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Mutual Ministry

Hosanna! is in the process of setting up its Mutual Ministry Team.  Four members will serve on the initial team and have been approved by the church council.  They are Jill Berg, Art Harnish, Chuck Tonks and Marjorie Yates.

What is a Mutual Ministry Team?  The following is taken from "Mutual Ministry Committee, A Vision for Building Up the Body of Christ" by the Rev. George Keck.

Affirming and strengthening the mission of the congregation and the ministry of the staff is the primary purpose of a Mutual Ministry Committee.  This is done not through programs but through:

• Listening and clarifying
• Sharing and Communicating
• Reviewing and reflecting

Why bother having another committee?  Isn't it the job of the whole people of god to carry out mutual ministry?  Of course!  If it were not for sin, the church would probably be a perfect community and not need such a group.  But God chose to entrust the gospel to human beings - earthen vessels.  The reality of sin requires that we must be intentional about mutual ministry.

Many congregations have been working with some form of a Mutual Ministry Committee for two decades or more.  Out of these years of experience, congregations have reported these benefits:

• Developed open communication about the expectations, attitudes, and concerns within the congregations, the community and the staff;
• Were able to identify early warning signs of misunderstandings;
• Become a "listening post" for pastor and people;
• Served as a group where the pastor and ministerial staff could test new ideas;
• Conducted annual review and affirmation of ministerial staff;
• Were a "sounding board" in time of personal profession stress;
• Planned continuing education that benefited both the mission of the congregation and the ministry of the staff;
• Each year assessed the working conditions, compensation, housing, benefits, etc., provided for the pastor.

Members of the Mutual Ministry team have met three times with Pastors Tim and Patricia.  The group will continue to meet monthly through May. At that time, the group will likely meet every other month.  A brief report of each meeting will be submitted to the Church Council.

Members are available to receive comments and concerns from all members of the congregation and staff.  Feel free to contact any of them in person, by phone or by e-mail.