Minutes from Executive Council Meetings 2004
   

December 2004

Leslie called the meeting to order at 7:38 p.m. Following a brief time of silence, Leslie expressed appreciation for all of the prayers and support she has received since her recent accident. The Council then approved the minutes for the November meeting, with one correction, and the agenda for this meeting, with the addition of time to discuss the controversy over the UCC’s "God Is Still Speaking" ads.

Property Concerns: Jackie Walters reported that allowing the church to be used by Narcotics Anonymous members on Thanksgiving Day had been very successful and greatly appreciated by those who came. She reported as well on the e-mail and Internet access difficulties that had arisen in the process of switching the church’s phone service to Verizon.

Continuing Education: Sandy Dodson informed the Council that she will be participating in a two-week continuing education program in Guatemala in early January, 2005. Sponsored by United Theological Seminary, the program will focus on Mayan culture, human rights issues, and the impact of global economic trends on Guatemalan society. Jaime will not go with her but will stay with relatives in Texas, she said.

Budget Visioning: Tim White, chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Budget Visioning, presented the committee’s final report (attached). Noting that the Council’s charge to the committee had been "to envision and recommend a new approach to the Stewardship/Budget process at CCC," Tim said the committee’s primary recommendation was that the church engage in a process to identify and articulate its priorities prior to each year’s stewardship campaign and budget process. Those priorities, he stated, should emerge as a response to the question of "What is God calling us to do?" and should be articulated in a plan that projects at least three years into the future. The whole congregation, he stressed, should be involved in creating such a plan.

More specifically, Tim said, the committee recommended that the Executive Council take responsibility for this process. That responsibility, he reported, might be exercised through a Visioning Subcommittee charged with developing the process and preparing the plan. Recognizing that time is short for a full process to be implemented this year, the committee suggested, he said, that the already-scheduled Planning Day of February 5 be organized around the question of "what is God calling us to do?" and that the boards be asked to respond to that question in their January meetings. It might be useful also, he said, to look anew at the seven aspirations adopted by the church in the Self Study Report of 1997.

A vigorous discussion ensued. Jackie Walters expressed appreciation for the committee’s "excellent recommendations" and said the report was "one of the best she has seen about CCC process." Anne Weissenborn stated she liked the multi-year nature of the plan. Sandy Dodson asked whether the Visioning Subcommittee would, in effect, be a long-range planning body and, if so, how it would get renewed each year. Tim said the process would need to unfold over time but that it needs to be institutionalized so that the church’s stewardship and budget processes can be mission-driven. In response to questions by Tom Ault about the membership of the subcommittee, Pete Hotchkiss suggested that the subcommittee could have members both from the Council and from the wider congregation and that the membership should not turn over completely each year. Tom further stated that he was excited about getting the whole congregation involved and that the process would help give the trustees a better sense of the church’s priorities. He expressed the hope that the process would also give the congregation a sense of the tradeoffs that are a necessary part of every budget. Trish Esposito stated that the boards will need help in how to develop three-year plans. Dave Ackerman stressed that the committee’s recommendations leave much for future development and that this year’s process can only be a pilot effort. John Touchton said he had been frustrated by the church’s budget process because it often seemed to be based on fear or scarcity thinking. It was thrilling, he said, to be part of trying to do risky things. Jim Todhunter said he liked the sense of inclusion. Neville Platt stated that in developing the plan the church needs to remember our overhanging debt. Tom Ault commented that it was okay for people to dream. Pete Hotchkiss said the plan still needed to channel our dreams into a small number of priorities. Tim stated that it would be helpful to have a broader vision, and John Gipson asserted that the budget process belongs to all of us.

Jackie Walters moved that "the Council adopt the report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Budget Visioning and authorize the Moderator to appoint a Visioning Subcommittee." Anne Weissenborn seconded. In response to a question by John Gipson on the term of the subcommittee, Leslie said perhaps until after the annual meeting. In response to a number of comments about the membership of the subcommittee, Leslie articulated a general consensus that some members should come from outside the Council. In response to several comments asking whether the subcommittee would be responsible for planning the Visioning Day on February 5, Leslie said it would be responsible for the program aspects of that day but that another group should handle logistics. She said the mandate of the subcommittee would be to manage a visioning process for the church, including this year the program part of February 5 and such other opportunities as seem appropriate. The Council then adopted the motion unanimously. Leslie commented that she would appoint a separate committee to handle the logistics of the Feb. 5 Visioning Day.

The Council expressed its appreciation to the ad hoc committee.

Issuing Public Statements: Recalling the draft statement on the election that had been circulated by e-mail to the Council, Leslie said that one issue that had arisen during the discussion of that draft concerned how the church can act when some kind of public statement seems appropriate. Barbara Little asked what had happened to the letter; and Jackie said it was never issued. Tom Ault suggested that e-mail be used as a first step and that, if a consensus is not readily forthcoming, a special meeting of the Council be called. Jim Todhunter asked whether issuing such statements is a function of the Council. Dave Ackerman said it is and that Tom’s recommended procedure has been used by the Board of Trustees for a number of items and is workable. John Gipson agreed. Jim summarized that the Moderator needs to sense when a consensus has been achieved and when a meeting may be needed.

As an instance of a situation in which public comment by the Council may be desirable, Jim reported on a meeting he had attended earlier in the day at Emmanuel Church on New Hampshire Avenue with Sandy, Jackie, and Julia. Jim said he had received a letter inviting him to attend a meeting of clergy to organize efforts to oppose same-sex marriage in Maryland. In the interest of encouraging dialogue on the matter, he and several other members of the staff decided to attend. The meeting, he said, featured a gay-bashing video, hate-filled comments by Maryland Delegate Don Dwyer to the effect that gays and lesbians are out to get our children, and calls to organize religious demonstrations in Annapolis in opposition to gay marriage and in support of efforts to amend the state constitution to bar such marriages. The meeting presented, Jim said, an "extraordinarily right-wing fundamentalist perspective." Jackie added that the video was so extreme it had made her physically ill. She further reported that Jim had stood up at the meeting, talked about the open and affirming affirmations of CCC and the UCC, and invited those present to dialogue on the issues. No one accepted that invitation, she reported, and Delegate Dwyer appeared visibly upset. She praised Jim for his courage in speaking out in such circumstances.

An animated discussion developed praising Jim and the staff for what they did and on the need for CCC and like-minded churches to become more vocal with respect to open and affirming issues at both the state and county levels. Sandy said one aspect of the issue was how to reach out and dialogue with those who differ with us on gay and lesbian issues. Jim said some issues have to be dealt with politically. Anne Weissenborn said we can’t always be "nice." Barbara Little suggested the Council not worry about offending people and make public statements regularly. Trish Esposito said there was a need to mobilize the congregation on pending lawsuits and legislation in Maryland concerning gay marriage and on efforts to undermine sex education programs in the public schools. Neville Platt said an article in Newsnotes would be helpful. Jackie said she would like to obtain and show the video, if she can. Dave Ackerman suggested that the Board for Social Witness sponsor several forums on the issues, and Anne Weissenborn agreed to pursue the matter.

"God Is Still Speaking" Campaign: Trish reported that efforts of the UCC "God Is Still Speaking" campaign are now turning toward local advertising to connect interested people to local UCC churches. That will include, she said, banners in front of UCC churches and ads in local media. The Potomac Association needs $15-$20 thousand for the ads, she stated. The Board for Outreach and Engagement has given $500, she noted, and the Board for Social Witness has contributed $200. Personal gifts are also welcome, she said. Judy Cox asked whether there was any sense in waiting until January to run the ads. Trish responded that it seemed better to publicize the local connections while the national UCC campaign is still running. The ads, she observed, require about a two-week lead time before they appear.

Communications Committee: Judy Cox distributed a draft proposal on how a communications committee might be structured (attached) and asked that it be discussed at the next Council meeting.

Possibility of Commissioned Minister: Jim introduced a proposal regarding a possible ministry to the Long Branch community by Richard Jaeggi. Richard, he said, believes he is being called to build a grass-roots ministry with youth and young adults in the area and has been working on the idea with the Wednesday morning meditation group here. Jim suggested that he could use CCC as a base for his ministry and might do so as a UCC commissioned minister. Jim distributed a document detailing the process by which a person becomes a commissioned minister in the UCC along with some material from Richard (attached) and suggested that Richard be invited to the January meeting of the Council to discuss this possibility. By consensus the Council agreed to do so.

Leslie adjourned the meeting at 10:23 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Dave Ackerman
Church Clerk

Corrected and approved by the Executive Council, 1/3/2005

November 2004

Present: Leslie Weyn, John Gipson, Jim Todhunter, Sandy Dodson, Mary Stone, Dave Main, Gale Haggard, John Potts, Dan Pence, Tom Ault, Jackie Walters, Anne Weissenborn, Sue Dollins, Trish Esposito, Judy Cox, Sara Watson, Barbara Little, Neville Platt, and Dave Ackerman. Guests: Toko Ackerman and Tim White.

Moderator Leslie Weyn called the meeting to order at 7:36 p.m. Following a moment of silence and a time for sharing experiences regarding the November 2 election, the Council approved the agenda with the addition of time for the Board for Social Witness to discuss an environmental issue and, with several corrections, the minutes for the October meeting.

On behalf of a special committee consisting of Anne Weissenborn, Sue Dollins, and herself, Toko Ackerman presented a report and recommendations on the issue of whether CCC ought to elect delegates to additional outside organizations. She noted that Art. XIV, Sec. 1, of the CCC Constitution provides that the annual meeting shall elect delegates to the General Synod, the Central Atlantic Conference, and the Potomac Association; it also allows CCC to elect delegates to "[o]ther such religious activities in which the church may vote to participate on a continuing basis." The committee, she said, discussed at length the meaning of the latter category and decided to recommend that the following three criteria be used to determine when delegates to outside organizations should be formally elected: (1) the organization should be faith-centered; (2) the organization considers CCC a member based on its charter or bylaws; and (3) our delegate is required to represent CCC in voting. On the basis of these criteria, she stated, the committee recommended that delegates be formally elected to three additional organizations – Community Ministries of Montgomery County (CMMC), Ministries United Silver Spring and Takoma Park (MUSST), and Shaw Community Ministry. The committee also recommended that CCC continue to elect a Boy Scout Coordinator, because CCC is deemed to be a Chartered Organization by the Boy Scouts. Toko noted that the committee had considered whether Springvale Terrace meets the criteria but found that it is the Potomac Association which is required to be represented on its board.

Tom Ault moved approval of the criteria and of the election of delegates to the three organizations recommended by the committee, and Dan Pence seconded. After brief discussion, the Council approved the motion unanimously.

On behalf of the Nominating Committee, Toko recommended approval of Sue Dollins as the CCC delegate to MUSST, Anne Weissenborn as our delegate to the Shaw Community Ministry, and Jeanne Young for a 1-year term on the Board of Deacons. Sara Watson moved approval of the nominations and, following a second, the Council approved unanimously.

On behalf of the Board for Social Witness, Anne Weissenborn moved "that the Moderator appoint an Ad Hoc Committee on CCC-related Environmental and Energy Issues (1) to research options and opportunities for enabling CCC to be more environmentally conservative and to save energy costs, (2) to research partnership and grant opportunities for saving utility costs and for supporting environmentally responsible capital improvements (e.g., replacing building roof)), and (3) to recommend strategies for the Church to consider as it makes decisions about program, budget, and mission." A final report would be due to the Board for Social Witness prior to the 2005 Annual Meeting. Sue Dollins seconded the motion.

Much of the ensuing discussion focused on replacing CCC’s roof. Anne noted that grant funds are available for certain kinds of roof replacement and that there are several members interested in pursuing the matter. Jackie Walters commented that we need to be proactive on the issue because the roof will need to be replaced in a few years. Tom Ault recalled that in Phase I we decided to postpone adding insulation to the sanctuary roof until the roof itself needs replacement in order to avoid disruption of the interior ceiling. John Potts emphasized that the charge to the committee is broader than the roof or utilities, and John Gipson clarified that the purpose of the committee is to research the options.

After Anne and Sue accepted a modification to the first charge of the motion so that it reads "to research options and opportunities for enabling CCC to be more environmentally responsible," the Council approved the motion unanimously.

Sandy Dodson reported that the Board for Church Life will bring a job description for the 9:00 a.m. coffee hour to the December meeting. John Potts noted that the Board for Outreach and Engagement has already signed up for one Sunday a month.

Jackie Walters reported that (1) she and Susan Gray have cleaned out the files of church board minutes in the office, (2) the church now has a COSTCO card allowing us to purchase goods there, and (3) the Narcotics Anonymous group that meets at the church is very pleased that CCC is allowing our facility to be open to them on Thanksgiving from 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. for meetings and a potluck dinner. She said we still need volunteers to cover five of those hours but expects that need to be filled shortly.

Tom Ault reported that the Board of Trustees was closely monitoring problems in our current budget situation. He noted that loose plate offerings were down about $4000 from the budget projection and the payment rate on pledges was only 90.45 percent while property expenses were $26000 higher than expected at this point. Tom expressed confidence that the shortfall on pledge payments will improve. Mary Stone stated that the Board of Stewardship will have an item in Newsnotes encouraging that pledge payments be brought up to date before the end of the calendar year.

Jim Todhunter reported that John Kromer has bequeathed $52000 to CCC and that he had been discussing various options about how to use the bequest with the Kromer family. The family agreed, he said, that about $17000 can be used for debt reduction; but the family would like the remaining $35000 to be available for creative use by the church. They were particularly attracted by the notion of using it to establish a scholarship fund for youth to promote international understanding – perhaps through YGELI, perhaps to benefit youth in the community. They would like the principal of the fund not to be depleted and for others to be able to contribute to the fund.

Sara Watson asked how the funds would be invested and what return was likely to be realized. Dan Pence responded that all church funds are held in a checking account. Neville Platt and others suggested the fund might be separately invested. Sandy Dodson suggested that a small ad hoc committee be created to brainstorm how the funds could be invested and used. Dan Pence noted that the Ruth Richardson Scholarship Fund has been replenished by additional contributions from other members. Tom Ault suggested that the ad hoc committee examine the use and investment not only of the Kromer fund but also of the Ruth Richardson Fund and the Richard Brown Fund; and he noted that the Board of Trustees will be discussing the investment and use of the church’s Endowment Fund at its upcoming retreat. Anne Weissenborn asked how the Endowment Fund differs from memorial funds.

Tom Ault moved that the Moderator appoint an ad hoc committee (1) to work with Sandy Dodson on developing a proposal for how to use the Kromer family gift, (2) to examine how this fund might interrelate with the Ruth Richardson and Richard Brown funds, and (3) to report back to the Executive Council. After a second by Sue Dollins, the motion was unanimously approved.

Tim White, on behalf of the ad hoc Budget Visioning Committee, reported that discussions of how to energize the budget process had led the committee well beyond an examination of our current stewardship and budget procedures. Developing a fuller sense of ownership of our budget choices by the congregation seemed to the committee, he said, to involve fundamental questions of our church’s mission. "What does God want of CCC now?" Jim Todhunter commented that giving at CCC usually grows out of enthusiasm about our mission. Sandy Dodson expressed her excitement as a "newbie" here about the fact that our frustration with the limitations of our budget doesn’t just stop there but is leading us to wrestle with the issue. Tim said the committee will make fuller recommendations at the December meeting of the Council.

Leslie raised for discussion the question of how the 60^th anniversary celebration on Dec. 5 might be used to energize the church. Jackie said one theme might be how people have been empowered by CCC. Tim White urged that the occasion be used to talk not only about the past but also about the present and future. Anne Weissenborn noted that the national UCC campaign "God Is Still Speaking" will begin in December, and Jim Todhunter suggested that our 60^th anniversary be linked with our UCC identity and with our role in the Silver Spring community. John Gipson recalled the all-male stewardship pictures from the 1950s he had seen and stated that the church has changed a lot since then. Tim White and Neville Platt suggested that the "footprints" from yesterday’s worship service might be used. Several suggested that our anniversary celebration be connected with the Feb. 5 Planning Day. Trish Esposito asked whether the anniversary might be an appropriate time to honor Archie Freeman. Jim Todhunter asked who will be planning the Planning Day?

Leslie adjourned the meeting at 9:43 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Dave Ackerman
Church Clerk

Corrected and approved by the Council on Dec. 6, 2004.

October 2004

Present: Rev. Sandy Dodson, Rev. James Todhunter, Leslie Weyn (Moderator), John Potts (Church Life), Doris Raber (Clerk of the Rolls), Jackie Walters (Property Administrator), Bud Dennie (Board of Deacons), John Gipson (Moderator Elect), Barbara Little (Christian Education), Anne Weissenborn (Social Witness), Mary Stone (Stewardship), Dan Pence (Treasurer), Tom Ault, (Trustees), Trish Esposito (Outreach and Engagement), Betty Eakin-Stith (At Large), Sue Dollins (Financial Secretary), and Judy Cox (Communications Officer).

Moderator Leslie Weyn called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m. After a period of silent mediation, the proposed agenda was adopted with the addition of a report from the Board of Trustees. The minutes of the September 11, 2004 meeting were approved with no changes.

UCC NATIONAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN.

The meeting was then turned over to John Gipson and Jim Todhunter. John and Jim have recently attended a training session focusing on the launching of a national media campaign around the slogan "God is still speaking." The goal is the let the public know who we are and what we stand for. John reported that a survey showed that less than ½ percent of those surveyed were familiar with UCC and that it is widely confused with the very conservative Church of Christ. Since 85% of all mainline churches are declining in membership, the hope is to reach people who have felt rejected by their experience with church attendance and assure them of a welcome at UCC churches. Gotham, Inc, a New York firm has offered its services at cost to UCC. The ads will run through the Easter and Christmas seasons

After viewing them, the Council responded positively to two ads that have been produced emphasizing UCC’s welcome of diverse groups of people. These ads will invite people to visit the UCC’s web site. Individual churches can be linked to this web site.

The Council discussed ways to share these ads with the entire congregation. Sandy suggested that our 60^th Anniversary celebration would be a good time to do this. Jim distributed copies of two articles in which the national media has picked up on these ads.

Anne Weissenborn asked if CCC had bought into the campaign. Jim stated that his and John’s presence at the training session had registered us. 

BOARD REPORTS

Outreach and Engagement – Trish Esposito

Trish reported that CCC’s booth at the Takoma Park Festival had been highly successful. 500 balloons were handed out. As a result of our participation in this event three families have visited CCC and two more have asked for information. The ad board and a banner created by O&E for use at the Festival will be available for use by other church groups as will a banner. There will be an article in NewsNotes letting people know that they are available.

Trish reported that in an effort to cut down on clutter and make information generally more available a kiosk has been placed in the lobby to display church related materials. Judy Cox suggested that one side might be reserved for new member information.

Trish then distributed copies of a tally of the new member questionnaire.

Social Witness – Anne Weissenborn

Anne talked about the difficulty of finding enough volunteers for Shepherd’s Table. Often the coordinators have not been able to find enough volunteers and have been short of personnel. Anne suggested we might want to ask ourselves if we really want to continue with this project, although it seems to have great meaning to CCC.

Mary suggested that perhaps new members do not know much about the program. Jim said there is a new executive director who we might ask to speak at a worship service. Sandy suggested that dialogue between Jim and the new director, while taking more time out of the worship service, would give a more complete picture

On October 25 at 6:30pm the Board for Social Witness will host a dinner and discussion with missionaries Dee and Bob Keller. The Kellers have been Interim Executive Liaisons with the Health and Education Foundation in Istanbul. They will talk about their 50 years working in Turkey and what it is like to work in a secular Islamic country. They will also take questions about Islam. Some students and Staff of Howard University and representatives of UCC will attend. There will be publicity to make the congregation aware of this event.

CAC has been given a "Blessed are the Peacemakers" award for the Y-geli program.

There is an article in the CAC section of The United Church News in which CCC is mentioned

Stewardship – Mary Stone

Mary announced that Consecration Sunday will be April 17. Dr. Bernice Powell Jackson, Executive Minister of Justice and Peace will be our visiting steward. The theme will be Micah 6:8. The Board is completing a draft of the Q&A survey for new members.

Trustees – Tom Ault

Since the Board of Trustees has little visibility outside of the budget process, Tom feels it important to be aware of the issues the Trustees are addressing. They will be looking at our debt retirement plan, rental for use of building, planned giving and special gifts program, and State grants. They are also seeking to establish a closer relationship with the Personnel Committee.

OTHER BUSINESS

Christmas Ornament Sale

Jackie Walters asked the Council to approve the sale of Christmas Tree Ornaments again this year. Last year’s sale netted $1200 which was applied to debt reduction. Bud Dennie made a motion to approve the sale of Christmas Tree Ornaments with the proceeds being applied to debt reduction. It was seconded and approved.

Board Meeting Worship Service

Leslie asked for volunteers to be responsible for the worship service before Board meetings. The Board for Church Life will do the October worship and Outreach and Engagement will be responsible for the November meeting.

Treasurer

Dan Pence noted that Trish Esposito and Bob Brown had done an excellent job of following up on the Keystones campaign. There is a need for a committee to be appointed to continue this work. Leslie and Dan will confer on the appointment of such a committee.

Communications Officer

Judy Cox reported that she is evaluating the role of the Communications Officer and distributed a sheet stating goals and initial steps such as converting the building icon into various digital formats for use by O&E, CCC office and others, preparing information flyers for the O&E kiosk and reviewing the web site.

Publicity for Political Events

Jim has received a call from a church member who is involved in a fundraiser for the Kerry campaign, asking if a notice of the event could be placed in the bulletin. After discussion there was agreement that while CCC could announce events around social issues, particularly those reflecting UCC policy, we could not endorse political events or publish notice of them in the bulletin.

Upcoming events

October 31 – Choir members will plan for recognition and appreciation of the excellent job done by Sam Brush in John Touchton’s absence.

November 7 – The staff and choir members will plan a welcome back for John Touchton.

December 5 – CCC 60^th Anniversary – an Ad Hoc Committee has been appointed to plan this celebration.

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 9:15.

Respectfully submitted,
Betty Eakin-Stith
Volunteer Scribe

September 2004

Executive Council Minutes
Christ Congregational Church
September 11, 2004

Present: Leslie Weyn, Trish Esposito, John Gipson, Bud Dennie, Jackie Walters, Rev. Jim Todhunter, Rev. Sandy Dodson, Clarence Stone, Dave Main, John Potts, Sue Dollins, Mary Stone, Dave Ackerman. Guests: Rev. Julia Jarvis, Susan Gray, Rev. Nathan Harris, Delilah Marrow, Jim Henkleman-Bahn

Moderator Leslie Weyn called the meeting (held at the Retreat House) to order at 1:40 p.m. After a brief time of sharing prayers on war and violence, the Council adopted the proposed agenda for the meeting and approved without change the minutes of the August meeting.

Nominating Committee: By a unanimous vote the Council approved the recommendation of the Nominating Committee to add Ruth Prindle to the Board of Trustees to fill a one-year unexpired term.

Reminders of upcoming events: Leslie called the Council’s attention to the following – (1) September 12 will be Ruth Avery Appreciation Sunday, in honor of her recent retirement. (2) On October 17 and October 31 the Spirituality Committee will provide opportunities to the whole congregation to reflect on God and CCC’s history, similar to the opportunity afforded the Council last spring. (3) On Sunday, October 24, the Potomac Association will convene an ecclesiastical council at CCC to formally install Rev. Sandy Dodson as our Associate Minister; worship and a reception will follow. (4) The 60^th anniversary of CCC’s founding will be celebrated in early December in a form yet to be determined. Suggestions were made that the celebration include opportunities for storytelling about CCC and that past ministers and their families be invited.

State grant: Tom Ault initiated a discussion of whether CCC should try to revive a lapsed $50,000 grant from the state of Maryland for our renovation. He noted that the state had originally approved two grants of $50,000 each. One is still being processed and is expected to be received soon, but the second has been cancelled due to a failure of the church to apply in time. The letter informing the church of the cancellation, however, suggested that the grant could be revived if the legislature adopted new legislation doing so. Tom noted that both grants were predicated on CCC establishing a LinkAges program relating seniors inside and outside the church to children in the Silver Spring Child Care Center (SSCCC).

Jim T. added further detail about the history of the state grants and the LinkAges effort and noted that Jan Forbes has already done some appropriate programming and that Julia Jarvis is planning a couple of things to link Springvale Terrace and SSCCC.

In response to a question from Mary Stone about the time commitment for the LinkAges program, Tom Ault said there is no explicit time frame but there is both a moral and a legal commitment to have a program up and running. He also mentioned the possibility of seeking further grants to operate the program. In response to further questions by Mary about the restrictions on the capital grant, Tom noted that the funds could not be used for religious purposes and thus would be allocated only to such non-religious parts of the renovation as the parking lot, air-conditioning, and the elevator. He also noted that the funds could not be used for operational purposes.

During a discussion of how to proceed, Julia noted that the seniors in CCC will have a luncheon later this month during which they will prioritize their interests for this year, including LinkAges; John Gipson suggested that Julia’s hours might be increased; Jackie Walters said the key was finding the right person with a passion for the program; Jim recalled that the congregation had previously approved establishing the LinkAges program and that appointing a new committee now would be appropriate; and Tom stated that action ought not be delayed too long because Sen. Rubin, our main advocate in obtaining the state grants, had been copied on all of the recent correspondence between the state and CCC.

Action: Tom Ault moved "that the Executive Council endorses re-applying for the second $50,000 grant from the state of Maryland and that the Moderator is authorized to appoint a committee to plan LinkAges Place programs." Following a second, the Council approved the motion with one abstention.

Other business – pensions for support and administrative staff: John Gipson recalled that Jackie had stated in the morning session that CCC was not providing a pension to a recently retired custodian and asked her to expand on that subject. Jackie stated that she had raised the issue in order to make the morning discussion more concrete by helping us realize that our local church policies have real consequences for people we know. John Potts asked what our policy has been with other custodians. Mary Stone reported that CCC has paid small supplemental pensions to some staff but not to our Property Administrators because they have all had full pensions from elsewhere and have been part-time. Jim noted that our recently retired custodian had a pension from the federal government. Tom stated that the trustees had discussed, but not resolved, the issue in connection with the recent staff re-alignment and will re-visit the matter with hopes of developing a policy for the church.

After thanking Jim, Sandy, Julia, Delilah, Jim, and Nathan for their leadership in the retreat, Leslie adjourned the meeting at 2:45 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Dave Ackerman
Church Clerk

August 2004

Executive Council Minutes
Christ Congregational Church
August 2, 2004

Present: Rev. Sandy Dodson, Dan Pence (Treasurer), Doris Raber (Clerk of the Rolls), John Gipson (Moderator-Elect), Gale Haggard (At-Large), Judy Cox (Communications Officer), Trish Esposito (Outreach and Engagement), Tom Ault (Trustees), Neville Platt (Deacons), Leslie Weyn (Moderator), Dave Main (Past Moderator), Mary Stone (Stewardship), Betty Stith (At-Large), Sue Dollins (Financial Secretary).

Leslie Weyn, Moderator, called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m. After a brief group meditation, Leslie announced that she learned that the Y-GELI program had been nominated by the World Council of Churches for an award. There were no details as yet, but they will be provided as soon as more is known.

The proposed agenda for this meeting was adopted, with one addition, on a motion by Dan Pence.

Leslie distributed the minutes of the meeting of June 7, 2004. The following changes were made: in the 2nd paragraph, the words "write the reports that should have been written" were deleted and the words "file the applications that should have been filed" were substituted; in the 5^th paragraph, "Tacoma" was changed to "Takoma"; in the 7^th paragraph, first line, the second "that" was deleted; and in the 8^th paragraph, first line, the word "reported" was inserted after the word "Leslie". On a motion by John Gipson, these minutes were approved as corrected.

Leslie distributed the minutes of the meeting of July 12, 2004. The following changes were made: in the 2^nd paragraph, first line, the word "Booklet" was inserted after the word "History"; in this same paragraph, the work "booklet" was substituted for the word "pamphlet" in the 3^rd line; on the second page, first full paragraph, the word "time" was added before the word "crunch". On a motion by Dave Main, these minutes were approved as corrected.

Leslie opened the discussion, noting that this item was tabled at the last meeting. She stated that there is now a new staffing plan this year and an interim director of music, during John Touchton’s sabbatical leave. Each year, the Executive Council must authorize non-ministerial program staff participation in the Executive Council meetings. Dave Ackerman’s memo on the topic had been received by most and a copy was circulated at the meeting to those who had not read it. General discussion followed and several points and questions were raised, as follows. Such membership would be voting membership. Participation by the Music Director was agreed to; he has major program responsibility. The participation by the Church Administrator would bring an opportunity for important exchanges of information and issues. Questions surfaced about the suitability of part-time staff because of the added demand on time and the trade-off of other desired responsibilities. There might be some times when the Executive Council would ask staff not to be present. No precedent should be established by this Council’s decision because program staff participation is approved by the Council year by year.

John Gipson moved that John Touchton, Director of Music, and Jackie Walters, Church Administrator, be invited to participate in the Executive Council. The motion was seconded and approved.

Leslie distributed an informational update on this initiative from Jim Henkelman-Bahn and noted that training for the anti-racism audit teams would occur on September 22^nd. A Power-Equity seminar, co-sponsored by Lasting IMPACT and CCC, was scheduled for February 19, 20, and 21, 2005. There was a question whether this would adversely affect congregational participation in the mid-winter planning day scheduled for February 5^th. The mid-winter planning experience will focus on important questions of purpose and objectives in the church’s work. In other words, how much energy and time can we expect from the congregation for these two events, both scheduled in February? Discussion indicated that the times were far enough apart and the audiences potentially different, so that the congregation could participate in each.

Sandy Dodson said that there is a need for some guidance of what is our mission statement as a church and how that informs our decision-making about use of the building by non-CCC groups. The presenting issue was a request from Narcotics Anonymous to use the building from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day for a potluck meal and meetings all day. However, traditionally CCC is not open on that day. A lengthy discussion followed. Issues were raised concerning clean-up, having a CCC host present at all times, costs of paying custodial contractors holiday pay, whether the group would be willing to use the church for a lesser number of hours, the desire to help a useful community group, the desire to give church administrative and custodial staff a holiday, and our mission in the community. The Council requested Sandy to go back to the staff and suggest that some negotiation with the group might occur to get to a win-win decision without imposing on CCC staff. There were at least two willing volunteers among Council members to represent CCC as a host during the time on Thanksgiving Day (T. Ault, J. Gipson).

Executive Council Retreat. The dates of the retreat, at the Retreat House, are September 10-11. Leslie handed out a memo from the program planners ( Sandy Dodson, Julia Jarvis, Jim Todhunter, Delilah Marrow, and Jim Henkelman-Bahn). The proposed purpose was to "set the stage for the EC’s planning work this year as CCC enters a new phase of its congregational life…. What should the next three to five years at CCC look like? What goals and objectives should be settled on? And how will that happen?" The proposed schedule includes beginning at 8 p.m. on Friday evening, and on Saturday meeting from 9 a.m. till 3:30 p.m., after an 8 a.m. breakfast. Clean-up will occur from 3:30 to 4 p.m. on Saturday. Leslie noted that Jim Todhunter will help us look at a mission statement and that there will be more on the anti-racism initiative, as well as a time for other business.

Ruth Avery Appreciation Day, to be held on September 12. This event will occur after the second service. The Council thought it appropriate to have a cake and punch. A letter to members and friends of CCC could generate contributions to a farewell gift for Ruth. Sandy inquired who would be responsible preparations for the event. Leslie will appoint a committee to handle details.

The 20^th Anniversary of Jim Todhunter’s Service as Senior Minister. The date of September 19^th was suggested, but it was noted that this was the scheduled date of the all-church picnic. While it would be appropriate to have a celebration at the picnic, it was also suggested that another event at a different time would be important, such as an afternoon party. There was some concern about whether Saturday, September 18^th, was a possibility since Jim’s schedule was not known. Leslie will appoint a committee to work on this event.

CCC 60^th Anniversary as a Congregation. The church will be 60 years old in the late fall, and Leslie suggested December 5^th as the Sunday closest to the actual anniversary date as a time to celebrate. (This is the second Sunday in Advent.) There was a general consensus that the celebration, while important, should be simple. There is a pot-luck scheduled that day and that event could be emphasized as the celebration. There could be a special cake. Tom Ault suggested that the Trustees had been discussing a recognition event for Archie Freeman, in view of his long service at the church. His birthday, it is believed, is sometime during the fall. The Council felt it would be appropriate to include this recognition as part of the anniversary celebration. Also, Bill Carnahan will update the history of CCC and this can be an important component of the celebration, also. Other discussion indicated a wish to do something in the community beyond the internal celebration. Dave Main suggested that such a decision, which might be a new project, could be taken up at the EC Retreat. Leslie will appoint a committee to shepherd the December 5^th celebration.

Since there was no further business, the Executive Council adjourned at 9:30 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Mary Stone
Volunteer scribe

July 2004

Executive Council Minutes
Christ Congregational Church
July 12, 2004

 In attendance: Moderator Leslie Weyn, Rev. Jim Todhunter, Rev. Sandy Dodson, Dave Main, Tom Gustafson (for Tom Ault, Trustees), Neville Platt (Deacons), Doris Raber (Clerk of the Rolls), John Potts (Church Life), Anne Weissenborn (Social Witness), Mary Stone (Stewardship), Sue Dollins (Financial Secretary), Trish Esposito (O & E), Dan Pence (Treasurer), Judy Cox (Communications Officer), and Dave Ackerman (Church Clerk). Guests: Jim Henkelman-Bahn and Delilah Marrow (co-chairs, CCC Anti-Racism Initiative); Bill Carnahan (Church Historian).

Moderator Leslie Weyn called the meeting to order at 7:35 p.m. Following a brief period of silent meditation, Anne Weissenborn invited the Council’s attention to a Washington Post article describing the ad campaigns of the UCC and other churches and to the election of Bernice Powell Jackson, the executive director of the UCC’s Justice and Witness Ministries, as one of the seven co-presidents of the World Council of Churches. Leslie then distributed Article X of the CCC Constitution and directed attention to its description of the Council’s functions, invited the members of the Council to introduce themselves, and amended the agenda to put Bill Carnahan first.

Revision of CCC History: Bill Carnahan discussed his intent to revise and update the history booklet of CCC he authored for the Jubilee celebration in 1994. He noted that sales of the earlier booklet had fully covered its costs and stated that he expected the same result with the revision. Dan Pence and others expressed support. Judy Cox noted that the history was very useful for new members but that we had run out of copies, and stated that a revision would be very helpful. Mary Stone moved that "Bill do a revision of the pamphlet on the history of CCC, with the help of volunteers"; the motion was seconded; and the Council unanimously approved it by voice vote.

Anti-Racism Initiative: In accord with the motion adopted by the Council on February 2, 2004, Delilah Marrow and Jim Henkelman-Bahn distributed a document reviewing the activities related to the initiative in its first six months and proposing a plan of activities for the rest of 2004; and they asked for the Council’s discussion and guidance. In response to a question from Dan Pence on whether their expectations had been met so far, both said "yes." Jim stated that the response to the workshop in May had been very positive and that he was pleased with the Boards’ involvement. Delilah noted that interest in the initiative was expanding and that the CAC seemed to look at CCC’s initiative as a model. In response to Neville Platt’s question about what an anti-racism audit is, Jim passed out copies of the audit (including the proposed questions), stated that six teams would be formed to look at particular areas using the audit questions, and said that after the audit the teams would formulate recommendations for review by the Council in November. A variety of questions and comments followed: Dave Main asked how the teams would be trained and how the report to the Council would be put together; Anne Weissenborn asked how the teams would be formed; Mary Stone asked whether the initiative would be part of the Council retreat in September; Sandy Dodson asked whether involving non-CCC persons in the teams would siphon off energy explaining ourselves; Neville Platt asked whether we really need to go through this process to identify the issues on which we need to focus; Doris Raber said we need to bring along the congregation; Anne Weissenborn expressed doubt that a congregational consensus exists as yet on the issues on which we need to focus; Sandy Dodson stated the process itself would be educational for those involved; Dan Pence and others commented on the time-consuming nature of the initiative; several suggested that the proposed timetable was very ambitious. Jim and Delilah responded to every comment. Jim then asked for, and received, the personal comments of every member of the Council on the initiative and the proposed schedule of activities. Jim and Delilah concluded the session by asking for volunteers for the various teams.

Budget/Stewardship Visioning: Leslie distributed a summary of a meeting by an ad hoc group on the subject of how to deal with what some see as a "time crunch" in our current stewardship and budgeting process. That meeting, she said, had not reached any final conclusions but had suggested a variety of possibilities for re-conceiving the process and for broadening congregational involvement. After some discussion, Leslie asked the Council to authorize her to appoint a committee to pursue the matter further. Anne Weissenborn moved that "the Moderator be authorized to appoint an ad hoc committee to envision and recommend a new approach to the Stewardship/Budget process at CCC." Following a second, the Council approved the motion by voice vote without dissent.

Worship Changes: Jim T. and Sandy distributed a draft document about changes that will occur in the 9 a.m. worship beginning in September. Sandy and Sam Brush will be in charge, and the intent is to have a worship service that is traditional in some respects but flexible. The service will not be "10:30 lite" but will develop its own character over time. Several comments were made: Trish Esposito questioned the absence of a worship bulletin; Dave Main urged that participants not be treated as "spiritual lab rats" but be informed about what was happening; Mary Stone noted that Elsa Brandt is initiating a Wednesday night adult education program that will be related to worship. Jim and Sandy said that the congregation will be informed about the initiative by an article in Newsnotes and by bulletin inserts.

Council Retreat and Ruth Avery Appreciation Sunday: Leslie noted that the Council will hold a retreat at the Retreat House on September 10-11 in lieu of the regular meeting that month, and that September 12 will be Ruth Avery Appreciation Sunday. She asked members to give her advice on how both of these events ought to be structured.

Nominating Committee: The Council by voice vote approved four nominations submitted by Toko Ackerman, Chair, on behalf of the Nominating Committee, as follows:

Communications Officer – Judy Cox (for a two-year term ending in June, 2006);
Board for Church Life – Marjorie Hoffman (for a three-year term ending in June, 2007);
Board of Deacons – Larry Gipson (for a one-year youth term ending in June 2005);
Board for Outreach and Engagement – Jean Caswell (for a one-year term ending in June, 2005)

Program Staff Participation: In accordance with Article X of the Constitution, Leslie and Jim T. noted that the Council needs to vote on what program staff should be included this year as members of the Council and invited approval of including John Touchton, Jackie Walters, and Susan Gray. After Dave Ackerman stated that, for him, the issue was not a "slam dunk" but needed discussion, Leslie stated that the issue would be re-scheduled for the August meeting.

Leslie adjourned the meeting at 9:53 p.m.

Respectfully submitted by
Dave Ackerman
Church Clerk

May 2004

Executive Council Minutes
Christ Congregational Church
May 2004

In Attendance: Moderator Dave Main, Jim Todhunter, Trish Esposito, Sara Watson, Doris Raber, Toko Ackerman, Leslie Weyn, Sue Dollins, Mary Carnahan, John Potts, Sandy Dodson, Gale Haggard, Anne Weissenborn, Jackie Walters, Pete Hotchkiss, John Gipson, Tom Ault, and Rick Brush.

Rick Brush
Church Clerk

April 2004

Executive Council Minutes
Christ Congregational Church
April 2, 2004

Rick Brush
Church Clerk

February 2004

Executive Council Minutes
Christ Congregational Church
February 2, 2004

January 2004

Executive Council Minutes
Christ Congregational Church
January 5, 2004

Rick Brush
Church Clerk