Support Ministry Team minutes

Last meeting: Jan. 8, 2008

Attendees:

Don Monson

Diane Putzer

Walt Rugland

John Zweig

Staff:

Brenda Smongeski

Excused:

Dean Haas

Mike Lokensgard

Items that may require Council action:

• Final budget proposal for 2008; reviewed updated numbers (See draft for inclusion in annual report)

• Finance/cash-management policy; draft proposal to be presented to executive committee.

Important items of information:

• Reviewed the offering for December 2007, which was approximately $42,000 ahead of the same month in 2006, and the total offering for 2007 was approximately $91,000 ahead of last year for a 9.5 percent increase.

• Reviewed financials through December 2007. We will end the year with a deficit. This was due to approximately $10,000 less in envelope giving, worship music honoraria was higher than expected, custodial services cost us more and we did not budget sufficiently for staff expense reimbursements. ECHOES ended the year with a surplus approximately equivalent to last year’s surplus.

• Reviewed the stewardship subgroup pledge report. Pledging units were down for 2008. For the same people pledging from last year, there is a 20 percent increase in pledges.

• Property oversight subgroup
• Approved the recommended purchase of new digital sound board for the North Site – cost $7410. The current board is nonfunctional and we are borrowing a board. The digital board is compatible with the sound upgrade that is proposed in the capital appeal projects. Property oversight is reprioritizing projects for 2008 to accommodate this purchase.
• Organ bellows at the Downtown Site: Discussed the recent issue with the humidity problem with the organ bellows. The humidifier produced too much humidity and resulted in a mold problem. The bellows were removed for repair, The room was cleaned of all saturated sheetrock and mold, and the room was reinsulated, sheet-rocked and painted. The organ will be operational by Jan. 13, 2008. The estimated cost of repairs is approximately $6,000. This expense will force some reprioritization of projects for 2008.

• Property security procedure will be developed for both church properties by Brenda Smongeski and John Zweig.

Submitted by:

John Zweig