Our Leadership Boards and Staff

Ten duties of Session as defined by the Book of Order

1. Evangelism. reflects the promise all elders make in their ordination vows when they agree to seek to follow the Lord Jesus Christ in their own lives, love their neighbors, and work for the reconciliation of the world (G-14.0207 f.). All elders are expected to make their speech and conduct audible and visible witnesses to the presence of the living Lord wherever they live and work.
2. Mission and Justice.The session also has the responsibility to lead the congregation in participation in the mission of the whole Church in the world. What we do in mission is nowhere limited only to our work in the local community, as critical as that is. It includes ministry with all people everywhere who are truly God’s children. 
3. Worship. One of the chief duties of the session is to lead the members of the church in the way they worship God (G-10.0102 d.).
4. Education. The session bears ultimate accountability to provide an educational program that is consistent with Reformed teaching about the Scriptures and presents the good news of Christ in the most innovative and engaging ways possible. In addition to supervising the church school and the educational program for children and youth (G-10.0102 f.), the session must also train adults as they grow in personal faith and prepare to bear witness to the world (e.), and provide training for new church officers (k., l.).
5. Stewardship. The members of session are directed to challenge the people of God with the duty and the privilege (G-10.0102 h.) of sharing their money, time, and talents. 
6. Finance.According to G-10.0102 i., the session has the exclusive power to establish the annual budget of the congregation, determine how mission money will be allocated, and decide how and when offerings will be taken for outside groups. It is also the responsibility to share these decisions with the congregation.
7. Transformation.The members of the session must find ways through prayer, study, and research to keep in touch with the Holy Spirit in such a powerful way that they can fulfill the charge to “lead the congregation to discover what God is doing in the world and to plan for change, renewal, and reformation under the Word of God.”If we truly are a denomination that is reformed and always being reformed “according to the Word of God and the call of the Spirit” (G-2.0200), 
8. Administration. In some churches administration is considered to be a necessary evil and is denigrated to lower ranks of priority in the church’s goals. Administration is the only spiritual gift, in fact, to be listed twice by Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:27-31 (“forms of assistance,” “forms of leadership”). Specifically, this important work involves supervising of the deacons, the trustees, and all other organizations in the church; overseeing the administration of the church–long range planning, the maintenance of property and buildings, the obtaining of proper and necessary insurance, and the maintenance of membership and baptismal rolls, as well as ordination records (G-10.0202 m., n., o., s.)
9. Relating to Higher Governing Bodies.The session is the only body in the church that can elect commissioners to presbytery.
10. Ecumenical Connections.The tenth, but by no means least, important responsibility of the session, as G-10.0202 q. puts it, is “to establish and maintain those ecumenical relationships necessary for the life and mission of the church” in the local community. Normally that task involves participation in the local council of churches and possibly in regional interfaith organizations.