Elders

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Annual Congregation Meeting

Covenant Partner - Consent for Electronic Membership Communications

On September 15, 2024, Menlo Church’s Covenant Partners will vote on the election of new elders. As Phil mentioned in his August 9th letter, this year’s Annual Congregational Meeting (ACM) format is different to increase engagement and transparency. This ACM also introduces the option to vote electronically with your email. Electronic voting is allowed in our bylaws and will make participation easier for our Covenant Partners at all of our campuses while reducing the cost and environmental impact associated with paper ballots.

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Please opt-in to the process by submitting your consent and preferred email address by September 5, 2024. By doing so, you agree to receive all future notices and ballots by email. You may later choose to withdraw consent, at any time, by providing a request to Governance@menlo.church

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If you choose to withhold your consent of email used for Menlo membership communications, you will still be able to vote in person during the ACM services on September 15, 2024. Paper ballots will only be available at that time.

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We encourage you to opt-in and submit this form as soon as possible to help us prepare. An ACM agenda and electronic ballots will be coming when ready.

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Thank you for your time and support of Menlo Church.

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August 9, 2024

Letter from Phil to Covenant Partners

Over the last several years, we have all gotten accustomed to doing some of the same things we were used to doing, a little differently. Hopefully, this season has allowed us to reexamine the purpose of doing certain things and adjust accordingly. One of these is our Annual Congregation Meeting (ACM), which has been our centralized business meeting once a year, where people can gather to find out more information about the church and where Covenant Partners (Menlo Church members) vote for new session members (elders) who are being considered.

This meeting has struggled to gain critical mass, in part, because it has been physically located at our Menlo Park campus and scheduled shortly after our final services, making it difficult for people to attend across all our campuses. For this upcoming ACM, we want to share some of the same information in a compelling way that reaches everyone at Menlo, regardless of the campus you attend, during normal weekend services.

In order to facilitate this, we are going to incorporate the informational elements of the ACM into all of our weekend services, at all campuses, on Sunday, September 15th. For the business of electing elders, that will be done outside of the meeting and we will be providing a digital option for all Covenant Partners to participate in the vote electronically. Covenant Partners will receive an opt-in notice next week, to affirm that they would like to vote electronically. We highly encourage early submission. The electronic ballots will be sent when info is ready on the nominees. For those voting in-person, paper ballots will be available on 9/15 at the campuses.

The heart behind this is to provide more transparency for all of Menlo as we seize the opportunities ahead to bring hope to even more people, introduce you to the men and women we are considering for our board, and provide a digital tool for asking questions that we will answer on a special episode of the Menlo Midweek Podcast.

Thanks so much for your heart to grow closer to Jesus in this season and be a part of what God continues to do through Menlo.

Grace and peace,
Phil

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Menlo church governance

We believe the Church is the community through which God wants to bring love, healing, growth, and eternal life to the human race, and to which he invites everyone to follow Jesus. Menlo Church is one church in many locations, pursuing our mission to bless the Bay Area for Jesus through a transforming relationship with Christ and authentic community with each other. We are part of the denomination ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians (ECO). The church's governing body is called the Session. The Session focuses on discernment and strategy to guide the church's biblical mission in the world; on the spiritual health of the congregation, including discipline; and on oversight of church resources and staff accomplishment through the senior pastor, to whom it delegates ministry leadership and church operations.

As an ECO church, Menlo Church is governed by its Session. Made of elected elders and the senior pastor, Session has the responsibility and authority for governing the congregation and guiding its mission for Christ and the world. In our Reformed tradition, Session ensures that the church, through delegation to staff and lay leaders, proclaims the Word, celebrates the Sacraments, and exercises discipline. Session also ensures the provision of worship and ministries, pastoral care and guidance for the congregation and oversight of the spiritual, financial, and organizational health of the church. Menlo Church is committed to pursuing its mission as a church with God-honoring love, zeal, and excellence in all that we are and do.

QUALIFICATIONS

Elder nominees are required to be a Menlo Church Covenant Partner (membership). We look for spiritual maturity, alignment to Menlo’s vision and mission, ability to prayerfully discern God’s call for Menlo, work with and communicate with other members of Session and church staff, eagerness to represent all congregants beyond one campus site, and affirmation of the ECO Essential Tenets.

Specific elder responsibilities

Provide for Spiritual Oversight

• Worship, sound biblical teaching, and educational life of the congregation, including regular preaching of the Word.
• Regular celebration of the Lord's Supper and administration of Baptism.
• Discipleship of the congregation and new believers, and nurturing of the common life of the congregation.
• Leadership for the congregation in ministries of evangelism, compassion, and justice.
• Developing and nurturing relations with other congregations.

Shepherd the flock

• Provision of pastoral care of members, including directing them for assistance or problem resolution.
• Providing for prayer in all areas of church life, including prayer for the sick.
• Open communication and outreach to the congregation, staff, and community.
• Participating in biblically-based conflict resolution as outlined in Matthew 18, and in other discipline and restoration acts specified in the ECO Rules of Discipline.
• Confronting false teaching, and bearing witness against error in doctrine and practice/behavior.
• Serving in judicial matters related to the congregation as specified in the ECO Rules of Discipline.

Engage in Discernment, Planning and Strategy

• Collaborating with the senior pastor in discerning Menlo Church's mission and strategy, setting organizational goals, making key decisions and strategic choices.
• Engaging in regular dialogue with the congregation for advice, feedback, and communication, including meeting with site ministry teams and staff, inviting feedback, information meetings, and other useful forums.
• Contributing to periodic evaluations of the Session itself and its effectiveness, and participating in ongoing learning to keep up-to-date on developments or best practices that further the church's mission.
• Assisting in identifying and recruiting leaders who can make significant contributions to the work of the Session and the church.

Oversee and Monitor Church Management

• Regularly review progress and hold staff leadership accountable for church impact and execution of its mission, vision, and goals, and church ministry plans and outcomes, through dialogue and reports, metrics and other measures
• Regularly review progress and hold staff leadership accountable for church ministry operations, implementation, and compliance with sound policies and procedures, rigorous financial management, excellent staff management, staff development, and healthy and efficient operations and infrastructure.
• Approving an annual budget and audit report, material business decisions, and monitoring the financial status of the church on a regular basis. Staying apprised of, and meeting, all legal and fiduciary responsibilities (duties of care and loyalty). Preparing for, and participating actively in, Session and committee meetings.
• Ensuring an accurate and updated record of church members and baptisms.
• Counseling and providing spiritual and practical support to the Senior Pastor in his role as head of staff. Encouraging and praying for the Senior Pastor, staff and volunteers.
• Providing an annual and other performance evaluations of the Senior Pastor. Serving on, and leading, committees or task forces; taking on special assignments.
• Drawing from gifts and expertise in the congregation, other churches, and the community in helping Menlo Church fulfill its mission.
• Acting as an "ambassador” for Menlo Church to the community, church at large, and the world.

Session Terms and Time Commitments

• Elders will serve a four-year term and be eligible for a re-appointment for one additional term before a mandatory one-year rotation off Session.
• 15-20 hours are estimated, on average per month, though the time needed will vary depending on the elder's assignments, including the leadership of committees. All elders participate in an annual (or bi-annual) retreat; monthly Session business meetings; other Session-sponsored meetings, committees or task forces and related conference calls; research and meeting preparation; reflections and study.
• Because issues can and do arise that require immediate attention, flexibility and additional hours may be required from time to time.