Good News Lutheran Church By-Laws

PREAMBLE

The structure and conduct of Good News Lutheran Church, as outlined in the following By-laws, should enable and reflect the mission of the Congregation. The mission of Good News Lutheran Church is to proclaim the Good News of the saving grace of God given through our Lord Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. This we do as we:

GLORIFY God
NURTURE people in the Christian faith LOVE each other
COMMUNICATE CHRIST to everyone

1 MEMBERSHIP

1.1 Voting members are all confirmed members who have been active in the life of the Congregation during the last year. Active in the life of the Congregation means receiving Holy Communion twice in a year.

It shall be the duty of voting members to attend the meetings of the Congregation, and there shall be no voting by proxy.

1.2 Voting membership ceases when a person ceases to be a confirmed member or is no longer active in the life of the Congregation.

1.3 Membership of the Church Council and School Council is limited to voting members of the Congregation.

2 MEETINGS OF THE CONGREGATION

2.1 The Annual General Meeting of the Congregation shall be held no later than the end of November, with the Annual Financial Meeting of the Congregation being held no later than March of each calendar year.

2.2 Special meetings of the Congregation may be called by the Pastor, the Church Council or upon the written request of any ten (10) voting members.

2.3 Notice of meetings shall either be given at a duly called meeting of the Congregation held at least seven days earlier, (fourteen days for change of Constitution), or be published to the Congregation on two immediately preceding Sundays.

2.4 The chief business to come before the meeting shall be announced at the same time that the notice of meeting is given.

2.5 In addition to the specific provisions concerning a quorum laid down in the Constitution, viz. Article 10 and Article 12 Clause 1, the following provision shall apply:

2.5.1 A quorum of one-seventh of all voting members shall be required for the transaction of normal business.

2.5.2 A quorum of one-quarter of all voting members shall be required for the calling of a pastor, for the appointment of any other salaried church worker, for the removal from office of the pastor or other officer, for the buying or selling of property, or for the undertaking of a large financial commitment by the Congregation.

2.6 The Chairman shall have a deliberative vote and, in the case of equal voting, the motion shall be considered defeated.

2.7 Unless specified in the Constitution or By-laws, the Chairman shall ordinarily decide the manner of voting, whether by show of hands or by ballot, but the meeting may itself decide by resolution the manner of voting to be adopted.

2.8 Points may be placed on the agenda by: (a) any voting member;

(b) any committee appointed by the Congregation; (c) any organisation of the Congregation;
(d) the Pastor.

2.9 The conduct of the meetings shall, where applicable, be in accordance with the rules for transacting business adopted by the Church.

2.10 A list of voting members shall be available at each Congregational meeting.

3 CHURCH COUNCIL

The Church Council shall have five departments which reflect the five emphases of the Mission Statement namely:-

Worship Department - to help give glory to God
Christian Education Department - to nurture the faith of members Pastoral Care Department - to love and care for people
Evangelism Department - to communicate Christ to everyone
Property Department - to provide facilities for the Congregation's mission

The Pastor ex officio may attend all meetings of Church Council or Congregational committees. However, the Pastor shall not have voting rights on Church Council or on those committees.

The Congregation shall elect the following office bearers as members of Church Council: Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, and Director and one or more Assistant Director of each Department. The Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, and Director of each Department shall be voting members.

In the event that a Director does not attend a meeting of Church Council, or the position of a Director is vacant, the relevant assistant shall be eligible to vote if in attendance at the meeting.

The Church Council shall meet at least four times per year to consider the general welfare of the Congregation and plan its program of activities. The Church Council shall receive reports from the Pastor, the Directors and the Treasurer, and be responsible for the good running of the Congregation. In all matters, including the interpretation of policy established by the Congregation, the Church Council shall be responsible to the Congregation. The Church Council shall fill casual vacancies until the end of the term for that position.

The quorum for any Church Council meeting shall be more than half of the voting members – i.e. at least five voting members.

4 DUTIES OF OFFICERS 4.1 The Chairman shall:

a) preside at meetings of the Church Council and the Congregation;

(b) ensure that all elected and appointed officers and committees effectively carry out their assigned duties and generally encourage and co-operate with all office bearers;

(d) act as spokesperson for the Congregation in matters of public interest

(e) perform such additional duties as outlined in the Chairman's Position Description

4.2 The Vice Chairman shall serve as Chairman in the absence or inability of the Chairman to act, at the request of the Chairman, or assume the office of Chairman should a vacancy occur between Annual General Meetings. The Vice Chairman shall work closely with the Chairman providing assistance with the administration and management of the Congregation's activities.

4.3 The Secretary shall keep an accurate record of all proceedings of the Church Council and Congregation, attend to all correspondence unless it be delegated to another person, prepare an agenda for meetings and see that groups and individuals are informed of decisions affecting their functions.

4.4 The Treasurer is accountable for the custody of the Congregation's funds, maintenance of financial records, management of the insurance program and financial reporting to Church Council and Congregation of the financial affairs of the Good News Lutheran Church. The duties performed by the Treasurer are outlined in Treasurer's Position Description.

4.5 The Director of the Worship Department together with the Assistant Director/s shall initiate those things which will help people give God the glory he deserves. This includes:

(a) working with Pastor on all aspects of corporate worship

(b) providing resources to enrich personal worship life, prayer and

devotion

talents and abilities

(d) assisting Pastor in arranging pulpit assistance, special services

and guest speakers

(e) striving for all that is good in worship

4.6 The Director of the Christian Education Department together with the Assistant Director/s shall initiate those things which will help in the nurturing of members so that they grow in Christian knowledge and understanding and are equipped to help others. This includes:

(a) initiating formal Christian education opportunities across different age levels
(b) providing Christian resources to aid spiritual growth
(c) helping people understand how to cope with day-to-day pressures from a Christian perspective

4.7 The Director of the Pastoral Care Department together with the Assistant Director /s shall initiate those things which will help people express love and care as demonstrated by Christ. This includes:

(a) initiating various ways of expressing care

(b) fostering fellowship within the Congregation

and how they might be addressed

(d) encouraging members to care for each other through prayer

(e) ensuring that members are visited and encouraged, especially

those who are irregular in attendance or in special need

(f) notifying the Pastor of sick and spiritually distressed members that

particularly require pastoral ministry

4.8 The Director of the Evangelism Department together with the Assistant Director/s shall initiate those things which will help communicate Christ to others. This includes:

(a) ensuring that training and resources are provided to the Congregation for evangelism

(b) promoting the church's activities in the wider community, initiating

ways of bringing people into the church and of members going out

into the community

the point of incorporating them in the Christian fellowship

(d) supporting the wider work of the church in Australia and overseas

4.9 The Director of the Property Department together with the Assistant Director/s shall initiate those things which will help provide facilities which better aid the fulfilling of the Congregation's mission. This includes:

(a) seeing that property, buildings, and possessions of the Congregation are kept in good order

(b) undertaking minor repairs as necessary, and reporting on actions taken to Church Council

(e) making annual inspections of all Congregation owned property and buildings and reporting their findings to the Church Council

(f) establishing and maintaining a current inventory of all Congregation owned equipment

(g) considering any proposed developments related to the Congregation owned sites and property and reporting their findings to the Church Council

The Property Department has responsibility for the maintenance of the Congregation's property and equipment. Its responsibility does not extend over that part of the Congregation's property generally known as Good News Lutheran Primary School which shall be the responsibility of School Council.

4.10 The Directors and the Assistant Directors are given the responsibility of caring for the Congregation as it seeks to fulfil its God given mission. They are to be spiritually mature with a passion and giftedness for their particular area of responsibility.

While each Director has a specific task, they are also to work in conjunction with Pastor and other Ministry staff and other Departments to oversee the spiritual health of the Congregation. Together, they give and receive support, advice and counsel, and act in conjunction with each other to ensure the Congregation's well-being, and to hold each other accountable for fulfilling their area of ministry.

The Directors and Assistant Directors are to use the resources of the Congregation to involve people in ministry according to their various gifts. They are to give direction, manage and be stewards of what has been entrusted to God's people.

The Assistant Directors may be responsible for a specific area of ministry within the scope of the Department.

5. ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND COMMITTEES

The Church Council office bearers shall be elected for a two year term. They shall only be eligible to hold the same office for three consecutive terms. The one exception to this will be for the position of Treasurer, where a person may serve in this position for more than three consecutive terms if there is no one else with appropriate accounting skills wiilling to fill the position.

The following shall be elected in odd numbered years: Chairman, Secretary, Directors of the Worship, Pastoral Care, and Property Departments, Assistant Directors of Christian Education and Evangelism Departments.

The following shall be elected in even numbered years: Vice Chairman, Treasurer, Directors of Christian Education and Evangelism Departments, Assistant Directors of the Worship, Pastoral Care, and Property Departments.

In the event of a vacancy occurring during a term of office the replacement appointed by Church Council shall fill the vacancy until the end of the term.
The Church Council will endeavour to appoint a Risk Management Officer and Catering Coordinator every two years. The officers are eligible to attend Church Council meetings but are not eligible to vote..

The Church Council may appoint other officers as the need arises, including an Assistant Treasurer. Appointed officers may attend Church Council meetings at the discretion of the Council.

6. GOOD NEWS LUTHERAN PRIMARY SCHOOL

6.1 The Good News Lutheran Primary School, hereinafter referred to as the School, is owned and operated by the Lutheran Church of Australia, Queensland District.

6.2 The School shall be managed by the School Council and in accordance with

(a) the Memorandum of Understanding between Lutheran Education Queensland and Good News Lutheran School and Good News Lutheran Church, (26 April 2009, as amended from time to time); and

(b) relevant LCAQD By-Laws.

7. CENTENARY CHRISTIAN KINDERGARTEN AND PRESCHOOL

7.1 The Centenary Christian Kindergarten hereinafter referred to as the Kindergarten, shall be owned by Good News Lutheran Church and operated under Licence and managed by Queensland Lutheran Early Childhood Services (QLECS) on behalf of the approved provider Lutheran Church of Australia Queensland District (LCAQD).

7.2 The QLECS Council, operating under Bylaws approved at Synod 2009 and as amended from time to time, will provide the Governance for Centenary Christian Kindergarten. The relationship between Lutheran Early Childhood Services (QLECS) and Good News Lutheran Church is described in a Memorandum of Understanding (8 December 2014, as amended from time to time) and a Licence agreement (8 December 2014, as amended from time to time)

8. GOOD NEWS LUTHERAN SCHOOL OUTSIDE SCHOOL HOURS CARE

8.1 The Good News Lutheran School Outside School Hours Care service is an entity of the Good News Lutheran School, managed and operated by the School.

9 NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE

The Nominations Committee shall consist of the Chairman of the Congregation or their nominee, the Pastor and one other member nominated by the Church Council.

9.1 The Nominations Committee shall:

(a) seek and receive nominations from members of the Congregation for all offices and committees of the Congregation;

(b) nominate such persons as it considers suitable for various offices and committees in addition to the nominations received but without the necessity of nominating more candidates than positions to be filled;

(c) consult all committees in good time to learn of possible vacancies and to solicit from the respective committees their nominations;

(d) consult the relevant director when considering nominations for an Assistant position

(e) receive from officers intending to decline re-election an indication of such intention in good time;

(f) ensure that all nominees are willing to accept office.

10. LAY READERS

Lay readers have the responsibility of leading in all aspects of worship in the absence of a pastor. Their preparation for this should be done in consultation with the Pastor.

The Congregation shall appoint annually at least two lay-readers and they shall serve a two year term.

11. AUDITORS

The Congregation shall elect one Auditor annually who shall examine thoroughly the books of the Treasurer and report whether the financial statement, for presentation at the Annual General Meeting, reflects a true and fair view of the financial position of the Church and if considered appropriate, advise on aspects of the Congregation's finances and internal control procedures.

12. RECORDS

All minute books, records, and correspondence of the Congregation, its officers, and committees, and Departments shall remain the property of the Congregation.

13. CHURCH DISCIPLINE

The Congregation shall exercise Church discipline in an evangelical manner in accordance with the procedure laid down in Matthew 18:15-17. At all stages of the procedure the purpose of all Church discipline is to bring the member back into relationship with God.

The stages of discipline are -

In an endeavour to convince the erring member of personal fault, there shall be

personal admonition, and, if necessary;
admonition in the presence of witnesses, and if necessary;
admonition by the Congregation.

If it has become evident that the member is impenitent and unheedful of the admonition, the member shall be excluded through excommunication pronounced by the Pastor as the called and ordained servant of the Word.

13.1 If the stages of discipline cannot be carried out because the erring member refuses to submit to the discipline of the Congregation, the member shall be declared to have excluded themselves from membership in the Congregation.

13.2 The exercise of Church discipline shall give due regard to the procedure adopted by the Church in its regulations under "the Commission on Adjudication and Appeals" as found in the current Handbook of the Lutheran Church of Australia

Nov 2015

Good News Lutheran Church By-Laws

Bringing love to life through the Good News of Jesus Christ.