Our Lay Leaders
The WUMC lay leaders oversee key ministries in our church. In addition to holding regular meetings with their ministry teams, lay leaders have a monthly meeting with the pastors to discuss matters that further WUMC's vision to encourage people of all ages to grow in a spiritual journey with Christ. The lay leaders strive to create an atmosphere in which all WUMC members and friends feel free to express their feelings, thoughts, and concerns to the lay leaders and pastors.
We all know that it takes a committed church community to ensure that the various programs and ministries run smoothly. Therefore, the lay leaders believe one way to measure their success is by increasing membership involvement. If your interest is peaked by one of the ministry areas mentioned below, feel free to contact the appropriate lay leader to discuss how your talents, gifts, interests, and passions can be used on different teams and projects.
We pray that as we minister together, each person will find a purpose, a welcoming church home, and a supportive Christian community.
The Trustees are responsible for managing and maintaining the real property of the church, as well as administering and investing trusts and bequests. They also oversee investment of various other funds such as the Endowment Fund, Parsonage Maintenance Fund, Music Fund, and the Douglas Zimmerman Scholarship Fund. When needed the Trustees solicit the help of church members by sponsoring Church Work Days.
STAFF AND PARISH RELATIONS
Chair: Gary Brost
(E-mail: SPRC@williamsvilleumc.org)
This team is the personnel ministry team of the church. As such, they are the major avenue of communication between staff and congregation. This team is responsible for developing job descriptions, evaluating performance, making salary and benefit recommendations to the Charge Conference, filling vacancies in lay staff, and advising the district superintendent about pastoral appointments.
The Stewardship and Finance Team is responsible for leading members and friends to become faithful stewards in all aspects of their lives. This team is responsible for developing and leading the annual stewardship program, and seeks to address planned giving as part of our Christian stewardship.
The Coordinating Lay Leader provides support to the lay leaders of the following ministry teams:
Communication
Family Life
Memorials and Columbarium
Open Door Nursery School
Outreach and Missions
Worship
Each lay leader has the freedom to accomplish important ministries related to WUMC’s financial, spiritual, relational, and educational needs. In the coming years, the Coordinating Lay Leader plans to develop a closer working relationship with each lay leader and become better at serving and attending to the needs of our church family.
COMMUNICATION MINISTRIES
Lay Leader: Karen Gerken and Sondra Scott
(E-mail: Communications@williamsvilleumc.org)
The function of the Communications Ministries is to communicate information and ideas to our church community and the wider community using a variety of effective and sometimes unique methods. The Communications Ministries Lay Leader works with team leaders overseeing the following ministries:
The Messenger Newsletter
Public Relations
WUMC’s Web Site
Bulletin Boards and Literature Racks
Photograph and Video
Graphic Art
The Family Life Ministry Team works with the Coordinator of Christian Education to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate ongoing and special educational programs for all ages. In addition, this team is responsible for overseeing the church library and Open Door Nursery School. This team works hard to be sure we are not missing educational opportunities for our congregation whether through Bible study, discussion, or on-going training. The lay leader works with the educational ministries to discuss calendars, planning, and updates for the following areas:
Children’s Ministry and Education
Senior High United Methodist Youth Fellowship
Junior High United Methodist Youth Fellowship
Adult Education
Library
The Family Life Ministries help people reach out to others and develop people to serve in various capacities. We appreciate the different people of varying backgrounds who bring ideas to the table.
MEMORIALS AND COLUMBARIUM MINISTRIES
Lay Leader: Sally Jost
The Memorial portion of this team determines the appropriate use of gifts and donations to WUMC’s memorial fund. The team carefully considers the donors’ wishes and the best interest of the church and congregation when planning and overseeing purchases made with the memorial fund. The Columbarium portion of this team oversees the construction of niches and provisions for sale of niches.
OPEN DOOR NURSERY SCHOOL
Lay Leader: Kathleen Zarbo
(E-mail: OpenDoor@williamsvilleumc.org)
This lay leader serves as the liaison between Open Door Nursery School (ODNS) and Williamsville United Methodist Church, which owns ODNS. WUMC and the Board of Directors have operated ODNS on a nonprofit basis since its founding in 1970. Tuition covers the cost of salaries, supplies, equipment, and insurance. New York State certified teachers provide social, physical, and intellectual experiences for children of all races and religions.
OUTREACH AND MISSIONS MINISTRIES
Leader: Kevin Lyttle
(E-mail: Outreach@williamsvilleumc.org)
The various committees that fall under Outreach and Missions Ministries are responsible for providing opportunities for involvement in and support for mission, outreach, and service in our congregation, the local community, and beyond. The lay leader with team leaders of the various ministries listed below:
Local Missions
National and Global Missions
United Methodist Women
United Methodist Men
Community Outreach Groups
The Outreach and Missions team focuses on raising the congregation's awareness of missions/service opportunities. They hope to continue having a “Mission of the Month” display in the narthex along with a "minute for missions" presentation during Sunday worship to help describe the service and indicate how the congregation can become more involved. They occasionally plan a "Missions Fair" to present a more complete picture of what we are currently doing and hopefully describe some new opportunities to participate in Outreach activities.
WORSHIP MINISTRIES
Lay Leader: Cheryl Thomas
(E-mail: Worship@williamsvilleumc.org)
The teams that form the Worship Ministries are responsible for coordinating various aspects of congregational worship and special seasonal celebrations. Their goal is to create a worshipful environment that fosters individual and congregational development and growth. The lay leader of this ministry works with team leaders of the following ministries:
Communion Stewards and Servers
Visual Arts
Drama and Dance for Contemporary Worship
Ushers
Music
Altar Guild and Flowers
Readers
Greeters
Acolytes