CARE-GIVING MINISTRY TEAM
Serve as the congregational care arm of the deacons by adding support to persons in time of need.
- Minister to those who are experiencing grief and in need of support in times of need. Focus on the needs of widowers.
- Implement a follow up phone call program for church attenders not connected to a Sunday School class returning home from hospitals and nursing homes.
- Organize transportation for members who need assistance to & from the church campus and/or medical appointments.
- Assist related care-giving ministries in our church e.g., Helping Hands and the Naomi Ministry.
- Work with the church staff to develop a list, published monthly of members who are aging towards but not yet ready for being assigned to the HUGG Ministry and find ways to relate to these members.
- Develop and implement the Sunday Morning Worship Service Intercessory Prayer ministry.
- Coordinate and prepare the quarterly serving of communion to our HUGG friends. (Assign one person to have responsibility for calling deacons and members of SMBC in order to have sufficient number available.) Consider partnering with young people in order to encourage intergenerational participation.
CHURCH MEMBER MINISTRY TEAM
Identifying and coordinating selected spiritual formation ministries for members through the life of the church.
- Encourage and facilitate specific prayer events in our church life, e.g., Holy Week 180 hours of prayer, on-line approach.
- Recruit volunteers to make quarterly contacts with membership, asking how we may be supportive of them, praying for them and highlighting a special church emphasis.
- Prepare, distribute and recruit deacons to assist in receiving the morning offering and in serving the Lord’s Supper as scheduled. Train deacons to serve efficiently in this service rotating on a sign-up schedule.
- Assure the availability of the elements for communion service. Prepare elements and set the table for observing communion. Provide clean up service following the communion service.
- Communicate once a month with members who are serving in the military.
- Recruit leadership for coordinating the Gatherings as a ministry of small group fellowships.
- Develop and Implement a ministry approach to activate inactive members.
FAMILY LIFE MINISTRY TEAM
Partner with SMBC staff and church members to strengthen family life of our congregation and community through Family Life Ministry.
- Develop and implement connections and support for single parent families.
- Coordinate marriage enrichment opportunities.
- Develop and implement couples’ mentoring ministry.
- Coordinate family enrichment opportunities.
- Coordinate parent enrichment opportunities.
- Develop and implement financial counseling and educational opportunities and resources
FIRST IMPACT MINISTRY TEAM
Initiate a first follow-up with people who are on campus as guests. Then collaborate with other church teams to follow-up with the guests in helping seekers become believers and believers become disciples.
- Provide a welcome gift and packet of information on the Sunday afternoon of a worshiper’s visit. Recruit and train gifted members to participate in this “two minute” response.
- Provide a connecting time for guests before & following Sunday morning worship services.
- Seek to implement ways of identifying visitors and extending a warm welcome to them – through “Pew Greeters” program, and to conduct training for the program early in the deacon ministry year.
- Coordinate greeters for Sunday morning 8:45 and 11 a.m. worship services.
- Continue a coordinated follow-up with certain guests, designated by the staff liaison.
MISSION POINTS MINISTRY TEAM
Collaborate with the congregation, teams, and as appropriate to the community, about our concerted mission efforts with the outcome that each SMBC member has an outlet for his or her mission passions.
· Expand our awareness of the needs in Louisville and seek opportunities for our church membership to share the gospel by mission ministries.
· Coordinate our Summer Wednesday Missions.
· Coordinate our Christmas Connection Missions.
· Facilitate individuals and teams in a refugee ministry.
· Communicate with missionaries who are related to SMBC.
· Coordinate SMBC’s missions partnerships for example with the Baptist Fellowship Center and Simmons College.
NEW MEMBER ASSIMILATION TEAM
This Ministry Team has the responsibility of introducing new members to the church and its ministries. The purpose is to help new members integrate into the life of the church.
- Welcome new members to SMBC, present them with information about the church, and introduce them to the ministries of the church.
- Assist new members in discovering their spiritual gifts and in finding a place to utilize those gifts in ministry.
- Assist with a New Members Open House Reception in the Pastor’s home.
- Further develop and utilize a new member tracking system, with quarterly reports to the Team.
- Enlist active members of the church to develop relationships with new members, to nurture them, and to help them grow as Christians who are committed members of St. Matthews Baptist Church.
- Assist Pastor in preparation for baptismal services. Assist candidates with preparation for baptism. Assure an adequate supply of gowns, towels and other necessary items for the event. Accompany candidates in returning to the worship service.
- Connect new Christians with a discipling ministry.
- Facilitate Discover SMBC monthly Sunday School class.
- Facilitate Next Step experience during the Faith For Life service.