March 23, 2015 Stated Session Meeting

Chapel in the Pines Presbyterian Church
Stated Session Meeting March 23, 2015

Attending: Ruling Elders Heather Bogan, Monty Brekke, Kristin Lavergne, Jeff Morehouse, Archie (Butch) Smith, Tina Stark, Jerry Wehmueller (treasurer) Marcia Ladd (clerk), and Teaching Elder Rev. Mindy Douglas (moderator)
Excused: Stephanie Miller, Fred Royal, Bob Warren

 

The meeting was called to order by Mindy Douglas at 7:00 p.m. Butch Smith led the opening devotion, ending with prayer. Concerns and celebrations were shared.

Leadership development: Mindy lead a discussion on the report to session of the evaluation task force and how we approach the implementation of their recommendations. The report makes suggestions addressing several issues, including volunteer burnout and lack of space. The task force encouraged us to think in terms of our abundance and not what we were lacking. Several of their salient recommendations included brokering relationships with others in the community; standardizing the committees’ functioning, meeting, etc.; change the name of the outreach committee to the mission and service committee. Session determined to update a chart with all the committees and subcommittees, Mindy will get Jeff the information to put this together. The finance and administration committee will assume the ongoing monitoring and updating of the committee information.

Approval of agenda and consent agenda

It was moved and seconded that the agenda be approved as revised.  The consent agenda was approved, as follows:

1. Approval of minutes – stated session meeting 1/19/15, called session meeting 1/25/15, called congregational meeting and annual meeting of the corporation 3/15/15, called session 3/22/15

2. Committee minutes – fyi -building and grounds 1/13/15, 1/27/15, 3/3/15; nominating 1/11/15, 1/18/15, 1/25/15; revised finance and administration 1/4/15; worship 2/22/15; Children and youth 2/15/15

3. Correspondence – Chatham Habitat for Humanity, UNC Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health

Pastor’s Report.  Mindy discussed her past week at the NEXT Church conference in Chicago. In 2010 there was the understanding among many leaders that the church was changing dramatically and out of that discussion evolved the NEXT Church to help envision the direction of the church. Of particular note for Mindy were the "Ignite" presentations which were brief descriptions by individuals of innovative programming and ideas with which they are currently engaged in different settings. These presentations were designed to ignite a spark of inspiration for the other participants.

Mindy also announced we would be getting another summer intern from Duke Divinity School, Indhira Udofia.

New Business

Beverly Rudolph presented her proposal to session, included in the pre-meeting packet, describing her spiritual formation training and plans to bring this training to the CITP congregation. She also talked briefly about partnering with Mitzi in the Open Spaces worship. She is requesting funds of up to the total of $3755 that has yet to be paid for her training. She would like to do a spiritual formation group maybe in the fall for Sunday school; she would also like to offer a solitude/contemplative retreat for the congregation. Heather asked if there were other costs associated with the Sunday school and the retreat, Beverly indicated any costs would be negligible. The funds would have to come from reserves as there is nothing budgeted in adult education for this. Mindy suggested we contribute $1500, paying it in $500 increments when due in May, August and November toward the remaining payments for her school.   Heather made a motion

That we pay $1500, $500 for each of the remaining three payments, from the reserves to support Beverly Rudolph’s study. This will be monitored by the adult education committee.

Jeff seconded it. The motion passed unanimously.

Committee Reports

Finance

Jerry reviewed the January and February financials, reporting that we are running a bit to the good with revenues compared to 2014. All expenses are in line with expectations except the utilities.

Heather wanted everyone to know that since Forrest Johnson is moving we will need another co-chair for the stewardship committee. The plan is to have someone co-chair with Lynne this year and then take the lead role (with a new co-chair) the following year.

Heather asked for input from session on applying for the University Presbyterian Church endowment monies this spring. The deadline is mid-April. Jerry is going to reach out to James Smith to see what projects would most likely be considered by the endowment committee. Monty will consider some type of project under the umbrella of mission and service (outreach).

Membership

Kristin indicated that the membership committee had met and reviewed the church rolls and had two motions to bring to session:

The first motion is:

that a subcategory be created, for use by the membership committee, for "inactive" members.  These people will not be removed from the active member roll, but will be categorized as "inactive" and will be reviewed annually during the annual review of the rolls.  The list will include the following:

• Members who have moved away but have yet to find a new church home.

• Members who have not attended worship, made a financial contribution, nor participated in any other way in the life of the church for two years but who ask to be retained on the rolls.

Kristin asked if there were any questions. There being no further discussion the motion passed unanimously.

Kristin presented the second motion:

that the rolls should be modified to reflect the following changes

Recommended removal from the rolls:

Susan Feinberg
Kevin Goudy
Libby Read
Antonine Sharpless

Recommended move to inactive roll:

Lydia Creagh
Rachel Fredericks
Lillie Herman
Austin Raymond
Mike Raymond
Carolyn and Stan Southerland
Michael Tipton
Andrew Webster
David Samuel Webster

Kristin asked if there were any questions. There being no further discussion, the motion passed unanimously.

Personnel

Mindy was asked to leave the discussion temporarily. Butch indicated that the personnel committee had met and agreed to increase Mindy’s compensation. Butch presented the following motion on behalf of the committee

that Mindy’s terms of call be increased by 2.2% of her effective salary (salary plus housing) upon completion of her performance review by the personnel committee effective retroactively to the first pay period in February.

Butch asked for questions. There being no further discussion the motion was passed unanimously.

Butch presented the proposal previously shared with the session concerning options for the use of the $12,000 allocated during the budgeting process for additional personnel expenditures. He discussed the three options presented by personnel for those dollars:

1. Hire a part time Christian educator

2. Provide a 10% salary adjustment for Mitzi and Jeremy to pay them at more equitable rates

3. Install Mitzi as associate pastor with a cost of $35,000

Personnel examined comparables for a DCE and determined that a trained DCE would be compensated at least $35,000 for full time, and the committee had reservations about the $12,000 being  enough to compensate even a part time qualified DCE. During the interview process for the pianist, personnel uncovered that there are salary inequities in our current compensation for Jeremy and Mitzi. There was discussion that the stewardship campaign focused on children and some members felt a need to follow through with that focus and hire the part time DCE.

There was conversation about doing Option two and taking the remaining funds to hire a Christian Educator for the fall, perhaps looking at an Education Department. Heather moved

we Implement option two and also hire a Christian educator to start as soon as possible  for at least until the end of 2015.

Jeff seconded it. It passed unanimously.  

The personnel committee feels strongly that we need a long-range plan for staffing. They will seek input, develop and bring that plan to the session.

Mission and Service (Outreach)

Monty brought a motion from the Committee

to change the name of the committee to the mission and service committee.

It passed unanimously.

Chatham Community Church approached Mindy about participating in Chatham Serves on June 7. Our members would have access to the web site to sign up ahead of time for the various jobs available. Mindy indicated we would like to organize a potluck breakfast at maybe 8am at CITP and then go off to the workday. The motion from committee is that:

we partner with Chatham Community Church in Chatham Serves on June 7.

There was no further discussion, the motion passed unanimously.

NEW BUSINESS

Committee Responsibility Task Force

Jeff reported that the committee responsibility task force composed of Jeff, Fred and Mindy had met several times and developed some important suggestions for changes to the current committee structure, the first of which was renaming 4 committees:  outreach to mission and service; communication to communication and technology; membership to membership and evangelism; children and youth education to children and youth.

The task force also drafted a document Jeff distributed with the tasks of the committees outlined. Jeff asked for the chairs to take that document back to their committees and detail the responsibility items for their committees and return them to Jeff prior to the next session meeting. He posted the document with the March 23 session packet.

Report of presbytery commissioner from presbytery meeting, Tuesday, February 10 at First Presbyterian Church in High Point

Tina reported that she had attended the presbytery meeting in February. Several candidates for ministry were presented. There was discussion about some churches who had left the presbytery as a result of the gay marriage changes.

Building Use Request

Mindy drew session’s attention to Will Sibert’s request to use of the last room on the left in the education wing for office time during the week for his session-approved work on healing the wounds of trauma locally and globally.  He will set up a folding table and bring his own laptop during the week and all will be back in order for Sunday school on Sunday. Heather made a motion

that session approve Will’s request and that Will is to leave the room as he found it.                          

Jeff seconded the motion, it passed unanimously.

Communion

Monty made a motion that

session approve the service of communion at Tina Stark and Larry Dickerman’s wedding.

Kristin seconded it, it passed unanimously.

Butch made a motion

that Stephanie be the representative to the nominating committee from session

Monty seconded it; it passed unanimously.

Monty made a motion

That Mary Donna be appointment clerk for the April 20 stated session meeting.

Kristin seconded it; it passed unanimously.

Mindy drew everyone’s attention to the devotion schedule posted under the March 23 session packet and asked if people were unable to do the devotion when assigned that they find a replacement.

The next stated session meeting will be April 20 at the 7pm. Mindy Douglas will lead the devotion.

As the business of the meeting was concluded, Mindy led a closing prayer and the meeting was adjourned at 9:25 p.m.

Respectfully submitted, 

Marcia Ladd, Clerk

Reminders:  

Remember to pray for our church each day at noon.

Next Stated session meeting  April 20 at 7 pm, Mindy Douglas  will lead the devotion