Call
An inner urging from God toward some specific, purposeful activity in support of God’s kin-dom; a vocation. We understand every Christian to be “called” to a life in the community of believers--the Body of Christ--and also to some specific, personal missionary task which may or may not be identical to one’s gainful employment. In Metanoia we invite persons to share with others in the community their own sense of call and to allow others to help discern and affirm the authenticity of the call.

Church Conference (a.k.a Charge Conference)
In United Methodist polity, the Church Conference is the primary policy making body of the local congregation. The United Methodist District Superintendent presides. The Church Conference meets annually to elect officers, fix the salary of the pastor, and conduct other required business. The Church Conference may be called into special session at other times when major policy decisions are required such as the decision to purchase or transfer title to property. Because all members of the congregation are members of the Church Conference, a gathering of the Church Conference is, in effect, an official meeting of the membership.

Clearness Meeting
A meeting called by an individual (known as the focus person) and involving several other persons, to help the focus person come to clearness about a choice or contemplated course of action. The meeting may follow a specific process for coming to clearness developed by the Quakers.

Community Council
Called the “Administrative Council” in most United Methodist congregations, the Community Council guides the life and work of the congregation between meetings of the Church Conference. In our congregation, the Council meets every Sunday evening following the worship gathering, except when there is no business to conduct. All members of the congregation are members of the Council but Sojourners are also encouraged to participate in seeking the “sense of the meeting.”

Community Needs Fund
A fund which can be drawn upon by members, sojourners and persons with AIDS, to meet personal emergency financial needs. The fund is administered by a committee, to whom requests for help are made. Five cents out of every offering dollar is deposited in the Community Needs Fund.

Covenant Member Group
A group of 3 to 5 members which meets weekly. Group members examine each other regarding their faithfulness to the Covenant of Membership and in other ways help each other to be disciplined in their Christian life.

Covenant of Membership
1. The bond that holds together the members of the congregation.
2. A statement detailing the specific commitments expected of those who enter into membership.

Estimate of Giving
A written declaration by an individual or family specifying the weekly, monthly, or yearly amount they expect to give towards the budget of the congregation. The total from all estimates of giving guides the Committee on Finance in its planning.

Exploring Member
A person who has entered into the process leading to full membership and who is discovering what it feels like to be a member by entering fully into the expectations outline in the covenant of membership.

Glossary Continued