ARTICLE 11 LOCAL LEADERSHIP COMMITTEES

11.01 Appointment of Local Leadership Committees. 

The Ray Of Hope Church Of Our Lord Jesus Christ Council is sole Guardian over the Local Leadership Committees of Ray Of Hope Church Of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The Council has sole authority to appoint or dissolve Local Leadership Committees and to approve the membership of those committees.

11.02 Primary Function.

The primary function of a Local Leadership Committee is to facilitate the Ray Of Hope Church Of Our Lord Jesus Christ Council and the Ray of Hope House of Clergy in the Christian Ministry as outlined in all the policies, statements, and by-laws of Ray Of Hope Church Of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

11.03 Local Governing Body. 

The Local Leadership Committee shall be the governing body of a particular Ray Of Hope Church Of Our Lord Jesus Christ Extension in matters entrusted to it as a Committee of the Council and shall act on all matters that come before it or, at its option, refer any such matters to the Ray Of Hope Church Of Our Lord Jesus Christ Council or Ray Of Hope Church Of Our Lord Jesus Christ membership for consideration and decision.

11.04 Matters of Theology and Ministry. 

The Local Leadership Committees shall refer all matters of the Theology and Ministry of Ray Of Hope Church Of Our Lord Jesus Christ to the Council which, in turn, shall refer all such matters to the House of Clergy for definition, clarification, review, endorsement, approval, withdrawal, authorization or recommendation.

11.05 Financial Responsibility.

Each Local Leadership Committee is responsible for the financial health of a particular Ray Of Hope Church Of Our Lord Jesus Christ Extension.

11.06 Formation of Local Leadership Committee. 

The Ray Of Hope Church Of Our Lord Jesus Christ Council will assign an Appointed Pastor to each Extension. The Appointed Pastor will serve as or will select another person to serve as the Chairperson of the Local Leadership Committee. The number of people to serve on each Local Leadership Committee shall be set by the Council upon recommendation from the Appointed Pastor. Membership on a Local Leadership Committee is restricted to Members of Ray Of Hope Church Of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

11.07 Conduct of Business. 

Each Local Leadership Committee shall conduct its business according to the same rules governing the Ray Of Hope Church Of Our Lord Jesus Christ Council, specifically including the agenda, order of reports and presentation of old and new business. Presentation of the proposed agenda shall be made in writing and circulated to the congregation one week in advance of the meeting. The "unapproved minutes" of the same meeting are to be distributed to the Congregation one week after the monthly meeting of the Committee. The same "unapproved minutes" shall appear on the next month's Local Leadership Committee Agenda for corrections, approval and filing into the historical record.

11.07.1 The Election of Local Leadership Committee Members. 

1) The Local Leadership Committee shall form a Nominating Committee during its June meeting. 

2) The Local Leadership Committee shall accept the Nomination Slate for the Local Leadership Committee at its July meeting.

3) The Membership of Ray Of Hope Church Of Our Lord Jesus Christ Of Our Lord Jesus Christ shall elect members to the vacant Local Leadership Committee seats at its August meeting. The Members elected shall assume the status of Local Leadership Committee Member-Elect until the December Local Leadership Committee meeting. 

4) The Local Leadership Committee shall determine the offices of each of its members and member(s)-elect in its September meeting.

5) Each Local Leadership Committee Member-Elect shall be mentored and work along side the serving Local Leadership Committee Member for the months of September, October, November, and December until they take full office after the December Local Leadership Committee meeting. 

6) All Appointed Pastors of Ray Of Hope Church Of Our Lord Jesus Christ shall be members of the Local Leadership Committees.

11.08 Officers.

Each Local Leadership Committee shall have officers identified as a chairperson, vice-chairperson, clerk and treasurer and shall select a representative to be considered by the Council for election to the Council. 

11.09 Flow of Reports.

Ten days before each monthly meeting, the officers of the Local Leadership Committee shall submit written reports of their activities to the Local Leadership Committee Clerk, who prepares the agenda of each meeting. 

11.10 Flow of Local Leadership Committee Reports to the Council.

The Clerk of the Local Leadership Committee shall prepare a monthly report and submit it to the Moderator and Clerk of the Council by the Thursday after the Local Leadership Committee meeting. This report shall include the draft minutes of the meeting and copies of all officer's and committee chairperson's reports (all subject to approval at the next Local Leadership Committee meeting). These reports shall be reviewed at each meeting of the Council. 

11.11 Monthly Time of Local Leadership Committee Meetings/Agenda.

. The Local Leadership Committee shall meet on the second weekend of each month. The monthly agenda is to be distributed seven days before the meeting.

11.12 Budget. 

Each year the Local Leadership Committee shall prepare a budget reflecting payment for all activities planned for the ensuing year. It shall include identified sources of revenues to pay for all programs and projects and an itemized list of the expenditures anticipated for the year. The Local Leadership Committee is responsible for local fund raising, out reach and provision of programs and services, in accordance with the policies, statements and by-laws of the Church. Each Local Leadership Committee shall accept as a part of its budget a fair share of the expenditures to be incurred by the Ray Of Hope Church Of Our Lord Jesus Christ Council on behalf of the entire Church congregation (e.g. post office box rental at the corporation's legal address, liability and other insurance, publications, copyright and license fees, banking fees and charges for legal and accounting services and printing, copy and postage expense). 

11.13 Budget Review and Adoption.

1) In September each Local Leadership Committee is to appoint a local budget committee. 

2) The local budget committee shall submit a motion with the Proposed Local Budget for the October Local Leadership Committee meeting. 

3) The Local Leadership Committee votes on the motion for Proposed Local Budget at its October meeting. If considered generally acceptable, the Proposed Local Budget shall be submitted to the Council Treasurer within three days after the October Local Leadership Committee meeting. 

4) The Council Leadership Committee shall review the Local Leadership Committee(s) recommendations at its October meeting. No voting action shall take place on the Proposed Local Budget(s) at the October meeting of the Council. 

5) The Council Leadership Committee shall return the Proposed Local Budget(s) with recommendations to the Local Leadership Committees within three days of the October Council meeting. 

6) Each Local Leadership Treasurer shall submit a motion to accept the Proposed Local Budget for the November Local Leadership Meeting. 

7) The Local Treasurer sends the final Proposed Local Budget to the Council Treasurer within three day after the November meeting of the Local Leadership Committee. 

8) The Council Treasurer shall submit a motion to accept each Proposed Local Budget submitted for the November Council meeting. 

9) Following the November Council meeting the Council Treasurer shall submit a motion for approval of the Proposed Corporate Annual Budget for the December meeting of the Council, due for distribution the third weekend of December in time for review at the December meeting of the Council. 

10) Once approved, the Proposed Corporate Annual Budget is distributed to the Members of Ray Of Hope Church Of Our Lord Jesus Christ Of Our Lord Jesus Christ for review and adoption at the January Annual Membership Meeting of the Congregation. 

11.14 Local Bank Account.

A Local Leadership Committee may manage its own bank account if authorized to do so by the Council. 

11.15 Required Weekly Worship Service. 

Each Extension of Ray Of Hope Church Of Our Lord Jesus Christ shall conduct a minimum of one "Full Worship Service" each week, once conducting and sponsoring worship services has been authorized by the Council. A "Full Worship Service" includes a complete Service of the Word of God, and a complete Service of the Meal of Christ (Eucharist) in one worship service. The Extensions of Ray Of Hope Church Of Our Lord Jesus Christ are required to use the Revised Common Lectionary for the Service of The Word of God. There are circumstances when the Revised Lectionary readings may be replaced, as outlined in the PMVM. The Clergy of Ray Of Hope Church Of Our Lord Jesus Christ have full jurisdiction over the worship of Ray Of Hope Church Of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The Clergy of Ray Of Hope Church Of Our Lord Jesus Christ shall delegate responsibilities of leading aspects of worship as deemed proper in the PMVM. 

11.16 Other Worship Services.

Each Extension of Ray Of Hope Church Of Our Lord Jesus Christ shall conduct as many worship services each week in addition to the weekly required Full Service as may be agreed upon and able to be facilitated by the House of Clergy. These additional worship services may be as creative as the local congregation deems appropriate in cooperation with the Appointed Pastor of the Extension. The Extensions of Ray Of Hope Church Of Our Lord Jesus Christ are encouraged to use the Revised Common Lectionary for the Service of the Word of God at all worship services; however, special services and other circumstances will allow for alternative readings of the Holy Scriptures of the Hebrew/Christian Testament, and therefore the Revised Lectionary readings may be replaced, as outlined in the PMVM. 

11.17 Physical Space for Worship.

The space shall be intimate, concentric and shall provide sufficient space to touch in God's name. The space shall provide for receiving God's Word and the Sacraments. It must facilitate Christian worship and action, namely acts of speaking for God, speaking to God, speaking to one another and reaching out to touch others in God's name (White, J. F., Introduction To Christian Worship, 90 through 93). 

The Priesthood of All Believers shall be expressed by rows of concentric (circular or oval) arrangement of chairs, pews or other suitable seating. The center floor space is to be large enough to facilitate a Candle Of Hope, a place of honor from which to read the Sacred Scriptures (e.g. a lectern, pulpit, or the Table of the Lord), the Table of the Lord (a free standing Communion Table 39 inches tall, shaped according to local decision), a space for other ministry as may be needed such as Baptism, Anointing, Laying On Of Hands, etc. All furnishings in the center space are to be easily moved into and out of the space, even during the worship service. The furnishings are to serve a purpose and must be able to be carried out of the center space when that purpose has been served. 

The room should have minimal decoration on walls, as simply decorated as the circumstances permit. The Appointed Clergy shall sit among the Congregation and will not sit in any space identified as the "front" of the room. Circumstances may require the center space to be elevated a few inches (less than a foot) to facilitate clarity in speech and vision. Under no circumstances is the worship space to be divided into "Apse" (also called "Sanctuary") and "Nave" (also known as seating for the "Laity"). There never shall be a "front" of the room where the clergy sit facing the "laity" who are all seated in a lecture hall, or auditorium, or basilica, or "Roman House" or "congregational" seating where they are facing the "front" or "platform" or "stage" area. Even when such space is the only space available it is not to be used for the worship of Ray Of Hope Church Of Our Lord Jesus Christ. There shall be no elevation of a special chair for the clergy. While some circumstances may provide for special chairs that are works of art, they may only be used if they may be moved into one of the circles of chairs with members of the Congregation seated on all sides of such a chair. The Clergy of Ray Of Hope Church Of Our Lord Jesus Christ are to be seated with the worshiping Body of Christ, never separated from the Body of Believers. 

11.18 The Liturgical Calendar.

Ray Of Hope Church Of Our Lord Jesus Christ follows the Ecumenical Lectionary schedule of readings and Seasons of the worship year. Education in the meaning of the liturgical seasons and celebrations is to be ongoing so as to assist the worshiping community in making use of the rich tools provided by the Liturgical Calendar for the growth in devotion to Christ and the Word of God. Appointed Clergy are required to follow this schedule of Scripture Readings, with such changes as may be requested by the House of Clergy. All Extensions of Ray Of Hope Church celebrate the same set of reading for the weekly-required Full Worship Service. Specific details regarding liturgical colors, decoration, etc. are addressed in the PMVM.