COUNCIL MINUTES - JANUARY 10, 2008

Present: Eric Likkel, Chandra Mullenix (recorded minutes), Andrew Mullenix, Mark Rosnick, Mark Nelson, Christina Gerrish-Nelson, Mike Colyn, David Anema


7:15 Began meeting with brief devotions, opening Prayer

• From Philippians 2, Paul espoused Timothy’s great value as a leader being his genuine love and care for God’s people; keeping that in mind helps us all carry out leadership tasks/responsibilities with God’s love as primary directive

7:20 Finances - heard from Mike Colyn and Stewardship Team
• Refered to Stewardship Team Meeting notes & printed 2008 Budget.
• currently $38,000 in the bank
• Discussed state of giving in ER; realized there is much more potential

NOTE: Eric calculated giving of the current “regular crowd” (see minutes from Stewardship Team)
• Appears to be a “small faithful core” of givers
• Congregants start to feel impact if we wait to do things until adequate funds
• Need to inspire every person regularly involved with church to give regularly
• Surprised by dispelling of the “myth of Emmaus Road’s giving potential”
• Simultaneously discouraging & empowering/enlightening; discouraging that there are “hold outs” yet encouraging that the church, at current size and makeup could handle healthy budget
• Council views non-giving as a sign that the value of regular, sacrificial giving “just hasn’t clicked,” rather than a malicious intent

NOTE: Our history of volunteers reveals a period where certain volunteers chronically neglected to show up—what worked to solve problem? Direct approach: “If you’re going to volunteer, show up; otherwise, get off the list.”
• Observation: We’re really nice… too nice, perhaps; about volunteering back then, about money still
• Q: Can we get the point across, yet remain sensitive in ways we need to be?
• Seems we continue to budget more spending than we bring in (though we consequently do not spend at budgeted level)
• Council and Road Crew growing weary of budget meetings; discouraging: choose NO MORE PREACHING TO THE CHOIR, re: church finances
• Q: Should we create budget on current or past giving?
• “A life of worship is a life of communal giving” (How do we communicate this?)

Q: How can we encourage increased giving from members who can give?
Inspiring ideas listed on Stewardship Team notes (see notes in agenda):
o Expose White Box; place up front
o Quarterly statements
o Children’s Ministry position sponsor
o Tithing testimonies—“doesn’t feel good all the time, but it is good”
o Teach how offerings are part of worship, mark of discipleship
o Regular monthly prayer at offering time with/without testimony
• All giving is giving; make “like communion”, ceremonial
• Would love to see kids regularly involved; cultivating habits

Q: Bring “inspiration” ideas to Road Crew, or choose actions as Council?
• Council decided to ask Road Crew members “How do you want to do this?” before Jan. 31st meeting

ACTION ITEM: Eric post “inspiration” ideas on blog prior to Road Crew

Q: Does Emmaus Road’s office rent really qualify as an “offering”?
• Background: at some Road Crew meeting, decision was made to view a portion of ER’s monthly rent as financial support for the smaller church plants sharing space (The House, Awake, Greenbean, etc.)
• Council discussed inviting office mates to pay their share, BUT offer $ support directly to them, allowing them to use $ for rent or whatever; a policy of “You’re paying your share; Emmaus Road will support you for $___ a year, then evaluate the need for next year
• Council acknowledged that if Emmaus Road commits to this for a year, we commit to staying at office for that time period, as opposed to feeling free to get out of it before that time is up.

ACTION ITEM: Eric discuss change in office rent shares with Cluster

Q: Should we hire a Ministry Coordinator, as budgeted?
• Eric asserts that Emmaus Road would definitely need to hire for this position, if it were not for Chandra Mullenix’s efficient volunteering; but for now, Chandra is making it possible for Emmaus Road to do without a hired MC.

Q: Do we hire Children’s Ministry Coordinator, as budgeted?
• Christina voices concern that we have “ideal” candidate now; would be tragic to lose them if we chose not to fund position
• However, Christina not feeling concerned about her own burnout
• On the other hand, it would be morale boosting for families to have solid Children’s Ministry program, with balanced leadership from Christina and a hired CMC; Christina’s role could shift back to “umbrella work” vs. teaching; she could also participate in our main worship service again


8:20 Eric presented ideas re: Spark Plugs and Glue - fostering individual relationships in Belltown (including update on Americorps position)
• Spark Plugs: Christians, the Church, being the spark of imagination, Spirit-filled vision, for neighborhood; providing energy, initiative, enthusiasm INFORMED BY FAITH, that leading people toward redemptive experience IS WORTHWHILE; this fills great need in neighborhood
• Glue: Neighbors do not talk among themselves; Christians can become the table, the water cooler, the “well,” around which positive conversation/dialogue in neighborhood can be fostered
• Ministry of intentional proximity: two guys sailing becomes more – becomes two Christians reaching out to new crowd, once strange, now familiar, in neighborhood; Strategy for Emmaus Road: to send people out to connect to a place, organization in Belltown, through individual relationships; micro-mission fields at local neighborhood level
• E.g., Eric’s relaitionship building with Joe Corsi, apartment manager of Concept One in Belltown

ACTION: Eric round up Spark Plugs and Glue folks (some from 12 Spies); cast vision; support in endeavors to traverse into Belltown


Eric presented Green Space idea - cultivating congregation to community relationships in Belltown (fifth Sunday plan)

• Background: Blue represents those inside space of church; Yellow represents those in space outside church, neighbors = blend the Blue and the Yellow in active service TOGETHER, and you get Green Space; church relating to neighbors, working together
• Idea springs from movement of Christians beginning to say “It’d be good to be part of neighborhood” by doing something WITH neighbors (as opposed to FOR neighbors, but without them).
• 5th Sunday as a church with the ‘hood participating. Abbreviated worship first
• Goals: Greenspace activity needs to be Relevant, relational, and fun/exciting!, would involve parents with kids
• In some ways, a resurrection of plan ER had 9ish years ago; but in past, church never connected with others; some members used designated Sundays as excuse to stay away

COUNCIL’S THOUGHTS:
• Someone would need to be dedicated to coordinate; big project
• Seems daunting to involve neighborhood; adapt to scale (neighbors within one or two blocks)?
• Relevant question: What’s appealing to neighbors? What’s relevant?
• Seems strategic to first find connection with “outside group”; network with P-Patch, Belltown Community Council, and/or newly emerging Belltown Covenant (?)
• Some fun ideas: Regular hockey game in the parking lot on Second Ave; NW microbrew testing, Music Fest ☺; not necessarily Greenspace in terms of service projects, but definitely fun ways that might foster community in Belltown

ACTION: Eric network/research 5th Sunday Greenspace options; briefly present idea at Road Crew, but no plan for scheduling yet

Eric presented Belltown Covenant story:
• Invited to discussion by David Coffee of Recovery Café; David then learned of Eric’s idea for Belltown ministerial group; David invited Eric to join conversation with other Belltown people of faith around same idea; group met throughout fall months
• December: group decided to put bigger invitation together, called Belltown Covenant
• Important factor: Belltown Covenant not ever going to be a group which speaks for one another, or unanimously; retain diversity, independence, theological convictions, etc.
• But driven by missional thrust: What an we do together for purpose of neighbors?
• MHGS & NHM on board; ER currently only church involved; Ideally will include all area (Belltown) churches
• First meeting January 30 at New Horizons

8:50 Council closed meeting with prayer; shuffled over to Pig’n’Whistle

STEWARDSHIP TEAM NOTES - JANUARY 6, 2008

Present: Treasurer Mike Colyn, Chandra Mullenix, David Anema, Eric Likkel

GLASS HALF FULL? $ POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES
+POSITIVE averaging all months together – high and low - church hit congregational giving goal by end of December
+POSITIVE Church has $20,000 in the bank
+POSITIVE Expenses have stayed within budget
-NEGATIVE Throughout 2007 calendar year, congregational giving was approx. $1,200 short of monthly expenses
+POSITIVE or –NEGATIVE? ministry could continue current spending for one year with continued congregational, external, and grant income as received in 2007
-NEGATIVE This year’s fundraising efforts just initiated, late December, early January

STEWARDSHIP TEAM RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Stewardship Team recommends upholding budget; revisit budget at May 29 Road Crew, after March Stewardship Team meeting
2. However, place hiring freeze on Ministry Coordinator position (Chandra Mullenix doing terrific volunteer job few hours each week)
3. Go ahead and hire Children’s Ministry Specialist on faith we'll have funds to cover position, factoring in fundraising; also recognize this position costs less than Ministry Coordinator position: 7 hours at $15 per hour = $455.00 per month
4. Ask parents to support/sponsor Children’s Ministry Specialist; 17 families w/kids giving $10 per month = $170 per month; 17 families giving $10 per week = $730 per month

INSPIRATION TOWARD GREATER CONGREGATIONAL GIVING
Treasurer Mike did acknowledge that giving patterns vary among regular church members; while some are maxed out w/giving, others might be able to give more; it’s hard to know why patterns vary; some may be supporting more than one ministry; some are unemployed and not expected to give financially (there are many ways to give of oneself in ministry); but there are some employed folks who do not give consistently, or at all

Some of Eric’s calculations (after meeting):
- Looking over the list of individuals used for Elders Districts, Emmaus Road’s regular adult crowd numbers approx. 73 folks
- Of these 73, about 43 are fulltime employed, about 12 part-time, and about 18 could be called “transitioners” - people just getting on their feet, leaving street life, entering a phase of recovery, etc.; Percentage-wise, 59% are fulltime earners, 16% are parttime, and about 25% are in transition
- 43 adults giving $50 per week = $9,300.00 per month ($2150 per week, multiplied by 52 weeks per year, divided by 12 months)
- add 12 adults giving $25 per week, then increase the total to $10,600.00
- This level of giving = $127,200.00 annually

Team discussed several ideas for inspiring, encouraging greater congregational giving:

1. Pursue tithing testimonies, along with teaching moments from pulpit; Stewardship Team discussed delicacy needed; also want to avoid useless preaching to choir
2. Subtly change current “Communal Greeting” time to “Greeting and Giving” time; reposition White Box to chalk board area, front right side - a compromise between current practice of Sunday silence about giving and traditional “pass the plate” approach - Stewardship Team envisioned mostly empty plate being passed among unemployed members and visitors, not encouraging giving from those blessed with means, while alienating those without, which would be a large portion of our worshipping body
3. Pursue 2008 calendar year pledges; ask for a __% (10ish?) increase from previous giving; this alone would allow church to break even with current spending (though not including Children’s Ministry Specialist)
4. Treasurer Mike could distribute quarterly giving reports – instead of annual - with help of Stewardship Team

IS EMMAUS ROAD’S OFFICE RENT REALLY AN OFFERING?
Stewardship Team questions integrity of counting portion of office payment as "tithing" – background: Emmaus Road and Sanctuary split office rent, while a few fledgling church plants and a non-profit - House, Awake, Greenbean – benefit from office space without burden of rent; i.e., Emmaus Road and Sanctuary’s rent payments are helping these groups; Eric to approach leaders of these churches about possible minimal monthly commitment to paying for the space; Emmaus Road could offer to support these smaller ministries directly, separate from covering their share of payments