April 2007
CHRIST CHURCH EPISCOPAL
VESTRY MEETING AGENDA
APRIL 18, 2007
6:00 Holy Eucharist
6:30 Dinner - Kathy
6:45 Approval of March Minutes - Mary Ann
6:50 Finance Report, Automatic Withdrawal for Pledges - Pete
7:00 Budget Update - Pete
7:10 Preschool Financials and Hiring of 2 new teachers - Kathy
7:15 Fundraising Applications (Women's Retreat, Missions) - Ted, John
7:25 2nd Youth Intern - Marc
7:35 Building Steering Committee
8:35 Congregational Mtg. on 4/19 re: site improvements & building update - Paul, Mike, Ken
8:50 Communications Plan - David and Ted
(including planning for 4/22 congregational meeting)
9:20 Discussion of what to put in May GH article and what monthly vestry talk should cover - Lilly A.
9:30 Various Updates including Walk for Sudan - Paul
9:40 Adjournment
Approved 5/16/07
Christ Church Episcopal
Vestry Meeting Minutes
April 18, 2007
Members in Attendance
Pam Board, John Napier, David Soule, Marc Halbritter, Kathy Guin, Mike Bucci, Pete Gallagher, Mary Ann Cooley, Shelley Putney, Lilly Andrews, Sr. Warden, Ken Royston, Ted Susac
Staff in Attendance
Paul Johnson, Hillary West, Natasha Brubaker
Approval of Minutes
A copy of the March 21, 2007 Vestry Meeting Minutes was distributed prior to the meeting for review and comments. A motion was made to approve the March 21, 2007 meeting minutes. The motion was seconded and carried.
Finance Report
Pete distributed copies of the Financial Report as well as the Revenues and Expenses report.
Pete stated that net operating performance lags budget by $45,756 for March 2007. Pete reported that this is due to the pledged income trailing by $28, 375 and non-pledged income trailing by $10, 548. He also stated that there were some large contributions received in April this year that were received in March last year, and that because there are three Sundays in April that follow Easter this year, CCE should be ahead of budget on contribution income at April 30th.
Pete reported that the cash balance year to date is $269,644, which reflects cash equivalent to 2.6 months’ worth of expenses.
Pete stated that our Capital Resources’ balance year to date is $897,000 with $5,500 which will be reclassified in April against the PIF account.
Pete requested that each Vestry member use the Revenues and Expenses report to check their ministry team’s budget and be sure they are keeping their expenses within the budget.
A motion was made to accept the financial report. The motion was seconded and carried.
Electronic Funds Transfer for Pledges
Pete stated that he has an offer from Suntrust Bank to handle the electronic funds transfer (EFT) for pledges and that he will refer this offer to Hance West and the finance team for evaluation and recommendations.
Prior to the meeting a resolution from the Stewardship Education Ministry Team recommending EFT from bank accounts for pledge payments was distributed for review.
Marc asked if this would include credit card charges as well as withdrawal from bank accounts. Pete said no, it would not.
Mike stated only EFT from bank accounts is mentioned in the document that Pete has from Suntrust Bank.
Pete asked if Vestry has any objections to allowing EFT from bank accounts for pledge payments. None of the Vestry members had a concern.
Pete stated that he would have a recommendation at next month’s meeting.
Preschool Report
The Preschool Financial report was distributed prior to the Vestry meeting.
David stated that he likes the bullet format presentation that Pete has started putting together for the CCE financial report. Kathy said she would work on presenting a one page summary for the preschool financial statements.
Kathy stated that the Preschool Board would like to hire 2 new teachers; one for five days a week and the other for three days a week. This would bring the total Preschool staff to eleven for next school year.
Mike asked if the hiring process would go through the CCE Personnel team and Kathy replied that yes it would.
A motion was made to accept two new teachers being hired. Ken withdrew from voting because his wife, Judy, may be involved with this. The motion was seconded and carried.
Kathy stated that the Preschool Board approved a scholarship for a family in need.
Fundraising Applications
Prior to the Vestry meeting, two fundraising applications were distributed for review.
John spoke on behalf of the fundraising application for the Missions Ministry Team. John stated that the Missions Team would like to hold a raffle of a playhouse that will be constructed on the Christ Church property on June 17th following the 2nd worship service. The goal of this raffle is to raise $12,000 for mission trips to Peru, Sudan, and Richmond Hill in 2007. There would also be a BBQ for the congregation that afternoon.
Concern was expressed that June 17th is Father’s Day, and there are other fundraisers on the calendar in June as well as the Gifts and Talents Fair being held June 2-3rd.
Hillary stated that the Missions Team could talk with Debbie Halbritter, chairperson for the Gifts and Talents Fair, about having this fundraiser the Sunday of the Gifts and Talents Fair.
John stated that the Missions Team was planning on sending out a letter to the congregation about the raffle with tickets to purchase in it. There will also be information about the Gifts and Talents Fair going out, and it was suggested that these things could be combined and sent out together.
A motion was made to approve the Missions Team fundraising application but for them to look at a different week, even possibly during the Gifts and Talents Fair. The motion was seconded and approved.
A fundraiser to raise three hundred to six hundred dollars for Women’s Retreat scholarships was presented to Vestry. On May 12th and 13th there would be a flower/bake sale before and after the worship services.
A motion was made to approve the Women’s Retreat fundraiser. The motion was seconded and carried.
Building Steering Committee Report
Ken stated that before the building team can move forward, they need to review their plans with the Vestry and get approval to move ahead.
David Guin introduced the following members of the Building Steering Committee to the Vestry: Bill Beattie, Shelly Nicol, Pam Ventura, and Kirt Siederstrom. David also introduced Charles Piper, the architect who has been working with this committee.
David discussed the fact that the committee has been working with a budget of 2.5 million dollars which means that the Parish Life Center (PLC) will need to be under 14,000 square feet to stay within budget.
A handout describing the PLC was distributed to the Vestry. The handout gives a size description of all the rooms in the PLC and what their use will be.
David stated that the building committee has two building options to present. One option is to add the PLC onto the current education building and the other option is to build on the lot just south of the education building.
David also stated that the PLC will provide necessary space for Christian formation of our children, youth, and adults.
Charles Piper presented the PLC building options. The first option he described was the addition of the PLC onto the Education Building. The addition would be added to the back of the Education Building, and the existing elevator could service both the Education building and the PLC. Additional stairwells would be built. There would be interruption of activity in the Education Building with this construction option.
The second floor of the PLC would have a large Parish Hall with the option of creating six smaller rooms using subdivisible walls. It would also have restrooms and a catering kitchen. This kitchen would be for warming of food only, no prep.
The first floor of the PLC would have restrooms, a youth hall, two large meeting rooms with subdivisible walls, a coffee bar and kitchenette, music and storage space, and two offices.
Charles went on to describe the freestanding plan. This version of the PLC would be constructed just south of the Education building with a small courtyard between the two buildings. On the lower level there would be a youth hall, two large rooms with operable walls, two offices, restrooms, a music studio, a classroom, and a storage room.
The upper level would have the Parish Hall, six small rooms with operable walls, restrooms, storage room, and a catering kitchen.
Lilly asked why is the Parish Hall upstairs. Charles replied that the youth hall would be downstairs to give easier access to the outdoors where youth activities would also take place such as on a basketball court. Charles said he has seen parish halls built upstairs before and it works well.
David stated that the Building Steering Committee looked carefully at both options and feel that it would be better to construct a new freestanding PLC south of the Education building. David also told Vestry that the Building Steering Committee researched the cost of each of these projects and that they were almost identical in cost.
David went on to say that the county POD (plan of development) process is a significant milestone, and instead of May, it will probably be June before it is submitted. The POD must include total square footage of the PLC and where it will be located, but will not need interior scope of the project. David stated that the Building Committee needs guidance as soon as possible in order to stay on schedule.
David requested that the Vestry let the Building Steering Committee know tonight if the PLC should be constructed as an addition to the Education Building or as a new freestanding building, and if 14,000 square feet is the correct size.
Paul spoke of his concern that there is not a full kitchen in either PLC plan. A catering kitchen may not be enough.
David stated that this can be discussed in the near future and incorporated into the 14,000 square feet.
A motion was made to approve the Building Steering Committee’s recommendation to construct a freestanding Parish Life Center. The motion was seconded and carried.
Vestry held discussion about the size and scope of the building and how it is important not to build too small and to be sure that the needs of all of Christ Church community and its ministry teams are incorporated.
A motion was made to approve the Building Steering Committee’s costs of building a Parish Life Center that is approximately 14,000 square feet and approximately 2.5 million dollars. The motion was seconded and carried.
Walk for Sudan Collection
Tasha stated that the Walk for Sudan is Sunday, May 6th, to raise money to build a secondary school in Sudan. Tasha informed Vestry that there is a donor who will match up to $50,000. She requested that on May 5th and 6th there be an announcement during the worship services about the Walk for Sudan and ask for donations in order to meet the $50,000 mark. She also stated that there is a three month window for the money to be collected.
A motion was made to approve the announcement for the Walk for Sudan requesting donations and the motion was seconded and carried.
Second Youth Intern
Marc reported that the Spring Break Youth Disney Trip went well and the Youth Ministry Team did well to stay within budget.
Prior to the meeting a letter was distributed to the Vestry regarding the hiring of a second Youth Intern. The second Youth Intern would be utilized well since an assistant Youth Minister has not yet been hired.
John stated his concern about approving things such as this from a deficit budget.
Vestry held discussion about funding a second Youth Intern and decided that because we have not yet hired an Assistant Youth Minister which is in the youth budget this year, then we could fund the second Youth Intern with these budgeted but unspent funds.
A motion was made to approve a second Youth Intern at a cost $2000. The motion was seconded and carried with an amendment noting that the approval of this motion is not intended to set the precedent that two Youth Interns will necessarily be approved for future summers.
Lilly stated that the hiring of the Youth Intern should go through the Personnel team as the hiring of any other position would.
Paul stated that Youth Minister training is not a common thing and this a good way to develop more interest in Youth Ministry in the Episcopal Church.
Congregational Meeting Plans
Paul stated that on April 22nd at the congregational meeting we will be informing folks about the parking lot construction and sewer hook-up and why it must be done.
Mike stated that Mark Hansell, Tom Balgie, and Todd Borden are all going to be at the meeting.
Lilly and Ken plan to talk on Thursday about how to present and introduce the members of the Buildings and Grounds team who can address the details.
Mike stated that he is concerned about speaking too much outside of the Vestry meeting so that people don’t get information at different times.
Mary Ann asked about what to tell the congregation during worship services on April 21st and 22nd. Several Vestry members came up with the following ideas: preschool enrollment is up, building steering committee update, Walk for Sudan, and two youth interns this summer.
Communications Meeting on April 28th
A handout describing the format for the April 28th expanded leadership council meeting was distributed prior to the Vestry meeting for review.
Ted stated that the purpose of this meeting is to gather input from community leadership at Christ Church.
Ken stated that he wants to make sure all leaders of CCE of invited to this meeting.
Hillary asked about what this meeting means for these leaders. She stated that the leaders should know what is now expected of them.
Vestry held discussion about contents of the April 28th meeting. The plan is to give an overview of the history of Christ Church and ask those present to consider how God is calling us to be “inviting, growing, and living” and what that means. The plan is to meet in a large group then break out into smaller groups and report back.
Ken stated that we should let the leaders at the meeting know our current line of thought for growth and change and the reason for doing it.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.
Respectfully Submitted,
Mary Ann Cooley, Registrar
