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COUNCIL COMMUNICATION
In an effort to improve communications with the entire family of Hope Lutheran Church moving forward, The Church Council has initiated a new way for congregants to express themselves. As you may or may not know, the Church Council meets every third Tuesday of each month at 7:00 pm.
Should you have an idea, a concern or anything you wish to express to the Council, there will be a fifteen minute window of time at the beginning of each meeting to provide an opportunity to hear you. Should you desire to come to the Council, it is recommended that you notify Pastor Lorin or an Officer of the Church Council prior to the meeting. On a first come, first served basis, members will be allowed a few minutes within the designated time frame to be heard.
Thank you for helping to improve all avenues of communication within the family of Hope!
Hope Lutheran Church Council Minutes (Preliminary pending final approval)
August 17, 2010
Council Members
Al Banwart X Lois Johnson X
Lisa Berkram X Darryl Kinion X
Brad Dirckx X Dan Larson X
Gary Bishop X John Murdoch X
Robyn Erlenbush X John Parkes X
Kevin Gilbertson Jerry Swenson X
Staff in attendance:
Pastor Lorin Sanden, Paul Goodman
Others in attendance:
Morgan Scarr, Treasurer
Dan called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. with devotions by Gary.
Secretary’s Minutes:
The minutes of the July 20th Council Meeting were presented for approval.
Abstentions: None Unanimous: Yes
Youth and Family Report:
Paul reported on the recent activity with the youth. The summer had been incredible and has created a good deal of momentum. There is a family camp that is scheduled for Labor Day weekend at Hyalite. Other programming is in the works and will be communicated as dates are set.
Hail Damage:
The recent hail storm damaged the shingled roof and the skylights. Nothing is in need of immediate repair. The insurance adjuster met with Pete and John and we are in the process of receiving quotes for repairs. The Property Committee and Insurance Work Group will double check all coverage issues and confirm the damage assessments.
Music Ministry Update:
Jeff Stafford and Ann Blake have volunteered to coordinate our Music Ministry and Eric Funk has been retained as an independent contractor to direct our Adult Choir for the upcoming music season of September – May. The Council would like to express our appreciation for Jeff’s leadership in assisting in the retention of Eric Funk. A big thank you goes out to both Jeff and Ann for volunteering to co-coordinate our Music Ministry. Discussions are continuing regarding the Bell Choir and other music related activities. The Worship & Arts Committee has added several new members and is energetically working on plans for this next year. The Music Ministry is thriving and has amazing potential to provide an even larger impact as we move forward.
The Council would like to express our sincere appreciation for Dave Johnson and his commitment and contribution to Hope Lutheran Church. Our Music Ministry would not be the same if not for Dave’s enthusiasm and dedication over the past few years.
Pastoral Report:
Pastor Sanden mentioned that the feedback on the change in Worship time in the fall has been very positive (services at 8:30 and 10:00). The confirmation curriculum is being modified to add additional topics which are of particular interest to those students in Confirmation.
Dan also mentioned that Jennifer’s report noted that Little Tree Montessori is potentially interested in utilizing our space for an early learning center at Hope Lutheran. There is no formal information or proposal at this time but could be coming up in the near future.
Treasurer and Finance Committee Report:
There are a number of positives from the July Treasurer’s Report. The general fund spending was much less for the month of July. This is in part due to the budget cuts that were implemented in May finally taking full effect. The offerings for the month of July almost covered the general expenses for the month as well. EOM had income of about $27,000 in July. This is the first time this year that the income of EOM has covered the mortgage payment in full
However, the weekly worship attendance has continued to track being down about 30% from what it was last year during the comparable months.
The Finance Committee (together with Dan Larson and Dick Deschamps) is discussing the possibility of some type of mortgage modification or refinancing with Thrivent to take advantage of the lower interest rate environment and to provide some flexibility for ongoing debt service. The Finance Committee will be starting the budget planning earlier this year. Due to the sharp decline in giving in 2010, the committee discussed and approved a measure to use $500,000 as a starting point for the overall 2011 General Fund Budget as compared to $600,000 for 2010. This will be communicated to the committees as they begin their budget requests.
ELCA Benevolence:
Year to date, members representing less than 5% of general fund giving have completed Self-Directed Benevolence forms. When applied to the benevolence portion of the budget, this amounts to around $300 of self-directed benevolences through the first half of the year. The July 31 cut-off for retroactive self-directed benevolences has passed, although members may complete self-directed benevolence forms for future giving.
In accordance with the annual meeting resolution (see January minutes) regarding holding ELCA funding until resolution of the Discernment Process (completed in April) and in accordance with the revised benevolence budget for 2010 (see May minutes), there was a motion for Hope to release the first half of the designated benevolence money ($5,000) to the ELCA, less the amount that has been self-directed from giving for the first half of 2010.
Abstentions: None Unanimous: No
New Designated Fund:
Lois proposed the creation of a new designated fund for Stephen Ministry which would support the training of Stephen Ministers. This fund would carry over year to year instead of being recognized in the annual budget. Hope currently has 9 active Stephen Ministers. Recent memorials were given to support the Stephen Ministers and there needs to be a place for these funds to reside. Stephen Ministers receive 50 hours of training and commit to 2 years. Costs are about $1500 per person for training plus travel expenses.
Abstentions: None Unanimous: Yes
LCMC affiliation update:
The work group chaired by Dan is trying to neutrally look at the information and implications of a possible affiliation with Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC). The premise that has clearly emerged from the work group is that Hope Lutheran is an ELCA congregation with governance and pastoral leaders coming from the ELCA. The possibility of some affiliation with LCMC is the topic for exploration. The work group hopes to present a balanced information paper to the Council for consideration at the September 21 meeting. The Council stressed that obtaining the information sooner rather than later is preferable.
MRT Update:
Ann Bailey and the Mission Resource Team (MRT) have been working on a list of action items that will be taking place over the next few months to assist in clarifying a vision and developing a leadership and stewardship development plan. This will include efforts to support general fund giving and a 2011 Capital Campaign.
The MRT also submitted a proposal on reaching out to those who have left HLC or are relatively inactive. The Council asked the MRT to meet with Lorin to discuss who may benefit from direct contact by another member of HLC and how to encourage individual contacts.
Communications Taskforce:
John Parkes is heading up a new Communications Task Force. John is in the process of soliciting participation in this task force and outlining the issues. The task force will work on gathering information from the community of Hope on what is the best way for them to receive information and disseminate information. All aspects of communications will be explored, including internal and external matters, printed and electronic, etc.
The meeting moved into an executive session of elected Council members only.
Next Meeting:
The next Council meeting will be September 21st at 7:00 p.m. with devotions by Robyn.
The meeting was adjourned with the Lord’s Prayer at 9:55 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Lisa Berkram
Secretary
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