Template

Church board meeting template

Elders, deacons or the church council: prayer, the reports, money, care for the congregation, and the decisions only the board can make.

75 minutesFor Pastors, board chairs and secretaries of churches and faith communitiesAgenda room
Change the agenda first

The agenda, with a time for each part

  1. Opening prayer or reflection5 min
    • Who is leading the opening today?
  2. Minutes of the last meeting5 min
    • Are they accurate?
  3. Pastor's report15 min
    • What does the board need to know about the life of the church?
  4. Finance and giving15 min
    • How does giving compare with the budget, and what is coming?
  5. Care of members10 min
    • Who in the congregation needs a visit, a call or help?
  6. Items for decision20 min
    • What is proposed, and is the board agreed?
  7. Closing prayer and next date5 min
    • When do we next meet?

How the notes read afterwards

A made-up example, so you can see the shape. In a real call each line carries the words that were said and who said them.

Finance. Giving is 6% below budget for the year; the heating repair cost $8,200.

Care. Three members visited this month; meals arranged for one family.

Decision. Rent the hall to the youth choir on Thursdays at $50 a week. Agreed.

Running it well

Ways to change it

Smaller churchForty-five minutes, with the pastor's report and finance combined.
Annual meetingAdd the year's accounts, the election of officers and the budget for next year.

When to skip it. If your constitution sets how often the board meets, you cannot. Otherwise, a month with no decisions can be a shorter meeting.

Questions

What is on a church board meeting agenda?

Prayer, the last minutes, the pastor's report, finance, care for members, items for decision and the next date.

Who takes minutes at a church board meeting?

The clerk or secretary. They record decisions and who acts on them, not private pastoral details.

How often do church boards meet?

Most meet monthly, with an annual meeting of the whole congregation.

What happens in the room

Everybody joins from the link, with no account. The agenda sits beside the call and each item fills in with what was said about it, under the name of the person who said it.

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