[faq title=”FAQ”][faq_question]Do you need some kind of necrology/active member report? If so, do you have an example of the outline and is this a yearly report?[/faq_question][faq_answer]First is the annual reporting provided at a Session meeting, usually in February, per the Book of Government section §9-828: “ Each year the Church Session shall review its four rolls, ordinarily at a meeting in February. It shall review its ministry to those on each roll, giving special care to examine its ministry to those on the baptized members roll, and its continuing efforts to restore to active participation those on the inactive roll.” Second, there are reports to be provided to General Assembly regarding end-of-year statistical reporting on membership, makeup of members etc. You will find the information you need here. The recent information we have from that site as of 1/7/14 is: “Clerks of Session will receive a Worksheet in the mail (usually) by January 31, 2014. Use that worksheet to collect the requested information and return to this site to enter data. The site will be open for data entry from February 1 to March 31. After that date, the site will be closed for new entry and a copy of your Annual Statistical and Financial Report Worksheet should be faxed, scanned and emailed, or mailed to the General Assembly Office.” As far as Session Minutes are concerned, the information to which you refer should be included as indicated in the EPC Checklist, the Session Review Worksheet, and the Book of Government”. Also regarding 2013 Annual Statistical/Financial Reporting: a more recent email posting (1/30/14) from General Assembly is provided by Assistant Stated Clerk Ed McCallum and you can read it here. That website is your most accurate, up-to-date source for information. Finally, for help with a “timeline” regarding what to include in minutes, what to report, and when to report it, the Checklist, Worksheet, and BOG Citations referenced above can be a great help, along with the two Session minutes “Templates” available from your Reviewer if you don’t already have them. The Templates (Models) were developed to help Clerks remember monthly, annual and record items that need to be addressed by the Session and included in the minutes.[/faq_answer][faq_question]Is there a preferred format for Session minutes?[/faq_question][faq_answer]I understand that they are reviewed annually, and I was thinking that a particular layout might expedite all that reading. If not, my minutes so far are in paragraph form in the order of when the items were discussed. I’m wondering about the amount of detail you are looking for. My rule of thumb is that if there is enough information for someone to know what happened when they read them a few years later, that is sufficient. Answer: There is no set format for minutes. Your “rule of thumb” for minutes is a pretty good one. Of course, any actions of Session (motions, decisions) must be accounted for, and items mandated in the Book of Government need to be addressed in the minutes. Generally, minutes are anywhere from one to three or four pages, depending on the degree of detail the Session requires and the requirements of the Book of Government are met. The Review Committee has developed a number of resources to assist Clerks in this regard, including Templates (sample formats) that may be helpful.[/faq_answer][faq_question]Is there a timeline of what is needed to be included in Session meetings and minutes, and when?[/faq_question][faq_answer]Not exactly, but you can create your own timeline or reminder by using the EPC Session Minutes Checklist, the Session Minutes Review Worksheet, and the Book of Government (BOG) Checklist that is keyed to all three. There are also two Session minutes “Templates” available for your use. The Templates (Models) were developed to help Clerks remember monthly, annual and record items that need to be addressed by the Session and included in the minutes. All of these are available from your Reviewer if you don’t already have them.[/faq_answer][faq_question]What happens once the minutes are sent? What do you do with them?[/faq_question][faq_answer]The Book of Government §16-3 states, “Each court shall review the minutes submitted to it to insure that the lower body has faithfully and diligently fulfilled all duties and responsibilities assigned to each court. It may refer matters back for reconsideration, call attention to omissions, require amendment of actions out of conformity with the Constitution, or otherwise exercise proper review and control of the lower body.” The Session Review Committee functions on behalf of the Presbytery and reports back to that body. Through the year, When Presbytery is not meeting the General Council is able to address concerns or issues reported by the Review Committee Chair who is a member of the Council. Again, the intent in reviewing Session minutes is to help Sessions keep a clear and accurate record of its decisions and action. The intent of Presbytery in this regard is connectional, constitutional, collegial and pastoral.[/faq_answer][faq_question]Do you have a minutes review worksheet for the new year? I am trying to get someone else trained on this and would love to get the new spreadsheet.[/faq_question][faq_answer]Here’s the new worksheet. If you save it as an Excel file, you can update the header annually and use it from year to year. You can also modify the file to remove or add rows for called Session meetings or Congregational meetings as needed. In training someone else I would also recommend using the EPC Checklist and the Book of Government citations, both of which are also attached.[/faq_answer][/faq]