Prince of Peace

COUNCIL MINUTES FEBRUARY 2017

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Prince of Peace Lutheran Church

Council Meeting Minutes

February 21, 2017

Present: Pastor Chad Brekke, Allan Grant, Lynn Anderson, Julia Sevald, Mike Isenberg, Richard Habstritt, Dale Emter, Scott Reitz, Rachel Follestad, Jeff Hanson, Linda Forkey

Absent: Associate Pastor Natalia Terfa, Melissa Johnson

Call to Order: President Allan Grant called the meeting to order.

Devotions: Allan Grant led us in devotions.

Adoption of Agenda: A motion was made by Dale Emter and seconded by Jeff Hanson to adopt the Council agenda.  Motion approved.

Approval of Previous Minutes: A motion was made by Linda Forkey and seconded by Jeff Hanson to approve the minutes from the January 17, 2017 Council meeting as written.  Motion approved.

Reports of Officers:

Treasurer’s Report:

Notable January activity:

  • For the month of January, receipts were higher than expenses.
    • The general/building fund activity for the month was a gain of $12,459. This is favorable to prior year by $8,504.
    • Total January offerings were higher than prior year by $3,800. Other receipts for January were relatively flat to prior year.
    • Overall, expenses are lower than prior year by $4,540. The favorability to prior year is related to the timing of benevolence payments, insurance premiums as well as fewer repairs expense than 2016. Additionally, the loan we had entered into for the LED lights has been paid off as of December 31, 2016 so we no longer have that monthly expense.
    • For the month of January, we paid the same monthly mortgage payment as was paid in 2016 which means we made an additional principle payment of $1,562.
  • The general fund cash balance available for use is $63,600 at the end of January.
  • There were no designated funds with significant activity in January.
  • As we move in to 2017 we will continue to track our offerings and contributions vs. budget and keep the congregation updated if we start falling behind.

President’s Report: None

Vice-President’s Report: None

Secretary’s Report: None

Ministry Team Reports

Property Report

  • Bill Fredrick has been mentoring Jeff Hanson. They are working on some projects in regards to the building.

Spiritual Growth

The Spiritual Growth team is going through a period of re-focus.

Accomplishments in this area include:

  • Development of a Mission Statement
    • “To foster a close personal relationship with Christ through service to our church and community, the spiritual growth team assesses, educates, and places members in a variety of service and support opportunities.”
  • Definition of Functions
    • Assess – Identifies if member is interested in volunteer opportunity or enhancement of current service
    • Educate – Provide information on volunteer/support opportunities
    • Place – Transfer members into volunteer/support opportunities “Walk through the door together”
    • Follow up – Touch base with members to ensure their service in the church/community fits in with their faith journey and life events. Inform of new opportunities.
  • Committee Membership
    • Determine structure of Spiritual Growth committee

New Projects

  • New Volunteer Cards
    • Create a simplified volunteer card design
  • Volunteer/Support Guide (pamphlet)
    • Create a means to inform members of volunteer opportunities, support, and out-reach programs including a high-level description

Sunday Morning Experience

SME Meeting on February 6, 2017

Attendees were: Darrel Wyszynski, George Umolac, Joel Odens, Kim Neisen, Jim Knucky, Karla Fredrick, Laura Erickson and Dale Emter

Not Present: Rick Swanson.

Darrel was introduced as new member to the committee.

Topics Discussed:

  1. Church Council Meeting summary was provided to committee.
  2. Jon Barfknecht will not Head Usher after 2017; need replacement as Lead Head Usher.
  3. Ron Buster has accepted invite to join the Head Usher group. Dale informed Jon Barfknecht. Still targeting (3) more Head Ushers for 2017-18 schedule.
  4. 1st Aid \ CPR Training – Dale will check with Rick Swanson for update on Brooklyn Park Fire Dept.
  5. Visitor & New Member Welcoming was discussed at length in efforts to improve and define our mission. This will be the topic of the Sunday Morning Experience volunteer social on February 20.
  6. Pew Organization & Clean Up – Elaine is out of town until March, efforts by Karla & Dianne.
  7. SME Quarterly Socials – February 20 at 6:00pm with Hot Cocoa and homemade bars.
  8. 10:30am Worship Wrap Up – George Umolac and others hosted with refreshments on Feb. 5th.
  9. WE Teams – youth pledge participation is below 50%, we are looking to 2017 Pledge Cards to complete openings in WE Teams.
  10. Next SME Team Meeting will occur on Monday 3/06/17 at 6:00 pm

Outreach

POP Outreach Committee Meeting

Monday, January 13, 7pm

Agenda:

  • Follow-up from January Meeting

 

      • Blood Mobile Date – Richard
      • Brooklyn Avenues Support Needs – Jodi
        • Birthday parties – It has been hard to schedule a time where several of the shelter residents are available for a hosted party so we have just been dropping off cake and ice cream and card/gift most months. Avenues staff and residents appreciate the effort but understand if we’d like to direct our attentions elsewhere. We are proceeding with birthdays through March and then will review and reconsider whether we want to continue this throughout the year.
  • Supply collections, Holiday gifts, and gardening are still priorities that they would appreciate our assistance with.

 

      • Park Brook Concert Date – Richard
      • CEAP Food Share Month Planning – Jodi/Richard/Natalia
  • Highlights from Natalia and Jodi’s planning meeting

 

          • Kick off with a food collection on Ash Wednesday
          • Jodi checking with CEAP on specific items we may want to gather on the next three Sundays 3/5, 3/12, and 3/19. I’ve reached out a couple of times with no response so far
          • Brent is doing Feed the Need with the youth on Saturday, March 25 at the Brooklyn Park Cub on Jolly Lane. Shifts from 9-12 and 12-3.
          • Giggles and Dill collection on Sunday 3/26met to plan March food share month
        • Highway Clean-up – Craig to check with Sue on chairing/dates
          • Sue will chair again this year – dates pending
  • Upcoming Project Planning

 

      • 2/16 Refugee Resettlement Meeting
        • Several committee members attended; Kathy and Craig, Wes and Judy; Sally, Jodi. It was very informational. Next steps are to create volunteer teams and to schedule training. Pastor Chad will likely have additional updates to share at the board meeting.
  • 2017 Outreach Calendar Review

 

    • Potential additional projects
      • Joint project with HOPE
        • We would like to do something but keep it simpler this year. The consensus is to do the joint church service and maybe a reception time afterwards. We also thought it would be nice to provide an update on the Phebe Hospital solar panel construction at the service.
      • Mission Trip Support
        • Brent and the youth are doing an adventure trip this year. Brent will check with the camp to see if they have any needs and if so we will do a collection like we did last year.

Next Meeting – Tuesday, March 14

  • Richard also mentioned that PoP has agreed to serve a hotdog dinner at Park Brook Elementary on March 21st prior to a choir concert
    • This has been done several years in a row and is much appreciated

Community Life

  • PoP Movie Night was a success
    • They showed the movie Casablanca; 17 people attended and enjoyed this evening
    • The team plans to do another Movie Night on May 4th and perhaps show a Star Wars movie
  • There are quite a few people signed up to attend the Plymouth Playhouse event coming up

Congregational Care

  • Linda reported that five new families joined PoP at our latest new member session.
    • Should we be posting pictures of the new families when they join PoP?
    • We’ve done this in the past; is this something we want to get back to doing?

Pastoral Reports:

Pastor Chad’s Report:

  • Pastor Chad’s trip in January to visit our Lutheran partners in Tanzania was an exhausting but fruitful journey. He makes this trip early in the year to continue moving forward on several of the projects supported through the PoP Africa Fund and to make initial preparations for the Tanzania Vision Trip in June. A uniquely multi-generational group of ten people are confirmed for this year’s trip.
  • We were pleased to welcome Wayne Boike to our staff as the new Business Administrator in January. Wayne has office hours on Monday, Wednesday and Friday so stop in to say hello anytime.
  • Pastor Chad enjoyed being a presenter on the topic “redeveloping congregations” at the First Call Theological Education Retreat on Jan. 30, held at the Dunrovin Retreat Center. Pastor Natalia’s group of first call peers are together a great sign of hope and promise for the ministry we all share in the ELCA.
  • Prince of Peace was well represented at the synod’s leadership training event on Feb. 11 “Tool Kit For Congregational Leaders” held at Lord of Life Lutheran in Maple Grove. PoP had the largest group of leaders at the event with 15 people taking a large part of a Saturday to learn and grow.
  • In May, Pastor Chad will join our ELCA bishop, Elizabeth Eaton and senior pastors from around the country for the annual large ELCA church leadership conference.
  • On Thursday evening, 2/16, Cate Anderson from Lutheran Social Services (LSS) presented the process of the new Church Engagement Model (CEM), which equips and empowers congregations to participate in the work of refugee resettlement. Pastor Chad serves on the CEM committee at Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services (LIRS), which has been developing this new model for churches across the country. Again, PoP was well represented with members stepping forward to participate in this important and compassionate work.

Pastor Natalia’s Report:

  • After the rush of fall and the busyness of December, January has been pretty quiet around PoP. Natalia is enjoying the reprieve until Lent begins in March.
  • GroupLife began the winter session and is cruising right along. Groups have had some great conversations already and there are more to come! If you want a sample of the kind of TED Talks we are watching this session, go to TED.com and search for Sharon Brous. Her most recent talk is incredible and worth your time. PoP is looking forward to Lent, with our usual schedule of Wednesday worship services at 11 and 7 beginning on Ash Wednesday, March 1. Our theme this year is “Into the Wild” and we’re talking about wilderness experiences. Each of our talented and gifted staff will have an opportunity to share their own version of the wilderness throughout the season. And even though it’s not March yet, it’s not too early to have Holy Week on your radar – the week of March 9-16: Palm Sunday March 9, Maundy Thursday (w/1st Communion) 7pm on March 13, Good Friday at 11 and 7 on March 14th, and Easter Sunday worship services at 9 and 10:30.
  • Natalia has started getting ready for summer wedding season, with 4 on her calendar already. This means pre-marriage conversations, which are always such a joy and a great way to connect with young couples within our congregation.

Unfinished Business: None

New Business:

  • Lynn proposed that we wear nametags on Sunday mornings in order to get to know others in the congregation better. Many people know a lot of faces, but not names. We used to have a basket at the end of each people with a marker and nametags so people can wear them. If we try this, it would also help the pastors put a face with a name.
  • Dale suggested that the WE Team could incorporate this into their duties
  • Pastor Chad brought up the point that people don’t like nametags
  • The majority of the council feels that it would be worth trying, perhaps on special Sundays?

 

Council Retreat Highlights:

    • Julia attended a class called, Narrative Budget Story. Their recommendation is to use the narrative, “Here is what we are doing for children and family ministry,” rather than just giving facts.
    • Allan attended a class called, Racial Justice Statement. He learned that the ELCA is the least diverse in the United States.
    • Pastor Chad talked about his vision of having several church reporters who go to church functions and report as to what is going on tin the church.
    • We discussed the possibility of consciously making a personal invitation from members to get others to attend PoP.
      • Bring a Friend to Church Sunday?
      • Use language like, “My church…” or “I love my church because…”

Allan reviewed the contents of the Council binder.

Action Items:

  • Pastor Chad asked the council to think about how we may want to change up the council meetings

Richard asked for volunteers that would be willing to pack food at Cub in Brooklyn Park the last Saturday in March.

    • There are two shifts: 9-11am and 11am-2pm

Please have your council reports submitted to Melissa Johnson by the Friday before the monthly council meeting to ensure the council packet will get to you by Sunday or Monday of that week.

A motion was made by Mike Isenberg and seconded by Scott Reitz to adjourn the meeting. Motion approved.  Meeting adjourned.

Respectfully submitted,

Melissa Johnson

Council Secretary