List of Current Communities (Committees)
AdminCouncil@eumclaurel.org
The church council provides for planning and implementing a program of nurture, outreach, witness, and resources in the local church. It provides for the administration of its organization and ongoing ministry. It envisions, plans, implements, and annually evaluates the mission and ministry of the church. The church council functions as the administrative agency of the charge conference.
Administrative Council
Andy Hanks, Chair
Steve Augustine, Chair of Finance
Jen Broderick-Anderson, Chair of Outreach
Georgette Brown, Chair of Worship
Judy Davies, Lay Leader
Sue Hill, Lay Delegate to the Annual Conference
Steven Lutz, Chair of Endowment
Donna Meoli
Edgardo Rivera, Pastor
Matilda Taylor, Chair of Preschool Liaison
Alan Williams, Treasurer
Chris Weiman, Chair of Trustees
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19, 20).
The Discipleship Ministries of the United Methodist Church define the purpose and ministry of Christian Spiritual Formation and Education in the following way:
We believe that this ministry is the foundation for lifelong learning and growth toward a mature and vital faith. With intentional learning and Christian formation, we become the people God calls us to be, and we develop gifts and strengths for encouraging and leading others to the same strong faith. https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/getting-started-christian-education
The members of this community would provide opportunities for the congregation to nurture their faith and promote lifelong learning. The focus area would include the following:
- Sunday School for children and youth
- Activities for children and youth
- Supporting families in all ages and stages-infants to retirement
- Confirmation Classes
- Church Retreats
- Vacation Bible School
- Youth Ministry
- Young Adult Ministry
- Safe Sanctuaries
- Opportunities for Outreach
Education/Spiritual Formation
Donna Meoli – staff
Cari Christman
Franklin Ibemessie
Marty MacFarland
Riley Grant-McAuley
Melanie Merson-Riley
Barrie Reinders
Carol Sheets
Heather VanWinkle
Emmanuel’s Endowment Community manages Emmanuel’s Endowment Fund. This fund oversees large gifts that are given or left to Emmanuel in the form of property, stocks, etc. through wills or estates (although the Endowment Fund welcomes gifts from anyone at any time). Emmanuel has been fortunate to have received two large gifts from Vernon Brown and Frances Robinson over the years, and Emmanuel’s endowment today stands at around $3 million. The purpose of the Endowment Fund is to fund things outside the purview of the Operating Fund of the church to do Christ’s work here on Earth. Most recently, EUMC’s Endowment fund has provided scholarships for Emmanuel college students, the upkeep of the cemetery, some of the needs of Little Flowers, and other efforts to bring the good news of Christ to everyone. The Endowment Community considers ideas for ways to fulfill Emmanuel’s mission of making disciples while following the Endowment guidelines. The Endowment Community ensures that funds are used according to the rules of the Endowment (as prescribed in the Book of Discipline).
Endowment
Steven Lutz, Chair
Cynthia Cupples
Lori Fuchs
Barrie Reinders
Andy Sigamoni
Alan Williams
The Community on Finance gives stewardship of financial resources as their priority throughout the year. It may delegate the responsibility to either a sub-group or task force that would plan, strategize, and implement ways to generate more resources for the mission and ministries of the local churches and beyond. It is strongly recommended that the community on finance, in collaboration with the church council, find creative ways to turn their congregations into tithing congregations with an attitude of generosity. All financial askings to be included in the annual budget of the local church shall be submitted to the community on finance. The community on finance shall compile a complete budget for the local church annually and submit it to the church council for review and adoption. The community on finance is charged with the responsibility for developing and implementing plans that will raise sufficient income to meet the budget adopted by the church council. It shall administer the funds received according to instructions from the church council.
Finance
Steve Augustine, Chair
Delila Moravitz
Clark Rector
Edgardo Rivera – staff
Carolyn Taylor
Chris Wieman
Alan Williams
Step into the warm embrace of our church’s Hospitality Committee. With open arms and hearts, we are dedicated to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all who enter our doors. Our committee’s mission is to ensure that every person feels like family, fostering connections and friendships that extend beyond the pews. From the moment you arrive, you’ll experience a genuine sense of belonging as we extend a friendly hand and a listening ear. Join us in sharing smiles, laughter, and meaningful conversations, as we come together to build a community where everyone is valued and loved.
Hospitality
Melanie Merson-Riley, Co-Chair
Lisa Wheatley, Co-Chair
Cari Christman
Juno Davies
Bryan Goodwin
Theresa Goodwin
Suanne Heist
Rosemary Robinson
Lynn Wood
The Lay Delegate to the Annual Conference, along with the pastor, serves as an interpreter of the actions of the Annual Conference session. The lay member reports to the local church Administrative Council on actions of the Annual Conference as soon as possible, but not later than three months after the close of the Conference.
Lay Delegate to the Annual Conference
Sue Hill
An effective lay leader functions as the primary representative and role model of Christian discipleship and faith lived out in the church and in daily life. The lay leader works with the pastor to fulfill the mission and vision of the congregation.
Lay Leader
Judy Davies – Staff
The purpose of the Music Ministry is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ through music and songs, lead the congregation in worship, and provide an avenue through which individuals may share their gifts and be an integral part of the worship experience. The Community works with the Pastor and Worship Community to organize and design special opportunities for the Ministry. The community shall meet at least quarterly.
The purpose of this community is to identify, develop, deploy, evaluate, and monitor Christian spiritual leadership for the local congregation. Members of the community shall engage in and be attentive to developing and enhancing their own Christian spiritual life in light of the mission of the Church. The community shall work with the church council, or alternative administrative bodies, to determine the diverse ministry tasks of the congregation and the skills needed for leadership. a) The community on nominations and leadership development shall serve throughout the year to guide the church council on matters regarding the leadership (other than employed staff) of the congregation so as to focus on mission and ministry as the context for service; guide the development and training of spiritual leaders; recruit, nurture, and support spiritual leaders; and assist the church council, or alternative structure, in assessing the changing leadership needs. b) The community shall recommend to the charge conference, at its annual session, the names of people to serve as officers and leaders of designated ministries of the church council, or alternative administrative body required for the work of the church and as the law of the church requires or as the charge conference deems necessary to its work.
Nominations and Lay Leadership Development
Pastor Edgardo Rivera – staff
Judy Davies – staff
Sue Hill
Jim Irons
Marty MacFarland
Outreach ministry is the practice of looking beyond yourself to the people around you and sharing the love of Christ as you serve and connect with your community. The outreach ministries of the church shall give attention to local and larger community ministries of compassion, justice, and advocacy. These ministries include church and society, global ministries, higher education, health and welfare, Christian unity and interreligious concerns, religion and race, and the status and role of women.
Outreach
Jen Broderick-Anderson, Chair
Chris Bryant
Judy Davies – staff
Patricia Delk-Mercer
Sue Hill
Ellen McDaniel
Donna Meoli – staff
Edgardo Rivera – staff
Carolyn Taylor
The preschool was established in September, 1977 as an outreach ministry for the families in the community to provide a safe, nurturing, fun-loving Christian educational environment. The Preschool Liaison Community (PLC) was created to oversee the daily operations of the preschool to include but not limited to functions related to personnel, finance, policy, and program. The community shall meet quarterly throughout the year.
PLC (Preschool Liaison Community)
Matilda Taylor, Chair
Carol Brown, Trustees representative
Cari Christman, Secretary
Sue Hill, at large and SPRC representative
Marty MacFarland, at large
Damita Robinson, Preschool Director
Alan Williams, Treasurer – staff
The goal of the prayer ministry is to equip, enable and encourage EUMC members to pray continually and effectively paying attention to social and justice issues worldwide. The ministry makes prayer a part of everything we do at Emmanuel. We meet on the prayer line on Wednesdays for half an hour at 7:30pm. Special prayers are offered with strict confidentiality.
Prayer Ministry
Judy Davies
Lori Fuchs
Sue Hill
Bob Wagner
Marie Wnuk
The community reflects biblically and theologically on the role and work of the pastor(s) and staff as they carry out their leadership responsibilities. The community shall assist the pastor(s) and staff in assessing their gifts, maintaining health holistically and work-life balance, and setting priorities for leadership and service. It is the responsibility of the community to communicate with the Nominations and Lay Leadership Development Community and/or the Administrative Council when there is a need for other leaders or for employed staff to perform in areas where utilization of the gifts of the pastor(s) and staff proves an inappropriate stewardship of time.
SPRC (Staff & Parish Relations Community)
Chris Armstrong, Chair
Lori Fuchs, Co-Chair
Alyson Bangura
Robin Beads
Judy Davies
Wendy Grant-McAuley
Sue Hill
Edgardo Rivera
Tyrone Taylor
Mei Vader
Stewardship is what we do with what God has entrusted to us. Vibrant Christian stewardship includes what we do on God’s behalf in our relationships; use of time, skills, abilities, and passions; management and sharing of possessions; and current and planned giving for God’s work through the church. The community encourages participation and focus on the natural world as a loving gift from God: working with the Green Team to raise people’s awareness of our carbon footprint; lifting up God’s vision for creation’s renewal; and advocating for justice and peace, seeking to become better stewards of God’s creation. The community also plans and organizes the yearly Stewardship Campaign to encourage members of our church family to pledge part of the gifts given to them to the church’s Operating Fund. The Community shall meet at least quarterly.
Stewardship
Steve Augustine
Becky Barbusca – staff
Cynthia Cupples
Edgardo Rivera – staff
Carolyn Taylor
Alan Williams – staff
This team of members from our congregation is responsible for mapping out and clarifying the Emmanuel UMC’s mission, vision, and goals and formulating a plan to achieve these missions and goals to align with the resources God has given EUMC, Laurel. The Strategic Planning Community will present a report to the Ad Council with recommendations for review and adoption.
The board of trustees is responsible for the supervision, oversight, and care of all real property owned by the local church and of all property and equipment acquired directly by the local church or by any connected society, board, class, commission, or similar organization.
Trustees
Chris Wieman, Chair
Becky Barbusca
Mike Barbusca
Carol Brown
Ray Mercer
Melanie Merson-Riley
Edgardo Rivera
Rod Sams
Don Scruggs
The mission of the Church is “to make disciples of Jesus Christ”. Worship unites us in that task. The purpose of the Worship Community is to work with the Pastor and the music leaders to organize and design special opportunities for worship that will help the congregation experience their relationship with God, grow in the knowledge of God, and help them live more faithfully as a Christian community. The Worship Community work areas are: acolytes, greeters, ushers, liturgists, serving Communion during the service, providing special music, home communion, and the tech team.
Worship
Georgette Brown, Chair
Karl Anderson
Laura Baker
Cari Christman
Karen Collins
Judy Davies
Miriam Hanks
Brian Nelson
Edgardo Rivera
Andy Spang
Matilda Taylor