Prince of Peace

COUNCIL MEETING OCTOBER 2018

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Prince of Peace Lutheran Church

Council Meeting Minutes

October 16, 2018

Present: Pastor Chad Brekke, Pastor Natalia Terfa, Lynn Anderson, Melissa Johnson, Joel Odens, Jeff Hanson

Absent: Patti Amstrup, Jodi Spoden, Allan Grant, Julia Sevald, Sue Fodstad, Cole Antilla

Call to Order: Vice President Lynn Anderson called the meeting to order.

Opening Prayer: Lynn led us in an opening prayer.

Adoption of Agenda: The agenda was adopted via e-mail, as there was not a quorum present at the Council meeting.

Book Study: Chad was planning to lead us in discussion of Chapters 3 and 4, Are Our Leaders Healthy…Really? and What Keeps High-Capacity Leaders from Engaging in our Mission, of the book Lasting Impact, but we postponed this discussion until November meeting when we have more people present.

Approval of Previous Minutes: The minutes from the August 21, 2018 Council meeting were  approved via e-mail, as there was not a quorum present at the council meeting.

Reports of Officers:

Treasurer’s Report:

Notable September Activity:

  • For the month of September, receipts were less than expenses
    • The general/building fund activity for the month was a loss of $16,526. This is unfavorable to both budget and prior year by $4,713 and $13,244, respectively.
    • Total September offerings were lower than both budget by $5,319 and last year by $7,686.
    • Overall, expenses are favorable to both budget and prior year for the month.   The favorability to budget is mainly related to a lower mortgage payment and lower personnel expenses.
  • For September year to date, receipts are lower than expenses, resulting in a YTD loss of $92,339. This is unfavorable to budget and prior year by $19,473 and $39,829, respectively.
    • Giving throughout the first nine months of 2018 is down from last year but expenses are also down, although not at the same rate
    • A significant variance to both budget and prior year is the loss of daycare income in 2018. We continue to search out a new daycare to utilize our space but have not been successful yet.
  • The general fund cash balance available for use at the end of September is a deficit balance of $68,251 which means we are effectively borrowing from the designated funds to cover normal operating expenses.
  • The only designated funds with significant activity in July were the adult mission trip fund and the Building/HVAC system fund due to repair work being done and funded from insurance proceeds.

The executive team is reviewing and discussing options to help support and strengthen the financial position of the church.

President’s Report:

None

Vice-President’s Report:

Leave a legacy is recommending the following two proposals for funding. The first is fulfilling benevolence for camp Wapo. The second is to cover our commitment for ELCA benevolence.

This was approved via e-mail, as there was not a quorum present at the Council meeting.

Secretary’s Report

None

Ministry Team Reports

Property Report

Sunday Morning Experience

  • Head Usher review
    • More helpful and positive volunteers
    • Looking for one more head usher.
  • Veteran’s Day
    • Starting to think about this event on Sunday November 11, 2018
    • Need to find out how many flowers to order (will check with Lynell)
  • Planning for a head usher meeting sometime in October or November.
  • Went over the signup sheets for Rally Day.
  • The Sunday wrap-up will start again in October after the 10:30 Services.
  • Next meeting Tuesday November 5th at 6pm

Outreach

Upcoming Events

CEAP’s Farm Fresh Fest

CEAP to host twice a month on Fridays through Nov 2.

  • Volunteer needs include:
    • Set-up and Distribution; 4 hours; 10 volunteers
    • Welcome and Check-in; 3 ½ hours; 4 volunteers
    • Product Shopping Assistant; 3 ½ hours; 30 volunteers
    • Kid Zone Volunteer; 3 ½ hours; 5 volunteers
  • All volunteer sign-up can be done online at https://signup.com/client/invitation2/secure/2339482/true#/invitation

Care Kits for the Homeless

  • Collection: Begins Sunday, Sept 30
  • Assembly: 10:00 a.m. Sunday, October 21
  • Outreach team will help with set-up before the first service

Brooklyn Avenues October Birthday Party

  • No October birthdays

 

Park Brook Reading Buddies

  • Lori Clausen chairperson

 

  • No info yet on October start date

Jeans and Junk

  • October 14 after both services

 

  • Sue LaGue is chairing this project

Fall Blood Drive

  • Monday, October 22, 2:30-6:30
  • 20 volunteers signed up so far
  • Craig to staff sign-up table on Oct 7,14, 21

Trunk or Treat – Saturday, October 27

  • Katie needs help – contact her if interested
    • Decorated cars/treats
    • Help inside with activities
    • Empty trunk for collecting canned goods

Hats, Mittens and Scarves for the Homeless

  • Donna Velasco’s Minnesota Machine Knitters Guild is donating to Avenues, Care Kits and Love One Another

November Overcomers Event (Parenting with Purpose)

  • Outreach team agreed that we should host this event (this is the last event at PoP)
  • Jodi, Frank and Jo signed up to help. May need a couple more people.
  • This will take place on Saturday, November 17 and we are expecting 25-35 people
  • Lunch will be served at 11:30am
    • Menu: sloppy joes, veggies and dip, chips, cookies or brownies, lemonade and water

Love One Another

  • Make sandwiches after the Thanksgiving Eve Service
  • Outreach team will chair the pie and ice cream social. Need about 6-10 people to help cut pies, serve and clean-up
  • Service 6:30
  • Sandwich Making/Pie 7:30

 Potential New Projects

  • Elderly Outreach
    • Judy to present at November meeting
  • Threads for Teens
    • Judy to present at November meeting
  • New Connect Event – Dec 8th, 10 – 2:30 BP Council Chambers
    • Pack information bags for new residents of Brooklyn Park
    • Jodi checked into whether we could insert a flyer for activities such as Trunk or Treat or other church social events, etc. But no religious materials are allowed in the packets.
  • CEAP Toys for Joy – Jo to check into this
  • Avenues Holiday Gift Drive – Jodi to check into this.

Completed Project Reports

  • September Brooklyn Avenues Birthday Party – thanks Amy!
  • Budget Expenses submitted YTD:
    • Park Brook Back to School Drive $55.28
    • Avenues – August Bday Party –   $42.68
    • Avenues – Sept Bday Party –       $69.64
    • Park Brook Open House –           $27.98
      • Total YTD through September     $195.58
  • Upcoming Projected Expenses
  • Care Kits for the Homeless – $50
  • Nov Overcomers Meal – $100
  • Oct – Dec Avenues Birthday Parties $75
  • Thanksgiving Pie Social – $25
  • TBD – $50
  • Total projected 2018 – $495.58

Outreach committee agreed that $500 should be sufficient for our 2019 Budget. We also have Designated Funds of $545 that can be carried over into future years.

Community Life:

None

Congregational Care:

None

Staff Reports:

Children and Family Ministry:

LOOKING BACK/MOMENT OF PRAISE

  • September kicked off with a bang, and we got settled into a regular Sunday School routine

CURRENT

  • Sunday School will have its first Family Worship on October 21st (Jackie Winters will be here in Katie’s absence)
  • Working with families who have a lot of sports commitments to create a Sunday School
    on-the-go option. Will roll it out officially for the Winter and Spring quarters
  • Working on getting finalized lists for Time and Talents. Will send to the appropriate groups when they are done.
  • Working on Trunk-or-Treat. Will get fliers to Park Brook and have already put it out on Facebook
  • Will be doing Lutheran World Relief this fall – We will be doing Self Care Kits which include a bath towel, soap, toothbrush, comb and nail clippers. We will also (possibly) be making more fleece blankets for the Hiawatha Encampment. This will be a decision that is made closer to the date depending on the status of that encampment. We will collect through the month of October and create the kits on Sunday, November 18th as part of our Stewardship focus.

LOOKING AHEAD

  • Looking to add the following Milestone Events for the 2018-2019 School Year. These would be in addition the current milestones (Baptism, Baptism Celebration, Welcome to Sunday School, Bible, Communion)
    • Prayer Milestone – 4 year olds (thinking during Lent)
    • Kids and Money Milestone – 1st Graders (maybe in November)
  • Will begin working on the Sunday School Christmas program after MEA. Then after Thanksgiving we will dedicate time on Sunday mornings for rehearsal
  • CEAP Toy Drive will start on November 18th and will end on December 16th (day of Christmas program)

Youth and Family Ministry:

  • Axis is underway for the year. We now have 6th-8th graders on Wednesday nights & they’re off to a great start!
  • Revolution is off & running as well. We are welcoming 9th & 10th graders to this new stage of their  faith journey together. We have some upperclassmen taking greater ownership of the ministry alongside guidance from Jeff (Amstrup) & Stacey (Rudolph)
  • Parents are meeting together on Wednesday nights for GroupLife also!
  • Our faithful core of young adult leaders are building community together & creating opportunities for others to connect with each other & to POP.
  • We also have ears open to the Riverside Innovation Hub community to glean any helpful insights/practices they are developing for ministry with young adults.
  • Outdoor ministries are beginning to take shape! Our first Holy Hikes – Twin Cities took place on Oct. 13.
  • After the successful POP Adventure, “Bike to the Beach,” this past June, we are offering a fall hike on Oct. 27th at Interstate State Park.
    • I am hopeful for a little space in our budget to help grow these opportunities.
    • I also submitted a grant application to the Ministry Imagination grant committee
  • Personally, word is out that Brent and Alyssa are expecting their second child (a boy!) in January.

Pastoral Reports:

Pastor Chad’s Report:

  • It feels like we have no sooner made the transition out of our summer ministry into the Fall and we are already talking about Advent and Christmas! It does not help that there were snow flakes in the air this morning. Before we rush off into the next season, it is good to reflect on what has been a meaningful and effective Fall season of worship and outreach as we look forward to what comes next.
    • We had a great response to several summer initiatives such as a preaching series on the book of Ephesians.
    • On August 22, we wrapped up our summer Wednesday evening services with a great worship and picnic in the park.
    • On September 9 we enjoyed a fantastic Great PoP Get Together on Rally Day which launched us into a truly amazing season of ministry. The enthusiasm on what was a beautiful September rally day Sunday was contagious and set the stage for the weeks that followed.
    • The transition back to two Sunday morning services has gone well.
    • We have had several funerals in a short span of time with each service being a moving celebration of life focused on God’s promises.
    • A wonderful group of new members joined the congregation following a Discover PoP class held on September 30.
  • Pastor Chad will travel to Tanzania from 12/30-1/11, 2019. This annual trip is designed primarily to assess progress on ministry projects supported through our Africa Fund and to inspire major supporters to continue funding our outreach through the Lutheran Church in Tanzania. By providing first hand exposure to the schools, churches and orphanages we support, our Africa Fund once again received tens of thousands in donations this year. This funding is the direct result of these January planning trips. The next group Vision Trip to Tanzania is scheduled for June 13-27
  • We continue to struggle with significant budget shortfalls that will soon require major adjustments to our staffing configuration if giving does not increase to close the gap. As discussed earlier, the new daycare did not receive the funding they required to start up as a new business. We continue to actively seeking other possibilities to partner with an organization that may need space during the week in order to generate rental income to support the budget.
  • A direct Fall communication to the congregation related to faithful financial stewardship and our current budget shortfall will follow the one presented last Spring.

Pastor Natalia’s Report:

  • REPEAT REQUEST- If you as our leaders can make an effort to keep your eyes open for new faces and visitors, as there has been a steady stream of visitors in the past months and it will continue going forward. Pastor Natalia knows you love seeing your people here, but taking even one minute after worship to introduce yourself to someone you don’t know can do wonders for our worshipping community. YOU CAN DO IT!
  • GroupLife is back at it and going well. We’re in TED talks again and they are interesting as always, and provide a fair number of conversation points. If you want to see what we’re doing, or watch any of the TED talks we are watching this session – check out https://princeofpeacechurch.org/community/grouplife/grouplife-fall-2018/
  • Pastor Natalia is in conversation with a therapist friend of hers to lead a “navigating the holidays after a loss” class and she thinks it’ll be pretty good! The date has not been nailed down yet, but she is hoping pre-Thanksgiving sometime.
  • Nominating team is wrapping things up this month and will report the slate of nominees in November at our council meeting.
  • Pastoral Acts (Sept 15-Oct 15): Funerals:1  Weddings:3  Baptisms: 1

Unfinished Business:

None

New Business:

  • Christmas Eve Services will be 1:00pm, 5:00pm, 9:00pm
    • The idea is that all three will be similar services, with the 5:00 and 9:00 being candlelight services.
  • Pastor Chad mentioned that the feedback has been then that people like the look and sound of where the bells have moved to (behind the choir).
    • There has been a request to have them moved back behind the alter for a visiting choir that uses this space to rehearse. We are not inclined do this as it does not work best for our congregation.
  • The Men’s Bible Study team is taking over as the Head Usher this month (rotating) in place of Sue Fodstad.

Action Items:

  • Our next full Council meeting will be Tuesday, November 13th at 7:00pm.
  • Melissa will e-mail Jodi to let her know that she can send the information about the volunteer form to Bill Fredrick.
  • We will discuss Chapters 3 & 4 in Lasting Impact the next time we meet. Please come ready to discuss.
  • Sue LaGue will come present the council ballot – Melissa will e-mail her to let her know about the change in date.
  • Melissa will send an e-mail reminder of the change in date for this council meeting closer to our meeting date.

 

A motion was made by Lynn Anderson and seconded by Melissa Johnson to adjourn the meeting. Motion approved.  Meeting adjourned.

Respectfully submitted,

Melissa Johnson

Council Secretary