Always have an agenda. A printed agenda helps keep the meeting on track. Without a printed agenda, the first item of business often absorbs the entire time for the meeting, people go off on tangents, and the meeting will lack direction. The chair should put the agenda together and send it out to members prior to the meeting.
Send the agenda to all members several days before the meeting. People need to be prepared to participate in the meeting, and without an agenda they cannot do that.
Open the meeting with prayer and on time. Start with prayer. We are in the Lord's business and we need to ask His blessing on all that we do. Be sure to end with prayer as well. Do not punish those who are there on time by waiting for others to arrive.
Approve the agenda. Other people on the committee may have items of concern. Immediately after opening with prayer, ask if there are other items of business to add to the agenda. This will help keep the meeting fair so that everyone will have an opportunity to speak out on their concerns, while at the same time helping maintain order and direction. Make recommendations. Your committee will want to take some recommendations to the Session for approval. Write those motions down and give them to the pastor so they can be placed on the Session's agenda. Once they are in the pastor's hands, the pastor may work with the committee chair to modify the motion slightly. This will be done only to help clarify the motion's purpose.
Good motions include information. Who will do the action? When will the action be done? How will the action be carried out? How much money will it take and how will the funds be secured?
Motions need reasons. Feel free to write a rationale to be included on the Session's agenda that explains why this action is being taken.
Provide information. Not all actions of a committee will require a Session's approval. If it is not clear whether or not the action needs a motion, always have it included on the Session's agenda as an item for information. This way, the Session is free to make a motion for or against the action if the elders feel it is necessary.
Keep minutes. Be sure to keep a record of what you do. Provide the members with a copy of the minutes. Be sure to give one to the Moderator of the Session, our pastor.
Email the minutes to the pastor and to the Clerk of Session. Do not print them – email them. By using email, those who put together the Session agenda do not have to retype your entire report, they can “copy and paste.” The deadline for having material to the pastor is the Wednesday prior to Session meeting.
