Opportunity to Serve: Lay Leader Roles for 2025-2026 Election

Our church relies on dedicated lay leaders to help guide our community and manage our affairs. The upcoming 2025-2026 election presents several opportunities to serve in vital roles on the Board and various committees. We are seeking congregants willing to offer their time, skills, and passion. Below are descriptions of the available roles based on the provided sources, including key responsibilities and estimated time commitments:

Board Positions:

President: This role requires maintaining all responsibilities of an at-large member. The President is crucial for ensuring the effective implementation of Board policies, discerning, collecting, and disseminating these policies, and monitoring all policy-governed areas of church life throughout the year. The President chairs Board and congregational meetings and sets the agenda with other Board members. They also recommend committee chairpersons for Board approval when not otherwise specified by bylaws. The President serves on the Leadership Team, working with staff and elected lay leaders. Estimated time commitment: 20-30 hours per month

Vice President: The Vice President also maintains at-large member responsibilities and acts in the President’s absence. Like the President, the Vice President is a member of the Leadership Team, collaborating with staff and elected lay leaders. Estimated time commitment: 15-20 hours per month

Treasurer-Elect (for 2025-2026, then Treasurer for two years): The person elected will serve as Treasurer-Elect for the 2025-2026 fiscal year and then transition to Treasurer for the subsequent two fiscal years. The Treasurer serves as the chief financial officer of the church and chairs the Finance Committee, coordinating and implementing its duties. This role is vested with the power to manage the church’s non-cash assets (sell, transfer, reinvest) under the Board’s direction. The Treasurer reports to the Board at the Annual Meeting and special meetings and is an ex-officio member of the Endowment Fund Committee. They are responsible for reviewing and reconciling account balances for the Board. The Treasurer is also part of the Leadership Team. Estimated time commitment: This role has a lower time commitment in the first year as Treasurer-Elect at 8 hours per month, increasing to 15-20 hours per month in the following two years as Treasurer.

Secretary: The Secretary maintains the responsibilities of an at-large member of the Board. Key tasks include taking minutes for Board and congregational meetings, providing timely pertinent information to congregants as stipulated by bylaws, tallying votes, maintaining records, distributing documents, and preparing and editing official correspondence from the Board. The Secretary is a member of the Leadership Team. Estimated time commitment: 15-20 hours per month

Board Member At-Large: At-large Board members are tasked with the general charge of the church’s property and business affairs. Responsibilities include attending Board meetings, approving committee memberships and charters, approving budgets and expenditures, setting policies, serving on a Board committee, and being Board Member on Duty on Sunday mornings. Estimated time commitment: 8 hours per month

Note: All Board officers (President, Vice President, Treasurer-Elect/Treasurer, Secretary) also maintain the responsibilities of an at-large member.

Committee Positions:

Program Council Co-Chair (Two Positions): These two roles involve managing, facilitating, and nurturing all church programs. Duties range from small administrative tasks to larger obligations like retreat planning. Program Council Co-Chairs serve as ex-officio members of the Board. Estimated time commitment: 150 hours annually

Leadership Development Committee Chair-Elect (for 2025-2026, then Chair for 2026-2027, then past-chair for 2027-2028): In the 2025-2026 fiscal year, the elected person serves as a member of the committee as Chair-Elect. They will then become the committee chair for the 2026–2027 fiscal year and past chair for the 2027-2028 fiscal year. The chair is responsible for facilitating the nomination process for the Annual Congregational Meeting in June and for any vacancies that occur during the year. Estimated time commitment: 5-7 hours per month from January to June.

Leadership Development Committee Member (Two-Year Term): Members of this committee are responsible for nominating congregants for elected positions at the Annual Congregational Meeting in June and for any vacancies during the year. Tasks include preparing documentation about roles for the congregation, vetting interested individuals, asking congregants to serve, and coming to consensus within the committee on nominations. Estimated time commitment: 5-7 hours per month from January to June

Endowment Committee Member (Three-Year Term): This committee is tasked with ensuring the long-term financial health of the church through the development of the endowment fund. Tasks include cultivating donors, grant administration, and financial reporting. Estimated time commitment: 5-8 hours per month, slightly heavier in fall than spring

If you are interested in learning more about these vital roles or potentially serving our church community, please respond to this email leadershipdevelopmentcommittee (at) tvuuc.net or fill out the form linked here.