From Moses to Jesus, ‘committees’ were used to accomplish great missions and visions. Appointing committees to help carry the load will help your pregnancy center thrive.
Time and energy invested in developing and implementing high-functioning committees will pay great dividends immediately and well into the future of an effective leadership board. Let’s consider why board committees are biblical, necessary, and doable.
Board Committees are Biblical
From Moses to Jesus, ‘committees’ were used to accomplish great missions and visions. Moses’ father-in-law came to visit Moses in the wilderness and saw all Moses was doing. He said,
“Why are you trying to do all this alone…? This is not good. You are going to wear yourself out. This job is too heavy for you to handle all by yourself. Select leaders over groups – they will help you carry the load. Then you will be able to endure the pressures.” (paraphrased from Exodus 18)
This is good advice and wise for boards to follow today. Appointing committees to help carry the load will help you thrive, even under great pressure.
There are many other biblical examples showing us that it is wise and prudent to appoint ‘committees’ and to divide tasks to accomplish kingdom work. Here are a few:
- Jesus sent out the twelve disciples two by two for a specific work. (Mark 6)
- He sent ahead of the seventy-two other disciples two by two for certain work and they joyfully reported to him. (Luke 10).
- He often entrusted Peter, James, and John with certain tasks. (Mark 5)
- Paul explains that God, in His grace, gave each part of the body certain gifts for doing certain things well. (Romans 12)
In His grace, God gives board members certain gifts to carry out certain tasks that advance the mission and vision of the center. We too can appoint certain parts of the board to carry out the work and we call them committees.
Board Committees are Necessary
The work of the board cannot be accomplished solely in quarterly or even monthly board meetings. Those who are serving or have served on a pregnancy center board know that to be effective there is much board work that doesn’t necessarily happen – or can even happen – at a board meeting.
Pregnancy center boards adopt a mission and vision – both with many components and each requiring much work. To follow that mission and to reach that vision requires committed, called and obedient board members to function as committees. With no board committees, every member of the board is involved in and responsible for every task required to carry out the board work. This can rapidly lead to ministry fatigue.
Board Committees are necessary because they:
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Involve, energize and utilize the gifts and skills of all board members
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Accomplish the important work of the board
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Build for the future
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Develop and strengthen strong boards
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Enhance the ministry
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Provide a structure for teamwork
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Can sometimes involve others who are not board members
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Will allow members the opportunity to serve in their area of interest and free them from other areas that potentially can overwork them and/or cause ministry fatigue.
Sue Fultz is a Care Net Center Services Specialist and pregnancy center trainer. She was the founding Executive Director of the Two Hearts Pregnancy Care Center in Ashland, Kentucky, and its satellite, Two Hearts PCC of Lawrence County, Ohio. She attended the University of Kentucky and was awarded a Graduate Certificate in Pastoral Ministry by Trinity College of the Bible and Theological Seminary. Sue has experience in plan development in the Louisville Metro area. She was a PCC board member and has been serving in pro-life ministry since 1998.