STEWARDS MEETING
August 2, 2009
Present: Marjory Bankson, Peter Bankson, Ken Burton, Lewise Busch, Jeannine Caracciolo (angel), Pat Conover, Kate Cudlipp, Cynthia Dahlin, Jane Engle (note taker), Sue Johnson, Muriel Lipp (worship leader), David Lloyd, Aeren Martinez, Sandra Miller (angel), Patricia Nemore, Brenda Seat, Keith Seat, Margreta Silverstone, Deborah Sokolove (moderator), Jacqie Wallen
Worship: Muriel led with a poem from Weavings.
Housekeeping:
Next Meeting: Sept 6, 2009
Moderator – Trish
Note Taker – Ken
Worship – Sandra
Angels – Marjory and Kate
Update on 2025: Keith presented the latest on the sale of 2025. The country of Georgia is engaged in serious negotiations with C of S. The embassy of India is “in the wings” and the building is being shown to other prospective buyers.
Faithful Servants Fund: Peter proposed and Stewards approved taking $150,000 from the sale of 2025 to underwrite the FSF for an additional ten years. All the faith communities must approve the proposal. Any funds remaining when the program is no longer needed will be returned to the faith communities.
C of S Office: Keith and Kate discussed the proposal from Kayla McClurg that $40,000 from the sale of 2025 be allocated to maintain a C of S office for one year. (See attachment for details.). It was agreed that Kate and Keith would take the concerns that were raised back to Kayla and the Ecumenical Council and that Stewards would have further discussions about the proposal.
Follow-up on Visioning:
Trish asked Marjory about her comment in the previous meeting that Seekers had not made itself known in the local community. Marjory responded that we haven’t put much energy recently into letting the community know who we are and what we are about.
Dave questioned if Seekers is being prophetic about being loved, held, and feeling comfortable in our own community. He asked whether we are a model of people who are living into our culture or transforming the culture?
Muriel spoke of the importance of mission groups.
Deborah said that what we do so well is to love, support, and affirm people who are broken as they move toward healing so that they, in turn, can go back and serve in their communities. This happens, she said, not through programs, but through the love we have to offer. She said it is our call to model this process.
Jacqie said she felt a tension in the conversation last meeting between feeling comfortable in our community and the need for a growing edge.
Cynthia remarked that she feels stretched in her own ministry. She feels the increased diversity of people at Seekers is our growing edge. She sees the impact of some of that on her children in their ministries and that this is our prophetic work.
Pat said we had “dug our own well”, that we are not dependent on the C of S, and that we don’t need to be affirmed by any outside authority. We have increasing diversity and this includes the sacred conversations on race. We are a “cornerstone church”. Our Stewards Circle is an example: everyone gets a voice and we claim our own ministry. We hold out hope for a Christian Church that is in a lot of trouble. The Holy Spirit is breaking through in so many places in Seekers. Pat also mentioned he is concerned about being pulled back into the C of S into an “old framework”. We have our own well and we need to tend it.
Peter said we are in some ways like a religious order in that we come together to worship and pray and then disperse for our own ministries out in the world. But we need a place for our own nurture. We need to “nurture the nudge” – help each other move further, to be faithful in fresh ways. He wishes for ways to acknowledge all of us in the places we are serving.
Sandra read a letter from recent visitors (Jason and Amy) who asked for us to teach their congregation how to be servant leaders and wondered what they could teach us.
Kate asked for responses from Mission Groups –
–Living Water: Marjory, Muriel and Cynthia talked about their focus on elders, the aging process and retreats.
–Artist Mission Group: See attachment.
–Eyes to See: Pat, Trish, and Sandra said they look where others avoid looking and spoke of the sacred conversation that has been going on for 14 months and will continue.
Dave said he was bothered that we don’t have the “youthful drive” – the drive to change the world. He asked if we need to “tweet” our own story?
Kate closed the discussion by saying that this visioning will continue. There are more Mission Groups conversations that are yet to occur and there will be a third Sunday conversation.
Good Bye to Jeannine and Aeren: Personal expressions of thanksgiving for the gifts each has brought to Seekers and blessings on their new journey were offered. This is their last Stewards meeting before they move to Texas.
Soul Talk
Adjournment
