Church Committees

About Us:  Faith | Organization: Committees | History | Facilities

Various committees work together with the Church boards:

• Membership Committee
• Community Life Committee
• Memorial Committee
• Library Committee
• Investment Committee
• Audit Committee
• Nominating Committee
• Historical Preservation Committee
• Pastorate Search Committee
• Delegates
• Pastor-Parish Relations

Membership Committee

Brings individuals into the fellowship and service of the Church.

Number of members: 6
Length of term: 3 years (2 terms limit)
Reports to: Diaconate

Responsibilities:

• Cultivate, prepare, and assimilate new members.
• Develop and carry out a plan to make the Church more visible in the community.
• Maintain a list of prospective members.
• Seek out visitors and identify non-church people in our community.
• Assist the Pastors in contacting prospective members.
• Identify members who have become inactive in the Church's life.
• Assist the Records Clerk in communicating with active and inactive members who have moved.

Additional Information

• Other members include a representative from the Diaconate.

Community Life Committee

Responsible for social and fellowship activities of the Church.

Number of members: 9
Length of term: 3 years (2 terms limit)
Reports to: Diaconate

Responsibilities:

• Represent the Church in any community activities, other than ecclesiastical, in which the Church may decide to participate.
• Provide greeters at all worship services.
• Arrange for regular fellowship hours for the congregation.
• Arrange for Church related receptions and events.

Memorial Committee

Educates Church members regarding memorial giving.

Number of members: 3
Length of term: 3 years (2 terms limit)
Reports to: Church Council

Responsibilities:

• Receive all monies given to the Church as Memorial gifts.
• Send timely acknowledgements to both the donor and the family of the bereaved.
• Maintain the Book of Memorials.
• Make recommendations to the Church Council for the disposition of funds in its care.

Library Committee

Maintains a library for the education and use of the Church.

Number of members: 6
Length of term: 3 years (2 terms limit)
Reports to: Christian Education

Responsibilities:

• Be in charge of all books. pamphlets, and audio-visual aids of the Church and Church School.
• Administer any funds provided for the library.
• Coordinate actions with other Church organizations through the Chair.

Investment Committee

Manages an investment portfolio for the Church.

Number of members: 3
Length of terms: 3 years (2 terms limit)
Reports to: Church Council

Responsibilities:

• Supervise all funds designated for investment.
• Report quarterly to Church Council.
• Identify and recommend investment strategies.

Audit Committee

Impartially evaluates the financial records of the Church.

Number of members: 3
Length of term: 3 years (2 terms limit)
Reports to: Church Council

Responsibilities:

• Audit accounts of the Church at the close of the fiscal year or as designated by the Church Council.

Nominating Committee

Maintains the occupancy of all elected positions of the Church.

Number of members: 6
Length of term: 3 years (2 terms limit)
Reports to: Church Council

Responsibilities:

• Prepare a list of nominations of officers, boards and committees for the new year to be presented at the Annual Meeting.
• Nominate persons to fill vacancies as they occur during the year for approval by the Church Council.

Additional Information:

• Nominations prepared by this Committee shall no way limit the right of any member to make nominations from the floor.
• Interim appointees from Council shall serve only until the next Annual Meeting.

Historical Preservation Committee

Accepts, identifies, restores, and preserves the history of First Parish Church.

Number of members: 3
Length of term: 3 years (no limit)
Reports to: Board of Facilities

Current Members: Marylin Ham, Ginnie True, Janet Weatherbee

Responsibilities:

• Preserve church artifacts, memorabilia, documents, photographs, news articles, Annual Reports and older Church Registers.
• Advise and be a resource to other committees, such as Facilities, to ensure that the Church remains on the National Register of Historical Buildings.
• Review, accept and acknowledge gifts of historical nature that pertain to First Parish Church.
• Maintain, preserve, and change displays of historical church artifacts.
• Educate church members and interested persons about Church history.
• Assist genealogy seekers and maintain information on Forest Hill Cemetery.
• Recruit interested, knowledgeable people for assistance.
• Attend workshops by the State Historical Society to update knowledge.

Pastorate Search Committee

Identifies a pastoral candidate to present to the Congregation.

Number of members: 9 including the Moderator
Length of term: For that calling (none)
Reports to: Congregation

Responsibilities:

• Consult with the Committee on the Ministry of the Association of which this Church is a member.
• Consult with appropriate officers and committees of the New Hampshire Conference with the view of presenting a candidate to this Church as a Pastor.

Additional Information:

• Moderator shall be a member and its Chair.
• This Committee shall be discharged of all its duties when a Pastor has been called and accepted through installation or through recognition of this call in a formal service of worship.

Delegates

Represents the Church at UCC and related events.

Number of members: The number to which the Church is entitled
Length of term: 1 year (no limits)
Reports to: Church Council

Responsibilities:

• Attend Association meetings.
• Attend the Annual Meeting of the New Hampshire Conference.
• Report to the Congregation on a regular basis.

Additional Information:

• Membership consists of the 3 at-large Council members plus those to which the Church is entitled.

Pastor-Parish Relations

Provides an interface between the Church and the Pastors.

Number of members: 5
Length of term: none (no limits)
Reports to: Church Council

Responsibilities:

• Support and maintain an open relationship between ordained Pastors and members of the Congregation.
• Provide a place where personal and professional concerns and accountability of the Pastors can be discussed.
• Establish procedures for the Pastor-Congregation dispute resolution.
• Provide input to the Personnel Board on annual performance evaluation of the Pastors.

Additional Information:

• Appointed by the Council from nominees approved by both the Council and the Pastors.