10/07/2020

Register today for 'Congregation Meetings During COVID' event with Pr. Bob Abrams

Congregation Meetings During COVID October 19, 2020 7 pm, Zoom Call Hosted by Pr. Bob Abrams

REGISTRATION CLOSES SUNDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2020.

Feeling boxed in by your constitution when it comes to how congregation meetings can and should be carried out while working within the restraints of the current pandemic? You’re not alone. Congregation constitutions are in place to help guide and build structure around processes required by Ohio law and are intended to be helpful for the overall health and ministry of the congregation. When COVID-19 threw all of us a curveball, it forced us to look at our constitutions differently and consider innovative ways to carry out our congregation meetings and still fit within the legal parameters set forth by the state.

Pr. Bob Abrams, Assistant to the Bishop, leads a detailed discussion for Council leaders on the following questions:

How do we hold meetings that comply with our current constitutions?

What short-term steps do we take to hold electronic congregation meetings?

What are some long-term changes we can make to our constitutions to allow for more flexibility in situations when we can’t meet in person?

What are we not permitted to do?

This event will be held online via a Zoom meeting. Pre-registration is required. You will receive the Zoom call in information via email as part of your registration confirmation. You have the opportunity to share specific questions you’d like covered during the event when you register. We can’t guarantee all of the questions will be addressed, but we will do our best!

It would be helpful for you to have read through the section of your constitution that refers specifically to congregation meetings, so you are familiar with the language used in your constitution. Here is a link to the current model constitution for congregations on the ELCA website. Your constitution may differ depending on when it was last updated and any language your congregation added.

https://www.elca.org/en/About/Churchwide/Office-of-the-Secretary/Constitutions

Please click the link below to register yourself and anyone else from your congregation council who will be calling in individually.

REGISTER TODAY!

Questions regarding registration may be directed to Susan Barton-Nonno, Director of Communications, sbarton-nonno@southernohiosynod.org.