Fetteresso Church Management System
Fetteresso Church is actively engaged in the life of the Stonehaven community. The church building and hall are a valuable resource to that community, and provide the physical base for a wide range of community and congregational activities. The Church Management System to support these is shown in the chart below, and explained in the following text.
Kirk Session
Fetteresso operates the standard Church of Scotland Unitary Constitution, which combines elders’ duties with congregational board duties. Kirk Session consists of a minister, a session clerk and a group of elders. Session meets 9 or 10 times per year. In absence of a minister, a moderator is appointed.
The Kirk Session has oversight of the whole life and service of the Church within its Parish; responsibility for the spiritual and temporal oversight of the Congregation’s affairs. Its spiritual responsibility involves “leadership, nurturing the spirituality of the congregation and its members, caring for the spiritual welfare of the parish and parishioners, encouraging members to participate in the worship and life of the congregation, and promoting mission and evangelism in the parish.”
Fetteresso is part of the North East and Northern Isles (NENI) presbytery.
Minister
In NENI presbytery plan, Fetteresso is allocated one full-time ordained minister based on this job description… “Full-time ordained ministers have a particular role and function in offering leadership and vision to the Church in a changing missional context. Significant to this role is the enabling and discipleship of others to exercise their own ministry as part of the people of God. Conduct of worship, the celebration of the sacraments and preaching are integral, as is the ability to work collaboratively in a wider framework - locally, within Presbytery and as part of the National Church”.
In absence of a minister, a Moderator is appointed by NENI presbytery.
Session Teams
Kirk Session operates through a number of Teams or Committees that have remits and delegated authority to operate routinely, reporting to session on a regular basis. This is a good balance between micro-management and lack of reporting. There are many activities and arrangements not directly connected to Teams. We operate the following teams, each led by an elder.
Worship
Pastoral
Children and Youth
Community
Discipleship
Finance and stewardship
Hospitality
Property and safety officer
Staffing
Safeguarding
Church Employees
There are 5 staff employees.
Children and Youth worker
Church administrator
Church cleaner
Pastoral worker
Worship leader
Church activities
There are many activities that are not directly connected to any single Team, including
Community café
Haven
Tuesday Focus
Under 3s toddler’s groups
Guild
Paint and Pray
Board Games fellowship,
Alpha courses
Home groups
Food Bank
Some external organisations use the church hall, on a regular or occasional basis. They don’t require church safeguarding checks, but have their own safeguarding policies in place. Regular users include
AA
Table Tennis
Zumba
FAR and WIDE charity shop
Far & Wide was set up by Fetteresso Church of Scotland Kirk Session 30 years ago to operate a Christian Charity shop with the proceeds donated to other Christian projects around the world, and a small amount to support Local Social Needs. It is not a separate company. During the first 5 years, people from other churches volunteered to work in the shop. The committee invited these volunteers onto the committee which threfore organically evolved to incorporate these representatives, and quickly became a committee with representatives from Church of Scotland/Stonehaven Baptist/St James Episcopal Church/St Mary Roman Catholic and the Restoration Chapel. This enables us to support many different Christian Charities. At present, a shop manager is paid to oversee the running and accounts of the shop. The Shop also runs a weekly Foodbank to support Social Work clients/Health Visitors/Citizens Advice Bureau /Churches/Schools and anyone in need of support.