Present: Pastor Natalia Terfa, Melissa Johnson, Mike Isenberg, Richard Habstritt, Rachel Henderson, Jim Fodstad, Sarah Hetz, Joel Odens, Jodi Spoden
Absent: Pastor Chad Brekke, Patti Amstrup
Call to Order: Melissa called the meeting to order at 7:04 PM
Opening Devotion: Natalia led us in devotions, a poem by Morgan Harper Nichols, All along you were blooming
Adoption of the Agenda: Richard made a motion to adopt the agenda. Mike seconded the motion. Motion carries.
Approval of Previous Minutes: Jodi made a motion to approve minutes from the October 19 council meeting. Joel seconded the motion. Motion carries.
EXECUTIVE TEAM REPORTS:
President’s Report
None
VP Report
None
Treasurer’s Report
Weekly teams for Sunday counting working well.
Give to the Max last year was approximately $15,000
Offerings/Receipts
2021 2020
September $ 55,115.12 $49,279.59
October $69,948.33 $65,814.63
Year To Date Total $634,350.32 $594,015.19
Monthly Average $63,435.03 $59,401.52
Expenses
2021 2020
September $70,440.60 $73,742.49
October $49,449.55 $66,386.20
Year To Date Total $675,313.88 $565,730.09
Monthly Average $67,531.39 $56,573.01
Gain/Loss
2021 2020
September ($15,325.48) ($24,192.90)
October $20,498.78 ($571.57)
Year To Date Total ($40,963.56) $28,285.10
Monthly Average ($4,096.35) $2,828.51
Footnote
In comparing both our expenses and net gain/loss from 2020 to 2021, please keep in mind that 2020 expenses were reduced by both the Cares Act and a reduction in mortgage payments. We received $92,100 from the Cares Act and mortgage payments were reduced by $39,486 for the first six months of 2020, totaling $131,586 of expense reduction in 2020. This fall, endowment funds were utilized to reduce expenses by $19,056, and mortgage payments were made for interest only, which reduced expenses by an additional $9,300 (no payment of principal). This amounts to a total expense reduction of $28,356 in 2021.
Adjusting for these one-time reduction items, expenses would have looked like this year over year:
Expenses
2021 2020
Year To Date Total $675,313.88 $565,730.09
Add Back Reductions $28,356.00 $131,586.00
Total Expenses excluded Reductions $703,669.88 $697,316.09
Adjusted increase in expense $6,353.79
Secretary’s Report
None
PASTORAL REPORTS:
Pastor Chad’s Report
In addition to all of the usual worship/ministry activities, the past couple of months have required giving attention to significant building maintenance issues related to HVAC and electrical updates along with some current problems with electronic door access. All of these items are being addressed and each represents an additional expense over previously budgeted building expenses. Our Give To The Max focus this year is targeting these mandatory repairs.
With Christ the King Sunday coming up, we wrap up the long season after Pentecost and pivot toward Advent through Epiphany. I am looking forward to our theme for the next liturgical season which will be “Close To Home.” Of course, this theme has layers of meaning which we will explore throughout the season leading up to and including Christmas and even into Epiphany.
The theme will unfold during the season as follows:
First Sunday of Advent: Homesick (hope)
Second Sunday of Advent: Laying the Foundation (peace)
Third Sunday of Advent: A Home For All (joy)
Fourth Sunday of Advent: Seeking Sanctuary (love)
Christmas Eve: Invited Home
First Sunday After Christmas: Chosen Home Epiphany: Home By Another Way
As I mentioned a couple of months ago, Lori and I had decided it was time to downsize into a smaller home with our girls now out on their own. We also wanted to shift a bit closer to our moms who are each now both living on their own. Our home sold quickly and we found a new house in Chaska that fell just within the 30-minute circle I drew from the church. It really only adds an additional 12 minutes to my drive on average from our Brooklyn Park home depending on how I used to hit all the stoplights! Our new (and by new I mean our 105-year-old house) address is 203 Oak St N. Chaska MN, 55318.
Thank you to all of our staff, lay leaders, and members helping Prince of Peace to stay on mission as we Grow Deep and Reach Out!
Pastor Chad
Pastor Natalia’s Report
Things are moving along in worship and congregational life at Prince of Peace. It’s been a busy fall as we continue to navigate what this new covid life looks like. I continue to be thankful for the ways our congregation has made decisions based on science and safety for the most vulnerable, even when it has a cost.
I continue to encourage members, groups, and teams to consider by what new and creative ways we might be able to live into where God is calling this community, and how we might be able to untether our plans for the future from where we have been in the past. This is good, hard, and holy work, and I look forward to being in it with you.
Pastoral Acts (October 15-November 15): Funerals: 1 Wedding: 0 Baptisms: 1
Ministry Team Reports:
Community Life
None
Congregational Care
None
Outreach POP Outreach November 2021 Meeting Recap – Tuesday, November 9th Attendees: Frank Fachman, Jo Fachman, Melissa Johnson, Jodi Spoden Current/Upcoming Projects Avenues for Youth • November/December birthdays – Amy ✓ Amy has looped in Abha Karnick, Director of Development, for ongoing communications on monthly birthdays. This should hopefully result in more timely communications than current process of working with the house manager. • Thank-a-Thon Event – Jodi ✓ Friday, Nov 19th, 10 to Noon @ Prince of Peace CLC ✓ Volunteers will write 300 thank you notes to Avenues Give to the Max donors.
✓ Coffee and bagels provided. ✓ Contact Kevin Kjonaas to sign up: kkjonaas@avenuesforyouth.org/612-834-7080 ✓ Kevin confirmed that we have at least 15 volunteers between Prince of Peace and other partner organizations. Sandy and Joe Noard and Jodi Spoden are volunteering for Prince of Peace. • Holiday Gift Program – Amy ✓ Youth lists will be distributed around Thanksgiving. Avenues is blessed with an abundance of organizations who want to support youth gift needs, so we may have only a small number of Avenues youth for Prince of Peace to support. Once we receive our lists, we will decide whether there is sufficient need to solicit donations from the congregation or if we should just support youth gift needs out of our Outreach Budget and/or Outreach Dedicated Funds. • Building on Dreams 2022 ✓ Discuss whether POP would like to be a sponsor in 2022 ✓ Our 2021 sponsorship level was $250 ▪ Decision made to hold off on the donation until next year. Depending on the extent to which we need to dip into our Outreach Designated Funds for the sandwich making event, we may have enough of a balance remaining in this fund to use some of these funds for Building on Dreams 2022 instead of using our 2022 regular Outreach Budget. Care Bag Supply Collection/Assembly • Donation update ✓ We’ve received very few donations to date. Decision made at meeting to continue to collect donations, making another push for donations during the holidays and delaying bag assembly until after the holidays or into Spring 2022. If needed, we will request another $250 Thrivent grant in the spring to be used to fill in the donation gaps for the bags. • Volunteer needs for donation purchase/bag assembly (Push out until after the holidays or Spring 2022) ✓ Review donations and additional supply needs ✓ Submit Thrivent Grant – (as needed) ✓ Purchase needed supplies to complete bags (At October meeting, Team approved spending up to $100 of Outreach funds on supplies for the bags) ✓ Set-up for bag assembly, oversee assembly process and clean-up after event CEAP • Holiday gift and food donations ✓ After the Nov Outreach meeting, Jodi and Melissa collaborated with Pastor Chad, Pastor Natalia, and Jack from CEAP on a plan to support CEAP during the holidays. ✓ We will collect toys and gifts and baking supplies from Sunday, Nov 14 through Sunday, Dec 12. (This will allow us to collect as many donations as
possible prior to the 12/13 holiday baking item delivery deadline and 12/16 toy/gift delivery deadline) ✓ On Sunday, Dec 5, Pastor Natalia approved a drive-by Food and Toy collection event before, during and after church from 9 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. during which volunteers and staff will collect donations. ✓ Jodi to request CEAP bins for collecting donations and if available for Sunday Dec 5th, request a CEAP truck and CEAP volunteers for gathering the donations. Second Harvest Sorting and Packing Volunteer Event • Wednesday, November 10th from 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. • Second Harvest Heartland, 7101 Winnetka Ave North, Brooklyn Park • We have 8 volunteers signed up Seeing White Podcast Series • Remaining sessions:
✓ Wednesday, Nov 10 – No Session
✓ Tuesday, Nov 16 @ 7:30 pm – S2 E14: Transformation – Host Erica
• Donation to Avenues for Youth – after the last podcast, we will have Paul cut a check for podcast series registration donations received. Like last Spring, we will round up the donation amount if needed using Outreach budget funds. Thanksgiving Eve Sandwich Making • Register event with 363 Sandwiches/Love One Another – request sent • Room Reservation – complete • Check bag and glove supply – week of 11/15 • Order sandwich ingredients (At the October meeting, we approved using Outreach designated funds up to $400 for purchasing supplies) – In process with HyVee • Help with set-up/Clean-up – Jo and Frank Fachman and Spoden family to assist with this. Others welcome to help – contact Jodi. • Promote event in eNews, Bulletin, POP social media, Sanctuary/Welcome Center screens – requests completed
**we will do the 363 Thanksgiving event as planned, but we will split the sandwiches between 363 and Union Gospel mission
Property Team
Furnace is up and running-inducer motor has been replaced, also replaced the freezer gasket
Sunday Morning Experience
None
Staff Reports
Children and Family Ministry
Youth and Young Adult Ministry
Media & Tech
Unfinished Business
None
New Business
Nominating team: Some restructuring to grow and adapt to the current needs. At large positions will offer a larger overview of the POP congregation.
Paul and Richard will work on finalizing 2022 budget. It will likely be similar to 2021, pending any big needs for property updates. Council will discuss and approve budget in December, prior to annual meeting.
Annual meeting will be January 23, 2022. Likely in person, potentially also offer virtual streaming options. Format will be finalized as we watch trends of COVID cases after the holidays. Separate budget meeting will not be needed, budget will be presented as approved by council and discussed during annual meeting.
Next Meeting: TBD. We will need to meet or discuss the budget, pending timing of budget finalization
Announcements and Action Items: Look for email with 2022 budget and discussion will be scheduled after finalization. Date set for annual meeting: Jan 23, format will be determined based on trends of COVID cases following the holidays.
Adjournment: Melissa made a motion to adjourn. Rachel seconded the motion. Meeting adjourned at 7:46PM.