ELDER NOMINATION: APRIL 25 - JUNE 12

Beth DeVries has more than fulfilled her term as elder and is stepping back from the role in the very near future. This follows the term fulfillment and/or departure of two other elders over the last year, leaving us with three continuing: Rennie Araucto, Kurt Munson, and David Anema. Therefore, it is time for us to identify two members of our body to serve as elders.

Schedule

April 25-May 14 - Elders speak to members and gather list of willing candidates

May 15 - publish finalized "nominee pool" online and during Road Crew meeting; church encouraged to pray and begin submitting nominations May 29; Road Crew members privately communicate two nominees/choices to Pastor Likkel; email, call, write, fold ballot in white box on Sunday, etc.

June 5 - final Sunday to submit nominations; Pastor contacts emerging candidates to discuss serving as elder

June 12 - officially welcome and "install" two elders (who would minimally serve through June 2013)

Calling (Roles/Goals) of Elders among Emmaus Road
• Meet regularly to pray for church, share updates
• Shepherd congregation through visitation, prayer, listening; seek to connect with members in the margins – ill, absent, lonely, confined
• Advise and inform Road Crew
• Encourage Deacons, other leaders, along w/Pastor
• Assist Pastor in calling and appointing leaders
• Receive/release Road Crew members
• Consent to term of two years minimally

Criteria (in addition to biblical criteria, Emmaus Road's contextual particulars):
• Member of Road Crew (no time requirement)
• Relationally connected (no Small Group membership requirement, but encouraged)
• Prayerful; student of Word
• Will not serve if married to another Elder nominee
• Not overly burdened by role as Deacon
• Meet biblical requirements: 1 Timothy 3:1-12; 5:17; Titus 1:6-9 provide a non-exhaustive list of biblical qualifications for those recognized as Elders in the church

ROAD CREW MARCH 13 NOTES

On a rainy Spring Forward Sunday morning, having lost an hour of sleep, AND contending with green St. Pat's Day Dashers filling up the street parking, we still had a pretty decent turnout! It shall be remembered as our 1st Annual Lenten Road Crew Lunch. Jeff and Suellen Yerger crafted a delicious array of soups and breads, all prepared at home. We began our meeting officially welcoming Lara Fullner-Grennan and Erin Fullner into the Road Crew. The remainder of the meeting consisted of a 20 minute presentation: Pastor Eric Likkel's "state of the church" address, sharing joys and sorrows, and an invitation to engage in "40 Days of Discernment" together; Mike Elenbaas offered an update on Emmaus Road's finances; charts online. We concluded with a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday and enjoyed FOUR birthday cakes for Cornell (thank you, bakers). There were no votes or decisions called for, but a passionate plea to engage in prayer, consult with one another, interact with the Pastor and Council, and return to share what the Lord places on your heart - May 15. Big decisions will be made together - June 19.

"40 DAYS" OF DISCERNMENT

Emmaus Road, we are in one of those seasons, asking God to give us specific guidance as a church. What is most important to God, for this body? How does he want us to grow and change? Accept the invitation to join in "40 DAYS" OF DISCERNMENT. This is an intentional period of prayer and deliberation as we prepare to make some big decisions together in a few months. It is not literally a forty day process - it is a little longer - but since it is launched the first Sunday of Lent, it is handy to think of it following the church calendar. Here is what you are being asked to do:

Pray

• confess your hopes, dreams, and fears about Emmaus Road to God; listen for his response
• ask God to reveal his will AND show us the resources to carry it out

Join the SWOT conversation online (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats); respond to the blog entries from January and February or email Pastor Likkel.

Share your perceptions with the Pastor, Elders, and/or Deacons

In your Small Group discussions, talk about how the process is going, especially around the end of April and beginning of May.

Follow-up:

May 15 Road Crew; sharing testimony from the "40 DAYS"

June 19 (or 23) Road Crew; vote on Council proposals; install two new Elders

FYI, Council Calendar is online: 3/22 Elders&Deacons; 4/12 Elders; 5/10 Elders&Deacons

ROAD CREW AGENDA, SUNDAY MARCH 13, 2011

Goals of Meeting:

1. Receive ministry updates

2. Invitation to “40 Days of Discernment”

____________________________________

12:00 PM WELCOME TO ROAD CREW

GOALS OF MEETING

OVERVIEW: GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS

12:15 WELCOME STEWARDSHIP TEAM; FINANCE UPDATE

12:20 INVITATION: “40 DAYS OF DISCERNMENT”

12:25 Q&A

12:30 DISMISSAL

ROAD CREW NOTES, SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

Greenwood Office, Thursday Sept.23, 2010, 7-9pm; approx. 15-20 members present.

Pastor Likkel invited members around the circle to share what most excited or encouraged them about Emmaus Road; dominant theme emerged around Groundworks Sunday activity.

Review of Elder Nomination process took place. Pastor pledged to get the process underway in October.

Financial update offered, followed by pledge to schedule Sunday post-worship meeting for Road Crew vote to approve budget.

Pastor shared plan to interview every church family and hear how parents follow through with spiritual instruction and faith building Beyond Sunday (Parenting in Faith Beyond Sunday); after interviewing each family, hope is to take themes which have emerged and present to church, then invite parents to respond with ideas for building a more peer supportive environment in Emmaus Road, to help us with one of the most important ministries parents share.

Coming alongside church planters - Matt Wolfe, Simon Cunningham - a way for Emmaus Road to be involved in church planting.

Prayer/dismissal around 9PM.

DO GROUNDWORKS MATTER?

Do Groundworks Sundays matter? I believe they do, for at least three reasons.

At our congregational meeting last September, I asked members around the room to share what most excites them about Emmaus Road's ministries. The standout topic was Groundworks Sundays. For a lot of us, the opportunity to connect with neighbors and agencies in Belltown, our neighborhood of gathering, has been a new and meaningful experience. In talking with church members and agency personnel from the neighborhood, three themes have emerged:

1. We have much experience speaking the truth of God's love and grace made known to us in Christ; most people around us, church-going or not, have also experienced the hearing of these words. What's different on Groundworks Sundays, is the opportunity to go beyond words, with hands and feet, to actions of love and grace. None of us, nor the people around us, church-going or not, have experienced enough words backed by actions. It feels good to connect with neighbors through actions of the Gospel, in addition to words.

2. Small actions make a big difference. After a Groundworks Sunday last June, some of our neighbors communicated to one of our liaisons. Through tears, one woman expressed deep gratitude for being able to return home from the hospital to a clean apartment. Amidst all her health challenges and bad news, this act of kindness from strangers in her neighborhood gave her hope and strength. Another person expressed how great it was to know people had cared to offer help. He shared how people in his building were generally uncaring; discovering that there are others out there who do care meant the world to him.

3. On Groundworks Sundays, we get to know each other. We do this on typical Sundays, too, but there is neither time nor space to have the kind of conversations that seem to pop up when we are working side by side.

ROAD CREW AGENDA, SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

NOT AT NEW HORIZONS,

but at our Greenwood Office

7-9PM

corner of N.85th/Greenwood AveN.,

312 North 85th Street, Suite 101

Seattle, WA 98103

(no childcare provided; separate "play" room available)

Goals of Meeting:

1. Review Elder nomination process

2. Receive proposed budget & ministry reports/updates

3. Pray

7:00 ARRIVE

7:10 PRAY

7:15 WELCOME

7:20 REVIEW ELDER NOMINATION PROCESS

7:30 RECEIVE FINANCIAL UPDATE; BUDGET PRESENTATION; Q&A

(vote to be scheduled for future brief Sunday post-worship mtg.)

8:00 MINISTRY UPDATES

• Prayer – Sunday & Beyond
• Children’s Ministry – Sunday & Beyond
• Groundworks; Belltown Covenant
• Small Groups
• Church “Planting”

8:50 PRAY

9:00 DISMISS