CHURCH COUNCIL MINUTES -- August 10, 2006

Present : Pastor Chris, Dave Brabec (president), Mary Backlund, Carolyn Blanck, Jim
        Eitrheim, Sharon Ingvoldstad, Ernie Teie and John Windh
Absent: Pastor Joan, Tami Lueck and John Wallin
2005 Call Committee: Evelyn Brabec, Denny Holmen, Darrel Paske, Dick Peterson and
        Lyle Steffenson
Guest : Bob Warneke

Call to order at 7:04 p.m.

  1. Pastor Chris led devotions.
  2. Secretary's report. M/S/P (Eitrheim/Meier) to approve the minutes of July 13, 2006, after a few changes.
  3. Treasurer's report. Mary Backlund noted that July, with five Sundays, brought a significant revenue increase. Therefore we were able to pay both the June and July contributions to Synodical Benevolence and are now up to date again. Our YTD envelope offering is up substantially at $247,600 compared to $228,700 in 2005. Yet after seven months (58.3% of the year), our total income is only 53.31% of our annual budget while expenses total 59.61%. As a result, we have paid just 43.36% of our total benevolence obligations to date and we have already spent 68.08% of our operating budget and 68.98% of our ministries budget. M/S/P (Teie/Eitrheim) to accept the Secretary's report. M/S/P (Backlund/Windh) to establish a petty cash fund of $100 for office use.
  4. Pastor Chris led a liturgy of confession and forgiveness.

A conversation with the 2005 Call Committee at 7:28 p.m.

Denny Holmen and Lyle Steffenson presented a brief vision framework, based on a skill set identified by a congregational assessment profile, which guided the Call Committee in their work last year:

  • Worship leadership
  • Preaching
  • Administrative
  • Sharing of leadership
  • Leadership in visionary, long-range planning and goal setting.

The committee felt their vision-based approach was valid but that a vision statement drawn from the congregational assessment profile would be inadequate for the congregation's going forward or for setting priorities for supporting the mission of the congregation.

Each member of council and each member of the Call Committee asked why, how, when and whether LCC needs a thorough visioning process. We talked about long-range planning, a mission statement, our individual dreams, being a welcoming community, funding, and the importance of outreach. The Call Committee strongly recommends that in the near future it would be helpful to conduct a broad visioning process guided by a professional outside facilitator.

Later in the meeting, after the Call Committee had left, council chose not to do anything about visioning or discuss it further but promised to return to the topic at some future meeting.

Reports

  1. Pastor Chris at 8:24

  • Confirmation will begin with parent/student orientation September 6th and classes on the 13th.
  • Sunday School Rally Day is September 17th.
  • The "Summer Stretch" program for Jr. Hi youth was well attended and will be repeated next year.
  • The Computer Resource Center serves 4-6 visitors on Thursdays and on Sunday mornings. In September John Windh will present a short fall class on eBay.
  • Outside organizations continue to find our facility a good place to gather.
  • M/S/P (Meier/Backlund) to appoint Dean Maier to the council's Youth chair, to complete the term of Elizabeth Sawdey who resigned in April.

  2. Congregational Life (Sharon Ingvoldstad) at 8:26

  • Margaret Summerfeld and Jim Cramer will co-chair the fall blood drive on September 14th.

  3. Property   -- no report

  4. Outreach (Carolyn Blanck) at 8:27

  • Carolyn continues to explore the definition and responsibilities of the LCC Outreach Committee. Our bylaws call for Outreach to have two primary areas of responsibility, evangelism and social ministry. Carolyn suggested input from council and its committees in assisting our by-laws committee with committee definitions and responsibilities.
  • Regarding Hurricane Katrina, Carolyn reports that we recently sent 50 health kits to Christus Victor Lutheran Church in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. A mission trip over Thanksgiving to offer help at Ocean Springs is being discussed. 
  • For five years Ann Bergin has coordinated our monthly serving at the Sharing Bread Soup Kitchen. Various others (including some Forty Days groups) have taken a turn, but mostly Ann does the work herself. More helpers are needed. 
  • Wes Anderson and Dick Carlson are coordinating our participation in Habitat for Humanity. We seek volunteers to work the morning of August 23rd. We encourage all to support Habitat by shopping at the Habitat Restore shop in the East Brainerd Mall. 
  • Dan Frank is coordinator with Kinship Partners; they need school supplies. 
  • Mary Lienke coordinates with the Lakes Area Food Shelf. 
  • An area CROP walk Oct. 1st will begin and end at Lord Of Life Lutheran in Baxter. 
  • There are Outreach opportunities with ELCA World Hunger, with the Lakes Area Interfaith Caregivers, with Lakes Area Pregnancy Support, and with Lutheran World Relief (including Equal Exchange coffee).

  5. Worship and Music (Ernie Teie) at 8:45

  • The Committee asks that children are dismissed a little early from the 8:30 service so Sunday School can begin promptly at 9:30.
  • The ELCA announces that a new hymnal and service book (called Evangelical Lutheran Worship) will be available in October, to replace the confusing array of hymnals now in our pews. There is a discount if ordered by October 2nd . Council discussed how many to order and how to pay for them.
  • The Committee recommends not hiring a Senior Choir director right now but rather letting our own musicians lead for a few months until our preferred candidate has put the hectic school-year startup behind him.

  6. Education (no report)

Old Business at 9:00

  • Personnel Committee will begin evaluations in October.
  • A proposal from Northland Fire Protection for a monitored alarm system was put on hold.
  • Signed up money handlers for the coming month.
  • M/S/P (Windh/Eitrheim) to required signed purchase orders for purchases exceeding $500 and at least two bids for projects costing over $1000.
  • The Nor-Son projects we approved in July have largely been completed.
  • The Interfaith Hospitality Network project was discussed and then tabled.

New Business at 9:28

  • M/S/P (Teie/Eitrheim) that the church apply for a credit card. Mary Backlund will make the application.
  • M/S/P (Meier/Ingvoldstad) to appoint Jim Kraft, Bill Nemitz and Lyle Steffenson, with Pastor Joan, to create in a timely fashion a fall stewardship strategy.

More Old Business at 9:38

  • Our new custodian presently mows our property with his own equipment. It seems wiser and more economical for us to reimburse him for the wear and tear on his machines rather than buy and maintain our own expensive lawn care equipment. M/S/P (Eitrheim/Windh) to pay him an additional $100 per month for six months (May through October, inclusive and retroactively) for that purpose.
  • Concerning any actual responses to the May recommendations of our Synod Assembly delegates, Pastor Chris has met with a Children's Ministry committee.
  • Thanks to Bob Warneke, Tom Larson and Bill Nemitz for all their help with church maintenance work.

Closing Prayer at 9:56. M/S/P (Meier/Eitrheim) to adjourn.

Respectfully submitted,
John Windh, secretary
August 15, 2006