PROTOCOL AND ADMINISTRATION
Protocol - rules of behaviour for formal occasions. Administration - management of the affairs of an organisation. P&A works in cooperation with the other departments of the church to ensure the smooth administration of the church giving advice where necessary to ensure that the church runs on sound biblical methods of church governance. It organises and encourages the complicity to adopted regulations regarding language of communication, sitting arrangement, time keeping, good practice, general church cleanliness, religious etiquette etc thereby creating an atmosphere conducive to proper worship and teaching. In the past, all current Heads of Departments (unless otherwise directed) took turns in familiarizing themselves with this all important role as Sunday Duty Ministers. *The department produces a Personal Assistant to the Pastors for a stressless church administration especially during Sunday services. All hands must be on deck in working to aid effective church governance with the head of this department and especially with the PA.
The departments below work in close proximity with the Protocol and Administration department.
- FIRE, HEALTH AND SAFETY
- In anticipation of the creation of the Fire, Health and Safety department, the P&A leader will be responsible for the selection and training of all first aid and health workers. He will personally oversee the operations of all altar workers especially during impartation services and other similar programmes.
- CHURCH ORGANISATION AND SECURITY
- This dept. is responsible for the care taking and building security. The responsibilities vary from organising church cleanliness and proper seating arrangement (including overflow) to ensuring clean and workable washroom facilities, security of members' cars and properties especially during Sunday and special programmes.
- This dept. is responsible for the care taking and building security. The responsibilities vary from organising church cleanliness and proper seating arrangement (including overflow) to ensuring clean and workable washroom facilities, security of members' cars and properties especially during Sunday and special programmes.
WELFARE AND HOSPITALITY
Welfare - regarding health, happiness, prosperity and general well being. Hospitality - kindness in welcoming strangers/guests, act of being generous and friendly. W&H is responsible for the welfare of all members at all times and especially during church special activities. She is responsible for all that concerns church membership wellbeing including advising, coordinating and managing events within the church. She oversees the culinary needs of specially arranged prayer programs and meetings. She works with the Head of the Ad-hoc Board to cater for the demands of major events within the Church calendar. The head of this dept. is the immediate contact with new members and with the Membership and database officer and a zonal leader formally welcome new members to the church and engage in a short prayer for such members before departure after service. In close cooperation with the Ushers and the Protocol department, the Head devices the most respectable way of welcoming and accommodating home and guest Ministers.
MEMBERSHIP AND DATABASE (M&D) keeps church attendance records for transmission to the Ministers for the purpose of following up on absent, ailing, new or needed members. This dept. shall make phone calls and arrange visits to incapacitated members or those who for certain reasons have been absent from services. The visit will be facilitated with a Minister in the church especially the HOD of Cottaging, cell leaders and Evangelism Co-ordinator. This dept. shall work closely with the Welfare and Ushering departments to discover such members. The database she keeps is not limited to phone numbers but extends to email/ residential addresses, economic status and professional careers and skills of members. She informs the church leadership of such information in case of an individual or corporate need. She is limited in the way and manner of disseminating information in line with the Data Protection Act.
EVANGELISM AND MISSIONS
Evangelism – spreading or preaching the gospel of Jesus. Missions - a group of people sent by a church to an area outside their immediate environment (usually a foreign area) to do religious and social work. E&M is the heartbeat of the church. While missions often involve a selected segment of the church for various reasons, evangelism is a total commitment for the whole church. The secretary and follow up leader shall work in close co-operation with the Ministers to work on the newly saved and those requesting further clarity on the message of salvation. The aim of this dept. is to lead sinners through the gate of salvation into the body of Christ. The church shall look forward to this all-encompassing dept. to provide suggestions, dates and possible outreach opportunities. The weekly ‘Follow up’ group works in close cooperation with both Evangelism and Welfare departments in meeting the needs of intended members.
- CHURCH LIAISON This dept. operates under the Evangelism leader and the role is to assist the church in meeting her obligations to the members through contact with external bodies and functions. In the past, it was in contact with UCB, publishers of Word for Today to supply copies for the immediate use of church members. It will resume upon our settlement in Dove House by God's grace. The leader networks with Churches together in Welling, Street Pastors as well as churches beyond our immediate reach, different prayer groups, Soul in the city, local authority and other external bodies to present a united voice for the gospel, strengthen the body of Christ and to access available resources.
MERCY AND HELPS
Mercy - an undertaking or an attempt to relieve suffering or bring help. Help - to assist, to contribute to, to improve a situation. M&H is the eye and the ear of the church in ministering to the needy amongst us. It is the responsibility of this dept. to assist in raising, managing and utilizing funds for church projects aimed at alleviating the sufferings of the poor, widowed, orphans and the like inside and sometimes outside the local assembly. This is attained in conjunction with the Welfare and the Missions department respectively.
MULTIMEDIA, VOICE AND VIDEO RECORDING
MV&V is responsible for the setting up of audio and video equipment for church recording, organising the use of duplicating machines, responsible for sound and video quality control and for the operation of visual aid equipment. Apart from setting up, it is responsible for the procurement and proper maintenance of most technical equipment used in this dept. It disseminates recorded sermons and programmes to the church members via the bookshop.
PUBLICATIONS, PUBLICITY AND GRAPHICS
Publication - act of making information known to the public. PPG is responsible for the publicity of all church events inside and outside the church. It uses all decent means available to broadcast major events into all desired areas as agreed with and directed by the church pastoral team or event's organising team. It is also responsible for the compilation and production of pastoral messages used as welcome gifts for new members as well as the church’s newsletters-weekly and monthly. The production of ‘Testimony Times’ a monthly chronicle of God’s miracles in the church, district and zone has just commenced and a quarterly glossy magazine is under planning.
INTERCESSION
Intercession - prayers offered to God on behalf of others. This dept. is the prayer wing of the church and will accommodate every interested member of the church. Special internal and external prayer meetings will be organised by the HOD in cooperation with the Minister in charge. Prayers will often be supercharged with fasting as directed by the Holy Spirit. This department prays for the individual and collective need of the church, members, the community and the world at large.
PRAISE AND WORSHIP
This dept. leads the congregation in effective praise and worship at major events of the church calendar. The Leader organises praise and worship during the evening church programmes by ensuring choir personnel are available to sing and play instruments. This is done in conjunction with the HOD in charge of such programmes. The P&W leader shall be present at all such events. She takes overall control of the department.
USHERING
The responsibilities include orderliness, peaceful conduct and gentle direction of members to prepared seats, collection of offerings, preparing drinks for ministers, allocation of door personnel (Meeters and Greeters), registration of new members and knowledge of absent members. She works with the HOD of Cottaging to locate such absent members and inform responsible leaders.
COUNSELLING
Counselling - to give advice or guidance, to recommend or urge a godly line of action in accordance with laid down biblical doctrines. Counselling is not limited to issues so defined as ‘spiritual’ but spreads to marital issues, financial investments and savings, educational pursuits, career and business interests, housing and mortgaging, debt management etc. For the moment, the HOD works under close monitoring and pastoral direction and assistance.
ENGINEERING AND TECHNICAL
This dept. is responsible for the maintenance of church properties and works with other departments needing its services. The HOD sources out external agencies in case of repairs to facilities and supply of building fixtures outside the department’s immediate expertise.
BIBLE CLASS ADMINISTRATION
This dept. is responsible for ensuring the smooth running of Wednesday teaching classes. The coordinator collects and distributes all provided materials to the students and collects all works meant for submission from the students. He/She provides all teaching materials at the disposal of the teacher and ensures their return for safekeeping. He/She works in conjunction with the pre-selected moderator and teacher for efficient and good teaching practice. CHURCH GROWTH
SUNDAY SCHOOL
For the general planning and coordination of adult Sunday activities not excluding Beginners’ and Growers’ class. The Coordinator oversees the effective teaching of Sunday school lessons as laid out in the universal teaching booklet supplied by the church. He must be in attendance at all District organised lessons.
CHILDREN’S MINISTRY
This department organises all teaching aids for the children’s classes and act as an encourager to young and new families in the church. The leader must attend the Monthly children’s prayer or send a representative. This department coordinates efforts at nurturing/raising up Biblical literate children and organizes special holiday programmes if and when viable to stimulate and educate them. It encourages children to be sensitive and responsible citizens of the world and obedient children of God’s kingdom. Children are educated about topical issues affecting their contemporaries worldwide and are made aware of the needs of the less fortunate for the purpose of contributing to helpful measures.
YOUTH
To act as an encourager to young adults and to plan, coordinate and execute all agreed programmes aimed at rejuvenating this department. It works in conjunction with the Head church and various other Youth agencies in promoting good and godly values. Unity is the younger part of the Youth movement and intends to be a meaningful part of the church and community at large. It is involved in a borough wide campaign to foster unity among youth within the church and to reveal the love of Christ to all. This group of dynamic youngsters is in demand at church functions and events having diligently served as hosts and hostesses at their local and outside assemblies. Cornerstone has become a voice of cohesion within the larger church community fostering togetherness among youths with regular organized activities. It has developed into an oasis where focused groups meet to share visions and drink from the rivers of out flowing living water. It is in regular contact with other movements outside the church for the purpose of sharing the gospel.
WOMEN OF HONOUR
The Good women ministry ministers purposely to the hearts of women on issues relating to the challenges of today’s complex and challenging society. It nurtures young women and encourages the weary to become today’s champions and tomorrow’s virtuous mentors.
MEN OF FAITH
Called out to stand as the giant killers of this time, this department takes a very active role in church administration. The men’s department organises indoor seminars and outdoor events for its members as an opportunity to meet and disciple believers and non-believers alike. The present leader also heads the Finance department of the church.
RECREATION, SPORTS AND LEISURE
Physical fitness profits, even if only a little. The head of sports is responsible for organising safe indoor and outdoor sporting activities for the benefit of the members.The department aims to be professional in its outlook and to develop the excellent sportsmen of the future, messengers of God reaching the world through their vocation.
COTTAGING
This is the development of a cell system whereby members are placed in a like for like group for constant and easy contact especially when absent. This aim of this is to further cement a closer, caring church relationship and to develop members into formidable entities capable of ministering to believers and nonbelievers alike. It serves as a forum for the edification of faithful members into positions of able leadership. The leaders (a man and a woman) work hand in hand with the Pastors. The leaders work with the ushers to locate absent cottagers and devise ways of contacting them.
CHURCH LIBRARY/BOOKSHOP
This is a newly amalgamated department established to increase our knowledge of Biblical doctrines and to update the church with regards to progressive revelations within the body of Christ. The bookshop will be an integral part of Sunday worship and will attract members to its premise for the purpose of encouraging them to be spiritually fed through Bibles, books and audiovisual recordings. Apart from providing a reading space, the library will lend books, audio and videotapes free of charge to desiring members. It is our hope that we shall have a functioning area of the church designated for this purpose as soon as possible.
REGISTRAR/RECORDS OF BIRTH
This department records and keeps church statistics on children. Church records including births, christening, baptism, children dedication are kept within this department. The head organizes registration and child naming events and makes records known for publication to the church where and when necessary.
FUND RAISING, BUILDING COMMITTEE, CHURCH DÉCOR AND FITTINGS
The leader coordinates all our fundraising and launching activities and he gives publicity to the progress of the construction Dove House. After construction, a breath of fresh air is often necessary to remove staleness and invigorate worshippers especially at special occasions. This dept. is effective in what it does; and is responsible for suggesting decoration and refitting the church when necessary. This department looks after indoor and outdoor plants, signs, directions and general décor of the internal and external church environment. The HOD works with the Pastor to create an atmosphere conducive to total worship in a safe environment.
BUSINESS, TRAINING AND SKILLS BOARD
The need for in-house professional education and skills development to meet the demand of a growing and changing economy is desperately required. This department is responsible for the organization of professional training and refreshing courses for the general and specific need of church members with certificated awards. The church hopes to contribute to the socio-economic and technological advancements of members and assist in the building of quality workforce for the nation.
CHURCH PASTORAL SECRETARY
She is responsible for conveying Ministers' meetings and to keep the diary of the Pastor in charge. She coordinates Departmental leaders' ideas and opinions for onward transmission to responsible Pastors or as agenda for discussion at the Ministerial meetings. She must be present to take notes and to coordinate the agenda of all joint or sectional meetings.
PRISON FELLOWSHIP
This is the only dept. that operates solely outside of the church premises. At the moment, operations are limited to Belmarsh Prison and the activities are confined to two Sundays a month. The head of the dept. coordinates as the head of the PF group for the whole of this prison.
SPECIAL PROGRAMME ADVISORY BOARD Ad-hoc committee set up when needed and dismantled after completion of tasks (Gatebuilders’ convention, Lack-attack, Seminars, Summits etc).