COUNCIL MINUTES -- MAY 14, 2009

• Secretary’s Report — Approval of last council minutes (M/S/P – Pedersen/Trapp).
  
• Treasurer's Report — Financial report for April approved (M/S/P – Smith/Pastor Bruce).
  

•  Confession and forgiveness
  
•  Scripture and response
• Affirmation of faith
  

• Council Retreat
  “The Present Future” - May 30, 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., Chapel.
  
• Wedding Reservation Policy Change
  We have had two occasions just this year where weddings, booked on the church calendar, with dates reserved by the pastors on their schedules, were cancelled without our being notified. In both cases, other active member/families who requested weddings on those dates were almost declined, due to previous bookings. We will now be charging a non-refundable $100 fee to book the date, which will be credited toward final fees if the wedding takes place.
  
• 2009 NE Minnesota Synod Assembly – Actions (Voting Members from LCC: Dagny Trucano, Jean Halland, Bev Siemens) 
  
  • To gratefully receive the 2009 “Report and Recommendations on Ministry Policies” of the Task Force for ELCA Studies on Sexuality as a resource to guide this church as we serve Christ. (Did not affirm or reject; simply “received.”)
  • Memorialize the 2009 Churchwide Assembly to adopt the following as an implementing resolution of the Social Statement on Human Sexuality (IF the Social Statement is passed without changes at the Churchwide Assembly in August): To direct the appropriate churchwide units and offices to develop resources, for ministers and congregations who choose to do so, to support same-gender relationships by holding them publicly accountable for promises of lifelong love and fidelity made before their faith community.
  • Rostered leaders, voting members and congregations commit themselves to continuing or beginning daily biblical study and prayer; that NE MN Synod be a “Book of Faith” synod.
  • Strongly urge all synod member congregations to actively engage in reducing their carbon footprints through the following suggested ways:
  • Have an energy audit for all church owned properties;
  • Form a creation care task force within each congregation;
  • Begin implementing changes suggested by the audit and the task force.
  • Those already doing these things be encouraged to continue their work to reduce their consumption of vital resources and to lessen their carbon footprint.
• Lifelong Learning
• Continuing a variety of offerings over the summer.
• Fit & Faithful – spiritual and physical health through Scripture reading, prayer, and exercise every other Monday evening.
• Great Summer Reads – book discussions: The Shack, The Faith Club, Three Cups of Tea.
• Sunday AM Forums, 2nd & 4th Sundays. Topics: “Strange Scriptures that Perplex the Mind;” “Alzheimers” (resources, support); “Martin Luther on the End Times.”
• 2nd Weds. AM Bible Study, from Lutheran Woman Today, on Mary, the Mother of Jesus.
• Continuing education
• April 25 – Navigating the Great Recession, at Luther Seminary.

• Outreach/Evangelism
• Two of our members (Dick Peterson and Mark Swenson) have begun calling on inactive members. We are looking for an Evangelism Chair – one of our members is prayerfully considering it.
  
• Focus on Stephen Ministry
• Thanks to gifts from two members, we are now enrolled as a Stephen Ministry congregation. There is a brief article in the next newsletter, and applications/interviews for Stephen Ministry training are ready for those who are interested in applying for the training. Training classes will start in July and end in February 2010 for the initial group of Stephen Ministers.
  
• Focus on ACTS program
  
• A Call to Serve see attached flyer – six sessions will begin this summer and run between services. I would like a commitment from Council members to attend as many as possible, preferably all. It’s important that leadership buys into this program. 
  
• Focus on third worship service
• Our first Saturday evening worship service will start at 5:30 on Saturday, May 30.
• Focus on education
• Action item - First communion change to 8 years old pending parental and pastoral approval – beginning this fall on Reformation Day (M/S/P – Pastor Bruce/Karlgaard).
  

• With great anticipation, we look forward to LCC’s 50th anniversary celebration this coming weekend. Sally Hodgson, the 50th Anniversary Chair, has done an incredible amount of work on this project. Well over 200 people have signed up to attend the dinner, featuring many former pastors, family members and charter members. Sunday service will include music and other memories from our first years and fellowship between services.

• LCC’s Energy Review was done by Gary Olson of Minnesota Power and Light. A summary of the review/report will be given at the June council meeting
• Received a report from the MN Dept. of Health that the water used by LCC is good.
• Bob Warneke will act as Property Manager in my absence during the month of May. (Tom will be on vacation)
• Thank you to Barb Peterson for setting up the church landscape maintenance.
• Thank you to Joy Potthoff and Clint Baker for cleaning the two garages and storage sheds during the rummage sale week.
• Thank you to Joy Potthoff for assisting with cleaning information, cleaning formulas, cleaning schedule and cleaning procedures.

• Thank you to Jerry Raedeke for designing, and to Mary Hubert and Carolyn Macy for constructing the 50th Anniversary banners for the sanctuary.
• From Age to Age, a 30-voice choral ensemble, will be providing special music at both services on May 31.
  

• Missions team meeting May 19th. Will discuss more opportunities to volunteer, focus less on financial donations; missions Sunday idea; alternative gifts market (in conjunction with forum on materialism?).
• IHN hosting is May 31 – June 7. Looking to encourage as many new volunteers as possible, with the goal being to have more volunteers than posts to fill. New Pathways now includes Aitkin county for a total of 11 counties.
  
• Our March food drive this year was exceptional! We set a new donation record of $40,671.58. This amount will fund the food shelf for five months.
  
• Food shelf update numbers for the first four months of 2009 (report by Angie Rardin)

• Silent Auction
• Raised $3,233 + $350 matching funds - $64.28 in expenses = $3,518.72.
  
• Money will be used primarily to fund VBS.
• VBS
• Theme is Crocodile Dock and is June 15-19, with 34 kids signed up so far and 21 volunteers.
• Working on “props” and need carpet samples in earth tones – tans or browns as well as wall paint in greens, browns and yellow.
• Sunday School Jamboree – May 17th
• Activities for kids between services include games, ice cream sundaes, and singing "Jesus Loves Me" parading through the Celebration Center at about 10:05.
• Sunday School
• Purchasing curriculum for all grades from Augsburg – Spark.
• Cost is $464 for entire year’s curriculum but that does not include bibles for 2 year olds and 2nd graders.
• Can be reviewed online at www.activatefaith.org.
• Registration to begin this Sunday.
• First day of Sunday School confirmed as the first Sunday after Labor Day.

• Employee handbooks are near completion.

• June 14th meeting on the possibilities of LCC mortgage retirement.

  Contact us:
Lutheran Church of the Cross
On Hiway 13 just east of Hiway 371 at Sportland Corner
P.O. Box 29
Nisswa, MN 56468
Phone: 218/963-2564   Fax: 218/963-0294
Email: lcc@lccnisswa.org