April 20, 2023 | Deacon Meeting Minutes

Deacons Meeting - April 20, 2023

Attendance:  John Reagan, Bruce Winkler, Anne Hartman, James Martin, Chuck Falch, Vince Maro, Kathy Sahlhoff, John Genskow.

Ex-officio:  Pastor Mark Schulz, Pastor David Forke

Guests:  Sue Gumz (secretary substitute)

Absent:  Gail Graese, Paul Weinke, Kristi Lambert, Dean Gumz

Devotions/Opening Prayer (James M.)

Started at 7:30. From Labor of Love book by Joe Schroeder.

Staff presentation

Review Action Items for Consent Agenda

·       March minutes

·       Pastoral Report

·       Policy Review

·       Nominating committee approval – Judy Israel (Chair), Cam Kalmon, Bill Westerlund, Deb Genskow, Mark Schulz

Correction to March minutes: New business – 7f – Bruce agreed to find a chair for the committee.  Anne made a motion, Bruce seconded, John Genskow abstained from voting as his wife is on the nominating committee, motion passed to approve the consent agenda.

Deacon Training

Follow-up items

• Open staff positions – Children & Family Ministry Director – Marlee will take on that role for the next year through July 2024. Emily Sagissor declined the call, and we were not assigned an intern.  The plan is to hold off looking for a while.  Marlee will use some volunteers for about 10 hours a week. The paid position is in the first draft of the budget.  There are some confidential personnel discussions that took the board into an executive session.

• Follow-up to Servant Leadership training

• Deacon video volunteers

  • John Genskow is willing to do a video sharing his story.

• Deacons not returning for 2023-2024

  • Anne & Bruce would like to run again. They will need to be elected again by the process as usual.

  • A notice should be in the bulletin board by first weekend in May.

  • All the remaining deacons will be serving out their terms.

New Items

• Pastor Call Committee Update (Townhall meeting prep) – Mark Oldenberg

  • The team was hoping to bring people here in August but will hold back on that.

  • Cam will walk through the survey results.

  • Candidate profile (30-40 years old, experienced leader, personable, open to different styles of worship).  They will recap the process that was set forth 24 months ago. (John R will present this at the meeting).  Mark will rework the agenda with Cam.

• Questions on budget process

  • Budget will need to go down about 10%

• Upcoming Congregational Meetings (May 21 & June 19)

  • May 21 – required to introduce the changes to the bylaws from the synod to the congregation. North WI District has already approved these changes. No vote is needed.

  • June 19 – Annual Congregational meeting at 6:30 p.m.  The date was moved up due to some staff not being available.

  • John R. made a proposal not to meet in July.  All agreed. In the future there will be a meeting scheduled every month, but if just a short meeting could be done by zoom.

• Carpeting for Gathering Place

  • Terry Gilbertson has been leading a carpet team to look at new carpeting in the GP.  $12,000 donation was put forth about a year ago.  Several bids were received.  The cost is $34,900.  There was discussion about where to take the additional dollars out of, Momentum or Endowment, as both funds were set for capital improvement. 

  • On another note, the plan is to apply to the Endowment board to use that money to cover our deficit spending and the carpet.   

Financials

Closing Prayer (Pastor Mark)

Adjourn

Bruce made a motion to adjourn.  Vince seconded.  Motion passed and the meeting adjourned at 9:13 p.m.