Policy & Governance: Light Round 2!

Feb 1, 2018 | News

Last month in Round 1, you found out about why a Policy and Governance (P&G) Committee is needed at East Shore and how it fits in with the Board, the Committees, the Staff and the Teams.  This month we’ll outline what the Committee has been doing since it was formed by the Board last April.

First, the Board asked the Committee to help it implement its new Policy 3.11—All Committees, Task Forces, Core Teams, Ministry Teams, and other groups (Ex. ESJCC) must have a charter and revisit it annually to ensure that it is up to date and in alignment with ESUC Policies and Bylaws.  So P&G drafted a charter template with instructions for all groups. This template was designed to help groups fulfill their purposes in relationship to ESUC values, governance structures, and operational procedures.

In the summer the template was approved by the Board, and in the fall most church groups turned in their charter drafts.  Policy and Governance Committee has provided feedback and assistance to groups as needed.  In the end, Board Committees submit their charters to the Board; all other groups submit their charters to their staff partners who then report completion to the Board.  We are learning a lot and plan to use that to revise the charter template and improve the process for next year.  Check out the charters for the groups you belong to and offer your suggestions!

The next thing the Board requested of the P&G Committee was to create a Process for Revising Board Policy.  Why is this important?  The Board Policies are used to provide guidance to the staff in the daily church operations.  For this reason they need to be responsive to what is happening in the church.  To promote that, the process that P&G developed provides a way for many aspects of the church–from the Board, to staff, to groups, and individual members—to propose new policy. To find out how this works click HERE.

The Board approved this process on November 21, 2017, and it is already in use.  You may have seen recent eblasts requesting member review and input on proposed policies.  This is part of the process.  With final Board approval, you will see the new policy on our website (ABOUT US, Governance, Board Policies) within a month of Board approval.

The P&G Committee will continue to help with any new policy proposals, to assist with charters, and to support the Board in any other initiatives that will benefit the governance of East Shore!

Submitted by Ann Fletcher, Chair of Policy and Governance (P&G) Committee