In an effort to improve our transparency and communication as your Council, we are sharing a recap of last month’s Council meeting. The full minutes will be available after they are approved, but here are some highlights in the meantime.
We opened the meeting in God’s name with a prayer by Christian Kern.
For our first order of business, we reviewed a request for a Lutheran college scholarship from a member. A discussion followed regarding making a formal policy and scholarship fund available to all eligible Lutheran college students in the congregation. We voted to approve $500, as that is the amount that has been provided in previous similar circumstances. The policy and funding for future Lutheran college scholarships will be explored further by a new team, members to be determined shortly. Until clear funding and a transparent process are put into place, scholarship requests will be on hold.
Next, we heard a kitchen update by Property Team liaison, Misti Peppler. The team is waiting for final drawings from the architect and will be meeting on Friday to review. As soon as the drawings are finalized, the team will be seeking three bids and applying for permits. The cabinetry and appliances have already been selected.
Misti and Jay Kapp then gave a Capital Build Team update. Wiring work on the stairway lights begins tomorrow. The fixtures are in stock and are about to be picked up. The Mission Investment Fund loan pre-approval is expired and we will need to reapply. We decided to hold off on the application until we’re getting ready to do bigger projects. We anticipate having $200,000 in capital funds by the end of this year and should be able to do first tier projects with the money that we already have collected.
We reviewed the charge for the Capital Build Team which was written to clarify specific roles and responsibilities. We discussed, revised and voted to approve the charge. We heard a proposal to repair or replace wiring in band/choir area which was not previously grounded to sound system and band specifications. The baseboard behind the band will also be reinstalled properly and the light over the band will be repaired or replaced.The cost will be $2000 labor plus materials for an electrician and a carpenter who will need to do the work together. We voted to approve up to $3000.
We reviewed and discussed the proposed Child Safety Policy. After making some final revisions, we voted to approve the policy and made plans for initial implementation.
The two Council members and two Call Team members who will be filling out the Ministry Site Profile will be meeting before the end of the month to begin that process. We will also hold a meeting between services on June 12 to give an update on the process and discuss key questions from the Profile. There will be a survey available to all congregation members both online and in paper form. The results of this survey will be used to inform answers on the Profile.
We discussed the formation of a nominating team to fill open council positions for next year. Misti Peppler & Dave Byerly will be on the team as they complete their final terms. We will post in the News & Notes as well as bulletins seeking interested members of the congregation.
We then heard the Treasurer’s report, by Ben Dieterich. Although we’re falling short for the year, we have enough reserves to cover the increased risk of this year’s budget which makes the shortfall less concerning. The Stewardship Team is evaluating and looking for ways to increase giving, including reaching out to newer members. Expenses are going up due to new staff. There is also an insurance payment coming up in June. The new insurance will be lower than last year.
During Pastor Martha’s report we learned that the staff will be meeting next week to plan out the next year. New staff members Eron and Donald are acclimating nicely and pleased to be here. There is a meeting to discuss the confirmation program coming up as well. The sanctuary windows will be 50 years old in November and the building itself is in its 90th year. Pastor Martha discussed this as an opportunity for celebration.
Finally, we reviewed and approved the minutes from the April meeting.
We ended the meeting going out in God’s name with a prayer by Misti Peppler.
Hopefully this gives you a little glimpse into our process and keeps you informed as to what we are talking about right now. As always, let us know if you have any questions or concerns. We are here to work for you!
Luther Memorial Church of Chicago Council 