Christiania Lutheran Church

Church Council Meeting Minutes

March 17, 2009

Attendance:

I.  Call to order

President Al Godfrey called the meeting to order at 7:00 P.M. in the Heritage Room.  Pastor Dave Mesaros led devotions.

II.  Approval of Minutes

The Church Council Meeting Minutes of February 7, 2009 were reviewed.  

Motion made by Juli Skillman and seconded by Anne Romstad to accept the Minutes for the February 7, 2009 meeting.   Motion carried.

III.  Receive Treasurer’s Report

Arnie Schultz distributed Treasurer’s Report.  Arnie Schultz noted change in the payment for roof repairs.  Arnie is in the process of setting up automatic payments instead of writing a check each month -saving time and money.

Dick Sayther made a motion to accept the treasure’s report, Don Storlie seconded.   Motion carried.

IV. Pastor’s Reports

Pastor Dave Mesaros

• Heritage members – Currently working on identifying Christiania’s members to reflect our actual congregation numbers. Currently membership is reported at 1700, but many of these members are not local or Minnesota residents and do not attend services. While we want them to be able to keep their connection to Christiania, we need to report the actual number of members attending our church.  In essence, we need to clean the books and get an accurate report of active members vs. heritage members.
• Communications within the church.  Requesting Council members share information with staff.  Council is the eyes and ears of the church.
• ELCA Sexuality Draft –ELCA has published this study on its website.  ELCA has made a statement and each church will determine how they will interpret the report.  Christiania will not be making any changes to policy as a result of this report.
• Attended Evangelism lecture at Luther Seminar 

Pastor Nancy LH Brown

• Programming – Growing participation is great news, but limited space is a real challenge.  Until we expand our space, we need to be creative with days and times, develop at home resources instead of being church centered.  This item will be discussed at the Executive Council meeting. 
• Friendly Visitors- Thirty participants with three other churches, better energy, stronger training, more ideas.  Eight Christiania visitors. 
• Continuing Ed – Evangelism lecture at Luther Seminar, Barbara Brown Taylor on Sabbath rest, book group with some pastors (sexuality study, family systems and pastoral reflections).

VI.   Council President’s Report

• Al Godfrey distributed a calendar with Council activities for the upcoming year.  Noted that budget talks are starting earlier in the year to enable Commissions to examine their priorities and visions prior to determining their budgets.  Nominating Committee activities also added to this calendar. 
• Spotlighter – this publication is being updated in content and form.

VII.   Old Business

• Passing on the Vibrant Faith –
•    Time set: Saturday April 25 9am -3.  Council and Commission members will attend a follow-up session Sunday 11:30 – 3 as well.
•    Marketing and promotion of this event is starting.  Banners, posters, and brochures designed to spread the word and encourage people to register.  
• Commission report –The Worship Commission joined the meeting and posed some questions about what we like about Christiana’s worship style and what we think could be improved.  Some people find the blending of contemporary and traditional service styles confusing.  It was mentioned that maybe one traditional service and one contemporary service each Sunday might solve this issue.  Many differing opinions were discovered, illustrating how hard it will be to please all. 

VIII.   New Business

• Christiania Easement Issue – Fifty years ago the State of Minnesota bought an easement (easement encompasses ½ of the current parking lot).  The State did not use the easement and the property should have gone back to the owners, but it was given to the County. Rice County gave the land back to its property owners, Scott County did not.  Now, a group of landowners affected by this easement issue are banding together to pursue a lawsuit against Scott County to reclaim the land.  The exact legal fees are unknown but an estimate would be $10-20,000.  There are many issues to consider – how many landowners involved, overall costs, and no guarantee

of success.  Even if the law suit is successful, we still may have to purchase the land back.  It is uncertain whether the purchase price would be based on 1950 values or 2009 values?  Al Godfrey drafted a letter to officially ask Scott County to release the easement and give the land back to the church.

Dick Sayther made a motion to authorize sending a letter to Scott County officially asking for the easement land to be returned, David Anderson seconded.   Motion carried.

• Payroll – Staff payroll will be distributed via directed deposited instead of paychecks.
• Website – Madalyn has made many improvements to the website and she will begin to promote the site more.  Please update Madalyn with any information you think should be communicated via the website.   

IX      Commission Reports (Action Interest Items)

• Youth
• Easter Pancake Breakfast served at each service
• Worship
• Swedish Gospel Choir – Canticum.  Need help with financing, hospitality needs, advertising.
• Three services for Easter
• Forming a Liturgical Arts Committee
• Congressional Life
• New directional signs installed. Classroom maps being made.
• New baptismal panel for Heritage room.
• 2 café tables purchased for fellowship hall to make entering and socializing easier for newcomers.
• Military Awareness- Kim Fuhrmann and Angie Brantner gave a Temple Talk about military families and the “milk mission”. 
• Another dinner group will be started.
• Pastor Nancy willing to lead an informal book reviews for controversial books.  “The Shack” will be the first book. 
• New prayer group led by Tia Smith – first Sunday of the month at 10:30. 
• Giving the kiosk a facelift.
• Education
• Nothing to report
• Membership
• Nothing to report
• Missions
• Habitat for Humanity 2009 working in Chaska, requesting 15-18 workers.  Dates available: June 8-12; July 13-17; August 10-14.

• Property
• Projects
• Finishing grading waterway at the parsonage.  Don discussed the reduction of rent payment in the amount of $1500 for Dan Thompson, renter.  Renter will be responsible of waterway, erosion control, and mowing of the waterway

Don Storlie made a motion to reduce rent $1500 in return for the re-grading of the waterway, Gordon Storlie seconded.   Motion carried.

• Property
• Protects (continued)
• Painting needs to be done this spring
• Finishing canopy
• Roof complete
• Need to remove trees and shrubs on south and west to reduce damage to the church
• New computer in Karen’s office, old computer will go to the Sunday School office.
• May 2nd will be cleaning day
• Bids coming in for lawn mowing
• Stewardship
• Opening for membership in Stewardship
• Meeting with Augusta Church in West St Paul to discuss stewardship.

XII.   Adjournment

A motion was made by Juli Skillman and seconded by Dick Sayther to adjourn the meeting.

Meeting adjourned at 9:05 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted,

Cindy Tonsager,

Secretary