2013 May Stewards Minutes - Seekers Church

Stewards Minutes
May 5, 2013

Present: Marjory Bankson (notetaker), Peter Bankson, Ken Burton, Lewise Busch (angel), Pat Conover, Cynthia Dahlin (angel), David Lloyd, Sandra Miller (worship leader), Trish Nemore, Brenda Seat, Keith Seat, Margreta Silverstone, Deborah Sokolove (moderator), Jacqie Wallen

Visitor: Joan Dodge

Housekeeping: Stewards will next meet on June 9 at the Conover/Nemore summer house
Moderator: Ken Worship: Pat
Notetaker: David Angels: Keith & Brenda

Worship was offered by Sandra reading several passages from Elizabeth O’Connor’s “Call to Commitment.”

1. Report from the Sunday School Team: Trish
There has been a core of 16 teachers, usually serving a month at a time for continuity. Over the summer, mission groups will need to take two Sundays/each (schedule with Brenda). David will continue to ask people to do the Children’s Word to preserve the rhythm of beginning in worship. For mission groups, there is a curriculum online and extra resources in the library.

2. Consideration of Seekers participation in the Takoma Park Folk Festival (Sept.) or TP Street Festival (Oct.): Keith
After some discussion about combining Seekers and Carroll Café into one booth, a decision was made to participate in the TP Folk Festival. Keith is willing to help someone else coordinate it and Larry’s name was suggested, but right now, there is no chair. Needs attention.

3. Mental Health Resource: Joan Dodge
Joan described an 8-hour curriculum focused on prevention and early intervention for young adults as “mental health first aid” which she has been developing at Georgetown. As a pilot, she could offer it at Seekers for a minimum of 10 participants. Charge for the manual would be $20. Much interest was expressed and L&T mission group will be in touch to set dates, preferably in June.

4. Report from the C of S Council meeting April 28: Keith & Marjory
Keith reported that the C of S Council was unwilling to hold the title to the Potter’s House (in light of pending dissolution of the Potter’s House Church), but that 8th Day had indicated a willingness to support the call of their mission group, Banyan Tree, which does feel a call to renew the ministry there – so PHC will negotiate directly with 8th Day. Meanwhile, the Council will begin a process of discerning purpose and direction for The Church of the Saviour as a legal entity.

5. Renewed discussion of Stewards’ financial giving standard: Brenda
After reviewing Pat’s paper, “Ten Times Ten Percent,” and the summary of Values and Tithing Statements from April, 2012 and May, 2013 discussions, we divided into three groups to consider the following language proposed in June of 2012 for the giving discipline:
Giving generously of time, energy and financial resources to support Seekers Church. (An accountability structure to be determined.)

One group proposed a simple change in the proposal: “Giving out of gratitude to God ” instead of “giving generously,” and others spoke to the flexibility that a sponsor has in working with a potential Steward about the basis for figuring an appropriate amount to give to Seekers. Several spoke strongly in favor of keeping a percentage standard to stimulate intentionality in a way that “giving generously” might not. We then voted 13-1 against the proposed language.

In another show of hands, we voted 12 in favor of continuing the conversation (without a specific plan for doing so), with two (Keith and Jacqie) standing aside. Continuing the conversation means the current standard, “Giving proportionately of income to Seekers Church, beginning at ten percent,” remains in place for now.

Someone suggested that we might want to review all of the Disciplines expected of Stewards as a way to deepen our connections with each other.

Then Deborah shared more deeply, followed by Soul Talk.

Submitted by
Marjory Bankson
5/15/2013