Council Members Present: Katie Corneilson, Pastor Ross Goodman, Maile Hedlund, Mark Olson, Dana Ramish, Alison Roberts, Heather Sheridan, Brian Sniffen, Wendy Stack, Chris Trost, George Wilson.
Also Present: Vicar Jenn Soltis.
Absent: none
A quorum was gathered and we came together in God’s name at 7:35pm. A candle was lit to remind us that Christ is present with us as we meet.
The agenda was accepted as amended.
Next month, Mark Olson will lead devotions.
The minutes of October were accepted as amended.
Christian Education is way overspent; what happened? It’s not clear who authorized that, so Brian will follow up with Ken Heyda, and Mark with Diane.
Thrivent returned the matching funds for the newborn kids after a lengthy delay from lost cheques.
The budget pre-committee is meeting for initial work. We expect a draft budget at December’s meeting.
The Seventh-Day Adventist congregation we spoke about last meeting has had great trouble finding a long-term home. Their references from previous landlords were also excellent. They need rather less space than we’d thought…so we’ve invited them for three months. We haven’t signed a lease for the next year. They offered $18000 for next year, part of which would have to pay for more time from the Sexton1 and from the Secretary.
We agree to offer them a lease, after checking the numbers to be sure we’ll at least break even.
George opens with a positive impression of the call to be playful, purposeful, fruitful, adaptable, and resilient.
Discussion continues.
Pastor Goodman refocuses us on the change in the world: the call for the Church was once clearly Word and Sacrament—but this book and others call us to God’s work in the world. Why is this Church here? For liturgy and the old traditions? For service? He invites answers over the next weeks.
There’s a video on the process for electing new bishops—ours has announced her intention not to serve for a third term. We’re looking for ideas of which spiritual gifts to seek in a new bishop. Nominations don’t open until the first day of the Synod Conference.
Pastor Goodman speaks about a Sudanese family that came to services Sunday. Apparently we offered to help them after a car accident earlier this year, and they came to say thanks and hello. We haven’t yet found a way to give the money we raised for them, but their needs are continuing and we’re sure we’ll be able to soon.
He also had dinner with the leader of Lutheran Immigration and Relief Services. When she was a teen, her church helped re-settle a refugee family—which led to her vocation.
Vicar Soltis reports on the Marshfield trip: 50400 meals were packed, and the teens had a leadership retreat. She gives us a preview of the Care Circles that will be her project for the year.
Pastor Goodman gathers us in prayer and leads communion at 9:25pm.
Respectfully submitted, Brian Sniffen
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Next regular council meeting: 12 December 2011 at 7:30pm.
These minutes can be found online at http://evenmere.org/~bts/Church/.