2025 January Stewards Minutes
SEEKERS CHURCH
Final Stewards Minutes
January 12, 2025 (Zoom)
Present: Marjory Bankson, Peter Bankson, Kolya Braun-Greiner (meditation), Ken Burton,
Cynthia Dahlin, Joan Dodge, David Lloyd, Jeanne Marcus (recorder), Sandra Miller, John
Morris, Trish Nemore, Brenda Seat, Keith Seat, Deborah Sokolove (moderator), Jacqie Wallen,
Glen Yakushiji.
Absent: Judy Lantz
Housekeeping: Stewards will meet on Sunday, February 9 from 4:00 – 6:00 pm on Zoom.
Moderator: Sandra
Recorder: Trish
Meditation: Cynthia
Meditation: Kolya Braun-Greiner
\Stewards’ 2025 Calendar
A draft of the Stewards’ 2025 calendar was presented, including changes to starting and
ending times. As proposed, all meetings would begin at 4:30 p.m. Ending time for Zoom
meetings would be 6:30 p.m., and in-person meetings would end at 7 p.m. In-person dinners
will return to being pot-luck.
The draft was amended to include the annual election of officers at the December meeting.
The proposal, as amended, was approved by unanimous consent.
SLT invited Stewards to make observations of emerging issues, and suggestions for potential
future agenda items by sending them to SLT. In a brief discussion, a number of potential ideas
were suggested and duly noted by SLT.
SLT Report
Jacqie reporting: Margreta left the Servant Leadership Team, effective January 1. The three
remaining members, Trish, Jacqie and John, are comfortable with the present size of the
group and are feeling no urgent need to recruit another member. But, if any Steward is
feeling a call to join SLT, the SLT would welcome a new member. Jacqie read a copy of the
statement on the role of SLT in Seekers. (copy is attached to these minutes.)
To inform Stewards of what the process of joining the SLT might look like, John shared
information about his personal process of deciding for membership, and the group process for
his moving onto the team.the C of S quarterly magazine, Callings; and also of its Inward/Outward weekly scriptural column.
Exploring our commitment to Youth and Children
A key commitment of Seekers Church from its founding has been supporting participation
by people of all ages, including children and youth. Stewards were divided into four
Zoom break-out groups for an initial exploration around whether Seekers Church feels a
continued commitment to this component of its call.
QUESTION ASKED: “Are we still committed to participation by people of all ages, including
Children and Youth?
THEMES IN STEWARDS’ RESPONSES
A commitment to including children and youth has been an important part of Seekers Church
since our very formation. We want to be open and welcoming to people of all ages coming
toward us.
We have had a few families with children in recent services, and the new housing around
us could mean more children in Seekers.
Many of us have important memories of the periods when Seekers had a large number of
families with children who were part of the church. We can draw on that history.
Many of us agreed that we still have a commitment to include children & youth, at least
in the abstract.
2] There are questions about important limits to Seekers capacity to embody a more robust
children’s program:
— We are an ageing church: we welcome children, but don’t have programming
–There are limits to number of individuals with time, energy, and desire to design
exciting programming, or to teach children and youth.
–Our few families with children don’t show up consistently, or they participate only by
Zoom, making teacher-kid relationship hard to create and sustain
— We have some yearning to address these questions: but may not have sufficient
energy to do it.
3] Chicken-or Egg dilemmas:
–Do children come first? Or the program to attract children?
— To have children with us, don’t we first have to have young adults who have or will
have children? Then how do we increase their numbers? A few committed families would
create impetus to restart programming for children.
4] Broader cultural issues:
–Kids are overprogrammed, including having sports on Sunday mornings. Parents will
have to want to block off Sunday mornings for Church.
–Church of the Saviour greatest growth was during a period of American Christianity
which encouraged and supported models of faith that encouraged and supported more
active individual, family, and collective engagement with church; and also valued
ministries for social change. Currently American Christianity tends to a consumerist ,
uniform evangelical approach.
–Do we know what now attracts young adults (with or without children) to move from
visiting to becoming committed to a church community? What is wanted or needed from
a church? Have we asked young people? Would we want to, or be able to, meet those
wants and needs?
5] Strategies for moving toward more involvement with children:
–Involve current parents of children in our discussions. Ask other churches how they
work with children.
— Start Children’s word with an object the children could see and hold, and the leader
would then link the object with gospel story.
–Develop links between the word for the children in worship and the activities in the
Children’s room afterward. Call on Seekers’ members to share with the children their
own creativity and expertise in making things.
— provide coaching/encouragement for adults in linking objects to the biblical
story. Watch that content for children is not too intellectual
–Consider incorporating children in the entirety of worship. While this would change the
nature of our worship (e.g., losing silence), it could bring back the interactive services
that engaged all of us
–Develop series or topics that attract youth—such as the environment.
Pastoral Concerns
Steward sharing: Dave Lloyd and Margreta Silverstone
Soul talk
Meeting adjourned at 6 p.m.
ATTACHMENT 1: STEWARDS’ 2025 CALENDAR
SEEKERS CHURCH
| Current Stewards Members: 2025Margreta (1-07) David (1-15)Brenda (1-15) Cynthia (1-24) Joan (2-10) Kolya (2-12)Peter (3-08) Jeanne (3-09) Glen (4-04)Deborah (4-14) Judy (5-02) John (6-23) Trish (7-17)Ken (8-10) Keith (8-15) Marjory (10-30) Jacqie (10-31) Sandra (11-20) |
| Stewards Version As of January 12, 2025 |
A Christian Community
In the Tradition of Church of the Saviour
STEWARDS’ 2025 CALENDAR
January (Meet January 12th @ 4:00 – 6:00 PM on zoom)
| Potential Steward Agenda ItemsHybrid worship/hybrid churchOutreach ideasWelcoming newcomers |
Stewards Sharing: Margreta and David
SLT Report
Consideration of how we support our children
Pastoral Concerns
Ecumenical Council Meeting: January 12, 2025
February (Meet February 9th @ 4:30 – 6:30 PM on zoom)
Stewards Sharing: Joan and Cynthia
Worship report from Celebration Circle
2024 Financial Report (FOG)
Pastoral Concerns
March (Meet March 9th @ 4:30 – 7:00 PM in person – Daylight Savings Time begins today)
Steward Sharing: Peter and Kolya
2025 Retreat Opportunities
Rolling Ridge/ Stillpoint Report
Pastoral Concerns
Ecumenical Council Meeting: March 9, 2025
April (Meet April 13th @ 4:30 – 7:00 PM in person)
Steward Sharing: Glen and Jeanne
2024 Building report from Time & Space
Ministry Team Updates-REJMT and Creature Kind
Pastoral Concerns
Silent Retreat-May 2-4, 2025
Easter is April 20, 2025
May (Meet May 11th @ 4:30 – 7:00 PM in person)
Stewards Sharing: Deborah and Judy
Bokamoso Update
Takoma Park Street Festival Participation Planning
Report from Ecumenical Council meeting
Pastoral Concerns
Ecumenical Council Meeting: May 11, 2025
June (Meet June 8th @ 4:30 – 7:00 PM in person)
Steward Sharing: John
Community Review (SLT)
[OMG report re new people]
Pastoral Concerns
[Men’s Retreat ?]
July (Meet July 13th @ 4:30 – 7:00 PM in person)
Steward Sharing: Trish
FOG Update – mid-year report
Pastoral Concerns
August (Meet August 10th @ 4:30 – 7:00 PM in person)
Stewards Sharing: Ken and Keith
Pastoral Concerns
September (Meet September 14th @ 4:30- 7:00 PM in person)
No Stewards Sharing
School of Christian Growth Schedule for 2025/2026 (Learners & Teachers)
[Sunday School for the new school year]
Report from Ecumenical Council meeting
Pastoral Concerns
Ecumenical Council meeting September 14, 2025.
Silent Retreat: September 26-28, 2025
Takoma Park Street Festival October 5, 2025
October (Meet October 12th @ 4:30 – 7:00 PM in person)
Stewards Sharing: Jacqie and Marjory
Budget Input for 2025
Recommitment Review by Stewards
Debrief from Takoma Park Street Festival
Pastoral Concerns
RECOMMITMENT SUNDAY October 19, 2025
Return to Standard Time on November 2, 2025
November (Meet November 9th @ 4:30 – 6:30 PM on zoom)
Stewards Sharing: Sandra
2026 Budget: Draft Review- FOG
2026 Calendar- Draft Review
Report from Ecumenical Council meeting
Pastoral Concerns
Ecumenical Council meeting: November 9, 2025
December (Meet December 14th @ 4:30 – 7:00 PM in person )
No Stewards Sharing
2026Budget Approval
2026 Calendar Approval
Election of Board members for 2026
Celebration
ATTACHMENT 2: The Role of SLT in Seekers
Listening in to everyone in the community to know what’s going on, what individuals’ needs, questions, and yearnings are.
Keeping an eye on the whole – through listening and relationships throughout the community with a special focus on the margins and those not in mission groups
Pastoring – Identifying pastoral concerns and reporting them to Stewards. Providing spiritual guidance,especially to those not in mission groups,
Performing practical/administrative tasks on behalf of Stewards – preparing Stewards agendas and planning meetings; administering the Holy Spirit Fund Christmas funds; acting as an Executive Committee on those rare occasions when a quick decision is needed.
“Holding the tension between solidity and freshness” (Sonya Dyer’s phrase) so that we grow and embrace newness and the ideas of newcomers even as we hold the central core of who we are.
Evoking gifts of others in the community and encouraging them to use them to benefit church life.