St. Paul Lutheran Church
Council Meeting Minutes
May 16, 2005

Craig Ellinghausen opened the meeting at 7:00 p.m.

Excused: Pr. Eastman
Absent: Mark Disbrow
Late: Ginny Harms, Andrea Parker
Visitors: Dawn Amundsen, Nancy Arnesen, Kim Hansen, Bob Hein, Maureen Hickey, Gayle Meskimen, Darla Moore, Susan Mullinger, Karen Nagel, Barb Poulos Cherie Schumm, Lydia Trevino, and Pat Vicha

Treasurer’s Report
JoAnn Maki presented the May financial report. Bob Miller moved to accept the financial report and Ron Diener seconded. Motion passed.

Closed Session-7:00-7:30 p.m.

Devotions
Bob Miller led us in short devotions.

Survey Presentation

Business Meeting (open to congregation)

Congregational Member Presentations
Five-Minute Presentations
1. Susan Mullinger-Nurture Board requests a part-time paid position of Helping Hands Coordinator to better help the Congregation minister to one another.
2. Cherie Schumm-Update from committee to Ensure Safety of God’s Children including a handout of Policy, Procedure and Application for Council to review and vote on next month.

Thirty-Minute Presentation
1. Nancy Arnesen-Suggested an open discussion between Council and the Justice Team at an arranged meeting in order to resolve any conflict.

Review of April Minutes
Ginny Harms moved to amend the April minutes to change all references to the “April 6th meeting” to the “special meeting on April 6th called to suspend the activities of the Justice Team”. Pastor Hooper seconded. Motion did not pass.
Ginny Harms moved to change item number 6 under the Executive Report. The second sentence would change to “Heidi was unable to give a full report”, instead of “Heidi was only at a small portion of the meeting and deferred to Pastor Hooper to give comments from the meeting”. Sentence number three, sentence number four, and the last sentence would be deleted. Pastor Hooper seconded. Motion did not pass.
Bob Miller moved to approve the May minutes and Craig Dickson seconded. The motion passed.

Executive Report
1. Craig followed-up on items from the April council meeting.
-- Kevin Dixon presented the Council with changes to the Constitution, changes to the Bylaws and a Resolution to be voted on at the Congregational meeting.
-- Craig clarified section C12.12 of the Constitution. According to the ELCA a Quorum of the Council must include a Pastor and a Pastor can refuse the agenda and cancel the business portion of the meeting. Ron Diener moved we form a task force of up to four council members, including a Pastor, to review the words in section C12.12 and offer a suggestion of clarification for August. Craig Dickson seconded. Motion passed. Ron Diener, Patty Fess, and Kevin Dixon volunteered for the task force and Pr. Eastman will be asked to join them.
-- Ron Diener reported on the tools he found from the ELCA and the Alban Institute that could be used to evaluate the Pastors and the staff. We will proceed with plans for the evaluation of the Pastors in August.
-- Ron Diener reported from the Youth Board on proposed changes to the Constitution. He presented new language reflects the Affirmation of Baptism Ministry and redefines the requirements for a voting member of the Congregation.

2. Kevin Dixon reported that the Nominating Committee has six nominees for four openings on the Council. The nominees are; Lee Liming, Gayle Meskimen, Mark Demich, Ginny Harms, Carlo D’Agostino and Charlie Boone. Their biographies will be in the June issue of Acts.
3. Bob Miller reviewed the budget to date. He reported that we are ahead in giving which eliminates about half of our deficit. He presented requests for any additional moneys. Pr. Hooper moved to recommend to the Congregation to increase the Children’s Ministry position by five hours a week to a total of 25 hours per week affective at the June 26th Congregational meeting. Ginny Harms seconded. Motion passed.
4. Craig reminded the Ministry Team Leaders that final reports, in electronic format, are due to Kimberly by June 1st.
5. Craig presented these new members for reception: Florence, Ezekiel and Ane Addison; Steve, Cheryl, Ashley and Drew Cross; Archie, Elisa, Tracie, Archie Jr. and Sunday Davies; Rev. Kelly Fryer; Edna Glaybo; Rita James; Dan, Michelle, Stephanie and Shannon Rogers. Kevin Dixon moved to accept these new members and Ginny Harms seconded. Motion passed.
6. Craig announced a new Treasurer, Andy Voress, to be presented to the Congregation for approval in June. We still need one more person for the Audit Committee.
7. Craig presented a request from Pr. Eastman for approval to pursue a sabbatical. Pr. Eastman is planning to apply for a Lilly Grant. Some of the grant money could be used to offset the salary of a part-time interim Pastor. Craig moved to approve the President signing-off on an application for the Lilly Grant. Ginny Harms seconded. The motion passed.
8. Craig read a letter from Mark McCormick resigning from his role as the adult handbell choir director. The letter will be attached to these minutes.

Pastor Comments
Pastor Hooper
-- In regards to the last council meeting Pr. Hooper met with and spoke to Heidi Carr.

Ministry Team Reports

Education
-- Growth Groups is just ending a session presented by the yearlong stewardship program.
-- Vacation Bible School begins June 13th and 47 children are signed up.

Worship and Music
-- The volunteers to follow-up with phone calls to the people who have not been to church or made a contribution in three months would like to make the phone calls on behalf of the Nurture Team.

Youth
-- The car wash and sundae fund-raiser is on May 22nd.
-- Still looking for a paid Youth Leader.

Nurture
-- No report

Witness
-- The summer project will be Habitat for Humanity.

Operations
-- Have one bid for outside painting at $912.
-- Presented a new budgeting procedure for the Council’s review. Will ask for action on the new procedure in August.
-- The church had a workday and George Allen is planning for the grounds as a whole.

Other Business
-- Bob Miller moved to ask the church office to provide for the Council, on a monthly basis, a list of members who have not attended or made a contribution of record in three months. Craig Ellinghausen seconded. Motion passed.
-- June 5th Council will have a short business meeting to take action on the policy, procedures and application presented by the committee, Ensuring the Safety of God’s Children.
-- Ron Diener moved for the announcement of the vote counts after the election at the Congregational meeting. Craig Ellinghausen seconded. Motion failed.
-- The council meeting is June 27th at 7:00p.m. It will be held off sight at the home of Patty Fess and is closed to the Congregation. The only business will be the election of officers.

Bob Miller moved to adjourn and Kevin Dixon seconded. Meeting adjourned at 9:40 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Patty Fess, Secretary