Christ the King Lutheran Church, New Brighton, MN

Congregation Council Meeting Minutes—December 21, 2009

Members present: Pastor Paul, Pastor Deborah, Pastor Shelley, Cheryl Olson (P), Cindy Larson (PE), Dave Durham (T), Ann Bollmeier (S), Kim Burfeind, Greg Debelak, John Foell, Cyndi Lesher and Scott Paulson.

Members absent: Allen Pofahl and Len Krumm . 

I. Cheryl Olson called the meeting to order at 7:02 PM. 

II. Pastor Paul opened the meeting with prayer. 

III. Sr. Noreen Stevens from the ELCA Synod office presented an overview of the call process for a new pastor. She will be our contact person. So far the following persons have volunteered to serve on the call committee: Ron Salber, Bob Melius, Mitch Bendix, Melodee Rossi, and Sheryl Stone. Cindy Larson volunteered to help fill out the Ministry Site Profile. 

IV. Parents and staff members attended to discuss Children, Youth and Family Ministry with the council. We broke up into four small groups with discussion questions. 

V. Council Minutes:

a. Cindy Larson moved to approve the minutes from the November 19, 2009 meeting. Greg Debelak seconded. Motion carried.

b. Cindy Larson moved to approve the minutes form the November 30, 2009 special council meeting. Cyndi Lesher seconded. Motion carried. 

VI. Treasurer’s Report:

a. November total receipts: $116,455.99.

b. November total expenditures: 103,729.06.

c. The finance committee met and has gone over a preliminary budget. They will approve the final budget in January. 

VII. New Business:

a. The nomination committee results were presented. They are as follows:

President—Cindy Larson

President Elect—Len Krumm

Congregation Council (Three year terms)

Jenny Popp

Todd Stachon

Congregation Council (filling Ken Krumm’s unexpired term of two years)

Rich Pieper  

Nominating Committee

Martha Limburg (Incumbent)

Nancy Burton

Jan Cutler

Darin Zielsdorf

Scott Black

Phil Lawonn

Pam Axberg

Wouter van Bruggen

Joanne Knuth

Annika Erickson

Lindsay Stachon

Chuck Selby

Auditing Committee

Joan Hokanson

Resolutions

Brad Martinson

Dick Peterson

Ken Balzum

Cindy Larson moved to approve the slate of candidates. Ann Bollmeier

seconded. Motion carried.

b. Resolutions for the 2010 Annual Congregational meeting were presented.

Cindy Larson moved to accept the resolutions as reported. Cyndi Lesher

seconded. Motion carried.

c. Finance Process/Structure Update: a request was made for a small task

task force of council members to make recommendations for best practices in accounting and record keeping. The Synod alsorecommends an external audit every 5-7 years.

d. Update on Progress toward Strategic Objectives:

Update on Progress Toward Our Strategic Objectives

December 2009

Strategic Objectives

1. Provide outreach programs that effectively share the good news of God’s love to people in our community, country and across the globe.

CtK has an in-house food shelf. We support the Ralph Reader Food Shelf. We provide Meals on Wheels; Christmas Baskets; gifts to the Angel Tree and Mitten Tree. We annual participate in Habitat for Humanity. Several groups pack food at Feed My Starving Children. We provide a worship service at three local nursing homes each month.

CtK is recognized by Lutheran Social Services as a leader in refugee resettlement and support. Our new immigrant task force is actively supporting families from Liberia, Kenya and Bhutan.

Our Gospel Concert, Youth Musical, and All Saints Concerts are attended by many members of the community who are not members of CtK.

Opening our building to Community Partners with Youth; support groups; blood drives; basketball leagues; scouts; and many other community organizations provides CtK with visibility and positive public relations with the community.

Christ the King’s Local Mission Partner ministry partners with ethnic ministries in the Twin Cities around Prayer, Presence and Presents. Christ the King Local Mission Partners are Hmong Central Lutheran, Hospitality Center for Chinese and Pueblo de Fe (Latino ministry) of St. Paul and Redeemer Lutheran of North Minneapolis. Through the St. Paul Area Synod, we also are partners with Minnesota Faith Chinese Lutheran (with its Circle Pines and Woodbury fellowships), One in the Spirit American Indian Ministry, Daily Work (for the unemployed and under- employed) and VIBE, an inter-congregational youth ministry. We provided $9,000 in support to these congregations in 2009. We also engage in joint efforts with them such as participating in each other’s block parties; providing meals at the Chinese Hospitality Center; enjoying a meal put on by Hmong Central; and purchasing egg rolls to support youth ministry at Hmong Central.

Our Community of Nations Block Party was attended by many from the community. Our Local Mission Partner Congregations and several other ethnic congregations provided food and entertainment at the Block Party. Bishop Rogness and other representatives of the St. Paul Area Synod office and Luther Seminary attended and were very impressed with this event.

Our Global Mission efforts are some of the most effective in the synod. We provided almost $58,000 in mission support each year through giving 4% of our capital campaign income to global missions; a special Global Missions offering each year; and alternative Christmas gifts. Every other year a team of CtK members takes a mission trip to Tanzania. We have also helped fund visit to the USA by members of our mission partner congregation. We provide $6000 per year in sponsorship to missionaries in Tanzania.

a. Provide quality music, youth, education and worship programming such that Christ the King is known in the community for outstanding programs in these areas: Worship, Music, Education, Youth and Service.

See information throughout this report

2. Effectively market who we are and what we have to offer to the community at large.

Vern Rice organized two welcome walks in preparation for the Block Party. Door hangers were distributed in the neighborhood which included some coupons for the Block party 40 of those were returned. We had a couple of families in worship on Sunday because they learned about us from those door hangers. We had many non-CtK people in attendance at the Block Party.

Ads are regularly placed in the New Brighton Bulletin and the Focus, with larger sized ads published during the Christmas and Easter season.

A volunteer sends out a letter to new residents welcoming them to New Brighton and inviting them to worship at CtK, and Outreach Team members join Pastor Deb in writing welcome notes to first time and regular visitors.

Special events like the All Saints Concert, the Christmas Concert and Smorgasbord and advertised in the community with flyers and ads.

A volunteer delivers a mug and information about CtK to all first time worship visitors.

Our worship services are broadcast weekly on TV Cable Channel 15.

3. Provide systems where information, ideas, input and feedback are effectively communicated among members of all ages.

Bulletin announcements, video announcements on the screen prior to worship, Life@CtK, Herald, What’s Happening At CtK? email, prayer chain, letters, and phone calls.

4. Provide a space that is flexible enough to accommodate all forms of Christian worship including traditional and contemporary where everyone can hear, see, and participate in a meaningful way.

Phase one of the sanctuary remodeling project is completed. We came in under budget. Phase II (carpet and refurbishing or replacing the pews) and Phase II (lighting) should be able to be funded through gifts to our 2010-2012 capital campaign.

5. Create a culture where Lutheran heritage and Christ the King traditions are respected and where new ideas and innovations attractive to new and prospective members are appreciated and embraced.

6. Provide effective organizational structure and staffing to enable Christ the King to realize her vision and accomplish her mission.

a. Succession plan (as one strategy)

All Staff members have prepared succession plans where they have written up their recurring responsibilities and created a calendar of when they plan and implement recurring programs and activities.

b. Establish and maintain strategic plan

On going.

Strategic Outcomes and Measurements

Our desired strategic outcomes are positive trends in all of the following measurements.

1. Trend of people attending worship.

Worship attendance has increased slightly from 564 in 2008 to 572 in 2009. This is the first increase in average attendance in many years.

2. Trend of survey findings reporting quality and satisfaction with worship, music, educational programming and service/ volunteer opportunities.

Congregation council members did face to face interviews with people asking about their level of satisfaction with CtK in general and worship in particular. Responses were generally very positive and most indicated they are quite satisfied.

3. Trend of people participating in musical programming (track separately and in total children, youth, adults and senior citizens).

Participation in music groups has increased considerably over the past year.

• Soli Deo Gloria is a new women’s group with 25 women singing in it.
• The Master’s Singers is a new mixed group of 16.
• Christ’s Kingsmen grew from 20 -30 this past year.
• Harmony choir grew from 5 to 8.
• The Celebrate worship ensemble grew from 8-12.
• Born of Grace is a new women’s trio.
• Crown of Light is a new male quintet.
• The Sanctuary choir has 80 on the roster and consistently has 60-65 who sing on Sundays.
• The Bell choir membership remains stable.
• The children’s music program has changed from a choir to all the SS kids singing. They will be singing in worship about once a month.
• A Gospel Concert was added to the schedule and was attended by more than 300 people. The All Saints Concert was held at CtK and the two concerts were attended by more than 600.  Choirs from St. Philip's Lutheran in Fridley and the Anoka United Methodist Choir joined in the event.  
• A Lenten Cantata, "A Time For Alleluia" was performed on Maundy Thursday in conjunction with the Communion Service.  We had 8 guests sing with the choir for this production.    

4. Trend of number of people participating in educational offerings.

Bible Study and participation in educational offerings has increased significantly over last year:

• The Monday morning Men’s Bible study is stable at about 20 each time.
• The Tuesday Women’s Bible sessions are stable at about 35.
• A new introduction to the Book of Faith study was attended by 12 people.
• The Congregation Council has dedicated 20-30 minutes of most meetings to Bible study.
• Greg Block has 8-10 men involved in a new Monday evening men’s Bible study.
• The Disciple Bible Study group has grown from 12 – 19.
• The Wednesday evening Women’s study led by Terri Black is stable at eight.
• Higher Ground is averaging around 35.
• VBS attendance in 2009 was up by 22 kids.
• Art Camp was up by 15 kids. Sunday School registrations, by 11 kids over last year (190 vs. 179)
• Confirmation attendance is down slightly from 115 in 2008 to 108 in 2009. But kids are inviting their friends and we have a number on non-member students participating.
• Wednesday night’s Kid’s Club for preschool through third grade averages 12 in attendance.
• Wednesday night’s Club 45 for fourth and fifth graders averages 10-15 in attendance.
• Wake Up with Deb and Steve has increased in attendance from an average of six to a high of 14 and an average of 10 in senior high and 7 middle school students.
• A new parenting class is offered on Sunday mornings with 8-10 participants.

5. Trend of survey findings reporting people integrating bible study, prayer and devotions at home.

No survey conducted

6. Trend of people participating in service/volunteer opportunities (track separately and in total).

We do not have statistics for volunteers.

7. Trend of survey findings reporting CTK brand awareness in the surrounding communities.

No survey conducted

VIII. Pastors Reports:

a. Stewardship: Giving is up, but pledging is down.

b. Worship attendance continues to be up.

c. A Service of Remembrance and Hope was held November 17, 2009. 28 people attended.

d. Pastor Deborah has submitted a request to the CtK Foundation for seed money for contracting a handicap accessible van to transport several of our members and for several senior community centers. The cost would be approximately $175/week or $10,000/year. The request was for $5000 with the other $5000 to be put in the budget.

IX. Cheryl Olson thanked Pastor Shelley Cunningham for her service to Christ the King and wished her well.

X. Announcements and Updates:

a. Next meeting Monday January 18, 2010.

b. Annual Meeting Sunday January 31, 2010

c. Leadership Retreat Saturday February 13, 2010

XI. Pastor Paul closed the meeting with prayer.

XII. Meeting adjourned at 8:47 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Ann Bollmeier, secretary

GUIDED BY THE GOSPEL: GATHERING • GROWING • GIVING