New Hope Christian Fellowship
Guidance Team Meeting
March 11, 2002
Tom
Morris Stephanie Morris Pat Thomas Billy
Bland
Donna
Mills Melissa Goudelock Pat Bender Frank Bender
Nell
Morris Jo Eller Wadene
Morris Jef Tobias
Beth
Long Wendi Berg Bryan Keisler Bruce McLean
Barbara
McLean Lynnette Bland Beth
Zboran
Tom Morris brought the meeting to
order.
Wadene opened with a prayer.
Tom Morris stated that there was a change in tonight’s agenda. Donna Mills will report on Passport instead of Angie. All present agreed with the agenda.
Tom Morris placed the minutes on the
Internet, and asked for a motion to accept the minutes as transcribed
There
will be a change in the minutes under TLC.
The meals taken to Kirk and Judy and Beth Hodge were not delivered by the TLC
committee but by individuals
Wendi Berg made the motion, and Beth Long seconded. Approval was
unanimous.
Billy Bland gave the finance report. Checking Account $16,996 - with two
outstanding bills in the amount of $530.00 Approx. total. Reserve $11,657, Building $7626, Payroll
liabilities have been prepaid by $100.04.
Offering
for 3/10/02 -$1126.00 At this time we are running approximately $4000.00 behind
our income for the same period last year which is less than budget.
Beth Long was asked to inquire about
accounting firm services and the cost, she reported that she had gotten two
quotes. 1st. $120.00 per quarter. 2nd. $50 – 100.00 per quarter and $200-250 for end of year taxes. This is for quarterly reports and taxes
only. We will still be responsible for
keeping track of contributions. They will also be willing to give us advice on
our budget if needed.
Melissa Goudelock stated that the PST
presented a survey to the church on 3/10/02, and there will be a discussion
with the church at the next Business Meeting 3/17/02.
Pat
Bender said that our fellowship for March would be on Easter Sunday, so we are
going to skip March’s fellowship and the next fellowship will be on April 21st.
We are going to have a Spring Fling and have hamburgers, potato salad, devilled
eggs, etc.
It
will be in the middle of the month.
Frank
Bender has placed a locker in the lower building for recreational equipment,
and a storage cabinet for Vacation Bible School was purchased. The fellowship hall has had some of the
portable walls removed so there will be more space in the hall. One classroom was left for the Young Adult
Class.
The
top of the credenza in the foyer was hung on the wall.
Stephanie Morris asked about the covers for
the lights in the sanctuary. Frank said
that they are still checking on that.
They will probably have to make covers for them, as they do not come
standard. Lynnette asked about the amount of light that would be lost with
the covers. Frank stated that probably 25% of the light would be lost due to
diffusion. Lynnette said that Wadene
is looking into finishing the outside work on the air conditioners in the lower
building.
Melissa
still needs a few more teachers and volunteers. Need Youth, 1st and 2nd, and
preschoolers. She has some that have
volunteered, but these areas have not been confirmed.
Pat Bender reports that all classes are
going well. Beth Long has taken over
the preschoolers for a permanent position.
There
has been a suggestion that we get locks for the doors in the lower building
classrooms, so that the children can’t go in and rummage through the cabinets
and mess up the classrooms; also a doorknob on the preschool room where the
door doesn’t even close tightly.
Frank Bender will take care of the door
locks.
There
is also a nursery now so that the Young Adults can have a Bible Study
Beth Long reports that the schedule is ok.
TLC
No updates
PASSPORT
Donna Mills reports that Passport is scheduled for July 26th –August 2nd.
She would like to check on two dates for fundraising suppers May 26th and Oct. 27th. These will be to raise funds for the entire year and not just for passport. Pat Bender asked if these would be fellowship nights. Donna confirms this and the youth will take over the fellowship supper duties. Being that May 26th is Memorial Day weekend, it was decided to change the May 26th date to May 19th.
Project Suggestions
Shoes—“making tracks to passport”—Youth’s shoes would be placed in the foyer and they would be trying to collect $25 in their shoes to help for the expenses of passport
Day of Silence- Youth would have to be silent for 5 hours. Sponsor sheets would be passed around with $5/hr. Donations taken.
Donut Sales—Coupons
Car Wash- minimum donation will be set. Look into venues and asking auto parts stores for donations of supplies.
Instead of Rent a Kid ====Take Stock In Youth-$2 stock Certificate will be redeemable by holders for duties to be performed at house or in yard.
Billy Bland asked if the Cookbooks could also be sold at the BAKE SALE for the youth to get money. Fellowship representative approved.
Donna Mills requested that Jef Tobias go with the youth to Passport at Wingate. He will only be one and one-half hrs from Columbia if an emergency comes up with the church. Jef agreed. Tom Morris agreed to be the back-up chaperone if Jef needed to return to Col.
Lynnette asked if the youth that are scheduled to go to Passport that do not attend church regularly are committed. Donna has asked that all kids bring a $60.00 non-refundable deposit that the church has already paid. It is due next Sunday –3/17/02.
There will be nine youth and four chaperones.
A box of Bibles has been received that can be used for the older children and the youth.
SHEPHERDS
Pat Bender reported that the Shepherds have decided to rotate their business meetings on the even months of the year so our next one will be on April 14th. The Shepherds have also had to restructure their teams because of resignations. The on the weeks of rotation that Pat Thomas is scheduled to be the Shepherd on Call, Jill Smith will be on that rotation. Nell and Wadene are taking a week themselves. Billy Bland requested a list of the schedule so he could keep the bulletin current. Lynnette also requested that a new list of all church members and their shepherds be put out. Pat said that that is in the works at this time. They have to restructure that also. When they moved Shepherds around, they also have to make sure that family members are not on the same list. A new list will follow shortly.
MUSIC
Wendi Berg will be out of town April 7th, and June 2nd.
WORSHIP PLANNING
AND PASTOR REPORT
Jef Tobias reported that he added a Prayer Time to the worship service. He would also like to add some Drama to the services from time to time. Donna Mills volunteered the youth for the Drama.
Jef also requested that the church have a Strategic Planning Retreat on a Friday evening and Saturday morning. The meeting would be primarily aimed at identifying the church’s values, goals, coming up with a mission statement, refining some of the work that Tom has done on the By Laws and Constitution. Stephanie thinks it is a good idea.
Jef asked for a couple of target dates so he can start with the planning.
The dates chosen were May 3rd and 4th. Friday 7-9 pm and Saturday 9-1 am
There will be a sign-up sheet for all that are interested.
This is a tentative schedule.
July 12th and 13th will be the back-up weekend.
OLD BUSINESS
Tom Morris discussed the Church Operating Procedures that he drew up for the church to consider. Billy said that a small group met and decided to bring the Decision-Making part of the procedures before the Church for discussion at the next business meeting. Tom said he would make sure it is out on the Internet again. Copies will be in the foyer for Wednesday night. It talks about voting, special business meetings and how they will be handled. We basically already do the things that will be discussed; we just need them written down.
Finance Reports, Guidance Team Reports, and Shepherds Reports. These three reports will be brought before the church at each Business Meeting.
Melissa had a question about who are members. What constitutes a member, etc? That will be addressed later as we go further into the By Laws and Constitution.
All members agreed to present the above to the church in the business meeting of 3/17/02.
The youth fund account was brought up at the last Guidance Team meeting. Pat Thomas has volunteered to write the checks and Tom Morris will still take care of the statements and the balancing of the books.
A 2nd Forum for the church was brought up and we have decided to ask the church in the Business Meeting if they want another forum. We will place that on the agenda of the Business Meeting.
NEW BUSINESS
Tom Morris will be out of town on 3/17/02 and he asked for a volunteer to be the moderator of the Business Meeting. Wendi Berg volunteered to moderate the meeting.
All present agreed.
The things that need to be on the agenda for the Business Meeting are as follows:
The Forum
The Decision Making
The PST
Reports-Guidance Team-Beth, Finance-Billy, Shepherds-Pat.
Tom Morris stated that Bryan Keisler had submitted a letter resigning his volunteer position as Organist. He is requesting that if the church would like for him to continue playing, he will need to be paid.
Tom asked Stephanie to please read the letter to the Guidance Team:
February 17.2002
To Guidance Team Leader and members of New Hope Christian Fellowship
I have been playing here for the last five years on a volunteer basis and have enjoyed it. However, after the regular meeting this month, February, I feel that I can no longer do this because some here neither consider me a member nor at least a friend of the church.
It is the decision of the church body to consider if they want to have me as the organist as an employee or not. I have struggled with this decision and I have ask others to be praying for me. I will continue to play until the next monthly meeting in March. If they decide to hire me then I will continue playing for any services that are within the guidelines of regular worship services.
Thank you all for letting me play for you in God’s House.
Respectfully submitted,
Bryan Keisler
Pat Bender stated that only the church could vote on hiring Bryan as an employee, and it needed to be taken to the church. Tom stated that the budget would have to be revised. Lynnette stated that this could possibly be taken to the business meeting, and if we do decide to do this, then it needs to come from the Guidance Team as a recommendation.
Pat Thomas asked Bryan if he would consider playing for us next Sunday. Bryan said that he would play until the next Guidance Team meeting in April. Wendi requested that we put this on the Agenda for the next Guidance Team meeting. Tom said that it is a personnel matter and Bryan should not be at the meeting when we discuss it. Beth Zboran asked if Bryan has a figure in mind could he present it to the Team. Bryan said that he had talked to other organists and had some figures, but most of them were lot bigger churches. Billy Bland asked Wendi if there were provisions in the Music budget for guest musicians. It is.
Frank Bender requested that Bryan give his reasons for wanting to now be paid for his services. Frank said that he felt that Bryan was in pain and if any of the church teams or the body as a whole had caused this, then we needed to know about it now at the Guidance Team meeting. Frank also said that if Bryan was having problems with one or two individuals then he needed to go and talk to them.
Bryan stated that his reasons were mainly because of the TLC team. He stated (his opinion) that the members of the TLC team tend to only do for people that are in the group they are in and their families. Two years ago when he had a Kidney stone, Lynnette, Barbara and Bruce, Pat and a few others called him. He did not get a visit from Jimmy or even a card from the church. He stated that when he had surgery in January, Barbara McLean was the only person in the church that brought him food. He got calls from Pat Bender, Lynnette Bland, and Wendi and the Choir sent him a card. In the last Guidance Team meeting, it was said that the TLC committee took food to a family with a new baby and someone else had had surgery, but if you aren’t in that group, you won’t get anything.
Barbara McLean stated that when she was in the hospital three times, she got nothing from the church. She was a shepherd at the time, and Pat Bender was the only one she saw. That is why she resigned everything from the church.
Pat Bender stated that the TLC Committee did not take
the meals last month to Kirk and Judy and Beth Hodge. Individuals did. Donna
Raines stated in last months meeting the TLC committee had taken the meals.
That needs to be corrected in the minutes of last month.
Beth Zboran suggested that if someone in the church body is sick or having surgery, then it is brought before the church on Sunday morning, in the bulletin, and on the prayer list. This seems to be a HUGE lack in communication. It needs to be addressed.
Lynnette says that we need to have in writing the duties and responsibilities of the TLC Team. We could also have a volunteer list for people that would be willing to cook for these reasons. Frank wanted to know if there is really a problem with the TLC Group. Lynnette says that maybe the closest people to their group are the ones that know.
Tom Morris said
that we need to have a meeting next Monday with the TLC committee. If the TLC Team could be here we will meet
Monday night March 18th at 7:00.
Tom Morris has also gotten a letter from Barbara McLean that she is resigning effective immediately as a Trustee. This leaves us with one Trustee, Pat Bender. Billy said that we only really need one trustee to sign important papers for the church. Billy also reported that it has been proposed in the (new) by-laws, that the head of the Guidance Team, Finance Team, and Shepherds be trustees.
Billy also said that he went out after the last meeting and bought ping pong balls and badminton birdies for the rec. room in the other building, and now they are gone.
(They have since been found.)
Stephanie Morris passed around Sermon Notes from Carson Rogerson and asked the team to look over them and try to heed what he has said.
Wadene asked if the Pastor Search Team had had a name Change. Lynnette said that the church body chose the Pastor Search Team, and until a permanent pastor is hired, they were still on the job. It was suggested by Lynnette to change “Search” to “Support”. The Guidance Team will bring it to the Church in the Business Meeting as a motion.
Donna Mills asked that there be a list of Team members posted.
Wendi Berg has a new phone number. 794-8573.
Beth Long made the motion to adjourn.
Jef Tobias closed the meeting with a prayer.