Parkview at a glance

Dear friends,

You have been meeting or are about to be meeting in exploration groups for the second time. One group raised the need for helping new people get integrated into Parkview groups and to be informed about what the church is all about. The session redid our manual a few years back, but there are very few people who have read it. So here is a fact sheet on the congregation for visitors and new members. It will not be complete, but it might help. So here we go: Is there a Membership fee to be part of the church? No. Do you have to be a Christian? To be part of the Parkview family, no. To be a member of the congregation, yes.  How many employees does the church have? Three: one full time employee: pastor ( in spite of the popular joke that the pastor works only one hour a week); part-time employees: Donna Komure –Toyama, office manager and  Ben Pryor, choir director.  We also have a bi-weekly janitor and a weekly gardener.  Does the pastor have a day off? Yes, Monday, but generally this is a secret.  When is the office manager at the church?  Tuesday 9-11.30;  Thursdays as well as Friday 1-4. How much vacation does the pastor get? According to Presbytery rules: 4 weeks vacation, 2 weeks study leave per year and a three month sabbatical every seven years.  Aart has 12 weeks of time off saved up and has taken one two-month sabbatical in 18 plus years. Who is a member? Of the Parkview family: everyone; of the congregation: you can become a member: in 3 ways: a. 1 through baptism, b. through confession of faith in front of the congregation  if you have been baptized but are not a member of anther Christian church and  c. through a letter of transfer if you are a baptized member of another Christian congregation.  What is the session? A church board made up of (in our case 5) ordained members (RE’s, ruling elders) who have three year terms and make the decisions for the congregation. The pastor (otherwise known as TE (teaching elder, not Tight End), is the moderator, but has no voting power). What happens if a session can’t make up its mind?  A congregational meeting of members of the congregation can be called. What is a deacon? A deacon is an ordained member of the congregation committed to the care of the sick, the poor and the bereaved.  Currently we have no board of deacons, although until recently we had one for more than ten years. What are trustees?  Members who represent the congregation as corporation in relation to businesses and government agencies. How are officers selected? Through the nominating committee who take into account the age, gender and ethnic make-up of the congregation. What are the Presbyterian documents? The Book of Confessions (theology), the Book of Order make up of the Books of Worship, Government and Discipline.  What is a Presbytery? It is a regional unit made up of local congregations (in our case the Presbytery of Sacramento which meets four times  a year). It makes decisions about the member churches as a group of ruling elder representatives of each congregation (Parkview has 3) and teaching elders (pastors).  Who owns our building? The congregation and the Presbytery together. What is the stewardship committee? A group of volunteers who advice the session on facility/ money management. How do you complain about the pastor or another employee? By contacting the personnel committee.  What groups can people join? Generally Choir, youth, men’s PPW, mariner’s, Jujikai.  Activities of these groups are generally open to anyone.  Their work is about sharing the burden of responsibility, not about keeping people out.   How is money handled?  Different people receive money, count money, deposit money. We also have a treasurer and two people to review our books. Thanks for being a part of what we are and what we do. May God bless our ministry.  See you in church. Aart