Stations of the Cross
Stations of the Cross
Stations of the Cross
Share, Serve, Equip, Be Generous!
Governing Board
Donna Shoupe, President or Bruce Peterson, Vice President, 310.459.2358
Promoting a Healthy Ministry Environment for God's Mission & Ministry Team's to Flourish!
Palisades Lutheran Church is blessed with a Governing Board of nine spiritually mature and gifted leaders!
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The Governing Board focuses with laser precision on the charter entrusted to its care by the member's of the congregation. As fiduciaries, the members of the Board protect PLC's Mission and Vision to promote the Gospel to the ends of the earth. The most significant way the Board accomplishes this objective is through crafting and monitoring policies that promote and support Palisades Lutheran Church's Mission, Vision and Core Values.
Palisades Lutheran Church's VISION is to become the mecca Retreat and Conference Center for training and equipping Ministry Teams of hundreds, even thousands, of churches and schools from all over the country. This Vision capitalizes on resources PLC already has by God's grace (TTF Recommendation #6). The need for professional and lay leader training (e.g., music, worship, stewardship, outreach, youth-family, etc.) is self-evident given the closure rate of churches. This Strategic Ministry Plan (SMP) scores HIGH on Gospel Impact and HIGH on Financial Viability. It is designed to be sustainable by aligning God’s supply with missional and ministry goals and needs.
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Policy Governance Promotes Accountability in Ministry Beginning with the Board.
Policy governance requires board members who are interested in and capable of discussing the values underlying the actions taken every day in the ministry and governing through the broader formulations of these values. Hence board members should enjoy conceptual argument, differing points of view, and values clarification. They should be able to welcome dissent but be able to honor group decisions once they are made.
Board Members will make every effort to:
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Remember that their job is not to help the staff.
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Protect the staff from board members who wish to manage the day-to-day ministries without having gone through the formality of being hired.
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Be interested in the difficult task of ends determination.
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Encourage the expression of dissent, collaboration and collegiality in board discussion.
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Allow for deliberation with many voices but govern with one in instruction to the Pastor.
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Remember that the diversity of the church’s ownership is larger than can be represented directly by any board.
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Seek to link with the stakeholders in as inclusive a way as possible, regardless of whether there are constituency members on the board.
A Disciplined Board will regulate themselves:
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Even highly disciplined individuals have trouble acting as part of a disciplined group. Yet a disciplined group is exactly what a board of directors must be. Board members must understand there are familiar behaviors they are no longer able to engage in. And they must understand there are unfamiliar behaviors to be practiced. Often boards make statements about their intentions in governance but fail to police themselves. The CGO (Chief Governing Officer) has a special responsibility for board discipline but is not the only enforcer. Group discipline simply works better if all the board members agree to help each other maintain the standards the Board has set.