The Administration and Government of Our Church
The Church Administration and Government is participatory. Here is a review of the various groups involved in governing and administering the activities of Guildwood Community Presbyterian Church.
Session
"Presbyterian" is an ancient word which means "Elders." The Presbyterian Church in Canada is so named because it is governed by Elders – that is, those women and men of all ages elected by the Congregation to exercise the gifts and responsibilities of Pastoral Care, Oversight and Direction.
Each Elder has a district, comprised of approximately ten families, to whom they exercise Pastoral Care.
Regular visits, particularly around the time of Communion Services, ensure that no-one in our congregational life is forgotten or excluded.
Every member and adherent of the Congregation is assigned an Elder. In addition to regular District visitation, elders meet once per month as a Session, where the programs and activities of the church and its committees are reviewed, and new directions and initiatives planned.
The Presbytery is the next level of Church government, and is comprised of a Minister and Representative Elder from each congregation within the Presbytery bounds.
Our congregation is part of the Presbytery of Pickering, which stretches from Oshawa in the East, to just about the Don Valley in the West, to Port Perry in the North and Lake Ontario to the South.
Congregational representation continues all the way to the General Assembly, the highest level of Church Government in the Presbyterian Church in Canada.
One-sixth of all ministers with an equal number of Representative Elders meets once a year to deliberate the direction, theology and polity of the National Church.
CommitteesA lot of the action at Guildwood Community Presbyterian Church happens through the work of its Committees.
Whether you are new to the church or a member of many years, working with a committee is a great way to exercise your faith and make new friends.
Learn more about what our committees are up to, and how you might become involved!
Mission and Outreach:The Mission and Outreach Committee is involved in reaching out with God's love to our community and our world. Coordinating the national and international Mission projects of our congregation and working with other churches and agencies to make an impact on our own community are but a few of the tasks of Outreach and Mission.
How can you exercise your talents and serve God through the work of the Outreach and Mission Committee?
Call our church office for more information, and to see how you can become involved!
Worship and Nurture:The Worship and Nurture Committee provides oversight of the Christian Education, Youth Work and Music Programs of our church, as well as coordinating the Bible Studies, Special Events and Sunday Services.
A lot to do! But having all these responsibilities under one "roof" enables us to ensure that the Worship and Nurture programs are complimentary to one another, and pointing toward the same goal - giving glory to God, and bringing us closer to one another and to Jesus Christ.
How can you exercise your talents and serve God through the work of the Worship and Nurture Committee?
Call our church office for more information, and to see how you can become involved!
Introducing Our new Music Director!
Welcome to our new Music Director Carmine Lappano. - Bachelor of Education, University of Toronto, Specialty in Music
- Bachelor of Music, University of Toronto
On August 1, 2006, Carmine begins his ministry of Music here at Guildwood Community Presbyterian Church. This follows many years of working as a church musician: tenor soloist, accompanist and conductor.
Presently Carmine is working in our community as the Music Department head at Jack Miner Sr. P.S., instructing Band, Strings and Choral music.
On July 27, 2006, Carmine and his wife Michelle welcomed their newborn baby boy, Joseph Patrick, into their family.
Finance and Maintenance:As our congregation grows, our wonderful facility is stressed to the limits - but thanks to our Finance and Maintenance Committee, everything is kept in tip-top condition, and the use of all our space - seven days a week - is maximized. F&M is responsible for overseeing the use and upkeep of our "physical plant" (Church building, extensive grounds, and Manse), the timely management of our resources, and the careful foresight required in assisting the congregation to asses its state and set its goals.
Their "behind the scenes" work makes much of what we do possible. How can you exercise your talents and serve God through the work of the Finance and Maintenance Committee?
Call our church office for more information, and to see how you can become involved!
Pastoral Care:The Pastoral Care Committee reaches out to the members of our congregation and community who are unable to be as active in the life of the church as once they were.
Whether organizing and facilitating services of worship at the Guildwood Extendicare, visiting the less mobile members of our church family, delivering flowers at festive seasons, or bringing an encouraging smile to a hospital room, the Pastoral Care Committee extends the life of the church family and the touch of God's hand.
Our hope, and their goal, is that no one in our family of faith will be neglected.
How can you exercise your talents and serve God through the work of the Pastoral Care Committee?
Call our church office for more information, and to see how you can become involved!
Fellowship:For a family to grow, it needs to grow closer together, and that's the goal of our Fellowship Committee - bringing people closer to one another - and to God! - through joyful fellowship and special congregational and family events.
Skating parties, pasta suppers, games nights, carol sings, church picnics, film nights - these events (among others!) bring our church together in many ways.
Friendships are forged, problems solved, connections are made, and the church becomes a Family through sharing time together.
Plus, visitors to our congregation become familiar faces through our Coffee Hour following every church service, a key part of our friendly welcome to all seeking a church home.
All this - and so much more! - is under the umbrella of our energetic and enthusiastic Fellowship Committee.
How can you exercise your talents and serve God through the work of the Fellowship Committee?
Call our church office for more information, and to see how you can become involved!
WRAP Committee:
W elcoming
R enewal
A wareness
P romotion
The WRAP Committee was founded in 2001 as a way to foster church growth. The committee’s mission statement is “Ours is a vision for a welcoming church through promoting heightened awareness and a sense of renewal through the nurturing of our gifts. We aim to open our hands to God and to the community within our church and beyond.”
Communication is one of our main goals. The church photo directory, revised in Spring 2006, provides a visual guide to help everyone identify others in the congregation.
One of our ongoing projects is the folders in the lobby that are used to distribute mail to each church member or family. Others are the church newsletter (the Guildwood Gazette), which is published quarterly, and this website.
The committee aims to promote the church to the community and to raise awareness of the church’s groups and activities in our congregation.
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