Church Council Meeting Minutes – 11/17/2011 | First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ

Recorder: Elinor Redmond

The meeting was called to order at 6:35 p.m. by Co- Moderator Nancy MacLean. Absent were Matt Early, John Shoos, and Peggy Murray.

The opening, a poem by Rumi, was given by Elinor Redmond.

Review of Agenda and Minutes
• One item was added to the agenda.
• The Minutes were approved.

Ministers’ Time
• John reported positive progress on personnel issues.
• Funeral for Susalee Follansbee to be held on Monday the 21st.
• Advent: the candle of Hope will be lit by Phil Whitney, Gail Dransfield and Jim Morang.
• Annual Meeting of the Maine Council of Churches was held today. Jill Saxby described the struggle with asking for support in this time of austerity. Their mission will evolve.
• The budget has a little ease due to health insurance changes.
• Elsa will preside at the Christmas Day service and John the New Year’s Day service.
• We welcomed 2 new members on membership Sunday. 26 letters were sent out.
• Elsa noted changes during Advent: we are letting go of the wreath-making workshop and making a conscious effort to have other than traditional families make the presentations.
• Being a Lewis Fellow involves 4 retreats, rotating around the country. Elsa was in Kansas City this time and visited 2 mega-churches. Things were done totally differently in these churches.
• Elsa went to Synod in July and is considering how to share this experience with the congregation.

General Business
• Stewardship Committee – Jerry Reynolds reported on this year’s pledge campaign. Personal testimonies were videotaped each week and posted on YouTube. On-line giving is available through Vanco, as well as ‘Bill Payer’ through checking accounts. To date, there were 202 pledges. Jerry provided a sheet of data about pledges so far. Reminders to pledge will be in the Beacon. Follow up calls will be made by December 15 so that the Budget Committee can do its work.
• Mission 1 was an exciting and successful effort. Letter-writing on all-team night, a presentation by Donna Yellen of Preble Street, and good collaboration between groups were some of the hallmarks. Phil asked where we go from here; it is up to us, with no push from the national office.
• Budget and Finance Update: The committee will meet on December 12 from 6 – 7:30.
• Personnel Committee is up and going again, talking about raises, costs, etc.
• 521 Sawyer Street: The yellow house is for sale as the owner has died. The Council respectfully declined the opportunity to purchase the property.
• Review of Policies:
1. Gift Allocation Guidelines – The moderator will contact Dan Cummings to update the bylaws.
2. Civic/Political Questions – The Council had a wide-ranging discussion of the possibilities and problems associated with having members or others make petitions available in the church for signature. Such petitions may or may not be in supported by our church values. Council members agreed such petitions have no place in church.
3. In the course of the discussion, the Council made a clear distinction between individual action and action of the church as a whole. Council Policy statement #3 will need to be fixed (Any team, member, or group of members shall act, or represent itself to the public as acting, on behalf of the congregation only with prior approval of the Council). We focused on the letter-writing during Mission 1 as an example. This was an effort by individuals and did not need Council approval.