ARTICLE I
Name
The name of the young adult ministry will be Bridge Builders also known as B2.
ARTICLE II
Mission Objective
Our objective is three-fold: to Biblically encourage and equip young adults to see, savor, share and delight in God as their treasure through Jesus Christ, to bridge the cultural gap between the young adult participant and the remainder of the church community and to build a bridge to the unchurched outside of our doors.
ARTICLE III
Membership
Section 1: Purpose of Membership. Membership is being accounted for, for census purposes.
Section 2: Membership Eligibility. Eligibility to join this ministry is left open. The standard of being considered eligible for membership is determined by the board.
Section 3: Special Membership. Any paid staff whose job description involves the young adult minister within the church.
Section 4: Maximum Membership. The maximum number of member is 75. Once this number has been reached the charter must be rewritten in lieu of the ministry concept.
ARTICLE IV
The Board
Section 1: Board Composition. The officers of the ministry (as stated in article V) and any Young Adult Staff workers shall constitute The Board.
Section 2: Board's Duties and Powers. Their duties and powers are as such: to make all ministry decisions in light of seeking God's will, to plan weekly activities (fellowship night/small groups), to organize retreats and mission opportunities and general social events. It is also the Board's duty to nominate future Board members.
Section 3: Board Meeting. Meetings will be open to all and held regularly at the discretion of the current Board. Meeting times will be announced prior to its occurrence.
Section 4: Voting. Officer as defined in Article V are the only voting members at the Board. Votes will be taken when deemed necessary by the presiding Board. All votes are won with a vote of three or more.
ARTICLE V
Officers
Section 1: Officers and Duties. The officers of the ministry shall be a President, a Communications Officer, a Secretary, a Social Coordinator and a Small Group Coordinator. These officers shall perform the duties prescribed by these bylaws and by the parliamentary authority adopted by the ministry.
Section 2: Nomination Procedure. Specific volunteers for positions will be nominated by suggestion of the Board. Nominations will be official only if the suggested person accepts the nomination.
Section 3: Term of Office. The officer will serve a term of twelve months. At which time a new officer will be elected. The former officer will continue in an assistant role for one month following the twelve month term.
Section 4: Office-Holding Limitations. An officer can hold two consecutive terms. Only one spouse may hold an office at a time. All officers must be between the ages of 18 and 29 at the start of their term. At least one officer must represent each of the following age groups: 18 to 22, 23 to 26 and 27 to 30.
Section 5: Officer Responsibilities. The President will direct and lead the board meetings, in addition to sitting on the church council. The Communications Officer will organize and communicate all information to the group members, the large church as a whole and is also in charge of upkeep with the website. The Secretary will keep all minutes, records, and history of the ministry. The Small Group Coordinator will be the center point of contact and support for all small group activities including the commissioning of the groups. The Social Coordinator will work with the YA Director to organize social gatherings and mission/retreat events. The YA Director will help spiritually lead and guide The Council. The Director will also oversee the ministry as a whole (including visioning, fiscal activities and representation of the ministry to the larger church).
Section 6: All bylaws regarding Officers Article V may be preempted when necessary by the approval of the presiding Board.
ARTICLE VI
Meetings
Section 1: Regular Fellowship night. Fellowship night will be held on a weekly basis. These meetings will include prayer, worship, outreach, devotional study and social activities.
Section 2: Small Groups. Small groups will be held on weekly basis. Their function and administration will be further discussed in Article VII.
Section 3: Social/Outreach Gatherings. Social/Outreach Gatherings will be held at least once every two months with emphasis on participation in both fun and service activities. With the purpose of furthering the Gospel, serving needs in the Kingdom and inviting others to get involved with the ministry.
Section 4: Mission and Retreat Events. Mission and retreat events will be held once or twice a year. And will consist of either, long term mission projects, retreats or conferences. The purpose behind such events is to as a community; share Christ's love through action and journey deeper into our relationship with God.
ARTICLE VII
Small Groups
Section 1: The rules and governance of the small group charter as accepted by Manassas St. Thomas United Methodist Council will be followed.
Section 2: Purpose of Small Groups. Small groups are a designed to be times of Biblically based study, with the objective being to further ones discipleship of the Lord.
Section 3: Administration of Small Groups. Small groups will be commissioned by the Small Group Coordinator.
ARTICLE VIII
Parliamentary Authority
The rules contained in the current Order of Assembly of Manassas St. Thomas United Methodist Church followed by Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the ministry in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the ministry may adopt.
ARTICLE IX
Amendment of Bylaws
These bylaws may be amended at any Board meeting of the ministry by a two-thirds vote, provided that the amendment has been submitted in writing at the previous Board meeting. The Board is recommended to review and make changes (if necessary) every two years in the beginning of January of an odd year.
