2022 July Stewards Minutes

SEEKERS CHURCH

 Stewards Minutes

July 10, 2022

Present: Marjory Bankson, Peter Bankson, Ken Burton, Cynthia Dahlin, Joan Dodge (moderator), Michele Frome, Elizabeth Gelfeld, Judy Lantz, David Lloyd (recorder), Sandra Miller, John Morris, Trish Nemore, Brenda Seat, Keith Seat, Vincent Shepherd, Margreta Silverstone, Jacqie Wallen, Glen Yakushiji.

Absent:  Deborah Sokolove

Guests: Glenn Clark, Liz Gould-Leger, Anita Jackson, Ron Kraybill, Erica Lloyd

Meditation: Peter shared a reflection from the “Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address” in  Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants.

Housekeeping: Stewards will next meet via Zoom on Sunday, August 7, 5 p.m.

Moderator – Margreta

Recorder —  Judy

Meditation — John

1. Servant Leadership Working Group: Keith, Glenn, and Erica

1.) Review of Recommendations from the Servant Leadership Working Group: Keith,

Glenn, and Erica (“Sherpas”). In the June Stewards meeting, there was much discussion of recommendations 2 and 4, but no consensus, so the Sherpas were requested to provide revised proposals for the July meeting. The Sherpas did so and, after further discussion, recommendations 2 and 4 were adopted by the Stewards.

The original recommendation # 2 read: 

Recommend a sufficient number of members to represent different perspectives, allow for a variety of skills, and limit the overall load on each member.

As requested, the Sherpas submitted a modification of recommendation #2 that was sent to the Stewards in advance of this meeting:

SLT should be comprised of an appropriate number of members to accomplish its

work and represent a range of different perspectives.

After extensive discussion, the Stewards approved the following recommendation #2:

The Servant Leadership Team (SLT) should be composed of an appropriate

number of members to accomplish its work and represent a range of different life

experiences and gifts. To that end, Stewards should encourage and nurture

leadership throughout our diverse community.

The original recommendation #4 read:

Encourage Stewards to be aware of the demands of serving on the SLT that may be

self-limiting and to take steps to mitigate them. For example, make it known that

compensation may be flexible, or that responsibilities may be curtailed to match the

time available to a specific member.

The Sherpas had also previously submitted a modification of recommendation #4 to the Stewards in advance of the meeting:

Stewards will be mindful and seek to address the significant demands and challenges of being on the SLT that may limit the ability to serve.

The Stewards discussed it and approved the following recommendation #4:

Stewards will be attentive to and flexible in addressing the significant demands and challenges of being on the SLT that may limit the ability to serve.

• Potential to resume in-person Stewards meetings: Jacqie

In response to hopes expressed at a previous meeting that Stewards could resume in-person meetings, Jacqie opened a discussion on behalf of the Servant Leadership Team. She pointed out that several Stewards would not be able to attend for a number of months because potential exposure to the pandemic virus would exacerbate health conditions for themselves or close family members. She also noted that hybrid meetings would pose challenges (e.g., seating that would be face to face for those in-person would hide some faces to those attending remotely, the audiovisual setup for hybrid worship would require major changes, and the equipment would need to be operated by several non-Stewards, which would end confidentiality of pastoral care, sharing, and soul talk discussions). One person noted that current prices for gasoline and the time required for driving would pose challenges for some if in-person meetings were resumed too soon. Several Stewards recognized that while in-person attendance is the most effective mechanism to enhance our sense of community, we have been able to conduct Zoom meetings with a good sense of community feeling and that there may be other mechanisms to enhance community.

Jacqie invited Stewards to form a small working group to explore the feasibility of in-person and hybrid meetings in more depth and report back to Stewards by the end of the year. Peter and Joan volunteered to work on the issue.

• Pastoral concerns were discussed.

• Steward sharing: Trish updated the Stewards on major issues in her life.

• The meeting ended with Soul talk.

Submitted by David Lloyd

July 17, 2022