January 16, 2017 Stated Session Meeting

Chapel in the Pines Presbyterian Church
Stated Session Meeting, January 16, 2017

Attending:  Ruling Elders Karen Atkins, Heather Bogan, Lynne Hoerter, Maggie Reif, Al Schalk, Archie (Butch) Smith, Barbara Strange, Teaching Elder Rev. Lynn Stall (moderator), Jerry Wehmueller (treasurer), Marcia Ladd (clerk)

Absent: Terry Rudolph, Kristin Lavergne

The meeting was called to order by Lynn Stall at 7 PM. Butch Smith delivered the devotion, ending with a prayer. Pastoral concerns and celebrations were shared.

Approval of agenda and consent agenda

The agenda and consent agendas were approved by common consent. The consent  agenda contains the following items:

1. Approval of session minutes 12/19/16, called meeting 1/8/17

2. Approval of committee minutes  – Finance 1/14/17; Mission and Service 11/6/16, 12/4/16, 1/15/17

3. Correspondence – Habitat financial request, CEDEPCA and Sister2Sister thank     you notes, Karla thank you, XDS thank you

Pastor’s Report

Lynn told session the church received three new members yesterday, and several others also want to join soon. Lynn and Barbara Strange will lead another inquirers’ luncheon on February 1. Lynn will apply for a Duke intern for this summer. She brought up the idea of putting a calendar on the wall in the classroom hallway and the elders agreed.

Committee reports

Finance

Jerry indicated Nathan Kotecki has prepared an expense report that can be filled out on line, and urged session to use that report. The church has switched over to ACS on line and everyone will be able to access their information within the next several weeks, and eventually use it for online giving and pledging.

December was a relatively good month on the income side. Calendar year pledges were ~$20, 000 under budget, but because personnel expenses were lower the year was a break even.

Heather indicated the Finance Committee will bring a budget to session in February.  She updated session on the stewardship campaign which is behind what was expected. Karen alerted session to the possibility that online pledging is not getting to Janet’s attention because of her experience with online pledging, finance will look in to this.

Mission and Service

Maggie told session that the MLK offering was not held on January 16, so Maggie made a motion

that the MLK offering be received on Sunday January 22.

The offering motion passed unanimously. Lynn will publicize this and the children will take this special collection on Sunday the 22nd.

Ongoing Business

Fellowship Hall Update

As everyone can tell, the building construction is well underway and has proceeded despite the inclement weather. The concrete should all be in by the end of the week. Dr. Lawson has finally come in with his acoustical recommendation for the hall, and it will require more money than budgeted. There are several other items that may also need to be added. Jerry is unsure whether he will have to come back to session for more money overall. The hearing loop company will come out in several weeks to examine the possibility of installing a loop. Bob Warren is optimistic that this will be possible eventually. The interior design team’s job is well underway. Jerry also indicated the Miltons had donated a buffet that will be used in a yet to be determined location. In the February meeting the fellowship hall team will discuss development of a task force to plan the grand opening of the fellowship hall.

Transition Team Update

Lynn indicated the Transition Team’s work is underway. At the request of the Team, Paul Harrell was added to the Team by common consent. The Team will begin meeting almost every week.

The Team has gathered input from the church leaders. A gathering was held with younger members (20’s, 30’s and 40’s) of the congregation and there are plans to for this group to have more ongoing connection. On the 22nd parents of young children will meet to talk about their needs. There will be a church pot luck on the 29th for discussion at each table regarding three questions. Heather suggested each chair get the word out to their committee members about the importance of the meeting on the 29th. She reported on the Team’s plan for distribution of a comprehensive congregational survey at a later date as well as a possible congregational gathering to look at the mission and vision for CITP. Information from all these sources and events will be collated into a Mission Study, hopefully within the next few months. Once submitted and approved by Salem Presbytery’s Commission on Ministry, the Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC) can be elected. Salem Presbytery will train the PNC on how to conduct the search for the called, installed pastor. The Church Information Form that is developed by the PNC will be sent to the denomination where it will be matched with candidates fitting the church’s profile. In time, the PNC will narrow the field, leading finally to calling a pastor who is then elected by the congregation.

Barbara indicated volunteers will be needed for facilitating the discussion at the tables on the 29th. Everyone at the meeting agreed to work as facilitators, as has Terry Rudolph.

Nominating Committee Update

Heather provided an update on the Nominating Committee and the slate of new officers who have agreed to serve. For Ruling Elders, Stan Campbell, Paul Isom and John McDowell have agreed. For Deacons, Madeline Schalk, Susie Smith, and Vince Walker have agreed. The Nominating committee slate will be Heather as chair, Ron Greene, Bruce Raymond, Al Schalk, Peggy Wilkerson and Eileen Yates. Al Schalk and Eileen Yates are new to the committee. Heather made a motion

That the slate of officers and nominating committee with Heather as chair be approved

The motion passed by common consent.

New Business

Lynn indicated we needed to designate a presbyter for the February 21st meeting of Salem Presbytery.

Lynne moved

that Butch Smith be appointed presbyter for the February 21st meeting in Burlington.

The motion was seconded and carried by common consent.

Lynn indicated that the session needs to set the annual congregation date. The motion was tabled until the February meeting.

Lynn drew session’s attention to the statistical report contained in the pre-meeting packet, indicating it needed to be approved by session.  Karen moved

that session approve the 2016 statistical report

Session requested that the report be modified to remove Brandon as educator and indicate that the session does act as trustees. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.

Lynn reminded session members to get their annual report documents to Nana as soon as possible, but no later than the end of the month.

Lord’s Supper, Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals

Since the previous stated meeting December 19, three new members were received on January 15 they were James and Marcey Clark, and Braxton Malan. The Lord’s Supper was celebrated three times, twice on Christmas Eve and on January 1st.There were no weddings, baptisms or funerals.

The next stated session meeting will be February 20 at the 7PM. Heather Bogan will lead the devotion.

As the business of the meeting was concluded, Lynn closed with prayer at 8:15 PM.

Respectfully submitted, 

Marcia Ladd, Clerk

Approved session 2/20/17

Reminders:  

Remember to pray for our church each day at noon.

Next stated session meeting will be February 20, Heather Bogan has the devotion

Next Presbytery meeting is February 21st at First Presbyterian Church in Burlington