Thank you for your willingness to be involved in ministry! At Fortress Church, we want to help you promote your events and acknowledgements.
Four key steps in ministry are: (1) Pray (2) Plan (3) Promote, and (4) Pursue. We are here to serve you and provide support for you and your ministry. We encourage you to use these resources we make available to you.
1) Ministry Matters. Pastor Randy. The Ministry Matters E-Newsletter sent by Pastor Randy is a vital form of communication to our Leadership Ministry Team. If you are not receiving the e-newsletter, please contact our office and provide your e-mail. If you do not have e-mail, we may mail the newsletter to you.
2) Leadership Meeting: Pastor Dennis Bonnet. Our ministry leader’s meet periodically, generally for an ‘on the house’ lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the morning services. Spouses and children are welcome (childcare is provided). All leaders are expected to be present or e-mail dennis@fortresschurch.org if you cannot attend by Wednesday prior to the day of the meeting.
3) Leadership Library. Pastor Dennis Bonnet. Ministry leaders are allowed to ‘check out’ ministry leadership resources from the Fortress Church Leadership Library for a period of two weeks. Books, DVD’s, videos, audio cassettes and CD’s are available from various authors and speakers.
4) Volunteers Application Forms: April Saldivar. Every person active in a Fortress Church ministry and serving in any capacity must have a Volunteer Application Form on file with the church office. If you are unsure if your ministry worker has filled one out, please contact April at the church office for verification. Also, make note that having an application on file does not mean that it is approved. You must call the church office for any comments on the application and approval status. A copy of our Volunteer Application Process is available upon request.
5) Leadership Application Forms. Pastors. A Leadership Application must be approved by the Sr. Pastor before the individual is placed into a leadership position. Leadership Applications may be submitted by Coordinators and Directors to their ministry pastor for positions beginning at the Team Leader level. This does not apply to first-serve positions. Teaching positions are considered leadership positions. Transferring from one leadership position to another still requires a Leadership Application and approval. A copy of our Leadership Application Process is available upon request.
6) Resignations. Pastor Dennis Bonnet. If you decide to resign your leadership position(s), you must fill out a Fortress Resignation Form. Please note that it is not your responsibility to choose your successor. This is solely the decision of the Sr. Pastor.
7) Reserving Facilities: Pastor Dennis Bonnet. If you would like to use church facilities for a ministry function, you must make a reservation in advance by submitting an Event Promotion Form. Please be specific regarding the area(s) and times you will need for your event. The person in charge of the activity(ies) is responsible for coordinating all aspects of the function, set up, tear down, clean up, etc., however, if direction is needed as to whom to contact for help, the church staff is available to assist you in this area. Facilities are on a first come first serve basis.
8) Classrooms: Pastor Dennis Bonnet. If you need to reserve a classroom for teaching/discipleship class(es) on any weeknight, please submit and Event Promotion Form to Pastor Dennis. Remember that we have limited space and it is first come-first serve basis. You must give us specific start and end dates for your class. Any classroom being used for teaching purposes is subject to approval by the Pastoral Staff.
9) Van Usage: Pastor Lino Perales. The church van is available on a first-come, first-served basis. In order to avoid scheduling conflicts, please contact Pastor Lino at the church office as soon as you schedule your event. The van must have the same amount of gas that it had when it was picked up and cleaned when it is returned. Please report any problems you may have had with the vehicle upon return. Any individual driving the church van must preview a safety video tape. Please make arrangements to arrive prior to departure time to view the video.
10) Liability Release Forms: Pastor Lino Perales. If you have scheduled an event that involves physical activities, special events, or traveling, you must have signed Liability Release Forms for every person participating. This includes events that take place on church premises that may involve the risk of injury. A Passenger List Form is also required for a roster of persons in each vehicle for off-site trips. Pastor Lino will be available to ensure you have the proper Release Form and the office staff will make copies for you if needed. Please plan in advance so that you are not in a hurry to get this done immediately prior to an event. We ask that you leave copies of all release forms and passenger lists in Pastor Lino’s “in” box. In case of an emergency, we will know exactly who was in attendance and in what vehicle.
11) Paper Goods/Leftover Food. Each departmental ministry is responsible for providing their own paper products/decorations for fellowship events. If you have any leftover food, please take them home with you.
12) Childcare/Nannies. Pastor Dennis. Every ministry is responsible for providing childcare for special events. If you need a list of qualified and trained childcare volunteers, please contact the KB Kidz Director. If you choose to use the paid nanny service, you are responsible for payment of services through your ministry account at the time of service.
13) Finances: Jesus Soto. All departmental/ministry monies must be turned into our church treasurer/business manager. Requisitions for checks and/or reimbursements can be submitted to the business manager using the Check Request Form. Please do not hold onto money for more than one week. Jesus Soto’s phone number is 657-2876 and e-mail is jsoto57@satx.rr.com, for more detailed information.
14) Church Funds Request Form. Jesus Soto. If you desire to request funds from the Church General Fund, you may petition the Finance Committee and Board of Elders by using the Church Funds Request Form and submit to Jesus Soto, Church Treasurer/Business Manager.
15) Promoting Events. Ministry Pastor. All events (bible study class, conference, meeting, sales, fellowship, payment receipts, etc.) must be approved by a Ministry Pastor before the event is promoted and before the church facilities are reserved. After approval, you must fill out an Event Promotion Request Form and submit to Pastor Dennis to promote an event.
16) Church Bulletin Announcements: April Saldivar. Ministry announcements may be placed in the Sunday bulletin. Please be as concise as possible. Deadline is Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. Information may be submitted by filling out an Event Promotion Form. It may be hand delivered, faxed, or e-mailed to april@fortresschurch.org. All announcements are subject to approval by the Pastoral Staff.
18) Volunteer Central. April Saldivar. This serves as our public notification to the church for ministry opportunities that you desire to extend to the congregation. Contact April to place your ministry classified ad in the bulletin by Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. Announcements in this area are for first-serve positions only.
19) Ministry Resource Center. Letty Bellamy. All bible study resources needed for a class should be provided to participants through the Ministry Resource Center. You must contact Letty Bellamy 6-weeks before the class to allow time to order material and to have them available to sell prior to the class start date.
20) Ministry Tables: April Saldivar. If you desire to set up a table to promote a ministry event, please submit an Event Promotion Request Form to the church office no later than Tuesday of that week. Space is limited and on a first come, first served basis. If you reserve a table, you must be set-up by 8:45 a.m. or you will lose your privilege of having a table for that day. If your table is reserved in the foyer, please keep conversations to a minimum while the service is in progress. If your table is reserved in the sanctuary, please have an attendee at the table during handshaking time and be seated with the congregation while preaching is in progress.
21) Fundraisers. April Saldivar. The Pastoral Staff must approve all ministry fundraisers. They are also on a first-come first-served basis. Sunday morning fundraisers are allowed once a month and must collaborate with Sunday service. The kitchen cannot be used on Sunday mornings.
22) Sunday Power Point Announcement: Pastor Justin Weaver. You may request an announcement to promote a ministry event by submitting an Event Promotion Request Form. The announcement will be short and vague and will direct people to the bulletin for details. All announcements are subject to approval by the Pastoral Staff.
23) Video Promotion: Pastor Justin Weaver. If you have a video/DVD to promote your ministry event, you may submit a request using the Event Promotion Request Form. The video must be 60 seconds or less. All videos/DVDS must be submitted to the church office by Tuesday morning at 10:00 a.m.
24) Ministry Highlights: Pastor Randy Garcia. If you desire to highlight your ministry from the platform during a church service, please make note of the following: If your highlight is five minutes or less, it can be done for both morning services. If it is more than five minutes long, it must be done in the evening service. You must reserve a slot in advance. All requests are subject to the approval of the Sr. Pastor.
25) Web Page: Pastor Randy Garcia. Any web page updates, pictures, etc. should be submitted so the web page is kept current. We would like to offer as much information about our ministries as possible. E-mail your articles, announcements, promos, pictures, acknowledgements, and information to Pastor Randy at randy@fortresschurch.org. All submission must be pre-typed.
26) Promotional Material: April Saldivar. When using printed material to promote your event(s), kindly refrain from using tape, staples, push-pins, thumb-tacks, etc. to pin up posters, flyers, pictures, etc. on any of the walls, doors, etc. of the church building. We will be more than happy to assist you in promoting your event(s) by other means, such as church bulletin, web- page, and Rising Higher newspaper.
27) Flyers: April Saldivar. We ask that any flyers/newsletters distributed on behalf of a Fortress Church ministry be done with excellence. The office staff is available to do them for you. If you choose to do them yourself, make sure the words “Fortress Church” are included at the top or bottom and have the office staff proofread it by Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. (the week of distribution) for you before any copies are made and distributed. If you choose to have the office staff do your flyer/newsletter/tickets please turn in your information on the Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. of the week of distribution. Form or flyer distribution is at the discretion of the Pastoral Staff.
28) Information Stand: April Saldivar. We have a Welcome Center (information center) in the Sanctuary. Items submitted for placement to the church office for final approval by the Sr. Pastor.
29) Bulletin Board: April Saldivar. We have limited bulletin board space in our hallways. If you have pictures, flyers, promotional posters, etc., to promote your ministry, please contact April as some space is interchangeable on an “as need” basis. Please keep your bulletin board as up-to-date as possible or you may forfeit this privilege. If you notice any inappropriate markings or damage to your bulletin board, please repair immediately.
30) Mail Outs: April Saldivar. Since the church website serves to inform the church of the events in all the departments, we cannot pay for postage for extra mail outs from each department. If you choose to do so, it will be deducted from your ministry financial account.
31) Copier Codes. April Saldivar. A copier code has been issued to each Ministry Director. The Director is responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of that code to responsible leaders in their ministry. They are also responsible to ensure that copy usage is not excessive. The Imagistics copier is to be used for 25 copies or less, the Risograph copier is to be used for more than 25 copies.
32) Parking: Pastor Dennis Bonnet. All ministry leaders are strongly encouraged to park away from the front/main parking area of our facilities. This will free up the front area for our visitors. We also ask that you not park in handicapped parking spaced unless you have the proper authorized decal to do so.
33) Church Keys. Pastor Lino Perales. All church key holders are responsible for securing the facilities at all times and must agree and abide by the written Security Guidelines set forth by Fortress Church. No key duplications are allowed without permission from Pastor Randy. A copy of the Security Guidelines is available upon request.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. The church office hours are Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. All forms are available in the workroom (room 101).
Office Staff
Pastor Randy Garcia, Lead Pastor randy@fortresschurch.org
Pastor Dennis Bonnet, Executive Pastor dennis@fortresschurch.org
Pastor Justin Weaver, Student Ministries Pastor justin@fortresschurch.org
Pastor Lino Perales, Spanish Ministries Pastor lino@fortresschurch.org
April Saldivar, Church Secretary april@fortresschurch.org
Jesus Soto, Church Treasurer jsoto0819@yahoo.com
Directors
Lisa Bonnet, KB Kidz Ministries Director lisa@kbkidz.org
Rick Paez, Sunday School Ministries Director rick_paez@yahoo.com
Lupe and Cindy Hernandez, Care Group Ministries Directors
Pastor Randy Garcia, Fine Arts Ministries Director randy@fortresschurch.org
Abby Garza, Celebrate Recovery Ministries Director abbygarza2000@yahoo.com
Rodney Lewis, Men’s Ministries Director rlplay@satx.rr.com
Pastor Lino Perales, Spanish Ministries Director lino@fortresschurch.org
Veronica Saldańa, Women’s Ministries Director veronicalsaldana@hotmail.com
Paul & Jane Sanchez, Helps Ministries Director jane@paulanthonyassoc.com
Pastor Justin Weaver, Student Ministries Director justin@fortresschurch.org
Pastor Justin Weaver ,NQ – 30 Ministries Director
Pastor Randy Garcia, Prayer Ministries Director randy@fortresschurch.org
Pastor Dennis Bonnet, Family Ministries Director
Pastor Dennis Bonnet, Outreach Ministries Director