Onething Ministries Constitution
OneThing Ministries
Constitution
I.Name, Purpose, and Application
A.Name
1.The name of this organization shall be OneThing Ministries.
B.Purpose
1.We desire to exist as a Prayer and Worship ministry which emphasizes the centrality of the word (Col3:16), inclusiveness (Acts 10:34-35), and unity within the Body (John 17:20-23), thereby cultivating intimacy with God and being transformed into His likeness (2 Cor 3:18).
C.Practical Application of Purpose Statement:
1.Nightly Prayer and Worship meetings using the Harp and Bowl model of prayer.
2.Regular teachings focused on the principles and vision of the ministry as stated in the purpose statement.
II.Cabinet
A.Overview
1.President
2.Vice President
3.Division Heads
4.Advisors
5.See Appendix A for organizational chart
B.General Qualifications for Cabinet Positions
1.Must maintain a minimum 2.5 GPA during each semester of involvement.
2.Must commit to a full year of involvement.
3.Preference will be strongly given to qualified upcoming and current juniors and seniors.
4.Must exhibit dedication and active involvement in the ministry as determined by the members of the cabinet. Regular weekly attendance of prayer meetings and involvement in divisions is expected.
5.Must exemplify in personal life the principles stated within the purpose statement.
C.Specific Qualificationsand Responsibilities of Cabinet Members
1.President
a)Preference will be given to the incumbent, vice president, or a division head.
b)Responsibilities of the president will include:
(1)Calling, providing agendas for, and recording cabinet meetings which shall occur at least once per month.
(2)Overseeing the performance of the division heads in their duties, including a monthly review of division goals.
(3)Setting and keeping track of monthly and semester ministry goals.
(4)Is responsible, in cooperation with the rest of the cabinet, to oversee the creation of ad-hoc committees.
2.Vice President
a)Any active member of the ministry who exhibits dedication and strong leadership qualities.
b)Responsibilities of the vice president will include:
(1)Regular attendance at cabinet meetings including temporary fulfillment of president’s duties in his or her absence.
(2)Submitting monthly reports to COSO which includes keeping an accurate record of attendance at weekly meetings and submitting an account of each month’s transactions as provided by the treasurer.
(3)Is responsible, in cooperation with the rest of the cabinet, to oversee the creation of standing committees.
3.Division Heads
a)Will be selected from within each division and approved by the cabinet and faculty advisor as outlined in IV.a.
b)General responsibilities of the division heads will include:
(1)Regular attendance at cabinet meetings, with a replacement from within the division sent if absence is necessary.
(2)The formation of weekly, monthly, and semester goals for their individual divisions.
(3)Calling, providing agendas for, and recording division meetings which shall occur at least every other week.
4.Advisors
a)Must be member of Houghton College faculty or staff and meet applicable qualifications of II.b
b)Responsibilities of the advisors will include:
(1)Attendance of at least three prayer meetings during the course of the semester.
(2)Involvement in the election processes including serving on the Presidential Elections committee.
(3)Attendance of at least the first and last cabinet meetings of the semester which will include reviewing the goals of the ministry with the cabinet.
(4)Reviewing the academic records of prospective cabinet members to ensure qualification and review current cabinet members records at the end of the fall semester.
(5)Signing any necessary documentation and reviewing the annual budget as an ad-hoc member of the Budget Committee.
5.All cabinet membersand candidates for cabinet positions must be willing and able to fulfill their responsibilities as outlined in the constitution, including their involvement in committees.
III.Divisions
A.Worship
1.The worship division will exist to oversee the recruitment, formation, and management of OneThing nightly worship teams and to provide resources, training, and accountability for worship leaders.
2.The Worship Division Head will be chosen from among the worship leaders, preferably one who has been involved in leading worship for at least one semester.
3.The worship division will also be responsible for organizing and advertising (in cooperation with the administrative division) auditions within the first three weeks of both the fall and spring semesters. These will serve to add new people to the worship teams. Following the auditions, the worship leaders will meet together to form teams and assign times. In case of dispute, the worship division head will have final say.
4.The worship leaders within the division will also be responsible for informing all team members of their responsibilities and holding them accountable to such. Such information should be in the form of policies readily available to all members of the worship teams. The worship division will be responsible to oversee the consequences when said members fail to fulfill their responsibilities, at the discretion of the Worship Division Head.
5.Worship leaders will also be responsible for training their teams in the worship and singing aspects of the harp and model of the prayer meeting. Such training should take place in practical ways in the form of briefings and debriefings.
B.Prayer
1.The prayer division will exist to oversee the specific prayer aspects of the ministry and to recruit and provide prayer leaders for nightly meetings.
2.The Prayer Division Head will be selected from a member of the division. Members will include, but are not limited to, the following positions:
a)Prayer Leaders – assigned a nightly meeting during which they will fulfill the roles and responsibilities of the prayer leader as outlined in the harp and bowl model. The prayer leaders are responsible for training the nightly teams on the prayer aspect of said model. This will include expounding on any scripture passages used. Assistant prayer leaders may also be assigned to work with the prayer leaders, but they are not eligible to be selected as Division Head.
b)Fasting Coordinator – responsible for organizing ministry wide periods of fasting and the possible implementation of fasting teams.
C.Teaching
1.The teaching division will exist to oversee all official ministry teaching times, bible studies, training sessions, and ministry times (in cooperation with the worship division).
2.The Teaching Division Head will be selected based upon experience and interest in teaching/preaching within the context of the ministry.
3.The Division Head will be responsible to work with any other parties interested in teaching in establishing a format and content for teaching during the course of the year.
4.He or she will also be responsible to meet with any teachers prior to the time which they share, to aid in preparation.
D.Administrative
1.The administrative division will exist to oversee the practical tasks of being a student organization and running the ministry.
2.The Administrative Division Head will be selected from a member of the division. Members will include, but are not limited to, the following positions:
a)Public Relations Coordinator – oversees advertising, signs, and weekly emails.
b)Treasurer – oversees budget creation and keeps an accurate record of spending throughout the course of the year.
c)Sound and Set-Up Coordinator –is responsible for building and assigning a team of sound technician, a set-up team, and powerpoints as needs arise.
3.The Administrative Division Head will be responsible for elaborating upon anyexisting additional positions and responsibilities and any additional policies to be instituted.
E.Commitment Clause
No student may hold more than two of the following positions, or positions with similar responsibilities, within the ministry (members of worship teams or other non-positions not included will not count towards tally):
1.Cabinet member (President, Vice President, Division Head)
2.Worship leader
3.Prayer leader (including assistant prayer leader)
4.Fasting Coordinator
5.Public Relations Coordinator
6.Treasurer
7.Sound and Set-up Coordinator
IV.Elections
A.Division Elections: Division elections for the following school year will occur eight weeks prior to the end of the spring semester. All positions within the division, including that of the division head, will be elected at this time. The current cabinet and faculty advisor must approve the division head-elect before the Presidential elections. In case of disapproval, another division election shall be held the following week.
B.Presidential Elections:One week following the approval of the division elections an election committee composed of the division heads-elect, the current cabinet, and the faculty advisor will select candidates for the presidency and vice presidency.These candidates will then be presented to each division for majority approval of each individual candidate.
C.A 3 out of 4denial by the divisions (Worship, Prayer, Teaching and Administrative) will return the process to the election committee to resubmit new candidate(s).
V.Transitions
A.Two transitional periods, one for the divisions and one for the cabinet, shall serve as briefing periods for the newly elected division members and cabinet members, respectively, in every aspect of their respective office by the current division members. During this time, the members-elect shall work with and assist the current division and cabinet members in the performance of their duties. The division head-elect will also serve with the current division head on the presidential elections committee.
B.Division Transitions: A transitional period within each division shall commence the day after the division elections and shall terminate two weeks after that date.
C.Cabinet Transitions: A transitional period for the cabinet shall commence the day after the presidential and vice presidential candidates are approved by the divisions and shall terminate two weeks after that date. The current division heads will continue to work within the cabinet in an advisory capacity during this time, but will relinquish their positions within the divisions at the termination of the division transitional period.
VI.Removal and Vacancy
A.Removal
1.Grounds for removal shall include academic probation, one’s GPA falling below the stated requirement, violations of HoughtonCollege standards, failure to fulfill stated responsibilities, or any violations of Christian conduct.
2.Removal for any position must be brought by a member of the cabinet before the cabinet and faculty advisor. The cabinet member bringing the proposal for removal will present the allegations and grounds. The member in question may then respond to the allegations. A decision will then be made by the cabinet, excluding any member in question, in no less than one week.
B.Vacancy of Position
1.President: the Vice President shall assume all of the duties and powers of the president.
2.Vice President: an election committee consisting of the cabinet and the faculty advisor will be called to nominate a new candidate to present to the divisions in like manner as the Presidential elections.
3.Division Head: the individual division will nominate and vote upon a new division head. The division-head elect must be approved by the cabinet and faculty advisor.
4.Position within a Division: The Division head will nominate a candidate for the vacant position for majority approval within the division
VII.Committees
A.Ad-hoc committees within a division may be formed at the discretion of the division. The division head will have final say as to the composition of such committees.
B.Ad-hoc and standing interdivision committees shall be formed to oversee ministry-wide events and initiatives. Members of such committees will be selected by the members of the cabinet from active members of the ministry.
C.Standing committees will include:
1.Presidential Elections Committee: Will be formed for the presidential elections as outlined in IV.b.
2.Budget Committee: Will be formed three weeks before the end of the spring semester and will include the division heads, treasurer, and either the president or the vice president (the faculty advisor will be included as an ad-hoc member). The current year’s budget will be submitted to each division for review and suggested changes. The committee will reconvene at the beginning of the fall semester to create and submit a budget for the coming school year and is responsible to fill out any necessary paperwork or applications.
3.Committee on End-of-Year Activities: Formed 10 weeks before the end of the spring semester and will include a non-cabinet member selected by the cabinet from each of the three divisions, and at least one member of the cabinet. This committee will be responsible for the Annual Dinner and any other activities held to end the year.
4.Committee on 24-Hour Prayer: Formed within the first two weeks of each semester and will include a member from each division, who may or may not be cabinet members, and at least one additional member as appointed by the cabinet. Members will be responsible for organizing at least one 24-hour prayer event during the course of the semester.
VIII.Ratification and Amendments
A.This constitution shall be approved by the current cabinet and faculty advisor and submitted for ratification by the SGA. It shall go into effect in the Fall of 2004.
B.Amendments shall be proposed to the cabinet and faculty advisor. If approved by a majority of the cabinet, they will be submitted to the SGA for approval.
OneThing Ministries
Constitution
Appendix A