January 18, 2023
Souper Bowl Sunday Blood Drive: February 12
Consider donating to our next Blood Drive on February 12! At our Downtown Campus, the Blood Connection will be in…
View All NewsStaff & Lay Leader Guidelines
At Buncombe Street UMC, it takes numerous committed Christians to guide and sustain our various ministries as we pursue God’s will for our congregation. We thank our staff and lay leaders for sharing their time and talents with our church, and we want to do whatever we can to make your jobs easier. We hope that the information on this page, which is essentially an FAQ about our processes, is helpful to you as you grow your areas of ministry.
How do I…
- …set up an in-person meeting?
- …set up a virtual meeting?
- …plan an event, including setup and publicity?
- …arrange for child care for my event?
- …contact my committee members?
- …access the building?
- …put in a work order?
- …make sure my volunteers are Safe Sanctuary approved?
- …request funding from the Morgan Trust?
How do I set up an in-person meeting, class, or other gathering at the church?
The first step in setting up a meeting for your committee or other group is to request a date, time, and space using this form. You can use this form to set up a single or recurring meeting, and you can include a request for a hybrid (Zoom) meeting if some of your group members are unable to be there in person. Once your request is approved, you will receive confirmation from “[email protected]” and can move on to the next step, which is contacting your group.
In-Person/Hybrid Meeting Request
How do I set up a virtual meeting?
You can use this form to request that a virtual or hybrid meeting be set up for your group. Virtual meetings are set up using Zoom. After filling out the request for a Zoom meeting, you will be contacted by a staff member with the invitation information to distribute to your group. Unless you request that the meeting be kept private, the Zoom link will also appear on the church calendar, which can be found on the Events page of the website.
How do I plan an event, including setup and publicity?
To plan an event, including setup, teardown, resources, and publicity, use this form, which can be found on the Events page of the website. Once your request is approved, you will receive confirmation from “[email protected]”
- The specifics of promoting your event will be left up to the church Communications Coordinator. Please provide all the details needed to promote your event, and she will take it from there.
- For particularly complicated set-ups and for all events at the Trinity Campus, we suggest creating a separate work order so that our maintenance staff can plan ahead to make sure your needs are met.
- Church ministry events must be scheduled fourteen (14) days before any event in Sisk Hall or Drake Hall. To discourage events in Sisk Hall on Friday and Saturday, when the room is already set up for Sunday worship, Sisk Hall will be unavailable for scheduling via the Event Request form on those days. We do know that exceptions occur, however. If you are planning an event on one of the “blocked” days, please contact Wahid Dennis directly to discuss arrangements for your event.
- If you plan to use the kitchen to prepare for your event, please be sure to reserve that space as well to avoid conflicts with others who might need the space.
- Food, if served, should be cleaned up completely following the event.
How do I arrange child care for my event?
If you need child care for your event, please contact Lindsey Wolfe and let her know when and where your event will take place, as well as the number of children expected, and their approximate ages.
How do I contact my committee members?
The best way to contact your committee members is by using Realm, our member database and church management system. As a group leader, you will be given the permissions you need to communicate with your group, take attendance at meetings, and upload resources for your committee. You can find additional information for group leaders by following the link below.
Although BSUMC would prefer that you commit to learning and using Realm for your communications and to keep track of attendance for your groups, it is not a requirement. Feel free to use your traditional forms of communication (Outlook, Gmail, etc.) and organization (Excel spreadsheets, etc.) if you do not wish to use Realm. If you are unable to communicate with your group directly, please find a committee member to communicate with your group on your behalf.
How do I access the building?
To protect the children in our Child Development Center, as well as our staff, all exterior doors to the church are now kept locked, and many of our interior doors are also locked as an additional precaution. All of these doors may be accessed using a key card, which can be obtained from the receptionist in the front office. If you are planning a meeting outside of normal business hours (9:00 AM -5:00 PM, Monday – Thursday, and 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM on Friday) please check out a card, designate one point of entry for your group, and plan to have someone in the lobby to let people in as they arrive. It also is a good idea to let your group members know what to do/who to contact if they are running late.
For large events, doors may be unlocked for a specific period of time upon request, but the requestor is responsible for making sure a volunteer is manning the doors at all times. Please include this information in your Event Request Form or contact Wahid Dennis with the exact times you need the doors unlocked.
More detailed Building Access Guidelines can be found here.
How do I put in a work order?
Work orders for both campuses should be submitted via online form. These are checked daily by our maintenance staff and are generally addressed quickly, but advance notice is appreciated when possible, especially for activities occurring on weekends.
How do I make sure my volunteers are Safe Sanctuary approved?
“Safe Sanctuary” refers to the policy adopted by the church to ensure a safe and nurturing environment not only for children, youth, and vulnerable adults, but for everyone who participates in our ministries. Any volunteer who works with vulnerable populations must be Safe Sanctuary Certified. To find out more about our Safe Sanctuary Policy, and to find out who to contact to make sure your volunteers are certified, please visit the Safe Sanctuary page of the website.
How do I request funding from the Morgan Trust?
The Morgan Trust Fund was established by sisters Martha Francis Morgan and Elizabeth Morgan. It provides annual funding for Christian speakers, lecturers, and educational opportunities supported by BSUMC. Ministry leaders in conjunction with a staff member may apply for funding by filling out the request form and submitting it to the Associate Pastor of Christian Education.
