Elders Principles

Eldership is a vocation. The congregation discerns God's call for people amongst us to be the elders of the church. Their ministry is to assist the Ministry Team and Church Council in spiritual oversight over the life and witness of the Glen Waverley Uniting Church.

What is the ministry of elder?

The National Assembly of the Uniting Church in Australia has provided the following:

Elders will have a variety of gifts and passions for exercise in ministry with the congregation. Among the elders you can expect to find teachers, small group leaders, compassionate carers, spiritual friends, visionaries, preachers, people who engage with the neighbourhood, advocates for justice, worship leaders, mystics, healers and extravagant hospitality. They will exercise their ministry through leading the congregation in practices such as hospitality, stewardship, discernment, Sabbath keeping, Testimony, shaping community, forgiveness, healing, justice and reconciliation, spiritual friendship, prayer, bible study, common worship and mission. Elders support one another in exercising their varied gifts for ministry.

The primary role of an elder is to provide leadership within the Congregation in assisting the congregation to fulfil its ministry and mission. The ministry of elder will therefore be fulfilled in the totality of the congregation’s life and not just in councils or decision-making. Members of the congregation can expect that the men and women whom they elect as elders will model the Christian life. Together they reveal the faith of Jesus.

Elders will be caring people, who will exercise spiritual oversight of the groups and activities of the congregation. They will also maintain a relationship with individual members - providing encouragement in the faith, supporting them in their life in society and helping them to focus on and participate in what is important to and within the community of faith.

Elders retain an important role in assisting the congregation to worship well, working with the ministry team and others with worship leadership roles. They will be persons who will participate with the minister or other worship leaders in the congregation’s liturgies, particularly the sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist.

Those elders who, as part of their ministry, are members of the Church Council, will exercise their ministry within that Council by ensuring that at regular meetings of the Church Council the Council and/or the Congregation takes seriously the responsibilities listed in Reg. 3.1.13 (a) i.e. the:

• Building up of the congregation in faith and love;
• Sustaining the members in hope;
• Leading the Congregation into a fuller participation in Christ’s mission in the world.

Some ways of expressing these responsibilities are the provision of pastoral care, opportunities for and encouragement in faith formation and re-formation, the formulation and updating of the Congregation’s vision for mission – local, regional and global, the nurture of members for mission and evangelism, and the increase of Biblical literacy and theological awareness.

Elders play a role in helping the Church Council and the Congregation to discern where the Spirit of God is at work in the Congregation and its neighbourhood, where the Spirit is pointing us to, where the Spirit is calling us from and guiding the Congregation’s response to the Spirit we hear.

Things you might expect to see Elders doing

• Attending to their personal spiritual life through prayer, study and other spiritual disciplines
• Leading small groups
• Participating in small groups
• Planning/leading/participating in faith development activities; e.g. Isaiah Festival
• Praying for people and issues
• Studying the scriptures - learning
• Planning and/or helping in worship services
• Distributing Holy Communion in church & beyond
• Assisting with preparation for baptism
• Visiting people
• Cooking for people
• Welcoming people
• Building relationships in congregation and wider neighbourhood
• Attending and supporting a variety of worship services
• Talking with people – listening/supporting – engaging in spiritual conversations
• Sharing and listening to faith stories
• Mentoring people
• Supporting social justice issues
• Practising faith in the community
• Participating in Church Council and other committees of the congregation
• Gathering regularly to pray for the congregation and support one another in their ministry

Statement of Understanding between Elders and the Church Council

This Covenant between Elders and the Church Council that acknowledges individually and collectively Elders will:

1. share with the Ministers the general spiritual and pastoral oversight of the congregation;
2. nurture the members and adherents in their growth in grace;
3. be prepared to act as mentors, intentionally exercising their individual gifts in appropriate forms of ministry, including faith formation and re-formation, formulating mission, and increasing Biblical literacy and awareness;
4. take day to day responsibility for membership transfers, baptisms, and confirmation;
5. assist the Ministers in the conduct of worship and in the administration of the sacrements;
6. individually and collectively participate in the work of Council committees;
7. maintain an awareness of the evolution of the congregation as a community of faith in relation to its Future Directions goals, and assist the congregation in its striving to achieve such goals;
8. meet regularly as a group to provide a time for refreshing and renewing the spiritual growth of the Elders individually;
9. advise the Church Council at least quarterly in relation to any or all of the actions listed above.

Elders' Duties

General

1. Arrive 30 minutes before the start of the service.
2. Bring pen and paper.
3. Wear name tag.
4. If staying for a cup of tea/coffee, or during mingling time, please keep a lookout for people who may be new, or people you don't know and talk to them and make them feel welcome.
5. If you are unable to attend on your rostered day please arrange a swap with another elder.
6. If necessary, help stewards if there is a need.

Welcoming (Door) Elders

1. Stand just inside 2 external doors and greet people as they arrive.
2. Be watchful for new people, people who need assistance - handicapped, etc.. Refer new people to the Welcoming Table.
3. At the conclusion of the service, walk out behind the Ministers and position yourself near the Ministers and be on hand to attend to any referrals by them. Be prepared to record names and addresses of people on cards provided.
4. Be sensitive to new people who may not be ready to provide information.
5. For 11.00am Elders, if at start of service there are still 9.00am people in Foyer talking, please request silence.

Vestry Elder

1. Be on hand in the Vestry to assist Minister(s) before commencement of service.
2. Say a short prayer with Mnister(s) and Bible reader. (Uniting in Worship - People's Book - p206 (blue covered) available in Vestry to assist in this regard if necessary).
3. Light candle before commencement of service.
4. At the conclusion of the service walk out behind the Ministers and position yourself near the Minister. (This is particularly important if there is only one Minister.)

Communion

Communion Ware and Wine

• Chalice and Silver plates are kept in the cupboard in the Vestry (for security reasons).
• Glasses, glasses trays, spare grape juice and wine pourers are kept in the kitchen centre island cupboards.
• 2 wooden bowls for collecting wine glasses during the 11.00am service are stored in the Vestry cupboards together with the silverware. Paper towelling is to be used for lining the bottom of each of the wooden bowls to deaden the noise of empty glasses hitting the wooden bowl. Roll to be stored with bowls.
• Tablecloths are stored in a black plastic hang bag with the Minister's albs and stoles in the Vestry cupboard.
• Grape Juice - spare grape juice is stored with the glasses. Partially used grape juice bottles must be kept in the refrigerator - and must be used before opening a new bottle.

Preparing the Elements

The Bread

• Provide one bread roll, partially cut for ease of breaking. Place roll on silver plate.
• Place diced white bread on:
  • 8 plates for 9.00am service
  • 2 plates for 11.00am service
  Place a few gluten free wafers on each plate. Note that no diced bread is required for the 8.00am service.
  unless otherwise instructed by the minister.

The Wine

• Grape juice is stored in the kitchen cupboard with the glasses, however, please check the refigerator for partially used containers before opening a new bottle.
• When filling the glasses don't forget to partially fill the chalice. Only a small amount is required (do not overfill).
• At the conclusion of the service, all unused grape juice in the glasses and chalice must be discarded and poured down the sink.
• The number of trays for the glasses is to be assessed from the congregation numbers stated, and remember that the capacity of the trays varies from 25 to 32 glasses.
• For the 11.00am service, place the two wooden bowls at the extreme ends of the two centre front pews. These are for collecting the empty glasses, and should have a paper towel placed in each (see above).

Preparing the Table (9.00 and 11.00am services)

• Place the table cloth on the Communion table.
• The seasonal fall is not required.
• Place the Bible lectern in the back corner of the table.
• The elements should then be placed on the table.
• Place the second cloth over the elements. This will be removed during the service and replaced at the end.
• Ensure that there is enough space at the rear of the table for the minister's book.
• Store spare wine trays and empty trays (11.00am service only) on shelf under communion table.
• Set up the dishwasher.

Elders' Duty during Communion Service

• Please assemble in vestry 15 minutes before the service starting time for instructions and clarification of procedures to be adopted in serving the elements.
• 9.00am service - Congregation remains seated and are served by the Elders
• 11.00am service - Congregation comes to the front to receive elements
• Elders may sit anywhere in the congregation before coming forward for the communion service.

9.00am Service

• 8 Elders are required and all serve both the bread and the wine.
• All Elders come forward at the appropriate time with 4 on either side of the minister facing the congregation.
• After receiving the elements from the minister, the Elders start the distribution to the front pews working each row of pews as a pair as per the sketch below.
• When distributing the bread say to the first person of each row 'The Body of Christ broken for you' or 'Jesus, the bread of life', or similar. Also, when serving the wine, say 'The blood of Christ poured out for you', or 'Jesus, the true vine', etc..
• As each pair completes their section of the pews, return to the front, replacing the plates/trays to the communion table (the minister may wish to assist with this). Do not wait for all elders to complete serving, but do make sure that there are sufficient elements for all.
• Once the plates and trays are returned to the table, Elders return to their positions at either side of the minister.
• At the conclusion of the service, and after the bible has been carried out, follow the minister up the centre aisle to the doors.
• Please assist with the clearing of the elements and empty glasses from the sanctuary, and with the washing up afterwards.

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