Jr. Warden's Blog
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On the first Sunday in February, we held our first “ Coffee with the Wardens” after both the 8:00 and 10:15 service. Fred and I were pleased to meet with members of our Parish to share their views. This is all part of our commitment to insure that communications are always open to all. At our first “Coffee with the Wardens,” I was asked the question, “ just what is a Junior Warden?” and what is their area of responsibility?
Let’s begin with the Sample Job Description for a Junior Warden from The Vestry Resource Guide.
Qualifications and Gifts
- Have a love God and demonstrate a commitment to following the way of Christ.
- Be active in and knowledgeable about the congregation, its programs and governance.
- Be known as someone who is fair, interacts well with people and is respected by members of the congregation.
- Have respect and, preferably, affection for the rector.
- Have an ability to “check one’s ego at the door,” to be a servant of the people.
- Have an enthusiasm and vitality for this vocation.
Responsibilities
- Assist the rector and senior warden in providing leadership in the vestry to identify the vision, mission and goals of the congregation, establish and implement plans, assess progress and celebrate achievements.
- Provide leadership in the congregation by demonstrating a positive attitude.
- Meet regularly with the rector and senior warden.
- Work closely with the rector and senior warden in providing overall leadership in the congregation.
- Have an understanding of and empathy for property maintenance needs.
- Have an ability to work with service people and to recruit members of the congregation for maintenance work.
- Establish and oversee annual safety checks and seasonal maintenance of all equipment.
- Work closely with the chair of building and grounds committee.
- Establish and oversee a process for obtaining the services of contractors as needed.
I hope that this brief description gives you an idea of what a junior warden is and how he or she serves the church.
The Junior Warden is indeed the” people’s warden” and I am honored to serve as your junior warden. I am encouraged by the commitment of our Senior Warden Fred Leick. Fred and I have formed a partnership based on trust, communication and respect. We honor our parish family, and respect and support our Rector and his family.
I look forward to sharing with you, through this column, the good, and the not so good, things that will be happening at Ascension.
Tom Clark
Junior Warden |
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Jr. Warden's Blog
