Sunne Evangelical Lutheran Church Council
SUNNE
EVANGELICAL
LUTHERAN
CHURCH
2016
ANNUAL REPORT
PASTOR: PAUL SCHAUER
Office Phone: 734-6485
Cell Phone: 391-0584
Home Phone: 734-6605
e-mail:
SUNNE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH COUNCIL
ADAM KLABUNDE……………….… 934-1328………………………,,……….2017
CHERYL WOODCOCK...... 258-1209...... 2017
JUNE NEUMILLER……..………..….734-6369……………….…..…………….2018
KAREN RYBERG…………………….258-7343………………..……………….2018
ERIC SCHILL……..……………….….751-2760…………………….……..……2019
LESTER VOLLAN……………………223-1182…………….……………....…..2019
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SUNNE LUTHERAN CHURCH
MEMBERSHIP 2016
TOTAL BAPTIZED...... 491
TOTAL CONFIRMED...... 365
AVERAGE WEEKLY ATTENDANCE...... 109
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2017 ANNUAL MEETING AGENDA
l. Call to order
2. Devotions
3. 2016 Annual Meeting minutes/2016 Budget and Election Meeting minutes
4. Treasurer’s Report
5. Audit Committee Report
6. Old Business:
7. New Business:
Election of Council Member – 2 year term
Election of Endowment Committee
Response to Bishop Eaton
8. Adjournment
9. Closing prayer and hymn
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OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE REPORT
After a ten year hiatus, this committee still feels that it has absolutely no reason to exist. Therefore, no meetings were held, no officers were elected, and, best of all, no money was requested or spent. The committee would like to thank the congregation for all the support they have received, although sometimes we wonder if people really even know that we don’t actually exist.
Submitted by Helga Hoghart, Chair
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2016 Annual Meeting minutes
January 31, 2016
A quorum being present, the meeting was called to order by Council President Shelley Porter.
Pastor Paul offered a prayer.
It was moved, seconded, and carried to approve the 2015 Annual Meeting minutes as printed in the 2015 Annual Report.
SuAnn Olson presented the 2015 Treasurer’s report. It was moved, seconded, and carried to approve the 2015 Treasurer’s report.
The Audit Committee Report was presented. Audit Committee members, Doreen Sorch, Jan Schauer, and JorJeanBrandner, reported that all financial records were in order. It was moved, seconded, and carried to approve the Audit Committee Report.
No Old Business.
New Business: Barney and Rose Strand have chaired the Harvest Festival Committee for many years and have decided to retire. Pastor Paul presented them with a gift certificate to the Little Cottage Café as thanks for their service. Emma Berg was elected to the Endowment Committee.
Meeting adjourned.
Pastor Paul closed with prayer and the congregation sang a hymn.
2016 Budget and Election Meeting minutes
December 4, 2016
A quorum being present the meeting was called to order by President Shelley Porter.
Lester Vollan and Eric Schill were nominated for three-year church council terms. MSC to cast a unanimous ballot for the candidates.
SuAnn Olson presented the 2017 budget.
MSC to approve the budget as presented.
Meeting closed with prayer.
Respectfully submitted,
Karen Ryberg
Church Council Secretary
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2016 OFFICIAL CHURCH ACTS
BAPTISMS
NAMEDATE PARENTS
Alora Violet Sawicki1 -3-16Jason and NaTashaSawicki
Chase Lee Weisz1-16-16Shannon and Jessica Weisz
Ever Cole Dearinger7-24-16Kevin Dearinger & Rebecca Rodacker
Levi Michael Duffy7-30-16Michael & Brandi Duffy
Jaycee Ann Staloch9-11-16CJ and Amber Staloch
Joanna Jane Olson9-25-16Christopher and Rebekah Olson
Owen Maxwell Hruby 12- 4-16Jeremy and Toni Hruby
Lincoln Howard Keating 12-11-16Cory Keating and Kortnie Oberg-Smith
FIRST COMMUNION
Kennady ClevelandMason Oswald
Ever DearingerTucker Schacher TeigenEarsley Kevin Schill
Seth MorlockEmma Vesey
Harper ClausenJoanie McCormack
Logan HansenAva Kirchmeier
Braxton WesselsBrenna Klabunde
Parker Hruby
CONFIRMATION
Kendra Landsiedel
Madison Schuler
LandreSondrol
Tyler Yanez
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WEDDINGS
Curt Bernard and Todd Schulz3-15-16
Haley Krueger and Nevada Sauer3-26-16
Myles Noon and Wendy Goethe4-23-16
FUNERALS
NAME DATE PLACE OF BURIAL
Ashley Folmer 1- 7-16Sunne Lutheran Cemetery
Doris Berg 1-21-16Sunne Lutheran Cemetery
Leland Fetzer 2 -5-16ND Veteran’s Cemetery, Mandan, ND
Beverly Fetzer 3-15-16ND Veteran’s Cemetery, Mandan, ND
Allen Schauer 4-29-16 Sunne Lutheran Cemetery
Jerry Berg 6-27-16Sunne Lutheran Cemetery
UlaneFranklund 9 -2-16 ND Veteran’s Cemetery, Mandan, ND
MEMORIALS
Doris Berg
Allen Schauer
Jerry Berg
Orville Lindquist
Buster Franklund
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AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
Rebekah Olson 1-27-2016
Sidney and Elaine Stromme11- 9-2016
Kevin Dearinger and Rebecca Rodacker11-16-2016
Larry Koffler and JoyAnn Holsten11-22-2016
Ben and Rebecca Perkerewicz12-14-2016
Wendy Noon, Josh, Robbie, and Brittnie Goethe12-14-2016
Jan Schauer12-19-2016
TRANSFERS IN
NAME Date From
Calvin Berg6-12-16Faith Lutheran Church, Bismarck, ND
TRANSFERS OUT
NAME Date TO
Megan (Bergquist) Neumiller4-12-16Faith Lutheran, Bismarck, ND
Ronald, Wendy, Noah, Bayli, Kaleb 5-18-16Lutheran Church of the Cross, Bismarck
Hausauer
Chase Schroeder5-25-16Our Savior Lutheran Church, Minot
RELEASED FROM ROLLS
JoNell Samson7-20-16
Kay and Elaine Schilla8- 9-16
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2017 Altar Guild
8:30 A.M.10:30 A.M.
JANUARY Jeannie KraftJune Neumiller
FEBRUARY Bernadine MartinLyndsey Cleveland MARCH Sue Szczur Jeanine Helm
APRILBernadine MartinLyndsey ClevelandMAY Sue Szczur June Neumiller
10:00 A.M.
JUNECheryl Sawicki
JULY Pastor Paul
AUGUST Cheryl Sawicki
8:30 A.M.10:30 A.M.
SEPTEMBERJeannie KraftJeanine HelmOCTOBER Bernadine Martin Help needed NOVEMBER Sue Szczur Lyndsey Cleveland
DECEMBERJeannie KraftJeanine Helm
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2017 Ministry Teams
WORSHIP TEAM
Emma Berg
Shelley Porter
Sue Szczur
EDUCATION TEAM
Jen Vesey
Anne Earsley
Denise Leapaldt-Johnson
Tucker Johnson
Brigette Tarpley
CHURCH PROPERTY TEAM
Mike Berg
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EVANGELISM TEAM
Alice Falkenstein
HARVEST FESTIVAL TEAM
Lester and Sylvia Vollan
Mike and Emma Berg
CEMETERY COMMITTEE
Larry and Betty Falkenstein
David and Tammie Falkenstein
Bob and Kristine Ell
2016 Pastor’s Report
The snow is so deep in the backyard at the parsonage that Ralphie (the Husky puppy) walked up a snowbank today, stood on his hind legs, put his paws on the fence, stuck his head over the top of the fence, and surveyed the surrounding territory. With that in mind, let’s survey 2016 and take a look at 2017.
You and I have been partners in ministry for over 24 years now. I continue to be amazed at how God works in us, through us, and with us to share God’s word and God’s love both locally and around the world.
Central to living God’s ministry is to worship God through Word and Sacrament. We gather together each Sunday, and other occasions, to hear God’s word proclaimed, to share in prayer, praise, and thanksgiving, to receive God’s forgiveness, to welcome people into God’s family (8 baptisms and 15 new members); and to share in fellowship. Our average worship attendance in 2016 was down slightly over 2015. We see this primarily during the summer months where worship attendance drops considerably. We continue to encourage and invite people to make worship the top priority in our faith life.
We continue to provide Christian education opportunities for all age groups. Sunday School, Confirmation, and Bible Study are great ways to learn about God. We have great students and volunteer teachers and helpers. As always, we look at Christian Education as an ongoing learning experience for all people of faith – regardless of a person’s age. We also look at Christian Education as a teaching experience for all people. We are not only learning about God, but by our lives we are teaching about God.
We continue to reach out to one another – here and around the world. 630! School kits, 211 baby care kits, 130 personal care kits, and dozens and dozens of quilts for Lutheran World Relief. The Half of Christmas offering brought in $5,000 for the ELCA World Hunger and Disaster Response Appeal. The Wilton Food Pantry distributed thousands of pounds of food in 2016 to nearly 100 different families. The Food Pantry was also able to distribute personal care kits thanks to a Thrivent Financial member who used an Action Team grant to purchase supplies.
Our youth group took part in a powerful Faith Adventure in Seattle which included working with a number of agencies feeding homeless people. We not only fed people, we also visited with many people – hearing their stories, their fears, their joys. And along the way, we were instrumental in saving the life of an elderly man who sat next to us on the train.
Financially, our giving has remained fairly level, but is down slightly. Designated funds vary year by year, but the general fund offering has remained fairly constant. We ended 2016 in the black, but just short of our goal of being able to fully give to benevolence. This is partly because we made the decision to carry over some funds in case our winter weather would cause us to have to cancel worship a time or two. Giving to the capital campaign has allowed us to pay down the building loan to $82,800. We are in reach of paying off the loan by our 125th anniversary next year.
God continues to work in, through, and with us. Thanks be to God!
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CHURCH PROPERTY
We want to thank Linda Mees for her janitorial work throughout the year. We also want to thank all those who volunteered to mow the church yard throughout the summer and a thank you to the person who donated a new push mower. Special thanks to Matt Backman for keeping the church parking lot clear of all the snow. Thank you to all who helped shampoo the church carpets at the end of the year. Thank you to Mike Berg for helping with various electrical issues throughout the year. Thank you to the crew who cleaned up and painted the west side of the church as we concluded the new front steps project. The main doors of the church were painted this summer.
PARSONAGE PROPERTY
Aside from general parsonage upkeep, this was a quiet year at the parsonage. No major projects were undertaken. A new push mower was donated.
BUILDING LOAN REPORT
We are in the midst of our capital campaign to pay off the building loan and have had a tremendous response. As this report is written, we have received $97,525 in gifts and commitments. As of the end of 2016, our loan balance was $82,823.85. If you made a pledge and have not had the opportunity to pay off your pledge, we encourage you to do so. If you have not pledged, but would like to make a gift, please know that gifts are welcome at any time. Please make checks payable to Sunne and write Capital Campaign in the memo line or on the offering envelope.
Back in January of 2007, the congregation took out a $300,000 line of credit at the First State Bank of Wilton to pay for the construction project at the church. This is a 20 year loan at a locked in 6.75% interest rate. In 2007, this was a pretty good deal, especially since the church, realistically, has little in collateral (with the exception of the parsonage). In order to get the terms that we were looking for, the Bank borrowed money from the Federal Home Loan Bank. The Federal Home Loan comes with certain parameters, one of which is that the bank (and thus, Sunne) pays a penalty if more that 10% is paid on the principal in any given year. As interest rates rise, the penalty percentage decreases. Recently, the Bank has indicated a willingness to work with us on the penalty, in light of our intent to pay off the loan by 2018.
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SUNNE WOMEN of ELCA
2016 has been an eventful year with activities and goals accomplished by women of Sunne-WELCA.
Activities we were involved with were:
Attended cluster meetings in Ashley and Bismarck.
Hosted Senior Recognition Dinner and Mid-Summer Picnic.
Prepared soup and sandwich meals before Lent Services, helped prepare and serve funeral luncheons and served lunch after community Thanksgiving Service.
Donations were made toward the purchase of 500 school kits to be filled in 2017, registration for three youth to attend Camp of the Cross, the purchase of two stoves for the church kitchen and Katie’s Fund.
The quilting ladies made 150 quilts and were given to World Relief and local organizations. Four high school seniors also received a quilt. 630 school kits, 136 personal health kits and 211 baby care kits were assembled and distributed.
WELCA meets the second Sunday morning of each month at 9:30 for Bible study given from the “Gather”. General meetings and potlucks, in addition to Bible study are in January, April, July, and October. We do not meet in August and December. Everyone is welcome to attend Bible study. This is a wonderful opportunity for learning and spiritual growth.
Used postage stamps are collected. The proceeds after collectors buy them are used to ship quilts and kits. Please leave a l/4 inch border cut around the stamps.
All your help in making WELCA grow and thrive, with God’s grace, is very much appreciated.
THANK YOU!
Submitted by Carlene Dockter, WELCA President
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Sunne Lutheran Women of ELCA
Beginning Balance1-1-2016$3,215.32
INCOME
Offerings$ 113.30
Funerals$2,512.50
Lenten/Advent services$ 63.00
Mid-Summer Picnic$ 697.00
$3,385.80
$6,601.12
EXPENSES
Funerals$1,346.98
Senior Sunday$ 109.62
Sunne church stoves$ 685.00
Camp of Cross scholarships$ 225.00
School kit backpacks$ 881.71
Gather subscription-3 yrs.$ 40.00
Mid-Summer (cash box)$ 65.00
Leader News-advertising$ 14.00
Wilton Park Board$ 45.00
WELCA Katie’s Fund$ 50.00
WELCA cluster offering$ 70.00
WELCA convention$ 25.00
WELCA quarterly dues$ 300.00
$3,857.31
Quilters$ 243.65
$4,100.96$2,500.16
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Sunne Lutheran Youth Report
Sunne Lutheran Youth is the part of Sunne’s ministry that includes youth in grades 7-12. SLY exists to help youth strengthen and grow in their faith. The group includes about 40 youth, most of whom are members of Sunne, although some are not. Everyone is welcome.
SLY held several activities during the year.
In February we took part in the national “Souper Bowl” event where we raised money for the Wilton Food Pantry. This was the 21st year that we have done this. Thank you for your great response. We also went bowling in February. Slade Schatz somehow managed to beat Pastor Paul and have the high score.
In April we served the annual Easter Breakfast and in May said “good-bye” to the seniors on Senior Recognition Sunday. Thank you to WELCA for organizing that event.
In June the Confirmation class went to the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park to spend time camping and hiking. We had great weather and managed to experience buffalo, climbing Battleship Butte, swimming in the Little Missouri, and hiking. We even saw several Big Horn rams.
In July, on a very hot day, we served a very large wedding reception for Carter and Casey Sorch out at their farm.
In October we had a hayride led by Don and Doreen Sorch. The hayride was held at the Matt and Ambre Wald farm. We had a great time and ended by playing games and eating great food!
Our main activity was the Faith Adventure to Seattle. Eight of us traveled by train to Seattle. While on the way to Seattle, we helped save the life of a man sitting next to us. In Seattle we stayed at All Pilgrims Christian Church in the Capital Hill neighborhood. We helped serve several meals to homeless people in the neighborhood. We also helped serve meals and helped with cleaning at the Hope Center which is part of the Union Gospel Mission. We did some touristy things, too. The Pike Street Market, the Seattle Aquarium, the Space Needle, an electric boat tour of Lake Union, a ferry ride to Bainbridge Island were all part of the adventure. And, we walked A LOT.
We want to thank everyone for their support. Whether you bought a stock certificate, asked us to serve a wedding reception or clean the Hall, ate pancakes and sausage, bought baked goods, or provided scholarships, we really appreciate the support.
We look forward to the 2017 San Francisco Faith Adventure.
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Sunne Lutheran Youth
2016 Year End Report
1/1/2016Beginning Balance$786.71
2016 DepositsEaster Breakfast$372.00
Camping$ 45.00
Cenex Ice Cream Sales$187.68
Closed Savings Acct$ 7.52
Misc.$ 10.02
Total Deposits$622.22
2016 ExpensesSLY Activities (bowling)$268.05
Camping$243.13
Total Expenses$511.18
12/31/2016Ending Balance$897.75
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Sunne Gathering Fund Financial Report
Checking Account
Beginning Balance (1/1/16) 927.29
Income
Bake Sale$ 874.00
Cash Return 170.00
Donations 605.00
Hall Cleaning Fee 400.00
Lenten Soup offering 40.00
Memorial 100.00
Pancake/Sausage Feed 645.00
Receptions 900.00
San Francisco Downpayments 3900.00
Scholarship donation 200.00
Seattle Downpayments 2300.00
Stock Sales 1325.00
Sunne Budget item 1500.00
Total12,959.00
Expenses
Airplane 1100.00
Cash 800.00
Dining 1438.78
Entertainment 509.40
Groceries 195.56
Hotel 800.00
Stock Expenses 11.56
Train Tickets 2616.00
Total7,471.30
Ending Balance 6414.99
Savings Account
Beginning Balance (1/1/16)147.51
Interest .44
Ending Balance (12/31/16)148.39
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Sunday School
Sunday School: Our Sunday School this past year was active with many youth. Ages range from pre-school through 6th grade. We divided our classes into 3 segments: Pre-K through 1st grade, 2nd3rd grade, and 4th through 6th grade. Attendance ranged from 15 to 40 kids each Sunday.
Pre-K through 3rd grade participate in the rotation lessons which consist of cooking and art. The kids learn about a specific bible story 2 weeks in row through a cooking activity and through an art activity.
The 4th through 6th graders are in a separate class and follow The Connect program which digs deeper into the bible and incorporates various activities to learn the bible stories/lessons.
Several volunteers assist with opening and leading each rotation each Sunday. Thank you to all the volunteers for your time and commitment!
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Vacation Bible School
This year we broke away from the norm and hired the Camp of the Cross to lead our VBS. The hope is to get the kids excited about Camp and maybe spend time at the camp during the summer. VBS was held August 1-4, 2016 from 6pm-8:45pm and was a huge success! We averaged 35 campers daily. Each day the kids would learn a different bible verse. The kids would learn about that verse through song, craft, activity, and bible study. The last evening of VBS the kids put on a parent program which consisted of singing the bible verse songs and other favorite songs the kids learned throughout the week. The songs were all accompanied by fun actions that got the kids moving and shaking! The snacks were all provided through donations within our congregation. Many volunteers assisted with registration, snack prep/cleanup, and supervising kids throughout the evening. Thank you to all who donated items and/or your time to make VBS a big success!!