Minutes for Board Meeting of 3/17/2015

Board meeting was called to order at 7:00 pm.

Board of Directors members present: Rev. Dwayne Johnson, Mark Kornmann, Dave Jenkins, Fenicia Ballard, Bobbi Strangand Kathleen Carey.

Trustees present: Jim Garner

Staff present: Cathy Alexander

Kathleen Carey moved to accept minutes, Mark Kornmann seconded. Motion carried.

Mark Kornmann moved to consent to the agenda, Kathleen Carey seconded.

Discussion:

Dwayne Johnson clarified the purpose of the Worship Arts Meeting planned for March 21. Meeting is to keep lines of communication open and get feedback with members of the various worship arts ministries.

Mark Kornmann requested further information on our direction in terms of a music minister indicating a desire for further discussion on this topic.

Agenda motion approved.

Pastor’s Report:

Dwayne Johnson highlighted special thanks to the Bible in 90 Days presenters: Kathleen Carey, Johanna Hardy, Phil Helbling, and Frank Wright.

Shout Outs:

Dwayne Johnson stated that the intention of this agenda item is to highlight the work of individuals who perform service above and beyond.

Pastor offered additional recognition of Peter Mavrikos for his consistent and excellent work with the church’s web page.

Charlie Jewett was also recognized for his work with the church Facebook page – making posts even when he was on vacation.

Next board meeting we will decide on the recipient of the McCann Award for Faithful Service for those who work behind the scenes and do the work that goes unnoticed.

Kathleen Carey made a motion of appreciation for the facilitators of the Bible in 90 Days. Mark Kornmann seconded the motion. The motion carried.

The A/V ministry raised approximately $5,000 towards the goal on Sunday, March 15. 141 individuals have made contributions to the A/V fund drive. The total funds raised stands at approximately $81,386. Approximately $14,113 are still needed to pay for the project.

The final payment for the A/V project is due in about five weeks.

  • There is a contingency plan to arrange for installment payments
  • Due to delays, final payment likely to be due in seven weeks
  • Will create a graphic to illustrate the level of giving vs. the total cost of the project
  • 9:00 am service had 97% participation for the A/V special offering
  • Kathleen Carey requested that we put an A/V update in the bulletin
  • Mark Kornmann to send the A/V fund numbers to Lance
  • A/V update to also be included in the weekly E-Blast

Congregational forum:

  • Rev. Elder Don Eastman was pleased with the level of participation for the survey and the attendance at the forum
  • Dwayne Johnson will follow up with Rev. Elder Don Eastman and debrief on the results
  • There was discussion on the importance of maintaining momentum between scheduled forums
  • It will be important to identify a niche for a church of our size in order to be effective and grow
  • Mark Kornmann expressed interest in the survey results. Dwayne Johnson to provide access code to Board of Directors so they can review the data

472 Update:

  • Need to have a strategy call with the contractor to get update and ensure timely completion
  • 2 stop work orders were issued. One appears to be for incorrect window replacements in a historical district zone and possibly other related issues and the other is for violating the previous stop work order.
  • Board of Directors had a conference call with the contractor to discuss remaining work and stop work orders from DCRA
  • Board of Directors, pastor, and contractor all agreed to meet each Sunday at 12:30 pm at the church to facilitate communication and proactively address issues through the completion phase of the project
  • It appears that DCRA inspected the work site due to neighbor complaints. Mark Kornmann to contact owner of adjacent property to ensure steps are taken to prevent further complaints and DCRA for further details on the original stop work order
  • Contractor indicates that she has approximately three weeks of work left

Update of evaluation from Dwayne Johnson:

  • He has reviewed comments and suggestions – and taken steps to implement them
  • Would like to reconvene the group after he completes his Elder training which is scheduled for April 8 to 12

Treasurer submitted P&L for both the general fund and the Buchanan Fund. Mark Kornmann asked if it is correct to say that the church is approximately $4,500 in the black according to the P&L report. Kathleen confirmed Mark’s interpretation. Church is on solid footing going into March and will have five Sundays of giving to support the various ministries.

Board notes that attendance has been tracking on the low side – speculation that electronic giving is helping to sustain the church.

Sunday music expenses are currently at $175 per person for the two choir directors and $100 for the drummer. Music expenses will be higher for Easter Sunday due to special music. Garret Jordan will be singing and there will be other guests.

Mark Kornmann moves to accept treasurer’s report. Fenicia Ballard seconds. Motion carries.

Jim Garner gave the Trustee’s Report:

  • The basement thermostat is failing. Original estimate for parts and labor was $4800. Brain Scott located a reconditioned replacement part that will cost $1270 with labor. Trustees recommend purchasing the part Brian located and spending the estimated $1270 on the repair.
  • David Jenkins moved to accept the trustee recommendation. Fenicia Ballard seconded. Motion carried.
  • There is no current contract for maintenance and repair of the elevator. Trustees solicited estimates for an elevator service contract. Trustees recommend accepting the bid from ETI. ETI had the highest monthly rate and was only $10 more than the second highest bid. The two low bids had high call out rates. ETI had the best deal on service calls. Also, ETI has not increased rates on existing customer since 2007 in addition to having a good track record.
  • Fenicia Ballard moved to accept the recommendation on the ETI service contract. David Jenkins seconded. Motion carried.
  • ADT security system is now installed and active.
  • Amazon Proposal update – Ann Strangman has been researching what other churches do to fundraise. The Amazon Smile program is used by other organizations as a source of income. The program donates a portion of the sales from customers that indicate their desire to participate and donate to a specific recipient organization.
  • Mark Kornmann moved that Ann Strangman and Karen Serio be allowed to move forward with participation in the Amazon Smile Program on behalf of the church. Kathleen Carey seconded. Motion carried.

Annual Global Justice Giving

  • Dwayne Johnson recommends that we participate in this event.
  • Proposed: a special offering at the installation service of Rev. Dwayne Johnson as an MCC Elder
  • Kathleen Carey moved to accept the proposal. David Jenkins seconded. Motion carried.

Worship Arts Ministry

  • Dwayne Johnson recommended not filling the full time music minister position at this time due to how church finances are currently tracking.
  • Interim directors for the 9 am and 11 am services are under contract until May
  • Dwayne Johnson recommended that for special events we contract one of the choir directors to be the lead for organizing and directing the music
  • Mark Kornmann suggested that we speak with the current choir directors on how we can support them in their roles and explore the possibility of extending their contracts

Dwayne Johnson thanked the board for their prayers and support.

Fenicia Ballard moved to adjourn at 9:12 pm. Bobbi Strang seconded. Motion carried.