Halton Presbytery has nine (9) standing committees with the responsibility of carrying-out most of the Presbytery business and activities. In addition there is a Presbytery Executive which looks-after overall Presbytery responsibilities between meetings of the full Court of Presbytery. Also, from time-to-time task-specific ad hoc committees are created with specific responsibilities.

The following Committee information is effective summer-2005.

Committee Responsibilities
Candidacy and Vocations

Contact:

Regular Meetings

  • 3rd Thursday of most months @ 7:30pm
 Purpose: To ensure that those seeking to serve the Church in "Paid Accountable Ministry" are suitable and ready to undertake those ministries; and to share the journey of preparation for ministry with those seeking to serve the Church in "Paid Accountable Ministry" positions.

Tasks:

  • Participate in Discernment committees.
  • Accompany candidates to Conference Interviews.
  • Interview Inquirers.
  • Interview Staff Associates candidates.
  • Interview (yearly) all Ministry candidates.
Faith Formation and Outreach

Contact:

Meetings

  • 2nd Thursday of the month, 7:30p.m., September-June
 Purpose: To support and encourage pastoral charges in their Christian Development, Worship, Social Justice and Outreach ministries by
  1. planning and implementing an annual Network Day
  2. raising the awareness of Halton Presbytery regarding Faith Formation and Outreach issues at monthly Presbytery meetings
  3. informating pastoral charges and the full court about Faith Formation and Outreach resources and programming available through the wider church
  5. acting as a conduit for information flow and assisting communication between pastoral charges

Tasks:

  • Encourage pastoral charges to share ideas, experiences, and resources for programming.
  • Assist pastoral charges to obtain resources.
  • Ensure that appropriate workshops and other events are held to respond to programming needs identified by pastoral charges.
  • Raise the consciousness and assist in setting goals for the various outreach ministries of the church.
Finance and Property

Contacts:

Regular Meetings

  • 2nd Thursday of the month, 7:30p.m. (July and August at the call of the chair)

Purpose: To ensure that all the financial aspects of Presbytery [incl: budgets, banking, auditing, accounting, etc..] are handled in business-like fashion and as set-out in The Manual (2001) and to ensure that all matters of trust property of pastoral charges are correctly administered.

Tasks:

  • Prepare and monitor the annual budget and administer all financial matters of Presbytery - including administration of funds for development projects.
  • Ensure that financial assessments are set annually and collected from pastoral charges.
  • Recommend guidelines and draft policy relating to the effective administration of Presbytery.
  • Review and recommend action for the use of any pastoral charge trust funds by congregations.
  • Review and recommend action in connection with requests for incorporation within Presbytery; review suggested directors of corporations; review annual financial statements of corporations within Presbytery.
Mission Support

Contact:

Meetings:

  • 3-5 per year at call of the Chair.
 Purpose: To ensure that available financial resources and support are effectively distributed and used to foster the mission goals of the Church.

Tasks:

  • Review and recommend action concerning requests from pastoral charges and other Presbytery mission units for financial assistance from Presbytery and other Church sources [incl: Mission Support Grants and Presbytery Development Fund]. This includes applications for Capital Assistance Loans and Grants from the various programs supported by the General Council Office, Support for Local Missions (SLM).
  • Review and recommend action concerning requests for financial assistance from other organizations.
Nominating

Contact:

Meetings:

  • At call of the Chair
Purpose: To ensure that the human resource needs of Presbytery [incl: Presbytery committees and representatives to Conference committees] are effectively met and that careful stewardship of Presbytery human resources is practiced.

Tasks:

  • Actively encourage pastoral charges to elect appropriate lay representatives to Presbytery.
  • Arrange for job descriptions and selection criteria for participants in various roles and committees.
  • Provide effective orientation program(s) for new Presbytery members.
  • Encourage Presbytery members to actively participate in committees, etc.
Pastoral Charge Oversight

Contact:

Regular Meetings:

  • 2nd Wednesday of most months @ 1:30pm.

In addition to the regular meetings, Committee members undertake a number of Pastoral Charge visits throughout the year - each of which requires some 5 - 8 hours for preparation, visiting, and reporting.

Purpose: To ensure that all pastoral charges within Presbytery are both supported and supervised as they carry-out their mission and work within the framework of the mission of the United Church.

Tasks:

  • On a scheduled or as-needed basis, visit and review the work, plans, needs, concerns, etc.. of all pastoral charges. Following the oversight visit(s), a report to Presbytery summarizes topics reviewed, emerging problems or concerns, and associated recommendations.
  • Ensure that all proper records and documents of pastoral charges are properly kept and stored.
  • Ensure that all General Council, Conference, and Presbytery policies relating to "Paid Accountable Ministry" personnel are effectively carried-out in pastoral charges.
  • Provide the "Archives Committee" function for Halton Presbytery.
  • Review and recommend action for re-organizational proposals in pastoral charges.
Pastoral Relations

Contacts:

    • Regular Meetings:
    • 1st Tuesday of most months @ 1:00pm.

    Also, members participate regularly in Joint Needs Assessment Committee meetings or Joint Search Committee meetings at various pastoral charges.

 Purpose: To work closely with Pastoral Charges seeking Paid Accountable Ministry personnel throughout the Needs Assessment, Searching, Placing, and Covenanting processes and to ensure that all such personnel are effectively supported and supervised.

Tasks:

  • Participate in Joint Needs Assessment and Joint Search Committees of pastoral charges.
  • Review and recommend actions in connection with the Call, Appointment, Settlement, and/or Transfer of all Ministry personnel in Halton Presbytery.
  • Ensure that all Ministry personnel carry-out their ministry roles in suitable patterns of support and accountability.
  • Ensure that Ministry-personnel emergencies and critical personnel-related situations are dealt with in timely and effective fashion.
  • Monitor and deal with matters relating to pensions, benefits, and insurance of Ministry personnel.
Regeneration Task Force

Contact:

Meetings:

  • Monthly meetings on Thursday @ 7:30pm
 Vision: Our vision is to be a catalyst within Halton Presbytery to enable regeneration and revitalization of the Presbytery and congregations within Presbytery.
Stewardship

Contact:

Meetings:

  • At call of the Chair
 Purpose: To maintain consciousness within the pastoral charges - and the Presbytery as a whole - about stewardship and its role in the overall mission of the local church and beyond.

Tasks:

  • Ensure that pastoral charges are aware of and using resources and programs that foster good stewardship of time, talents, human resources, money, natural resources, etc...
  • Encourage pastoral charges to undertake regular stewardship programs to actively promote the faithful stewardship of time, talent, and money.
  • Recommend annually to pastoral charges an objective for givings to the Mission and Service Fund.
  • Foster and promote educational opportunities about the work and need of the Mission and Service Fund.
  • Report regularly to Presbytery about the contributions of pastoral charges to the Mission and Service Fund.