Members Present: Sheri Barker, Mark Becerra, Juanita Celis, Mike Collins, Pastor Ron Hovick, Mark Lechner, Pat Milliken, David Perez, Alicia Saenz
Members Absent: None
Non-Voting Members Present: Brett Perkins, Diane Flint Wages
Council President Sheri Barker convened the meeting at 7:00 p.m. and called on Pastor Ron for prayer and meditation.
Motion by Mark Becerra, seconded by Mark Lechner: To approve the minutes of the March 15, 2012 meeting. Motion passed unanimously.
Financial Reports
Treasurer Diane Flint Wages provided financial highlights. Total income for 2012 compared with last year shows a dramatic turnaround. Envelope income is up substantially. She expressed gratitude to the congregation for stepping up and recognized Brett for his budget presentation to the congregation. Expenses are within budget and are below last year’s for the same time period. She reviewed the Reserve Fund Analysis, noting that currently there is $88,867 in the Reserve Funds. The loan balance is $550,000. A line item (36500) has been added for Capital Improvement Projects.
Budget Update
Brett reported that the 2012 budget has been finalized and the gap has been closed. Diane was asked to provide a quarterly budget update for the Sunday bulletin. Mark Becerra noted that some members of the congregation are expecting Council to present a long-term budget plan. The congregation meeting scheduled for April 15 did not take place due to other activities after services. A Town Hall meeting was scheduled for Sunday, April 22, directly after services to inform the congregation the means of closing the 2012 budget deficit. Four individuals have agreed to serve on the Nominating Committee; however, they have not met to nominate members of the Memorial Endowment Committee. A congregation meeting will be scheduled for next month to talk about long-term budget solutions and to vote on the members of the Memorial Endowment Committee.
Old Business
Boy Scouts – Mark Lechner reported that Paul Ford has taken over interim leadership of the Boy Scout Troop and that St. Mark’s leadership has not had an opportunity to meet with him. Mr. Ford needs to work toward certification as a Scout Master. Mark also noted that a liaison is needed from the church to the Troop. Discussion took place regarding certification for Mr. Ford and determining someone to serve as liaison. In conclusion, David Perez volunteered to serve as liaison to the Troop. Sheri, Mark and David will meet briefly with Mr. Ford after services on Sunday, April 22, in order to clarify leadership expectations and ensure continued open communication.
New Business
Benevolence – Pastor Ron recalled that in the past St. Mark’s has reduced its benevolence to the Synod. However, that was a source of concern for many in the congregation. He suggested sharing our blessings from God with the Synod as they have had financial challenges as well.
Motion by Pastor Ron, seconded by Mark Lechner: To give an extra one-time benevolence payment of an additional $5000 to the Pacifica Synod. Motion passed unanimously.
Project Hand – Pastor Ron reported that Project Hand did not receive an annual grant from the City of Chula Vista. The financial loss may be made up by other sources. Discussion is continuing with Lutheran Social Services to provide long-term stability for Project Hand through other means.
Logo – Sheri provided examples of the final draft for St. Mark’s new logo. She and Pastor Ron assured Council Members that the logo would not be used without some reference to “Lutheran” on the document. The Communication & Marketing Committee is creating a set of guidelines for logo use to ensure organizational consistency.
Motion by Pastor Ron, seconded by Mike: To adopt the logo with appropriate guidelines for all future publications. Motion passed unanimously.
Installation of Church Council – Sheri advised that Council would be installed during the April 22 service.
Movement of Spanish Language Service – Alicia explained that she would like to move the Spanish language service to a later time to better accommodate those attending that service.
Motion by Alicia and seconded by Pat: To begin a feasibility study of the possibility of moving the Spanish language service from 9:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. They would like to move into the Worship Space, as well. Motion passed unanimously.
Annual Strategic Review Date for Strategic Plan – Sheri suggested a tentative date of October 13, 2012, from 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon, to bring people back together for an annual review of the Strategic Plan. The meeting will include new people as well as those who participated before.
Realign Committee Assignments – Each of the six Core Strategies needs a liaison; assignments will be made at the next meeting. Consideration also needs to be given to collapsing standing committees and strategic plan committees to streamline organizational communication and effectiveness.
Maintaining Contact with “Big Event” Visitors – Tabled. This topic is being taken up by the Communication & Marketing team; they will report back to Council with strategies that can be employed.
Fingerprinting of Staff – Brett recalled that a process for fingerprinting and conducting background checks on staff members had been adopted about two years ago. The process was not continued; therefore, all staff members will be checked before the next Council meeting. Mark Becerra recommended using Life Scan. A discussion took place on who should pick up the cost. The consensus was that St. Mark’s would pay for the fingerprinting and background check.
Executive Session – Council went into Executive Session for 5 minutes at 9:15 p.m.
Pastor’s Report
Pastor Ron reported that he would have nasal surgery on May 9 with a projected recovery of approximately one week. Pastor John will conduct the April 29th service while Pastor Ron and Penny are in Phoenix for a memorial service for Penny’s Mother. Vacation Bible School will take place June 11-16. Lee is having 1000 door hanger invitations printed to be distributed throughout the St. Mark’s neighborhood. Pastor Ron and Susan Osborn will lead a class on prayer on Sunday mornings after church. He expressed thanks to Nancy Dreesen for leading the highly successful first communion class. In conclusion, he suggested that at some time in the future Council consider what should be done if St. Mark’s received a large donation. There is not an imminent reason for concern, but is a useful exercise since the Synod is faced with a similar situation and pre-planning would have expedited the effective use of that donation.
Spanish Language Service Report
Alicia reported that her license is good until August 2012. She is trying to determine the annual cost for the TEEM program and is looking for financial assistance. A date for the Fiesta was discussed, but not finalized. The suggestion is that, in order to allow adequate time to recruit a team and to prepare, it was suggested that it be held in August or September. This would also allow for advance invitations to be given out at the SKY! Summer Camp. Communications & Marketing are suggesting that all events include invitations to a next event, building a following in the community—and communicating that we are an active, community-oriented church.
Director of Operations Report
Brett reported he had received a request from Lutheran High School to use Jacobson Hall from April 29 – May 5 for a performance. A brief discussion followed.
Motion by Pastor Ron, seconded by David: That in the spirit of the Building Use Guidelines, Lutheran High School be allowed to use Jacobson Hall for a $50 daily custodial fee. Motion passed unanimously.
By consensus, Brett was authorized to follow up regarding the second cell phone tower. Brett reported that the Youth Group’s van has been sold, thereby decreasing our insurance liability. A van will be rented to transport youth when enough parent volunteers and drivers cannot be obtained.
Committee Reports –
Property Committee – Sheri reported that the Property Committee had advised her that the microphones are failing and will need replacement over the 1-2 years. The current microphones can no longer be repaired. We will move toward replacing the current analog mikes with digital microphones.
The possibility of moving Council meeting day and time to accommodate David’s class schedule was briefly discussed. No final resolution was identified.
The meeting adjourned at 9:50 p.m. and closed with the Lord’s Prayer.
Patricia Milliken
Secretary