SEEKERS CHURCH
Stewards Minutes
August 1, 2021
Present: Marjory Bankson (recorder), Peter Bankson, Ken Burton, Cynthia Dahlin, Joan Dodge, Judy Lantz, David Lloyd, Sandra Miller (meditation), John Morris, Brenda Seat, Margreta Silverstone, Deborah Sokolove (moderator), Jacqie Wallen, Glen Yakushiji.
Absent: Michele Frome, Elizabeth Gelfeld, Trish Nemore, Keith Seat, Vincent Shepherd
Guest: Anita Jackson
Meditation: Sandra shared a poem by Mark Doty.
Housekeeping: Stewards will next meet via zoom Sunday, Sept 5, 5:30-7:30 pm.
Moderator – Margreta
Recorder — Ken
Meditation leader — Judy
1 ) Mid-year Financial Report: Marjory
- Fraudulent checks reported at the last meeting are still under investigation by the bank.
- Money to cover the second smaller check ($9,900) has been recovered.
- The first check, made out to PRONEC in Uganda, has not yet been replaced.
- Balance sheet (attached)
- To minimize fraudulent access to our checking account, most of our funds have been moved into a Money Market Account. We can move a monthly amount into checking to cover checks.
- A special checking account has been set up to cover overseas checks only.
- 6-Month Summary (attached)
- Income is exactly 50% of budget; contributions are at 47%.
- Expenses are at 52% of the budget. The only item seriously ahead of the budget is the Holy Spirit Fund, which SLT uses for direct emergency aid to Seekers.
2 ) Update from the Servant Leadership Working Group: Margreta
- Each mission group and the SLT have responded to the surveys sent out. Surveys by individuals will take longer to process.
- The SLWGroup is working with these questions:
- What is working well?
- What are the challenges?
- What might require changes in the Servant Leadership Team?
- Which structures impeded involvement for newer people?
- What actions should we recommend?
- Margreta added, “Here are three things that I’m thinking about:”
- In the past, individuals were responsible for discerning call and initiating action. Today, we need to be more invitational – not assume knowledge of our call-based culture.
- With an aging population, how can we help those “left behind” to grieve? Although we have end-of-life information on file, do we know the informal networks around people, especially those not in mission groups?
- Are there specific roles needed now that we have not needed before?
3 )Proposed Covid-related Guidelines for Returning to Worship: Brenda
- Guidelines (attached) give a thorough summary of considerations by Time & Space for opening the building and Celebration Circle for worship by Seekers.
- Given the recent uptick in Delta variant covid infections, Brenda recommended that we delay opening the building for worship for another month, although the building may be used for smaller gatherings.
Recommendation approved.
Pastoral concerns – no notes.
2 Stewards share: Ken (Keith was absent)
Meeting ended with Soul talk.
Submitted by Marjory Bankson
August 2, 2021
