Decision Process for Individual and Organization Requests
As a standing committee of the Session of First Pres, the Christian Outreach Committee meets once monthly to discuss requests for support from the church.
All requests are considered based on a variety of factors including: the Application Form below, congregational interest/participation, and budgetary availability. For more information on this please see our Mission Partner Template (please link the information below)
Learn how do we recruit, select, maintain, and revise our mission partner roster.
Recruit
We try to grow our roster organically by following the interests and activities of our congregation. We want to support where our congregants are serving so that this service can grow! We continuously ask for referrals from church members. In addition, we remind church members to refer non-profits in our monthly newsletter at least twice a year. We are very open to community non-profits seeking us out. Once non-profits have contacted the church, they can be added to the COC’s next agenda. Requests are brought forward at the next scheduled meeting.
Select
We ask the referring member to speak on the mission’s behalf. If the COC feels this prospective partner is a good fit for our church, we invite them to fill out the “Questions for Mission Partners” (below) and follow it with an in-person meeting. Potential partners should submit answers to these questions prior to our meeting. We research their impact on our community. At the meeting, committee members ask further clarifying questions. If the COC agrees that this partner would be a good fit, we may begin with an initial funding from Endowment or discretionary funds; then, when we devise our yearly budget, we try to add this partner into our budgeting process.
Maintain
First Presbyterian also holds two congregation-wide events to honor/spotlight and aid our Mission Partners. In the fall, we “Rally around our Mission Partners” so they can be introduced to our church family and hopefully recruit volunteers and active supporters. In the spring, we host “Mission Madness” where our First Presbyterian members complete hands-on projects for our mission partners. Again, with the goal of obtaining more volunteers from our church family. Mission Partners are expected to collaborate with us for these events and attend these events wholly. We want to help them. We want to help them stay financially responsible and solvent.
The Mission Partner’s responsibilities: Mission Partners are requested to fill out the “Questions for Mission Partners” each year and follow with an in-person meeting. They are assigned a COC liaison who stays in touch with the Mission in a very active way. We ask that each mission partner stay accountable to their mission statements and their goals for serving the community. We need them to communicate and engage with their First Pres liaison (this would include volunteer opportunities, needs, etc). It is necessary for MP to complete reports thoroughly in a timely manner.
Revise
As our congregation grows and changes, so do their interests and the needs of the community. The COC wants to ensure that our Mission Partners reflect the goals of our church and its members. Sometimes our church will grow away from a mission partner, sometimes a mission partner doesn’t fulfill the accountability expectations of our COC, sometimes there is a natural break in institutional relationships; when these things happen, we will ‘bless and release’ a mission partner. A natural parting comes after the committee has looked at the Mission Partner’s accountability and with prayer.