Children's Council

Clerk:
Tiffini Gregory

Because we love the children of our meeting, and because we hope to provide them with all of the resources that our faith can offer, we ask the Children's Council to maintain a quality program for our children. In particular, the Children's Council oversees all aspects of our Sunday school program. This group administers the budget for Sunday school and nursery supplies, Sunday school curriculum, and paid care-givers (line items 6501-6507).

Elders

Clerk:
Claire Nail

We ask the Elders to nurture the spiritual well-being of our community. They attend to the spiritual climate of our meeting as a whole (e.g. evaluating the health of worship). They also consider the particular needs of those individuals within our community (e.g. providing emergency assistance, facilitating meetings for clearness, encouraging those with gifts for ministry). THe Elders also oversee the membership process and supervise released ministers. This group administers the budget for "Meeting Activities" (line items 6701-6706), for "Pastoral Expenses" (6801-6815), and for "Discipleship" (7001-7006).

Hunger Group

Contact:
Pat Evans

West Hills Friends benefits from the ministry of a very active Hunger Group. This group coordinates our participation in Potluck-in-the-Park. The group provides the residents of Transition Projects with an annual dinner and a weekly supply of leftover bagels (from Noah's in Hillsdale). The group also organizes our annual Hunger Month activities and oversees our canned food drives throughout the year. They administer the budget for "hunger" (line item 6602). You may read their Annual Report.

Music Committee

Clerk:
Jim Nail

Our meeting is enriched by many gifted musicians. We ask the Music Committee to oversee the ministry of music in our community. They schedule musicians and technicians for each week's meeting for worship. They also coordinate our Christmas Eve gathering and care for our music and sound equipment. This group administers the budget for "Music Supplies" (line item 6901).

Nominating Committee

Clerks:
Tim & Doreen Crail

Every church faces the danger of becoming "institutionalized." When human beings become fodder for maintaining the organization, the church has lost its way. Rather than shoehorn people onto committees for the sake of committees, a healthy Nominating Committee will help people identify their gifts and sense of call. A Nominating Committee connects people to opportunities for vital service.

Pastoral Care Team

Clerk:
Mike Huber

Prayer is an important part of our life together. We pray for one another during each meeting for worship. We also have a "prayer chain" through which people can send prayer requests throughout the week. In addition, the Pastoral Care Team meets once per month to draw up a list of Friends who might appreciate prayer and perhaps a note of support. Members of the team divide up the list, extending love and encouragement on behalf of the entire community.

Retreat Committee

Clerk:
Tami Carlson

Each year, West Hills Friends has an All Church Retreat on the Oregon Coast. This time together allows us to invest more deeply in our relationships. It's such an important part of our life together that attendance at Retreat often exceeds our average attendance for the year! While the Elders select the speaker for Retreat, the Retreat Committee handles every other detail (e.g. childcare, housing and the overall budget). For the most part, the Retreat budget is handled separately from our meeting's operating budget: attendance fees are expected to cover actual costs. This group does administer "Retreat Scholarships" (line item 6704), if they choose to request supplemental income from the meeting.

Scholarship Committee

Clerk:
Sam Beardsley

In addition to providing (limited) funds to college-bound Friends, the Scholarship Committee offers guidance to young people as they embark on their life at school. In particular, this group invites young people to develop financial skills and to discern the connection between their time at school and the overall course of their spiritual journey. The Scholarship Committee administers the budget for "College Scholarships" (line item 7005).

Stewards

Clerks:
Ralph Gilliam & Ron Hall

We ask the Stewards oversee the financial health of our community (e.g. recommending an annual budget, handling our insurance needs). This group also maintains the buildings and grounds (e.g. providing for repairs, stockpiling light bulbs). By taking responsibility for these behind-the-scenes details, the Stewards empower us for ministry. The Stewards administer our "tithe" to NW Yearly Meeting (line item 6101), "Utilities" (6201-6212), "Property Maintainance" (6301-6309), and "Office Equipment" (6401-6411). The Stewards also forecast income for the coming year.