Congregational minutes
24 January 2010
A quorum of exactly 30 and more besides was gathered and we came together in God’s name at 11:45am.
Vicar Heisen gathers us in prayer.
The agenda was accepted.
The minutes of 2009’s meeting were accepted without amendment.
Pastor Goodman highlights a few passages from what he’s already written in the annual report: he’s grateful to be hear and treasures being the Pastor at St. Paul. He looks forward to many years ahead.
He points to his growing concern about easing the
tensions from the shifting of responsibilities since the
departure of Pastor Henry. The proposed bookkeeping
position will particularly help. He also notes the
manifest enthusiasm for service. There are lots of spots
to fill in Altar Guild, Coffee Hour, teaching, etc., and we
need to work harder to call people eager to serve into
specific roles. Last, we need to work on the last details in
the fellowship hall necessary to make it a welcoming
social space—recalling its use for suppers and socials of
old.
He asks for concerns from the floor. Alison Roberts asks for continued improvement in accessibility for all people.
In closing, he describes the year of turmoil with lss. The continued delays have caused us all to realize that they are not a suitable tenant for us nor we a suitable landlord for them, and we do not expect to see them on the property soon. Their lease of Hillside House for social programs will continue unimpeded.
We can be grateful to God for the healthy financial position of the congregation. This will enable new ministry and new programs in the new year. He thanks the church council and especially those who are leaving after years of service: Beverly, Sergia, and Darcie.
The Council has approved Don Mitchell as the new financial secretary. He’s up in the money bin counting right now. We thank Bob Waehler for filling in as interim financial secretary these last few months.
We propose hiring a new staff member this year: a bookkeeper and administrator to relieve Pastor Goodman of some of his administrative tasks and let him focus on the duties performed best by called ministers. The written report describes this role more fully. It will lead to a change in Mary-Ellen’s role as office administrator, as the two administrators work out the best division of duties between them. We’ve budgeted for a decline in Mary-Ellen’s hours starting in July, but are prepared to come back to her current rate of thirty hours per week if her duties so demand.
If the budget is approved, the Personnel committee will seek to hire someone quite soon.
Mark asks for comment from the floor.
A member asks whether it would be easier to hire a full-time manager than a part-time manager.
Anne-Louise Klaus asks how we’ve dealt with the missing lss rent. Mark explains that donations and careful management of spending closed that gap for 2009, and that we have not budgeted for new lss rent in 2010.
He closes with an apology that the audit has not been finished on time due to changes in the Audit committee.
The committee thank those who now end their service, those who continue to serve, and those who have agreed to begin new service. They nominate the following slate:
Mark Olson is nominated from the floor as a delegate to the Synod.
The slate is moved, seconded, carried.
President Olson briefly discusses our sources of income in accord with the summary provided. We will operate at a deficit of $45362 this year, which we desire to reduce our excessive carryover from 2009 of $75084.
Mark asks for questions from the floor. The most immediate is where the extra carryover came from. Ken Heyda responds that the extra money came from extra contributions well above those for which we had planned. at&t also increased their rent by $1000 per month, and we signed a new lease to MetroPCS. We further spent much less on a Christian Education director than expected, since she started midway through the year, and continued to defer some maintenance. This budget is written much more tightly, so we expect much less carryover.
Kat Sniffen asks whether we’ll have a deficit in next year’s budget. We don’t have a specific plan in mind, but we have a good process for figuring out our priorities and spending appropriately. None of this is luxury; this is the minimum to meet all our commitments to ministry. Alison Roberts points out that a growing congregation will always run at a cash surplus and a budget deficit, as it always has more money leftover from the previous year than its budget predicted.
George Wilson asks about the Korean congregation’s rent. Mark answers that they were paying $12000 per year before the capital campaign; they now pay $36000. We continue to work with them to establish good stewardship of the building. Pastor Goodman talks about how a parish business administrator could help establish even better relations with them.
Bob Waehler takes the floor to discuss the deficit. He points out that contributions would need to grow by only 5% to continue this budget into next year.
The budget is moved, seconded, carried.
Pastor Goodman and President Olson thank the budget committee for their hard work.
Ken Heyda has investigated our mortgage and refinancing possibilities. Thrivent wants a $10000 and offers a higher rate than we pay now—no good refinancing deal is on offer.
Bob Waehler gathers us in prayer from a poem from a hospital director in Mississippi at 12:21pm.
Respectfully submitted, Brian Sniffen
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Next regular council meeting: 8 February 2010 at 7:30pm.
These minutes can be found online
at http://evenmere.org/~bts/Church/.
