You have just been appointed (or elected) to lead a church committee. You’re a beginner at this and don’t know where to begin. How can you make this group work? Here are some basic tips from one who has learned through trial and error and wishes to spare you some pain:
Start on Time
Some people are always late—that’s their style. And everyone is delayed occasionally by unforeseen circumstances. Don’t delay the start of the meeting for either person. In announcing the starting time for the meeting, you have contracted with the committee members to begin at that hour. Keep your end of the bargain.
End on Time
Announce not only the starting time but the adjourning time. This keeps the meeting moving and cuts down the frustration people experience because of unrealized expectations. If the session runs longer than expected, we feel the pressure of other commitments impinging on us. If the meeting is shorter than expected, we find ourselves with time that could have been put to productive use if we had known it would be available. Either way, we feel cheated.
Agendas
Print and distribute agendas in advance of the meeting. This encourages committee members to do some homework before they meet.
Making Motions
Formal motions help eliminate confusion. Have the one who makes a motion write it out for the minutes. Keep some half sheets of paper always on hand for this purpose. The secretary can easily add them to the minutes exactly as proposed and passed.
Three Critical Questions
When your committee has made a decision, ask three questions before you move on to the next item:
1. Who is going to implement this decision?
2. What is that person supposed to do?
3. When is the report due?
In the beginning, I found it difficult to remember these questions until it was too late. Finally, in desperation, I wrote them on a large card. At each meeting I chaired, I set the card up in front of me so that I could not miss seeing it. After several meetings, I found I relied less on the reminder card and more on my memory.
Minutes
Every meeting should have a written record. It should be duplicated and distributed to all committee or board members within ten days of the meeting. The minutes will remind committee members of the tasks to be completed before the next meeting, in sufficient time to get the work done. And minutes received at home shortly after the meeting by a member who missed that meeting helps bring him or her on board with the rest of the committee.
Properly written minutes include:
1. A list of persons present, absent, and excused.
2. A list of each item discussed and a brief but accurate description of the final decision and/or motions passed. Include the vote count. It indicates how strongly the committee members felt about the issue.
3. The answers to the three critical questions, Who? What? When?
4. A reminder of the next meeting time, date, and location.
Be a Pusher
One of the most important duties of a chairman is to give direction to the meeting:
1. Keep the group focused on the issue at hand. Look for arguments that are being repeated or discussions that wander into unrelated areas. Suggestion: the making of a specific motion prior to the discussion will help keep everyone to the point.
2. Don’t allow long discussions to develop on issues that can’t be decided at this meeting. For instance, don’t get tied down on issues that require additional research and data before a vote can be taken. If someone suggests it is time to look for a new refrigerator for the church kitchen, assign someone to gather data on refrigerator models for the next meeting. Do it early, before you spend time discussing what you aren’t ready to resolve.
3. Recommend to committee members that ideas be as fully developed as possible when they are presented to your group. For instance, the proposal for a new refrigerator could include the costs of several models, the features or advantages of each, the source of the funding, and the reasons why a new one is needed. Make a copy for each committee member.
This is not intended to be the final word on improving the quality of your meetings. What is included here are some procedures that have worked for me. Maybe they’ll give you some ideas.
