May 21, 2018 Stated Session Meeting
Chapel in the Pines Presbyterian Church
Stated Session Meeting May 21, 2018
Attending: Ruling Elders Karen Atkins, Monty Brekke, Stan Campbell, Lynne Hoerter, Paul Isom, John McDowell, Terry Rudolph, Marcia Ladd (Clerk), Teaching Elder Rev. Andrew Taylor-Troutman (Moderator)
Guests: Barbara Amago, Pat Chappell, Paul Harrell
Absent: Barbara Strange, Jerry Wehmueller
The meeting was called to order by Andrew at 6:30PM. Marcia Ladd delivered the devotion, ending in a prayer. Pastoral concerns and celebrations were shared.
Approval of agenda and consent agenda
Monty made a motion to approve the consent agenda and agenda. The motion was seconded and was approved unanimously. 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 4/16/18, email vote 4/20/18, Called Meeting 5/6/18 B. Approval of committee minutes – Membership 4/25/18, Finance and Administration 5/6/18, Five things to know about CitP finances, CITP Finance 101, Worship 4/29/18, Stewardship 5/20/18, Finance and Administration 5/20/18 C. Approval of Building Use and Wedding Guidelines D. Approval of Manual of Operations motions from Membership and Evangelism and Finance and Administration Correspondence – Julie Benbow Pearce transfer request, Muslim Christian Toolkit, Thank you from Communities in Schools, International Civil Rights Center Events, CORA News |
Pastor’s Report Andrew asked each of the 3 incoming elders to share why they want to serve. He also expressed great appreciation to Lynne and Al for their service and Barbara for hers in absentia. We will install Pat and Paul on June 3 and ordain Barbara. Andrew read a limerick in honor of and thanks to the two outgoing members who were present. He was pleased at how lively and productive the retreat had been on the previous Saturday and talked about his plans going forward, touching base and getting input from staff, collating the work with the help of Bill Lawrence and turning priorities into specific action items.
Clerk’s Report
Marcia indicated that Andrew, Mary Donna and she went through the Operations Manual with input from most committees to make sure it is up to date. The updated Committee Matrix and Wish List are in the packet as is the Devotion schedule for stated meetings. She asked that if you were assigned a time that does not work for you, please find someone to trade with. She also passed around a signup sheet for Elder in the Narthex. Terry passed around a sheet for communion prep and serving
Treasurer’s report
This was shared in the pre-meeting packet. Monthly expenses exceeded revenues by $2,637. Through the first four months, our revenues exceeded our expenses by around $32,000 which was caused by members paying their annual operating pledge in late 20-17 and January of this year. It is expected that we will gradually reduce this every month and hopefully ending the year close to break even.
In spite of losing a little money in April, our cash flow increased by $1750 to $268,244. This was mainly the result of collecting an extra $4,300 for the Hospitality Room furniture.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Finance and Administration
Stan offered to field questions about the Treasurer’s report. There were no questions.
Worship
Terry asked session to consider the following motion
To baptize Emily Raitano’s son, Luke, on July 15 during worship at Chapel in the Pines.
There was discussion about whether Emily is going to another church and Monty expressed concern that the congregation pledges to support the child while he is growing, something that probably will not happen for Luke. Andrew articulated that concern to Emily, she indicated she still sees this as her church family and making this connection strengthens that bond. Paul indicated that Luke may not grow up among this congregation, but if Emily joins another church that church would live into this church’s vows to Luke. Lynne made the point that we live in a very fluid world where people do not stay in one place any more. The motion passed unanimously, with one abstention. Terry offered a second motion
To ask Craig Troutman to baptize Sadie Taylor-Troutman on June 17th during Worship at Chapel in the Pines.
Andrew said that the 17th is Father’s Day and that is when Craig Troutman can come to baptize his granddaughter. There was no discussion and the motion passed unanimously. Andrew will give session some articles about infant baptism for our next meeting, and will go over them at the start of the meeting.
Membership and Evangelism
In Barbara’s absence, Marcia offered the following motion
At her request, to remove Julie Benbow Pearce from the rolls of Chapel in the Pines
There was no discussion and the motion passed unanimously. She asked session to consider the following motion
To receive Emily and Greg and Wren and Poppy Behr, Betsy Sunde, Jerry Douglas and Cynthia and David Hilliard as members of Chapel in the Pines Presbyterian Church.
There was no discussion, the motion passed unanimously.
Personnel
John offered the following motion from Personnel and Finance and Administration
To increase Joelle’s hours to 17 to compensate for the additional time she is spending coordinating the nursery staff.
The church will not hire a nursery coordinator, but instead Joelle will perform this function which will increase her monthly hours by 8 -10 hours, hence the per week raise in compensation. Stan endorsed this move, indicating F&A will find the money. The motion passed unanimously.
John asked session to consider the next motion establishing a pay scale for contract employees for Chapel in the Pines:
to establish the following pay scale for contract employees
Substitute Preacher: $150 + mileage (if more than 20 miles away from church
Special guest (expert in field) Sunday School Teacher: $125
Guest Retreat/Seminar Leader: $300 weekend/$200 day-long + mileage if site more than 20 miles from his/her location
Substitute Pianist: $125/Sunday, $100/Memorial Service
Special Musician $100
Substitute Choir Director: $100 (Sunday only)
He conducted research on market rates, getting a lot of help from Sandy Williams who reached out to friends of his that are pastors in similar size churches. Karen asked if John had asked Jeremy about this and he had not. Karen thought perhaps John should talk to Jeremy before session approves this. John amended the motion to read
to establish the following pay scale for contract employees
Substitute Preacher: $150 + mileage (if more than 20 miles away from church
Special guest (expert in field) Sunday School Teacher: $125
Guest Retreat/Seminar Leader: $300 weekend/$200 day-long + mileage if site more than 20 miles from his/her location
Substitute Pianist: $125/Sunday, $100/Memorial Service
Special Musician $100 per service
Substitute Choir Director: $100 (Sunday only)
Substitute Nursery Worker $25/hour
After some discussion, the motion passed unanimously.
Building and Grounds
Karen asked session to consider the following amendment to the Columbarium Policy to include scattering of cremains in the garden.
Add an in ground internment section to the Columbarium policy that reads
Although we do not scatter ashes, we do allow in-ground interments of cremains in the columbarium area. Names of people interred in-ground are inscribed on one of the columns at the entrance to the columbarium area. There is no fee for the internment, but the family pays for the engraving; cost depends on the details of engraving and is generally in the range of $200-$350. Forms for in-ground internment may be obtained from the pastor.
In-ground interments are subject to the following sections of the Columbaria policy, as provided: Eligibility, Oversight, Interment, Access and Restrictions, Records, Allocation of Funds, Maintenance, and Amendments.
After minimal discussion, the motion passed unanimously.
Fellowship
Lynne reported that there was a question at the last stated meeting about not having a second Sunday lunch in the summer, Fellowship decided they would have one in June and if it is well attended, they were have the lunches all summer.
Ongoing Business
Andrew, representing the Building Use Task Force offered the following motion:
To create a Building Usage Review Committee (BURC) as a standing sub-committee of Fellowship Committee consisting of:
- Treasurer
- Pastor
- Office Manager and Janitor
- Representative from Fellowship Committee
It is the discretion of Fellowship Committee to appoint their representative.
Karen seconded the motion. After minimal discussion, the motions passed unanimously. He also offered the following motion
To dissolve the Building Use Task Force
Monty seconded the motion. After minimal discussion, the motion passed unanimously.
The Safety Task Force has met and the nursery was moved and the nurseries and toddler rooms have locks now. Something will be put on the windows to those rooms to keep people on the outside from seeing in those rooms. Also they are getting quotes on shatter proof windows. They are getting quotes on motion detected lights and surveillance. CitP will have a big Safety Day in September, there will be food, the fire department and a staged evacuation. They are considering having a fund raiser at the event as seed money for the extra safety funding required.
Stan officially passed off the revised usher duties to Terry to implement. As the Safety Task Force continues their work these duties will be added to the usher packet.
John asked that we share the Elder in the Narthex and Communion Servers. Pat asked about the June meeting, Karen made the motion
to move the stated meeting to June 11 at 7PM with possible new member reception at 6PM
Karen moved to close the meeting, Monty seconded it and it passed unanimously. Andrew closed with prayer at 805 PM.
Lord’s Supper, Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals
Since the previous stated meeting on April 16, the Lord’s Supper was celebrated once on May 6. There were no new members. There were no baptisms, weddings or funerals at the church.
Respectfully submitted,
Marcia Ladd, Clerk
Approved session 6/11/18
Reminders:
- Next stated session meeting June 18, Jerry Wehmueller has the devotion.
- New Elder Installation June 3
- New Members introduced in Worship June 10
- Pray for our church each day at noon.