We are looking for vestry members!! The 4 Roles of the Vestry 1. Protect the Vision The Vestry’s primary role is to protect the stated vision of the parish. Each member of the Vestry should be able to articulate and safeguard the primary visionary direction of the congregation. They should each know the answer to this question: What is it we are trying to do here? How to discern and articulate the Vision that God has for the parish deserves its own blog post, but once the Vision is understood and prayed through, the Vestry should guard and protect it. It shouldn’t change with the seasons or passing of years. 2. Insure the Values The next function of the Vestry is to insure the values of the congregation. That is, while the Vestry may know the direction and what they are trying to do as a parish, the Values question is this: How are we actually trying to live out our vision? What are the means and programs by which we are working toward our Vision? Where do we focus our efforts? What are we going to do now? Adult Discipleship. Worship. Evangelism Ministries, Small Groups. Student Ministry. Compassion Ministry. Local Mission, etc. These are not choices to make…one instead of the other…but areas to build up and maintain. 3. Uphold Financial Integrity The Vestry is also charged with protecting the financial integrity of the church. Through a designated Finance team, the Vestry should scrutinize the finances on a monthly basis. They should provide for an annual audit of all funds; approve budgets and make routine reports to the congregation. They should approve long-term financial contracts and basically act as guardians of the financial life of the parish to insure that the church has a long-term future and is operating in a trustworthy way with all funds that have been given or borrowed. 4. Support the Rector Supporting the Rector is the fourth key role of the Vestry. The Rector is the main agent of the Vestry to accomplish 1, 2, and 3 above. The Vestry’s primary role then is to help the Rector accomplish these things. Vestry leadership is never honorary; they are not rubber stamps for what the Rector decides is best. But they are not either to be ‘devil’’s advocates’ (who needs that!?), the loyal opposition, or representatives of any special interest groups or programs in the parish. The Vestry have one job in a sense: find the Rector to lead the parish in 1, 2 and 3 (above) and support him however they can.