Student OrgsUnited Christian Ministries Council

United Council Constitution and Guiding Principles

Preamble:

We, members of the United Christian Ministries at Gustavus Adolphus College, responding in faith to the call of the Holy Spirit through the Gospel, desiring to unite together to preach the Word, partake in fellowship with one another, and carry out God’s mission, do hereby adopt this constitution and solemnly pledge ourselves to be governed by its provisions. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Article I: Name

The name of this leadership body, responsible for leading and stewarding the gifts and resources of the United Christian Ministries, shall be called the United Council.

Article II: Confession of Faith

1. This community of faith confesses the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

   1. God is Triune, eternal, gracious and relational; God is always seeking to be in relationship with the world. God brings order out of chaos, calls the world into being, and continues to act creatively and powerfully in the world. God exemplifies love, holiness, faithfulness, and justice.

   2. Jesus is God incarnate, therefore he is both fully human and divine. The Kingdom of God is revealed through his teachings and miracles which are recorded in the four gospels. Through his redemptive work on the cross, Jesus made a way for humans to be reconciled to God. Salvation comes through faith in Jesus alone and is a gift of God’s grace.

   3. The Holy Spirit dwells within us, calls us into community, and empowers us to live faithfully in love and service to our neighbors. The Holy Spirit connects us to God and unites us as one body in Christ. The Spirit endows each person with gifts for the sake of building up the Church and creating a more just and compassionate world.

2. This community of faith accepts the canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the inspired Word of God and the authoritative source and norm of its proclamation, faith, and life.

   1. The Bible is a collection of stories, poems, and prophetic writings that tell the story of creation, the rise and fall of humanity, and God’s redemptive work through Jesus Christ. The Bible is a divinely inspired work written by faithful people and is therefore an authoritative guide for how to live a life of faith. The Bible helps people grow in relationship with God.

Article III: The Nature of this Community of Faith

1. All power in this community of faith belongs to our Lord Jesus Christ, its head. All actions of this community of faith are to be carried out under his rule and authority.

2. This community of faith confesses the one, holy, apostolic Church and is resolved to serve Christian unity on the campus of Gustavus Adolphus College, and throughout the world.

Article IV: Statement of Purpose

1. The Church is a people created by God in Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit, called and sent to bear witness to God’s creative, powerful, redeeming, and sanctifying activity in the world.

2. The United Council, through its leading, stewarding, and discerning, will work to assure that the community of faith at Gustavus Adolphus College, namely the United Christian Ministries, can participate in God’s mission. This requires that the community of faith:

   1. Worship God in proclamation of the Word and administration of the sacraments and through lives of prayer, praise, thanksgiving, witness, and service.

   2. Proclaim God’s saving Gospel of justification by grace for Christ’s sake through faith alone, according to the apostolic witness in the Holy Scripture, preserving and transmitting the Gospel faithfully to future generations.

   3. Carry out Christ’s Great Commission by reaching out to all people to bring them to faith in Christ and by doing all ministry with a global awareness consistent with the understanding of God as Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier of all.

   4. Serve in response to God’s love to meet human needs, caring for the sick and the aged, advocating dignity and justice for all people, working for peace and reconciliation among the nations, standing with the poor and powerless, and committing itself to their needs.

   5. Nurture its members in the Word of God so as to grow in faith and hope and love, to see daily life as the primary setting for the exercise of their Christian calling, and to use the gifts of the Spirit for their life together and for their calling in the world.

   6. Manifest the unity given to the people of God by living together in the love of Christ and by joining with other Christians in prayer and action to express and preserve the unity which the Spirit gives.

Article V: Composition of the United Council

1. To fulfill the above purposes listed in Article IV, the United Council shall be comprised of eight members:

   1. The United Leader

   2. One representative from each of the following organizations’ leadership teams: Newman Center, Gustavus Youth Outreach (GYO), Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), Proclaim, Prepare, and Cru.

   3. Additionally, there shall be a representative on the council from the United Small Groups leadership team.

2. The position description of the United Leader is as follows:

   1. Mission & Vision

      1. Lead weekly United Council meetings and monthly United large group meetings.

      2. Coordinate, with the help of United Council members, the design and implementation of United’s flagship ministries (e.g. Vespers, United in Christ Week, and J-Term Experience).

      3. Preserve and safeguard the mission, vision, and history of the United Christian Ministries.

   2. Liaison to Office of Chaplains

      1. Meet weekly with Chaplain Maggie Falenschek to discuss the state of the United Christian Ministries and brainstorm ways to enrich religious and spiritual life for Christian students on campus.

      2. Maintain the close partnership the United Christian Ministries have with the Office of the Chaplains through combined programming, and other shared initiatives.

      3. Be a visible presence at Daily Sabbath and Sunday worshipping community.

      4. Promote the ministries/programming of the Office of the Chaplains to the United Christian Ministries.

   3. Pastoral Presence

      1. Serve as a spiritual resource to the leaders of the various Christian organizations; employ a ministry of presence.

      2. Attend the Christian organizations’ weekly meetings as often as possible (with regard to personal and academic wellbeing).

      3. Provide devotionals and spiritual practices at meetings to support the faith formation of leaders.

      4. Assist Christian organization leaders in resolving intrateam conflict and working through “big” faith questions.

      5. Navigate theological differences within UCM, and encourage leaders to minister from a place of unity and shared theological beliefs.

3. The qualifications of the United Leader are as follows:

   1. Must be in at least second year of residence at the college when full-time leadership duties begin.

   2. Cannot be on leadership for one of the Christian organizations. (Note: If a leader of the Christian organizations desires to serve as the United leader they can do so if they step down from leadership of their current organization.)

   3. Firmly rooted in a Christian theological tradition; has a mature, well-informed personal theology and is open and able to work with Christians of different traditions and expressions.

   4. Fiercely committed to personal growth and faith formation.

   5. Demonstrated ability and desire to lead and empower others to lives of leadership and service.

   6. Self-starter; adept at brainstorming ideas and faithfully taking the steps necessary to make them a reality.

   7. Strong written and oral communication skills.

   8. Cannot study abroad for a full semester during leadership tenure.

   9. Tenure will last for the duration of the new leader’s time as a student (i.e. when a student becomes the leader of the United Christian Ministries, they will remain the leader until they graduate from the college.)

4. The seven positions other than the leader of the United Council with their descriptions are as follows:

   1. United-in-Christ Week Chair

      1. Responsible for coordinating the participation of the various organizations and supporting logistics and communication about the events planned for the week.

   2. J-Term Experience Chair:

      1. Generates ideas for themes or areas of focus. Select curriculum and/or schedule presenters in collaboration with Office of the Chaplains.

      2. Coordinate logistics relating to space reservation, hospitality/food, and advertisement.

      3. Recruit and equip small group discussion leaders.

   3. Vespers Chair:

      1. Coordinate space reservations, logistics, and communication.

      2. Recruit worship team members and other volunteers, schedule and lead rehearsals.

      3. Curate the worship experience through selection of theme, songs, order of worship, and partner with a chaplain for communion and a brief message on the theme.

   4. Retreats Chair:

      1. Work in close collaboration with the chaplain and director of campus ministry and United leader to design meaningful retreat experiences.

      2. Coordinate lodging and food, activities, speakers, worship, and other details as they arise.

   5. Council Recorder/Prayer Chair:

      1. Record and keep record of all United Council meeting minutes.

      2. Update the Council on past meeting minutes.

      3. Organize prayer requests and prayer related business within United Christian Ministries.

      4. *Assume United Leader duties if they are not present.

   6. United Community Building Chair:

      1. Plan and implement various activities for leaders of the Christian organizations to grow in community and develop meaningful, faith-based relationships with one another.

   7. Communications Chair:

      1. Manage online communication platforms (Facebook, Chaplains’ Office Website, Instagram, and others as they are developed) and curate the image of United.

      2. Develop posters and other advertisements as they are needed.

5. The qualifications of United Council members other than the leader are as follows:

   1. Must be in at least second year of residence at the college when United Council duties begin.

   2. Must be on leadership for one of the campus-recognized, Christian organizations. The Small Groups Chair is the exception to this rule.

   3. Firmly rooted in a Christian theological tradition; has a mature, well-informed personal theology and is open and able to work with Christians of different traditions and expressions.

   4. Strong written and oral communication skills.

   5. A strong commitment to working for Christian unity on the campus of Gustavus Adolphus College and beyond.

6. Additional qualifications that apply to both the United Leader and the Council Members are as follows:

   1. To hold an elected, or appointed office in this organization, a member must have at least a 2.5 GPA at the time of election or appointment, and must be a full-time student.  Furthermore, the member may not be on academic or disciplinary probation.

Article VI: Selection of Members of the Council

1. Members of the United Council other than the leader shall be elected to their position on the United Council by the other members of their leadership teams.

   1. Members will be elected to their position on the council in May for service starting the following September.

   2. Council members tenure will last for duration of the academic year. For example, if a council member is elected in May 2017 their service will be from September 2017 - May 2018.

2. Selection of the United Leader takes place at the beginning of the spring semester with full-time leadership duties beginning the following fall.

3. The United Leader Position Description and Qualifications will serve as the primary selection criteria.

4. The selection process for the United Leader shall adhere to the following format:

   1. Beginning of J-Term: The United Council meets to discuss the United Leader Position Description, pray that God would be calling and equipping the new leader, and vote to make any revisions to the position description.

   2. End of J-Term: United Council members (along with other Christian organization leaders) talk with prospective leaders and submit nominations to the current United Leader. The position description for the United Leader role will be emailed out to all nominees.

   3. By the first Wednesday of spring semester: The written application is opened and all nominees with expressed interest in the position are given the link to apply.

   4. The last Sunday of February: The written application closes at 11:59PM.

   5. The last week of February/the first week of March: The United Council reads through and evaluates the written applications. *If there are five or less applicants each of them will get an interview unless the council deems that one or more of the applicants’ written application is poor enough to drop them from the selection process.

   6. The first weekend of March: The United Council holds 30-45 minute interviews for the applicants.

   7. The first Wednesday of March: The United Council extends a call to one of the applicants to serve as the next United Leader. The applicant will then have one week to decide if they will assume the role or not.

   8. The rest of the spring semester: The current United Leader will onboard or “train in” the newly elected leader.

5. The United Council member selection process will not discriminate on the basis of age, disability status, ethnicity, gender identity, national origin, race, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status.

Article VII: Confirmation of the Members of the Council

1. Before a member (whether the leader or not) is officially confirmed to the council they shall agree to and sign the “United Council Covenant” which lists the following seven values:

   1. Priority: Because we believe in the value of faith community, we agree to do our best to give priority to this council and the work that we have been called to do.

   2. Confidentiality: We acknowledge that the things we talk about in this group may be sensitive in nature and therefore should not be shared with others outside the group. We agree to ask for permission from the group before sharing something with others.

   3. Participation: We agree to encourage, support, and stand behind one another, choosing to see ourselves as linked together.

   4. Accessibility: We agree to make ourselves available to one another and help one another in times of need.

   5. Openness: We will seek to be open and honest with each other. The United Council is a place where each individual is safe and valued for their contributions.

   6. Respect: We agree to communicate in ways that are respectful, and to give advice/suggestions in constructive ways. We will strive to listen, encourage, support, and tell the truth in loving ways.

   7. Intentionality: We acknowledge that the work set before us may not always be easy or fun, yet we affirm the fact that we can show up and do our best. In addition, we agree to take this work seriously and trust that God will guide us every step of the way.

Article VIII: Weekly Meetings

1. The United Council will convene weekly to pray for the various Christian organizations, strategize and plan for the various ministries it delivers, resolve conflict, and vote on any relevant matters.

2. Weekly meetings will be run by the United leader.

3. Agendas for weekly meetings will be sent out at least 24 hours in advance if there are no voting matters listed, and at least one week in advance if there are voting matters listed.

4. While all leaders will have an opportunity to voice their individual opinions and beliefs about any matters listed on the agenda it is expected that they engage in respectful discourse and seek unity with other members.

5. United Council Meetings will be open to any member of the United Christian Ministries for observation and comment, however no voting rights are given to said observers.

Article IX: Voting

1. There will be several instances in which the United Council needs to vote on certain matters throughout the academic year. The leader’s role is to facilitate the vote and not participate in the vote (i.e. the leader does not have voting privileges). The rest of the people on the council are voting council members (VCMs).

   1. When VCMs vote they are doing so on behalf of their entire organization.  

2. There are three standards of voting that the council may employ. These three standards of voting are as follows:

   1. The Grace Standard - this standard requires that 5 of the 7 VCMs vote in favor of the proposed matter for it to pass. This standard should primarily be used to decide if a particular event is to receive sponsorship by the United Council. Though the United Council should always strive for the Unity Standard on matters related to money, the Grace Standard can also be used to make budget allocation decisions (i.e. if an organization receives the money they request).

   2. The Unity Standard - this standard requires that all 7 of the VCMs vote in favor of the proposed matter for it to pass. This standard should be used when the matter being voted on affects all of the Christian organizations and in which the United Council is capable of reflecting the organizations’ needs and desires. Examples of when this standard should be used include:

      1. Deciding on themes, curricula, and times/places for events.

      2. Amendments to the constitution.

      3. Deciding whether a newly created organization can become a part of the United Christian Ministries.

      4. Sponsoring a social statement.

   3. The Congregation Standard - this standard requires that 75% of the leaders of the Christian organizations that the United Council represents vote in favor of the proposed matter for it to pass. This standard should be used when the matter being voted on affects all of the Christian organizations and the United Council is not capable of accurately representing the organizations’ needs and desires (i.e. every leader of the various organizations needs to have their own vote on the matter). Examples of when this standard should be used are the following:

      1. Belief statements

      2. Matters of impeachment

3. Quorum for the Grace Standard and the Unity Standard are all 7 members.

4. Quorum for the Congregation Standard is 90% attendance. However, the 75% affirmative response needed to pass the proposed matter is still based on the total number of leaders rostered with the organizations.

   1. In the event that a particular leader is unable to attend the vote for legitimate, excusable reasons (academic conflict, varsity athletic conflict, approved work study conflict, or family emergency), the absent leader’s vote can be made electronically.

Article X: Impeachment

1. Impeachment should not be taken lightly and resorted to only after attempts to correct wrongful behavior have been taken.

   1. The United Council is the main accountability body for the Christian organizations and also one another. If one Council member believes another member’s behavior is out of line they should use Matthew 18:15-17 as a guide in determining how to correct that behavior and who should be involved in the process.

   2. Wrongful behavior is defined as the following:

      1. Consistent failure to perform one’s respective duties and responsibilities.

      2. Besmirching the mission, vision, and/or presence of the United Christian Ministries by way of harmful rhetoric and/or actions.

      3. Participating in any activity or behavior that is against college policy or state or federal law.

2. Any member of the United Council can be impeached using the Congregation Standard of voting.

3. The process of impeachment is started when a United Council member brings forth a complaint about the offending Council member’s behavior. The complaint should be specific, making clear the offenses that the council member committed.

4. After the United Council has heard the complaint, a simple majority vote is needed to move the vote to a general assembly of all the leaders of the Christian organizations.

   1. If the complaint is about a Council member other than the Leader 4 of the 6 other VCMs need to vote affirmatively to move the vote to the general assembly.

   2. If the complaint is about the Leader, 4 of the 7 VCMs need to vote affirmatively to move the vote to the general assembly.

   3. If the VCMs vote amounts to one less than what is required to move the vote to the general assembly the Council member in question will be censured.

   4. Should there be another complaint brought against the Council member in question after they have been censured, the vote for impeachment will move straight to the general assembly for a vote.