Call for Vestry Members!
Following up from our article in last month’s Sheepskin, the Vestry Nominating Committee has drafted the following job description to help guide your discernment in the call to serve in this important leadership role at our church.
As a refresher, Vestry members serve three-year terms, and we are seeking candidates to help grow, lead and bring diverse perspectives and talents to our church governing body. The minimum age to serve on the Vestry is 18 years.
Please prayerfully consider the call to serve, and reach out to Deb Sampson, Kaitlyn Bridgers or Suraya Bowermaster with any questions. Candidacy interests should ideally be finalized by mid-December.
Vestry Job Description:
As a Vestry member, you serve on a governing body which serves the needs of our Parish, its members, and the community at large. Many day-to-day decisions of our Parish are made by the priest/rector, but the Vestry makes high-level decisions such as the approval of expenditures and fund raising, the structure of ministries, and strategic decisions with respect to the mission, vision, and initiatives of the Parish.
1) The Vestry meets once per month, for approximately two hours, and routine attendance at these meetings is expected due to quorum requirements. Attendance can be in person or via phone or online meeting platform.
2) Following the annual meeting where new Vestry members are appointed, the Vestry also attends a weekend retreat at Cathedral Ridge in Woodland Park.
3) Occasional participation may be required in special meetings, additional retreats, trainings, and other church events where the input or visibility of Vestry members is important.
4) Vestry members are also expected to serve as liaisons to the Celebrate, Grow, and Serve teams, or to the administrative stem of the Parish.
In general, the time commitment for a vestry member is approximately three hours per month, which includes time spent at the monthly meeting as well as serving on a special committee.
Vestry membership is for a three-year term. The Vestry is chaired by a Junior Warden and a Senior Warden.
Vestry membership can be demanding at times but is also very rewarding. As a Vestry member, you are expected to model and uphold Episcopal traditions and Christian values, with regular attendance at services and Parish events being encouraged.
A diversity of backgrounds, strengths, spiritual gifts, and career experience can be found in the Vestry and we are seeking to grow this diversity even more, and include members representative of our various communities, ethnic and age groups. While there are generally no universally held traits among the Vestry, service as a Vestry member often requires discernment, a servant’s heart, strategic thinking, teamwork, and the fortitude to participate in difficult decisions with the guidance of Christ Jesus.