Support, Maintenance & Guidance
Our church’s administrative committees work faithfully behind the scenes to support the mission and daily operations of our congregation. From encouraging financial donations, to overseeing the management of the church endowment, to keeping our church and offices organized, our Administrative Committees truly support our congregation. Together, these committees help sustain the life of the church and enable us to serve our community effectively.
Join Us!
How You Can Help
We invite you to share your gifts and get involved by joining one of our administrative committees. It’s a meaningful way to serve, connect with others, and help shape the life and mission of our church community. Your time and talents can make a lasting difference!
Executive Committee
First Church is a congregational church meaning that it is governed solely by its membership. Every member has a vote of equal weight, and every voice is needed! We have two congregational meetings every year in January to approve the budget, and in May to elect our officers & committee members. In between congregational meetings, the work that keeps the church moving along is handled by Boards and Committees.
The Executive Committee meets monthly on behalf of the congregation and consists of the Officers of the Church, the chairs of the 3 Boards (Deacons, Trustees, and Personnel), one member at large, and the pastor. The Executive Committee receives committee reports and offers leadership to the congregation on special initiatives, and areas of concern.
First Church Boards
- The Board of Deacons
- The Board of Trustees
- The Board of Personnel
First Church Committees
- Religious Education
- Christian Outreach
- Fellowship
- Music
- Stewardship
- Budget
- Stewardship
- Budget
Officer Positions
Moderator
Like a congregation president, the Moderator is our head lay leader. They run Executive committee meetings and provide leadership for the congregation in collaboration with the Pastor & Chair of Deacons.
Vice Moderator
Assists and fills in for the moderator when needed.
Past Moderator
Supports the current moderator & vice moderator for 1 year after completing their term as moderator.
Treasurer
Leads the congregation’s budget process every fall, oversees all treasury functions of the church, and provides up to date financial reports to the executive committee and congregational meetings.
Assistant Treasurers
Perform tasks as assigned by the treasurer related to processing income & expenditures, and preparing financial statements.
Clerk
Takes meeting minutes at executive committee and congregational meetings, collects committee annual reports, and prepares yearbook data for denominational records.
Leadership Committees
Deacons
The Deacons are the shepherds of our spiritual and worship lives at First Church. They ask questions like: What do our spirits need in this season? What is God calling forth in our worship? How can we support the congregation’s spiritual journey? And also other questions like: do we have enough bread for communion? Does anyone know how to get candle wax out of the carpet?
On Sundays Deacons arrive early to prepare the sanctuary for the service, hand out bulletins and greet people as they come in. On communion Sunday they assist with the preparation and the serving of communion. They plan the special services and observances during the year like Holy Week, Easter, Christmas eve, and more.
Through it all, the deacons facilitate the congregation’s worship life and help the pastor reflect on what is needed at any given time.
Deacons have a three-year term and meet monthly with the pastor.
“Being a deacon has been very rewarding for me. I have learned more about my faith, which has been personally rewarding. The role of a deacon also facilitates getting to know members of the church on a personal level and has allowed me to welcome prospective and new members to our congregation, which is important. Being a deacon has given me the opportunity to touch the lives of many people in our faith community.”
MJ McCarthy, the former co-chair of the Deacons
Trustees
We Trustees love our building with all the quirks and problems that come with an old building. We want to do our part so that the church has a safe and beautiful place for services and activities. We understand that the church has limited resources so we are always looking for ways to be more efficient on costs, and we keep an eye out for potential renters.
The trustees also oversee the management of the church endowment. We have investments that give a good return while limiting risk. We also oversee the management of other church funds such as those generously left to us by the historic Bee and Missionary Society.
The trustees meet every month and review our often-lengthy list of projects that need to be done in and around the building.
Décor and Store Team
The Decor & Store Team does not meet on a regular basis but rather gets together when there is a specific project to work on. We enjoy decorating and beautifying various areas of the church: the front doors, for example, and the sanctuary in different seasons, especially Advent and Christmas. We enjoy giving the church that special “look” that says, “Come on in and stay awhile.” This team also appeals to someone who is very organized and can implement ways to sort and organize closets, workspaces, classrooms, etc.
Our latest projects have been centered on re-locating the library to a smaller space. A big project this summer was clearing out, cleaning and staging the second-floor classrooms and upper lounge for possible renters. We worked with the trustees who did the painting of the rooms as we decorated them and upgraded the whole space.
