustainability and identify those practices that lead to unsustainability in congregations. Participants will be provided with questions that will help them answer the question of whether their congregation will continue its mission into the future.

Financials – Operating Budgets and Assessments: Join the Rev. Dennis Tierney for a session that will focus on the annual process of building and managing an operating budget for any size congregation. We will also review best practices for congregations in meeting their obligations to pay diocesan assessments accurately and on-time.

The Importance of Personnel Handbooks and Relevant Washington State Law: Join Canon Dede Moore to learn why you should have a Personnel Handbook for your congregation, or why the one you already have should probably be updated. She will also bring you up-to-date on current Washington State laws that impact you and your employees. Resources and tools will be shared.

Legal Duties & Obligations for Vestry and Bishop’s Committee Members: In this plenary session, Chancellor Judy Andrews will lead a discussion about the duties and obligations of members of the Vestry or Bishop’s Committee and of officers in congregations. We will explore legal and fiduciary duties required by the Canons as well as by state nonprofit and federal tax law. Please bring your congregation’s bylaws.

Moving from Short-Term to Long-Term Financial Planning: Join Jim Beckwith, Acting Treasurer, and Jeff Maxwell, from the Diocesan Board of Directors, who will discuss the need for congregations to keep an eye on long-term financial planning, not simply the current or next year’s budget. Topics will include property management/maintenance issues that can lead to future financial concerns; funding future capital requirements, including loans and capital campaigns; dealing with financial windfalls – gifts and endowments; and others.

Not If, but When – Conflict and the Role of Leadership: Conflict is one of the greatest risks, and one of the most certain realities, for any congregation. Any human organization will experience, from time to time, conflict. Denial about this, especially recognizing it, naming it, and working it, is one the greatest threats to the mission of the church. Join Bishop Rickel for a discussion of these issues and also lay out the hopeful way of dealing with it, especially in its early phases.

Overview of Financial Obligations – All congregations, regardless of size have financial obligations. Budgets and other financial materials are moral documents because they reveal what we genuinely believe about our common call to follow Jesus. Financial documents and policies say what we are prepared to do about mission more than what we say. Financial obligations are about actions rather than being about “shoulds” or “thoughts and prayers.” Join the Rev. Dennis Tierney for a session that will provide both practical information about best financial practices and also offer some discussion topics for leaders to share with their fellow congregants.

So You are in a Clergy Transition, Now What?: Clergy transitions happen to every congregation at some point, and your Office of the Bishop is here to help. Join the Rev. Canon Alissa Newton and learn about what to do when your priest retires or moves on and what to expect from your Office of the Bishop as we support you through transition to finding the clergy person God is calling to join you in ministry next.

Staying on Track – Vestry and Bishop’s Committee Best Practices: There are many ways to run and participate on a Vestry or Bishop’s Committee. But what is “normal” or best? Should the rector or vicar run meetings or is that the Sr. Warden’s job? How far in advance should agendas be sent and how should they be generated? How often should Wardens and rector or vicar meet? What about written reports and consent agendas? Join the Rev. Canon Alissa Newton to explore the range of options and what best practices might look like for your church’s elected leadership body.

Who Does What?: We will explore the various roles, expectations, and best practices for Vestry and Bishop’s Committee members, Rectors and Vicars, the Office of the Bishop, and Congregation.