When I started at NeighborLink Fort Wayne in 2008, I knew that I would not be able to lead this organization on my own. I knew my strengths and my weaknesses, and thanks to some professional development coaching, I was learning to lean into those strengths and to find others to fill in the gaps of my weaknesses. In addition to the great board of directors at NeighborLink, I knew that I needed a small community of people who are unsung heros and champions for local, missional engagement within their church. So, in the Fall of 2008, I created the first Advisory Group at NLFW.

The role of the Advisory Group has always been to support the volunteer and the churches that choose to use the NLFW platform, and to roundout my leadership so we would be an effective organization while maintaining our grassroots approach. This group, which meets monthly, sits nicely between my day-to-day role as Executive Director and the Board of Directors that meets every 2-3 months. Typical meetings include me giving relevant updates on the organizational initiatives, talking about community development philosophies, and having the group share what’s on their hearts as it relates to this ministry.

Over the past year, I have been sensing a change on the horizon with the Advisory Group due to the increased activity we are experiencing and who God is challenging us to become as an organization. I’m excited to announce a new direction for the group that will include new, focused opportunities for you to join.

We are moving towards a committee format that will give Advisory Group members the opportunity to join and advise in specific areas of interest, gifting, and calling. Each committee will meet monthly with their group and once a quarter, all committees will join in a central meeting to share updates and stay connected to the greater group. Outlined below is details on each committee and info on how you can learn more or join a committee.

Volunteer Experience Committee
This team will be responsible for developing tools, resources, trainings, etc. that shapes and enhances the volunteer experience. This includes the everything down to how the individual uses the website to how a church/org uses NeighborLink to organization work days.

Spiritual development & Prayer Committee
This team will be vital to keeping the organization on mission and connected to the heart of God. I expect this team to be in constant prayer for the organization, our neighbors in need, and the greater vision of what God has for NeighborLink in the City of Fort Wayne.

Strategic Visioning Committee
This team will be one of my main sounding boards and support teams that help me see what the future holds for NeighborLink when it comes to positioning our organization in the community. Other responsibilities will include sharing the vision with other church and community leaders on behalf of NeighborLink as well as reviewing and experimenting with Community Development philosophies.

Web & communication Committee
This team will be responsible for web development, creative development and our communication strategy. We’ll need people that are passionate about the user experience, creating a dynamic online community, and getting our story told by as many people as possible.

Format

• Monthly Committee Meetings - Dates & Times Determined by Group Availability
• Quarterly Large Group Meetings For Group Reporting
• 3-5 People per Committee With 1 Committee Leader
• Soft Launch in September 2012 - Full Launch in January 2013
• Must commit to 10-12 meetings in calendar year