September 13 Meeting

Details

Written by Brandon Abel Brandon Abel

Created: February 21 2023 February 21 2023

Meeting called to order at 6:04pm in the Large Fellowship Hall. Pastor read from a daily devotional by Higher Things on Galatians 3.

Jim Bernecker moved that the minutes from the August 9th, 2022, meeting be approved as circulated. Dr. Marschke seconded the motion and it passed.

Pastor noted average weekly attendance in August hovered around 100 people per week. There was a single official act performed during the month of August, which was the membership transfer of Ingrid Garofolo from St. John Lutheran in Lake Charles, LA.

Monthly income in August well exceeded expenses, however much of this was due to the preschool contributing extraordinary funds this month, which are listed in the profit and loss under Preschool Tuition and Grants/Projects. The current fiscal year budget deficit is now about $13,950.

Dr. Robert Marschke reported the preschool is doing well. The morning classes are completely filled, and the total enrollment is 30 children. There are also some children on a waiting list. There are two projects that will need funding consideration in the near future, which include a bathroom remodel and a playground equipment upgrade. It was noted the current playground equipment still receives positive reviews from inspectors so the need for this project is not urgent. The group believes the bathroom project should have priority.

Tom is working to organize a Trustees workday on September 24th to take care of a number of tasks around the property that need closure. Tom also mentioned the city has treated some of the ash trees that are on the property for protection from the emerald ash borer. However, there are a number of trees that remain on the property that were not treated. Tom has procured estimates to treat the remaining trees, which would cost approximately $500 to $1,000 every two years. He is pursuing an additional quotation from another company. Tom confirmed the eligible staff have made a healthcare plan decision to remain on the current plan option as opposed to trying a new option this year as discussed as a possibility in a previous meeting. Tom also provided information on the preschool bathroom remodel estimate he has obtained. He is approaching the Trustees to look for additional bids on the project. Finally, Tom reported he has prepared Board expense worksheets for the board liaisons in preparation for FY23 budget planning. He distributed the worksheets during the meeting, and he hopes to have those back by the end of this month.

The council discussed dates for the November congregation meeting and agreed the meeting shall be on Sunday, November 12th, 2022. The election committee members were discussed. Jim and Grant agreed to serve as the council members on the election board. Dale agreed to serve as the at-large member of the committee. And Pastor Nettleton agreed to reach out to a few board chair members to seek their participation.

Tom has officially submitted his letter of resignation, which will be effective October 2nd, 2022. It is with much sadness that the council discussed a staffing transition committee and the members who may participate. While the bylaws state the Council shall work with the Board of Human Resources to address all called and non-called staffing, this will not be possible as there is not presently an operational Board of Human Resources.

In lieu of a Board of Human Resources, Dr. Robert Marschke moved to form a staffing transition committee accountable to identify and recommend a suitable replacement or replacements. Such a committee shall review the recommendations with the Council and obtain Council approval prior to any making any offers of employment. Jim seconded the motion and the motion carried. Pastor Nettleton agreed to organize the members of the newly chartered transition team.

The week following the Council meeting Pastor Nettleton was approached via email from a young entrepreneur seeking to create a Lutheran based Christian board game. His request was for the approval to use an image of Saint John's in the materials. An email was circulated to the Council and all responding members approved of the request. Pastor Nettleton will follow up with the individual and provide closure.

Congregational restructuring was discussed. Engaged committee members have now been identified and they will soon begin working on reviews of the current constitutional and by-law material.

Sabbatical planning was also briefly discussed, and it is the hope of the Council that there will be a sabbatical committee update next month.

The Foundation has agreed to pay for the landscaping work on the south side of the building that was discussed at the last Council meeting. It is uncertain as to what full scope or schedule of the work is at this time. The Trustees will work to follow up with the engaged members of the Foundation and report additional details to the Council next month.

There were not any open agenda items to be addressed. The dates of the next Council meetings are October 11th and November 8th.

The meeting adjourned at 7:14pm with everyone standing for the Lord's Prayer.

August 9 Meeting

Details

Written by Jill Hudak Jill Hudak

Created: September 28 2022 September 28 2022

The meeting was called to order at 6:03 PM. Pastor Nettleton opened with a devotional and prayer.

Jim moved that the minutes from the June 14, 2022 meeting be approved as circulated. Dr. Marschke seconded the motion and it passed. Pastor Nettleton noted attendance was fairly typical for summer. June’s Official Acts consisted of the affirmation of faith of Brian Plaster, committal of + Darlene Lois Vorce and baptism of Holly Grace Lessman. July’s Official Act consisted of affirmation of faith of Claire Haberkorn.

Eric provided the Treasurer’s report. In July we had a $2,873 deficit, adding to the year-to-date deficit of $28,771. Eric noted that $12,559 of that year-to-date deficit is the preschool’s shortfall, which will be reduced once the school year begins.

Jim provided the Board of Human Needs report. School supplies and monies were being collected for Laurel school supply drive. The board members are working with their liaison at Laurel School on different ways they can help the homeless children at the school. The Board has donations designated for that project. The Food Pantry & Clothing Closet serves 15–18 families a week. They have served 90 individual households for the year.

Dr. Marschke provided the Preschool Board report. The Preschool board completed their annual year-end financial review. There was a deficit of $20,019 from the 2021–2022 school year due to low post-COVID enrollment. However, the preschool has several funds available to offset the deficit. They voted and approved to apply the funds to the deficit. (This will be reflected in next month’s financials.) Enrollment for the 2022–2023 school year is good. They are also looking at replacing the playground equipment.

There were no other board reports.

Tom was not at the meeting, but passed along he is getting an estimate on the cost of the Preschool bathroom remodel.

Council discussed a proposal for redoing landscaping on the west-side side of the church. It would be done in two phases—south of the driveway, then north of driveway. The landscaping will be funded by the Foundation. An anonymous donor is going to take care of the trees and bushes in the parking lot area.

Tom has obtained a bid for a Preventative Maintenance plan for the HVAC system. The council would like another bid for consideration.

A request was submitted by Tom for the Council’s approval that eligible staff be given the authority to make their choice between two similar Concordia Plan Services health plans and include the selected plan in next year’s budget. Jim Bernecker moved to approve the request. Grant Wolf seconded the motion and the council approved.

Council discussed the drainage issue outside the Large Fellowship Hall. Dale then provided an update on the congregation restructuring committee formation. Finally, Council reviewed the next steps for the pastoral sabbatical and timeline for presentation at congregational meeting. The sabbatical committee will be meeting soon.

The meeting adjourned at 7:40 PM with everyone standing for the Lord’s Prayer.

The thirteen members of the Church Council are the “Board of Directors” of the congregation, tasked with general oversight of the life and activities of the congregation to the end that everything be done in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws.

June 14 Meeting

Details

Written by Brandon Abel Brandon Abel

Created: September 01 2022 September 01 2022

The meeting was called to order at 6:02 PM in Room 302. Pastor Nettleton read from the Large Catechism and offered a prayer.

Grand moved that the minutes from the May 10 meeting be approved as circulated. Dr. Marschke seconded the motion and it passed. Pastor Nettleton noted average weekly attendance in May was down compared to the last couple years. There was a single official act performed during the month of May, which was the confirmation of Andrew Molzer by Pastor Nettleton.

Monthly income exceeded expenses by about $300 and there were not any notable out-of-budget expenses in May. The current fiscal year budget deficit is about $14,239. It was also noted year-to-date offering income is at about 98% of plan and if this favorable trend continues it is anticipated we should see the deficit falling, as there were many full-year expenses incurred during the first five months of the year.

There were no board reports provided.

Tom Miles reported a new lawn service company has been hired to replace the previous contractor. The new contractor has been very responsive and good to work with to date. Tom also mentioned Jerome Haas completed much needed sprinkler repairs and some of the dry spots in the lawn are greening up nicely. It was also noted that the city has completed patching of potholes in the alley. A grant application was made to the Rocky Mountain District for financial support for the pastoral sabbatical. Saint John’s was awarded $1,500, which was provided by the Lutheran Church Extension Fund. The award is now in a separate sabbatical fund. Tom made a request to council for future mileage reimbursement related to the engraving of columbarium stones, which require periodic trips to Windsor. Dr. Marschke moved to reimburse this mileage per 2022 the IRS schedule from the columbarium fund. Grant seconded the motion and it passed.

Dale and Pastor Nettleton provided an update on the district convention. There were about 188 voting delegates present at the convention representing a large geographical area. The event lasted about two days and was filled with activity. Three of the more notable accomplishments included the election of a new district president, the election of four vice presents, and the resounding rejection of online communion.

Dale spoke about the congregation restructuring and the desire to form a restructuring committee to provide more dedicated support of the efforts moving forward. Grant moved to approve the formation of a separate congregational bylaw revision committee consisting of between three to five congregational members. The so-moved committee shall be responsible for authoring and proposing bylaw revisions to support restructuring. Jill seconded the motion and it carried. After the motion vote, it was agreed that Pastor Nettleton and Dale shall personally choose the members of the newly sanctioned committee.

There were not any open agenda items to be addressed. The meeting adjourned at 7:03pm with everyone standing for the Lord’s Prayer.

The thirteen members of the Church Council are the “Board of Directors” of the congregation, tasked with general oversight of the life and activities of the congregation to the end that everything be done in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws.

May 10 Meeting

Details

Written by Brandon Abel Brandon Abel

Created: June 15 2022 June 15 2022

The meeting was called to order at 6:09 PM in the Large Fellowship Hall. Pastor Nettleton read from John 16, Jesus’ final teaching on the Holy Spirit, and offered a prayer.

Robert moved the minutes from the April 12th, 2022, meeting be approved as circulated. Stephen Maffett seconded the motion and it passed. Pastor Nettleton noted average weekly attendance in April was up as compared to March and commented that Easter was a good turn out this year. There were two official acts performed during the month of April: the reception of Marda Gibbons as an associate member pending full transfer by Pastor Nettleton, and the funeral of + Norma “Jean” Bettger by Pastor Nettleton.

Monthly expenses exceeded income by about $839 and there were not any notable out of budget expenses in April. The current fiscal year budget deficit is about $14,546. No other board reports were provided.

Tom has compiled a list of maintenance projects that will be reviewed and prioritized with the Trustees in the near future. Tom also mentioned that the lawn care for the season has started and the sprinklers are now operational.

The council reviewed the congregational meeting agenda and made minor changes to the meeting order. All members in attendance were in agreement with the planned presentation content. The council also reviewed a first draft of the restructuring plan, which will continue to evolve. There was also some discussion on the messaging prepared for the congregational meeting.

The meeting adjourned at 7:11 PM with everyone standing for the Lord’s Prayer.

The thirteen members of the Church Council are the “Board of Directors” of the congregation, tasked with general oversight of the life and activities of the congregation to the end that everything be done in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws.

April 12 Meeting

Details

Written by Brandon Abel Brandon Abel

Created: May 31 2022 May 31 2022

The meeting was called to order at 6:04 PM in the Large Fellowship Hall. Pastor Nettleton read from Psalm 70 and offered a prayer. Ernie moved that the minutes from the March 8 meeting be approved as circulated. Jim seconded the motion and it passed.

Pastor Nettleton noted average weekly attendance in March was consistent with February. There were five official acts performed during the month of March:

• The release of Bud and Judy Schalles March 9.
• The funeral of + Kelly Bauer March 12.
• The baptism of Noah Harp March 13.
• The baptism of Aidan Harp March 13.
• The transfer of Terry True to Peace with Christ (in Fort Collins) March 31.

Monthly expense exceeded income by about $1,134 with a resulting fiscal year to date budget deficit of about $13,707.

Board Reports

Stephen reported Open Arms Preschool enrollment for next year is looking good. Universal preschool, which is a program out of the Colorado legislature to support about ten hours of class time for 4-year-olds, will be starting in fall of 2023. It is uncertain if and how this might impact our students. Additionally, April 13 is Rocky Mountain Raptor program day and there are also a few other upcoming trips and activities planned for the children.

Grant mentioned there was a decent turnout during the spring cleanup on April 9 with about four or five new people attending out of a total of fourteen. Eric provided an email indicating all trustees projects are on hold pending future project prioritization.

There were no other board reports.

Parish Administrator’s Report

Exterior windows were washed in preparation for spring. Tom is also going to begin working with the trustees to prioritize some of the various building and maintenance needs to address throughout the summer, which was mentioned in the Trustee’s board report.

New Business

We are in need of finding a lay delegate to send to the Rocky Mountain district convention on June 9 and 10. Dale has graciously offered to support Saint Johns by attending this year. Jim moved to approve Dales attendance and Robert seconded. The motion carried in approval of Dale’s delegation. Formal signatures were added to the necessary documentation at the end of the meeting.

Old Business

Dale mentioned the previously discussed date of May 1 for the spring congregation meeting should be rearranged to help address some conflicts. Stephen moved to have the meeting on May 15 and Ernie seconded. The motion carried.

Board reports will also be provided at the congregational meeting. Jim will provide the Human Needs report, Dr. Marschke will provide the Open Arms Preschool report, and Grant offered that either he or Eric will cover for the Trustees.

There are also proposed bylaw changes to be voted upon in the next congregation meeting, which require a minimum of ten days of advance notice to the congregants. Tom proposed we send out the communication through bulk mail and he offered to prepare a draft letter to support this need.

Ernie provided a report from the sabbatical committee. They have developed a comprehensive plan that targets a pastoral sabbatical that will run from June through August 2023 to allow for adequate financial planning, pastoral coverage planning and congregational education. Some high-level milestones in the current plan include Council approval in August and Congregational approval in November of this year. Jim made a motion to approve the time parameters presented in the sabbatical plan schedule and Dr. Marschke seconded. The motion was approved.

The final topic of old business was the discussion of congregational restructuring and how to proceed. It was recommended that a plan be put together, similar to that of the sabbatical committee, so we can ensure all members are on task. Such a plan will likely be reviewed in the next meeting. Additionally, Dale will pull together the previously developed board purpose statements and share with the council prior to the next meeting to support further dialog on restructuring and constitution updates.

The meeting adjourned at 7:08 PM with everyone standing for the Lord’s Prayer.

The thirteen members of the Church Council are the “Board of Directors” of the congregation, tasked with general oversight of the life and activities of the congregation to the end that everything be done in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws.

March 8 Meeting

Details

Written by Brandon Abel Brandon Abel

Created: April 25 2022 April 25 2022

The meeting was called to order at 6:03 PM in the Large Fellowship Hall. Pastor Nettleton read from Psalm 118 and offered an opening prayer. Ernie moved that the minutes from the February 8 meeting be approved as circulated. Eric seconded the motion and it passed unanimously.

Pastor Nettleton noted attendance continues to rise. February attendance was approximately 75% of the pre-pandemic historical average for the same month. There were two official acts in February. The funeral of + Margaret Griffin on February 15 and the funeral of + Marilyn Hagedorn on February 19. Both were performed by Pastor Nettleton.

February income was down a bit, at about 83% of the budget projection. This reduced income along with several one-time or annual expenses plus a high gas bill due to colder temperatures contributed to an overall budget deficit of $7,440.05 in February. Year to date we are carrying a $12,573.04 deficit in 2022 whereas at the same time last year we were only carrying a $698.84 deficit.

Grant provided a trustees report and mentioned they met recently. They discussed window replacements and a previously discussed front drainage project. The draining project now has a revised bid to complete the work to aid in decision making. The trustees are planning a future meeting to prioritize future maintenance and improvement options prior to making any investment proposals to the council or the congregation.

Dr. Marschke provided a preschool report. He indicated the preschool has a Mother’s Day event planned in addition to a couple school trips to support enhanced learning. Upcoming events include a children’s program with skits and plays in the evening on May 12 and graduation on May 18. Finally, he noted the preschool has ordered new chairs for the children and is considering a possible investment into new playground equipment.

Council discussed the Holy Week schedule. It was determined that this Easter will mark a return to pre-pandemic procedures where we will have a 6:30 AM sunrise service and a traditional 9:00 AM service with a breakfast in between. Dale and Grant agreed to take on organizing the breakfast.

The council also decided the spring congregational meeting shall be on May 1 to avoid conflicts with Mother’s Day and Confirmation. [NB: this date was changed to May 15 at the April meeting.]

The council discussed a proposal provided by Stephen to make amendments to the Church constitution and bylaws. The focus of the changes is to modify the requirements around church council membership. The proposed changes reviewed and discussed are outlined below by section. Bold strikethrough items are to be removed and italicized items are to be added.

• Bylaw Section 4.3 - Slate of Candidates: The Nomination Committee shall present a slate of candidates for officers and for Church Council members to the Voters’ Assembly at its semi-annual meeting in November. In the case of officers, such slate shall should consist of at least two names for each office. Additional nominations for officers and for Church Council members may be made from the floor. No person shall be nominated without his or her consent.
• Bylaw Section 4.7 – Vacancies: In the case of a vacancy in an elective office, the Church Council shall may appoint a successor to fill the unexpired term until the next regular election in November at which a successor shall be elected to fill the remaining unexpired term.
• Bylaw Section 6.1 – Membership: The Church Council shall consist of the officers of the congregation, the senior pastor and nine (9) members at large, all of whom shall have been voting members of the congregation for at least one year prior to such election and, at the time of such election, be at least nineteen (19) years of age. A member’s place on the Church Council shall be declared vacant if the member (a) ceases to be a voting member of the congregation or (b) is absent from four (4) successive meetings of the Church Council without cause.
• Constitution Article 9.2 – Membership: The Church Council shall consist of the officers of the congregation, the senior pastor and nine (9) members at large, all of whom shall have been voting members of the congregation for at least one year prior to such election and all of whom shall be at least nineteen (19) years of age.

Dr. Marschke moved that the council approve the amendments as submitted and Eric seconded the motion. The motion was carried.

Ernie represented the sabbatical committee and presented an action plan and timeline to support a summer pastoral sabbatical. However, it was the recommendation of the sabbatical committee that this plan should not be adopted on the grounds that it is too aggressive. The counter proposal was that the sabbatical committee instead work to prepare a plan to support a successful 2023 sabbatical.

Finally, with the topic of a 2022 pastoral sabbatical being addressed, the council again returned to discuss congregational restructuring. The discussion focused on a proposal from a past restructuring committee. There was much healthy dialog around the future state quantity and makeup of boards and the decision was made to review these topics at the next council meeting to further the discussion.

The meeting adjourned at 7:51 PM with everyone standing for the Lord’s Prayer.

The thirteen members of the Church Council are the “Board of Directors” of the congregation, tasked with general oversight of the life and activities of the congregation to the end that everything be done in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws.

February 8 Meeting

Details

Written by Brandon Abel Brandon Abel

Created: March 15 2022 March 15 2022

The meeting was called to order at 6:00 PM in the Large Fellowship Hall. Pastor Nettleton led a devotional from Luke 8, the Parable of the Sower, followed by prayer. Dale welcomed Ernie Hauser to the Council.

The minutes from the January 11, 2022, meeting were approved as circulated. The only Official Act in January 2022 was the baptism of Linnea Harwell by Pastor Funke.

This month there were a few annual expenses from the Health Savings Accounts, bulk mail and preschool advertising, which resulted in expenses about 113% above plan. Tom Miles walked through the two generally provided financial documents, the Balance Sheet and the Income Statement.

Board Reports

Jim Bernecker reported Human Needs has raised $770 in the effort to support Laurel Elementary School’s most critical needs. Discussions are ongoing with Laurel to ensure those needs are understood and properly fulfilled. Also, donated items are being delivered weekly by volunteers. There is a lot of great work being done by this motivated and enthusiastic group.

Eric Gardner reported the Board of Trustees is investigating and quoting various options to replace some of the older external single pane glass windows with thermal glass options to reduce thermal heat loss (and thus future energy usage and expense). This does not affect any of the stained glass. More discussion and a possible Trustee recommendation may follow.

Steven Maffett reported Open Arms Preschool enrollment is looking favorable with twelve children in the Monday/Wednesday/Friday morning classes and seven in the Tuesday/Thursday morning classes. Steven also reported the preschool will be receiving two grants from the State COVID Relief Fund:

• First, a Child Care Stabilization Grant, which will provide $2,940 per month for nine months. 50% of this grant is targeted to give relief to families from the cost of preschool. The Open Arms Preschool is planning to use this portion to decrease student tuition about $50 per month and waiving the 2022–2023 $25 supply fee. The other 50% of this grant money would be placed into the Open Arms Preschool Special Projects fund.
• The second is the Sustainability Grant for Workforce Retention, which would provide $721 per month for nine months. Several ideas are being discussed on how to use this money. Some options being considered include giving the money as a bonus to the employees of Open Arms Preschool, paying for continuing education and conferences and developing someone, through classes and other continuing education, to be a director-qualified substitute for Kandy Wise.

Eric Gardner reported the Board of Outreach is considering various options for a condensed fall conference.

Parish Administrator’s Report

Tom Miles indicated there is not a designated Key Executive for the accounts at Wells Fargo and that it is the desire of the Wells Fargo leadership to appoint such a person. Wells Fargo would like to see Council meeting documentation and approval of the individual prior to assigning the permissions. Tom requested that the council consider approving a motion confirming that “We, the Church Council of Saint John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (Saint John’s Lutheran), designate Parish Administrator Thomas C. Miles ‘Key Executive’ of all Saint John’s accounts at Wells Fargo Bank”. The motion was made in favor by Robert and seconded by Jim. The motion was approved unanimously.

New Business

Dale discussed various ministry sabbatical resources, why sabbatical may be important, and possible benefits of sabbaticals. Dale asked that the Council move quickly to consider preparing the congregation with a three- to nine-month sabbatical contract proposal for Pastor Nettleton by the next congregational meeting in May.

Steven Maffett asked if we could table this topic until the council have had the time to review the provided documents, however a formal motion was not made. Ernie made a counter proposal that we instead conduct a brief review of the materials to support furthering the dialog. After a ten-minute review period there was much discussion on the provided material.

Ernie made motion to appoint a committee assigned to draft a staffing contingency plan that prepares for a future that may include the council approving a three- to nine-month pastoral sabbatical to recommend to the congregation. Jim Bernecker seconded the motion as stated. The motion passed with a majority voice vote.

Ernie, Jim, Robert, Dorothy, and Dale volunteered to serve on the committee appointed to prepare and present the so-moved contingency plan at the next council meeting in March 2022.

In other new business, Dale mentioned that the Board of Fellowship has not been very active lately, so he will try to get the board revitalized such that they can support Lenten meals in the coming season.

Old Business

Previous business of filling the two council seat vacancies was discussed. The council agreed the best path forward is to make an adjustment to the bylaws. Steven agreed to draft a proposed change to Section 4.7 in the Bylaws and present to Council for consideration at the next meeting.

The distribution of new directories was completed with the help of a fully functioning copy machine.

The council unanimously agreed to table any further discussion on Church restructuring until after such a time that the topic of pastoral sabbatical has been fully addressed and closed. A firm time schedule on this was not established.

The meeting adjourned at 7:56 PM with everyone standing for the Lord’s Prayer.

The thirteen members of the Church Council are the “Board of Directors” of the congregation, tasked with general oversight of the life and activities of the congregation to the end that everything be done in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws.

January 11 Meeting

Details

Written by Brandon Abel Brandon Abel

Created: February 24 2022 February 24 2022

The meeting was called to order at 6:02 PM in the Large Fellowship Hall. Dale welcomed Dr. Robert Marschke to the Council. Pastor Nettleton led a devotional tied to the past Sunday’s worship theme by reading from Isiah 60 followed by prayer.

The minutes from the October 12th, 2021 meeting were approved as circulated. The only official act in December 2021 was the memorial service of + Trudy Brockman. Eric provided the Treasurer’s report. Fiscal year 2021 revenue exceeded expenses by 0.6% as a result of generous extra contributions in December. Preschool expenses exceeded their income for this month and the year due to lower enrollment, however they received a significant donation in December, part of which may be used to offset any shortfall at the end of the school year.

Board Reports

Stephen Maffett indicated the Open Arms Preschool is in the process of defining their advertising efforts for 2022, which will likely occur through the Fort Collins Macaroni Kid Preschool Fair. In past years efforts were in person, however this year virtual options are most likely to occur. The board is also discussing the creation of an open house style video overview of the preschool and posting to affiliated web sites in lieu of in person events.

Jim Bernecker discussed the Trustees are considering actions to address pooling water on the north side of the building. This may include a temporary solution that would consist of downspout improvements. A permanent resolution to the issue would likely require new landscaping and drainage installation, which would be a more significant investment and may be discussed at future meetings. Jim also discussed opportunities to improve the methods and completeness of snow removal to mitigate any safety and property issues that may arise.

Parish Administrator’s Report

Tom reported on the year-end income and expense reporting provided by the accountant. Tom also mentioned he has scheduled a few larger trees on the property to be proactively trimmed in January to reduce the risk of future tree and property damage.

Old Business

There was no old business to be addressed.

New Business

The first item of new business was to discuss the need to fill the two Council vacancies as indicated in the bylaws. It was noted that the election committee spent considerable effort and was not able to identify enough members to volunteer to serve on the Council, therefore it is not believed it will be possible to find any additional members to appoint at this time. While the bylaws of the congregation state the Council must consist of nine at-large members, all members present agreed to proceeding with two vacant seats that currently exist. This topic and future shall be added to future meeting agendas to facilitate issue resolution.

The second item was the selection of an at-large Council member to serve on the Executive Committee. Grant Wolf has again agreed to serve in this position.

The third item was the assignment of board liaisons to boards that are actively meeting. Notable changes from last year were the assignment of Stephen Maffett, who is now serving as Council Vice President, as the liaison to the Human Resources board and the assignment of Eric Gardner as the liaison to the Outreach board.

The fourth and final item was the distribution of updated membership directories. Tom Miles was able to present five copies to the Council members due to untimely copier issues. The remainder of the directories will be distributed at the next Council meeting.

Open Agenda Items

There were not any open agenda items.

The meeting adjourned at 7:39 PM with everyone standing for the Lord’s Prayer.

The thirteen members of the Church Council are the “Board of Directors” of the congregation, tasked with general oversight of the life and activities of the congregation to the end that everything be done in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws.

November 9 Meeting

Details

Written by Fred Hartmeister Fred Hartmeister

Created: January 13 2022 January 13 2022

The meeting was called to order at 6:01 PM in the Large Fellowship Hall. Pastor Nettleton led a devotional from “Around the Word Devotions” for the week of November 7–13, 2021 followed by a prayer. The minutes from the October 12, 2021 meeting were approved as circulated. The only Official Act for the past month was the release of Angela Marolf. Pastor Nettleton also commented on attendance remaining consistent year-to-date in comparison with figures from 2020. He also mentioned the fact that weekly worship attendance across the District is generally down by approximately 30%. There was also a brief discussion about future plans for streaming services. Knowing he would be absent from the meeting, Eric provided a summary via email. There were not any unexpected expenses in the past month. Eric noted two significant variations from last year’s budget attributable to our no longer benefiting from payroll tax provisions in the CARES Act and preschool attendance being down slightly since the beginning of the new school year.

Board Reports

Jim reported on behalf of the Human Needs Board, highlighting planning for Thanksgiving and Christmas activities. Almost fifty families in the community have been identified who may benefit from a Thanksgiving basket, the overall cost of which will be offset in part with a $250 Thrivent gift card. A Gift Giving Tree will be created for Christmas donations. Plans for providing meals for members in need, such as new parents, are also in the works.

Stephen reported on Preschool activities and indicated that with the recent addition of three new students enrollment is looking a lot more solid. Recent activities included the Bike Rodeo and a Pumpkin Patch field trip, with a “Thanksgiving Feast” planned. The Christmas program will be on December 16. Following research it was confirmed that tuition is midrange in comparison with other preschools.

Grant reported that the Trustees remain engaged with tree trimming and general cleanup operations around the facility.

Parish Administrator’s Report

Tom reported that recent problems with streaming worship services has been rectified with some computer upgrades.

Old Business

For the first item of Old Business, Pastor Nettleton reported the Nomination Committee was still attempting to fill several slots prior to the November 21 Congregation meeting. Pastor will email the final slate of nominees to Council members for final approval.

The second Old Business item was Council’s ratification of the Executive Committee’s October 22, 2021, decision to comply with the Larimer County Health Department’s most recent order to wear masks inside all publicly accessible buildings. Recognizing that signage was already in place the Executive Committee had unanimously adopted this statement: “Following the Larimer County Health Department’s ‘Ninth Public Health Order’, masks are required for all services. Masks will be available for those who want one. No other changes have been made at this time.” Following a motion and second the Council voted unanimously to affirm the Executive Committee’s compliance statement.

The third Old Business agenda item was the Council’s approval of a proposed budget to be presented at the upcoming Congregation meeting. No changes have been made to the budget proposal since it was presented in October. With the addition of October income numbers the end-of-year income projection has changed; Tom will adjust the offering number so that the income budget matches the expense budget and adjust the percentage above projections as needed. Following discussion about a sizeable increase in the year-over-year liability insurance line item, it was moved and seconded to approve the adjusted budget of $465,485. The motion passed unanimously.

New Business

Council approved without change the proposed Congregation Meeting Agenda for November 21, 2021.

On Pastor’s recommendation, Council confirmed the Christmas worship schedule as the second item of New Business. Christmas Eve services will again be held at 4:00 and 6:00 PM. Christmas morning worship will begin at 10:00 AM.

The regular Sunday morning worship service on December 26 will begin at the normal 9:00 AM time and consist primarily of traditional Christmas carols and lessons.

The meeting adjourned at 6:55 PM with everyone standing for the Lord’s Prayer.

The thirteen members of the Church Council are the “Board of Directors” of the congregation, tasked with general oversight of the life and activities of the congregation to the end that everything be done in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws.

2022 Church Leadership

Details

Written by Joan Crouse Joan Crouse

Created: January 11 2022 January 11 2022

Church Council

Back row: Jill Hudak, Kimberly Pepmiller, Brandon Abel.

Front row: Robert Marschke, Ernie Hauser, Dale Walters, Grant Wolf, Eric Gardner.

Not pictured: Stephen Maffett, Dorothy Hull, Jim Bernecker.

Lay Ministers

Back row: Pastor Shawn Nettleton, Kevin Seiler, RoxAnn Karkhoff-Schweizer.

Front row: Barb Faucett, Dale Walters, Anita Walters, Rudy Nicholas.

Not pictured: Ron Young.

Photos by Saint John’s member Les Smith