April 24
Present: Janis Albright, Sarah Ellsworth, Leslie Gatcombe-Hynes, Barbara Merrill, Dick Merrill, Ed Saxby, Jim Van Hoeven
Ed Saxby chaired the meeting. The opening discussion focused on Creation Sunday. There was very positive feedback from several people about the service of worship. People felt it was meaningful and beautiful. People enjoyed the music. “Andy” Burt’s presentation in Davidson Lounge focused on Food and was well-received. It was interactive and Andy brought several pieces of literature that were available in Wright Pavilion as well as in Davidson. Barbara will pursue a donation to be made to Andy Burt.
The group brainstormed ideas for future activities and meetings.
Two religious leaders from different traditions could speak on Creation. The program could be Intergenerational and a meal could be part of the gathering.
There could be a potluck gathering, the focus of which could be people telling their stories around rationing during World War II. This was a time when people got along with less food and other items. Substitutions were made; for example margarine for butter.
The possibility of linking the environment and community by sponsoring an outdoor activity was discussed. Canoeing at Scarborough Marsh, walking the Clark’s Pond Trail, or exploring Robinson’s Woods were some options. This could be done on a Sunday after church. Two or three choices with educational themes could be given at the time of the gathering and people could select their activity.
Different themes/projects in each of the seasons could be offered. Multiple activities could be available at the same time. Sarah learned that Sherwin Williams teaches seminars. People could participate in a stripping furniture project and use safe paint to refinish the furniture.
Ed and Jim are interested in leading book discussion groups.
Jim would like to lead a program relative to Creation Theology in October.
Andy Burt had suggested a yearly theme, for example, Food. The Be A Good Apple program and the Community Supported Agriculture programs were mentioned. We could work with other faith groups in our area.
An evening or Sunday morning program with a speaker and/or a visual presentation was explored. Possibilities include Ray Sirois doing a program based on Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth”, the DVD “Kilowatt Ours” (55 minutes), or the Sierra Club’s DVD on “Who Killed The Electric Car?” (90 minutes).
Janis expressed concern about endangered species and was interested in addressing this in a religious context.
Janis suggested that we develop a Mission Statement. This could be helpful in making decisions about direction the group should take. Some people shared their reasons for coming to the Green Action Group. There was agreement to address this at our May meeting. Janis offered to work on this.
As a follow-up to our requesting space in the church library for educational materials relative to Green Action/Environment/Ecology/Creation, Barbara will contact Kathy Cotter to see if Green Action could submit a request for suggested books/literature to be purchased with library funds.
The use of existing bulletin boards as a means of communication for our educational efforts was discussed. It had been suggested that we contact the other groups that use bulletin board space near Wright Pavilion and see if the existing bulletin boards could be shared or if there could be a rotation of the groups using them. Barbara will pursue this question.
In an effort to find additional ways to communicate, the group decided to explore the use of the computer. Possibilities discussed included developing a list of people at church who would like to receive information relative to Earth stewardship, the environment, etc., via email from the Green Action Group. A weekly mailing could be sent which would include what our group is doing and what other people in Maine are doing. Sarah offered to meet with Elsa to pursue this and other ways in which we could use the computer as an effective educational tool.
Ed concluded the meeting with the following:
Ed will contact Gary Roberts to see if he will lead a Sunday afternoon nature walk in May or June. Ed will check with John and Elsa regarding this program.
Leslie will be asked to see if Ray Sirois could do a presentation relative to “An Inconvenient Truth” during an evening or after church on a Sunday sometime before mid-June.
We will address a Mission Statement at our May meeting. Sarah suggested we each present a one minute statement about our aims/ interests/ concerns for the Green Action Group. Janis will facilitate the development of our Mission Statement.
We will educate ourselves regarding a food program with the hope of implementing it during the year.
We will explore the possibility of an ecumenical pot luck during the Fall.
Sarah will meet with Elsa regarding the use of computers for our purposes.
Barbara will contact the Library Committee regarding our building a book collection relevant to the group’s concerns. She will pursue a donation for Andy Burt and will work on bulletin board availability.
The next meeting will be Thursday, May 29, at 7 pm in Davidson Lounge.
Respectfully submitted,
Barbara Merrill
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Green Action Group Minutes
April 3
Present: Louise Davis, Leslie Gatcombe-Hynes, John McCall, Barbara Merrill, Dick Merrill, Ed Saxby, Jim Van Hoeven
The focus of the meeting was the worship service for April 20. Participation in the service prepared by Jim follows:
Elsa: Welcome To Worship, Message, Prayers of the People, Lord’s Prayer
Kim: Life of the Church, Call to Confession, Unison Prayer of Confession and Words of Assurance.
Dick: Call to Worship
Louise: Children’s Time and Passing the Peace
Ed: Mission Moment
Janice: The Prayer for Illumination, The Word (Scripture determined by Elsa)
Leslie: Sharing Our Tithes and Offerings and the Benediction
Kim and Janice were not at the meeting and are invited to confirm their willingness to be responsible for their parts as stated above.
Jim will finalize arrangements with John, Elsa, and Shirley. He will work out the details of the Chapel Service with Elsa and will call Leslie and Louise with the information. We might have a single page for Chapel with Chief Seattle, the Call to Worship, and Leslie’s Prayer. We might put Bulletins on the seats in Chapel. Ed and Jim will check regarding Ed’s list of “Twenty Things…” and Kim’s list of kids’ ideas of how to live in a more green way.
Ed will host Anne D. Burt and will introduce her to the group in Davidson Lounge. “Andy” will have literature available regarding environmental programs.
Jim will explore a monetary gift for Andy.
Leslie will write an article for the next issue of the Beacon re: the services on Sunday, April 20. Barbara will write an article re: Anne D. Burt’s 11:30 presentation in Davidson Lounge. Barbara will submit items for The Bulletin relative to April 20.
Leslie will write a Beacon article on Earth Day opportunities in the community.
Dick shared the Annual Report he wrote for the Green Action Group.
There was a discussion of the “Feedback on Governance Structure” distributed by Dan Cummings. Jim will share our thinking at a Social Witness Ministries meeting. That group is working on communication, on sharing information, on having permission to do certain activities, and on financial matters.
Ed shared information about the Portland Trails event on April 11, on the Be a Good Apple program and the Community Supported Agriculture program.
Dick closed our meeting with a Bible reading and a prayer.
Respectfully submitted,
Barbara Merrill
Present: Louise Davis, Leslie Gatcombe-Hynes, John McCall, Barbara Merrill, Dick Merrill, Ed Saxby, Jim Van Hoeven
The focus of the meeting was the worship service for April 20. Participation in the service prepared by Jim follows:
Elsa: Welcome To Worship, Message, Prayers of the People, Lord’s Prayer
Kim: Life of the Church, Call to Confession, Unison Prayer of Confession and Words of Assurance.
Dick: Call to Worship
Louise: Children’s Time and Passing the Peace
Ed: Mission Moment
Janice: The Prayer for Illumination, The Word (Scripture determined by Elsa)
Leslie: Sharing Our Tithes and Offerings and the Benediction
Kim and Janice were not at the meeting and are invited to confirm their willingness to be responsible for their parts as stated above.
Jim will finalize arrangements with John, Elsa, and Shirley. He will work out the details of the Chapel Service with Elsa and will call Leslie and Louise with the information. We might have a single page for Chapel with Chief Seattle, the Call to Worship, and Leslie’s Prayer. We might put Bulletins on the seats in Chapel. Ed and Jim will check regarding Ed’s list of “Twenty Things…” and Kim’s list of kids’ ideas of how to live in a more green way.
Ed will host Anne D. Burt and will introduce her to the group in Davidson Lounge. “Andy” will have literature available regarding environmental programs.
Jim will explore a monetary gift for Andy.
Leslie will write an article for the next issue of the Beacon re: the services on Sunday, April 20. Barbara will write an article re: Anne D. Burt’s 11:30 presentation in Davidson Lounge. Barbara will submit items for The Bulletin relative to April 20.
Leslie will write a Beacon article on Earth Day opportunities in the community.
Dick shared the Annual Report he wrote for the Green Action Group.
There was a discussion of the “Feedback on Governance Structure” distributed by Dan Cummings. Jim will share our thinking at a Social Witness Ministries meeting. That group is working on communication, on sharing information, on having permission to do certain activities, and on financial matters.
Ed shared information about the Portland Trails event on April 11, on the Be a Good Apple program and the Community Supported Agriculture program.
Dick closed our meeting with a Bible reading and a prayer.
Respectfully submitted,
Barbara Merrill
New Hymnal Committee
Present: Dolores Broberg, Barbara Merrill, Shirley Curry, Elaine Brownell, Bruce Lockwood, Evie Strom, and Barbara Powers. (Thanks for your note, John!)
Next Meeting: Thursday, May 8, 5:30
1. Delores reported on Westbrook Warren. She reiterated highlights of the minutes that she already submitted. The director she spoke with reported the three views of the pastor, herself, and her daughter, who is stepping in as director. Their congregation has a lot of older people in it, who appreciated the older Pilgrim Hymnal. Ray Cornils really influenced the discussion in terms of the music and their move to New Century, but they do miss the traditional wording and DON’T like to deal with two hymnals so no supplement has been added. They are happy with the decision to go with the New Century Hymnal 90% of the time. The proposal was brought to their congregational meeting where they listened to two consultants and then voted.
2. Barbara M. reported on her discussion with the conference office. She corrected one aspect of her report, which is that the Maine Conference will not make recommendations. Anne Hodgeman is the correct spelling for the woman she spoke with in the resource center. They suggested the Worship and Rejoice as an option we should consider and offered to mail us a copy, but we already had two so it was declined. A couple of us expressed curiosity over their unwillingness to be more helpful!
3. Evie heard from Saco. They chose Hymns of Truth and Light but she missed the phone call with the explanation we’re seeking.
4. Elaine and Shirley reported on their congregational questionnaire draft. Elaine explained that they looked at one from another congregation John had given them. They made corrections, wrote five questions, and added some demographic information requests. The survey would appear as follows…As an introduction, information about the current Pilgrim Hymnal was first explained with reasons why it was time for a replacement. The request for survey participation was then made.
Shirley reviewed the questions she and Elaine elected to keep or modify:
1) What are your three favorite hymns?
2) As we choose our new hymnal, what types of music would you like to see included in it?
3) Many new hymnals use inclusive and updated language. As we consider purchasing updated hymnals, how important is this to you?
4) Is music an important part of the worship service for you?
5) In what ways is your participation in the music during worship important to you?
6) How many hymns and choral responses should be sung by the congregation during the worship service? Note: Bruce suggested an open ended question or two, like, What do you particularly like about the hymns and choral responses that the congregation sings? What would you change?
7) Do you regularly sing the hymns? Yes, why? No, why not?
8) How familiar are you with the hymns included in the Pilgrim Hymnal or in the Songs of the Spirit?
9) As we consider a new hymnal, what features would you like to see included? Options: Useful indexes, variety of hymns old and new, updated texts, hymns from other cultures, responsive readings, liturgies, creeds, other, additional comments.
10) Your age category.
11) How often do you attend church?
12) The committee added this one: Would you be willing to donate a hymnal with a memorial or celebration bookplate if the cost is moderate -- $20 to $30?
The group was comfortable charging Bruce with 2nd draft wordsmithing and getting it ready to go. He will send it to everyone on the committee for a last look before finalizing it. It was proposed that the survey be placed in a May 5th BEACON as well as introduced during the announcements portion of the worship service on May 11, or some other convenient time, to insure in-depth feedback and on-the-spot completion. The chapel service should be included as well. Barbara will ask John how this might work best.
5. FAQs – We discussed some of the frequently asked questions we should anticipate and came up with the following: Why do we need new hymnals now? The Pilgrim Hymnal was last published in the 1980s, etc., and are getting well worn. See the BEACON article for more details. Who will be deciding on the choice? The Hymnal Committee will make the decision following input via surveys and congregational discussions, as well as an opportunity for all interested to view the hymnals being considered. What will be the total cost? At $20 per hymnal, the total cost to the church will be $10,000 if 500 are ordered.What are the main features of each of the options being considered? See the summaries begun below. Timing wise, it was suggested that the Davison Lounge informational discussions happen just AFTER the surveys are completed and tallied so that the congregation’s response can be included in discussion. It was also suggested that the committee develop a decision matrix to help zero in on the best choice.
HYMNS OF TRUTH AND LIGHT: This hymnal stands between the conventional and the more progressive New Century in terms of language. Some of us really like the hymns that are included. It reflects more diverse denominations, since several congregations took part in its development. (GUILFORD is the cover of the example hymnal that was supplemented by that congregation’s hymnal committee.) There are many good Advent hymns, which Shirley described as a goal for the ministers and her. Thought: Add responsive readings to the Songs of the Spirit-type bound supplement instead of more expensive supplemental binding. There are some creeds, etc., throughout the book, however. Guilford’s hymnal lists the “supplements.” It also has a wonderful description of the process used to make their selections, the language of which we may wish to include in our own work.
CHALICE HYMNAL: Lots of good responsive readings are included. Delores thought it seemed heavier with gospel music. Psalms sung responses are in the back; Shirley said our congregation hasn’t been interested in that option. Affirmations of faith, prayers, reflections are appropriately mixed within the book. The daily devotion cycle is also in the back. Lots of communion hymns are included.
NEW CENTURY: It will be the most controversial, but has a lot to offer. The language is inclusive, there are interesting orders of worship, there are several hymns from other cultures. Bruce noted that this hymnal’s Advent and Christmas hymns are NOT well received in other congregations given the inclusive language manipulation. Sometimes it has been found that the language improves comprehension, Delores noted, even while the poetry of the music is disrupted.
WORSHIP AND REJOICE: Do we want strictly hymns or do we want responsive readings? There is no inclusive language, or internationally diverse music. It’s a great collection of traditional hymns, however, and also includes a good number of advent hymns. It’s just lacking responsive readings or any liturgical information at the end or contemporary selections, and doesn’t appear to be an improvement to our current collection.Barbara M. found a short list of “what to look for” when selecting a hymnal:Needs to be music that glorifies God and reflects the church communities’ values.Are songs musically satisfying? Playable? Readable?Are there a variety of themes to coordinate with the liturgical year?Is the style of music that which is desired by the congregation?Is denomination important?Make a list of hymns you are now using. What else is desired?King James or inclusive?Best to choose with hymn books in hand and not just reading the promotional material.We concluded that our committee is on the right track!Next meeting: Thursday, May 8, 5:30 – Let’s choose the congregational discussion dates and plan backwards from the order dates.
NOTE: Dana, we’d like to know from the publishers by WHAT DATE 500 hymnals would need to be ordered so that they are available for processing and Homecoming Sunday so we can set up our timeline. If you’d like help making some calls before the next meeting, please send out an email plea! We’ll then choose a date later in May to review the congregational survey data prior to the first discussions we’ll host, hopefully in early June.Respectfully submitted by: Barbara Powers (who was asked to simply include the minutes as the body of an email as some are having difficulty downloading documents
Barbara Powers
Next Meeting: Thursday, May 8, 5:30
1. Delores reported on Westbrook Warren. She reiterated highlights of the minutes that she already submitted. The director she spoke with reported the three views of the pastor, herself, and her daughter, who is stepping in as director. Their congregation has a lot of older people in it, who appreciated the older Pilgrim Hymnal. Ray Cornils really influenced the discussion in terms of the music and their move to New Century, but they do miss the traditional wording and DON’T like to deal with two hymnals so no supplement has been added. They are happy with the decision to go with the New Century Hymnal 90% of the time. The proposal was brought to their congregational meeting where they listened to two consultants and then voted.
2. Barbara M. reported on her discussion with the conference office. She corrected one aspect of her report, which is that the Maine Conference will not make recommendations. Anne Hodgeman is the correct spelling for the woman she spoke with in the resource center. They suggested the Worship and Rejoice as an option we should consider and offered to mail us a copy, but we already had two so it was declined. A couple of us expressed curiosity over their unwillingness to be more helpful!
3. Evie heard from Saco. They chose Hymns of Truth and Light but she missed the phone call with the explanation we’re seeking.
4. Elaine and Shirley reported on their congregational questionnaire draft. Elaine explained that they looked at one from another congregation John had given them. They made corrections, wrote five questions, and added some demographic information requests. The survey would appear as follows…As an introduction, information about the current Pilgrim Hymnal was first explained with reasons why it was time for a replacement. The request for survey participation was then made.
Shirley reviewed the questions she and Elaine elected to keep or modify:
1) What are your three favorite hymns?
2) As we choose our new hymnal, what types of music would you like to see included in it?
3) Many new hymnals use inclusive and updated language. As we consider purchasing updated hymnals, how important is this to you?
4) Is music an important part of the worship service for you?
5) In what ways is your participation in the music during worship important to you?
6) How many hymns and choral responses should be sung by the congregation during the worship service? Note: Bruce suggested an open ended question or two, like, What do you particularly like about the hymns and choral responses that the congregation sings? What would you change?
7) Do you regularly sing the hymns? Yes, why? No, why not?
8) How familiar are you with the hymns included in the Pilgrim Hymnal or in the Songs of the Spirit?
9) As we consider a new hymnal, what features would you like to see included? Options: Useful indexes, variety of hymns old and new, updated texts, hymns from other cultures, responsive readings, liturgies, creeds, other, additional comments.
10) Your age category.
11) How often do you attend church?
12) The committee added this one: Would you be willing to donate a hymnal with a memorial or celebration bookplate if the cost is moderate -- $20 to $30?
The group was comfortable charging Bruce with 2nd draft wordsmithing and getting it ready to go. He will send it to everyone on the committee for a last look before finalizing it. It was proposed that the survey be placed in a May 5th BEACON as well as introduced during the announcements portion of the worship service on May 11, or some other convenient time, to insure in-depth feedback and on-the-spot completion. The chapel service should be included as well. Barbara will ask John how this might work best.
5. FAQs – We discussed some of the frequently asked questions we should anticipate and came up with the following: Why do we need new hymnals now? The Pilgrim Hymnal was last published in the 1980s, etc., and are getting well worn. See the BEACON article for more details. Who will be deciding on the choice? The Hymnal Committee will make the decision following input via surveys and congregational discussions, as well as an opportunity for all interested to view the hymnals being considered. What will be the total cost? At $20 per hymnal, the total cost to the church will be $10,000 if 500 are ordered.What are the main features of each of the options being considered? See the summaries begun below. Timing wise, it was suggested that the Davison Lounge informational discussions happen just AFTER the surveys are completed and tallied so that the congregation’s response can be included in discussion. It was also suggested that the committee develop a decision matrix to help zero in on the best choice.
HYMNS OF TRUTH AND LIGHT: This hymnal stands between the conventional and the more progressive New Century in terms of language. Some of us really like the hymns that are included. It reflects more diverse denominations, since several congregations took part in its development. (GUILFORD is the cover of the example hymnal that was supplemented by that congregation’s hymnal committee.) There are many good Advent hymns, which Shirley described as a goal for the ministers and her. Thought: Add responsive readings to the Songs of the Spirit-type bound supplement instead of more expensive supplemental binding. There are some creeds, etc., throughout the book, however. Guilford’s hymnal lists the “supplements.” It also has a wonderful description of the process used to make their selections, the language of which we may wish to include in our own work.
CHALICE HYMNAL: Lots of good responsive readings are included. Delores thought it seemed heavier with gospel music. Psalms sung responses are in the back; Shirley said our congregation hasn’t been interested in that option. Affirmations of faith, prayers, reflections are appropriately mixed within the book. The daily devotion cycle is also in the back. Lots of communion hymns are included.
NEW CENTURY: It will be the most controversial, but has a lot to offer. The language is inclusive, there are interesting orders of worship, there are several hymns from other cultures. Bruce noted that this hymnal’s Advent and Christmas hymns are NOT well received in other congregations given the inclusive language manipulation. Sometimes it has been found that the language improves comprehension, Delores noted, even while the poetry of the music is disrupted.
WORSHIP AND REJOICE: Do we want strictly hymns or do we want responsive readings? There is no inclusive language, or internationally diverse music. It’s a great collection of traditional hymns, however, and also includes a good number of advent hymns. It’s just lacking responsive readings or any liturgical information at the end or contemporary selections, and doesn’t appear to be an improvement to our current collection.Barbara M. found a short list of “what to look for” when selecting a hymnal:Needs to be music that glorifies God and reflects the church communities’ values.Are songs musically satisfying? Playable? Readable?Are there a variety of themes to coordinate with the liturgical year?Is the style of music that which is desired by the congregation?Is denomination important?Make a list of hymns you are now using. What else is desired?King James or inclusive?Best to choose with hymn books in hand and not just reading the promotional material.We concluded that our committee is on the right track!Next meeting: Thursday, May 8, 5:30 – Let’s choose the congregational discussion dates and plan backwards from the order dates.
NOTE: Dana, we’d like to know from the publishers by WHAT DATE 500 hymnals would need to be ordered so that they are available for processing and Homecoming Sunday so we can set up our timeline. If you’d like help making some calls before the next meeting, please send out an email plea! We’ll then choose a date later in May to review the congregational survey data prior to the first discussions we’ll host, hopefully in early June.Respectfully submitted by: Barbara Powers (who was asked to simply include the minutes as the body of an email as some are having difficulty downloading documents
Barbara Powers
Mission Outreach Minutes
Present: Laurie Cary (chair), Linda Skinner, Carol Scheffler, Marilyn Andress, Greg Wyman, AnnElissa Leveque, John McCall
Minutes
Laurie read the daily UCC Devotional Reading from the internet and offered a prayer.
Secretary minutes were reviewed and accepted with commendations.
Thank yous were received from the following agencies: Maine Council of Churches, Bangor Theological Seminary, St. Luke’s Soup Kitchen, and Opportunity Farm.
Treasure’s report was reviewed and accepted.
$760.00 has been raised to date for the Easter Offering and $1,752 for One Great Hour of Sharing.
The Council Policy Statement was e-mailed to the Mission Team and should be added to our books as this is the final draft.
Fair Trade Coffee
Ø Carol reported that the first fair trade coffee serving went well last Sunday.
Ø Fare Trade coffee will be served on Sundays by the Educational Fellowship and Growth Team
Ø Sales of fair trade coffee and tea will occur on 4/14 and 4/27. The Fair Trade group will meet on 4/14 to discuss how to go forward with this project.
Safe Passages
Ø Joan Carrier will attend next month’s Mission Team meeting , with the Safe Passages representatives to set up a presentation.
Ø Jane Gallagher would like to show 2 films and have a discussion for a total of 2 hours.
Ø The suggestion was made to have it after worship and to cut back the presentation time to an hour rather than two.
Ø Carol will check this out with Joan.
Social Witness Ministries
Ø The Social Witness Ministry is currently comprised of 4 groups: Diversity, Fair Trade Coffee, the Green Team, and Non Violence Advocacy.
Ø Carol would like to have a meeting of all of the social witness groups in the spring to clarify the different subgroups’ missions as well as their goals. Carol is suggesting that we do this in the format of a potluck
Ø Possible dates were discussed. Carol will discuss this with the subgroup leaders to coordinate a date.
Ø The Mission Team would host the pot luck as it oversees all of the subgroups under Social Witness Ministry. Carol suggested that the Mission Team bring desserts. AEL offered to make chocolates.
Ø The mission statement for the Non Violence Advocacy group was submitted by Rick Angell who is leading the group. Rick was also looking for approval to put this in the upcoming Beacon. The Mission Team gave approval for both requests.
Ø Claude Vachon asked for $61.00 for a speaker from the Department of Peace for a presentation to be held on 5/7/08. This request was approved by the Mission Team.
Special offerings
Ø John McCall led a discussion on the special offerings, which was continued from last month.
Ø The Mission Team decided to not add the Strengthen the Church offering, for a variety of reasons including a careful look at what was being asked of the congregation as well as how we are currently focusing our mission giving. There was a concern noted that this new offering would fall on the same Sunday as Blanket Sunday.
Ø There was decision to continue our other special offerings as is currently set up.
Ø It was pointed out that we are giving a lot locally and a discussion ensued about what we are doing to support more global missions.
Ø A suggestion was made to focus the Easter and Christmas Offerings on social ministry and international missions.
Ø John pointed out that the congregation would support global crises that were recent.
Ø John suggested that at some point in the future we may want, on occasion, to use the Easter offering for Strengthen Our Church.
Next Year Mission Team
Ø Laurie, Marilyn, and AnnElissa will be leaving the Mission Team
Ø Laurie agreed to be an at large member for next year
Ø At the Team’s urging, Laurie agreed to lead the Mission Team again next year.
Ø Laurie stated that if she did so, then she would want to cut back on some of the things that she had led this year, including Mission Sunday, and Beacon articles. It was decided that whoever is in charge of an activity should be responsible for writing the Beacon article.
Ø Linda and Carol will continue next year as the 2009 class.
Ø Greg will continue as part of the 2010 class.
Ø Sandy Dyer and Sarah Randall will start a three year term.
Ø Laurie will ask Jim van Hoeven if he wants to continue as an at large member.
Ø Linda was asked if she wanted to continue as treasure. Linda will consider this option.
Ø AnnElissa was asked to stay on another year. AnnElissa expressed a concern that someone else might want a position on the team and she had been on for a while. AnnElissa stated that she would be interested if the opening could not be filled.
Ø A suggestion was made to return to subgroups for mission work and disbursements, as some team members prefer one task over the other. Laurie stated that Chris Keiter had made the suggestion for a subgroup for disbursements.
Ø Carol suggested that next year we have a subgroup focusing on researching the charity groups that we support, as it has been a number of years since this has been done.
Minutes
Laurie read the daily UCC Devotional Reading from the internet and offered a prayer.
Secretary minutes were reviewed and accepted with commendations.
Thank yous were received from the following agencies: Maine Council of Churches, Bangor Theological Seminary, St. Luke’s Soup Kitchen, and Opportunity Farm.
Treasure’s report was reviewed and accepted.
$760.00 has been raised to date for the Easter Offering and $1,752 for One Great Hour of Sharing.
The Council Policy Statement was e-mailed to the Mission Team and should be added to our books as this is the final draft.
Fair Trade Coffee
Ø Carol reported that the first fair trade coffee serving went well last Sunday.
Ø Fare Trade coffee will be served on Sundays by the Educational Fellowship and Growth Team
Ø Sales of fair trade coffee and tea will occur on 4/14 and 4/27. The Fair Trade group will meet on 4/14 to discuss how to go forward with this project.
Safe Passages
Ø Joan Carrier will attend next month’s Mission Team meeting , with the Safe Passages representatives to set up a presentation.
Ø Jane Gallagher would like to show 2 films and have a discussion for a total of 2 hours.
Ø The suggestion was made to have it after worship and to cut back the presentation time to an hour rather than two.
Ø Carol will check this out with Joan.
Social Witness Ministries
Ø The Social Witness Ministry is currently comprised of 4 groups: Diversity, Fair Trade Coffee, the Green Team, and Non Violence Advocacy.
Ø Carol would like to have a meeting of all of the social witness groups in the spring to clarify the different subgroups’ missions as well as their goals. Carol is suggesting that we do this in the format of a potluck
Ø Possible dates were discussed. Carol will discuss this with the subgroup leaders to coordinate a date.
Ø The Mission Team would host the pot luck as it oversees all of the subgroups under Social Witness Ministry. Carol suggested that the Mission Team bring desserts. AEL offered to make chocolates.
Ø The mission statement for the Non Violence Advocacy group was submitted by Rick Angell who is leading the group. Rick was also looking for approval to put this in the upcoming Beacon. The Mission Team gave approval for both requests.
Ø Claude Vachon asked for $61.00 for a speaker from the Department of Peace for a presentation to be held on 5/7/08. This request was approved by the Mission Team.
Special offerings
Ø John McCall led a discussion on the special offerings, which was continued from last month.
Ø The Mission Team decided to not add the Strengthen the Church offering, for a variety of reasons including a careful look at what was being asked of the congregation as well as how we are currently focusing our mission giving. There was a concern noted that this new offering would fall on the same Sunday as Blanket Sunday.
Ø There was decision to continue our other special offerings as is currently set up.
Ø It was pointed out that we are giving a lot locally and a discussion ensued about what we are doing to support more global missions.
Ø A suggestion was made to focus the Easter and Christmas Offerings on social ministry and international missions.
Ø John pointed out that the congregation would support global crises that were recent.
Ø John suggested that at some point in the future we may want, on occasion, to use the Easter offering for Strengthen Our Church.
Next Year Mission Team
Ø Laurie, Marilyn, and AnnElissa will be leaving the Mission Team
Ø Laurie agreed to be an at large member for next year
Ø At the Team’s urging, Laurie agreed to lead the Mission Team again next year.
Ø Laurie stated that if she did so, then she would want to cut back on some of the things that she had led this year, including Mission Sunday, and Beacon articles. It was decided that whoever is in charge of an activity should be responsible for writing the Beacon article.
Ø Linda and Carol will continue next year as the 2009 class.
Ø Greg will continue as part of the 2010 class.
Ø Sandy Dyer and Sarah Randall will start a three year term.
Ø Laurie will ask Jim van Hoeven if he wants to continue as an at large member.
Ø Linda was asked if she wanted to continue as treasure. Linda will consider this option.
Ø AnnElissa was asked to stay on another year. AnnElissa expressed a concern that someone else might want a position on the team and she had been on for a while. AnnElissa stated that she would be interested if the opening could not be filled.
Ø A suggestion was made to return to subgroups for mission work and disbursements, as some team members prefer one task over the other. Laurie stated that Chris Keiter had made the suggestion for a subgroup for disbursements.
Ø Carol suggested that next year we have a subgroup focusing on researching the charity groups that we support, as it has been a number of years since this has been done.
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