New Day Church Kansas City - Pastor Jerry Johnston

Service Times
Location
Governance
Guiding Principles
Our Pastor
Our Beliefs
Our Board
Our Mission Statement

POLITY OF NEW DAY CHURCH KANSAS CITY
Fall 2011

How is New Day Church Kansas City Organized?
Founded in September 2011, New Day Church Kansas City is a non-denominational, single, nonprofit religious corporation organized and governed in compliance with the laws of Kansas and Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The church's mission is to reach lost people, bring them into God's family, inspire them to mature in Christ and change the world.

New Day Church Kansas City Governance
New Day Church is governed by a board of directors and led by founder and senior pastor Jerry Johnston. Its ministries are implemented by associate pastors, church staff, and dedicated volunteers. As outlined in Scripture, NDCKC operates under three distinct layers of biblical leadership:

Bishop/Overseer/Pastor
The New Testament church was led by a senior pastor responsible for overseeing the ministry of the church. These individuals were sometimes referred to as an overseer, bishop, or pastor. Since its founding, Pastor Jerry Johnston has served as the senior pastor and overseer of NDCKC. (Philippians 1:1; I Timothy 3:1-2; Titus 1:7; Acts 20:28; I Peter 5:2; Ephesians 4:11).

Elders
The New Testament church was heavily supported in ministry delegation and decision-making by a group of spiritual leaders called 'elders.' Beginning in Acts 11 and throughout the Pastoral Epistles to Timothy and Titus, Scripture records the great impact of these leaders as they served alongside the Apostles and the pastors of local churches. Members of NDCKC's pastoral staff serve as the elders providing ministry and decision-making support for all aspects of church outreaches. (Acts 11, 14-16, 20, 21; 2 Timothy 4:14, 5:17, 19; Titus 1:5; Hebrews 11:2; James 5:14; I Peter 5:1, 5:5; 2 John 1:1; 3 John 1:1).

Deacons
The New Testament church grew so quickly and so many ministerial needs that it instituted a layer of "lay leadership." Beginning in Acts chapter 6 and seen throughout the rest of the New Testament, these individuals were knows as 'deacons,' deriving their English name from the Greek word 'diakonos,' a synonym for the word 'servant.' These were men and women who were spiritually qualified leaders in the church who were able to help serve the needs of the people while the bishops and elders prayed, studied the word, preached and taught the word, and led the church ministry, as decided in Acts 6. NDCKC has a dedicated group of deacons who serve ministry needs throughout the outreaches of our church. Deacons are selected from the NDCKC congregation according to the spiritual qualifications outlined in Scripture.

The Board of Directors
In compliance with state and federal laws governing nonprofit organizations, NDCKC has added this additional layer of leadership. The board is comprised of gifted individuals who oversee financial planning, compliance and accountability processes with established legal standards and IRS guidelines. In addition, the board supports the senior pastor and his wife, protects the unity and harmony of NDCKC by following biblical protocol regarding honoring the office of the pastor. In addition the Board meets throughout the year in regularly scheduled meetings, reviews ministerial and financial activity, and seeks God's wisdom in the spiritual governance of the church.

Board Composition
The Board of Directors of NDCKC will be composed of no fewer than 4 and no more than 11 members selected and agreed upon by the entire board. Board members, apart from two outside pastors will be comprised of worshiping members of NDCKC.

Board Committees - Personnel and Finance
The Board will also designate sub-committees of members within the Board to address specific areas of Church operations. Sub-committees will meet as necessary for their respective purposes. Each sub-committee will be made up of at least 3 Board members. The Personnel committee will review all personnel issues and decisions including hiring, termination, employment rules, and the spiritual qualifications of ministerial staff and lay leaders. The Finance Committee will review Church financial reports and performance as well as all decisions to the disposition of Church assets and liabilities.

Board Meeting/Timing Frequency
The NDCKC Board will conduct a regularly scheduled meeting of the full Board at least six times per year (every other month). Board meetings will be conducted on Sunday and start at the same time as decided by the Board to allow Board members to provide for it scheduling and reservation of the time.

Board Attendance
The regularly scheduled NDCKC Board meetings will be attended by, as a minimum, all Board members who live in the Kansas City area, the Senior Pastor, and Executive Pastor. Either the Senior Pastor or Executive Pastor must be present at all regular Board meetings.

Special Board Meetings
Special/emergency Board meetings can be scheduled, either in person or by phone, with the prior notification of the entire Board. Either the Senior Pastor or Executive Pastor must be present at all special Board meetings.

Information for Board Meetings
One week prior to each NDCKC Board meeting, the Executive Pastor will develop and disseminate to all Board members the following: a. An agenda for the upcoming Board meeting to include any special items or topics for review or discussion; b. A complete set of financial reports; and c. Other information required related to the topics/discussions in the next Board meeting. Minutes will be taken at each Board meetings and properly logged in the Corporate Record Book.

Board Prayer
All NDCKC Board meetings will open and close with a prayer for wisdom, discernment and Godly teamwork. In addition, prayer for special needs or for members in need will also be addressed.

Standard Board Meeting Review Items
While any and all items that fall under the purview of the NDCKC Board as described in the NDCKC By Laws may be reviewed and discussed at the Board meetings, the following topics will be reviewed at each Board meeting:

Review of Church financial results and status as presented by the Finance committee. Review options and decide actions for the coming months related to addressing financial variances. Review and approve the annual operating budget.Review of personnel performance and issues related to NDCKC staff employees or organization structure as presented by the Personnel Committee.
Strategic review of NDCKC organization non-financial performance related to key organizational goals, strategies or programs.
Strategic review of upcoming programs, initiatives and event that will affect NDCKC operations.
Presentation and discussion of any and all items or issues requiring the review and approval of the Board in accordance with the NDCKC By Laws.

Financial Reporting to the Board
NDCKC will produce and provide complete and accurate financial reports on a monthly basis. These reports will be provided to the entire Board one week prior to all full Board meetings. The monthly financial reports will contain the following at a minimum:

Month and year to date income statements
Month and year to date Profit/Loss statement
Statement of Operations - current month and year to date (versus in the second year) plan and prior year; revenue broken down by income and expense code; regular income and other income; expense category detail; EBITDA; interest and financial fees; depreciation and amortization; Profit/Loss; and A/P Aging Summary.

Board Fellowship
At the conclusion of all monthly Board meetings, time will be reserved for inter-personal interaction and discussion among Board members to promote communication, trust, teamwork, and Christian fellowship, and to identify or address any areas of prayer or other needs by Board members.

Responsibility of Board Members

To be regular attending and tithing members of the NDCKC congregation in good stand (with the exception of our two out-of-town pastor/board members).
To exhibit and live in accordance with the highest standards of Christian/Biblical behavior and morals in all areas of life including personal, family and professional areas.
To faithfully, diligently, and proactively perform all the duties and responsibilities of a Board member as detailed in the By Laws of NDCKC.
To follow and adhere to, both in letter and in spirit, at all times and to the best of their ability, all established rules, regulations and procedures in the By Laws of NDCKC
To live by and exhibit the following spiritual characteristics in word, deed and attitude in carrying out any and all activities and responsibilities related to the NDCKC Board: Christian love, honesty, confidentiality, patience, harmony, openness, mutual support/team work, ownership
To provide the Senior Pastor and his wife, pastoral staff and fellow Board members with spiritual protection, encouragement, public support, prayer and guidance when and as needed.
To implement, to the best of their abilities, all plans, actions, decisions, and efforts decided upon by the Board.
To attend all regularly scheduled and special Board meetings to the full extent possible based on personal or health considerations.
To fully support, in word, deed and attitude, both in public and private, all plans, actions, decisions, and efforts agreed to by the Board.

Board of NDCKC Authority

All powers and authority as delineated in the By Laws of NDCKC.
To develop, approve, and enforce an annual expense budget for NDCKC operations. Such budget can be amended as circumstances dictate with the prior approval of the Board.
To review and approve any expense requests/spending outside of approved budgeting, and maintain the published rules for submission and reimbursement of expense requests.
In accordance with the By Laws of NDCKC, the following decisions/actions require the prior notification and approval of the Board:

Hiring, transfer or termination of NDCKC employees/staff.
Changes to annual budget guidelines

To receive and review any and all financial statements, records and accounting documents that pertain to or affect the financial position of NDCKC.
Commitment or disposition of Church monies, assets or property including: Expense/spending outside of budget guidelines; property purchase or sales; leases, rentals or other contracts; loans or other incurred indebtedness; publication printing or purchase including books and audio/visual items; financial commitments for camps or other group activities; tuition and educational support materials for the NDCKC Board, staff or members.
To review, establish or change the compensation of all NDCKC Pastoral staff and executive employees on an annual basis or as circumstances require.

Financial Policies and Procedures
NDCKC and its leadership, with the assistance of certified public accountants and independent auditors specializing in church financial stewardship, have established multiple layers of internal controls designed to main accountability, integrity and responsible financial stewardship. Operating functions such as purchase authorization, invoice and payment processing, and record keeping are carried out independently as part of NDCKC's check-and-balance system.

How Offerings Are Received
Weekly offerings are processed by trained, authorized volunteer ushers. Two individual ushers count the weekly offerings following each service and verify the amount received and individually sign an offering record slip properly dated. All contributions are electronically recorded through our customized church accounting software. The offering record designates whether each offering is part of the general contribution, or if it is designated for a specific purpose. A third authorized individual verifies the usher's record, scans personal checks for electronic back-up, and saves the images in the contribution database. Several security safeguards ensure the safety of individuals and safekeeping of contributions and confidential information gathered. No pastoral staff is involved in this process.

The Board's Spiritual Responsibility
The Board of Directors serves to insure the unity and harmony of NDCKC by protecting the church from gossip and divisive behavior. Supporting this worthy goal is the deacons who are spiritually qualified individuals meetings the biblical requirements of Scripture. The office of pastor is to be appropriately respected as Scripture delineates. Both the Board, the deacons, and all ministry leaders tandem to insure that every leader of NDCKC is abiding by the principles of Scripture and the membership covenants.

Qualifications of a Deacon
What is a deacon?
1 Timothy 3:8, "Likewise deacons must be reverent..."

"deacon" - it means a minister, literally a servant. According to some it comes from diakonis, which meant "in the dust laboring, or running through dust."

The word "deacon" appears only 3 times in the NT - Philippians 1:1; and 4 times in Timothy 3 - that's it. But the Gk. word thus represented, diakonos (generally in AV) 'minister' or 'servant', occurs some 30 times in NT, and the cognates diakoneo (to 'minister') and diakonia ('ministry') occur between them a further 70 times.

9 Leadership Qualifications of Deacons

I Timothy 3:8, "Likewise deacons must be reverent"

"reverent" (semnós) - reputable, dignified, respected. It could be translated "serious," or "stately." Deacons, simply put, are not GOOF BALLS - you know the kind of people that you don't take seriously. The Greek word here comes from the root word "sebomai" which means, "to venerate," or "to worship." Deacons should have the majestic quality of character that makes people stand in spiritual respect of them. Servants in the church, deacons, must not be silly, flippant persons, who make light of serious spiritual matters.

"not double-tongued" (dilogos) - it means two-faced; a double talker; 'to speak in two directions,' or a gossip.

Wuest, the Greek scholar, says "The word "double-tongued" is dilogos, "saying one thing and meaning another, and making different representations to different people about the same thing."
A deacon's speech must not be hypocritical, but be characterized by integrity, consistency, and honesty. A deacon has to be a man of the highest integrity because he often has to deal with sensitive matters. He and his wife must be able to control their tongue - and learn just because someone says something; it does necessarily mean it is true.
It is better for the deacon to say nothing at all than to say one thing to one person and something else to another. A man who earns the reputation of being conversationally unreliable is rendered useless for this office, for no one really wants to confide in a loose-tongue deacon.

"not given (addicted) to much wine" - 'many, much of number, quantity, amount of wine.' It means, the deacon is not a drunk! The present active participle indicates this is not to be the deacon's habitual practice. He is not to be preoccupied with drink, nor to allow it to influence his life.

"not greedy for money" - "indecent, dishonorable, gain. A person who is eager to gain even if such gain degrades his moral character."

v.9, "holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience" - sacred mysteries of that which is believed, i.e., doctrine, it is the articles of the Christian faith. Deacons should know sound theology!

The faith is the content of New Testament revealed truth. A deacon must hold to it with a clear conscience, that is, a conscience that does not accuse him. It is not enough merely to believe the truth (cf. James 2:19), deacons must also live it.

v.10, "But let these also first be tested" - to learn the genuineness of something by examination.

v.10, "then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless" - one who cannot be accused of wrongdoing.

V.12, "Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife" - the Greek text literally reads "a one woman man." Sexual purity, sexual fidelity characterizes deacons.
v. 12, "ruling their children and their own houses well" - spiritual character is reflected in the management of the deacon's home.

4 Leadership Qualifications of the Wives of Deacons - 1 Timothy 3:11

v.11, "Likewise their wives must be reverent (semnos) - reputable, dignified, respected.

v.11, "not slanderers" (diabolos) - a word for the "devil." We are never more like Satan, the Adversary, than when we gossip.

v.11, "temperate" (nephalios) - restrained behavior, self-controlled.

v.11, "faithful in all things" - the wives of deacons are faithful to God and the church.

The Reward - I Timothy 3:13, "For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus."

Biblical Conduct Toward the Pastor/Elder
I Timothy 5:17, "Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine."

"Elders" (presbyteros) - refers to the pastor, the preaching pastor. Verse 17 indicates he labors in the Word and doctrine. This is the pastor. And, the term "pastor" emphasizes the shepherding/feeding function; "overseer" refers to pastor's authority/leading function; and "elder" refers to the pastor's spiritual maturity.

I Timothy 5:17 "Let the elders that rule well ..."

"rule" (proistemi) - a position of leadership; to preside; "well" (kalos) - right; high standard of biblical excellence. "Well" discriminates between mediocrity and excellence in preaching and spiritual leadership.

"Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor ..."

"double" (diplous) - two-fold, twice as much; "honor" (time) - price, the amount at which something is valued, respect, regard = "two-fold honor."

Allowing someone run down a pastor who faithfully teaches God's word - is allowing that person to sin, and participating in his or her sin. These types of people should be stopped immediately and directed to a sit down meeting with the pastor and elders of the church according to. Mathew 18:15.

"The elder (pastor) should gain double respect ... he should receive one honor for his position and another for service with distinction ... he should obtain respect, both implicit and explicit, from the church, plus a living wage."
- Dr. Robert Gromacki, Stand True to the Charge - An Exposition of I Timothy (The Woodlands, TX: Kress Christian Publications, 2002), 144.

"All elders are to be honored, and those who excel in teaching the Word of God and sound doctrine are to be doubly honored ... The world might not think so, but no nobler task exists on earth than to make known the Word of God."
- John Phillips, Exploring the Pastoral Epistles (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2004), 161.

I Thessalonians 5:12, "And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13) and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. Be at peace among yourselves."

"... Special consideration is due to those whose work is preaching and teaching..."
-Donald Guthrie, The Pastoral Epistles (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1995), 117.

"Since elders (pastors) occupy a position of responsibility in the church, they become a special object of Satanic attack."
-William MacDonald and V. Paul Flint, Timothy and Titus, An Emmaus Correspondence Course
I Timothy 5:17 ..."Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine."

"especially" (malista) - chiefly, particularly, most of all; "labor" (kopio) - work to the point of fatigue, toil, strive, struggle, work hard.

"word" (logos) - speech, the public proclamation of God's truth. "doctrine" (didaskalia) - teaching with an emphasis on instruction.

Responding to Gossip and False Accusation
Now there is another verse which helps our understanding ...

I Timothy 5:19, "Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses."

"Do not receive an accusation against an elder ..."

"receive" (paradechomai) - to entertain, listen, to consider in your mind; "accusation" (kategoría) - to accuse, incrimination of a person.

"except from two or three witnesses."

The emphasis is an accusation must be verified and confirmed by the leadership of the church or it is considered nothing but gossip.

Paul was deeply aware of opposition to the ministry. He had already spoken of the need to guard the congregation from the reproach of slanderers (cf. 3:2, 7), and would do so again (6:1). Here he stipulated the procedure for separating valid accusations from false ones. It is the venerable approach of both the Old Testament (cf. Deut. 19:15) and the New (cf. Matt. 18:16; John 8:17; 2 Cor. 13:1), wherein an accusation should be considered only if two or three witnesses swear to it.

The issue is so weighty that an accusation against an elder must not be brought without the evidence of 'two or three witnesses' (v. 19). This is a pattern of natural justice established in the Old Testament (Deut. 17:6; 19:15) and applied to the area of church discipline by the Lord Jesus (Matt. 18:16).

Hebrews 13:7, "Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. 17) Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you."

Someone said, "Christians don't gossip, they just share prayer requests." As spiritual the spiritual leaders of NDCKC we must be to identify gossip and stop it at every level. Leonard Ravenhill wrote in Why Revival Tarries ..."We never pray for folks we gossip about, and we never gossip about the folk for whom we pray!" Satan doesn't have to worry about hurting some churches - he can just depend upon the gossips to do their destructive work. Old Testament Scripture considers gossip spoken (known in Hebrew as lashon hara) as a sin. Speaking negatively about people is destructive. According to Proverbs 18:8: "The words of a gossip are like choice morsels: they go down to a man's innermost parts." Gossip is the art of saying nothing and leaving nothing unsaid. Gossip is like mud thrown against a clean wall; it may not stick, but it leaves a mark. If you say nothing, rest assured, no one will repeat it. Not so with the gossip. And, there is an old Spanish proverb that reads: "whoever gossips to you will gossip about you."

The more interesting the gossip the more likely it is to be untrue. The Epistle to the Romans associates gossips ("backbiters") with a list of sins including sexual immorality and with murder:

Titus 3:10-11, "Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, 11) knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned."