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.