April 18 2011 Council Minutes

Church Council Minutes
April 18, 2011

Attendance: Chris and Anne Hipp, Ginger Mason, Fred Claus, Janet Garrison, Laura Mason, Jeff, John Jones, Mark Von Wald, Nikki Fadel

*-Read Mission Statement –Opening Prayer

*-Changes to Agenda:
1. Mark Von Wald asked for a minute
2. Jan asked for 2 minutes for UMW

*-New Business: Visioning, small meeting included Charlie Yund, Bob Kaiser, John Tommasulo, Nate Lange, Nikki Fadel, and Chris Bidell. Looking at visioning at a high level. Decided to concentrate on what the church will look like at rally day, the next year, and the next 5 years. Then present at next Saturday morning meeting. This group will report back to church council. Focusing on rally day because of the transition period of the new Pastor. Hoping to keep improving radical hospitality
-Ginger-on developing disciples-asked- How do you measure development?
-Charlie-responded- 2 things, finances and spiritual involvement
-Jeff-responded- Larry should help with this
-Charlie-responded- Thinks Larry was impressed at last visioning meeting
*-Survey-Explained survey-We are going to hand it out on Easter Sunday
-Ginger-responded-Maybe hand in survey at the Tithing time
-Laura-responded-Maybe make it available the week after for people who weren’t there on Easter
-Mark- responded- put a question on about talents and volunteering
-Nikki-responded- the survey needs to stick to a topic and that kind of question better fits the Stewardship campaign surveys
-Charlie-asked- How do we present ourselves and how do people feel about the church?
-Laura-stated- We need a sign that says Contemporary Service, not Trinity 3.0 because people don’t know what Trinity 3.0 means
-Fred-responded- Raise the sign and make it bigger
-Jeff-responded- people who are coming to prepare breakfast for Easter need to park behind New Trinity so people aren’t confused as to what building to go to
*-Next Visioning meeting is May 7, 2011
-Charlie-stated- Nate and Ginny talked about core values at the last visioning meeting
-Charlie picked ‘invitation’. Christ offers salvation to all people. Romans 10:13-15. We haven’t been very good at spreading the Good News. Evangelism got the least number of votes on the core values
-Fred-asked- Is it because we’re not good at it or because people don’t understand what it means?
-Charlie-responded- maybe we don’t know what Evangelism means for our church. Some people are uncomfortable with going out and sharing
-Mark-responded- we have the wrong view of Evangelism. It is sharing our faith in a non-threatening way like Paul’s example
-Jeff-responded- we are welcoming if people come to us but we’re not going out to them
-Jan-stated- She went to a different church and received a little card that was an invitation to that church’s Easter service. She thinks that is a good idea for Trinity to do
-Charlie-suggested- We try that idea for Rally Day
*-Looked at attendance trends. Noticeable spike on Easter
-Charlie-stated- He’s seen several new people every week

*-Budget Trends:
-Chris Hipp-stated- We will have more than we thought. Optimistic for this year
-Ginger-asked- does this cover Larry and Nate?
-Chris-responded- it’s in the ballpark. We’re in better shape than we were in January
-Jeff-responded- we’re above what we budgeted
-Ginger-UMC News online-percentage is higher with electronic
-Fred-asked- We have electronic tithing on the website?
-Jeff-on the website, only for Japanese Tsunami Relief but people can electronically tithe

*-SPRC:
-Tom-stated- Nate is moving into his new office on May 1st. The move should go smoothly. Jeff will be managing Nate’s new duties
-Jeff-added- Nate will be transitioning pastor. Requires more leadership from Nate in evangelism and outreach and increased involvement in contemporary service.
-Tom-stated- So far 1 application for Child Care Provider position received. Waiting to see if anymore will come in and then we will interview.
-Tom added-Stan Ellson and Tom Zarbo will be making a dvd interview of the new pastor. Nate will add clips from church activities and dvd will go out in May Tidings
-Tom-added-Moving expenses for Larry=$2,000. The movers will unload his belongings. Needs small team of loaders for Jeff’s things on June 23.
“The Staff-Parish Relations Committee continues to oversee pastoral transition at Trinity. Plans are in motion to express gratitude to Pastor Childs at a reception on June 19. Members of the Church Council and significant others are invited to a “Meet the Leaders” cookout for Larry and Brenda Baird on the evening of Friday, July 8 at the Burkmans. Church and community media will carry articles about Pastors Childs and Baird. The Trustees are coordinating parsonage renovation needs.

A call has gone out for applications for the position of childcare giver.

Pastor Nate Lange’s position at Trinity will increase to half-time effective May 1. He will occupy the associate pastor’s office. Linda McGuire will move back to the reception area of the office. The Trustees are looking after office furnishing and arrangement.

Volunteer movers are needed to assist Pastor Jeff when he departs and for a U-Haul trip to Jamestown to bring belongings of the Bairds. Contact Tom Burkman.

The Church Council is asked to make a strong leadership presence at these events of pastoral transition:

Sunday, May 22. The Rev. Larry Baird preaches at Trinity
Sunday, June 19. Last Sunday for Pastor Childs; reception
Sunday, July 3. First Sunday for Pastor Baird
Friday, July 8. Meet the Leaders cookout at Burkmans. SPRC, Ch. Council, Trustees,
Staff, and significant others.
Sunday, July 10. Reception for Bairds”

*-Reports:
-Mark-stated- Easter egg hunt for Sunday. 250-300 eggs needed. Hunt will begin around 9:45ish Sunday morning
-Mark-added- Some changes in VBS dates because they were the same as Whitehaven’s. Now the week of July 17- (evening program runs Sunday-Thursday). Not expecting a budget increase. Most staff are still available for these changed dates.
-Charlie-asked- Restart youth program?
-Mark-responded- The midweek program died off. Looking at a sports theme. 4-5 weeks per particular sport, teams, half time show= biblical lesson, end with snacks. All free. Will be a quality presentation. Hoping to start in Historic Trinity gym in the fall
-Note- Middle school program will be every other Friday night
“This upcoming Sunday we will be hosting our 3rd annual Easter egg hunt around 9:45. Two separate hunts one for older kids down in the kidzone room and one for the younger kids in our preschool class.

This past year we ended our midweek program due to lack of interest. We were looking at several programs and settled on an idea. Instead of a standard midweek program I am thinking about a weekly sports themed event that will be like a sports league that has a Bible lesson during half time. Every 5 weeks we change the sport. There will be a championship game on the 5th week. This will be a free ministry of the church. This will take place in the fall.

Also due to a conflict in scheduling we will be adjusting the date of V.B.S which will be announced at tonight's meeting.”
-Jan-stated- UMW Niagara Frontier district had communion breakfast of Saturday. Collected for Pink Love bags and were very generous. Mariposa put together 50 Easter baskets to be delivered to Isleview
-Fred-asked- does UMW or Trinity to the pink bags?
-Jan-responded- Trinity organizes it and asks other churched to help. The pink bags go to female veterans in Veterans Hospital. The bags have all personal items the veterans might need.
-Jeff-stated- Fish fry this Friday. So far 56 Easter flowers sold. Sales are good.
-Jeff-added- A bible study wants to come to Trinity from Whitehaven road. It’s an ecumenical group. They would like to come Thursdays from 9am-11:30am. They will make a donation.
-Jeff-added-Youth Work Camp to Hamburg, they’re 1/3 of the way there. They’ve been recycling can to raise money and just put a coke machine in Historic Trinity. It’s a 3 month trial.
-Jeff-added- People are really enjoying reading the New Testament.
-Mark-added- it’s a great translation. People can really understand it
-Ginger-added- she abhors the new translation
-Jeff-stated-annual conference is coming up. 67 lines of reports. Safe sanctuary policy.
-Ginger-asked- Who is going?
-Jeff-responded- On June 5-22 will be Jeff, Nate, John Harbison and Paul Robinson. Next year at the 2012 ordination will be Rob Dean.
*-Unfinished Business: Nope
*-Approve Minutes from March:
-Fred-asked- Will the Boy Scouts clothing drop off shed affect Shalom zone?
*-Looked at minutes: Trustees are favorably inclined to drop off shed.
-Charlie-asked- Does the church want to do one?
-Tom-stated- Is there a formal way to collect cans for the youth?
-Jeff-responded- There are 2 garbage bins for the youth cans by the doors in New Trinity.

*-Chris made movement to approve minutes. Jan seconded. Approved

*Next meeting in May 16, 2011

*Friday July 8, 2011 is cookout for church leaders and new Pastor at the Burkman’s House

*Closing prayer and adjournment.