Church Council Meeting - February 18, 2004

Kim Karkut called the church council meeting for February 18th, 2004 to order at 7:40 p.m. in the Shelton Congregational Church Library. Rev. Jean McCusker offered a prayer. A quorum (6) was met with 11 being present (P) and 1 being absent (A).

The minutes from the January 21st, 2004 meeting were reviewed and accepted. Kim Karkut then called on officers and chairs for their reports.

Treasurer - Bruce Nichols - During the month of January 2004 the church had expenses of $10,800.53 and income of $8,413.32 for a net deficit of $2,387.21. Staff salaries and costs were considerably higher than in average months due to quarterly tax payments and benefits. Net worth for the church at the end of January was $237,586.22 up $1,392.03 from the end of January of 2003 when it was $238,671.95.

Minister - Rev. Jean McCusker - In the past month I’ve led four Sunday morning services. One of them was a service of Word and Sacrament. Another included an installation for the officers and committee members for the year. I had two visits at the office. I had three hospital visits and one funeral home visit for a member’s parent. I had a few phone visits and email contacts regarding church business. I prepared a letter to be sent with the Lenten folders. I met with the Rev. Diane McClanahan of the Methodist Church to begin planning the Ash Wednesday service. Our service will be at 7:30 on February 12th. I prepared and led a funeral for Vera Taylor at Riverview Funeral Home. I have traveled 685 miles for the church during this time. In the coming month I anticipate that the Reading Group will get underway or at least the books will be ordered. In addition, we will begin Wednesday Lenten potlucks (6:30 p.m.) and services (7:30 p.m.). Our Regional Minister, Rev. Susan Townsley will be installed on Sunday, February 29th, 2004 at 4 p.m. at Monroe Congregational Church. I plan to attend and hope our delegates will also. On Sunday, March 7th, 2004 someone representing Silver Lake will offer the children’s message and offer a video during coffee fellowship.

Personnel - Ron Karkut - Ron reported the contract for our Interim Minister needed some changes made so is not completed or signed. For the search committee Ron noted an anti-discrimination policy doesn’t exist for the church. It is one of the questions on the profile being worked on. Could the council approve such a policy? Ron was asked to bring the matter up under new business.
Nominating - Bill Barker - Bill reported one opening still available on Deacons. Claudia Kingsbury has filled the vacancy on Fundraising and Ron Karkut on Trustees. Fundraising and Christian Education are still lacking a chairperson.

Trustees-Glenn Wells- Construction will start soon on the storage closet to be used by the Korean Presbyterian Church. The Korean Church will be hanging a sign under our minister’s sign. The Memorial Fund will be placed in a higher interest account.

Membership - Walt Crosby - Membership met on February 2nd, 2004. Final plans were made for the upcoming Spaghetti/Bingo Dinner. The committee also decided Darleen Conklin and Walt Crosby would continue as co-chairs. The church membership would be distributed among the committee and reviewed for updating. The next meeting would be March 14th, 2004 following worship service.

Outreach - Lesley Barker - Act sponsored their first Have A Heart Food Collection. Seven Tons of food and $848.00 were collected at valley supermarkets. No ruling on the lawsuit against the Shelton Planning & Zoning concerning the Spooner House location has been made. The Judge has 90 days to make that ruling. Joyce DiConstanzo, as committee representative, attended the first Relay for Life meeting recently. The Kick-Off and Supper celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the Crop Walk will take place Saturday, March 20th, 2004 from 4:30-7:30 p.m. at the First Church Congregational, 148 Beach Road, Fairfield. The Annual Crop Walk will take place on Sunday, May 2nd, 2004. There will be a Bread For World Hunger on funding the Millennium Challenge Account in the March Newsletter.

Old Business:

1. Per the request of Bill Barker the discussion on “Will We Be A Safe Church was again tabled. Next discussion will be at the March Council Meeting.

New Business:

1. Pastor Jean and Rev. Diane McClanahan have met to discuss the Ash Wednesday Service to be hosted by the Shelton Congregational Church. They will have burlap and ashes and regular Communion would be served. Our choir will not be available for this service. There is a possibility that the First United Methodist Choir will be present.

2. During a pastoral search committee meeting it was discovered the Shelton Congregational Church does not have an Anti-discrimination Policy in place. Ron Karkut made a motion the council adopt such as policy. The Church Council would be the governing body. The motion was seconded and unanimously passed.

3. Kim Karkut presented material she received from The Teaching Company. They are offering affordable courses (CD) on the Old and New Testament. Would the church be interested in purchasing and offering both as a lending library to the congregation? Discussion was table until the March 18th meeting.

4. Pastor Jean reported the UCC has deployed Regional Ministers into three regions of the Conference. They have concluded unanimously that there will be great benefit for us to move to five regions instead of three. This move will be effective January 1st, 2005.

5. Ron Karkut shared concerns church members have voiced to council members, the Church Manager and Pastor Jean over the time length of our services. They felt the one thing Pastor Jean doesn’t say (because of time restraints) might be the one thing they need to hear for the coming week. Council discussed this issue and it was decided, unanimously, that we have an official start time (10 a.m.) but no official end time.

The next council meeting will be held Thursday, March 18th, 2004 at 7:30 p.m. in the Shelton Congregational Church Library. The council joined with Pastor Jean in saying The Lord’s Prayer. The meeting was adjourned at 8:48 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted,

Betty Ogden, Clerk