Pastor's Letter
The Lord be with you!
I am so glad you discovered our congregation's web presence and are taking your valuable time to read through our website. I find that for many folks, this website is the first contact they have with our community....how about you?
Our church follows what is known as the "Church Year" in which the year is divided up into seasons. The seasons are designed to focus on the Life of Jesus Christ. Our "new year" is actually at the end of November when the Season of Advent begins and stretches for about 4 weeks. This Season prepares us for two things: the Second Coming of Jesus at the end of time, and the first coming of our Savior as a helpless newborn baby at Christmas. Following Advent is the Christmas Season which focuses our attention on the birth and early childhood of Jesus. Next, the Season of Epiphany (where we are now) which reveals the fact that this carpenter's son is really the Son of God. At the close of Epiphany later this month we will celebrate Ash Wednesday, which begins the Lenten Season for 40 days, not counting Sundays. To celebrate Jesus' victory over sin and death, we next celebrate Easter for 40 days, leading to the event called the Ascension, where Jesus was taken up to heaven. Ten days after the Ascension, we commemorate the sending of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. For the rest of the Church Year, we continue in the Pentecost Season. During this season we recall all that Jesus did and does and how the Church was formed, suffered, and spread throughout the world. The end of the Pentecost Season is the Feast of Christ the King. This reminds us that time will end soon and the New Heaven and New Earth will be revealed and we will live eternally with our God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. There will be no pain or tears or suffering. All will be made new and we will return to where our first parents got us kicked out: Paradise. WHEW! Got that? If not, don't worry; the best way to learn it is to live it! Please join our community. You can listen to recent sermons via a link on the Home Page of this website. That way you can get a sense of where I am coming from and how long I preach on Sunday mornings (!)
So, come and join us on Sunday morning at 9 for Bible Class for you and Sunday School for the kids. Then, at 1018 we celebrate the Holy Eucharist where not only does Jesus show up and come to us in the bread and wine of Holy Communion, but the entire population of heaven shows up with Him. What a rush!
In the love of Christ Jesus,
Padre Dave Poedel, STS
Pastor
MCLC Ex Comm Minutes - Jan 11, 2012
Present: Barbara Arnell, Diana Blimke, Janet DeBoer, Carl Opitz, Clayton Otterstetter, Pastor Poedel, Carol Riddle, Helen Spitnogle, Marilyn Westerkamp
Absent: Joe Bialy
Pastor Poedel opened the meeting with prayer.
The Secretary's Report for November was presented and approved.
The Treasurer’s Report for 2011 was presented and reviewed. Monthly financial reports will be available in Sunday’s bulletin insert, Grace Notes.
Pastor’s Report: Due to rising utility costs, a request will be presented to VLHS to contribute 50% toward monthly utility payments for use of the Sanctuary. Robert Koehne has assumed duties as Principal at VLHS, replacing Dr. Jay Krause, who is no longer on staff. Due to lower attendance than anticipated for mid-week Advent services, Pastor will consider format changes for mid-week Lenten services, but Taize is likely to stay. Finding more accompaniment for the Taize music will be considered.
A VLHS crew will take care of removing and clearing the dead tree and oleanders and general yard clean-up. (STATUS: DONE)
Old Business: Christmas caroling to Mt Calvary shut-ins went well. The Christmas Eve service was greatly enhanced by George’s organ recital; also, a thank-you to the youth handbell ringers for sharing this gift of music.
New Business:
Welcome to Helen Schnell, who is replacing Frank Gortarez on the Board. We accepted the resignations of Frank Gortarez and Richard Culwell with sincere regrets. Richard’s position as Vice President will need to be filled.
Responsibilities of Board members was discussed; it was agreed that each board member must attend 80% of monthly Board meetings held during a calendar year.
There is a need for additional folks to serve on the Worship Team (Acolyte, Usher, Lector, and Eucharist Assistants for prayers, for the common cup, and for the pouring cup). Sign-up forms will be available at all entries after Sunday worship services; if there are no forms available and you are willing to serve in one or more capacities on Worship Team, please talk to Pastor Dave or our church secretary, Diana Blimke.
Barb Arnell will check into an outing at the Broadway Palms. (STATUS: DONE!)
We will be holding our next Mt Calvary potluck after worship service on Sunday, February 12th. We hope you’ll join us!
The meeting was adjourned with the Lord’s Prayer at 8:45pm.
Submitted by Janet DeBoer
MCLC EX COM MINUTES Nov 25, 2011
Present: Barbara Arnell, Diana Blimke, Richard Culwell, Janet DeBoer, Carol Riddle, Marilyn Westerkamp
Absent: Joe Bialy, Frank Gortarez, Carl Opitz, Clayton Otterstetter, Pastor Poedel
Secretary's Report for October was presented and approved.
Old Business: A few sections of curbing still need to be painted; for those who can assist with this project, we will schedule this work for Saturday, Dec 10th before decorating the church for Christmas. We need 2 or 3 drivers for the vans for Christmas caroling on Saturday, Dec 17th; please let Padre Dave or Carol Riddle know if you are willing to drive. Thank you to the youth who sang ‘This Little Light of Mine’ during worship service on Sun, Nov 27th; there are many fine young singers in our congregation, so we were blessed to hear them singing together. We also appreciated our guest speaker for worship on Sun, Nov 27th. The Reverend Carl Voges is the Vicar of the Franciscan Renewal Center in Scottsdale – thank you for sharing God’s Word with us.
New Business: The 2012 proposed budget was presented and approved with minor modifications; the final proposed budget will be presented at the Voter’s Meeting on Sun, Dec 4th for congregational approval. All in attendance at the Dec 4th meeting who are at least 16 years old and who commune will be allowed to vote. During this meeting elections for Treasurer and Secretary will also be held. The mission offering for 1st Quarter in 2012 will be sent to The Garuna Foundation in Thailand. There will be no Confirmation classes during Advent. Gwen Lawrenz will begin delivering the items we collect for the homeless in our community to the shelter; during these cold temperatures they can use new underwear, socks, and other items to keep them warm. We have appreciated all the work that Gordon and Dee Broeker have accomplished in gathering and delivering the items donated by members of Mt Calvary to the homeless community in the past.
The meeting was adjourned with a closing prayer from Carol Riddle and with the Lord’s Prayer.
Submitted by Janet DeBoer
MCLC EX COM MINUTES Oct 18, 2011
Present: Barbara Arnell, Diana Blimke, Richard Culwell, Janet DeBoer, Clayton Otterstetter, Pastor Poedel, Carol Riddle, Marilyn Westerkamp
Absent: Joe Bialy, Frank Gortarez, Carl Opitz
Opening Prayer was given by Pastor Poedel.
Secretary's Report for September was accepted by motion.
July, August and September Treasurer's Reports were accepted by motion.
Pastor’s Report: Catechism class, “Lutheranism 101,” will begin after Sunday worship and fellowship on Oct 23rd. Pastor and Frieda continue their regular visits to shut-ins; Scott Campbell and Barbara Behrens are both recuperating at their homes after their hospitalization. Pastor Dave and Carol were in an auto accident, and are recovering from minor (thankfully!) bruises.
Old Business: Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas shoeboxes will be available for pickup beginning on Sunday, Oct 23rd; they can be returned Nov 6th through Nov 13th. Coach Wolf has picked up enough boxes for each Senior at VLHS to prepare a box as a service project. Tracts from the American Lutheran Publicity Bureau were previewed and will be available in the brochure rack at the main entrance after the shipment has been received. We are still planning a trip to one of Brad’s basketball games at Grand Canyon University, but the date has still not been determined. New information from GCU indicates that the games are no longer free, but the cost for Senior Citizens is $9, $10 General Admission.
New Business:
Per a new rule passed at the 2010 LCMS convention, a member of each congregation must be selected to attend the Circuit Forum with Pastor Dave. This will occur during the Mt Calvary Annual Meeting immediately following the worship service on Sunday, Dec 4th. The 2012 budget will also be presented at this meeting.
We will schedule a work day (half day) for Mt. Calvary, probably in early November. We are currently compiling a list of items to be completed; if you notice an area that needs some ‘loving care’ please let one of the Board members know so it can be added to the list.
Pastor Dave will be hosting the retreat for the Society of the Holy Trinity on Mon-Tues, Nov 28-29, at the Franciscan Renewal Center in Scottsdale. He has asked the Vicar of the Society, The Reverend Carl Voges, to lead our Bible study and be our guest preacher on Sunday, Nov 27th. A motion was made and seconded to provide an honorarium of $75 to Rev. Voges.
Thanksgiving dinner will be served on Saturday, Nov 19th; a sign-up sheet will be available after service on Sunday.
Thanksgiving worship service will be held on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov 24th, at 8:30am.
Advent services will begin on Wednesday, Nov 30th at 6:30pm, continuing the Taize format that was so well received last year.
We will decorate the sanctuary for Christmas on Saturday, Dec 10th at 2pm.
Christmas caroling for the shut-ins will be held Saturday, Dec 17th in the early afternoon, followed by hot chocolate and Christmas cookies in the fellowship hall. We will have a sign-up in early December; we plan to have two or three groups of 6-8 people each take a different area of the Valley so that we can accomplish this in a few hours.
The meeting was adjourned with the Lord's Prayer at 8:40 PM.
Next meeting will be Friday, Nov 25th at 2pm.
Submitted by Janet DeBoer
MCLC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MINUTES
Sept 21, 2011
Present: Joe Bialy, Diana Blimke, Richard Culwell, Janet DeBoer, Clayton Otterstetter, Pastor Poedel, Carol Riddle
Absent: Barbara Arnell, Frank Gortarez, Carl Opitz, Marilyn Westerkamp
Opening Prayer was given by Pastor Poedel.
Secretary's Report for July was presented; no meeting held in August.
July and August Treasurer's Reports were presented.
Pastor’s Report: Pastor will be attending the General Retreat of the Society of the Holy Trinity for 3 days the last week of September. Pastor and Frieda continue their regular visits to shut-ins; Gay Flock was moved to hospice care. Mike and Marilyn’s granddaughter was released from the hospital following surgery to begin her recovery period.
Pastor is the head spiritual director for the Men’s Cursillo weekend Oct 6th through 9th; Pastor Gerard Sparaco will be filling in for Pastor Poedel at Mt Calvary Sunday morning worship on Oct 9th.
Old Business: The sprinklers were repaired, but there are still some issues that will be worked on. The parking lot lights are finished and now provide the needed visibility between parking lot and church. The youth choir is practicing after Sunday morning services. Smoke detectors are up. The Valley Lutheran Board President has responded to our letter regarding painting of the curbs, and that will be completed. The office decided to retain the current financial program after a review of available alternatives, which are much more complex than is required for our use.
New Business: The mission project for 4th quarter will be Bible sticks for our troops overseas (the Bible on mini-Mp3 players with headphones for ease of use).
We are planning a trip to one of Brad’s basketball games at Grand Canyon University; their games start in November so a date will be decided once we have their schedule.
This year we will be visiting our shut-ins in December with Christmas carols as well as Christmas baskets/gifts. As soon as dates are set we will share that information; please consider joining us as we share this gift of heart and voice with those who are unable to attend and worship with us.
The meeting was adjourned with the Lord's Prayer at 8:21 PM.
Next meeting will be October 19, 2011.
Submitted by Janet DeBoer
MCLC EX COM MINUTES July 20, 2011
Present: Barbara Arnell, Joe Bialy, Diana Blimke, Richard Culwell, Clayton Otterstetter, Carol Riddle, Marilyn Westerkamp
Absent: Janet DeBoer, Frank Gortarez, Carl Opitz, Pastor Poedel
Opening Prayer was given by Carol Riddle.
Secretary's Report was accepted by a motion.
May Treasurer's Report was accepted by a motion.
Discussion was held on how to make the current software more user friendly. Joe will talk to his financial person at work regarding the problems we are having and Clayton will do some research on it.
June Treasurer's Report was accepted by a motion.
Dee Broeker,s health problems no longer allow her to lead the LWML program so Gwen Lawrenz closed the LWML checking account which contained $103. She sent $53 to the LWML Pacific Southwest District and $50 to the Friend's House at Drake Park. Thanks to Gwen for taking care of this!
Office News: Cox will start work next week to install the cable system.
VL has been able to refinance the loan with LCEF
to get the payment to a manageable figure.
Old Business: Clayton has removed the cup rack from the kitchen and the wall now ineeds to be painted. Paint will need to be purchased for the area. Diana reported that an electrician came today and he will give an estimate on updating our lighting system on the parking lot with fixtures that are eligible for APS rebates.
Twenty new folding chairs have been ordered from Costco. Joe will pick them up with his truck and will take the old ones to White Dove thrift store.
Carol is still working on the letter to VL regarding the repainting of the curbs on the parking lot. It was decided that we need all red curbs repainted as well as the yellow line by the sacristy door and to have the walkway from the east side of the church to the parking lot striped like a crosswalk.
Fourth of July activity was enjoyed by those who attended. (20-25 people)
New Business: It was decided to start sending the Journeying Through Grief Booklets which are sent out quarterly during the first year of bereavement. Carol will send them out.
Barbara Arnell has been trying to fix the sprinkler system as problems arise. Clayton will walk through the system with her to see if he can help in any way. If it needs a professional we will need to hire someone.
The water hose by the sacristy door is so long that it is nearly impossible to roll and unroll it. Joe will look at it and take some hoses off of it so it can be handled more easily. It is needed to water the oleanders by the east door and the natal plums by the sacristy.
It was decided to have a pot luck on Sept. 18.
The meeting was adjourned with the Lord's Prayer at 8:15 PM.
Next meeting will be Aug. 17, 2011.
Submitted by Carol Riddle
MCLC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Minutes May 18, 2011
Present: Barbara Arnell, Joe Bialy, Diana Blimke, Richard Culwell, Janet DeBoer, Frank Gortarez, Pastor Poedel, Carol Riddle
Absent: Carl Opitz, Clayton Otterstetter, Marilyn Westerkamp
The meeting was called to order; opening prayer was offered by Pastor Poedel.
Minutes of the April 27th meeting were accepted by a motion.
Treasurer’s Report – The Treasurer’s Report was accepted by a motion.
Pastor’s Report/Office News: Pastor Dave is happy to be working in his new office; if you haven’t seen the completed project you should stop in. A Cursillo Ultreya meeting will be held at Mt Calvary on Friday evening, June 24th.
Old Business: Work on the restroom remodeling project, Pastor’s office and ramps is taking longer than expected, although the end result will be worth the extra effort. Final inspection will be scheduled before the end of May. It was noted that the women’s restroom will need a piece of furniture or a hanging rack for purses.
After discussion regarding some school schedules shifting to early August start dates, it was decided that we will not have sufficient time to plan a week of Vacation Bible School this summer. Instead, we will begin planning for 2012. There was further discussion about forming a youth choir – more information to follow this summer.
New Business: Thank you to Jack Griffin for alerting us that we do not have working smoke alarms in our buildings. Janet DeBoer will work with contacts at the Phx Fire Dept to determine how many alarms are needed and the placement; dual sensor smoke/fire alarms will be used, primarily for the office area and near the kitchen.
It was decided that Jack Griffin will be allowed to extinguish the candles after the service once a month. Pastor will escort and supervise Jack, and his name will be in the bulletin as an acolyte.
Our next meeting will be held Wednesday, June 15th, 7pm.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:30pm with The Lord’s Prayer.
Submitted by Janet DeBoer
MCLC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Minutes April 27, 2011
Present: Barbara Arnell, Joe Bialy, Diana Blimke, Richard Culwell, Janet DeBoer, Carl Opitz, Pastor Poedel, Carol Riddle, Marilyn Westerkamp
Absent: Frank Gortarez, Clayton Otterstetter
The meeting was called to order; opening prayer was offered by Pastor Poedel.
Minutes of the February 16th meeting were accepted by a motion (no meeting held in March due to mid-week Lenten worship services).
Treasurer’s Report – The Treasurer’s Report was accepted by a motion.
Pastor’s Report/Office News: A new paper-folding machine was purchased for the office and new candlesticks for the altar. Pastor and Frieda continue to visit shut-ins on a weekly basis. Mt Calvary will host a Vacation Bible School in early August. A viewing and funeral service for Edd Austerman will be held on April 30th.
Old Business: Our restroom remodeling project completion date has slipped a few weeks and some unexpected additional costs have been incurred. Thank you to the members/friends of Mt Calvary for their generous contributions toward this project. Also, thanks to the many hours and effort donated by Joe Bialy and his volunteers in organizing the church rummage sale. The sale earned enough money to purchase furniture for Pastor Poedel’s office plus put some toward a new desk for Diana.
New Business: Thank you to Bob Wolf and his class for the wonderful Easter baskets they donated for our easter egg hunt for the Sunday School children; they were a big hit. Pastor will be making CDs of the service for the shut-ins when Frank Gortarez is unavailable. We will continue to store brooms and other cleaning supplies in the small closet area between the bathrooms in the sanctuary as soon as the remodeling project is completed. We discussed forming some type of children’s choir and will work out details over the summer before Sunday School begins in the fall.
Our next meeting will be held Wednesday, May 18th, 7pm.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:13pm with The Lord’s Prayer.
Submitted by Janet DeBoer
MCLC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Minutes February 16, 2011
Present: Barbara Arnell, Diana Blimke, Richard Culwell, Janet DeBoer, Frank Gortarez, Clayton Otterstetter, Pastor Poedel, Carol Riddle, Marilyn Westerkamp (thank you to congregation members present for the architect’s presentation and for their input - Scott Campbell, Ed Cooley, Gwen Lawrenz)
Absent: Joe Bialy, Roger Gardin, Carl Opitz
The meeting was called to order; opening prayer was offered by Pastor Poedel.
Minutes of the January 19th meeting were accepted by a motion.
Treasurer’s Report – The Treasurer’s Report was accepted; January closed in the black.
Pastor Dave and the Executive Committee members received a written resignation from Roger Gardin; Richard Culwell has accepted the position of Vice President on the Committee.
Pastor’s Report: Pastor will be attending the quarterly Society of the Holy Trinity retreat on March 10/11. A write-up about the mission trip to Poland in 2010 was featured in the Lutheran Reporter. The book study on The Presence will begin February 17th. Pastor is serving as a spiritual director for a Women’s Cursillo team the last weekend in March. Pastor requested that the office start splitting his salary with 50% toward housing and 50% toward salary.
Office News: Our restroom project architect, Mike Marden, of Western Design Studio, gave a presentation about our remodeling project, including an architectural plan. Barring any unforeseen issues, the project should be completed before Easter. As the project is being worked there will be temporary bathroom units available, including a handicap-accessible unit.
Mission offerings for 1st and 2nd quarters of 2011 will be sent to The Lutheran Malaria Initiative, which is part of Lutheran World Relief. This is a global effort to eliminate malaria deaths in Africa by 2015. Mission offerings for 3rd and 4th quarters of 2011 will be sent to For the Sake of the Church, which is a national program to support Lutheran students who wish to attend a Concordia college or university.
Mid-week Lenten services are planned for this spring, beginning with the Ash Wednesday service on March 9th.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:35pm with The Lord’s Prayer.
Submitted by Janet DeBoer
MCLC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Minutes January 19, 2011
Present: Barbara Arnell, Joe Bialy, Richard Culwell, Janet DeBoer, Frank Gortarez, Pastor Poedel, Carol Riddle, Marilyn Westerkamp
Absent: Diana Blimke, Roger Gardin, Carl Opitz, Clayton Otterstetter
The meeting was called to order; opening prayer was offered by Pastor Poedel. A welcome was extended to new member Frank Gortarez.
Minutes of the November 17, 2010 meeting and the December 5, 2010 Annual meeting were accepted by motions.
Treasurer’s Report – The Treasurer’s Report was accepted. The December report showed a net income of just over $2000 for close of 2010.
Pastor’s Report: Pastor and Carol will be going on a PSD Pastors, Deacons and Wives Retreat January 23-25. After much prayer, it was decided that we will not be sending a Mission Team to Poland this year. Regular visits are made to members/friends of our congregation who are shut-ins. The Taize format for the Advent Mid-week Eucharist was very well received and will be repeated in Lent on the Wednesdays after Ash Wednesday and before Holy Week.
Office News: The lighting retrofit has been completed; it has made a noticeable difference (plus it is a utility bill cost savings!); we are proceeding with parking lot light retrofits also. Pastor, Diana and Barbara will meet with the architect during January; pertinent information about the remodeling process for our restrooms will be provided during announcements after Sunday services.
Advent/Christmas: Thank you to George Pavia and to the cantors who shared their talents during the Advent season. Church decorating was great fun; thank you to all who participated with the decorating and then with putting decorations away. We have discussed holding our Christmas Eve service a little bit earlier in 2011 so it is easier for families to attend. We will also put Christmas caroling to our shut-ins on the schedule for 2011.
Activities/Events: A fundraiser is planned for missions in 2011; the first fundraiser will be a rummage sale/bake sale in early March. Please bring your items to donate for the rummage sale during February; you can sign up to bring baked goods and/or volunteer to assist at the sale also. Our next potluck will be after the February 6th Sunday service. Mid-week Lenten services are planned for this spring, beginning with the Ash Wednesday service on March 9th.
We discussed more reliable communication channels; e-mail has been handled by Harry Spangler (thank you, Harry!), but we will be asking for a preferred communication path (e-mail, text/twitter, phone, website, etc.) from everyone so that we can reach out with news to the congregation. The meeting was adjourned at 8:27pm with a closing prayer. Next meeting will be February 16th.
Submitted by Janet DeBoer
MCLC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Minutes November 17, 2010
Present: Barbara Arnell, Diana Blimke, Janet DeBoer, Roger Gardin, Pastor Poedel, Carol Riddle, Marilyn Westerkamp
Absent: Joe Bialy, Richard Culwell
Opening prayer was offered by Pastor Poedel.
Minutes of the October 20, 2010 meeting were accepted by a motion
Treasurer’s Report – The projected end-of-year income/expense sheet and the budget for 2011 were reviewed prior to the Voter’s Meeting scheduled for Sunday, December 5th.
Office News: Based on projected savings from Energy Resource Group, we are proceeding with a lighting retrofit that will reduce our utility bills. Pastor and Carol Poedel will go on The PSD Pastors, Deacons and Wives Retreat January 23-25, 2011. Thank you to Jaime Torbergson for organizing the shoe box ministry outreach at Mt Calvary. She delivered 36 gift boxes from our congregation to Samaritan’s Purse for Operation Christmas Child. The church bells will be programmed for the holiday season.
Activities/Events: Francisca Shaw is cooking our church Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday, November 20th; there are more than 60 people signed up, and it promises to be great food and great fellowship. We have much to be thankful for! The annual Voter’s Meeting is scheduled for Sunday, December 5th. The meeting will be held in the Sanctuary immediately following the service. The Executive Committee currently has openings for President and two Members at Large. We’ll be decorating for Christmas on Saturday, December 11th.
Holiday Schedule: Wednesday evening Advent services begin December 1st, 7pm. The midweek Eucharist will introduce the Taize format.
Christmas Eve, Friday, December 24th – 7pm
Christmas Day, Saturday, December 25th – 10am
Sunday, December 26th – regular service time at 10:18am
Building/Grounds: The grab bar to be installed in the Sacristy restroom has been purchased. A lock box will be put on the church thermostat to limit access. An architect from Western Design Studio has provided some initial ideas for a solution to our restroom upgrade and will be visiting the church this month. The meeting was adjourned at 8:45pm with a closing prayer.
Next meeting will be December 15th.
Submitted by Janet DeBoer
Mount Calvary Lutheran Church Executive Committee Minutes Oct. 20, 2010
Present: Barbara Arnell, Diana Blimke, Joe Bialy, Richard Culwell, Roger Gardin, Carol Riddle, Marilyn Westerkamp
Absent: Janet DeBoer, Pastor Poedel
Opening Prayer was given by Roger Gardin
Minutes of the Sept. 2010 meeting were approved by a motion.
The Financial Report was accepted by a motion.
Office/Church News: Diana Blimke and Barbara Arnell attended a workshop which was sponsored by Energy Resource Corp. on how to save money on utilities. It showed how we could save money on our lighting. T8 bulbs are more energy efficient. It would cost $500 to have all of our energy evaluated but the lighting check is free. It was decided to schedule the evaluation of the lighting. We could also save money by not running the water cooler during the week or by putting it on a timer. We also need to look at putting a locked box on the thermostat in the church.
Someone ran over one of the spot lights by the monument. Diana will get an electrician to fix it if necessary.
Activities/Events coming up: Oktoberfest will be on Sun., Oct. 31 right after church. The Poland Team will take care of the food. Marilyn and Carol R. will bring the German Chocolate cake. Richard will bring German music.
Thanksgiving dinner will be Nov. 20, 2010. Barbara Arnell will talk to Francisca Shaw and volunteers will be asked to help with the various aspects of preparing the meal.
The annual Voter's meeting will be on Dec. 5, 2010. On the agenda will be the presentation of budget for 2011 and the election of officers for the EX. Com. Roger will check up and let the committee know which new officers are needed.
The Staff Christmas gift was discussed. We will decide the procedure for gathering the funds for this at the Nov. meeting.
Next meeting will be Nov. 17, 2010.
Meeting was adjourned at 8:15 PM with the Lord's Prayer,
Submitted by Carol Riddle
MCLC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Minutes September 10, 2010
Present: Barbara Arnell, Joe Bialy, Diana Blimke, Janet DeBoer, Roger Gardin, Pastor Poedel, Marilyn Westerkamp
Absent: Richard Culwell, Carol Riddle
Opening prayer was offered by Pastor Poedel.
Minutes of the July 28, 2010 meeting were accepted by a motion. No meeting held in August.
Treasurer’s Reports for July and August were accepted by a motion; a year-to-date income/expense sheet was also reviewed.
Office News: Our fourth quarter mission offering will be sent to Pastor Ted Engelbrecht in support of a new school he is establishing in Hanoi (Concordia Lutheran Academy).
The signing choir ‘Hands of Joy’ will be joining us one Sunday this fall to share their gift of music during worship service.
Jaime Torbergsen is organizing a mission opportunity for our congregation that everyone can be involved in! Operation Christmas Child is a global outreach to underprivileged youth, sponsored by Samaritan’s Purse. This is a shoe box ministry; information pamphlets are available in the church entry, and Jaime will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Mt Calvary will be joining with three other Lutheran churches in the area to provide a ministry program for middle-school aged youth. Helen Schnell will be leader for the Mt Calvary youth.
Activities/Events: After service on Sept 12th the congregation was treated to ‘a taste of Poland’ potluck by the mission trip attendees. Most items served were made from recipes shared by their hosts during their trip to Poland (VERY good food). Anecdotes and special memories of the mission trip plus a slide show were shared during the meal. This was such an enjoyable meal and fellowship event that Mt Calvary will also host an Oktoberfest celebration on All Saints’ Day, and we’ll enjoy German delicacies.
Francisca Shaw has offered to cook for our church Thanksgiving dinner; mark your calendars for Saturday, November 20th - further details will be provided closer to the event.
VLHS Update: Dr. Jay Krause will be speaking to the congregation about a VLHS capital campaign following the Sept 19th Sunday church service.
Building/Grounds: Trees and shrubs have been trimmed. Grab bars for the Sacristy restroom will be installed in the next few weeks. We are also looking for floor-mounted handrail mounts to install by the steps to the Sacristy similar to the ones along the wheel-chair ramp.
Mike Marden from Western Design Studio will be providing his ideas for the church restroom upgrade and an estimate for architectural drawings.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:00pm with the Lord’s Prayer.
Next meeting will be October 20th.
Submitted by Janet DeBoer
MCLC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Minutes July, 2010
Present: Barbara Arnell, Diana Blimke, Richard Culwell, Janet DeBoer, Roger Gardin, Pastor Poedel, Carol Riddle, Marilyn Westerkamp
Absent: Joe BialyOpening prayer was offered by Pastor Poedel.
Minutes of the May 19, 2010 meeting were accepted by a motion.
Treasurer’s Report for June was accepted by a motion – May was accepted with corrections.
Office News: The Poland mission trip attendees from Mt. Calvary have returned safely and much blessed by sharing the Gospel with their new friends at their host church and youth from the surrounding area. A motion was made and seconded that any money remaining in the account set aside for the Poland mission trip should be sent as a gift to the host church, St. John the Baptist. A slide show of the trip and potluck will be organized for a Sunday in September or October.
Confirmation classes for youth and adults will begin in September. If you are interested in attending or being a sponsor, please contact Pastor Dave or Diana.
The third quarter mission offering will be sent to The Garuna Foundation in Thailand.
There is need for additional worship assistants on Sunday mornings: Acolytes, Eucharist Assistants, Lectors, Ushers. Please contact Diana if you can sign up for even one Sunday per month in one of these areas; training will be provided.
VLHS Update: Valley Lutheran HS will begin using the lounge for weekday music classes as their fall session begins. They will set up the lounge for our Sunday School and fellowship hour prior to the weekend.
Building/Grounds: Roof tiles by the bell tower need to be reattached; Roger will obtain a quote for this work. Replacement bulbs for the fixtures in the church were purchased and installed, but it has been noted that some fixtures do not work and will need to be replaced. The palm trees and elm trees will be trimmed.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:35pm with the Lord’s Prayer.
Next meeting will be August 18th.
Submitted by Janet DeBoer
MCLC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Minutes March 17, 2010
Present: Barbara Arnell, Joe Bialy, Diana Blimke, Janet De Boer, Roger Gardin, Pastor Poedel, Carol Riddle, Marilyn Westerkamp
Absent: Richard Culwell
Opening prayer was offered by Pastor Poedel.
Minutes of the Feb. 24, 2010 meeting were accepted by a motion.
Treasurer’s Report was accepted by a motion – second month still in the black!
Office News: We have been contacted by Sunbelt Investment Holdings, by directive from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, regarding testing and remediation of potentially impacted soil and groundwater on our property from a former FedMart Store located near our property. There will be a well drilled on our property close to the 7th Ave entrance and 50 gallon containers maintained on our property to store displaced soil until the operation is completed. Drilling should take about 2 days and will not impact access to our facility for worship on Sunday.
Mount Calvary will be host for the Cursillo Leadership Class on Saturday, April 24th. Members of Mount Calvary who have previously participated in a Cursillo weekend will handle registration and host duties for this event.
Mark your calendars! On Friday and Saturday, April 9th and 10th, Mount Calvary will host a rummage and bake sale to help raise money for those traveling to Poland this summer for a mission trip. If you have items or baked goods you would like to donate, please drop them off at the church office or contact Diana Blimke in the church office. We could also use plastic shopping bags for the days of the event.
The doors in storage have been donated to Habitat for Humanity. A carpenter has been hired to repair existing doors/frames in the sanctuary.
We will begin using Visitor Cards for Sunday morning worship and discontinue use of the black Attendance Books – this will start before Easter Sunday.
VLHS Update: Thank you to Mrs.. West and her VLHS students who did a full spring clean-up of the sanctuary during their interim break. You are appreciated!
The meeting was adjourned at 9:00pm with the Lord’s Prayer.
Next meeting will be April 21st.
Submitted by Janet De Boer
MCLC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Minutes February 24, 2010
Present: Barbara Arnell, Joe Bialy, Diana Blimke, Richard Culwell, Janet De Boer, Roger Gardin, Pastor Poedel, Carol Riddle
Absent: Marilyn Westerkamp
Opening prayer was offered by Pastor Poedel.
Minutes of the Jan 20, 2010 meeting were accepted by a motion
.Treasurer’s Report was accepted by a motion.
Office News: Two new office computers have been purchased; set-up will be completed after one additional monitor has been purchased. Maintenance and grounds clean-up is ongoing. Weed control was postponed due to rain, but grass killer will be applied around the A/C units. Keys have been issued to Ed Cooley and Joe Bialy. The congregation has been invited to help celebrate Frieda Streilau’s 90th birthday. There will be cake and fellowship in the VLHS gymnasium lobby following the Sunday service on February 28th.Frank and Sarah Gortarez have offered to provide a breakfast (free-will offering) to help offset costs for our members going to Poland later this summer. The breakfast will be held one Sunday in March. We are still discussing options for the rest room upgrades and will bring in another architect for a second opinion before moving ahead. In the interim, grab bars will be installed in the existing stalls. The Committee approved the purchase of a 12ft stepladder from Home Depot to avoid continued ladder rentals whenever a bulb burns out and has to be replaced. Suggestions about door replacement versus repair/refinishing of the doors in the sanctuary will be referred to Frank Heldt (from Heldt Lumber Co.) so that we can make the most cost-effective decision while still considering overall appearance.
VLHS Update: It had been noted that the hinges on the dumpster door were not secure and it appeared the door could actually fall and hurt someone. After a check the hinges were loose but still secure. VLHS will take care of the repair. The meeting was adjourned at 9:00pm with the Lord’s Prayer
.Next meeting will be March 17th.
Submitted by Janet De Boer
MCLC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Minutes January 20, 2010
Present: Barbara Arnell, Joe Bialy, Diana Blimke, Richard Culwell, Janet De Boer, Roger Gardin, Pastor Poedel, Carol Riddle, Marilyn Westerkamp
Thank you to Mike Westerkamp for his many years of service on the Executive Committee.
Guest: Scott Campbell
Opening prayer was offered by Pastor Poedel.
Minutes of the Nov. 18, 2009 meeting were accepted by a motion.
Treasurer’s Report was accepted by a motion (had been posted in previous Sunday’s bulletin). Due to minimal time currently required for computer input for statement balancing, the treasurer (Barbara Arnell) will add responsibility for reconciling the bank balance (thank you to Evelyn Campbell for her years of volunteer support handling the bank reconciliations).
Office News: An upgrade for Quikbooks 2010/payroll was installed; W2’s were completed.
It was accepted by motion to purchase new office computers. This will be funded by monies restricted for this purpose from the Memorial Fund.
We need to explore ways to replace the signage for both Mt Calvary and VLHS (joint monument sign) for increased visibility for our Church and school. Scott reports that the vinyl banner sign is disintegrating and will need to be replaced soon.
Richard reported on the Hispanic Ministry Group meeting. Richard reported that Pastor Artigas was experiencing decreased funding and increased workload. Pastor Artigas reported to the Committee that Pr. Artigas was considering offering his evening service in English for the Hispanic community. This seems to conflict somewhat with Mt Calvary’s mission. Pastor Poedel expressed his willingness to offer a Sunday Divine Service in the evening in English if there is a need or desire. Pastor Artigas holds a Service in Spanish, which fulfills a need that Mt Calvary cannot fill. Pastor Poedel will continue the discussion with Pastor Artigas.
Francisca Shaw has offered to provide a spaghetti meal for the congregation on Sunday, February 14th. She would like to provide a meal once a month for our congregation, beginning the middle of March. This will be in addition to our regular Mt Calvary potluck meals. We will be a well-fed congregation (body AND spirit)!
Discussions from the Annual Congregational Meeting (Jan 10th)
Scott Campbell offered a preliminary drawing to add an ADA compliant rest room using the room we currently use as a cry room. The cry room. would be moved to the southwest corner of the narthex. A plumber will be asked for plumping options into existing water/sewer lines in the women’s rest room while doing repairs on the leak in the men’s rest room A motion was passed to move ahead with an architectural drawing. A suggestion was made to list in detail each expense involved in completing this entire project and open it to our congregation in shopping list format. It was also noted that the sidewalk on the east side needs to be smoothed, and there is currently no wheelchair access on the south side entry.
A few members, at the congregation meeting, requested that the Executive Committee discuss music (choir, handbells) to enhance worship for visitors. Since our service is a traditional service, it is difficult to introduce contemporary music into the existing service. However, Roger Gardin will put together and distribute a survey card to congregation members so we can understand not only where the interest for additional worship music lies, but also who would be willing to participate and the commitment level (e.g., special music could be offered on a monthly basis as opposed to weekly).
The meeting was adjourned at 8:30pm with the Lord’s Prayer.
Next meeting will be Feb. 17th.
MCLC Annual Congregational Meeting minutes Jan. 10, 2010
The meeting was called to order by chairman Roger Gardin at 12:10 PM.
Opening Prayer was given by Pastor Poedel.
The Treasurer's Report was given by Barbara Arnell. She noted that we were $17,000 short in 2009 and this amount was taken from our savings account. Barbara encouraged everyone to pray about this and if possible to increase their weekly offering to avoid another shortage in 2010. The budget for 2010 is $154,900. (See attached reports) A motion to accept the budget was made and passed.
The next item of business was the election of the Executive Committee for 2010.
Motion was made and passed to accept Carol Riddle as Vice President.
Motion was made and passed to accept Janet DeBeoer as Secretary.
Motion was made and passed to accept Joe Bialy as a member at large.
Motion was made and passed to accept Barbara Arnell as Treasurer.
Diana Blimke thanked Barbara for her willingness to fill the vacancy in the Treasurer's position in the middle of the term.
General Questions/Concerns:
Remodeling of rest rooms to make them ADA compliant was discussed. The plumbing is in poor condition and needs replacement. The sacristy rest room is large enough for wheelchairs but needs details to make it compliant. It was decided to get an architect to make a plan of how this could be done. Scott Campbell volunteered to get this process started. Since this is not in the budget various methods of funding it were discussed. These included getting a loan but this is not realistic since we do have the resources to add a loan payment to the budget. Another thought was to ask for donations to be set aside for this purpose or to use bequest funds. A motion was made and passed to use bequest money to make the rest rooms ADA accessible
The next discussion was on the condition of our church doors. We have new doors in storage but they need to be hung. Estimates for this are about $8,000 including hardware. After discussion it was decided to use money from a bequest which is in an LCEF savings account. A motion to this effect was made and passed.
Discussion was held on how to get new people to stay after they have visited our church. Possibilities mentioned were to start up hand bells and/or choir. Participation is needed for either of these activities as well as a leader for the groups. Pray that these things can become a reality. It was felt that the Executive Committee should decide where the priorities are in this matter.
Motion to adjourn was made and passed at 1 PM.
Pastor Poedel led the group in a closing prayer.
Submitted by Carol Riddle
MCLC EXECITIVE COMMITTEE Minutes Nov.. 18, 2009
Present: Pastor Poedel, Diana Blimke, Roger Gardin, Barbara Arnell, Carol Riddle, Richard Culwell, Marilyn Westerkamp, Mike Westerkamp
Opening Prayer was given by Pastor Poedel.
The minutes of the previous meeting were passed by a motion with an amendment to include that Barbara Arnell was also present.
The Treasurer's report was given. It indicates that we are still spending significantly more than we are taking in. Diana has given back the raise that was in the budget for 2009 and Pastor has taken a $10,000 cut in salary in addition to giving back his raise. Much discussion followed. It is indeed difficult, if not impossible, to cut more from the budget.
Our Treasurer, Barbara Arnell has prepared a letter to be given out at the Jan. meeting in which we will adopt the new budget. We are asking each person to give an extra $2 a week if they possibly can. Those who do not attend will receive the letter in the mail. Meanwhile Roger Gardin, our president, will write a letter to those who do not regularly participate in our church community making them aware of the situation. The income and expenses will be posted in the News and Views weekly. Please check our progress there.
The Treasurer's report was accepted by a motion.
Office/ Church News: Our annual Thanksgiving dinner will be on Sat., Nov.. 21 at noon.
Gourmet Chowhounds will meet on Sat., Dec.. 5.
Cursillo Leadership class will be on Sat., Nov.. 21. Joe, Jamie and Roger will attend.
Discussion was held on why we take attendance. It was stressed that we need to be more diligent in following up on visitors and those who are absent from church. There is a need for a volunteer who would help coordinate the names of visitors who need to be contacted each week. Since Synod no longer requires a report of the number of communicants participating in the Lord's Supper we do not need this information.
Roger will design a card which we can hand to visitors to welcome them and give them times of service and Bible study information .
We need to talk to Pastor regarding getting Dustin involved with any youth we have and hopefully some from VLHS.
Discussion was held on clearing out the flower bed on the 7th Ave. side and putting gravel behind the flowers. This was agreed upon.
Care of the rose bed was discussed. A volunteer would be appreciated to take care of that area.
Richard and Nancy will defrost the refrigerator in the sacristy.
The budget for 2010 was approved by a motion.
Voter's meeting will be on Jan. 10, 2010.
The Executive Committee will have several vacancies for next year. Please prayerfully consider if you could serve on this committee. It is a rewarding experience.
The Baptismal Font will be relocated into the 7th Ave. narthex to get it away from where the children sit and to powerfully symbolize that our entry into the Kingdom of God is via Baptism, which then leads to the Eucharist. Water will be kept in the font so that everyone who wishes may, in remembrance of their Baptism, dip their fingers into the water and make the Sign of the Cross as they enter and leave the Church.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 with the Lord's Prayer.
Next meeting will be on Dec.16, 2009
Submitted by Carol Riddle
MCLC EX COM Minutes October 21, 2009
Present: Pastor Poedel, Diana Blimke, Roger Gardin, Mike Westerkamp, Marilyn Westerkamp, Richard Culwell
Absent: Carol Riddle
Opening Prayer was given by Pastor Poedel.
A motion to accept the minutes of the previous meeting was made and passed.
Treasurer report was given. The water bill held for a time due to lack of on-hand funds. It is now paid. The report was accepted by motion.
Office / Church News: The Cotterman’s have decided to leave Mt. Calvary. Roger will update and create the Eucharist Minister schedule for the next year. Ed Cooley has started serving as a Eucharist minister and Roger is trying to get a few more people involved.
The Hispanic ministry service on Sunday night is not attracting many people. Please keep this ministry in your prayers.
Nov.. 21 is the Thanksgiving Lunch.Goodie Baskets will be created for the shut-ins.
The computer situation in the church has been resolved. We are back to using the newer Dell computer. A new sound card was installed (purchased by VLHS) and we are back to recording services. The quality of the recording should be better. Roger will create a “cheat sheet” so when he is not there, someone can record the service with a few clicks of the mouse.
VLHS will have the trash dumpster enclosure door repaired.
We would like the ushers to bring the offering to the altar. There is no need for Pastor to have come forward to get the offering. This just simplifies the process. Keep Pastor Dave in your prayers as he recovers from his eye surgery. We have had the palm trees trimmed (finally).. They look great.
With the resignation of the vice-chairman, we are going to wait until the next congregational meeting to hopefully have someone step into this position.
We will also be looking at removing 1 or 2 pews on the south side of the church to create a wheelchair area. This will eliminate handicapped persons from having to stay in the aisles.
Also, the board discussed at length the rest room situation. Not only are they small, but we do not have hot water, the plumbing is showing its age and the layout is not feasible for the elderly members of the church.
We agreed that there must be a way to update the facilities, or do something with the sacristy so we can have handicap accessible rest rooms Also we have a great need for a storage room so we can get everything down from the loft storage area. Since Roger works for a construction printing business, he will see if one of the architect firms could come in and give us some ideas and cost estimates.
The meeting adjourned at 8:30 with the Lord's Prayer.The next meeting will be held November 18, 2009.
Submitted by Roger Gardin, Chairman
MCLC EX COM MINUTES Sept.. 16, 2009
Present: Pastor Poedel, Diana Blimke, Roger Gardin, Dan Cotterman, Carol Riddle,
Barbara Arnell, Richard Culwell, Marilyn Westerkamp, Mike Westerkamp
Opening Prayer was given by Pastor Poedel.
Minutes of the previous meeting were accepted by a motion.
Treasurer's Report was given by Diana. (see attached sheet) We are now operating in the black. Mount Calvary has been blessed by a bequest from the estate of Dorothy Schermbeck. This gift has been put into our congregational interest account at LCEF. The treasurer's report was accepted by a motion.
Office/Church News: The Rev. Dr.. Ed Ambrose, who is currently serving a congregation of the ELCA but is not in agreement with the current direction his church is going, was introduced in our church last Sunday. He would like to be active in assisting in the ministry in some way. Pastor is working with the District office to discuss how he might serve as a volunteer in ministry with us.
The Cursillo Board, which is a pan Lutheran group, met recently to discuss the changes in ELCA ministry. It was decided that those who are currently unable to worship in their own churches will be allowed to be on Cursillo teams for the time being, until they can find a new church home.
Diana has designed a very attractive business card which contains excellent information for visitors and strangers alike. She will print these and get them out to the membership.
Sunday School is going very well. We welcome back Evelyn Campbell and Gwen Lawrenz who will be joined by Janet De Boer, one of our new folks. Welcome to these dedicated teachers.
There will be a baptism this coming Sunday of a Tucson child. His parents are U of A students and requested baptism here. Welcome to these visitors!
VLHS Choir will be with us this Sunday. Thanks to them for enriching our service with their beautiful voices.
We are looking forward to a potluck also on Sept.. 20.
On Sept.. 27 we will host the installation of a new teacher at Martin Luther School and dedication of the whole staff. Pastor Poedel is enjoying teaching theology to the VLHS Sophomores and forming relationships with the students and parents.
VLHS Board will meet on Sept.. 21. Dan will address the issue of the broken door on the enclosure to the dumpster. It must be repaired.
Guadalupe is working on the sprinkler system. The palm trees need to be trimmed. Diana will get a bid from Guadalupe and Carol will get one from Jose.
Open Discussion: After discussion it was decided that Jack should not be assisting at communion. He does help Joe pick up the registration books.
We have a problem with lack of participation of our members. Ushers, Communion Assistants and Acolytes are needed. We have a few people chasing too many responsibilities. This led to agreement to reorganize the flow of communion traffic. Beginning next Sun. we will commune those staying in their seats first with the rest of the congregation simply coming forward as they see a space at the rail. There will be no welcome to the table and people may return to their seats when they wish and at their own speed. The dismissal will be given when everyone has returned to their seats.
There is no need to write down the number of communicants. The count comes up on the computer when the offerings are recorded and attendance books are working well. Barbara Arnell also counts from her seat.
Meeting was adjourned at 8:40 with the Lord's Prayer.
Submitted by Carol Riddle
MCLC Ex Committee Minutes Aug.. 19, 2009
Present: Barbara Arnell, Diana Blimke, Richard Culwell, Roger Gardin, Pastor Poedel,
Carol Riddle, Marilyn Westerkamp, Mike Westerkamp
Absent; Dan Cotterman
Guest: Nancy Culwell
Opening Prayer was given by Pastor Poedel.
Minutes of the previous meeting were accepted by a motion.
Treasurer's Report: (See attached sheets) We were unable to obtain a credit card in the church's name. It requires an individual's name on the account so it was decided not to do it at this time. A maintenance contract was obtained for the air conditioning units and they have been serviced recently. There is still a poor flow of air in the chancel area and a tower fan has been purchased for this area. Installation of a ceiling fan was discussed in case the tower fan is not adequate. This would come from memorial money. The parking lot has been resurfaced and striped. VL will pay seventy five per cent of the cost and MC is responsible for twenty five per cent. Our part will be $3,290.
Office/Church News: CDs are once again being produced for shut-ins. Dan Cotterman is handling this with Pastor Poedel filling in as needed.
A pot luck is scheduled for Sept.. 20 after the service.
Pastor's part time job at VL is going well and is resulting in increased communications with the high school. The enrollment is now at 204 with 3 additional students arriving next week from China. The portable buildings have been repainted to match the color of the church trim. Linoleum has been installed in the new building. The new Principal is Bob Koehne who also teaches history.
It was voted to rejoin the Martin Luther School Association at no cost. They ask us to promote the school to our families.
Frieda and Pastor will reschedule their visits to shut-ins for 4-5:30 PM to fit Pastor's new schedule. Frieda has already worked this out with those they visit.
George Pavia will be on vacation during the Labor Day weekend. Mary Bologninni from VL will play on that Sunday.
Pastor will send a note to VL regarding the damaged dumpster lid which needs to be repaired so it will close.
We will borrow a lift belonging to VL to change a light bulb in the church.
Diana will ask our yard man to check the sprinklers and fix them as needed.
Sun. School starts Sept.. 6.
The floor lamp from Pastor's office will be put in the cry room.
Meeting adjourned at 8:30 with the Lord's Prayer.
Submitted by Carol Riddle
Next meeting will be Sept.. 16.
MCLC EX COM MINUTES July 15, 2009
Present: Roger Gardin, Dan Cotterman, Barbara Arnell, Carol Riddle, Richard Culwell,
Diana Blimke, Pastor Poedel
Absent: Marilyn Westerkamp, Mike Westerkamp,
Guest: Nancy Culwell
Opening Prayer was given by Pastor Poedel.
Minutes of the previous meeting were approved by a motion.
Treasurer's report: Currently we are still showing a deficit of $9,784 for the year. Checking back to the previous year this is about where we were at that time. It is expected that our situation will improve when summer vacations are over. Our only big expense that is coming is property insurance.
Diana is transferring all records except contributions and attendance out of the Shepherds Staff into Quick Books.
It was decided to get a debit card for incidental expenses from LCEF for the steward account.
It was decided to make Lutheran Social Services our third quarter mission project. Donations can be made in the jar by the altar or use the mission envelopes in the offering packets. Our fourth quarter offering will for the Lutheran Hour Ministry in Paraguay.
Upcoming Events include the Sarah Helsom/Frank Gortarez wedding on Sat., July 18 and our potluck meal after church on Sunday, July 19, 2009.
There was a request from the Cursillo ministry for use of our lounge for meetings. These meetings are usually on Sat. mornings. This request was approved. Please remember to check with Diana if you need to schedule an event in the lounge.
Our shut-ins are currently not receiving their CD recordings of our Sunday services because we need to get a new lap top computer, get the software and plug in the sound. This is available for $300. We also need to get an LCD projector to use for displays at meetings. This will cost $300 - $400. A motion was made and passed to purchase these items with available memorial money. Dan Cotterman will check on these purchases.
VLHS Report: Current enrollment is 190 with a few more expected. Current facilities can accommodate up to 209 students. Work has been approved for gymnasium flooring, trophy case, and painting of the exterior of the modulars. Additional work on the modulars will follow as funds are available. Also approved was the remaining sidewalk needed for the permanent certificate of occupancy. Bob Koehne has accepted the position of Principal and will arrive in Phoenix in early July. Jay Krause will be the Executive Director and will focus on the business of VLHS. Parking lot resurfacing was deferred due to time constraints. This may require a discussion with VL and MC to make sure we are on both on the same page regarding funding expectations.
In spite of Diana's efforts with Waste Management and her contact with VL no action has occurred regarding the broken dumpster concrete posts and the damaged door to the dumpster. The dumpster does belong to VL. Pastor will talk to Jay Krause about this.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:25 with the Lord's Prayer.
Next meeting will be Aug.. 19 ,2009 at 7 PM.
Submitted by Carol Riddle
MCLC EX COM MINUTES June 17, 2009
Present: Pastor Poedel, Diana Blimke, Barbara Arnell, Dan Cotterman, Roger Gardin,
Carol Riddle, Marilyn Westerkamp, Mike Westerkamp
Absent: Richard Culwell
Guest: Kim Cotterman
Opening prayer was given by Pastor Poedel.
Secretary's Report: Motion to accept the minutes of the previous meeting was made and passed.
Treasurer's Report was given by Barbara Arnell. Our offerings have increased some but we are still below budget for each month. We have been using our savings account to make up the difference and this cannot continue. (See attached sheets)
Spending has been curtailed in every possible area but the greatest expense is obviously salaries. Pastor's remuneration is divided into salary and housing allowance. Pastor requests that we eliminate his annual salary of $10,000, keeping his housing allowance as is.
A motion was made and seconded that at Pastors request we eliminate his $10,000 salary and keep his housing allowance as is. This motion was not passed due to a tie vote. More discussion was held and a second vote was taken. This too was a tie. After further discussion the motion was passed with a reluctant unanimous vote.
It is understood that the Executive Board will reinstate Pastor's salary when finances improve.
After further discussion of finances it was decided to put all of our money into a Lutheran Church Extension Fund Demand Account. This is a special account for churches which will pay the highest interest available from LCEF. The money can be accessed whenever needed with no penalty for withdrawal. We will leave only a small amount in the bank to cover any shortages in the checking account.
Office/Church News:
Gethsemane Lutheran Church invited our congregation to participate in a program of obtaining and selling produce at a greatly reduced price by holding a farmer's market at our church on a regular schedule. This program is designed to help those in need to get produce at a greatly reduced price. We decided to decline at this time due to our limited number of workers available to establish this program.
A discussion was held on establishing a ChristCare Small Group Ministry. There is a program available from Synod which involves training of leaders to begin the program. Carol Poedel already has completed the leadership training and will give us more information. This is a great opportunity for new people to get involved in ministry and use their gifts and talents for God. The enrollment fee is $1,675 which can come from Memorial Gifts. We will pray about this and talk about it further in the fall.
Pastor will be on vacation for a few weeks coming up. Pastor Pope will preach and do Bible study on one Sunday and Deacon Mark Hanchett of Apostles Lutheran will handle the other Sunday Bible class and Service.
The Lutheran Forum periodical contains an article by Pastor Poedel on his journey from Rome to Lutheranism.
Currently we do not have enough acolytes for the worship services.
Lawns are continuing to be irrigated during the summer.
We will have our Fireworks get-together on July 4. The ice cream social will be in the lounge and we will go outside for the fireworks.
A potluck is being planned for July 19.
VLHS Report: Enrollment is up and space is needed. The modules are being remodeled and another one is being added. They are interviewing for a principal and another teacher. Jay Krause will be the Executive Director and they will hire a principal. Chuck Oliver and family are moving to WI. At this time the capital fund money is being used for operations.
The next meeting will be on Wed., July 15, 2009.
Submitted by Carol Riddle
MCLC EX COM MINUTES April 15, 2009
Present: Pastor Poedel, Diana Blimke, Roger Gardin, Dan Cotterman, Barbara Arnell, Richard Culwell, Marilyn Westerkamp, Carol Riddle
Absent: Mike Westerkamp
Guest: Nancy Culwell
Motion was made to accept Barbara Arnell to fill the board vacancy as treasurer for the remainder of 2009. This was unanimously accepted with thanks to Barbara for filling this position.
The secretary's report from the previous meeting was accepted by a vote.
Treasurer's report was given by Diana Blimke. The report shows that we are $116.50 in the red for the month of March. There is a continuing pattern of expenses exceeding income and we have had to take money from the savings account to meet expenses.
Various possibilities were discussed to cut expenses. It is agreed that structural changes are needed. Diana will be shifting to medicare shortly so her cost of benefits will go down. We will need to pay the gap between her supplemental policy and medicare. Another possibility would be for Pastor to take a pay cut. He is more than willing to do this. Diana also is willing to give back the raise we gave her in Jan. 2009. There was discussion on doing a stewardship program but not to push our people into feelings of guilt. We know that a large number of our people are on fixed incomes and others have lost jobs or had their work hours cut. There was a discussion on having a bulletin-free summer, possibly starting as early as May 1st. It is our goal to bring income and savings into balance and not drain our savings further but rather build it up. We will think and pray about these things and try to come to a decision next month. Roger Gardin, board chairman, will speak to the congregation next Sunday and pass out a bar graph to explain the situation. We will also show income and expenses in the weekly bulletin. We ask the prayers of all to help resolve this problem.
Board members were asked to attend the VLHS Annual Delegate Meeting on Sunday, April 19.
Pastor Jeff Ehlers will use the Bible study time on May 10 to discuss his mission program in Thailand and show pictures of the work there. This mission is designated to receive our mission offerings for the current quarter.
We are sending our new youth leader, Dustin Christiansen, to a youth worker's conference in New Orleans in July. This will be funded by Thrivent and our church.
George Pavia, our organist, will be taking one of his vacation Sundays on Memorial Day weekend and Randall Zeamer has agreed to fill in for that Sunday.
More roof tiles are missing on the south side of the church. Scott Campbell and Roger Gardin will fix them.
The meeting adjourned at 8: 25 with the Lord's Prayer.
Next meeting will be May 20 at 7 PM.
Submitted by Carol Riddle
MCLC EX COM Minutes March 18, 2009
Present: Pastor Poedel, Diana Blimke, Roger Gardin, Marilyn Westerkamp, Richard Culwell
Absent: Carol Riddle, Mike Westerkamp
Opening Prayer was given by Pastor Poedel.
A motion to accept the minutes of the previous meeting was made and passed.
Diana generated a chart comparing Jan-Feb 2008 vs. 2009. We are behind last year and will have to keep expenses under control. A suggestion was made to consider generating revenue by allowing a cell phone tower, or other commercial entity to use our property.
We also discussed what actions we might have to take if our financial situation continues to run in the negative.
We are still without a Treasurer on the Executive Committee. The constitution requires that we have that position. We prayerfully ask that we will get a volunteer to help out on this issue. Discussion on the relationship between income and expenses continued this month. The trend is that there is about a $1,800 deficit each month, currently covered by savings. Pastor Poedel indicated that he will ask the Executive Committee to reduce his salary to bring the finances towards balance beginning in May if the situation remains at it is.
There has been another incident of the VLHS musical instruments being damaged. Roger will give Pastor Artigas a letter asking him to keep an eye on that area.
Our pipe organ tuner has retired. Diana has informed us the organ repair person can also tune the organ.
Pastor Jeff Ehlers will let Pastor Poedel know when he is able to come visit with us. The 2nd quarter (April –June) mission offering will be for his Thailand mission work.
Gwen is planning Easter Sunday activity for the kids.
No Sunday School on Easter Sunday.
The quarterly mission offering to Southwest District has been less than we might have hoped.
Valley Lutheran report:
Martin Luther school can remain on their current campus for 1 more year. VLHS will be considering the options for the future of Martin Luther School.
They are on the capital campaign to raise the funds for future campus improvements.
No information on re paving the parking lot.
Annual delegate meeting to be held in lounge on April 19th @ 3pm.
National Lutheran School Association will be visiting the school to audit the spiritual curriculum. This will allow the school to gain accreditation.
The work team will repair the roof tiles that are loose or have come off due to wind.We will also be looking at removing 1 or 2 pews on the south side of the church to create a wheelchair area. This will eliminate handicapped persons from having to stay in the aisles.
The meeting adjourned at 8:30 with the Lord's Prayer.
The next meeting will be held April 15, 2009.
Submitted by Roger Gardin, Chairman