July Church Council Corner
Our newly-installed church council met for the first time this church year on Tuesday, July 13 at 6:30pm. The meeting took place primarily in person, with a handful of members joining remotely via Zoom.
Election of officers
Dave Hulin will remain in his position as Treasurer.
John Johnstonbaugh will be our council President.
Nick Pegelow will act as Vice President.
Heidi Boldway will move forward as Recording Secretary.
Gail Turner will maintain her seat as Secretary.
Facility Use Items
Council discussed two facility use groups who would like to change or update their agreement with Faith.
Narcotics Anonymous would like to hold their business meetings in Parish Hall on the first Saturday of the month from 12pm to 3pm, for $10/hour, beginning September 11. Council approved this use.
Recovering Couples Anonymous uses Faith Center for a hybrid meeting on Thursday evenings. They have requested to use another room on campus for child care.
This opened a discussion about liability, and insurance for facility use groups.
All Facility use groups are required to keep no less than $1 million in liability insurance coverage, and list Faith Lutheran Church as an additional insured on the policy.
The church cannot approve use of the playground for facility use groups, as it belongs to the preschool, and the liability could then fall on them, which we’d like to avoid.
This request was not approved at the time of the meeting. Requirements for these types of requests remain a subject of discussion, however.
Financial reports
We are seeing an uptick in financial contributions from the congregation, which is encouraging.
Budget plan for the month of June suggested that we would currently be at a $16,000 budget deficit, but we are currently only at a $13,000 deficit. About $3k more than we expected!
Pastor's report
Walking grounds plus cleaning bathrooms and taking out trash
Pastor Sarah will continue cleaning up the trash as long as she is on campus.
We often have overnight guests on campus who contribute to the litter. We discussed asking those individuals to help keep the grounds clean.
Much of the traffic to the office is transient neighbors asking to use a bathroom. They are not permitted to use the office bathroom due to covid and also Carly’s safety.
A bathroom availability schedule of the exterior restrooms attached to Faith Place has brought up, but this matter will be tabled until a future meeting. Council has determined that it is worth investigating the benefits and drawbacks of doing so.
The personnel handbook has been completed and needs council approval. Council has been asked to review and provide feedback by next meeting, which is the retreat on August 7.
A financial audit was done July 2.
Spanish Ministry
Spanish services restarted on July 11.
Veronica has been having Zoom gatherings with members of the congregation who attend the Spanish service for the last three months.
This is viewed as a new beginning for the ministry, and everyone is onboard.
Bible study is on Thursdays at 7:30pm on Zoom.
In this new beginning of the ministry, we are discussing how to serve the needs of our community.
Church Council Retreat
Retreat is August 7th in the Chapel and Parish Hall at Faith Lutheran Church.
The theme of the retreat is to write a cohesive and comprehensive mission statement.
Two exercises are the focus of the retreat
Teresa Blythe will lead us on a one-hour workshop on prayer for building community.
Work on writing a clear mission. What is our mission?
Upcoming events
Webinar series on becoming a Hybrid church [hybrid referring to in-person and virtual worship] beginning on July 26th, 5:00 pm CT (3pm PT). This is open to any humans who are interested!
75th (76th) Anniversary celebration is scheduled for Saturday, October 16, 2021.
The charter was first formed on July 8, 1945. We would have liked to hold this party last year, but we all know what happened (it was covid).
On Saturday, October 16 we have a BBQ and have a display of historical artifacts from the Faith Archives.
On Sunday, October 17th, we will celebrate the church's anniversary during service, using liturgy and music from the era when Faith was founded.
All members of the congregation are encouraged to share their memories and stories of Faith with the church office in preparation for this event!
New members classes
The first of our new member classes was offered on July 18.
Future new member courses will take place on the first Sunday of each month at 1pm in Parish Hall.
Pastor Sarah invited council members to come to these meetings and speak about what Faith Lutheran Church means to them.
12-step spirituality: A Way-Out classes
Five people typically attend on Monday evening, at 5pm in Parish Hall.
The Tuesday morning meeting is a bit more sparsely attended.
Attendance numbers notwithstanding, all are welcome to come and learn about 12-step spirituality. This 14-week program will continue!
Bible Studies
The Monday morning bible study will be taking place in the church office, with a hybrid option for anyone who is not yet comfortable with that. This is the Old Testament bible study, and we are currently reading the book of Ruth.
Wednesday morning Bible study is also a hybrid offering, and we are studying the Gospel of John right now.
C-Time Returns
We will continue to hold forums for the foreseeable future.
Next Forum is on August 1, immediately following the 9am service. Mike Reed will come to discuss Diakonia.
We ask parishioners to sign up to provide refreshments for C-Time in order for the event to continue as before.
Campus Repairs since June 1
Chapel nave & narthex floors have been refinished and painted using commercial-grade epoxy.
Crumbling concrete has been repaired on the outdoor stairs to the kitchen, the columns in the courtyard, and other trip-and-fall areas on campus.
The courtyard doors to Parish Hall have been stained and sealed (and they look amazing)
Faith Center kitchen has been repainted a delightful shade of yellow. (thanks to the AMAZING Jennie Carr)
The exposed subfloor in Faith Place is in the process of being turned into a real floor thanks to the hard work of Jane Upham.
Many of the sprinklers on campus have needed to be capped off or repaired.
There were some broken drop ceiling tiles in Faith Center, which have been repaired.
Installed privacy netting on the chain link fence separating the playground from the parking lot.
Preschool updates
The preschool board is in the process of establishing their own 501(c)(3) and EIN.
They have requested many building repairs and upgrades. As agreed upon in previous covenants, upgrades that are specific to the preschool and their use of the grounds are completed on the preschool’s dime and time, while regular upkeep remains the responsibility of the church.
Jane Upham has been completing many of the tasks for the preschool as they need them, but we encourage parishioners to consider a tithe of your time and money to assist in campus upkeep.
We treated for termites in early June in preparation for a fresh coat of paint in classrooms 3 & 7, which will be done on July 23 and 24.
Preschool students will not be in session on Friday, July 30, so we will be power washing the hallway behind the wrought iron gate.
If you love power washing, we’d love your help that day!
Respectfully Submitted by,
Gail Turner and Heidi Boldway
7/14/2021