Mt. Gilead Full Gospel International Ministries

Bishop Daniel Robertson, Jr., Pastor,
Elena M. Robertson, Co-Pastor

“Changing Lives With The Word of God”

Elders & Overseers Leadership Handbook

Helps Ministry

Operational Standards of Excellence

Administrative Requirements

Mt. Gilead Full Gospel International Ministries

Bishop Daniel Robertson, Jr.,
Pastor, Elena M. Robertson, Co-Pastor

The Purpose of this Handbook: The purpose of this Handbook is to provide instructions related to Mt. Gilead’s Helps Ministry Operational Standards of Excellence and Administrative Requirements to empower Elders and Overseers to lead their cluster effectively while utilizing ministry support services.

Our Vision Statement: Changing Lives With the Word of God

Our Mission Statement: Training Disciples to Evangelize the World

How to Push the Vision of Your Visionary

Adopt Your Leader’s Spirit: As a Ministry Leader, there should be evidence in your life that you are striving to personify the image of a Godly leader. As you listen to the ministry of the Visionaries, pay close attention to the life examples that serve as an indication of their spirit. Each time you sit under the Word, you should be gleaning or drawing from the spirit of the set man and woman of God. It is also helpful to keep the Word of God fresh in your spirit by rehearsing the weekly messages during your daily quiet time with the Lord.

Support Your Visionaries: Always strive to be a source of spiritual and visible support for your leaders. Remember that it is your valued commitment to the Visionaries that allows them to concentrate on seeking God for direction and a life changing word for His people.

Continually Pray for Your Leaders & Co-Laborers: Remember prayer is one of the most powerful forms of assistance we can lend to our leadership. We must keep them before God, because they too are in the enemies’ line of fire. We should also pray for our co-laborers in the faith, as well as the people we are charged with covering in the ministry.

Personal Integrity: In all personal relationships or business interactions, God requires that we walk circumspectly, which means to live so that others do not question your commitment to Jesus Christ. Make sure that you are not involved with, or in any activities that would negatively reflect upon God, yourself, your family and the leadership of the ministry. Be a person of your word, follow-up and communicate with your co-laborers in a timely fashion.

Commit to Personal Development: Always remain teachable and seek to grow. Mt. Gilead offers training courses throughout the year as well as opportunities to study under our Apostle. Purpose to be a life long learner. As you develop and move forward, you allow room for others to advance.

Leadership

Leadership Requirements – A Leader at Mt. Gilead Must:

1. Be a born again believer who has received the Baptism with the Holy Spirit with evidence of speaking in tongues and a consistent tither;

2. Possess the spirit and attitude of a servant with a desire to minister to God’s people in love and humility;

3. Consistently build themselves up through reading books on leadership;

4. Attend all regularly scheduled worship services and also make an effort to attend special events and or speaking engagements in which our leaders are scheduled to minister;

5. Adopt, believe and support the set vision of our Bishop and Copastor for the Ministry.

Leadership Qualifications – A Leader at Mt. Gilead Must:

· Possess a proven knowledge of the Word of God;

· Conduct themselves in a professional manner;

· Have a strong ability to delegate authority effectively and wisely;

· Be able to lead in such a way that it inspires others to follow;

· Be able to receive constructive criticism;

· Be a lifetime learner;

· Possess an excellent Spirit in all areas of their life.

Communication is the Key to Successful Conflict Resolution

Recent studies on communication indicate that poor communication and misinterpretations are the leading causes of conflict. As leaders, you should always explore every option that can lead to a quick resolution when you are involved in a dispute. Never allow personal feelings or past issues to interfere with a working relationship. If you are truly operating out of the love of Jesus Christ, you should be able to resolve differences in a manner that is respectful and in keeping with the standards outlined in the Word of God. When the individuals involved in the conflict are unable to resolve their differences, it is recommended that the Elder assigned to that ministry become involved in the discussion to facilitate the conflict resolution process.

Witnessing Conflict

If you have a conflict or witnessed a conflict that you were not able to handle yourself, and find that further ministry is needed, please place a note in your Elder’s mailbox. If needed, the Elder will then forward it to Assistant Pastor for further discussion.

The Apostle Paul makes this powerful declaration as a standard for Unity In the Body of Christ

I want you to get out there and walk, better yet, run on the road God has called you to travel. I don’t want any of you sitting around on your hands or strolling off down some path that goes nowhere…Do this with humility and discipline…steadily pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert to notice differences and quick at mending fences. You were called to travel on the same road in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly…You have one Master, Faith, and Baptism…One God and Father who rules over and is present in all so that Oneness will govern all! Eph 4:1-6 MSG

Corrective Action Procedures

There are occasions when a violation of procedures results in corrective action. While no one enjoys taking corrective action against one of your co-laborers, we are mandated to protect the anointing which cannot flow without order. In instances when corrective action is required, the Overseer shall submit a written recommendation to their Elder requesting that the individual be relieved of their responsibilities for a designated period of time. This action should be as a result of other failed attempts to bring correction, including one-on-one counseling and mediation regarding the behavior in question. The Overseer shall complete the Helps Ministry Inactive Servant Form which includes a section to explain why the action was necessary, along with any other relevant information. Please be advised that when a member has been relieved of their responsibilities, they will remain inactive for the period designated on the form. After the inactive period has lapsed, the Overseer must schedule a reinstatement counseling session with the team member in order to activate them into their previous position. If an excessive period has lapsed between the time of the corrective action and the reinstatement consultation (in excess of 60 days), a new Helps Ministry application must be completed and submitted to the Administrative Staff for processing and approval. If the Helps Ministry member disagrees with the decision to be relieved of their responsibilities, a mediation session with the Elder and Overseer is warranted. If the individual receiving correction is an Overseer and disagrees with the Elder, a mediation session with Assistant Pastor should be scheduled to resolve the dispute. When administering this policy, please be mindful that corrective action can create a very sensitive situation for all parties involved. As a result, the use of wisdom, discretion, and fairness is advised as you carry out your assignment. Above all, pray and invite the presence of the Lord into your discussions and He will season your words with love.

Procedures for Change of Ministry Leadership

All changes in leadership must be submitted to Bishop Robertson through the Elder for approval. Once Bishop Robertson has approved the leader recommended by the Elder, please inform the Administrative Staff of this change in writing. The appointment to Overseer is probationary for the first 90 days, which allows the Elder an opportunity to evaluate and assess their performance accordingly

Leadership Meeting Frequency & Schedule

Tier 1—Visionary Impartations

Two-Column Table
Bishop w/Executive Council Quarterly
Bishop w/Elders January & September
Bishop w/Elders & Overseers March
Bishop w/Entire Helps Ministry May & November
Tier 2—Elders & Overseers January & September
Tier 3—Helps Ministry Clusters January, March, & September

Campus Activities

Stay Informed – We have a large congregation with multiple activities going on frequently. Utilize the events calendar to remain abreast of the activities of the ministry. Our website is the portal for scheduling activities and initiating the support of administration and other ministries. Utilize the Member Services tab as your ‘go to place’ to get things started.

Accessibility – Our facility is open through scheduling for activities and visits. Please contact the church office prior to attempting to enter the facility on days other than service days. Use of interior rooms must be scheduled.

Accessing the main facility for set-up prior to the standard one (1) hour before an event must be requested and planned ahead of time through the Events Planning Coordinator.

Stewardship – Adherence to scheduled meeting times assists us with maintaining a safe environment. In planning your activities, build in ‘event closure’ time to ensure proper exit time. Doing so demonstrates consideration and mutual respect for team members.

Area Reset – We are very thankful for all that God has given us. In an effort to maintain an excellent experience for guests and other members on premises, please be sure to leave the area assigned to your activity in order.

Accident Reports – Should be made in the event of an incident on the church grounds. Forms can be found in the Healing Hands room, Information Desk, and Security team.

Broken Equipment – Notices of broken equipment should be communicated to the Elder

Communication

Updating Personal Information: Be sure to notify the church office of changes in your contact information (phone numbers, email address, physical address) through online submission.

Updating Serving Information

New Placements: Placements on Helps Ministry must be done through the Helps Ministry Application Process. Do not allow people to serve without receiving notice from Administration that the person has been released to serve. Once a person has been released to serve, you will receive an email from the church office. You must respond that you have welcomed the new member to the team and shared the protocols specific to the ministry within three (3) days of placement.

Status Changes: It is important that we maintain a form of small group/cluster accountability to ensure that no one gets ‘left behind’. Reach out to team members that you have not seen recently to ensure that they are well. Please notify Administration immediately if a person is placed on voluntary or involuntary leave. This can be communicated through on-line submission or by calling the church office.

Verification of Active Servers: We recognize that unfortunately communication inadvertently gets overlooked. Periodically, generally twice a year, Administration will reach out to you to provide the official listing of team members in the group that you lead. This measure is done to assist in ensuring that no one gets left behind and that no one has been added to the group without going through the proper protocol.

Ministry Email Addresses: It is required that you utilize ministry assigned email addresses for communication on behalf of the ministry.

Team Member Notices

If you receive notices from a team member, please handle in the following manner:

Contact Information Update: Direct the member to update their records in Administration through online submission.

Prayer requests/bereavement notices/hospital visitation: Can be submitted online or directly to the Overseer or Elder. If additional prayer is requested from the ministry prayer team, please submit that request to membercare@mtgileadfgim.org

Team Member Notices

We value the time of our volunteers

New Team Members: Leaders are expected to orientate new Volunteers with Helps Ministry protocols by reviewing the Helps Ministry Manual (located on the website) with them. You should also review your individual ministry protocols at that time.

Monthly Serving Calendar: If applicable, ensure that you provide a serving calendar to your team prior to the beginning of the month.

Roles & Responsibilities: When hosting an event, ensure that the team members are aware of what you expect of them and who their contacts are within.

Email: Check your email frequently for communications from leadership. Your are the liaison from leadership to team members.

Ministry Mailbox: Check your Helps Ministry mailbox each service day. Accessing the main facility for set-up prior to the standard one (1) hour before an event must be requested and planned ahead of time through the Events Planning Coordinator.

Pre-planning for Events

Each year our ministry calendar fills up quickly. Dates are finalized after dates specific to the schedules of Bishop & Co-Pastor Robertson have been identified and honored.

Fellowship Planning (WOW Cluster, SOS Cluster, Marriage Ministry, Young CEO, Gen Salv, Men’s Fellowship) – Utilize the links below
to prepare your proposal to your leader:

Once approved by your leader, submit your tentative date hold to Events Planning.

Other Activities and Events: Utilize the Event Planning pathway on the website, located under Member Services.

The following requests for support services require planning and time resource allocation. Submit these types of requests far in advance:

Media – Requires Multiple Component Coordination

Technical Support, Culinary Support & Transportation Requests – May Include Cost Factor

Culinary Requests – Includes Cost Factor

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get started with my requests:

Event Planning Form: The event planning form serves as the primary starting point for communicating your event support needs.

Ordering Supplies: Supply Orders for approved requests should be submitted by the 10th of the month utilizing the link below. You will be contacted by the church office when your order arrives.

Check Requests**: Approved disbursements will be available for pickup at the receptionist desk during business hours and prior to worship service.

**Receipts must be turned in within 3 days of purchasing.

Outreach: Each ministry is encouraged to actively participate in community outreach endeavors. Please submit your ideas online for prayer covering

Team Member Personal Inquiries

Its important to understand and communicate the extent of resources we are able to offer as a ministry.

Our first priority are members in good standing. Those serving and pushing the vision and committed to the biblical mandate to give tithes and offerings. Our goal is to assist when we can by giving a hand up, not a temporary solution that can’t be maintained by the requestor.

Financial Assistance Applications: are received on service days only. We are not able to provide same day guidance or resolution. Members should be in good standing with tithes and offerings prior to requesting the release of ministry resources.

-> Economic empowerment counseling is required as a part of receiving assistance.

Emergency Assistance: We do not have temporary emergency assistance.

-> Human Services Ministry is available to assist with identifying local resources. Transparency of personal factors leading to the crisis is required.

Emergency Housing: We do not offer emergency/temporary housing.

-> In these cases, people are referred to local agencies that are prepared to handle these situations.

Service Day Prayer & Counseling: is available through utilizing the Elders that Bishop has placed at the altar on Sunday and Wednesday after services. This counseling is confidential.

Transportation Services: to Church is available by calling the church office and leaving your pertinent information. We are not able to transport individuals with wheelchair or walker accessibility needs, and we do not provide rentals for moving

Quick Links

Access by holding down the [Control Key on the keyboard) AND left mouse click]

-> Utilize this form to request media support and promotion on an approved event/activity.

Fellowship Planners – Utilize these form links (1, 2, 3) to temporarily request a date on the calendar; receive a quote for culinary & transportation.

Always review the master calendar for other confirmed events that may conflict with your plans before submitting date proposals to leadership.

-> Utilize this form to request a date.

-> Utilize this form to request a quote from our Culinary team.

-> Utilize this form to request a quote from our Transportation ministry.

-> Utilize this form to request/inform us an event date has changed.