Coaching for Congregations
Coaching for Pastors
Health and Renewal
Technology

Finances

Lack of clarity on where we’re at
Unclear lines of responsibility – who decides where money is spent and when?
Reimbursement system

Jody Rice opened our meeting reading from Psalm 62. The Elders and Deacons then went into their districts to spend time in prayer and discussing any pressing pastoral concerns.

During our staff-led discussion time, we received updates on several grants that are being applied for from our denominations Sustaining Congregational Excellence (SCE) program. These grants are being applied for in the following areas:
1.Coaching for Congregations – we’ve applied to have a coach work alongside our congregation to help us figure out how to develop leaders of all types: Council members, ministry leaders and small group leaders;
2.Coaching for Pastor Cal – in the areas of spiritual growth/disciplines and pastoral care;
3.Health and Renewal (due June 1) – to provide for training for Bonnie and small group leaders as well as coaching for designing and implementing the small group ministry. This application is due June1;
4.Technology (due July 1) – this one will cover new items (e.g. a hand-held cordless mic or replacements for older computers).
These grants are available to smaller congregations. SCE will pay 75% of the expenses, but does require the congregation to pay 25%.

We also began a discussion of how we structure our finances. We struggle to have everyone know where we are at financially, it’s not always clear who is making financial decisions and we would like to move away from the use of personal funds that need to be reimbursed. Needless to say, there was a lot of discussion – which will help us when we bring up the topic again, this time with some staff-led direction.

This discussion led nicely into a discussion of the proposed budget. The budgeted amount from last year needed to be reduced for this year, in large part because we have only received roughly ½ of the budget slips back. We will try one more time to get slips back, then propose the budget based on what we have. Our loan balance as of May 24 is $746,064. We’ve set the annual Congregational Meeting for June 28 to approve the budget and to select Elders and Deacons. We have four Elder nominees and are just waiting to finalize Deacon nominees.

We reviewed minutes and/or received verbal reports on many of the different ministries and from the staff. Bonnie’s report raised an interesting discussion on how to handle large events. In the recent past, we have had some very large events that involved a lot of volunteer hours…and a lot of Bonnie’s time. The question is how we can host large events like these without overwhelming our volunteers and without overwhelming Bonnie. The suggestion is to find a Large Event Coordinator who will find people to take care of technology/sound, set-up and take down, kitchen, program/worship, publicity and custodial needs.

There are many reasons for which we are excited about having more small groups. People have had good experiences in the past and are excited that there are a lot of people who are willing to work throughout this coming summer to make it all happen.

We do see some obstacles that will need to be overcome.

1. How to handle childcare so that families with young children can be involved.
2. How to help people make the commitment to small groups.
3. How to help groups be compatible with each other.
4. Where do we find materials from?
5. Where do we find leaders?
6. How do we help people know when and how to get involved in small groups?

Just as mountains were made to be climbed, obstacles were made to be overcome. So in what ways can we do that?

1. We can star groups with just 2 or 3 individuals and/or couples.
2. We need to have short-term groups so that people who are not ready for a longer commitment can be involved.
3. We’ll need a coordinator who will work with the Small Group Ministry Team in order to keep things moving.
4. To help groups be compatible, we need to be willing to experiment, especially with the short-term groups. It’s awfully difficult to determine ahead of time what will draw a group together.
5. Where will we find the leaders? We’ll keep our eyes and mouths open: eyes to see the gifts at work, mouths that are ready to ask.
6. COMMUNICATION!

• Use testimonies to help people see the benefits.
• Have a central place for information (like a bulletin board).
• Personal invitation will work the best.

Jason reports that there continues to be great stuff happening upstairs, with new kids coming and lots of personal needs being met. They do need new leaders. We’re very thankful to add Brian Van Zee and Jennie Warner to the group, but Troy Payment is having to step down for a while. He will be missed (and should be temporarily replaced).

After some discussion, it was decided to change the start of our worship time to 9:30 am during the summer. This continues to be a decision that generates quite a bit of discussion and little agreement. The 9:30 am start will be in effect beginning on Memorial Day (May 30) and ending on Labor Day (September 5).

We currently have 3 people confirmed for nomination as Elder (we look for four nominees for each office every year), but only 1 for Deacon. Several people expressed disappointment in the number of declines that we have received. It’s not always clear why we have more declines some years than others, nor even why some people do decline. We’d like to see people look at serving on the Council as an opportunity and a joy, but we have some work to do to get there.

There were 13 people who attended our recent New Member’s luncheon on the theology of the Christian Reformed Church and another 12 who have expressed interest in becoming members. That’s great news! We will have another gathering on May 16 so speaks specifically to the expectations that we have of our members. This gathering is open to all and expected for all who want to become members. If you are interested in attending, please talk to Pastor Cal, as there will be a light lunch served. By the way, thanks to the Olson small group for doing such a great job of hosting (on short notice!) this recent luncheon!

While we haven’t received many commitments to help with the cost of the KBEK radio ministry, the Deacons feel that we will able to pay our portion for another year of broadcast. Speaking of giving, PLEASE get your budget pledges in soon so that the Deacons can make an accurate budget for next year.

Jason reported that Ignite took a slightly different approach in their last series of meetings (on relationships) took a slightly different approach that allowed the leaders to address an uncomfortable topic in a less intimidating manner. There will be a couple of weeks of a short series, then a couple of weeks tied up with Baccalaureate services then a bonfire to wrap up the ministry year.

That’s going to have to do it for now. The meeting was done by 9:30. My battery is almost done and your attention is probably shot. If you want a copy of the minutes for more details, feel free to ask Bonnie!

Bob Swanson opened with devotions, then the Elders and Deacons went into their districts. They spent time sharing prayer requests from their own lives and their districts, then prayed together.

Last month, the staff was given permission to take a more directive role in guiding the direction that Bethel moves in. In this first discussion time, we dealt with the most basic task of any church: making disciples. After coming up with some characteristics of disciples, we asked how we intend to take people from where they are at now to becoming fully committed followers of Jesus Christ. The bar is set high: we’re looking for people who not only are learning what Jesus teaches and becoming more like Him; we’re also looking for people who serve readily, give freely and are also able to lead others to becoming disciples. With such a noble and audacious goal, we can’t really just bring people in and “hope” that they will eventually become disciples of Jesus Christ. But how will we as a congregation pursue this?

We finalized a list of Elder and Deacon nominees, placed them in the order that they will be contacted and assigned people to call them to answer questions. We are very thankful for all of the people who are capable of serving and are looking forward to discovering whom God will call to serve in leadership in our church over the next three years.

The Deacons have come up with a letter to send out to the congregation that describes our budget process. We are looking for commitments from each family or individual for the next budget year. The budget the Deacons propose will be based on these slips, so we’d really like to have a good response to these cards. We’ll also be asking for people to indicate how much above their budget giving they’ll be able to give to reduce the Building Loan. Please prayerfully consider how God would have you give to His work here.

Pastor Cal led a short discussion on the role of staff at Council meetings. After looking at the recent history of our congregation and where leadership and innovation come from, we approved having the staff taking a more intentional role in leading the direction of Council meetings. Each month, the staff will bring the fruit of our staff meetings to the Council for discussion. Staff will then make sure that there is follow-through on decisions that are made.

Our goal in moving in this direction is NOT to increase the workload of the staff. Rather, we are looking for ways to take advantage of the staff’s involvement in many different areas of ministry and the time that they spend together reflecting on what is working and what is not. Further, we want to benefit from the continuity that they bring to our Council. The Council will still retain primary responsibility for the direction and vision of the congregation.

It’s time again for nominations for Elder and Deacon. The Elders and Deacons are going to come to their meetings in two weeks with names for nomination. If you have suggestions for them, please talk to them prior to then.

There will be a presentation on March11 from6 – 7:30 pm by Ruth Kelder on the role and purpose of small groups. We are excited about the future of small groups within our congregation and would like to place more emphasis on having people involved in them. The meeting will be open to everyone. If you would like to attend, please contact Bonnie so that she can make sure there is enough food, as the evening will begin with a light meal.

Jason Ruis reported that he was very thankful for the great success of the Wild Game Feed. We had fewer people than last year but raised the same amount of money. Ignite is going through the “To Save A Life” curriculum. It’s has been remarkable how God has been working things together in the lives of the youth to help them work through a lot of different issues.

Jason is also working on getting Jolene DeHeer to lead a Youth Rally at Bethel Church. She is going to be here already to speak at the CCS Banquet. Providentially, Sondra Erickson approached Jason about the possibility of having someone come in to do a rally at Princeton High School. The Life Choices board was deciding tonight whether they would be able to sponsor it. This would be a community event with a band. The timing couldn’t be better as the proms at both Milaca and Princeton will be within two weeks of the event. Pray that all the details will be worked out so that God can speak through Jolene to the youth of our church and community.