All Council & Committee Directors' Info
Tar River Association Implementing “Meeting Nights”
As staff and TRBA leadership, we have been praying about how we can be more effective in the work that God has called us to
do together as an association. Much time, prayer, study, discussion, more prayer has been rendered toward this desire. We believe that we have discovered a process we can move toward to enable us to be more effective and efficient in our work as an association. It will require no ByLaw or procedural changes being made to accommodate this change on day-to-day business of the
association.
Committee and council members have been informed of the details but you – as general members of the association - also need to
be informed of general procedures. I honestly believe this approach will help TRBA achieve more of its purpose – to strengthen
the local church and impact Lostness.
Basically, the FOURTH Monday night of EACH month will serve as “meeting night” at TRBA. Quarterly meetings are already
held on fourth Mondays, so we are inviting ALL committees and councils that need to meet to meet on the other fourth Mondays (except December). TRBA Staff will be on site to work with the committees/councils. The committee chairs and council
directors will have to add on a few more commitments to make sure the meetings are effective, but as we learn we should see
great benefit from not having to drag meetings out over weeks or months when it could be accomplished in one night – or within
the quarter. It will enable us to respond far more quickly to meeting needs throughout the work of the association. As someone
said, “the opportunity to minister has passed us by when it takes six months to respond to a request.”
Not all councils/committees will be able to go to this schedule immediately. At our information meeting with all committees/
councils, I indicated that RIGHT NOW the Administrative Leadership Team and Finance Committee would not be meeting
forth Mondays. Likewise, I suggested that committees like Credentials and Media Council might want to “piggy back” on events
like the quarterly meetings or during the day for volunteers to assist. Each committee/council may determine for themselves.
ALT and Finance Committee will meet on second Wednesdays of each month at the present time.
In between – and for some possibly in lieu of – we have established a “telephone conference room.” If you serve on a committee,
it is possible to meet via telephone in less time than it would take you to drive to the office for a meeting. More about this later.
The format for FOURTH Monday “Meeting Night” is a simple format and is listed below:
6:00 – 7:15 PM: All committees and councils that need to meet should plan to meet at TRBA
7:15 – 8:15 PM: Five Ministry Teams* Meet: The purpose of this meeting is to coordinate efforts in each area
of ministry need in the association, to avoid duplication of effort, to more effectively communicate and coordinate efforts between committees, etc. As our efforts increase on these teams,
we will become more efficient/effective in the work we have been called to do together. Our
ultimate goal is to work toward five ministry teams empowered to do the work of the association.
8:15 – 8:30 PM: Leadership Council* meets – a simple “touch base” meeting among the 5 Ministry Team
Leaders and the Associational Missionary to coordinate events in TRBA and plan for next
meeting night.
(*) Five Ministry Teams: We have divided every council and committee in TRBA to fit in one Ministry Team area.
We recognize some blend over into others, but we feel this will help us be more effective in meeting ministry need
within our member churches. Listed below are the 5 Ministry Teams and the committees/councils that fall under those
teams.
Administrative Team: Responsible for the day-to-day operations of the association. TRBA staff members
work directly with this team on a monthly basis.
“Sub-teams” for this ministry team are:
Personnel Committee Finance Committee Building and Ground Committee
Nominating Committee ByLaws Committee Credentials Committee
Tech Council Ordination Advisory Council History Council
The Moderator serves as the Administrative Team Leader. The chairs and directors of the above sub-teams serve as the
actual members of the Administrative Team.
Church Strengthening/Leadership Development Team: The Church Strengthening/Leadership
Development Team is to intentionally assist churches toward developing and following God’s vision and mission and to
assist member churches with creative, customized development of leaders to enable church health and vitality.
Sunday School Council Discipleship Council Music Council Media/Library Council Youth Council
The Sunday School Director will serve as the Church Strengthening/Leadership Development Team. The chairs and the
directors of the above sub-teams serve as the actual members of the Church Strengthening/Leadership Development
Team.
Impacting Lostness Team: The Impacting Lostness Team’s mission is to assist churches to plant relevant
reproducing churches and to assist existing churches to be engaged in evangelistic efforts.
Crisis Care (Benevolence) Evangelism Council Missions Development Recreational Council
The Missions Development Council Director serves as the Impacting Lostness Team Leader. The chairs and the directors of the above sub-teams serve as the actual members of the Impacting Lostness Teams.
Ministry and Missions Team: The Mission and Ministry Team’s mission is to assist member churches to
explore and engage in ministry and mission to the community and around the world and to assist churches to network
with other churches for the outward expression of the gospel.
Baptist Men’s Council CCM Council Partnership Missions Women of Tar River
The Partnership Missions Council Director (currently vacant) serves as the Missions and Ministry Team Leader. The
chairs and the directors of the above sub-teams serve as the actual members of the Missions and Ministry Team.
Prayer Team: The Prayer Team will lead in maintaining ongoing prayer for the churches and members of the
churches in specific areas of Kingdom needs. The team will engage and encourage people to pray for renewal and revival
and for the impacting of lostness in TRBA and surrounding areas. The prayer team will also encourage and enable the
development of prayer coordinators in all TRBA churches.
TRBA Leadership Prayer Team (Comprised of representatives from each team (not the team leader)
Women’s Prayer Team
The Chair of the TRBA Leadership serves as Team Leader for the Prayer Team. Two members from each of the teams.
Leadership Council: The Leadership Council will be made up of the five Team Leaders and the Associational
Missionary. The Leadership Council will serve to coordinate the teams and to make recommendations to the ALT from
the various ministry teams and sub-teams. The Leadership Council will meet on a monthly basis or as required. The
Associational Missionary serves as the chair of the Leadership Council.
Current Members are: Dougald McLaurin (AM), J W Reel (Prayer), Grady Perry (CCM), Mark Cottrell (Sunday
School), and John Byrd (Moderator)
