The meaning of life, the universe, and everything.
The goal of this site is to help ELCA congregations take full advantage of all a well-maintained constitution has to offer. Many congregations, because they don't know how to take advantage of their constitutions, generally ignore these documents. Often the governing documents are only looked at in times of crisis, where out-of-date provisions can actually cause more harm rather than help. On the other hand, a congregation that appreciates the value of their governing documents might change numerous continuing resolutions each year, plus pass various constitutional or bylaw amendments at most meetings of the congregation.
Your governing documents define your congregation. They contain your legal name. They summarize our core beliefs. They guide others into become a part of your ministry. They provide protection from bad actors. These documents may also track the most important moments in your legal history; contain your vision, mission, and values; list the expectations of officers, council members, and committees; describe your connection with separately incorporated entities; and much more.
Most importantly, governing documents should contain all actions of your congregation and its council that have ongoing effects.
Example: One congregation passed a resolution stating that 10 percent of their offerings would be given as mission support to their synod. This action happened at an annual meeting. Over time, pastors, treasurers, and members came and went. Eventually, few remembered passing the resolution. The treasurer, in concern for the finances, proposed a budget with lower mission support. This passed. However, the original resolution was never rescinded, and certain influential members became upset. You can imagine the details from there.
This fiasco could have been avoided if the resolution had been put in their constitution as a continuing resolution. See Types of Provisions
What is this?
The institutional models and markers don't work anymore for where the church is going. -Pr Penman, Vitality Team a presentation by our Congregational Vitality Team about how "butts and bucks" don't equal a "vital" church.