COUNCIL MINUTES
December 16, 2010

• Devotions, Pam Sandelin
  

• Call to order, Carol Smith
  
• Secretary's Report, Rick Jensen -- M/S/P November council minutes (Karlgaard/Both).
  
• Treasurer's Report, Colleen Both -- M/S/P November treasurer's report (Jensen/Thorson).
  

Old Business

• Distribution of VMC Funds Vote, Colleen Both (this will have to be dealt with under New Business #1).
  
• Transition Team Update, Pastor Glenn
• Forum was well attended. Good feedback and conversation has been happening.
  
• Action groups are busy and committed.
  
• On schedule with the goals originally set.
  

• Budget 2011, Colleen Both. The entire proposed budget for 2011 was presented with rationale and some alternative scenarios. Council will be meeting again January 9th to approve the budget for presentation at the congregational meeting on January 30.
  

• Goals for Second Quarter: October 14, 2010 – December 31, 2010
• Word and Sacrament Ministry which includes focus services of Thanksgiving, Christmas, Blessing of Households and Advent services.
  
• Pastoral presence and leadership with Stewardship Committee.
• Follow through for Vision | Mission | Commitment Phase 1,2 and 3.
• Complete Nominating Committee work for Nov. 21 elections.
  
• Assist with Budgeting process for 2011 as budget interprets mission and ministry.
• 15 One-on-One home visits.
• Review Position Descriptions with each staff member.
• Complete Annual Reviews of staff.
• Transition Team: Pastoral Leadership in Transition Process with special attention to Mission/Vision/Core Values. 
• Encourage/Support process in formation of Mission-Vision-Values statements.
• Begin to work with Council in Governance Structure/Constitution/By-laws with completion of design by June 30, 2011.
• General Pastoral Care.
• Completed or in process:
  
• Vision | Mission | Commitment Phase 2 completed and phase 3 (Time and Talent) in process.
• Worship and Music: Completed a new Thanksgiving service format and introduced Mid-week Advent services.
• Completed all service planning through January 9 and continue to work three months ahead in worship planning coordinating with appropriate staff and W&M.
  
• Worship and Music Committee reviewed 5:30 p.m. Saturday service as requested by Council with decision to take a break until May 7.
• Work with Stewardship Committee to implement new structure for year-round stewardship goals of communication; education; leadership for congregation’s stewardship ministry.
  
• Transition Team: Continue to give focal attention to work of the team and of the Action groups with encouragement for process.
  
• General Pastoral Care with worship, visitation, one-on-one conversations, consulting etc.
  
• Personnel Committee: Continue process of updating Job Designs and prepare instrument for Annual Reviews with consistent follow-up format.
• Administration: Staff Annual reviews, etc.
• Council approved to keep Pastor Glenn’s housing allowance the same as 2010 for 2011. Approved (M/S - Karlgaard/Thorson).
  

• As of this writing we have four families who will be joining as new members, probably before Lent which begins on Ash Wednesday, March 9.
• Visitation continues and our shut-ins are getting visited. Six visits to shut-ins, seven hospital visits, three new member visits, along with pre-marital counseling with three different couples, grief counseling and funeral planning. Our Eucharistic ministry team visited one couple during November. A second Eucharistic minister started visits in December. At this point we have three Eucharistic “teams” doing visits.
• As part of their curriculum this year, our ninth grade confirmation students each received $5 during November. The idea, as in years past, is to give our students an idea as to what they can do as individuals, and even more, what they can do when they combine their resources. Confirmands have begun raising funds for this project, selling cookie mix, decorations and gift wrapping.
• Continuing education – preliminary report. I attended a training program led by Peter Steinke at Luther Seminary on December 1-2. The program is designed to raise “consciousness and action regarding mission by establishing a “mission school” inside congregations.” I’ve shared much of this with Pastor Glenn and will be putting together some ideas to present to Pastor Glenn and possibly to the transition team and council. There were several interesting points that were made during the
  presentations which I will briefly share with you.
  
• First the drop in church membership (overall) parallels the drop in belonging to other groups e.g., service clubs, as well.
  
• Second, the point was repeatedly emphasized that overall people are more interested in satisfaction than salvation – this of course has direct bearing on churches including ours.
  
• We spent a considerable amount of time talking about “family systems” which ties in to the presentation that Pastor Glenn made at the “mini-council-retreat” in October. This has a bearing on us directly in that we need to know and accept that transformation brings crisis, that people will resist the transformation to a missional church. The key concept here, however, is that it is God’s mission, not ours. Along with this is the idea that we want the product, but not the process. Our looking/desire for certainty is rooted in anxiety. I have much more information to share after the first of the year, but this is more-or-less to whet your appetite.
• Our Wednesday family nights, which started during October including a brief family/children oriented worship service with a short children-directed homily each night, are continuing at this point. Pastor Glenn and I incorporated these services into our Advent services which although starting slow with attendance of about 40 people each night, have been well received by those who attend. Attendance however is a concern especially when I think about how many people are here on Wednesday evenings.
• Our Six Marks of discipleship preaching and teaching series ended Sunday, November 9. Pastor Glenn and I took turns preaching and conducting forums between services. The forums have been well received by those taking part, but attendance was disappointing, averaging about 20 people per forum.
• Council approved to keep Pastor Bruce’s housing allowance the same as 2010 for 2011. Approved (M/S - Karlgaard/Both).
  

• Caroling was great with the Youth. They all had fun and it’s always nice to give that gift. Caroling included the Heritage House and the Crossroads community just behind the church.
• Sunday at 4:30 will be the Living Nativity. Come one come all!
  
• Lefse fundraiser went really well — not even too much of a mess in the kitchen afterward.
  
• Confirmation youth are doing a fundraiser for Amanda LaMere.

• The Thanksgiving dinner went really well. Thank you to all that were involved.
  
• It is not too early to start thinking about Lenten suppers! A Coordinator(s) will be sought to organize the overall suppers. We have always had good attendance at our suppers, but new ideas are always welcome to keep it fresh. A potential Supper Coordinator(s) to work with Jean to organize helpers for each week would be much appreciated!
  

• Personnel committee has met and worked extensively on creating a new employee evaluation form, which is now complete. Employee annual reviews for all staff are being scheduled for end of December.

• Thanks to Jane Nemitz and Sally Hodgkin for cleaning both kitchens.
  
• Plans are in place for stained glass windows in the front entryway of the church. Donated by Joy Potthoff and will be designed by Burt Caswell.
  

• Worship and Music Committee reviewed 5:30 pm Saturday service as requested by Council and have made the decision to take a break until May 7. The last Saturday service until May 7 will be this Saturday, December 18.

• The Benevolence of the Month for January will be “Helping Honduras Kids.” Cheryl Schraeder will be here on January 9th to present more information at a forum between services. One of their goals is to provide money to buy powdered milk for a large container that they will ship later in the year. Wal-Mart will match up to $1500 in donations. There is also a wish list of other items that are needed posted on the bulletin board outside Pastor Glenn’s office. Checks can be written to LCC with (HHK) on the memo line. 
• The Benevolence of the Month for March will be the Lakes Area Food Shelf.
• Thank you to Carolyn Blanck and Elsa Windh and all the LCC families that helped to get the wonderful number of gifts to the Christmas Families this year.

  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