Qualities & Expectations
All Saints Episcopal Church
Vestry Qualities and Expectations
Potential candidates for election to the Vestry should possess the following qualities and have clear expectations about what service on the Vestry requires.
1. As an existing member of the parish:
- Be faithful and steadily present in Sunday worship
- Reflect a deep commitment to the Christian faith and to the Church's ministry
- Be a proportional, pledging member of the parish
- In most cases, manifest leadership abilities and committment within the parish and/or diocese
2. As a Vestry member, give himself or herself to the demands of being a leader in the parish:
- Be steadily present at gatherings of the congregation including coffee hour and parish-wide events
- Attend all monthly Vestry meetings and go on weekend conferences with the Vestry (typically once per year) for occasions of planning and spiritual reflection
- Understand that much of vestry "business" is finance, facilities, and long range planning
- Serve on other lay committees that support programmatic ministries of the parish
- Reflect seriously with the vestry on the Christian call to stewardship of our resources of wealth and talent and serve as a leader of the congregation in this regard
- Take seriously a course of personal growth in the traditions of the Christian faith and be intentional about one's personal growth in the faith
3. Additional qualities:
- Bring distinctive and valuable skills and abilities to the vestry's work
- Be committed to a discipline of careful listening and open dialogue
- Be willing to consider a wide range of points of view
- Respect confidentiality
Finally, the Vestry should represent in its members the breadth and heterogeneity of the parish membership. The slate of nominees should be drawn from a broad spectrum of parish life.