Seekers Church
April 12, 2015 Stewards Meeting
Present:
Stewards: Marjory Bankson, Peter Bankson (notetaker), Ken Burton, Pat Conover, Judy Lantz (angel), David Lloyd (angel), Sandra Miller, Trish Nemore, Brenda Seat, Keith Seat, Vincent Shepherd, Margreta Silverstone (worship), Deborah Sokolove (moderator), Jacqie Wallen.
Guests: Michele Frome, Larry Rawlings
Absent: Kevin Barwick, Cynthia Dahlin
Housekeeping: Stewards will meet on Sunday, May 3rd at 5:30pm
Moderator: Keith Worship: Sandra
Notetaker: Marjory Angels: Vincent & Margreta
Worship was offered by Margreta, reflecting from “Inward/Outward,” with Judy Lantz reading a passage from the Gospel of John.
COMMUNITY REVIEW – NEWCOMERS
Brenda reported that Koinonia Mission Group is shepherding 12 recent arrivals at Seekers Church, helping them find deeper connections within the community, gathering information on the different dimensions of their relationships with others in the community.
COMMUNITY REVIEW – SEEKERS NOT IN MISSION GROUPS
Brenda reviewed the list of long-term members of Seekers who are not in mission groups, so that Stewards can all be aware of how these individuals are connected with the community and where there might be opportunities for deeper connections. There are 15 Seekers on this list. Brenda reminded the Stewards that as part of the Stewards’ commitment to “tend the organizational health of Seekers Church,” it is one of the responsibilities of Stewards to nurture these relationships. There are currently 15 individuals in this category, most of whom have more than one connection beyond attending worship.
REVIEW TEAM FOR TRISH NEMORE
Brenda announced that this year will be the first occasion for a community review of Trish Nemore as a member of our Servant Leadership Team. She invited two or three Stewards to volunteer for the review team, and invite one or two others from the wider community to participate on the team. Dave Lloyd and Sandra Miller volunteered as Stewards, and they will invite wider participation.
DAYSPRING PARTNERSHIP UPDATE
Pat reported on his recent meeting at Dayspring, exploring some emerging ideas for new initiatives on the land. He reported that there is a group of members from Dayspring who seem quite interested in working more collaboratively with Seekers to explore new ideas, including:
- A renewed focus on Wellspring as a “Christian Retreat Center;”
- New programming that could coordinate offerings from different sources to support emerging churches;
- New facilities, like a hermitage that could support extended individual retreat;
- Development of a meditative path through the Dayspring property, with a map, benches for quiet reflection and art installations to support deeper reflection..
Pat reported that he walked the land with 10 people from Dayspring and continued with an energetic conversation over lunch with six individuals from Dayspring. Doors seem to be opening for some new collaboration between Dayspring and Seekers. Pat has invited other Seekers to join him in this continuing conversation.
Pat offered this proposal:
Stewards encourages exploration of increased cooperation and collaboration with Dayspring Church, the Wellspring Retreat Center, and the Silent Retreat Mission Group with regular reporting back to Seekers.
The Stewards unanimously affirmed Pat’s initiative.
HOLY SPIRIT FUND
After dinner Brenda reviewed the status of the Seekers’ Holy Spirit Fund that supports individuals and families in need. The Need for these funds continues to be higher over the past 3 years.
|
Year |
Budget |
Actual |
|
2009 |
$2,000 |
$2,548 |
|
2010 |
$2,000 |
$10,235 |
|
2011 |
$7,000 |
$13,210 |
|
2012 |
$10,000 |
$33,681 |
|
2013 |
$25,000 |
$47,343 |
|
2014 |
$35,000 |
$42,494 |
|
2015 |
$30,000 |
??? |
In addition to the summary report, Brenda provided a more detailed update on current needs for community support and efforts within the Seekers community to help individuals continue moving toward self-sufficiency. Our growing edge in this area is to discern what our responsibilities are as a community, and identify what is the work that individuals among us must do for themselves. The Stewards affirmed the work of the SLT and other informal community teams in their efforts to support individuals in need and help them grow toward independence.
SHARING
Margreta and Deborah shared from their lives, and the meeting concluded with Soul Talk, our opportunity for sharing by other Stewards.
Submitted by Peter Bankson
April 15, 2012
