June 11, 2018 Stated Session Meeting
Chapel in the Pines Presbyterian Church
Stated Session Meeting June 11, 201
Attending: Ruling Elders Barbara Amago, Karen Atkins, Monty Brekke, Stan Campbell, Pat Chappell, Paul Harrell, Paul Isom, John McDowell, Terry Rudolph, Jerry Wehmueller (Treasurer), Marcia Ladd (Clerk), Teaching Elder Rev. Andrew Taylor-Troutman (Moderator)
Absent: Monty Brekke
The meeting was called to order by Andrew at 7 PM. Jerry Wehmueller delivered the devotion, ending in a prayer. Pastoral concerns and celebrations were shared.
Approval of agenda and consent agenda
Terry made a motion to approve the agenda. The motion was seconded and was approved unanimously. Stan moved and Paul seconded approval of the consent agenda. The consent agenda includes the following:
| Consent Agenda-Please read these items in advance. They will be voted on as a group without discussion unless someone pulls a particular entry from the Consent Agenda
A. Approval of session minutes – Stated meeting 5/21/18 B. Approval of committee minutes – Building and Grounds 5/15/18, 6/5/18; Finance and Administration June 2018, Christian Education and Personnel 5/24/18 C. Deacon’s Minutes Correspondence – Thank you from Chatham Council on Aging, Public Hearing announcement from Chatham County, condolence letter from Lynn Stall |
Board of Trustees Meeting
John made and Paul seconded a motion to convene the meeting. John made a motion that was seconded
To approve the Board of Trustees minutes from June 2017.
The motion was seconded and passed unanimously
The Moderator indicated that each year we need to elect officers of the corporation to transact any mostly real estate related business. Last year’s officers were as follows:
- President – Al Schalk
- Vice President – John McDowell
- Secretary – Marcia Ladd
- Treasurer – Jerry Wehmueller
John has agreed to serve as President and Jerry and Marcia have agreed to serve respectively as treasurer and secretary. Karen offered to serve as Vice President. Pat made a motion
to elect the following slate of officers
President John McDowell
Vice President Karen Atkins
Treasurer Jerry Wehmueller
Secretary Marcia Ladd
The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.
There being no further business, the meeting of the Board of Trustees was adjourned at 7:15 PM.
Pastor’s Report Andrew explained the rationale behind infant baptism. Our faith’s understanding of the vows of the congregation in infant baptism is a promise to raise all the children who come in the church according to the same vows they commit to when they commit to during a baptism ceremony. He also offered next steps in the planning process started during the retreat. He has gone over the results with mentors of his, one of whom suggested having a visioning retreat, maybe 3-5 years out. Andrew suggested we could do a fall visioning retreat. And next spring a retreat similar to what was done this past spring. Session would like to do both. Our fall retreat will be tentatively scheduled for September 29 from 9AM to noon. Andrew is going to ask Ginny to go to the half of Montreat he had agreed to attend because congregation surgeries are going on at that time. This is a way to support Ginny and let her get away and use her gifts.
Clerk’s Report
The updated Committee Matrix is in the packet as is the Devotion schedule for stated meetings and on the share drive apart from each individual meeting. We need to fill one more slot for elder in the Narthex, July 1. Those duties are on the share drive. Marcia volunteered to fill that slot.
Treasurer’s report
Jerry reported that total monthly revenues were higher than those of the past several months at $28,000+. This was helped by $3,500 in extra gifts by several members to cover the extra cost of increasing the DCE salary and additional nursery care costs. There were also two weddings in May which added $1,500 to this month revenues.
Personnel expenses continue to be over budget as the result of more hours for the DCE and adding a second nursery on Sunday and introducing nursery care in Tuesday programs. We are also seeing increased administrative operating costs due to increased Sunday attendance and more weekly activities.
We continue to have about $269,000 in cash in our bank and at PILP which is up a little from last month. Of this amount, we have $143,000 in cash from our 2016 Capital Campaign fund as a reserve to make the monthly mortgage payments.
With the increased revenues in May, we ran a slight surplus of revenues over expenses of $1,255. This will allow us to go into the summer months with a $33,000 operating surplus which is an excellent position to be in.
Committee reports
Finance and Administration and Personnel
Stan explained that Lindsay Powell has spearheaded an initiative to bring Parents Morning Out to CitP. PMO will meet starting in the fall of 2018 on Tuesday and Thursday mornings in the Fellowship Hall and surrounding grounds. The kids will be there from 9 AM to 12 noon, the space will be reserved 8:30AM – 12:30 PM. Funds for any employee contractor compensation and school supplies will be paid to the church by the parents. Lindsay Powell will serve as liaison to the church through the Christian Education Committee and interface with the office staff for any PMO needs or reimbursement. It will follow the Chatham School schedule, starting the last week in August. He brought the following motion from Finance and administration and Personnel
To initiate a new church ministry, Parents Morning Out, at Chapel in the Pines. Any staff will be contractors of the church and follow all church policies including background checks.
Pat indicated it is important to know who would be able to serve as a PMO helper, essentially that it should not have to be a parent. Who decides who gets admitted? Pat thought perhaps it should be advertised for an initial period of time to just the congregation. Her suggestion is that we admit all the kids up to 10 who want to be admitted that are members of the church or friends of members. Would we work on a lottery system? These questions were referred to Christian Education who was asked to work with Lindsay Powell and come to the July meeting with answers to those questions and any other operational questions they might think of. There were questions about whether this would be budget neutral or not, that is how it is envisioned. It is a new ministry of the church as opposed to an outside group. Our insurance will cover any instructors from both a liability and worker’s compensation perspective. The motion passed unanimously.
Building and Grounds
Karen told session her committee had discussed allocating some parking for “less able bodied” folks and found the term demeaning. She wondered what session thought they should be called and how many they thought were needed. It was suggested that Westminster in Durham has signs “Reserved for seniors or 65+ on Sundays.” Session thought maybe 5-7 spaces would work. Karen is wondering if we might want to wait until after the new parking is available. It was suggested we may want to thank people in the weekly newsletter for parking further away if they are able.
She wanted session to know that her committee is also working on ideas to make it more appealing for folks to come to work days by emphasizing the fellowship opportunities and perhaps provide child care or a meal afterward.
Mission and Service
Barbara indicated a representative from Rise Against Hunger attended their Committee meeting on Sunday, and the committee is re-considering their approach to staging the event at CitP and what level of support the Mission and Service Committee is willing to provide. The primary focus of Rise against Hunger is to pack meals as a fellowship/team raising event to send those meals to developing countries in need. Mission and Service wanted to make sure from the representative that they also help facilitate sustainability. Rise against Hunger was receptive to an idea of the church raising funds for the meals AND for sustainability projects, perhaps $3000 for meals and $3000 for sustainability projects. There wasn’t really a quorum at the most recent M&S meeting and they are still working on how to proceed.
Paul wanted to raise for a future discussion the viability of self-funding a project and thus moving it to the front of the line.
Worship
Terry offered the following motion
To baptize Miles, Charlie and Porter Frueler on August 12, 2018
After no discussion, the motion passed unanimously.
Ongoing Business
Andrew indicated it is part of our by-laws that the clerk be elected annually at the June meeting. The clerk needs to be elected by the session, not the trustees. He said Marcia has indicated a willingness to continue service. Pat moved
To elect Marcia Ladd Clerk of Session for the church year 2018-2019
The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.
Andrew indicated his Installation was scheduled for July 8 at 4 PM. Bill Browder will preach and representatives from Salem Presbytery will attend. Rather than a second Sunday lunch that day, the PNC will host a reception after the service. After the reception, the PNC is officially disbanded.
Pat moved
To install Andrew Taylor-Troutman on July 8
Andrew asked that the July meeting start at 6 so Session can get to know the Richardsons, Jesters and Crosbys will be joining the church.
Karen moved to adjourn. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously
Andrew closed the meeting with a prayer at 8:35 PM
Lord’s Supper, Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals
Since the previous stated meeting on May 21, the Lord’s Supper was celebrated once on June 3. The new elders were ordained and installed on the same date. Emily and Greg and Wren and Poppy Behr, Betsy Sunde, Jerry Douglas and Cynthia and David Hilliard became new members of Chapel in the Pines Presbyterian Church On June 10. There were no baptisms. There were two funerals, Brenda Moore’s on May 22 and Ilia Rosen’s on June 2. Jordan Cruze and Brenton West were married in a service at CitP on May 25.
Respectfully submitted,
Marcia Ladd, Clerk
Approved session July 16, 2018
Reminders:
- Next stated session meeting July 16, Andrew Taylor-Troutman has the devotion.
- Pray for our church each day at noon.