Administration Ministry Team
Meeting Minutes by Moderator Newman McAllister.
The Administration Ministry Team met on December 1, 2022. Those present were Pastor Darlene Avery, Moderator Newman McAllister, Treasurer Sunde King, Member Linda Seger, Member Vaughn Drinen (by ZOOM) and Craig Gooding as a guest.
Pastor was busy in November with services at the church and planning Advent. There were two weddings since the October meeting, one in which Pastor officiated, the other she building hosted. She also assisted with an off-site memorial service. She is beginning to field inquiries and bookings for 2023. Pastor addressed the Club Q shooting in Colorado Springs and hosted a small community gathering for Coffee and Conversation to process the effects and pray together. She was asked to help provide crisis and ongoing pastoral care at a vigil service in the Springs and the memorial site for several days. Pastor and Newman held a new member class on November 27 and it is expected that up to eight folks may join the church on December 11. Pastor discussed the value of the HR and Admin Teams, staff and lay leadership of the church taking training now being offered in the Rocky Mountain Conference. She will look into this and hopes to schedule a training in late January. Pastor continues to be active in the community.
Sunde reported the October results All income was $7,683.77 and all expenses were $18,822.19, for a negative balance for the month of $11,139.61 and a negative balance for the year of $3,789.64.
Carla Chapman is still working on how to mitigate the ice that forms from the downspouts. In October, there was a leak in the hot water line that is in the grate at floor level in the Polly Lamb Room. Thanks to Joe Guido, Greg Smith of Schnibble Services was able to promptly repair the leak. Hardcastle Plumbing & Heating declined to do the work. Research revealed the pump organ does have a history with the church and will be retained. The wedding rental packet was circulated to team members for comment. Team members should respond with comments no later than Monday, December 5, 2022. Pastor’s 2022 evaluation is proceeding.
Craig Gooding presented a list of ideas as to how the church might recruit new members and give new opportunities for existing members. The first was to contact local organizations, requesting permission to “market” to their members and supporters. These organizations could include those interested in LGBTQ, food assistance and handicapped-accessibility. Craig also thought the church might better leverage the Sallie Bush Community Center relationship. Sunde pointed out there was a flyer in Patchell Hall that detailed this but over Covid it has disappeared. Craig also thought ministry opportunities beyond the Music Ministry, Food Pantry, and Sisters Helping Sisters could be developed and publicized. Other opportunities for ministries could include the history of the church, music, hiking-nature and gardening. Craig’s ideas prompted a discussion about having a “history corner” in Patchell Hall that would include the pump organ. Linda was going to contact Katie Gardner for assistance. The team thanked Craig for the reminder that stewardship encompasses a great deal more than monetary contributions to the church.
All of the church’s checking, savings and money market accounts are at Park State Bank. It would be more convenient if all accounts could be moved to Ent Credit Union. Park State Bank has only the one location in Woodland Park and the lobby hours are not convenient. Ent has locations in Woodland Park and in Colorado Springs on the westside and downtown. After a motion by Vaughn and a second by Newman, it was unanimously voted to move the church’s checking, money market and savings account to Ent Credit Union.
The team agreed to the expenditure of $159.00 for the Power Church upgrade. The church’s Christmas Eve offering has always been for the benefit of the Veterans of the Cross, now renamed the UCC Christmas Fund for Veterans of the Cross. This tradition will continue in 2022. Newman is working on member covenants for 2023. Sometime in January there should be a special congregational meeting to discuss church finances for all of 2022.
The next regular meeting is on Thursday, January 19, 2023, at 3:30 p.m.