Genesee Lutheran Church Meeting Minutes ------------------------------------------------
October 21, 2012 Quarterly Meeting
The Quarterly Meeting was called to order by Jennifer Parkins. The opening prayer was led by Pastor Dave.
Financial Report:
Given by Susan Rigg (copier was not working so no paper report was available). We received two large memorial donations. A $300 benevolence was given to Relay for Life.
Pastor’s Report:
Summer services and events were nice. Reformation Sunday will be next Sunday (Oct. 28). Evangelism workshops have been completed. Our focus now turns to being more intentional in our faith life. Bible studies are up and rolling again – everyone is invited and encouraged to attend.
Committee Reports:
Buildings and Grounds:
Report given by Doug Cartwright. The attic at St. John’s was insulated this summer which will make a big difference in cost savings as well as comfort. Patrick has installed a programmable thermostat in the St. John’s fellowship hall, and will change it to a 10-day program. Guardian Heating was here last week and at the Valley church for trouble-shooting and repairs. Kudos to Brent Studer for his help with a digging project. The steps at St. John’s will need to be rebuilt. Doug is working on getting masonry quotes, as well as looking into all additional costs for this project, which he plans to have done next summer. Kudos to Brent and Pastor Dave for all the yard work they’ve done. Everyone is encouraged to stop by as they can to help. The speaker has been hooked up in the fellowship hall of St. John’s to accommodate families with young children.
Education:
A video prepared by high schoolers was watched. Pastor Dave spoke of the ‘different energy’ which is bringing about creative, wonderful things. Jennifer reported that the Sunday School groups distributed jars of cookie mix in the community as a service project. The Pennies for Peace project raised over $300 for last year’s service project. The Sunday School classes are now getting ready for Christmas. The Sunday School teachers are feeling energized by new ideas!
Worship:
Phyllis Kanikkeberg is getting ready for advent and welcomes ideas. There will be a brainstorming meeting next Sunday (Oct. 28) following church. She asks people to remember the sign-up sheets in the fellowship hall, particularly for altar care duties. Phyllis will also be having the girls’ choir practices begin soon.
Outreach:
Jennifer reported the youth will be having a Halloween party. There are upcoming plans for a youth “heart-to-heart”, as well as a family bible study with parenting classes. Also, plans are in the works for a harvest party, Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas cookie distribution and caroling.
Council:
Jennifer Parkins: Visioning for future. Open forum discussions at council meetings.
New Business:
Dana Carter reported that the Adopt-a-Family program for Christmas will be under way soon, and asked to be informed before November 1 if we will be participating again this year.
Norma Spence asked if there was any interest within the congregation to participate in the World Relief Quilt program and, if so, to contact her for more information.
Bertle Spence and Marilyn Jenkins mentioned that the Sweet Adelines group that meets at St. John’s to practice has expressed their appreciation for being able to use our facility.
The meeting was concluded with the Lord’s Prayer.
We, the members of the Genesee Lutheran Parish, in receiving God’s gracious gifts, are committed to be living examples of Jesus’ love by strengthening and encouraging each other. We commit to love every person and serve anyone we can through word and deed, following the example of our Lord. – Mission statement: Genesee Lutheran Church
Genesee Lutheran Church Meeting Minutes ------------------------------------------------
October 10, 2012 Church Council Meeting
Those present were Dave Deckard, Jennifer Parkins, Patrick Adams, Gayle Rossebo, Shelly Renton, Doug Cartwright, and Amy Peterson.
The meeting was called to order by Jennifer. The devotion was given by Patrick. Gayle will give the devotion at the next meeting.
Financial Report:
The report was given by Jennifer in Susan’s absence, as reported to her by Susan. Thanks to recent memorials we met all our financial obligations through the summer. Susan will provide more information at the quarterly meeting.
Committee Reports:
(Agenda modified to accommodate the need for council to focus on the business of the spiritual health of the congregation and the church).
Pastor’s Report:
Activities this fall have gone very well: Theology on Tap, Girls’ Campout, as well as Rock and Roll Sunday. The Evangelism workshop will be completed this coming Sunday, October 17. A “bible basics” study will begin at the Thursday evening bible study later this month. A Halloween party for youth is planned, with more activities for youth to follow. He would like to do a “family night” with kids’ activities downstairs and parents upstairs with a pastor-led discussion on parenting basics, etc. A harvest party is being planned as well as the annual Thanksgiving dinner. Upcoming Christmas activities include distributing cookies around town, as we’ve done the past two years.
New Business:
Discussion on the focus/agenda for quarterly meeting to be held Sunday, October 21.
Discussion was held regarding following up on a request for a larger space for parents with young children during church service. It was decided as a temporary solution we will hook up speakers in the fellowship hall, which will involve re-wiring. Patrick and Doug will work on this project, which would also help accommodate parents and others who need to be downstairs during funeral services, etc.
Mission of the church:
Main discussion of the council: topic based &/or open forum.
Pastor Dave: Weddings have been going well. Another wedding is being planned for later this month at the Valley church. Andy Anderson’s funeral will take place this coming Saturday, October 16. Verna Studer will be coordinating volunteers for dinner and clean up afterward.
Pastor Dave asked for the council’s input regarding funeral protocol. Much discussion followed regarding the use of honor guards, fraternal organizations, and personal items. Jennifer has agreed to put together a list of our policies with clear guidelines to be reviewed by the council at the next meeting.
The meeting was concluded with the Lord’s Prayer.
We, the members of the Genesee Lutheran Parish, in receiving God’s gracious gifts, are committed to be living examples of Jesus’ love by strengthening and encouraging each other. We commit to love every person and serve anyone we can through word and deed, following the example of our Lord. – Mission statement: Genesee Lutheran Church
Genesee Lutheran Church Meeting Minutes ------------------------------------------------
September 11, 2012 Church Council Meeting
Those present were Dave Deckard, Jennifer Parkins, Courtney Scharnhorst, Patrick Adams, Dan Carter, Amy Peterson, Susan Rigg, and Shelly Renton.
The meeting was called to order by Jennifer. The devotion was given by Jennifer. Patrick will give the devotion at the next meeting.
Financial Report:
Susan reported that the family of Ken Jensen has given a $10,000 gift in his memory to be used as needed within the church or as the church sees fit for the community, buildings, etc.
Committee Reports:
Buildings & Grounds:
Clean-up efforts at St. John’s continue in preparation for services to begin Sunday, September 16th after being held at the Valley church all summer. New insulation has been installed in St. John’s building, which should make it more energy efficient.
Education:
Cards have been sent out in the mail inviting children/families to participate in the Sunday School rally being held Sunday, September 16th with breakfast served at 9 a.m. before Sunday School. The “Pennies for Peace” project will be wrapped up soon.
Worship:
Appreciation was expressed for the great job Phyllis Kannikeberg did with music this summer.
Pastor’s Report:
Sunday School begins Sunday, September 16th with an all-new curriculum. Women’s Bible Study begins Wednesday, September 19th. Confirmation classes will begin Sunday, September 23rd. A girls’ campout will take place at Phyllis Kannikeberg’s home on Saturday, September 29th. He hopes to get the boys together soon for a get-together of some kind as well. Movie nights for the high-schoolers will start up soon. A special service with rock-n-roll music and a BBQ will take place Sunday, September 30th. This will be held on the lawn if weather permits. The final evangelism workshops will take place September 30th and October 14th. Theology on Tap will be held Saturday, October 6th at the home of David and Susan Rigg. Thursday evening bible study will begin soon with an emphasis on bible basics, followed by studies on Lutheranism. At a later date there will be movie nights planned, tying faith in with movie plots. Linda Chilson is planning an evening of caroling in the community on December 23rd. Other upcoming events include Thanksgiving dinner, cookie distribution in the community at Christmas time, and special Christmas music. The BBQ at Phyllis Kannikeberg’s home this past summer was a big hit! It is hoped to repeat this event next summer, with a campout afterward.
Susan Rigg inquired about hosting a Harvest party again this fall, as last year’s party was enjoyable and well-attended. She is willing to coordinate this event, either at her home or perhaps the Renton home again. She will discuss this further with Shelly Renton.
Other Discussion:
Patrick Adams: He has been recording the readings and sermons to post on the church blog.
Recent clean-up efforts at St. John’s have revealed an infestation of bugs, particularly along the windowsills. Courtney Scharnhorst volunteered to apply a safe insecticide around the perimeter of the building.
Pastor Dave: There is a need for a few large-print hymnals. Susan will order one or two of these initially, ordering more at a later date if they seem to work well.
Jennifer Parkins: Some council members were able to meet this summer to brainstorm ideas on how to be more intentional and proactive at raising additional funds.
Discussion was held on the subject of weddings at the Valley church. It seems there is a need for a pamphlet to be printed up to be given to wedding parties regarding cleanup, etc. on the rare occasions Pastor Dave is not available to guide them in this subject. This may be revisited at a later date.
Susan Rigg: A more inviting entryway is needed at St. John’s. She suggested a board of some type to welcome guests and give them more information about fellowship, etc. She and Patrick will work on this project.
The meeting was concluded with the Lord’s Prayer.
We, the members of the Genesee Lutheran Parish, in receiving God’s gracious gifts, are committed to be living examples of Jesus’ love by strengthening and encouraging each other. We commit to love every person and serve anyone we can through word and deed, following the example of our Lord. – Mission statement: Genesee Lutheran Church
Genesee Lutheran Church Meeting Minutes ------------------------------------------------
April 22, 2012 Quarterly Meeting
The Quarterly Meeting was called to order by Jennifer Parkins. The opening prayer was sled by Pastor Dave.
Pastor’s Report:
The visit by the Assistant to the Bishop of the Eastern Washington-Idaho Synod, Mark Nelson, was a good one. It’s good for him to see what we’re doing, and there is a feeling of excitement about where we’re headed.
People are needed to attend Evangelism meetings.
Stewardship: The Council is making plans! More time is needed for planning but in the meantime they need the continued support of the congregation.
Worship will be moving to the Valley church for the summer months.
Committee Reports:
Education:
Dana Carter: Great Easter program! Suggestions are welcomed for future ideas. Dana thanked the Sunday School teachers for all their hard work and welcomes ideas for future Sunday School lessons. The Vacation Bible School program could use people with young children to help with ideas, etc. and also to help Rosanna with the program. Shelley Renton will not be available to help with coordination because of job conflicts. They will try to enlist help from the other churches.
Worship:
Patrick Adams: Encourages those interested in learning to play the pennywhistle for church services to buy one in the key of ‘C’ and he will provide lessons.
Buildings and Grounds:
No news to report.
Activities:
The ladies’ tea will take place in May.
Outreach:
Everyone is encouraged to attend the Evangelism workshops.
Financial Report:
Susan Rigg: Handout given out. Discussed Easter giving benevolence, with suggestions for donating these funds made by: Susan -- National Foundation for Transplants Idaho Bone Marrow Fund in honor of Vicki Luedke; Patrick Adams -- the Center for Alternatives to Violence on the Palouse; Rosanna Cartwright – the Genesee Food Bank; Linda Chilson – Relay for Life. It was decided against donating to the Center for Alternatives to Violence because of a recent donation. The motion to accept the funds to be paid to the other charities was made by Gayle Rossebo and seconded by Rosanna Cartwright. Motion was passed.
New Business:
Sunday School Report:
Jennifer Parkins: Spoke about the focus this year on “Fruits of the Spirit” in the junior high/middle school age group. They incorporated music into learning about the fruits of the spirit with help from the confirmation students. Carson Parkins played songs for the meeting attendees to show examples of the fruits of the spirit through music.
Erika Grieser: Reported on the younger children’s Sunday School lessons. Christian Chilson modeled a suit of armour as David in the story of “David and Goliath”.
Miranda Carter: Reported on the high school core group.
Rosanna Cartwright: Reported that her students were also learning about the “Fruits of the Spirit”. Aubrey Grieser, Eric Chilson, Emmi Parkins, and Carli Allen showed paintings they had done on the fruits of the spirit.
Other Business:
Susan Rigg: Two boxes of items were donated by church members and taken by Susan to the Center for Alternatives to Violence on the Palouse. The Center was very grateful and appreciative.
The meeting was concluded with the Lord’s Prayer.
We, the members of the Genesee Lutheran Parish, in receiving God’s gracious gifts, are committed to be living examples of Jesus’ love by strengthening and encouraging each other. We commit to love every person and serve anyone we can through word and deed, following the example of our Lord. – Mission statement: Genesee Lutheran Church
April 19, 2012 Church Council Meeting
Those present were Dave Deckard, Jennifer Parkins, Courtney Scharnhorst, Patrick Adams, Dan Carter, Doug Cartwright, Gayle Rossebo, and Susan Rigg.
The meeting was called to order by Jennifer. The devotion was given by Patrick. Patrick will give the devotion at the next meeting as well.
Financial Report:
Susan reported a great amount of $1,144 was received in Easter offerings. Memorials have been donated in Clarence Gilge’s memory.
New Business:
The Quarterly meeting agenda was set. Discussion was held regarding the time for church to begin during the summer services at the Valley – why do we have it at 9:00 versus 10:00 a.m.? Discussed pros and cons of each time. It was decided that the time will remain at 10:00 a.m. throughout the month of May. The remainder of summer services at the Valley will change to 9:30 a.m. beginning in June. Confirmation ceremony will be held at the June 10th service.
Pastor’s Report:
VISION report with a handout given to council members to guide discussion. It’s time to move from our past to our future. We need to spend our time and financial resources on a vision. The motion to move ahead on proposed Vision was made by Jennifer, seconded by Doug. Motion passed. The process will begin and the congregation will be more informed as we have a more concrete plan in place.
Other discussion:
Susan reported that donations for Alternatives to Violence were well received.
Discussion was held about upcoming Vacation Bible School. We will need to clarify where and when it will be held.
The meeting was concluded with the Lord’s Prayer.
(Minutes taken by Jennifer Parkins, and transcripted by Amy Peterson).
We, the members of the Genesee Lutheran Parish, in receiving God’s gracious gifts, are committed to be living examples of Jesus’ love by strengthening and encouraging each other. We commit to love every person and serve anyone we can through word and deed, following the example of our Lord. – Mission statement: Genesee Lutheran Church
Genesee Lutheran Church Meeting Minutes ------------------------------------------------
Attendance: Shelly
Renton, Courtney Scharnhorst, Patrick Adams, Dan Carter, Doug Cartwright, Susan
Rigg, Gayle Rossebo and Pastor Dave.
Shelly called the meeting to order in the absence of
Jennifer. Susan shared this month’s
devotion and Patrick will be in charge next month.
Announcements of special prayer requests were shared.
Susan reported on our financial status – All expenses are paid
up to date (with $7000 transferred to make this possible).
New Business: Decided
to have the next quarterly meeting on April 22nd. The focus will be on our Sunday School
classes.
Committee reports:
Worship –
The season of Lent has been meaningful – good attendance at Wednesday evening
services – music great.
Evangelism - Good things are coming, opening up the church to events in
the community, need to update directory, getting everyone involved, Evangelism
workshops this spring and fall.
Social - 4
main events for this year: Spring tea,
Camping trip, Fall/harvest event and Christmas caroling. Other minor events such as: movies, dinner at members houses, etc.
Education –
Children’s Easter program will be the Sunday after Easter.
Buildings
and grounds - Doug has checked with Avista and it seems that they do not
perform energy audits for commercial properties. He has obtained an estimate to improve the
insulation at St. Johns. It will cost
about $2700. We all need to look for
incentives, rebates and/or donations. It
was approved to proceed with the insulation project.
Pastors
report – Rev Mark will be here to help with Easter Service. Need to decide next month on worship time for
summer services. Discussed our Vision
for Stewardship-will discuss vision and process next month.
Main discussion:
Patrick led
discussion about making e-mail list available on blog (secure). We decided to make a wireless hotspot at St.
Johns – ready by Fall. Upstart expenses
approved.
Susan reported that the Alternatives to Violence are in need
of essential items-she shared their wish list.
We will gather items for a couple of weeks. Patrick will post on the blog and we’ll
announce in church.
Next meeting – April 10, 2012
Meeting was adjourned with the Lord’s Prayer.
Recorded by Gayle Rossebo
We, the members of the Genesee Lutheran Parish, in receiving
God’s gracious gifts, are committed to be living examples of Jesus’ love by
strengthening and encouraging each other. We commit to love every person and
serve anyone we can through word and deed, following the example of our Lord. –
Mission statement: Genesee Lutheran Church
Genesee Lutheran Church Meeting Minutes ------------------------------------------------
January 29, 2012 Annual Meeting
Pre-Annual Meeting Council Meeting: Those present were Jennifer Parkins, Courtney Scharnhorst, Dan Carter, Susan Rigg, Gayle Rossebo, and Amy Peterson.
Discussed final budget changes. Motion to accept changes made by Susan Rigg, and seconded by Amy Peterson. Council members present voted and approved the budget changes unanimously.
The Annual Meeting was called to order by Jennifer Parkins. Opening prayer led by Pastor Dave.
Pastor’s Report:
“A ton of amazing things” and “big changes” are going on within the church. People are involved from the top to the bottom – wonderful and fantastic! It’s time to get the word out about evangelism! A new evangelism committee is being formed by Jennifer Parkins. Also, evangelism workshops will be coming up. Let’s think about how to get more people attending church, which is not about “numbers”, rather it’s about showing how well things are going and sharing the spirit!
Stewardship: We need discussion among each other, and to work on being more intentional. We have plenty of council members at present, but we need people to step up and lead activities, etc.
Finances: We are running about a $900 deficit per month. We need to be able to talk about money, and we need to find a purpose for the money. Be open and find a mission for our resources. We need to work through this process together.
Committee Reports:
Council:
Jennifer Parkins: Council meetings have been exciting and fun! People are energized! She also encouraged involvement.
Education:
Dana Carter: Christmas was wonderful! There will be an upcoming meeting for Easter preparations. Pennies for Peace: Some controversy but good things are being done. Confident this is still a good cause and would like to carry this project through. Youth groups: Conflicts with school activities, but they are getting started back up.
Rosanna Cartwright: First – Fifth grade Sunday School going well! Working on “Fruits of the Spirit” with a lot of bonding going on.
Jennifer Parkins: Middle school ages also working on “Fruits of the Spirit” as well as discussing current music which they will share at the Quarterly meeting. They will be distributing hand-made scarves at the school as a service project.
Worship:
Phyllis Kanikkeberg: Working on preparations for Lent.
Buildings and Grounds:
Doug Cartwright: He is working on determining the needs of the St. John’s and Valley churches. His biggest concern is energy efficiency, especially insulation needs. Would like an energy audit to be done by Avista. Feels a short-term investment would pay off in the long run. The furnace at the Valley church needs to be replaced as it is costing too much to operate. He will be looking into the costs involved with this project. He asks members to bring ideas and suggestions to him.
Activities:
The Activities Committee will be meeting February 19th at 7 p.m.
Outreach:
The focus is on evangelism with a meeting scheduled for March 4th at 7 p.m.
Financial Report:
Susan Rigg: Handout passed out. Discussed operating expenses. She mentioned that it seems that people tend to pay for activity expenses out of their own pockets rather than turning in receipts for reimbursement. She also notices a trend with members trying to give more during offering. Shortfalls were made up with transfers from the Savings account. We were able to fund Vacation Bible School with Lutherhaven. Estimates for 2012: Pastor has deferred his salary increase so the Council recommends a bonus of $1,000 be paid to him. The motion to accept this amount to be paid was made by Randi Adams and seconded by Dana Carter. Motion was passed.
New Business:
Council member nominations were made for Susan Rigg, Doug Cartwright, and Patrick Adams. The motion to accept these nominations was made by Verna Studer and seconded by Phyllis Kanikkeberg. Motion was passed.
Benevolence Fund (Christmas): request from Leudke family for bone marrow contributions to the National Foundation for Transplants”; also, suggestions for funds to the Genesee community library and Lutherhaven. The motion to accept the above contributions was made by Susan Rigg and seconded by Courtney Scharnhorst. Motion was passed.
Susan Rigg made a request for one or two people to count the offering and make deposits for her. Pastor Dave suggested having three people to help would be better. Susan would also like to implement the ELCA’s “Best Practices”.
Patrick Adams presented a video to show how our blog works, and explained that its intention is to act as a journal about our church to share with our community, and also our world. The blog contains, among other things, recordings from church including the sermons and children’s times. People are encouraged to contribute! One idea was to have representatives of any age write about what’s happening in church and submit to Patrick for posting.
Pastor Dave spoke about the letter that made its way to our church, from an anonymous writer from another area who was needing some help. After making the announcement at church, within two days an amazing outpouring of help was received from our congregation and on its way to the family in need!
The meeting was concluded with the Lord’s Prayer.
We, the members of the Genesee Lutheran Parish, in receiving God’s gracious gifts, are committed to be living examples of Jesus’ love by strengthening and encouraging each other. We commit to love every person and serve anyone we can through word and deed, following the example of our Lord. – Mission statement: Genesee Lutheran Church
Genesee Lutheran Church Meeting Minutes ------------------------------------------------
Pre-Annual Meeting Council Meeting: Those present were Jennifer Parkins, Courtney Scharnhorst, Dan Carter, Susan Rigg, Gayle Rossebo, and Amy Peterson.
Discussed final budget changes. Motion to accept changes made by Susan Rigg, and seconded by Amy Peterson. Council members present voted and approved the budget changes unanimously.
The Annual Meeting was called to order by Jennifer Parkins. Opening prayer led by Pastor Dave.
Pastor’s Report:
“A ton of amazing things” and “big changes” are going on within the church. People are involved from the top to the bottom – wonderful and fantastic! It’s time to get the word out about evangelism! A new evangelism committee is being formed by Jennifer Parkins. Also, evangelism workshops will be coming up. Let’s think about how to get more people attending church, which is not about “numbers”, rather it’s about showing how well things are going and sharing the spirit!
Stewardship: We need discussion among each other, and to work on being more intentional. We have plenty of council members at present, but we need people to step up and lead activities, etc.
Finances: We are running about a $900 deficit per month. We need to be able to talk about money, and we need to find a purpose for the money. Be open and find a mission for our resources. We need to work through this process together.
Committee Reports:
Council:
Jennifer Parkins: Council meetings have been exciting and fun! People are energized! She also encouraged involvement.
Education:
Dana Carter: Christmas was wonderful! There will be an upcoming meeting for Easter preparations. Pennies for Peace: Some controversy but good things are being done. Confident this is still a good cause and would like to carry this project through. Youth groups: Conflicts with school activities, but they are getting started back up.
Rosanna Cartwright: First – Fifth grade Sunday School going well! Working on “Fruits of the Spirit” with a lot of bonding going on.
Jennifer Parkins: Middle school ages also working on “Fruits of the Spirit” as well as discussing current music which they will share at the Quarterly meeting. They will be distributing hand-made scarves at the school as a service project.
Worship:
Phyllis Kanikkeberg: Working on preparations for Lent.
Buildings and Grounds:
Doug Cartwright: He is working on determining the needs of the St. John’s and Valley churches. His biggest concern is energy efficiency, especially insulation needs. Would like an energy audit to be done by Avista. Feels a short-term investment would pay off in the long run. The furnace at the Valley church needs to be replaced as it is costing too much to operate. He will be looking into the costs involved with this project. He asks members to bring ideas and suggestions to him.
Activities:
The Activities Committee will be meeting February 19th at 7 p.m.
Outreach:
The focus is on evangelism with a meeting scheduled for March 4th at 7 p.m.
Financial Report:
Susan Rigg: Handout passed out. Discussed operating expenses. She mentioned that it seems that people tend to pay for activity expenses out of their own pockets rather than turning in receipts for reimbursement. She also notices a trend with members trying to give more during offering. Shortfalls were made up with transfers from the Savings account. We were able to fund Vacation Bible School with Lutherhaven. Estimates for 2012: Pastor has deferred his salary increase so the Council recommends a bonus of $1,000 be paid to him. The motion to accept this amount to be paid was made by Randi Adams and seconded by Dana Carter. Motion was passed.
New Business:
Council member nominations were made for Susan Rigg, Doug Cartwright, and Patrick Adams. The motion to accept these nominations was made by Verna Studer and seconded by Phyllis Kanikkeberg. Motion was passed.
Benevolence Fund (Christmas): request from Leudke family for bone marrow contributions to the National Foundation for Transplants”; also, suggestions for funds to the Genesee community library and Lutherhaven. The motion to accept the above contributions was made by Susan Rigg and seconded by Courtney Scharnhorst. Motion was passed.
Susan Rigg made a request for one or two people to count the offering and make deposits for her. Pastor Dave suggested having three people to help would be better. Susan would also like to implement the ELCA’s “Best Practices”.
Patrick Adams presented a video to show how our blog works, and explained that its intention is to act as a journal about our church to share with our community, and also our world. The blog contains, among other things, recordings from church including the sermons and children’s times. People are encouraged to contribute! One idea was to have representatives of any age write about what’s happening in church and submit to Patrick for posting.
Pastor Dave spoke about the letter that made its way to our church, from an anonymous writer from another area who was needing some help. After making the announcement at church, within two days an amazing outpouring of help was received from our congregation and on its way to the family in need!
The meeting was concluded with the Lord’s Prayer.
We, the members of the Genesee Lutheran Parish, in receiving God’s gracious gifts, are committed to be living examples of Jesus’ love by strengthening and encouraging each other. We commit to love every person and serve anyone we can through word and deed, following the example of our Lord. – Mission statement: Genesee Lutheran Church
Genesee Lutheran Church Meeting Minutes ------------------------------------------------
January 10, 2012 Church Council Meeting
Those present were Dave Deckard, Jennifer Parkins, Courtney
Scharnhorst, Patrick Adams, Doug Cartwright, Gayle Rossebo, and Amy Peterson.
The meeting was called to order by Jennifer, and the prayer
was led by Jennifer. Jennifer also gave the devotion in Susan’s place, as she
was out of town. Susan will give the devotion at the February meeting.
Financial Report:
The budget, provided by Susan, will be brought to the annual
meeting to be voted upon. The final numbers are difficult to predict.
Committees are allocated funding they don’t always use. Items needing to be
added in before the annual meeting are $500 (as a comment line) for
benevolence, as well as the $1,000 amount paid to the synod. Susan will make
these adjustments before the annual meeting, on January 29. Council members (at
least 5) will approve the final changes before the meeting.
Patrick will also demonstrate the blog, and each committee
head will provide general highlights of committee activities to the members.
The confirmation students will entertain the younger
children in the fellowship hall during the meeting.
A request was received from Vicki Luedke’s daughter for a
donation toward her mother’s health expenses. This will be brought to the
annual meeting for recommendation as a “special” giving.
Pastor’s Report:
Christmas – everything went great! The music was wonderful,
and plans are already in the works for the next Christmas season, as well as
the upcoming Easter season. The Christmas day service of remembrance was nice.
Didn’t see anyone from outside of church, but it went wonderfully, and plans
are being made to do something similar next year. Dave feels the Sunday School
teachers need encouragement. Bible studies are going well, although it would be
nice to have more participation on Sunday mornings. Dave needs someone to take
the “Angels on Call” phone.
Other discussion:
Patrick and Verna are working on recording the sermons and
getting them on the blog. He is hoping to videotape at least the children’s
time, as well, for posting on the blog. Patrick also encouraged members to
continue promoting the blog and adding to it – photos, comments, etc.
The next council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February
14th at 7 p.m. at St. John’s.
The meeting was concluded with the Lord’s Prayer.
We, the members of the Genesee Lutheran Parish, in receiving
God’s gracious gifts, are committed to be living examples of Jesus’ love by
strengthening and encouraging each other. We commit to love every person and
serve anyone we can through word and deed, following the example of our Lord. –
Mission statement: Genesee Lutheran Church
Genesee Lutheran Church Council Minutes ------------------------------------------------
December 19, 2011 Church Council Meeting
Those present were Dave Deckard, Jennifer Parkins, Susan
Rigg, Dan Carter, Courtney Scharnhorst, Shelley Renton, and Amy Peterson.
The meeting was called to order by Jennifer, and the
devotion, which was provided by Jennifer, was read by Susan. Susan will give
the devotion at the January, 2012 meeting.
Financial Report:
Susan presented the budget. Still a lot of work to be done
but it’s expected to be close to the low $90,000’s. Still plenty of money in
the bank. We are still transitioning, but are receiving more in offerings.
It was agreed to table the budget discussion until the final
numbers are in.
Because of the high Avista expenses, Susan wonders if we
should have Avista do a free energy audit. We may need to spend money on
weatherizing to save money in the long run. Susan will call Avista to get an
audit set up.
Discussion on pastor’s compensation: A 2% raise equals
$1,000 bonus. A raise would increase other expenses to about $4,000 (pension,
etc.). A bonus would still give pastor and family the same amount that he’d see
in a raise (in the form of a lump sum as opposed to splitting that amount up
over 12 months’ time). The current bad economy necessitates avoiding too much
more expense on the budget. We will need to increase his salary at a later
date, however.
There was some discussion on setting up a benevolence
(giving) fund. Susan moved that we set up a $500 benevolence fund in the
budget, which was seconded by Courtney. It was suggested we give $250 to
Alternatives to Violence of the Palouse, and $250 to Lutheran Campus
Ministries. This was unanimously approved by the council, to be brought forward
for approval at the annual meeting.
Susan requested having the ELCA’s “Guidelines for
Congregation’s Internal Control Best Practices” in place to help her in the
future as the council’s treasurer.
New Business:
Jennifer continued a discussion from previous meetings about
the desire to make quarterly meetings more of a learning opportunity for
participants about what is happening in the church and ways to “plug in”, as
opposed to a strict business format for the meetings. Patrick will demonstrate
the blog at the next quarterly meeting.
Dave asked Jennifer to have the committees let her know what
their future plans are and what help they need from the council.
Susan asked about counting attendance each Sunday. The
discussion following led to the general consensus that it’s nice to know, but
not a critical issue. The synod hasn’t been requesting the information. We can
revisit this at a later date.
Susan suggested putting up flyers at the post office and
other locations around town to get the word out to the community about church activities
such as the women’s craft group, grief support group, etc. Amy will make a
flyer for the women’s craft group, with the emphasis that all are welcome, at
no charge.
There were no committee reports or requests.
Pastor’s Report:
Advent – wonderful season! A planning committee is forming
for the upcoming Lent season. Talked about the upcoming Christmas day service –
first time doing and we will see how this works. Need to get in the Tribune and
Daily News which Amy will take care of. Thanksgiving service had a good
attendance and was fantastic! The cookie distribution went very well and seemed
to be very appreciated by members of the community. The church received a
donation to help Genesee families in need at Christmas. A large number of gifts
and donations were received to help the “Dear Santa” letter writer, which will
be sent anonymously.
Bible studies continue. A Marriage Care bible study will
begin in January on Thursday nights. A dessert social will be held in January.
Dave and Careen are donating their mileage and their new
appliances (microwave and dishwasher) that were purchased for the parsonage.
Other discussion:
Patrick (who was unable to be in attendance) relayed to
Jennifer the need to have the meeting minutes approved before posting on the
blog.
Jennifer’s Sunday School class made ornaments (which she
showed) for the attendees at the Christmas day service to take home. Amy will
provide some cookies for fellowship following that service.
The caroling and hay ride evening, which was organized by
Linda Chilson, went very well!
The next Council meeting will be held Tuesday, January 10th
at 7 p.m. at St. John’s.
The meeting was concluded with the Lord’s Prayer.
We, the members of the Genesee Lutheran Parish, in receiving
God’s gracious gifts, are committed to be living examples of Jesus’ love by
strengthening and encouraging each other. We commit to love every person and
serve anyone we can through word and deed, following the example of our Lord. –
Mission statement: Genesee Lutheran Church
Genesee Lutheran Church Meeting Minutes ------------------------------------------------
November 8, 2011 Church Council Meeting
Those present were Dave Deckard, Jennifer Parkins, Gayle
Rossebo, Doug Cartwright, Dan Carter, Patrick Adams, Courtney Scharnhorst, and
Amy Peterson.
The meeting was called to order by Jennifer, and the
devotion was given by Jennifer. Jennifer will also give the devotion at the
December meeting.
Announcements/Prayer Requests:
Prayers requested for Clarence Gilge, Bertle and Norma
Spence, Nancy Grieser, Phyllis Kanikkeberg, Andy and Dorothy Anderson, and Rob
Rigg.
Financial Report:
No report.
New Business:
Discussion was begun by Patrick regarding the parsonage.
Should it be kept for the purpose it is currently being used for (as a home for
the pastor and his family) or would it be better to add the money saved on
parsonage expenses to the pastor’s salary, so he would be able to apply that to
a home better suited for his family? Dave commented that in the long run it
might not be a stable investment to continue to use it as a full-time home
($1,000 to $1,300 per month in expenses), but could have potential for use as a
youth house. He commented that the youth group is active – 20 kids took part in
the “lock-in” activity last month! The church doesn’t have the money for a new
building, and the parsonage could work well as a youth house, Sunday school activities,
and for additional church storage needs. We agreed to talk over the financial
numbers with Susan Rigg at the next meeting. Dave commented that this could
give a meaningful approach to stewardship.
Quarterly meetings – These are a requirement of the ELCA
constitution. Jennifer wonders if they should be focused more on future events,
rather than past agendas? That information would be available for members to
view at any time on the church website, as well as viewing meeting minutes on
the bulletin board. It was agreed that we’d like to try a more educational
component so that members/attendees can see what the church and council are up
to, such as by having Patrick demonstrate the blog on his, as well as by having
a craft group demonstration, a talk by a member of the high school youth group,
etc.
Dave suggested shortening the worship and morphing right
into the quarterly meeting in the sanctuary (rather than waiting until after
fellowship is over) and choosing a new topic to focus on at each meeting.
The annual meeting would still need to be focused on
business matters.
Pastor’s Report:
Things are going really well -- better now than any church
has in Dave’s ministry! All the things happening now – blog, music, Tuesday
craft nights, etc. – are vital and it’s important to get the word out.
Buildings & Grounds Committee:
Patrick will be able to install a programmable thermostat
soon.
Doug asked Tim Studer take a look at the furnace in the
Valley church and he found that it’s out of oil. Courtney will ask Scharnhorst
Petroleum to fill it (they usually fill it twice a year). Doug wondered if it
is time to upgrade the furnace at the Valley church? A lot of discussion
followed regarding making sure only the lower area is heated in the winter time
(to avoid additional expense), as well as the necessity of providing heat to
pipes to avoid freezing; along with discussion regarding ways to more
efficiently winterize the building.
Doug also asked if we have an account set up for people
doing church chores to use rather than submitting receipts for reimbursement?
Jennifer answered that larger projects need prior approval by the council.
Dave’s comment was to check to see if we don’t already have accounts set up at
the Genesee hardware store as well as at Spence Hardware in Moscow for smaller,
less expensive tasks, and update who is authorized to use these accounts. Also,
it is necessary to make sure Susan is able to have accountability over these
accounts.
Other business:
Council terms ending and up for nomination: treasurer and
two 2-year council positions.
Upcoming events:
Advent season is beginning soon!
The Christmas day “service of remembrance” will be
advertised.
Thanksgiving dinner will again be served at the church, and
everyone is welcome to attend.
The community-wide cookie distribution will be held in
December.
Angels on Call – Courtney will check with Rosanna to see how
the posters are coming along. Dave commented that we need to get these up
around town soon – preferably by Thanksgiving. Also, a reminder was given by
Dave to have the phone situation discussed at the last council meeting resolved
(land line vs. cell phone line).
The budget committee needs to have a budget prepared and
presented for approval at the next council meeting in December. This will be
done by council executives – Jennifer (chair), Susan (treasurer), and Amy
(secretary).
Jennifer suggested that the confirmation youths entertain
the younger children during the next annual meeting, so that more parents would
be able to attend.
Patrick would like more Sunday School class photos to post
on the church blog.
The next Council meeting will be held Tuesday, December 6th
at 7 p.m. at St. John’s.
The meeting was concluded with the Lord’s Prayer.
We, the members of the Genesee Lutheran Parish, in receiving
God’s gracious gifts, are committed to be living examples of Jesus’ love by
strengthening and encouraging each other. We commit to love every person and
serve anyone we can through word and deed, following the example of our Lord. –
Mission statement: Genesee Lutheran Church
Genesee Lutheran Church Meeting Minutes ------------------------------------------------
October 18, 2011 Church Council Meeting
Those present were Dave Deckard, Jennifer Parkins, Gayle
Rossebo, Doug Cartwright, Dan Carter, Patrick Adams, Courtney Scharnhorst, and
Amy Peterson.
The meeting was called to order by Jennifer, and the
devotion was given by Jennifer. Jennifer will also give the devotion at the
November meeting.
Announcements/Prayer Requests:
Prayers requested for Dorothy and Andy Anderson, Phil and
Betty Greenwell, Bertel and Norma Spence, and the Chilson family.
Financial Report:
No report.
New Business:
Doug Cartwright was voted in as a new Council member.
The Quarterly meeting will be held Sunday, November 6th
following church service and fellowship time.
Worship Committee:
Advent planning has begun (Advent begins the last weekend of
November). Jennifer plans to meet with the Sunday School teachers, with plans
to incorporate the Sunday School classes into each Advent service.
Buildings & Grounds Committee:
Patrick stated that Phyllis Kanikkeberg has been having
problems with the furnace turning on in the Valley church. Doug Cartwright
agreed to look into this matter.
Gayle asked that members stop by the Valley church as we are
able to check on janitorial needs. She mentioned that after a wedding was held
in September, she noticed a number of garbage bags were left, most likely with
the assumption that they would be picked up. She handled this with a phone call
to the family and they took care of it. Dave said he will make this issue clear
for future weddings.
Phyllis had asked about the possibility of a second cooler
or mini-fridge being purchased to hold pop, etc. especially for events for the
youth. The general consensus seemed to be favorable.
Updates:
Patrick said the church’s website is up and running. If
anyone has something they would like to post, they need to let Patrick know.
Verna Studer recorded the previous Sunday’s sermon and Patrick will separate
out just the sermon portion to post. Dave mentioned that hymns are illegal to
post because of copyright infringement laws. Council meeting minutes will be
provided by Amy, beginning with the October meeting minutes, and also printed
out to post on the council bulletin board. Patrick will also add a tutorial to
help members “subscribe” to the blog.
Pastor’s Report:
Feeling of excitement! The church is doing well with great
attendance and vibe at the Bible studies, which are mostly being led by others,
with assistance from Dave as needed. The new “Theology on Tap” will begin next
month at the Studer home. This will take place the first Saturday of each
month, at various members’ homes. The new Tuesday night crafts group is taking
off! This is being led by Rosanna Cartwright. The high school group is being
led by Miranda Carter, and the Grief Support group is being led by Susan Rigg.
The Sunday school classes are being led as the teachers desire. The music is
being handled by Phyllis Kanikkeberg with others helping her as well. The
Harvest party, which was held at the Renton home, was well attended and a great
success. Dave is happy to see that everyone seems to be excited and jumping in
with their own ideas and enthusiasm. Who owns the church? All of us!
Thanksgiving dinner will again be served at the church, and
everyone is welcome to attend.
Angels on Call needs to be publicized before the Christmas
season begins, with posters around town, including the website address:
angelsoncall@geneseelutheranparish.org
We need to get the thermostat at St. John’s on a timer, as the
weather is getting colder. Patrick agreed to purchase and install the timer.
Dave will provide a list of times for programming.
Christmas day falls on a Sunday this year. It was decided to
make the church service a “service of remembrance” in memory of loved ones.
This will be held at 11:00 a.m. to give people more time in the morning for
opening gifts, Christmas breakfast, etc. This will be a fairly short service,
with time afterward for people to talk, share photos and stories about their
loved ones.
Amy asked if we would want to advertise in the newspapers’
church directories. Dave said this would be something to consider, as well as
including a flyer with the cookies that will be handed out in the community
before Christmas. He says we need to get our presence out there so more people
know about us.
Jennifer was asked by someone if we would consider including
communion to all, including the very young who haven’t gone through First
Communion classes. Lots of discussion by the council members. Dave said
different churches have different views on this matter. It was decided that if
a family wants to have their child receive communion without having taken the
First Communion classes, they should discuss it with Dave, but the council
should keep thinking about this matter, and perhaps revisit it at a later time.
Other business:
Patrick asked if we are still paying First Step Internet for
the old website and, if so, should it be dropped? Dave replied that there is no
cost to us.
Dave said Susan Rigg had suggested we stop paying for a land
line phone for the church, which really isn’t being used. Jennifer suggested we
transfer the number to Dave’s cell phone account, which would mean a cost of
$10 per month, as opposed to over $40 per month.
Dan said Dana Carter had asked if we would want to sponsor a
family for the “Christmas for Kids” program. The consensus was that we would be
doing so.
The next Council meeting will be held Tuesday, November 8th
at 7 p.m. at St. John’s.
The meeting was concluded with the Lord’s Prayer.
