Heard It at Council (February 2014)

February 11, 2014

The February Council meeting marked a new term. Many familiar faces remain but three new committee chairs were welcomed: Maren Batalden (Christian Education), Tom Oppedisano (Music), and Janice Adamek (Membership). One new officer, Lisa Mahnke (Clerk), and one new member-at-large, Alliea Groupp, also began terms. The Leadership Committee is working diligently to fill the Finance Chair vacancy in the near future. Vice-moderator Karen Hand led the meeting, which was mainly a review of committee updates.

Project AIR is on track with the boilers being removed when the weather warms followed by take-down of the elevators, first one then the other. The project will end in October with the heat coming back on. Some maintenance and repair on the organ are planned to be ready for the American Guild of Organists National Convention. The Christian Service and Outreach Committee will soon launch a listening campaign among church members and is looking at new models of transformative work and local outreach. Newly combined with the Christians in Formation Task Force, the Christian Education Committee now plans to focus on both children and adults with expansions of Sunday programming planned. Also, an exciting development is the introduction of a new children’s curriculum, Godly Play, in the fall, with more details to come. The Membership Committee is newly energized and making plans for the year. 2013 was an excellent year for Stewardship with each year building on the last. To ensure harmonization of efforts, Stewardship will be sure to communicate closely with the new capital campaign, co-led by Wayne Davis and Todd Krohne, for which planning is just now getting underway.

This year Marathon Sunday will coincide with Easter Sunday, a busy day to be sure! Marking the one-year anniversary of the tragic marathon events will be a moving and beautiful fabric art installation based on our tattered church tower banners. Athletes will be adorned with blue and yellow hand-knit scarves, a project created by Diane Gaucher and Marilyn Jackson Adams, at the traditional Blessing of the Athletes. Be on the lookout for a new exterior flag installation, which will involve rotating themes throughout the year, replacing the old, higher banners. Council ended the meeting with the Lord’s Prayer, energized for the new year.

Lisa Mahnke, Clerk