APRIL 2010 Meeting Minutes - March 25, 2010
Recorded by: Margaret Thibodeau
Team members attending: Karen Pierce, Margaret Thibodeau, Elsa Peters.
Unable to attend: Ginny Gledhill, Carolyn Foster, Jana Frank, Jennifer Fetting.
The meeting began with introductions. We were joined by prospective member Lynne Lanctot. We spent some time discussing the organization of the Church and EG&F Team responsibilities.
The March 4th Minutes were approved.
Jana had contacted Margaret to report that Coffee Hour is going along fine.
Karen shared that the Library Committee has reported no concerns. The Scholarship Group is currently reviewing applications. The deadline for submissions was March 15th. They will inform the congregation soon of their decisions.
Margaret will check with Ginny regarding Nursery & PreK coverage for Easter Sunday. A lily has been ordered in celebration of Linda McAloon, in appreciation of her teaching the pre-kindergarten class on Easter. Margaret will also send her a card, mentioning our thanks, and that the lily can be picked up after the service.
The Team will need to begin thinking about the Church Picnic, which takes place on Sunday May 16th. Margaret will put a sign-up poster at coffee hour, asking for donations and salads. New member Sunday is May 23rd.
Elsa shared the Faith Formation Update. The Team is supportive of ordering the online version of the curriculum materials. This will save money. A sub-group called “Family Faith Formation Committee” is being formed as a sub-group of children, family, and youth ministry. Christ Kid’s Club will host a Local Foods Dinner probably on May 1st, 5:00-7:00 p.m. Approximately 40-50 people are involved in Adult Faith Formation activities, which is a great success. Aaron French, the current Youth Ministry leader will be leaving in May. Steve Ferris has agreed to lead the program next year. The Team would like to think of an appropriate thank you for Aaron before he leaves.
The next meeting will be Thursday, May 6th at 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Church Council
Meeting Minutes of March 18, 2010
Present: Bob Morse, Nancy MacLean, John McCall, Chris Keiter, Phil Whitney, Roger Addor, Carrie Skeffington, Matt Early, Debra Andrews, Sally Hinckley, Elsa Peters, Andy Ellis and Chris Dow.
Chris Keiter convened the meeting at 6:30 p.m. Chris Dow opened with two readings by Ann Weems followed by prayer.
The February minutes were reviewed and accepted.
Minister’s Time:
- Elsa attended an interfaith gathering sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Church in Portland on the healthcare crisis.
- John announced that Rev. Larry Greer will be the guest preacher at both services on Sunday, March 21st.
Discussion on article “From Stressed to Blessed”:
- Elsa asked the council to read this article in January and she asked us what we thought was being accomplished through the current volunteer ministry of the congregation.
- Responses included church community engagement, Habitat for Humanity, mentors for confirmation, church school teachers, YM volunteers and soup kitchen. In essence, a tremendous amount of work is accomplished by our volunteer ministry.
- Other key points made were the secular culture is changing and that affects church culture.
- The new governance structure was designed so the teams would not be doing all the work. However, that is not the case in some instances.
- We have a low expectation for church membership qualifications which is working against us when it comes to volunteerism.
- Frustration exists with some of the teams having to fill the vacancies on their teams due to the absence of a nominating committee.
- Ideas for helping the teams engage members included utitilization of perhaps a revised Participation Form, new member dinners, announcements in worship, Beacon articles and most importantly personal outreach.
- Discussion will continue next month and hopefully we will have Dave Allen’s input from the Growth Group as we develop an action plan.
Church Vision:
- Elsa reported 80 responses to date on the survey questions according to Survey Monkey.
- The Committee on Vision will meet again after April 5th.
- The council asked Elsa to send out the Survey Monkey link again to the congregation.
Pilgrim Lodge Camperships:
- Elsa told us Pilgrim Lodge camperships are funded by $850.00 from the Holly Daze Bazaar and segregated funds.
- The council agreed that camperships would be available to both children and adults.
- Through Beacon articles and announcements in church, we will encourage those wanting assistance with funding to let us know.
- The church will solicit members of the congregation to help with camperships via the Beacon.
Filling EG&F Vacancy:
- Jennifer Fetting was approved to fill a vacancy on the EG& F Team.
Schools on Wheels Fundraising:
- Maureen Clancy, a member of the Mission Outreach Team submitted a request to the council for a fundraising activity ($500 to $1000 to benefit the Schools on Wheels Project sponsored by the Azande Organization).
- Council decided we didn’t have enough information to make a decision on this. Chris K. will get more details and communicate with each of us by E-Mail.
Check-in with Teams and Committees:
- The question was raised as to whether the council thought there was any benefit to having a meeting with the council and the teams.
- It was decided that the council should make the option available to the teams. Chris K. will be in touch with the teams.
Website Update:
- John reported that the committee working on the re-design of the church’s website has narrowed the choice down to two providers. These providers differ somewhat in the tools they recommend. The committee will meet with them before making a selection.
More Comprehensive Church Budget:
- Chris K. reported on the meeting on having a more comprehensive church budget.
- A sample budget was circulated showing what a comprehensive budget might look like.
- The point was made that the reason for including these other groups with the church budget (Holly Daze Bazaar, Community Crisis Ministries, Discovery Center and Investment Oversight) was for transparency and awareness, not for control.
- Consensus was that this was a good idea but should be reports instead of budgets for the other groups and might be more appropriately titled “Proposed Church Budget and Financial Reports”
Fundraising Activities:
- Report of the subcommittee on fundraising was distributed.
- A variety of fundraising activities were discussed.
- Decided to table further discussion until next month.
Adjourned: 8:32 p.m.
Recorder: Chris Dow
Present: Bob Morse, Nancy MacLean, John McCall, Chris Keiter, Phil Whitney, Roger Addor, Carrie Skeffington, Matt Early, Debra Andrews, Sally Hinckley, Elsa Peters, Andy Ellis and Chris Dow.
Chris Keiter convened the meeting at 6:30 p.m. Chris Dow opened with two readings by Ann Weems followed by prayer.
The February minutes were reviewed and accepted.
Minister’s Time:
- Elsa attended an interfaith gathering sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Church in Portland on the healthcare crisis.
- John announced that Rev. Larry Greer will be the guest preacher at both services on Sunday, March 21st.
Discussion on article “From Stressed to Blessed”:
- Elsa asked the council to read this article in January and she asked us what we thought was being accomplished through the current volunteer ministry of the congregation.
- Responses included church community engagement, Habitat for Humanity, mentors for confirmation, church school teachers, YM volunteers and soup kitchen. In essence, a tremendous amount of work is accomplished by our volunteer ministry.
- Other key points made were the secular culture is changing and that affects church culture.
- The new governance structure was designed so the teams would not be doing all the work. However, that is not the case in some instances.
- We have a low expectation for church membership qualifications which is working against us when it comes to volunteerism.
- Frustration exists with some of the teams having to fill the vacancies on their teams due to the absence of a nominating committee.
- Ideas for helping the teams engage members included utitilization of perhaps a revised Participation Form, new member dinners, announcements in worship, Beacon articles and most importantly personal outreach.
- Discussion will continue next month and hopefully we will have Dave Allen’s input from the Growth Group as we develop an action plan.
Church Vision:
- Elsa reported 80 responses to date on the survey questions according to Survey Monkey.
- The Committee on Vision will meet again after April 5th.
- The council asked Elsa to send out the Survey Monkey link again to the congregation.
Pilgrim Lodge Camperships:
- Elsa told us Pilgrim Lodge camperships are funded by $850.00 from the Holly Daze Bazaar and segregated funds.
- The council agreed that camperships would be available to both children and adults.
- Through Beacon articles and announcements in church, we will encourage those wanting assistance with funding to let us know.
- The church will solicit members of the congregation to help with camperships via the Beacon.
Filling EG&F Vacancy:
- Jennifer Fetting was approved to fill a vacancy on the EG& F Team.
Schools on Wheels Fundraising:
- Maureen Clancy, a member of the Mission Outreach Team submitted a request to the council for a fundraising activity ($500 to $1000 to benefit the Schools on Wheels Project sponsored by the Azande Organization).
- Council decided we didn’t have enough information to make a decision on this. Chris K. will get more details and communicate with each of us by E-Mail.
Check-in with Teams and Committees:
- The question was raised as to whether the council thought there was any benefit to having a meeting with the council and the teams.
- It was decided that the council should make the option available to the teams. Chris K. will be in touch with the teams.
Website Update:
- John reported that the committee working on the re-design of the church’s website has narrowed the choice down to two providers. These providers differ somewhat in the tools they recommend. The committee will meet with them before making a selection.
More Comprehensive Church Budget:
- Chris K. reported on the meeting on having a more comprehensive church budget.
- A sample budget was circulated showing what a comprehensive budget might look like.
- The point was made that the reason for including these other groups with the church budget (Holly Daze Bazaar, Community Crisis Ministries, Discovery Center and Investment Oversight) was for transparency and awareness, not for control.
- Consensus was that this was a good idea but should be reports instead of budgets for the other groups and might be more appropriately titled “Proposed Church Budget and Financial Reports”
Fundraising Activities:
- Report of the subcommittee on fundraising was distributed.
- A variety of fundraising activities were discussed.
- Decided to table further discussion until next month.
Adjourned: 8:32 p.m.
Recorder: Chris Dow
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Church Council
Meeting Minutes - February 25, 2010
Present: Chris Keiter, John McCall, Andy Ellis, Bob Morse, Chris Dow, Matt Early, Elsa Peters, Sally Hinckley, Dave Allen, Carrie Skeffington, Roger Addor.
The meeting was called to order at 6:30 p.m. by Chris Keiter. Roger opened with a short essay on the use of the 86,400 seconds we are allotted each day, followed by a prayer.
Minutes for January were reviewed and adopted.
Minister’s Time: John was pleased to report that Sue Stevens, a long time active member of our congregation, is starting a formal process to become a Commissioned Minister within the Maine Conference of the United Church of Christ.
Elsa reported that the Adult Faith Formation class is using a new curriculum during the Lenten season.
Budget: Chris reported on the successful completion and congregational acceptance of the 2010 church budget.
The Budget Committee, as a follow-up to the budget just passed, is working on a way to incorporate into the 2011 budget an accounting of monies raised and used by groups not currently included, e.g. the Holly Daze Bazaar and the Discovery Center. There was a lot of discussion about what this change means. Chris will develop a sample of what that might look like to help further the discussion.
The Budget Committee is also entertaining ideas for new fund raising possibilities. Sally Hinckley and Carrie Skeffington will work with Chris on this.
Website Design: Requests For Proposals (RFPs) for updating our website were sent to six website companies. Responses are due back by March 5th.
Annual Meeting: The date agreed upon is May 23. The meeting will be held immediately after service.
Sanctuary Railing: Eben Marsh, from the Administration Team, took us to the sanctuary to describe the railings that have been proposed for the stairs that go from the main sanctuary level to the first level of the chancel. The Council liked the design and thinks that it is a worth while effort. The projected cost is $2,500. A total of $1,300 has already been pledged, including $1,000 from Dick and Barbara Merrill (many thanks!) The Council discussed and approved having the Administration Team solicit the remaining funds from the congregation.
Bulletin Boards: A request through Bob Morse by the Eskimos to be able to set up an easel to publicize events was turned down. This means of communication has been considered before by the Council and rejected as being too intrusive. The need for a review of effective use of current bulletin board space, with the agreement that space should be offered to the Eskimos, was recognized. Elsa agreed to pursue the review.
Christ Kids Club Fundraiser: Elsa submitted a completed Fundraiser Form to allow the Club to sell tickets for a church dinner to be held on Saturday, May 1. They will be in charge of ticket sales and in the preparation and serving of the meal. Proceeds are to go to Haiti relief. The Council gave its approval
Church Vision: Elsa reported that the Vision Committee has come up with a set of six questions which will be presented to all church members. The Committee plans to use the responses to draft a vision statement, with fall homecoming as a completion target.
Pastor Parish Relationship Report: The document “Reflecting on Our Ministry,” which had been distributed to Council members by Ken Ross and Mandy Schumaker at last month’s council meeting, was opened for further discussion of the evaluation process. The consensus appears to be, both from the minister’s and the Pastoral Parish Relations Committee point of view, that this newly developed format, although quite exhaustive and time consuming, served as an effective means of refocusing an array of attributes central to an effective ministry and to the better incorporation of the laity in achieving goals. Parish Relations has recommended a four or five year interval for repeating the process; they will check in with John and Elsa about every 6 months regarding their development objectives.
Other Business: Spiritual Life and Worship submitted the name of Frank Arsenault to become a member of the Class of 2012. Council approved.
The Food Pantry requested approval to distribute brochures on healthy eating. This allows them to apply for a $500 grant, to the benefit of the Pantry. Council approved.
Discussion of the article “From Stressed to Blessed,” distributed by Elsa for discussion this month, was postponed until the March meeting.
Adjourned: 8:27 p.m.
Recorder: Roger Addor
Present: Chris Keiter, John McCall, Andy Ellis, Bob Morse, Chris Dow, Matt Early, Elsa Peters, Sally Hinckley, Dave Allen, Carrie Skeffington, Roger Addor.
The meeting was called to order at 6:30 p.m. by Chris Keiter. Roger opened with a short essay on the use of the 86,400 seconds we are allotted each day, followed by a prayer.
Minutes for January were reviewed and adopted.
Minister’s Time: John was pleased to report that Sue Stevens, a long time active member of our congregation, is starting a formal process to become a Commissioned Minister within the Maine Conference of the United Church of Christ.
Elsa reported that the Adult Faith Formation class is using a new curriculum during the Lenten season.
Budget: Chris reported on the successful completion and congregational acceptance of the 2010 church budget.
The Budget Committee, as a follow-up to the budget just passed, is working on a way to incorporate into the 2011 budget an accounting of monies raised and used by groups not currently included, e.g. the Holly Daze Bazaar and the Discovery Center. There was a lot of discussion about what this change means. Chris will develop a sample of what that might look like to help further the discussion.
The Budget Committee is also entertaining ideas for new fund raising possibilities. Sally Hinckley and Carrie Skeffington will work with Chris on this.
Website Design: Requests For Proposals (RFPs) for updating our website were sent to six website companies. Responses are due back by March 5th.
Annual Meeting: The date agreed upon is May 23. The meeting will be held immediately after service.
Sanctuary Railing: Eben Marsh, from the Administration Team, took us to the sanctuary to describe the railings that have been proposed for the stairs that go from the main sanctuary level to the first level of the chancel. The Council liked the design and thinks that it is a worth while effort. The projected cost is $2,500. A total of $1,300 has already been pledged, including $1,000 from Dick and Barbara Merrill (many thanks!) The Council discussed and approved having the Administration Team solicit the remaining funds from the congregation.
Bulletin Boards: A request through Bob Morse by the Eskimos to be able to set up an easel to publicize events was turned down. This means of communication has been considered before by the Council and rejected as being too intrusive. The need for a review of effective use of current bulletin board space, with the agreement that space should be offered to the Eskimos, was recognized. Elsa agreed to pursue the review.
Christ Kids Club Fundraiser: Elsa submitted a completed Fundraiser Form to allow the Club to sell tickets for a church dinner to be held on Saturday, May 1. They will be in charge of ticket sales and in the preparation and serving of the meal. Proceeds are to go to Haiti relief. The Council gave its approval
Church Vision: Elsa reported that the Vision Committee has come up with a set of six questions which will be presented to all church members. The Committee plans to use the responses to draft a vision statement, with fall homecoming as a completion target.
Pastor Parish Relationship Report: The document “Reflecting on Our Ministry,” which had been distributed to Council members by Ken Ross and Mandy Schumaker at last month’s council meeting, was opened for further discussion of the evaluation process. The consensus appears to be, both from the minister’s and the Pastoral Parish Relations Committee point of view, that this newly developed format, although quite exhaustive and time consuming, served as an effective means of refocusing an array of attributes central to an effective ministry and to the better incorporation of the laity in achieving goals. Parish Relations has recommended a four or five year interval for repeating the process; they will check in with John and Elsa about every 6 months regarding their development objectives.
Other Business: Spiritual Life and Worship submitted the name of Frank Arsenault to become a member of the Class of 2012. Council approved.
The Food Pantry requested approval to distribute brochures on healthy eating. This allows them to apply for a $500 grant, to the benefit of the Pantry. Council approved.
Discussion of the article “From Stressed to Blessed,” distributed by Elsa for discussion this month, was postponed until the March meeting.
Adjourned: 8:27 p.m.
Recorder: Roger Addor
Growth Group
Meeting Minutes of 3/8/10
Members present: Rick Angell, Stan Jordan, Elinor Redmond, Kendra Palmer, Sue Ross, John McCall, Dave Allen.
Absent: Jim Kupel
Stan opened the meeting at 5:30 p.m.with a prayer.
1. Web volunteer sign up (Elinor) - LotsaHelpingHands is a free web-site which provides a way for volunteers to sign up for activities that fit their desires and calendars. Elinor has created a location for us on that site: FCC Volunteers (http://www.lotsahelpinghands.com/c/621960/). Initially we will pilot sign-up for Greeters at the back church entrance and the office entrance. We plan to have an official designation Greeters can affix to their nametags so that people recognize the purpose of their presence. Elinor will be the coordinator and Dave will be her back up. This will be a pilot program so that we can see if it is something useful for other areas of church life. Elinor will try to provide phone sign-up for those unable to use the web. She may need help if the demand is too great.
Actions: Elinor will contact Sandy Hansen about the project and see if she wants to try scheduling Front Door Greeters in this way.
Elinor will write a descriptive e-mail to circulate among members of the Growth Group to be corrected/added to.
Rich will forward said e-mail to the Usher Captains, with instruction to pass it along to the Ushers on their team either through e-mail or telephone.
Elinor will put the contents of said e-mail in the Beacon.
2. Welcome Cards (Elinor) - Elinor presented the idea of creating a postcard size invitation to worship at our church, welcoming all and giving the times and basic church contact information. The cards would be located by exit doors. The target audience is members of groups using the church (nursery school parents, members of AA, students of yoga, etc.) so they have an easy way to know when worship services occur.
Action: John will send a draft to the group before the next meeting.
Kendra will send John a postcard template.
3. Usher Meeting (Rich) - The next meeting will be Sunday, April 18th. We reviewed Dave’s notes from the last Ushers’ meeting. He will put together a card of ‘best practices’ for ushers. Stan reported on his church visits: he particularly noticed that smiling, very pleasant ushers create a great first impression. John remarked that he sees the cluster of ushers blocking the center aisle as folks enter the sanctuary as imposing. We wondered if splitting the group and standing to the side would help. We discussed the value of having an Usher at the front side door to give out bulletins and seat those who wished to be escorted. We discussed having an usher in the balcony vs. having a small pile of bulletins for congregants. These are good topics for the Ushers’ meeting.
Action: Rich will organize the meeting. He will put together a card of ‘best practices’ for ushers.
4. Status of Parish Hosts (John/Rich) - There has been one great Parish Host/Guest match. All other guests have declined the opportunity when it is offered, either by John or by Rich. Rich has had two very positive telephone conversations with Guest families. Both have been most complimentary about our church yet do not want to have a PH. We speculated that the idea might seem too much of an obligation to newcomers. Kendra reminded the group of discussion at the last meeting of presenting the program differently, in a casual introduction. Sue thought the PH might make the call. John suggested that would feel like too much pressure. An alternative idea is to have 1 or 2 PHs available each Sunday to be matched up with newcomers as needed. John and the ushers would make the connection. Kendra wondered if people who come alone to church are more receptive to the Parish Host relationship.
Action: (I am fuzzy on this. I know we want PHs ‘at the ready’ to try this out). Elinor will set up the web-site for sign-up.
5. Hospitality Moment - Stan will provide the next tip on Sunday, March 28th (Palm Sunday). Dave is keeping track of the topics.
6. Other - Stan asked Dave about the project gathering information about small groups in the church. Dave has been ‘on hold’ as the purpose was to be a resource for the PH program. We do still need to have a comprehensive listing of the small groups in our church.
7. Agenda Items for next meeting:
• Friendship pads (& nametags)
• Update: Web signup, welcome cards, PH program
• Friends Sunday
• Tags – greeters
• Hospitality moment
Next meeting: Monday, April 12, 2010 at 5:30 in the Laity Room.
Respectfully submitted,
Elinor Redmond
Members present: Rick Angell, Stan Jordan, Elinor Redmond, Kendra Palmer, Sue Ross, John McCall, Dave Allen.
Absent: Jim Kupel
Stan opened the meeting at 5:30 p.m.with a prayer.
1. Web volunteer sign up (Elinor) - LotsaHelpingHands is a free web-site which provides a way for volunteers to sign up for activities that fit their desires and calendars. Elinor has created a location for us on that site: FCC Volunteers (http://www.lotsahelpinghands.com/c/621960/). Initially we will pilot sign-up for Greeters at the back church entrance and the office entrance. We plan to have an official designation Greeters can affix to their nametags so that people recognize the purpose of their presence. Elinor will be the coordinator and Dave will be her back up. This will be a pilot program so that we can see if it is something useful for other areas of church life. Elinor will try to provide phone sign-up for those unable to use the web. She may need help if the demand is too great.
Actions: Elinor will contact Sandy Hansen about the project and see if she wants to try scheduling Front Door Greeters in this way.
Elinor will write a descriptive e-mail to circulate among members of the Growth Group to be corrected/added to.
Rich will forward said e-mail to the Usher Captains, with instruction to pass it along to the Ushers on their team either through e-mail or telephone.
Elinor will put the contents of said e-mail in the Beacon.
2. Welcome Cards (Elinor) - Elinor presented the idea of creating a postcard size invitation to worship at our church, welcoming all and giving the times and basic church contact information. The cards would be located by exit doors. The target audience is members of groups using the church (nursery school parents, members of AA, students of yoga, etc.) so they have an easy way to know when worship services occur.
Action: John will send a draft to the group before the next meeting.
Kendra will send John a postcard template.
3. Usher Meeting (Rich) - The next meeting will be Sunday, April 18th. We reviewed Dave’s notes from the last Ushers’ meeting. He will put together a card of ‘best practices’ for ushers. Stan reported on his church visits: he particularly noticed that smiling, very pleasant ushers create a great first impression. John remarked that he sees the cluster of ushers blocking the center aisle as folks enter the sanctuary as imposing. We wondered if splitting the group and standing to the side would help. We discussed the value of having an Usher at the front side door to give out bulletins and seat those who wished to be escorted. We discussed having an usher in the balcony vs. having a small pile of bulletins for congregants. These are good topics for the Ushers’ meeting.
Action: Rich will organize the meeting. He will put together a card of ‘best practices’ for ushers.
4. Status of Parish Hosts (John/Rich) - There has been one great Parish Host/Guest match. All other guests have declined the opportunity when it is offered, either by John or by Rich. Rich has had two very positive telephone conversations with Guest families. Both have been most complimentary about our church yet do not want to have a PH. We speculated that the idea might seem too much of an obligation to newcomers. Kendra reminded the group of discussion at the last meeting of presenting the program differently, in a casual introduction. Sue thought the PH might make the call. John suggested that would feel like too much pressure. An alternative idea is to have 1 or 2 PHs available each Sunday to be matched up with newcomers as needed. John and the ushers would make the connection. Kendra wondered if people who come alone to church are more receptive to the Parish Host relationship.
Action: (I am fuzzy on this. I know we want PHs ‘at the ready’ to try this out). Elinor will set up the web-site for sign-up.
5. Hospitality Moment - Stan will provide the next tip on Sunday, March 28th (Palm Sunday). Dave is keeping track of the topics.
6. Other - Stan asked Dave about the project gathering information about small groups in the church. Dave has been ‘on hold’ as the purpose was to be a resource for the PH program. We do still need to have a comprehensive listing of the small groups in our church.
7. Agenda Items for next meeting:
• Friendship pads (& nametags)
• Update: Web signup, welcome cards, PH program
• Friends Sunday
• Tags – greeters
• Hospitality moment
Next meeting: Monday, April 12, 2010 at 5:30 in the Laity Room.
Respectfully submitted,
Elinor Redmond
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Spiritual Life and Worship
Meeting Minutes – March 4, 2010
Attending: Frank Arsenault, Betsy Keiter, Debbie Riley, Elaine Brownell, Dana Wiggins, John McCall, Tex Haeuser, Rick Angell.
Opening Prayer - by Betsy.
Review of February Minutes - approved with several edits (see attached revision).
John McCall - Upcoming events:
>Old Business
• Feb. 17- Ash Wednesday- SLW will host breakfast at 7AM followed by a 7:30am service. Was an excellent breakfast and service with 25 attending in Davidson Lounge.
• (Carried Item) Mar. 21- Hospice Sunday with Rev. Larry Greer giving the sermon with a talk on end of life care in Davidson Lounge after the service.
• (Carried Item) - Apr. 1 - Maundy Thursday –communion offered at 7:30 pm healing service by Elsa and John.
• Apr. 2 - Good Friday Soup supper – Hosted by the Guild. Elaine will follow up with the Guild to see if SL&W can help in any way.
• Apr. 2,3 and 4- Easter Vigil - with sign-ups starting on March 7th. An easel with sign up sheets will be placed outside the Chapel on the landing for that service and then moved to near the entrance to Wright Pavilion for the Sanctuary service and coffee hour.
• (Carried Item) Apr. 4 – Easter - Sunrise Service – communion offered with 2 needed to assist John.
• (Carried Item) Sanctuary services at 9 and 11- no communion in sanctuary offered due to larger attendance and back to back service times (but offered at sunrise service, and Maundy Thursday services).
• (Carried Item) June 6 - Founder’s Day with the Elder luncheon.
• (Carried Item) June 13 - Confirmation Sunday.
>New Business
• It has been decided to recycle all of the retired Pilgrim Hymnals as the market place is over flowing with these type of hymnals. Tex will look into the O’Neil Street DPW as a site for recycling.
• A new table will be purchased for Davidson Lounge to replace the table now used for communion in the sanctuary.
Elsa Peters - (Carried Item):
>What is our vision for the future of our church? – What does church mean to you?
>Lenten theme is “Toward transformation” – Elsa is offering a 6 week Bible study with 2 times offered; Monday evenings at 6:30 to 8:30 and Tuesdays mornings at 10:30 - 12:30 leading with the curriculum she has written and made available electronically, with hard copies available in the office.
>SL&W Terms of Members (Carried Item) - Review of Terms: we're not sure about this rotation but we are filling it in and getting more information so we have it on record.
• Class of 2010– Betsy and Debbie
• Class of 2011 – Rick and Dana
• Class of 2012– Elaine and Tex
• Class of 2013– Frank
>Elder Selection Process – The process for selection of Elder candidates was discussed. It was decided that Tex will chair a committee including Dave Allan, Darla Harris and Rick Angell to choose candidates to be presented to the SL&W Team for approval. The SL&W approved list will in turn be presented to the annual meeting for final approval.
>Agenda Items for next meeting: The next meeting will concentrate on Holy Week preparation:
• Maundy Thursday
• Good Friday
• Sunrise Service
• 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. Sanctuary Services
Next Meeting: 7:00 p.m. on March 25 (this will be April's meeting moved ahead one week due to Easter events)
Prepare agenda and Chair next meeting – Rick ; Minutes – Betsy.
Adjourned at 8:15 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Rick Angell
Attending: Frank Arsenault, Betsy Keiter, Debbie Riley, Elaine Brownell, Dana Wiggins, John McCall, Tex Haeuser, Rick Angell.
Opening Prayer - by Betsy.
Review of February Minutes - approved with several edits (see attached revision).
John McCall - Upcoming events:
>Old Business
• Feb. 17- Ash Wednesday- SLW will host breakfast at 7AM followed by a 7:30am service. Was an excellent breakfast and service with 25 attending in Davidson Lounge.
• (Carried Item) Mar. 21- Hospice Sunday with Rev. Larry Greer giving the sermon with a talk on end of life care in Davidson Lounge after the service.
• (Carried Item) - Apr. 1 - Maundy Thursday –communion offered at 7:30 pm healing service by Elsa and John.
• Apr. 2 - Good Friday Soup supper – Hosted by the Guild. Elaine will follow up with the Guild to see if SL&W can help in any way.
• Apr. 2,3 and 4- Easter Vigil - with sign-ups starting on March 7th. An easel with sign up sheets will be placed outside the Chapel on the landing for that service and then moved to near the entrance to Wright Pavilion for the Sanctuary service and coffee hour.
• (Carried Item) Apr. 4 – Easter - Sunrise Service – communion offered with 2 needed to assist John.
• (Carried Item) Sanctuary services at 9 and 11- no communion in sanctuary offered due to larger attendance and back to back service times (but offered at sunrise service, and Maundy Thursday services).
• (Carried Item) June 6 - Founder’s Day with the Elder luncheon.
• (Carried Item) June 13 - Confirmation Sunday.
>New Business
• It has been decided to recycle all of the retired Pilgrim Hymnals as the market place is over flowing with these type of hymnals. Tex will look into the O’Neil Street DPW as a site for recycling.
• A new table will be purchased for Davidson Lounge to replace the table now used for communion in the sanctuary.
Elsa Peters - (Carried Item):
>What is our vision for the future of our church? – What does church mean to you?
>Lenten theme is “Toward transformation” – Elsa is offering a 6 week Bible study with 2 times offered; Monday evenings at 6:30 to 8:30 and Tuesdays mornings at 10:30 - 12:30 leading with the curriculum she has written and made available electronically, with hard copies available in the office.
>SL&W Terms of Members (Carried Item) - Review of Terms: we're not sure about this rotation but we are filling it in and getting more information so we have it on record.
• Class of 2010– Betsy and Debbie
• Class of 2011 – Rick and Dana
• Class of 2012– Elaine and Tex
• Class of 2013– Frank
>Elder Selection Process – The process for selection of Elder candidates was discussed. It was decided that Tex will chair a committee including Dave Allan, Darla Harris and Rick Angell to choose candidates to be presented to the SL&W Team for approval. The SL&W approved list will in turn be presented to the annual meeting for final approval.
>Agenda Items for next meeting: The next meeting will concentrate on Holy Week preparation:
• Maundy Thursday
• Good Friday
• Sunrise Service
• 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. Sanctuary Services
Next Meeting: 7:00 p.m. on March 25 (this will be April's meeting moved ahead one week due to Easter events)
Prepare agenda and Chair next meeting – Rick ; Minutes – Betsy.
Adjourned at 8:15 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Rick Angell
Administration Team
Meeting Minutes of February 4, 2010
Present: Ron Bennett, Deb Sandler, Guy Gledhill, Chris Mills, Rod Redstone and Jim Otis.
Excused: Eben Marsh and Cyndi Alden (Business Manager).
The meeting was called to order by the Meeting Chair Ron Bennett at 7:05 p.m. Jim Otis was appointed Meeting Secretary and Chair for the next meeting.
The minutes of the January 7, 2010 meeting were reviewed and accepted.
Old Business:
Financial Statements and Budget: We reviewed our financial statements and budget for the period January 1 through February 4, 2010. There was a $(9,962) loss for this period vs. a budgeted loss of $(27,284) for the calendar year. Given the seasonality of certain expenses and accelerated payments of other expenses, we felt the variances were reasonable and we concluded that we are on track at this time. We happily noted that we have received 101% of the budgeted Previous Year’s Pledges.
Tenant review: 1.) 331 Cottage Road: The downstairs is currently rented for $1,200 per month to a commercial tenant and things are going fine. The upstairs residential tenant has left after many years and we are currently seeking proposals to rehab the space so it can be rented again (see House Committee report below for details). 2.) 509 Sawyer Street: We have a residential tenant leasing on a (temporary) reduced rent of $700 per month.
Chancel Rail Proposal: We noted that our Procurement Policy calls for 2 proposals if the proposed expenditure is estimated to be $500 to $2,500 and 3 proposals if the estimated cost is $,2500 to $10,000. We felt this could go either way. We reviewed a very similar proposal provided to FCC in early 2007 from Thomas Pittman, Cabinetmaker, for $3,000. Eben Marsh also contacted Wright Ryan (WR), a local reputable contractor and they have submitted a detailed proposal (with a schematic drawing) for $2,500. We discussed this extensively and felt comfortable in awarding the contract to WR, subject to: Council concurrence, congregation feedback and oversight by Eben Marsh (he offered to do this-thanks Eben!). We also noted that the WR drawing reflects different style ballisters than the present ballisters which extend across the chancel. We would like Eben to contact WR and see if they can modify the design to match the ballisters and provide us with an updated schematic drawing (before our March meeting) that we can use when we show this to the congregation. Eben should also ask if this will result in any additional cost. We are also planning to put an article in the Beacon.
Committee Reports:
Counting: Peggy Murray didn’t submit a formal report, but she has been nicely organizing the counters and related scheduling.
House: The House Committee has been very busy recently with the upstairs at 331 Cottage Road. They have inspected the premises carefully and have designed an RFP which includes numerous work items to bring this one (1) bedroom residential unit up to rentable status. Notable items include correcting the front entrance, new kitchen, bathroom remodeling, painting and new electrical plugs and CO2/smoke detectors. We noted that the Committee has done an amazing job. The RFP has been sent out to 3 vendors, with one (1) proposal received so far. We discussed the need to have three (3) proposals and Rod offered to provide another possible vendor (which he has done already!). We hope to have 3 proposals to evaluate at our March meeting. We also expressed a concern about the overall cost of improving the space to obtain estimated rental income of $750/month.
Planned Giving (PG): Ron submitted a second article for the Beacon and we all commended him on the quality of the articles. Ron also mentioned that Allen Bosch volunteered to assist the PG Committee. Allen has a lot of experience with planned giving in churches and educational institutions.
Web Site Subcommittee (WSS): Guy and Rod have been serving on this subcommittee. Rod indicated that he won’t be able to attend the 5:00 p.m. meetings due to parenting obligations, but Guy will continue to attend these. Rod and Guy mentioned that feedback on the proposed web site design RFP was sought and provided by church members. They noted that the final RFP was being sent out today or tomorrow to 5 vendors. The proposals should be received by March 5. The WSS will apparently receive the proposals, evaluate them and make a recommendation to the A Team.
New Business:
Growth Group Request: Chair Dave Allen asked Jim Otis for advice on how to address the issue of a lack of signage around the church. Jim said that he would bring this to the A Team for discussion. We all agreed that signage was a good idea so that we can be as user friendly as possible to our members and guests. Chair Guy of the House Committee said that his Committee would discuss this at their next meeting and take appropriate action and coordinate things with Dave and the Growth Committee.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:01 p.m.
The next AT meeting will be held on Thursday, March 4, 2010.
Respectfully submitted by: Jim Otis, Meeting Secretary
Present: Ron Bennett, Deb Sandler, Guy Gledhill, Chris Mills, Rod Redstone and Jim Otis.
Excused: Eben Marsh and Cyndi Alden (Business Manager).
The meeting was called to order by the Meeting Chair Ron Bennett at 7:05 p.m. Jim Otis was appointed Meeting Secretary and Chair for the next meeting.
The minutes of the January 7, 2010 meeting were reviewed and accepted.
Old Business:
Financial Statements and Budget: We reviewed our financial statements and budget for the period January 1 through February 4, 2010. There was a $(9,962) loss for this period vs. a budgeted loss of $(27,284) for the calendar year. Given the seasonality of certain expenses and accelerated payments of other expenses, we felt the variances were reasonable and we concluded that we are on track at this time. We happily noted that we have received 101% of the budgeted Previous Year’s Pledges.
Tenant review: 1.) 331 Cottage Road: The downstairs is currently rented for $1,200 per month to a commercial tenant and things are going fine. The upstairs residential tenant has left after many years and we are currently seeking proposals to rehab the space so it can be rented again (see House Committee report below for details). 2.) 509 Sawyer Street: We have a residential tenant leasing on a (temporary) reduced rent of $700 per month.
Chancel Rail Proposal: We noted that our Procurement Policy calls for 2 proposals if the proposed expenditure is estimated to be $500 to $2,500 and 3 proposals if the estimated cost is $,2500 to $10,000. We felt this could go either way. We reviewed a very similar proposal provided to FCC in early 2007 from Thomas Pittman, Cabinetmaker, for $3,000. Eben Marsh also contacted Wright Ryan (WR), a local reputable contractor and they have submitted a detailed proposal (with a schematic drawing) for $2,500. We discussed this extensively and felt comfortable in awarding the contract to WR, subject to: Council concurrence, congregation feedback and oversight by Eben Marsh (he offered to do this-thanks Eben!). We also noted that the WR drawing reflects different style ballisters than the present ballisters which extend across the chancel. We would like Eben to contact WR and see if they can modify the design to match the ballisters and provide us with an updated schematic drawing (before our March meeting) that we can use when we show this to the congregation. Eben should also ask if this will result in any additional cost. We are also planning to put an article in the Beacon.
Committee Reports:
Counting: Peggy Murray didn’t submit a formal report, but she has been nicely organizing the counters and related scheduling.
House: The House Committee has been very busy recently with the upstairs at 331 Cottage Road. They have inspected the premises carefully and have designed an RFP which includes numerous work items to bring this one (1) bedroom residential unit up to rentable status. Notable items include correcting the front entrance, new kitchen, bathroom remodeling, painting and new electrical plugs and CO2/smoke detectors. We noted that the Committee has done an amazing job. The RFP has been sent out to 3 vendors, with one (1) proposal received so far. We discussed the need to have three (3) proposals and Rod offered to provide another possible vendor (which he has done already!). We hope to have 3 proposals to evaluate at our March meeting. We also expressed a concern about the overall cost of improving the space to obtain estimated rental income of $750/month.
Planned Giving (PG): Ron submitted a second article for the Beacon and we all commended him on the quality of the articles. Ron also mentioned that Allen Bosch volunteered to assist the PG Committee. Allen has a lot of experience with planned giving in churches and educational institutions.
Web Site Subcommittee (WSS): Guy and Rod have been serving on this subcommittee. Rod indicated that he won’t be able to attend the 5:00 p.m. meetings due to parenting obligations, but Guy will continue to attend these. Rod and Guy mentioned that feedback on the proposed web site design RFP was sought and provided by church members. They noted that the final RFP was being sent out today or tomorrow to 5 vendors. The proposals should be received by March 5. The WSS will apparently receive the proposals, evaluate them and make a recommendation to the A Team.
New Business:
Growth Group Request: Chair Dave Allen asked Jim Otis for advice on how to address the issue of a lack of signage around the church. Jim said that he would bring this to the A Team for discussion. We all agreed that signage was a good idea so that we can be as user friendly as possible to our members and guests. Chair Guy of the House Committee said that his Committee would discuss this at their next meeting and take appropriate action and coordinate things with Dave and the Growth Committee.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:01 p.m.
The next AT meeting will be held on Thursday, March 4, 2010.
Respectfully submitted by: Jim Otis, Meeting Secretary
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Mission and Outreach
Meeting Minutes of February 4, 2010
Present: Laurie Cary, Mike Kasputes, Maureen Clancy, Sandy Dyer.
Opening Reading: Sandy read from Life Tides “Kaleidoscope”. A selection which drew our attention as being a part of the whole, and trusting in the unity of the whole.
January Minutes were accepted as written.
Treasurer’s Report: No financial report was available. However, the new Fund Raising Form process developed by the Council was discussed, including the asking of donations as being part of that process. Laurie reviewed the Haiti disaster relief efforts, which included a contribution to the UCC of $1500. In addition there are opportunities through One Great Hour of Sharing plus an advance of $500 to Konbit Sante designated to earthquake relief. An open discussion of some of the challenges occurring in Haiti concluded the report.
Minister’s Moments: Elsa Peters - Elsa focused on some of her involvement in the greater community:
• What’s our vision as a community? This question arose from Pastor Parish Relations. The Council has created a group to discover a definition of our Vision. To articulate what we are and where we are going. This relates to the Mission Outreach Team. The initial time frame is for a draft in the next 3 to 6 months, but the process is open ended.
• The November marriage vote continues to draw attention. There is work being done in the secular area (Equality Maine) as well as in some religious groups. These include the Progressive Clergy of Portland which John and Elsa attend. Some of the focus is on the teaching of marriage inclusion as we have done here at Meetinghouse Hill FCC.
• She engaged in the employee protest at the Front Room over workers rights. Rock Maine a labor organizing group is coordinating efforts. Elsa had an opinion carried on the editorial page of the January 29, 2010 edition of the Portland Press.
Old Business:
• The next Micah Project is set for the 6th of March. Laurie, Maureen, and Sandy will call to find 12 volunteers. Maureen will get a request for volunteers in the next Beacon. The location for the Habitat for Humanity project is still unknown. We will be departing the church at 8:30. If we have more than 12 volunteers, we’ll attempt to set-up another Habitat project date. Volunteers will need to bring lunch, snacks, and water.
• Coffee hours went well on the 10th and 17th of January. Fair Trade Coffee orders were strong during the coffee hours. Delivery will be around the 14th of February. Sign-ups for projects included the Reynolds, Herb and Evie Strom, and a new Children’s Closet volunteer. The Food Pantry needs volunteers this winter. The pantry is an on demand system where the volunteer of the day is called in to fill a bag (3 meals for 2 days for the family size). The team feels that the coffee hour hosting was beneficial and should be done again next year.
• The Children’s Closet (9 to 11 a.m. first and third Wed. and Sat. of each month) came up with new rules to curb the impulsive over taking of clothes offered. They are working to implement the new rules. They may not need to replace Jen since the team is dividing up responsibilities. They could still use more volunteers and donations.
• The Dafur information is tabled for this month.
Other Discussion:
• Wayside Soup Kitchen: Laurie received a letter on transitioning over into the Preble Street program for volunteers. Wayside is also looking to create a mobile food pantry.
• The Florence house, a facility for both permanent and temporary women, located at the base of Maine Med – on or near Valley Street will need volunteers. Micah may help on a one time project at the Florence house. They will need servers on a regular basis. That request will be passed onto Karen Mooney of the Soup Kitchen committee here at FCC.
• Maureen shared her experience and knowledge of Amistad at St. Dom’s on State Street. This is a restaurant luncheon program focused toward work experience and social interaction for people with a mental disability. The program participants serve the public. Should we support Amistad?
• The South Portland Cape Elizabeth Emergency Food Pantry would like a food collection done later in the spring. A potential for the next food drive is May or June.
• The Azande group, connected with World Vision with a program operating in Sudan for refugees, delivers school supplies in that region of the world. Should we consider this for a donation in March? For more information: www.azandeorganization.org
• Laurie will pull together an article for the Beacon regarding the One Great Hour of Sharing on 3/21/10. This is a UCC offering that goes to international charity.
• Should we invite representatives of the groups we support during the year to attend some of our mission meetings? This would be an opportunity for each group to update the committee on their current programs and needs.
Thank-you Notes Received:
• The South Portland Cape Elizabeth Emergency Food Pantry, in thanks for the Maine Special Support and Mission Mall. Including the cash donation of December 2009, and the Holly Daze Bizarre.
• Opportunity Farm for the cash donation.
• Animal Refuge League in thanks for the Mission Mall.
• Long Creek Youth Center in thanks for the Christmas Giving Tree presents.
Closing Reading: Sandy read from Life Tides - “let us dance in the flame that we see”.
Recorder: Mike Kasputes
Next Meeting: March 4th.
Opening/Closing Prayer: Richard Parker
Recorder: Sandy Dyer
Present: Laurie Cary, Mike Kasputes, Maureen Clancy, Sandy Dyer.
Opening Reading: Sandy read from Life Tides “Kaleidoscope”. A selection which drew our attention as being a part of the whole, and trusting in the unity of the whole.
January Minutes were accepted as written.
Treasurer’s Report: No financial report was available. However, the new Fund Raising Form process developed by the Council was discussed, including the asking of donations as being part of that process. Laurie reviewed the Haiti disaster relief efforts, which included a contribution to the UCC of $1500. In addition there are opportunities through One Great Hour of Sharing plus an advance of $500 to Konbit Sante designated to earthquake relief. An open discussion of some of the challenges occurring in Haiti concluded the report.
Minister’s Moments: Elsa Peters - Elsa focused on some of her involvement in the greater community:
• What’s our vision as a community? This question arose from Pastor Parish Relations. The Council has created a group to discover a definition of our Vision. To articulate what we are and where we are going. This relates to the Mission Outreach Team. The initial time frame is for a draft in the next 3 to 6 months, but the process is open ended.
• The November marriage vote continues to draw attention. There is work being done in the secular area (Equality Maine) as well as in some religious groups. These include the Progressive Clergy of Portland which John and Elsa attend. Some of the focus is on the teaching of marriage inclusion as we have done here at Meetinghouse Hill FCC.
• She engaged in the employee protest at the Front Room over workers rights. Rock Maine a labor organizing group is coordinating efforts. Elsa had an opinion carried on the editorial page of the January 29, 2010 edition of the Portland Press.
Old Business:
• The next Micah Project is set for the 6th of March. Laurie, Maureen, and Sandy will call to find 12 volunteers. Maureen will get a request for volunteers in the next Beacon. The location for the Habitat for Humanity project is still unknown. We will be departing the church at 8:30. If we have more than 12 volunteers, we’ll attempt to set-up another Habitat project date. Volunteers will need to bring lunch, snacks, and water.
• Coffee hours went well on the 10th and 17th of January. Fair Trade Coffee orders were strong during the coffee hours. Delivery will be around the 14th of February. Sign-ups for projects included the Reynolds, Herb and Evie Strom, and a new Children’s Closet volunteer. The Food Pantry needs volunteers this winter. The pantry is an on demand system where the volunteer of the day is called in to fill a bag (3 meals for 2 days for the family size). The team feels that the coffee hour hosting was beneficial and should be done again next year.
• The Children’s Closet (9 to 11 a.m. first and third Wed. and Sat. of each month) came up with new rules to curb the impulsive over taking of clothes offered. They are working to implement the new rules. They may not need to replace Jen since the team is dividing up responsibilities. They could still use more volunteers and donations.
• The Dafur information is tabled for this month.
Other Discussion:
• Wayside Soup Kitchen: Laurie received a letter on transitioning over into the Preble Street program for volunteers. Wayside is also looking to create a mobile food pantry.
• The Florence house, a facility for both permanent and temporary women, located at the base of Maine Med – on or near Valley Street will need volunteers. Micah may help on a one time project at the Florence house. They will need servers on a regular basis. That request will be passed onto Karen Mooney of the Soup Kitchen committee here at FCC.
• Maureen shared her experience and knowledge of Amistad at St. Dom’s on State Street. This is a restaurant luncheon program focused toward work experience and social interaction for people with a mental disability. The program participants serve the public. Should we support Amistad?
• The South Portland Cape Elizabeth Emergency Food Pantry would like a food collection done later in the spring. A potential for the next food drive is May or June.
• The Azande group, connected with World Vision with a program operating in Sudan for refugees, delivers school supplies in that region of the world. Should we consider this for a donation in March? For more information: www.azandeorganization.org
• Laurie will pull together an article for the Beacon regarding the One Great Hour of Sharing on 3/21/10. This is a UCC offering that goes to international charity.
• Should we invite representatives of the groups we support during the year to attend some of our mission meetings? This would be an opportunity for each group to update the committee on their current programs and needs.
Thank-you Notes Received:
• The South Portland Cape Elizabeth Emergency Food Pantry, in thanks for the Maine Special Support and Mission Mall. Including the cash donation of December 2009, and the Holly Daze Bizarre.
• Opportunity Farm for the cash donation.
• Animal Refuge League in thanks for the Mission Mall.
• Long Creek Youth Center in thanks for the Christmas Giving Tree presents.
Closing Reading: Sandy read from Life Tides - “let us dance in the flame that we see”.
Recorder: Mike Kasputes
Next Meeting: March 4th.
Opening/Closing Prayer: Richard Parker
Recorder: Sandy Dyer
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