Meeting Minutes of March 26, 2009
Present: Rick Angell, Deb Riley, Dana Wiggins, Bryan Wiggins, Sandy Hansen, John McCall
Opening Prayer - by Rick Angell
Review of March 5th Minutes – approved as written.
Updates from John:
The feedback from the March 15th Service about Marriage in the church has been mostly positive and supportive. Following each service, there was time for discussion; ten people from the Chapel service came, and 30-40 people after the 10:00 service. There were varied feelings about it, but overall, there was a deep sense of respect and sincere willingness to listen to each other. John has spoken privately with some who have wanted to talk about the issues, and continues to be open to talk with anyone on the subject.
To follow up on this topic, some Bible Study classes and discussion groups are planned:
• Elsa is planning a 3 week study bible about Marriage in September on Sunday mornings.
• Marvin Ellison is scheduled in October, hosted by Diversity Committee.
• John is planning a 5 week study on Politics and Religion in the fall.
Hymnal Update: $3,940 has come in for hymnals, about ½ of the amount needed for the full purchase. To celebrate the new hymnals, Elsa and Shirley are working on a special service on June 14th, to dedicate the new hymnals.
Pastor-Parish Relations Committee: Working now on Evaluation of current ministries, laiety, how we deal with conflict. This committee will meet again for an in-depth meeting in April.
On-going Issues:
• John’s Sabbatical – John distributed an Emergency Call List that Elsa put together, that is very thorough. For the 3 Sundays when Elsa or Gillian aren’t available, we have Bob Morse, Bryan Wiggins, and Judith Blanchard giving the message.
Details of Holy Week:
• Palm Sunday - April 5th - Betsy will get the palms to the chapel and sanctuary. Cindy will purchase the palm plants and make sure they are in place for the service.
• Maundy Thursday Service – April 9th Communion service, and John requested 2 servers. Debbie Riley agreed to get the bread and be there to serve. Rick will be at the service, and ushering. He agreed to assist with serving if no one else was available.
• Good Friday – April 10 - Betsy has agreed to be responsible for changing the altar cloths to black and placing the crowns of thorns in the Narthex niches and on the chapel cross. The Hilltop Guild will be taking responsibility of the Soup Supper this year.
• Vigil - April 10-11 Still need more people to sign up! Debbie suggested a note in the friendship pad to suggest signing up. Betsy will send reminders, either through the mail or email. Both is not necessary, as long as a response is received. John and Elsa will put out the reading materials, journal for signing and expressing feelings, and other relative materials in the Chapel. John or Elsa will bring the Christ Candle from the Good Friday service to the Chapel.
• Easter - April 12 (Sunrise Service, 9:00 and 11:00) For the sunrise service, Tess Wiggins has volunteered to help Elsa, Sally K. will play trumpet. For the 9:00 & 11:00 services, there will be 1 trumpeter.
SL & W Team Membership – Update on prospects and volunteers:
• Elinor, Bryan, and Sandy to end term Summer 2009
• Betsy and Debbie – Summer 2010
• Rick – Summer 2011
Names of people who may be interested in joining the team were brought forth, and members have agreed to contact them and report back via email to the team as communication unfolds throughout the month. Dana offered to write a description of the role this team plays so that we have a consistent message to give when we are inviting people to join the team.
Next Meeting: May 7th 7:00pm
Agenda Items: Growth Committee; Multi Media, Elder Sunday
Opening Prayer by: Bryan Wiggins
Minutes will be taken by: Sandy Hansen
Adjourned at 9:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted by,
Sandy Hansen
Showing posts with label March 2009. Show all posts
Showing posts with label March 2009. Show all posts
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Administrative Team
Meeting Minutes of March 5, 2009
Present: Ron Bennett, Eben Marsh, Deb Sandler, Guy Gledhill, Chris Mills and Cyndi Alden.
The meeting was called to order by the Acting Chair Guy Gledhill at 7:05 p.m.
The minutes of the February 5, 2009 meeting were reviewed and accepted.
Old Business:
Cyndi lead a review of our financial statements.
Cyndi reported that Old Crow Gallery is behind two months in rent payments. Also, the tenant occupying the Bungalow has lost her job, and may need to vacate. Stephan Popp visited our meeting to explain why he is behind in his payments.
The Committee voted unanimously to terminate our lease with Steve Popp, et al. Cyndi will compose a suitable letter to Potts advising him of our action and that he is to vacate the property by April 1, 2009.
Cyndi will also contact the occupant of the Bungalow to work out new terms that will be suitable to both parties until June, 2009, when the Committee will revisit that lease to determine the lease terms beyond June.
Committee Reports:
Counting – Cyndi provided a new stamp which will expedite the Counting Committee’s endorsements of collection checks for Sunday deposits.
House – Guy presented an update of the activities of the House Committee. Please refer to HC Report attached.
Planned Giving – Ron reported that the PGC is continuing to discuss the details of its program. Ron also shared that the PGC felt that due to the current economy that this was not a good time to approach potential supporters.
New Business:
Heating Oil – The Team discussed the current level of fuel prices, and requested Cyndi to solicit companies for prices now rather than to wait until the fall season.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:35 p.m.
Next Meeting: April 2, 2009
Respectfully submitted by: Eben Marsh, Acting Secretary
Present: Ron Bennett, Eben Marsh, Deb Sandler, Guy Gledhill, Chris Mills and Cyndi Alden.
The meeting was called to order by the Acting Chair Guy Gledhill at 7:05 p.m.
The minutes of the February 5, 2009 meeting were reviewed and accepted.
Old Business:
Cyndi lead a review of our financial statements.
Cyndi reported that Old Crow Gallery is behind two months in rent payments. Also, the tenant occupying the Bungalow has lost her job, and may need to vacate. Stephan Popp visited our meeting to explain why he is behind in his payments.
The Committee voted unanimously to terminate our lease with Steve Popp, et al. Cyndi will compose a suitable letter to Potts advising him of our action and that he is to vacate the property by April 1, 2009.
Cyndi will also contact the occupant of the Bungalow to work out new terms that will be suitable to both parties until June, 2009, when the Committee will revisit that lease to determine the lease terms beyond June.
Committee Reports:
Counting – Cyndi provided a new stamp which will expedite the Counting Committee’s endorsements of collection checks for Sunday deposits.
House – Guy presented an update of the activities of the House Committee. Please refer to HC Report attached.
Planned Giving – Ron reported that the PGC is continuing to discuss the details of its program. Ron also shared that the PGC felt that due to the current economy that this was not a good time to approach potential supporters.
New Business:
Heating Oil – The Team discussed the current level of fuel prices, and requested Cyndi to solicit companies for prices now rather than to wait until the fall season.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:35 p.m.
Next Meeting: April 2, 2009
Respectfully submitted by: Eben Marsh, Acting Secretary
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Green Action Group
Meeting Minutes of March 26, 2009
Present: Janis Albright, Louise Davis, Sarah Ellsworth, Leslie Gatcombe-Hynes, Barbara Merrill, Dick Merrill, Ed Saxby, Jim Van Hoeven.
The meeting started with the group checking in with each other.
The meeting was devoted to preparations for the worship service on April 19 which the Green Action Group will be conducting:
•Ed will be delivering the message. He will write an article for the Beacon and a brief message for The Bulletin regarding the program at 11:30 a.m. in Davidson Lounge. At that time a lobsterman from Falmouth will be the speaker regarding Community Supported Agriculture. Members of the congregation, children, and the youth group will be encouraged to attend the presentation.
•Ed has been in touch with Shirley Curry regarding music for the service. Hymns include For the Beauty of the Earth, Draw the Circle Wide, In Water We Grow (for the Baptism), and The Garden Song. Shirley has been asked about the possibility of Morning Has Broken for the anthem.
•Louise shared her preparation and materials for the Children’s Time. The focus will be on seeds. Each child will receive a seed packet, organic dirt, two pots, and a soil testing kit.
•Sarah received permission for the use of David Mallett’s “The Garden Song”. Sarah will be worship leader. Sarah has collected a variety of relevant materials that will be on an information table. There will be a list of Maine organizations and their web-sites for people to reach out, make connections, and take action regarding our stewardship of the earth. The book list compiled by Janis will be available as well.
•Leslie will do a hymn of promise.
There was discussion around the possibility of follow-up programs after Earth Day:
•Sarah mentioned Kris Dunn, an Amercorp volunteer, who does a presentation on Back Cove Yardscaping. He could be invited to do a presentation in May.
•Ed knows of the possibility of a well-known gardener coming to do a presentation. There will be a sign-up sheet on the information table on April19 for people to express interest in such a program.
•Since there will not be a rummage sale this spring, the possibility of asking for donations of books to be recycled was discussed. Books could then be sold in Wright Pavilion after worship some Sunday. The funds could go to energy saving items for our church.
•It was mentioned that a Disney movie “Earth” is due out for Earth Day. Ed reported on two federal government bills and one state bill relative to energy and to the environment.
Respectfully submitted,
Barbara Merrill
Present: Janis Albright, Louise Davis, Sarah Ellsworth, Leslie Gatcombe-Hynes, Barbara Merrill, Dick Merrill, Ed Saxby, Jim Van Hoeven.
The meeting started with the group checking in with each other.
The meeting was devoted to preparations for the worship service on April 19 which the Green Action Group will be conducting:
•Ed will be delivering the message. He will write an article for the Beacon and a brief message for The Bulletin regarding the program at 11:30 a.m. in Davidson Lounge. At that time a lobsterman from Falmouth will be the speaker regarding Community Supported Agriculture. Members of the congregation, children, and the youth group will be encouraged to attend the presentation.
•Ed has been in touch with Shirley Curry regarding music for the service. Hymns include For the Beauty of the Earth, Draw the Circle Wide, In Water We Grow (for the Baptism), and The Garden Song. Shirley has been asked about the possibility of Morning Has Broken for the anthem.
•Louise shared her preparation and materials for the Children’s Time. The focus will be on seeds. Each child will receive a seed packet, organic dirt, two pots, and a soil testing kit.
•Sarah received permission for the use of David Mallett’s “The Garden Song”. Sarah will be worship leader. Sarah has collected a variety of relevant materials that will be on an information table. There will be a list of Maine organizations and their web-sites for people to reach out, make connections, and take action regarding our stewardship of the earth. The book list compiled by Janis will be available as well.
•Leslie will do a hymn of promise.
There was discussion around the possibility of follow-up programs after Earth Day:
•Sarah mentioned Kris Dunn, an Amercorp volunteer, who does a presentation on Back Cove Yardscaping. He could be invited to do a presentation in May.
•Ed knows of the possibility of a well-known gardener coming to do a presentation. There will be a sign-up sheet on the information table on April19 for people to express interest in such a program.
•Since there will not be a rummage sale this spring, the possibility of asking for donations of books to be recycled was discussed. Books could then be sold in Wright Pavilion after worship some Sunday. The funds could go to energy saving items for our church.
•It was mentioned that a Disney movie “Earth” is due out for Earth Day. Ed reported on two federal government bills and one state bill relative to energy and to the environment.
Respectfully submitted,
Barbara Merrill
Community Crisis Ministries
Meeting Minutes of March 24, 2009
PRESENT: Scott Berry, Terry Dallaire, Ann Googins.
ABSENT: Trish Naddaff, Jerry Onos, Kathy Sahrbeck.
Scott called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
OLD BUSINESS:
Work continued on the planned Community Crisis Ministries Sunday of April 26. Scott met with John and went over the program in a meeting that was very helpful. He brought a draft Bulletin, and we finished plugging in presenters and remaining items.
The chapel service will be shorter, so we condensed the Bulletin for that service.
When the Team meets again on April 7, we will meet with our speaker and finalize everything.
Rehearsal will be Thursday, April 23.
NEW BUSINESS:
The next project will be preparing the fund letter for pledges, which we hope to mail by the end of May.
The next meeting will be Tuesday, April 7, at 7:00 p.m.
The meeting adjourned at 8:15 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Ann Googins
PRESENT: Scott Berry, Terry Dallaire, Ann Googins.
ABSENT: Trish Naddaff, Jerry Onos, Kathy Sahrbeck.
Scott called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
OLD BUSINESS:
Work continued on the planned Community Crisis Ministries Sunday of April 26. Scott met with John and went over the program in a meeting that was very helpful. He brought a draft Bulletin, and we finished plugging in presenters and remaining items.
The chapel service will be shorter, so we condensed the Bulletin for that service.
When the Team meets again on April 7, we will meet with our speaker and finalize everything.
Rehearsal will be Thursday, April 23.
NEW BUSINESS:
The next project will be preparing the fund letter for pledges, which we hope to mail by the end of May.
The next meeting will be Tuesday, April 7, at 7:00 p.m.
The meeting adjourned at 8:15 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Ann Googins
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Growth Group
Meeting Minutes of March 23, 2009
Members present: Jim Kupel, John McCall, Rick Angell, Dave Allen, Kendra Palmer, Stan Jordan, Sue Ross, Elinor Redmond.
Jim opened the meeting with a prayer at 6:30 p.m. No minutes were kept at the February meeting due to low attendance.
**indicates future action
I. 1/11 Focus Group
Stan had sent us all copies of his notes from the gathering. We discussed the highlights: new members want what they called a ‘buddy program’. That news confirms the thrust of our Parish Host idea. No real constructive criticism was offered; the group validated what we are doing now (name tags, welcome in the Narthex). Kendra described the experience as positive: the group was willing to talk. They experience our ministers as very accessible, in contrast to other churches they have attended.
**Jim will write up the key points from the discussion group. Richard will pass along Stan’s notes to SL&W; Dave will send them to EF&G via Elsa.
We had a general discussion concerning ‘getting the word out’ about our church and who we are. John noted that the church is almost big enough for interest groups (parenting pot luck, pilgrims and pints: they are great when enough people can attend). The role of the church (ministers) is not to make those things happen but to set things up so that they can happen (enable them). We thought about the many people who come through the church doors for scouts, Mother’s group, food pantry, yoga, 12 step groups etc. and discussed reaching out to individuals involved in these groups. A first step is to provide fliers about the church when the groups meet.
** John will ask Cyndi for a list of the groups, meeting times and contact person.
II. Mission Statement
We feel we are very close. We worked on Elinor’s suggestion from the January minutes:
To provide structure to warmly welcome newcomers to our church, build relationships so that they are part of our church community, attending services, participating and joining.
Edit:
To provide a structure and a process to warmly welcome newcomers to our church and to encourage the building of meaningful relationships so that newcomers feel they belong and can participate in our church community.
III. Parish Host Program
We looked again at the outline of the Parish Host Program.
**Jim will draft a version to describe the program for someone who is considering being a Parish Host. We want the document to include a sense of celebration if it works.
IV. New Member Process
John provided the group with an outline of the steps he and Elsa take as newcomers attend services and become known to them. Jim considered adding ‘touch points’ so that we can see the impact of other church members on the newcomer’s experience. Step 4 is a natural point to introduce a parish host. We discussed ways members could contribute to the process: being available with Sandy to escort someone to coffee hour, standing at the back of the church at the beginning of service and sitting in a pew with a newcomer (and then being friendly, of course).
Sue suggested direction from the front of the church on passing the friendship pads back across the pew once they are signed so that we can all know the names of the other people in the pew. John will talk with Elsa about consistent language.
Jim suggested that a goal for the congregation is to see (welcoming) as their responsibility.
**John will re-draft the document and invite additions. He said finding a lay person to shepherd along new arrivals – paying attention to detail – would be terrific.
V. Group Information
Stan proposed creating a booklet with information about all the small groups in the church. He made a template with the Growth Group as an example. We agreed such a booklet would be very useful to have. John acknowledged it would be hard to keep it current so it would not be practical to print a number of ‘hard copies’. Rather the group suggested creating a pdf which can be reached through the website and be easily updated.
**Dave will work on collecting the information via e-mail from each group. We will ask for examples of activities.
VI. Other
John passed out articles for people to take home and read.
Kendra will spend more time on her web review of ‘best practices’ in other churches.
The meeting adjourned at 8:15 p.m.
NEXT MEETING: Thursday, April 30 @ 5:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Elinor Redmond
With special thanks to Dave Allen for his leadership at keeping a group on task during a meeting and his skill at keeping track of agenda items.
Members present: Jim Kupel, John McCall, Rick Angell, Dave Allen, Kendra Palmer, Stan Jordan, Sue Ross, Elinor Redmond.
Jim opened the meeting with a prayer at 6:30 p.m. No minutes were kept at the February meeting due to low attendance.
**indicates future action
I. 1/11 Focus Group
Stan had sent us all copies of his notes from the gathering. We discussed the highlights: new members want what they called a ‘buddy program’. That news confirms the thrust of our Parish Host idea. No real constructive criticism was offered; the group validated what we are doing now (name tags, welcome in the Narthex). Kendra described the experience as positive: the group was willing to talk. They experience our ministers as very accessible, in contrast to other churches they have attended.
**Jim will write up the key points from the discussion group. Richard will pass along Stan’s notes to SL&W; Dave will send them to EF&G via Elsa.
We had a general discussion concerning ‘getting the word out’ about our church and who we are. John noted that the church is almost big enough for interest groups (parenting pot luck, pilgrims and pints: they are great when enough people can attend). The role of the church (ministers) is not to make those things happen but to set things up so that they can happen (enable them). We thought about the many people who come through the church doors for scouts, Mother’s group, food pantry, yoga, 12 step groups etc. and discussed reaching out to individuals involved in these groups. A first step is to provide fliers about the church when the groups meet.
** John will ask Cyndi for a list of the groups, meeting times and contact person.
II. Mission Statement
We feel we are very close. We worked on Elinor’s suggestion from the January minutes:
To provide structure to warmly welcome newcomers to our church, build relationships so that they are part of our church community, attending services, participating and joining.
Edit:
To provide a structure and a process to warmly welcome newcomers to our church and to encourage the building of meaningful relationships so that newcomers feel they belong and can participate in our church community.
III. Parish Host Program
We looked again at the outline of the Parish Host Program.
**Jim will draft a version to describe the program for someone who is considering being a Parish Host. We want the document to include a sense of celebration if it works.
IV. New Member Process
John provided the group with an outline of the steps he and Elsa take as newcomers attend services and become known to them. Jim considered adding ‘touch points’ so that we can see the impact of other church members on the newcomer’s experience. Step 4 is a natural point to introduce a parish host. We discussed ways members could contribute to the process: being available with Sandy to escort someone to coffee hour, standing at the back of the church at the beginning of service and sitting in a pew with a newcomer (and then being friendly, of course).
Sue suggested direction from the front of the church on passing the friendship pads back across the pew once they are signed so that we can all know the names of the other people in the pew. John will talk with Elsa about consistent language.
Jim suggested that a goal for the congregation is to see (welcoming) as their responsibility.
**John will re-draft the document and invite additions. He said finding a lay person to shepherd along new arrivals – paying attention to detail – would be terrific.
V. Group Information
Stan proposed creating a booklet with information about all the small groups in the church. He made a template with the Growth Group as an example. We agreed such a booklet would be very useful to have. John acknowledged it would be hard to keep it current so it would not be practical to print a number of ‘hard copies’. Rather the group suggested creating a pdf which can be reached through the website and be easily updated.
**Dave will work on collecting the information via e-mail from each group. We will ask for examples of activities.
VI. Other
John passed out articles for people to take home and read.
Kendra will spend more time on her web review of ‘best practices’ in other churches.
The meeting adjourned at 8:15 p.m.
NEXT MEETING: Thursday, April 30 @ 5:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Elinor Redmond
With special thanks to Dave Allen for his leadership at keeping a group on task during a meeting and his skill at keeping track of agenda items.
Community Crisis Ministries
Meeting Minutes of March 11, 2009
PRESENT: Scott Berry, Ann Googins, Kathy Sahrbeck.
ABSENT: Terry Dallaire, Trish Naddaff, Jerry Onos.
Scott called the meeting to order at 7:15 p.m.
OLD BUSINESS:
The Team continued planning the April 26th Community Crisis Ministry Sunday. Things are coming together quite well.
EXPENDITURE OF FUNDS:
There has not been as much activity for CCM to date, $13,000 has been spent ($7,000 in January and $6,000 in February). The biggest help has been the drop in the price of oil so that we are able to help more people for the same amount of money. Other agencies are helping more with oil, too.
Next Meeting: Tuesday, March 24, at 7:00 p.m. in the Laity Room.
The meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Ann Googins
PRESENT: Scott Berry, Ann Googins, Kathy Sahrbeck.
ABSENT: Terry Dallaire, Trish Naddaff, Jerry Onos.
Scott called the meeting to order at 7:15 p.m.
OLD BUSINESS:
The Team continued planning the April 26th Community Crisis Ministry Sunday. Things are coming together quite well.
EXPENDITURE OF FUNDS:
There has not been as much activity for CCM to date, $13,000 has been spent ($7,000 in January and $6,000 in February). The biggest help has been the drop in the price of oil so that we are able to help more people for the same amount of money. Other agencies are helping more with oil, too.
Next Meeting: Tuesday, March 24, at 7:00 p.m. in the Laity Room.
The meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Ann Googins
Education, Growth and Fellowship
Meeting Minutes of March 5, 2009
Attendance: Aaron French, Amy Foster, Ginny Gledhill, Margaret Thibodeau, Jayne Sawtelle, Elsa Peters, Karen Pierce-Souza
Starting Time: 7:00 p.m.
Minutes – The 2/5/09 meeting minutes were read and unanimously approved.
ACUE and Congressional Life material – Team reviewed and felt it would be beneficial. We’ll inquire how specifically to fund.
Team Members Updates:
• Aaron (Youth Ministry) – It’s going great!
• Ginny (Coffee hour) – Ginny and two volunteers are going to reorganize the kitchen.
• Jayne (Nursery) – It’s been staffed better lately. Coverage has been better though attendance has been low.
• Amy (Scholarship) – Scholarship has no needs at this time.
• Karen (Library) – The Library Committee will spend their money. An Easter display of books is being planned to encourage circulation.
• Margaret and Karen (Ash Wednesday) – Ash Wednesday breakfast went smoothly. It was well covered with volunteers and about 25 people attended.
• Elsa (Faith Formation) – Sunday - School is going well. Two events are coming up: Christ Kid’s Club is planning a “Fun Raiser” on April 26 involving a scavenger hunt and they’re considering a Dance-A-Thon.
Next year a new volunteer will be needed for the third and fourth grade Bible Study.
Adult classes are going well.
During the next meeting the team will revisit the Safe Church Policy.
Easter Sunday – There will be no Sunday School however there will be volunteers in Guptill Hall for children not wishing to attend the service.
The team reviewed the Motivational Analysis and brainstormed ways to get new and old members involved. Ideas using name-tags and homecoming were noted. This topic will continue to be discussed.
The meeting concluded at 8:30 p.m.
Next Meeting: 4/2/09
Recorder: Amy Foster
Attendance: Aaron French, Amy Foster, Ginny Gledhill, Margaret Thibodeau, Jayne Sawtelle, Elsa Peters, Karen Pierce-Souza
Starting Time: 7:00 p.m.
Minutes – The 2/5/09 meeting minutes were read and unanimously approved.
ACUE and Congressional Life material – Team reviewed and felt it would be beneficial. We’ll inquire how specifically to fund.
Team Members Updates:
• Aaron (Youth Ministry) – It’s going great!
• Ginny (Coffee hour) – Ginny and two volunteers are going to reorganize the kitchen.
• Jayne (Nursery) – It’s been staffed better lately. Coverage has been better though attendance has been low.
• Amy (Scholarship) – Scholarship has no needs at this time.
• Karen (Library) – The Library Committee will spend their money. An Easter display of books is being planned to encourage circulation.
• Margaret and Karen (Ash Wednesday) – Ash Wednesday breakfast went smoothly. It was well covered with volunteers and about 25 people attended.
• Elsa (Faith Formation) – Sunday - School is going well. Two events are coming up: Christ Kid’s Club is planning a “Fun Raiser” on April 26 involving a scavenger hunt and they’re considering a Dance-A-Thon.
Next year a new volunteer will be needed for the third and fourth grade Bible Study.
Adult classes are going well.
During the next meeting the team will revisit the Safe Church Policy.
Easter Sunday – There will be no Sunday School however there will be volunteers in Guptill Hall for children not wishing to attend the service.
The team reviewed the Motivational Analysis and brainstormed ways to get new and old members involved. Ideas using name-tags and homecoming were noted. This topic will continue to be discussed.
The meeting concluded at 8:30 p.m.
Next Meeting: 4/2/09
Recorder: Amy Foster
Church Council
Meeting Minutes of March 19, 2009
Present: Sally Sutton, Elsa Peters, Carol Zechman, John McCall, Jean Siulinski, Andy Ellis, Chris Dow, Sally Hinckley, Debra Andrews, Chris Keiter, Dave Allen, Ellie Chatto.
John opened with a prayer.
Minutes from 2/26 were approved.
Minister’s time:
•Cumberland Assoc. of UCC will be meeting 4/25 at Windham Hill. Nothing of note on the agenda.
•Meeting on 6/6 in Waterville will vote on release of a UCC Conference property. Recommendation on the table is to sell Rockcraft.
•Support was expressed for John and Elsa’s position on marriage licenses at post- service meeting held on 3/15. John and Elsa were pleased with the conversation. The Diversity Committee will pursue holding additional forums to discuss.
Check-in on visits to teams:
•Andy can not visit with Mission until June.
•Chris to meet with SLW in May.
•Nancy to attend A-Team in April.
•Jean to attend EGF in April.
•Discussion is taking place between SLW and EGF to clarify accountabilities for certain events involving food (e.g. Ash Wednesday breakfast; Good Friday soup supper)
Business Referral Group:
•Sub committee of 4 created. Meeting on the 26th.
Updates from Personnel and Stewardship Committees (Ellie Chatto):
•Ellie reviewed 3/5 Stewardship Committee meeting minutes
•500 households and 260 pledge units. People are continuing to give without making pledges which makes income budgeting and planning difficult. Looking at a variety of ideas to encourage giving and reduce costs.
•Group is exploring ways to allow for electronic transfer of funds. Do not favor credit cards due to the associated expense involved.
•New stewardship campaign program will be chosen for next year.
•All members of the current Stewardship Committee have agreed to serve for next year. Their commitment and service is deeply appreciated by the Council.
•Personnel has not been very active this year. They have been meeting via e-mail when necessary.
Rosella Loveitt estate bequest:
•Check in the amount of $15,314 requires disbursement. No time requirements for decision on distribution.
•Cyndi (through Chris) provided some background and recommendations for Council consideration:
1. Old Crow Gallery tenant is in default in the amount of $3,600. No payment received since 12/08. There has been a history of late payment issues. Tenant has been asked to vacate the property by the end of March. New tenant will be sought but we expect it will take time to find. The security deposit will be taken to offset the rental payments due.
2. Another tenant may be at risk also due to personal circumstances.
3. No rummage sale is being held this Spring. That activity usually brings in approximately $2,500.
•The above 3 items will mean our projected rental income will be lower than budgeted.
•Guidelines for bequests ($2,500 – $15,000) call for 10% to go to Missions, 10% to go to Major Maintenance and 80% to Endowment fund.
•Council discussed ways to disburse the bequest to help offset the shortfalls in our budgeted income.
•Decision was to disburse 10% to Missions, 10% to Major Maintenance and to hold on disbursement of the remaining 80% at this time.
Pilgrim Lodge:
•Cost for attending summer camp has increased. Elsa requested scholarship support similar to what has been provided in the past. Target amount for camperships is $2,000.
•Discussed available funding sources. There is $522 in Camper Funds in the segregated accounts. There is $5,000+ in the Cabinet Fund which allows for discretionary use.
•Jean will approach the Guild with a request for funds to support this.
•The Cabinet Fund will make up the difference between the $2,000 requested and the total of what the Guild provides plus the $522 in Camper Funds.
•Camper Funding support should become a budgeted item next year to eliminate the annual search for funding which takes place.
•Consensus of the Council was that scholarships should be restricted to children (= not adults).
Nomination process and timing:
•Annual meeting is 5/31. Nominations are needed by then.
•Chris will request team nomination slates be submitted by mid-May.
•Council will discuss nominations at our April meeting.
Rental Fees:
•Chris distributed and reviewed A team recommendations from Jim Otis e-mail.
•Recommendations were accepted as presented with small exception related to donations by non-profits.
•Council agreed that it was okay to suggest donations from non-profits as long as the wording was appropriately written. Non-profit usage document is the best place to put the wording. John will check on what is there and whether it needs to be adjusted.
Comprehensive church budget:
•Council agreed that we have oversight and fiscal responsibility for all budgets and “special” funds within the church, but we do not always have the information to carry out that responsibility. Many of these accounts are outside of the formal budget process but do make use of our church’s tax ID.
•There does not seem to be any documentation of these special funds in any one place. There is a gap in understanding and visibility associated with these. It is unknown as to whether the annual church audit includes looking at these.
•The annual church audit is a review in accordance with commonly accepted accounting rules but it is not a formal “audit”. Formal audits are deeper, more involved and more expensive.
•It was agreed that a comprehensive church budget should be a top priority for the Council. Discussion took place on actions to take.
•Chris will request the A team evaluate whether the accounting review which we currently have done includes any of these special accounts in their evaluation.
•Chris will invite Jim Otis to our next meeting to further discuss what our actions should be relative to these accounts and whether our current level of annual review is sufficient.
•The scope for Council oversight for this issue is any group which has separate funds not covered within our church budget but they do make use of our tax ID number.
•It should be made clear that the Council is not seeking any decision making role related to these funds. We just want understanding and oversight to fulfill our fiduciary responsibilities to the church.
Church Vision statement:
•Discussion was deferred to a future meeting.
Adjourned at 8:25 p.m.
Recorder: Dave Allen
Present: Sally Sutton, Elsa Peters, Carol Zechman, John McCall, Jean Siulinski, Andy Ellis, Chris Dow, Sally Hinckley, Debra Andrews, Chris Keiter, Dave Allen, Ellie Chatto.
John opened with a prayer.
Minutes from 2/26 were approved.
Minister’s time:
•Cumberland Assoc. of UCC will be meeting 4/25 at Windham Hill. Nothing of note on the agenda.
•Meeting on 6/6 in Waterville will vote on release of a UCC Conference property. Recommendation on the table is to sell Rockcraft.
•Support was expressed for John and Elsa’s position on marriage licenses at post- service meeting held on 3/15. John and Elsa were pleased with the conversation. The Diversity Committee will pursue holding additional forums to discuss.
Check-in on visits to teams:
•Andy can not visit with Mission until June.
•Chris to meet with SLW in May.
•Nancy to attend A-Team in April.
•Jean to attend EGF in April.
•Discussion is taking place between SLW and EGF to clarify accountabilities for certain events involving food (e.g. Ash Wednesday breakfast; Good Friday soup supper)
Business Referral Group:
•Sub committee of 4 created. Meeting on the 26th.
Updates from Personnel and Stewardship Committees (Ellie Chatto):
•Ellie reviewed 3/5 Stewardship Committee meeting minutes
•500 households and 260 pledge units. People are continuing to give without making pledges which makes income budgeting and planning difficult. Looking at a variety of ideas to encourage giving and reduce costs.
•Group is exploring ways to allow for electronic transfer of funds. Do not favor credit cards due to the associated expense involved.
•New stewardship campaign program will be chosen for next year.
•All members of the current Stewardship Committee have agreed to serve for next year. Their commitment and service is deeply appreciated by the Council.
•Personnel has not been very active this year. They have been meeting via e-mail when necessary.
Rosella Loveitt estate bequest:
•Check in the amount of $15,314 requires disbursement. No time requirements for decision on distribution.
•Cyndi (through Chris) provided some background and recommendations for Council consideration:
1. Old Crow Gallery tenant is in default in the amount of $3,600. No payment received since 12/08. There has been a history of late payment issues. Tenant has been asked to vacate the property by the end of March. New tenant will be sought but we expect it will take time to find. The security deposit will be taken to offset the rental payments due.
2. Another tenant may be at risk also due to personal circumstances.
3. No rummage sale is being held this Spring. That activity usually brings in approximately $2,500.
•The above 3 items will mean our projected rental income will be lower than budgeted.
•Guidelines for bequests ($2,500 – $15,000) call for 10% to go to Missions, 10% to go to Major Maintenance and 80% to Endowment fund.
•Council discussed ways to disburse the bequest to help offset the shortfalls in our budgeted income.
•Decision was to disburse 10% to Missions, 10% to Major Maintenance and to hold on disbursement of the remaining 80% at this time.
Pilgrim Lodge:
•Cost for attending summer camp has increased. Elsa requested scholarship support similar to what has been provided in the past. Target amount for camperships is $2,000.
•Discussed available funding sources. There is $522 in Camper Funds in the segregated accounts. There is $5,000+ in the Cabinet Fund which allows for discretionary use.
•Jean will approach the Guild with a request for funds to support this.
•The Cabinet Fund will make up the difference between the $2,000 requested and the total of what the Guild provides plus the $522 in Camper Funds.
•Camper Funding support should become a budgeted item next year to eliminate the annual search for funding which takes place.
•Consensus of the Council was that scholarships should be restricted to children (= not adults).
Nomination process and timing:
•Annual meeting is 5/31. Nominations are needed by then.
•Chris will request team nomination slates be submitted by mid-May.
•Council will discuss nominations at our April meeting.
Rental Fees:
•Chris distributed and reviewed A team recommendations from Jim Otis e-mail.
•Recommendations were accepted as presented with small exception related to donations by non-profits.
•Council agreed that it was okay to suggest donations from non-profits as long as the wording was appropriately written. Non-profit usage document is the best place to put the wording. John will check on what is there and whether it needs to be adjusted.
Comprehensive church budget:
•Council agreed that we have oversight and fiscal responsibility for all budgets and “special” funds within the church, but we do not always have the information to carry out that responsibility. Many of these accounts are outside of the formal budget process but do make use of our church’s tax ID.
•There does not seem to be any documentation of these special funds in any one place. There is a gap in understanding and visibility associated with these. It is unknown as to whether the annual church audit includes looking at these.
•The annual church audit is a review in accordance with commonly accepted accounting rules but it is not a formal “audit”. Formal audits are deeper, more involved and more expensive.
•It was agreed that a comprehensive church budget should be a top priority for the Council. Discussion took place on actions to take.
•Chris will request the A team evaluate whether the accounting review which we currently have done includes any of these special accounts in their evaluation.
•Chris will invite Jim Otis to our next meeting to further discuss what our actions should be relative to these accounts and whether our current level of annual review is sufficient.
•The scope for Council oversight for this issue is any group which has separate funds not covered within our church budget but they do make use of our tax ID number.
•It should be made clear that the Council is not seeking any decision making role related to these funds. We just want understanding and oversight to fulfill our fiduciary responsibilities to the church.
Church Vision statement:
•Discussion was deferred to a future meeting.
Adjourned at 8:25 p.m.
Recorder: Dave Allen
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Spiritual Life and Worship
Meeting Minutes of March 5, 2009
Present: Rick Angell, Elinor Redmond, Dana Wiggins, Betsy Keiter, joined by John McCall.
Dana opened the meeting with a prayer.
We approved the minutes of the February meeting and extolled the Ash Wednesday services.
We discussed the details of Holy Week; John helped us with the details:
• Palm Sunday (April 5th – Communion) – Chapel at 8:30 a.m., inter-generational Sanctuary Worship at 10:00 a.m. Cyndi orders the palms. They will be in the refrigerator in Guptill Hall. They are coming from a different place this year. Dana will verify the date of arrival with Cyndi. SL&W makes sure the palms are available at the Chapel service and provides them to the ushers for the 10:00.
• Maundy Thursday (April 9th) – 7:30 p.m. service, Communion by intinction. 2 Deacons and 2 Ushers needed. Elsa is planning the service.
• Good Friday (April 10th) – EF&G will plan the soup supper. They are planning to contact the Guild for help. They are in charge and will contact us if necessary.
• Vigil (April 10-11) – We will start the sign up process Sunday, March 15th so that the letters and e-mails can go out in a timely fashion. Betsy will do the communication and Bryan (or the office?) will provide the sign-up sheets.
• ‘Special Effects’ - Dana is going to check on repair/replace of the Crown(s) of Thorns. Betsy will change the altar cloth in the Chapel on Easter morning.
• Sunrise Service (Easter morning, April 12th) - Elsa will lead.
Elder Sunday: Dave Allen will work on the selection process again this year and he wants a partner who will take it over next year. This process requires one or two meetings. We brainstormed names of people NOT on SL&W to take this project on. We want to ‘widen the circle’. Elinor will call and e-mail results to the group.
Updates from John:
The sabbatical check list is in good shape. Elsa will attend our May meeting to touch base with our team before the summer.
March 15th is the Sunday to discuss Marriage Equality. John has heard from 2 people in response to the Beacon article. They were no longer troubled once they heard an explanation. Rick mentioned a few individuals plan to learn more on March 15th.
The new hymnal may or may not be ready for Easter Sunday. There have been no takers for our Pilgrim hymnals. We may sort them according to book plate to see if those people noted want them.
Rotation - As Elinor may be away most of next winter, she will rotate off this year and Betsy will stay on SL&W. Rotation occurs at the Annual Meeting on May 31st. Elinor will contact several ‘newish’ members to see if they are interested in serving on the team.
SL&W needs to document its work. Betsy suggested starting the process via a ‘group e-mail’ toward the end of spring.
NEXT MEETING: Thursday, March 26th
Opening prayer: Rick
Minutes: Betsy
Respectfully submitted,
Elinor Redmond
Present: Rick Angell, Elinor Redmond, Dana Wiggins, Betsy Keiter, joined by John McCall.
Dana opened the meeting with a prayer.
We approved the minutes of the February meeting and extolled the Ash Wednesday services.
We discussed the details of Holy Week; John helped us with the details:
• Palm Sunday (April 5th – Communion) – Chapel at 8:30 a.m., inter-generational Sanctuary Worship at 10:00 a.m. Cyndi orders the palms. They will be in the refrigerator in Guptill Hall. They are coming from a different place this year. Dana will verify the date of arrival with Cyndi. SL&W makes sure the palms are available at the Chapel service and provides them to the ushers for the 10:00.
• Maundy Thursday (April 9th) – 7:30 p.m. service, Communion by intinction. 2 Deacons and 2 Ushers needed. Elsa is planning the service.
• Good Friday (April 10th) – EF&G will plan the soup supper. They are planning to contact the Guild for help. They are in charge and will contact us if necessary.
• Vigil (April 10-11) – We will start the sign up process Sunday, March 15th so that the letters and e-mails can go out in a timely fashion. Betsy will do the communication and Bryan (or the office?) will provide the sign-up sheets.
• ‘Special Effects’ - Dana is going to check on repair/replace of the Crown(s) of Thorns. Betsy will change the altar cloth in the Chapel on Easter morning.
• Sunrise Service (Easter morning, April 12th) - Elsa will lead.
Elder Sunday: Dave Allen will work on the selection process again this year and he wants a partner who will take it over next year. This process requires one or two meetings. We brainstormed names of people NOT on SL&W to take this project on. We want to ‘widen the circle’. Elinor will call and e-mail results to the group.
Updates from John:
The sabbatical check list is in good shape. Elsa will attend our May meeting to touch base with our team before the summer.
March 15th is the Sunday to discuss Marriage Equality. John has heard from 2 people in response to the Beacon article. They were no longer troubled once they heard an explanation. Rick mentioned a few individuals plan to learn more on March 15th.
The new hymnal may or may not be ready for Easter Sunday. There have been no takers for our Pilgrim hymnals. We may sort them according to book plate to see if those people noted want them.
Rotation - As Elinor may be away most of next winter, she will rotate off this year and Betsy will stay on SL&W. Rotation occurs at the Annual Meeting on May 31st. Elinor will contact several ‘newish’ members to see if they are interested in serving on the team.
SL&W needs to document its work. Betsy suggested starting the process via a ‘group e-mail’ toward the end of spring.
NEXT MEETING: Thursday, March 26th
Opening prayer: Rick
Minutes: Betsy
Respectfully submitted,
Elinor Redmond
Mission & Outreach
Meeting Minutes of March 5, 2009
Present: Laurie Cary, AnnElissa Leveque, Carol Scheffler, Greg Wyman, Sandy Dyer, Sarah Randall, Linda Skinner
Sandy opened the meeting with readings from “Earth Prayers from Around the World.”
February minutes were accepted.
TREASURER’S REPORT
Confusion noted over the date for One Great Hour of Sharing — March 1 or March 22, since there’s a $130 deposit already (per 3/15 Beacon, it’s on the 22nd). Funds from Christmas Offering and Veterans of the Cross have been zeroed out.
Price of birthday cakes for Long Creek have gone up to $26.99 per half-sheet cake. Will be $324 per year at the new rate.
Greg was thanked for creating a user-friendly format for the Treasurer’s Report. Report for 3/5 was accepted.
Thank-you's received in February/March for first-quarter donations included:
Bangor Theological Seminary
Preble Street for donations from the Mitten Tree
Grace Street Ministry
Wayside Soup Kitchen (Note: this is for the $1,000.00 received from the Christmas Bazaar - Laurie will let Darla Harris know that this ended up in the MOB mailbox.)
Long Creek Youth Ministries
Doctors Without Borders (Christmas Offering)
COUNCIL REPORT
Council members will be visiting teams to check in. Andy Ellis will visit the Mission Outreach team in April.
Discussion continues about overlap between MOB and Crisis Ministries.
MINISTER’S MOMENT
Micah Project trip to Rutland has been cancelled. The $60 deposit from the Mission Board’s discretionary fund is non-refundable, so it will become a donation.
Elsa has sent out invitations for a Poverty Advocacy event in Davidson on Wednesday, March 11, at 7:00 p.m. Eric C. Smith from Maine Council of Churches will lead a conversation about how we can become advocates for the poor.
The annual spring rummage sale has been cancelled, as Prudy is unable to head up this event. Elsa asked that we send her notes of support and ask that she focus just on taking care of herself. Sandy raised the question: Why is just one person responsible for a major fund-raising event? Elsa suggested it may be time to either discontinue the sale or come up with an alternative.
As noted in the prior Beacon, Elsa and John will no longer sign state marriage documents until legal rights are extended to the GLBT community. A notary or attorney can sign the marriage certificate, but official documentation will have to come from elsewhere.
OLD BUSINESS
Coffee hour: MOT hosted after-service coffee hour on February 1 and 22. It went well and we agreed we would be willing to do it again next year if asked.
ONGOING BUSINESS
Micah Projects
Heifer Project: Disappointing volunteer response. Elsa will no longer lead The Micah Project, but we appreciate her initiative and hard work in getting us to this point.
Friendship House: No response from Beacon request for recycling help. One-on-one approach would be better way to recruit. Richard Kepler would be willing to give a presentation to FCC about Friendship House prior to the May 9 project. AnnElissa suggested expanding conversation beyond MOB by having Kepler speak after service in Davidson. Laurie will contact him about this. AnnElissa volunteered to announce the May 9 project during service 2 weeks prior to the event.
Pilgrim Lodge: Contact list for cleanup recruits will be divvied up at the April MOB meeting. Laurie will compile more viable list of potential volunteers to contact
Fair Trade Coffee
Good order last time. All extras (needed to make up full boxes) were sold. Momentum seems to be growing. Next order will be in mid-April.
Easter offering
Easter Sunday is the focus date, but donations come in waves. Suggested recipients, reflect local and national need: Split offering between Wayside Food Rescue Program and Friends of World Food Program.
Food Pantry Drive
Two drives in Cape Elizabeth will be making drops at the pantry in March. AnnElissa reported in follow-up e-mail that May would be a good time for a church-sponsored food drive.
QUARTERLY DISBURSEMENTS
We decided to spend $4500 per quarter with donations to six organizations per quarter, with remaining funds going to the Food Pantry. Second-Quarter disbursements, at $750 each, will go to:
Opportunity Farm
National Scholarship Fund
Root Cellar
Friendship House
Pilgrim Lodge
St. Luke’s Kitchen
Requested disbursements for 3rd quarter: Spurwink, Center for Grieving Children
NEW BUSINESS
Don Russell will put a notice in the Beacon about a presentation on March 29 in Davidson featuring a slide show on “The Two Chinas.” Sponsor is Children of China Fund, which works to help educate disadvantaged Chinese children. WE agreed to make a $100 donation.
Handouts “Building Community” and “A Plentiful Harvest” were distributed and tabled for a separate meeting at 6:30 p.m. March 26 in Laity Room.
Meeting adjourned at 8:55 p.m.
Minutes submitted by: Linda Skinner
Present: Laurie Cary, AnnElissa Leveque, Carol Scheffler, Greg Wyman, Sandy Dyer, Sarah Randall, Linda Skinner
Sandy opened the meeting with readings from “Earth Prayers from Around the World.”
February minutes were accepted.
TREASURER’S REPORT
Confusion noted over the date for One Great Hour of Sharing — March 1 or March 22, since there’s a $130 deposit already (per 3/15 Beacon, it’s on the 22nd). Funds from Christmas Offering and Veterans of the Cross have been zeroed out.
Price of birthday cakes for Long Creek have gone up to $26.99 per half-sheet cake. Will be $324 per year at the new rate.
Greg was thanked for creating a user-friendly format for the Treasurer’s Report. Report for 3/5 was accepted.
Thank-you's received in February/March for first-quarter donations included:
Bangor Theological Seminary
Preble Street for donations from the Mitten Tree
Grace Street Ministry
Wayside Soup Kitchen (Note: this is for the $1,000.00 received from the Christmas Bazaar - Laurie will let Darla Harris know that this ended up in the MOB mailbox.)
Long Creek Youth Ministries
Doctors Without Borders (Christmas Offering)
COUNCIL REPORT
Council members will be visiting teams to check in. Andy Ellis will visit the Mission Outreach team in April.
Discussion continues about overlap between MOB and Crisis Ministries.
MINISTER’S MOMENT
Micah Project trip to Rutland has been cancelled. The $60 deposit from the Mission Board’s discretionary fund is non-refundable, so it will become a donation.
Elsa has sent out invitations for a Poverty Advocacy event in Davidson on Wednesday, March 11, at 7:00 p.m. Eric C. Smith from Maine Council of Churches will lead a conversation about how we can become advocates for the poor.
The annual spring rummage sale has been cancelled, as Prudy is unable to head up this event. Elsa asked that we send her notes of support and ask that she focus just on taking care of herself. Sandy raised the question: Why is just one person responsible for a major fund-raising event? Elsa suggested it may be time to either discontinue the sale or come up with an alternative.
As noted in the prior Beacon, Elsa and John will no longer sign state marriage documents until legal rights are extended to the GLBT community. A notary or attorney can sign the marriage certificate, but official documentation will have to come from elsewhere.
OLD BUSINESS
Coffee hour: MOT hosted after-service coffee hour on February 1 and 22. It went well and we agreed we would be willing to do it again next year if asked.
ONGOING BUSINESS
Micah Projects
Heifer Project: Disappointing volunteer response. Elsa will no longer lead The Micah Project, but we appreciate her initiative and hard work in getting us to this point.
Friendship House: No response from Beacon request for recycling help. One-on-one approach would be better way to recruit. Richard Kepler would be willing to give a presentation to FCC about Friendship House prior to the May 9 project. AnnElissa suggested expanding conversation beyond MOB by having Kepler speak after service in Davidson. Laurie will contact him about this. AnnElissa volunteered to announce the May 9 project during service 2 weeks prior to the event.
Pilgrim Lodge: Contact list for cleanup recruits will be divvied up at the April MOB meeting. Laurie will compile more viable list of potential volunteers to contact
Fair Trade Coffee
Good order last time. All extras (needed to make up full boxes) were sold. Momentum seems to be growing. Next order will be in mid-April.
Easter offering
Easter Sunday is the focus date, but donations come in waves. Suggested recipients, reflect local and national need: Split offering between Wayside Food Rescue Program and Friends of World Food Program.
Food Pantry Drive
Two drives in Cape Elizabeth will be making drops at the pantry in March. AnnElissa reported in follow-up e-mail that May would be a good time for a church-sponsored food drive.
QUARTERLY DISBURSEMENTS
We decided to spend $4500 per quarter with donations to six organizations per quarter, with remaining funds going to the Food Pantry. Second-Quarter disbursements, at $750 each, will go to:
Opportunity Farm
National Scholarship Fund
Root Cellar
Friendship House
Pilgrim Lodge
St. Luke’s Kitchen
Requested disbursements for 3rd quarter: Spurwink, Center for Grieving Children
NEW BUSINESS
Don Russell will put a notice in the Beacon about a presentation on March 29 in Davidson featuring a slide show on “The Two Chinas.” Sponsor is Children of China Fund, which works to help educate disadvantaged Chinese children. WE agreed to make a $100 donation.
Handouts “Building Community” and “A Plentiful Harvest” were distributed and tabled for a separate meeting at 6:30 p.m. March 26 in Laity Room.
Meeting adjourned at 8:55 p.m.
Minutes submitted by: Linda Skinner
Stewardship Committee
Meeting Minutes of March 5, 2009
Attendees: John McCall, John Shoos, Ted O’Meara, Gretchen Reynolds, Dave Scheffler, Peggy Murray
John McCall opened the meeting at 6:30 p.m. with a prayer.
We spent some time reviewing the 2009 Budget Breakdown summary, noting that the total church households has been fairly steady for the past 4 years, while pledging households have decreased from 406 in 2000 to 277 in 2009. Average pledge amounts and total pledges have increased during that period.
John pointed out that there is a risk that we are depending on a few large pledged.
There are some households that have not filled out pledge cards, but continue to give at the same level as last year.
The budget assumption for total pledge dollars is calculated by adding 10% to the pledge amounts for new pledges that will be received during the year, and deducting 4% for “uncollectable” pledges.
Some thoughts that were shared:
We need to find a way to ask people to tell us their intention so that we can plan the budget appropriately. Adjustments will be made through the year according to the reality.
It was suggested that we might want to give some alternatives to an “annualized” gift to address uncertain times. Possibly quarterly pledges, flat amounts per month or holding additional appeals.
How can we capture the group not pledging? Should we look at a separate or different appeal to those who didn’t pledge last year? Possibly consider a 2 prong approach with a different message for those who will give no matter what, and those who do not see giving as part of their commitment as a church member.
Should we address those who drop cash in the plate, and suggest that they request and use envelopes?
Would it help to change the term “pledge” to “an estimate of giving” to better sell the idea, and the fact that uncertainty is understood, and it is OK to adjust a pledge if necessary due to changing circumstance.
It might be helpful to deliver “off calendar” messaging about the price we pay for not knowing what our income will be – unnecessary or difficult budget cuts, etc. and how dependent our work is on the support of our members.
We discussed looking at the demographics of our membership and tailoring our message to different groups.
An on-line pledge card, availability of PayPal, or information about on-line banking might be of interest to some people.
Total cost of our envelope system (mailed monthly) is $1560/year. Should we consider sending envelopes to everyone who hasn’t pledged and contact them if they ask to be removed from the mailing? Could we add a pledge card to the envelopes for a month or two?
We discussed the stewardship process for last year and agreed that it felt like it went on for too long, without any beginning or end. We need to begin to think about what we want to do for next year. Some initial thoughts included looking at the demographics of our givers versus non-givers, hosting some sort of celebration to mark the end of the campaign, looking for ways to measure the impact that our messages have on pledges.
All present agreed that they will continue to serve for 2009, and Gretchen Reynolds has agreed, with the unanimous support of the group, to act as the Convener for next year.
John mentioned that his Sabbatical will begin on May and run through Labor Day. On that basis, we agreed we need to meet again sometime soon after Easter to begin our discussions.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:00 p.m.
Respectfully,
Peggy Murray
Attendees: John McCall, John Shoos, Ted O’Meara, Gretchen Reynolds, Dave Scheffler, Peggy Murray
John McCall opened the meeting at 6:30 p.m. with a prayer.
We spent some time reviewing the 2009 Budget Breakdown summary, noting that the total church households has been fairly steady for the past 4 years, while pledging households have decreased from 406 in 2000 to 277 in 2009. Average pledge amounts and total pledges have increased during that period.
John pointed out that there is a risk that we are depending on a few large pledged.
There are some households that have not filled out pledge cards, but continue to give at the same level as last year.
The budget assumption for total pledge dollars is calculated by adding 10% to the pledge amounts for new pledges that will be received during the year, and deducting 4% for “uncollectable” pledges.
Some thoughts that were shared:
We need to find a way to ask people to tell us their intention so that we can plan the budget appropriately. Adjustments will be made through the year according to the reality.
It was suggested that we might want to give some alternatives to an “annualized” gift to address uncertain times. Possibly quarterly pledges, flat amounts per month or holding additional appeals.
How can we capture the group not pledging? Should we look at a separate or different appeal to those who didn’t pledge last year? Possibly consider a 2 prong approach with a different message for those who will give no matter what, and those who do not see giving as part of their commitment as a church member.
Should we address those who drop cash in the plate, and suggest that they request and use envelopes?
Would it help to change the term “pledge” to “an estimate of giving” to better sell the idea, and the fact that uncertainty is understood, and it is OK to adjust a pledge if necessary due to changing circumstance.
It might be helpful to deliver “off calendar” messaging about the price we pay for not knowing what our income will be – unnecessary or difficult budget cuts, etc. and how dependent our work is on the support of our members.
We discussed looking at the demographics of our membership and tailoring our message to different groups.
An on-line pledge card, availability of PayPal, or information about on-line banking might be of interest to some people.
Total cost of our envelope system (mailed monthly) is $1560/year. Should we consider sending envelopes to everyone who hasn’t pledged and contact them if they ask to be removed from the mailing? Could we add a pledge card to the envelopes for a month or two?
We discussed the stewardship process for last year and agreed that it felt like it went on for too long, without any beginning or end. We need to begin to think about what we want to do for next year. Some initial thoughts included looking at the demographics of our givers versus non-givers, hosting some sort of celebration to mark the end of the campaign, looking for ways to measure the impact that our messages have on pledges.
All present agreed that they will continue to serve for 2009, and Gretchen Reynolds has agreed, with the unanimous support of the group, to act as the Convener for next year.
John mentioned that his Sabbatical will begin on May and run through Labor Day. On that basis, we agreed we need to meet again sometime soon after Easter to begin our discussions.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:00 p.m.
Respectfully,
Peggy Murray
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Diversity Committee
MEETING MINUTES of March 1, 2009
PRESENT: Joan Carrier, Carol Scheffler, Dolores Broberg, Mike Kasputes, Kathy Cotter, Elsa Peters, Pam Herrmann, and Deb Theriault
Carol opened the meeting with a prayer.
OLD BUSINESS:
Women In Harmony: Deb reported that WIH had been offered the use of FCC for their next concert, which has already been scheduled, but they are going to send someone from the group to see our new space and consider it for next year’s concert(s).
Clothing for Preble Street Teen Center: Everyone was interested in putting a box out (will check with John McCall re best location, when, amount of time). Carol will check to see the timing of the upcoming food drive so we don’t coincide with that. It was also suggested that we check with the Children’s Closet to see if they have any clothing that is too large for the children they serve that could be sent to the Teen Center. Dolores suggested that perhaps we could coordinate our efforts with the Rummage Sale and go through their clothing either before or after the sale to choose appropriate clothes for the Teen Center (Kathy will speak with Prudy about it).
“Anyone and Everyone”: It was decided to postpone the showing of this until after the Marriage Equality discussions.
Diversity Sunday: Great response from the congregation. We thanked Pam and Mike for sharing their stories (and thanks to Karen Westerberg, too!). Dolores suggested we ask others in the congregation to share their stories, revealing the Church’s “hidden diversity” interspersed throughout the year. The possibility of doing this in small groups after church was also discussed. Elsa mentioned that she and John have been discussing ways to use the “after hour” after church perhaps once a month and this might be something for that time.
NEW BUSINESS:
GLSEN: Betsy Parsons has sent an update regarding FCC’s help with funding transportation for the SPHS Gay-Straight Alliance kids to GLSEN events. There is still work to be done around how this would work, and we will table this until we get more information from Betsy.
March 15 worship service: Elsa talked a little bit about the upcoming discussion she and John will be having with the congregation on March 15 regarding the pending legislation/probable referendum regarding gay marriage in Maine. They will be addressing the issue from both a social justice point of view as well as regarding the separation of church and state. We discussed ways the Diversity Committee can help people understand this issue, and Elsa mentioned the UCC has a DVD available. Deb will try and get more information and possibly the Library Committee or Social Witness Ministries will purchase it for use at an after worship forum. Joan will send Deb a copy of the 150-page document that was distributed by the UCC following their formal discussion on the subject so she can print it out for the members to share. Deb suggested providing the names and addresses of local legislators at the discussion to be held following worship on March 15th so that anyone interested in contacting them regarding this issue could do so easily. She will also try and find a sample letter for this purpose that has been suggested by Equality Maine as well as research similar resources on the UCC Coalition website. We wondered if perhaps there were other resources, DVDs, etc. that the Maine Conference Library might have, and Deb will contact Sue Stevens about this. It was thought perhaps we should show the DVD in the fall, closer to the time of the anticipated referendum, and follow it up with a forum similar to those we’ve had in the past around similar issues with a discussion and time for a Q&A period. We all agreed Marvin Ellison would be a wonderful speaker, and Deb will talk to John and then email Marvin to see if he would be interested/available. Elsa noted that Marvin has a new book out on the topic of gay marriage.
NEXT MEETING: May 3. Since we felt it best to not schedule another meeting until after Easter and not competing with other after-church functions, we will be in touch with each other via email regarding the above issues. We will also discuss Pride Week at the next meeting.
Carol closed the meeting with a prayer.
Respectfully submitted,
Deb Theriault
PRESENT: Joan Carrier, Carol Scheffler, Dolores Broberg, Mike Kasputes, Kathy Cotter, Elsa Peters, Pam Herrmann, and Deb Theriault
Carol opened the meeting with a prayer.
OLD BUSINESS:
Women In Harmony: Deb reported that WIH had been offered the use of FCC for their next concert, which has already been scheduled, but they are going to send someone from the group to see our new space and consider it for next year’s concert(s).
Clothing for Preble Street Teen Center: Everyone was interested in putting a box out (will check with John McCall re best location, when, amount of time). Carol will check to see the timing of the upcoming food drive so we don’t coincide with that. It was also suggested that we check with the Children’s Closet to see if they have any clothing that is too large for the children they serve that could be sent to the Teen Center. Dolores suggested that perhaps we could coordinate our efforts with the Rummage Sale and go through their clothing either before or after the sale to choose appropriate clothes for the Teen Center (Kathy will speak with Prudy about it).
“Anyone and Everyone”: It was decided to postpone the showing of this until after the Marriage Equality discussions.
Diversity Sunday: Great response from the congregation. We thanked Pam and Mike for sharing their stories (and thanks to Karen Westerberg, too!). Dolores suggested we ask others in the congregation to share their stories, revealing the Church’s “hidden diversity” interspersed throughout the year. The possibility of doing this in small groups after church was also discussed. Elsa mentioned that she and John have been discussing ways to use the “after hour” after church perhaps once a month and this might be something for that time.
NEW BUSINESS:
GLSEN: Betsy Parsons has sent an update regarding FCC’s help with funding transportation for the SPHS Gay-Straight Alliance kids to GLSEN events. There is still work to be done around how this would work, and we will table this until we get more information from Betsy.
March 15 worship service: Elsa talked a little bit about the upcoming discussion she and John will be having with the congregation on March 15 regarding the pending legislation/probable referendum regarding gay marriage in Maine. They will be addressing the issue from both a social justice point of view as well as regarding the separation of church and state. We discussed ways the Diversity Committee can help people understand this issue, and Elsa mentioned the UCC has a DVD available. Deb will try and get more information and possibly the Library Committee or Social Witness Ministries will purchase it for use at an after worship forum. Joan will send Deb a copy of the 150-page document that was distributed by the UCC following their formal discussion on the subject so she can print it out for the members to share. Deb suggested providing the names and addresses of local legislators at the discussion to be held following worship on March 15th so that anyone interested in contacting them regarding this issue could do so easily. She will also try and find a sample letter for this purpose that has been suggested by Equality Maine as well as research similar resources on the UCC Coalition website. We wondered if perhaps there were other resources, DVDs, etc. that the Maine Conference Library might have, and Deb will contact Sue Stevens about this. It was thought perhaps we should show the DVD in the fall, closer to the time of the anticipated referendum, and follow it up with a forum similar to those we’ve had in the past around similar issues with a discussion and time for a Q&A period. We all agreed Marvin Ellison would be a wonderful speaker, and Deb will talk to John and then email Marvin to see if he would be interested/available. Elsa noted that Marvin has a new book out on the topic of gay marriage.
NEXT MEETING: May 3. Since we felt it best to not schedule another meeting until after Easter and not competing with other after-church functions, we will be in touch with each other via email regarding the above issues. We will also discuss Pride Week at the next meeting.
Carol closed the meeting with a prayer.
Respectfully submitted,
Deb Theriault
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