Hey Martha - I saw something interesting and may just follow it up.  Thanks for the nudge.

Excellent!!

And members or adherents are eligible for most positions (all except inter-church work) so don't let lack of membership stop you from appying!

I nominated someone last year....so...wondercafe folks...even if it isn't for you...review it, and think...who has similair gifts/talents to that which  are being searched.

Also, if htere is something that you think, wow, so & so would be perfect for that, but they are too busy now...or they may need more experience in other courts of the church first, then communicate to them still..(imho) --- following the parable of the mustard seeds.

There were a couple pieces of work that might have been of interest but:

• it would be (imho) inappropriate to take on GC work when I have just moved
• none of it was of enough interest to lose an entire week everytime a meeting was held.  going to Toronto for a meeting would have to be a REALLY interesting topic to use that time, money and resources

GordW -- virtual meetings should be valid and acceptable for GC work, past the initial meet & greet.  If not, then, my sense is we reduce the participation of those like you for whom the travel costs / time outweigh the value-add of in-person.  You clearly can communicate well in a virtual space. 

Suggestion: if there is somethign of interest, articulate that to our GCE...not just the nominating team.

Gord, the world has changed. Most GC committees meet no more than once a year in Toronto. The remainder of the work is usually done by conference call. Video conferencing is normally unnecessary and is exclusive to those who have broadband access.

I serve on one General Council committee (Transfer) and we meet once, annually, in April. The rest of the work is by conference call. We have a special meeting this fall, but it is considered extraordinary and will not be repeated. 

Unfortunately, other than a telephone conference call, "virtual" meetings are still deliberately exclusive. And expensive. 

99% of my virtual meetings are conference calls or chat.

DKS,

once or twice a year in TOronto is stil one or two weeks.  A 3 day meeting is a week given flight schedules.  And with the ages of my daughters I severely lmit the amount of time I am not at home.

As I said earlier, unless you are on GCE, more than once a year in Toronto on a national committee is unusual these days. 

David is quite correct: Permanent Committees are meeting in person 3 to 4 times a year, but most committees meet via conference call.  My communication review group met only at breakfast before the PC meeting, otherwise exclusively by conf. call.  Effective use of time and resources all 'round + we get the voices 'from the pews'.

Additionally, there are at least two committee members (different group) that I've never met in person: they ONLY conference call into the meeting.  These are expert members who definitly can't afford to volunteer 3 full business days out of their offices.