Pastor John’s Council Reports
Church Council Meeting
December 9, 2008
Report: Pastor John W.
Soyster
I. Activity For November 2008
Shut-in
Communion visits: 4 (60)
Member/visitor
home visits: 2 (41)
Hospital/convalescent
home/jail visits: 12 (80)
Telecare
calls: 9
Mount
Cross:
Church Council, Church staff, Stewardship Committee, Budget Committee, Worship
& Music Committee, extended visioning meeting with Pastor Erik.
Conference,
Ecumenical, other: Leisure Village Bible study, Conference Pastors, Alma Via, Abundant
Table (CSUCI), ELCA pre-retirement seminar, chapel preacher at CLU.
C. Pastoral Acts:
Baptisms – 0 (11), Weddings – 0 (4),
Funerals – 0 (3). Bible Studies: Sunday
morning – 2 (9), Tuesday morning – 0 (11).
D.
Special Events:
20th
Anniversary of the Sanctuary; Thanksgiving Eve worship service.
D. Counseling Hours: Pre-marital – 0 (22),
Pre-baptism – 0 (6), Crisis/other – 7
(54).
A. Core Value:
Intimacy With God
Action:
None.
B. Inactive Households
Action:
None.
Action:
Completed.
D.
Future Pastors
Action:
None.
III. Information & Action Items For Council
1. Two hours of vacation time. I am taking off the evening of December 9th
(the night of the December Council meeting, I am sorry to say) in order to
attend the dress rehearsal of the Camarillo Community Band for their Christmas
concert (12/14).
3. “Come and see.” I was very encouraged by
your response to the initial presentation of this special emphasis for
2009. I will have a draft brochure
handed out at the 12/9 meeting – a print version of the PowerPoint I showed
last month. I welcome your comments. Mark it up and give it back to me at your
convenience. I would like to use this
theme for the Annual Meeting (see #6 below).
4. Stewardship Update. The Stewardship Committee
has been working with a list of 245 “active” households of Mount Cross for this
year’s campaign. So far we have
received responses from 160 of them; 65%.
Those who have not yet responded received a phone call from their
Precinct Captains and then an email or postcard encouraging them to send or
bring in their commitment materials. I
believe the plan is to ask the Precinct Captains to deliver the remaining
offering envelopes in the near future in order to save us the large postage
cost of mailing them.
6. Annual Meeting. Last
year we gathered at 4:00 p.m. for a pot luck dinner and bingo before the 5:30
p.m. meeting. That seemed to work well
and I suggest we keep that basic format for this coming year. I would like to use the “Come and see”
theme for the whole afternoon/evening.
I tried to think of things that might be interesting to come to church
and see. Of course, we won’t limit
seeing to just the eyes. What could we
offer for people to come and experience? Here are a few ideas of things we could invite people to come and
see:
Ø
Dinner theater - a concert while people
eat. We have lots of musical talent,
including, I am sure, some of our young people who are learning an
instrument. A few people playing and
singing during dinner.
Ø
A dinner time fashion show.
After
we finish eating, between dinner and the meeting we could have an
Ø
Art show in the Parish Life Center
Ø
We could show one or two of the DVD’s we
receive from the ELCA that talk about the work of the larger church in our
country and around the world.
Ø
We could set up a simple craft project –
something for kids of all ages
After
the meeting, we could dim the lights in the church and have a brief digital
photography show.
A
few ideas to get our creative juices flowing as we seek to plan activities for
the coming year we would be eager to invite others to experience.
7. Items to keep before us:
·
There are still
some committees that have no chair (Stewardship, Caring).
·
Do we owe the
congregation an update on our Strategic Planning Committee report and
recommendations?
·
What will we do
about the mortgage and the Congregational meeting that is in recess?
8. Dates:
·
December 14 – Sunday School Christmas
Program & Pot-Luck, 4 p.m.
·
December 18 – CDC Family Christmas
program, 6:30 p.m.
·
December 24 – Christmas Eve services, 5,
8 & 10 p.m.
·
December 28 and January 4 – regular
Sunday schedule (8:15, 9:30 & 10:45 a.m.)
·
December 31 – Annual Reports due in the
church office
·
January 13 - Council meeting and final
budget recommendation
·
January 18 – Beginning of the Week of Prayer
for Christian Unity. Special sermon
prepared in conjunction with pastors from other full-communion churches in
Camarillo (Episcopal, Presbyterian and Methodist).
·
January 25 – Pot Luck Dinner & Annual
meeting.
·
February 7 – Saturday morning & early
afternoon – annual Church Council retreat (takes the place of the February 10
meeting).
·
February 25 – Ash Wednesday Joint service
at Saint Columba’s Episcopal Church
Church Council Meeting
November 11, 2008
Report: Pastor John W.
Soyster
Updated November 11, 2008 –
8:00 a.m.
I. Activity For October 2008
Shut-in
Communion visits: 7 (56)
Member/visitor
home visits: 5 (39)
Hospital/convalescent
home/jail visits: 11 (68)
Telecare
calls: 5
Mount
Cross:
Church Council, Church staff, Stewardship Committee, Stephen Ministry planning,
Budget Committee, Worship & Music Committee.
Conference,
Ecumenical, other: Leisure Village Bible study, Conference Pastors, meet with
Administrator of Alma Via.
C. Pastoral Acts:
Baptisms – 0 (11), Weddings – 2 (4),
Funerals – 1 (3). Bible Studies: Sunday
morning – 1 (7), Tuesday morning – 1 (11).
D.
Special Events:
Stewardship
“Pie with the Pastors” events, CDC Back to School night, interviewed by CLU
student in ethics class, Classical Concert.
D. Counseling Hours: Pre-marital – 3 (22),
Pre-baptism – 0 (6), Crisis/other – 5
(47).
A. Core
Value: Intimacy With God
Action: None. I was having pie.
B. Inactive Households
Action: None. I was having pie.
C. Strategic Planning Process
Action: Completed.
And I was having pie.
D. Future Pastors
Action: None. I was having pie.
III. Information & Action Items For Council
2. Results from Pie With The Pastors. These gatherings brought out 130 members – probably
more than a stewardship dinner would have.
Who knows? We had good pie &
good conversation. Some new members got
acquainted with their neighbors, and some who had been neighbors a long time
learned that those neighbors also went to the same church. Early on it became clear that the time spent
updating people that we had a long range plan and filling them in on some of
its details was time well spent. This
has inspired me to begin to look for ways that we can make our mission
statement and our core values more visible and more integrated into the
thinking and planning we all do. If you
remember the M.A.R.K. buttons from 2003 or “Walk With Me” from 2004, you know
how a short phrase or a simple visual served to keep a mission-oriented theme
in the forefront. Pastor Erik and I
have begun working on this. We welcome
your input as we shape a special emphasis for 1009. Please read over www.mountcross.com/remembermark.htm
3. Mutual Ministry Committee. The Mutual Ministry Committee serves both the
pastors and the congregation. The
committee helps the pastors set and monitor goals, coordinate continuing
education planning, and provides a confidential place for conversation. It also assists in coordinating the ministry
of the pastors and the ministry of the congregation. Some time ago we decided to have the Church Council serve as the general
Mutual Ministry Committee and have the Executive Committee work on specific
matters. This configuration was
used in preparing for my sabbatical last year.
Council voted to continue this arrangement through June of 2007. I suggest we renew this arrangement for the
time being, rather than work at putting together a new committee. And as Council is wrestling with budget
matters, the Council probably best suited to factor into budget planning any
implications arising from Pastor Erik’s sabbatical (May 18 – August 18, 2009).
4. Vacation.
Well,
not really. I am going to take one evening
off in December. I am planning to
play in the Camarillo Community Band for their Christmas concert (12/14) and
the final rehearsal is the same day and time as our December Council meeting.
5. Items to keep before us:
·
There are still
some committees that have no chair (Stewardship, Caring).
·
Do we owe the
congregation an update on our Strategic Planning Committee report and
recommendations?
·
What will we do
about the mortgage and the Congregational meeting that is in recess?
6. Dates:
·
November 16 – commemoration of 20th
anniversary of the “new” sanctuary (brief PowerPoint and prayer)
·
November 26 - Thanksgiving Eve – Worship
& Pie, 7:00 p.m.
·
December 7 – Hanging of the Greens dinner
& concert, 5:30 & 7:00 p.m.
·
December 9 – next Council meeting.
·
December 14 – Sunday School Christmas
Program & Pot-Luck, 4 p.m.
·
December 18 – CDC Family Christmas
program, 6:30 p.m.
·
December 24 – Christmas Eve services, 5,
8 & 10 p.m.
·
December 28 and January 4 – regular
Sunday schedule (8:15, 9:30 & 10:45 a.m.)
2009
·
January 13 - Council meeting and final
budget recommendation
·
January 25 – Annual meeting – time and
format to be determined.
·
May 18 – Start of Pastor Erik’s
sabbatical
October
14, 2008
Report:
Pastor John W. Soyster
I. Activity For September 2008
A. Visitation
Shut-in
Communion visits: 4 (49)
Member/visitor
home visits: 4 (34)
Hospital/convalescent
home/jail visits: 14 (57)
Telecare
calls: 7
B. Meetings
Mount
Cross:
Church Council, Church staff, Stewardship Committee, Stephen Leaders, Directory
committee.
Conference,
Ecumenical, other: Leisure Village Bible study, The Abundant Table (Lutheran-Episcopal
campus ministry at CSUCI; Sunday evening Eucharist (2)), Conference Pastors,
Faith Family Festival (Fri. & Sat.).
C. Pastoral Acts:
Baptisms – 1 (11), Weddings – 0 (2),
Funerals – 0 (2). Bible Studies: Sunday
morning – 0 (6), Tuesday morning – 1 (10).
D.
Special Events:
CDC
parent/child orientations, Rally Day, Stewardship sermon series, Draft social
statement on human sexuality – 2 Saturday sessions, Stephen Ministry
orientation for Class of 2009, High School youth group orientation, New member
orientation.
D. Counseling Hours: Pre-marital – 2 (19),
Pre-baptism – 1 (6), Crisis/other – 7
(42).
II. 2008 Goals
A. Core Value: Intimacy With God
Action: None.
Stewardship is getting most of my attention right now.
B. Inactive Households
Action: None.
Stewardship is getting most of my attention right now.
C. Strategic Planning Process
Action: Completed.
D. Future Pastors
Action: None.
Stewardship is getting most of my attention right now.
III. Information & Action Items For Council
1. Faith Family Festival. A great event with not-so-great support.
2. 20th
Anniversaries. Both our sanctuary and our CDC are 20 this Fall. There will be a brief commemorative
PowerPoint and prayer of thanks for the CDC on October 12. Ditto for the sanctuary on November 16.
3. Pie with the Pastors. These gatherings will focus on:
·
saying thanks
for the support our members,
·
alerting our
members to the financial challenges we face,
·
providing some
good food, fun and fellowship.
I
hope all Council members participate in their neighborhood gatherings. Your presence will be appreciated if
questions about the life of our church are asked that Council members can
answer.
4. Items to keep before us:
·
There are still
some committees that have no chair (Stewardship, Caring).
·
Do we owe the
congregation an update on our Strategic Planing Committee report and
recommendations?
·
What will we do
about the mortgage and the Congregational meeting that is in recess?
5. Pre-retirement seminar. The
ELCA Board of Pensions starts inviting pastors to these events when they turn
50. I’m finally going to attend one at
the Pacifica Synod office in Orange County.
Not that I have any plans to retire any time soon (I still have two kids
to get through college), but it’s not too to work on our strategy, especially with
the way things are going these days.
6. Dates:
·
October 5 – Pie with the Pastors begins.
·
October 12 – CDC’s 20th
anniversary commemorated in worship services (PowerPoint)
·
October 12 – CDC Back-To-School Night
BBQ, Teacher Installation & Parent Education event.
·
November 2 – Stewardship Sunday. Our votes of confidence placed before the
altar. Baptism festival.
·
November 9 – reception of new members
(all 3 services)
·
November 16 – commemoration of 20th
anniversary of the “new” sanctuary (brief PowerPoint and prayer)
·
Thanksgiving Eve – Worship & Pie,
7:00 p.m.
·
December 7 – Hanging of the Greens
Church
Council Meeting
September
9, 2008
Report:
Pastor John W. Soyster
I. Activity For August 2008
A. Visitation
Shut-in
Communion visits: 5 (45)
Member/visitor
home visits: 3 (30)
Hospital/convalescent
home/jail visits: 5 (43)
Telecare
calls: 9
B. Meetings
Mount
Cross:
Church Council, Church staff, Stewardship Committee, Stephen Leaders, Website
construction (Prayer & Praise service), Stewardship neighborhood creation,
Worship & Music, Directory committee, Music Staff.
Conference,
Ecumenical, other: Campus Interfaith board, Alma Via Sunday afternoon service.
C. Pastoral Acts:
Baptisms – 0 (10), Weddings – 0 (2),
Funerals – 1 (2). Bible Studies: Sunday
morning – 0 (6), Tuesday morning – 1 (9).
D.
Special Events:
Conclude
summer worship series, baptism orientation, CDC staff welcome event.
D. Counseling Hours: Pre-marital – 4 (17),
Pre-baptism – 1 (5), Crisis/other – 6
(35).
II. 2008 Goals
A. Core Value: Intimacy With God
Action: I’m way behind in following up with the five member
households to whom I sent a prospectus that explains what I would like to
accomplish by creating a new small group.
You can still review what I sent to them at www.mountcross.com/egg.htm I welcome all comments.
B. Inactive Households
Action: There will be a list of 25 names for removal from
the membership rolls, most of whom are adult children of members who have not
responded to a letter that was sent in July.
C. Strategic Planning Process
Action: Completed.
D. Future Pastors
Action: No action.
III. Information & Action Items For Council
1. A Channel Islands Conference Event To Get
Excited About. Please save the dates
- September 26 & 27 – for a "Faith Family Festival" at
CLU. This event will include music,
drama, clown ministry workshops, worship and no meetings! Each congregation
will have a table at the park to display one or more of their ministries, like
our Prayer Shawl ministry & Project Peace.
Fun for all ages. This
event deserves the fullest support and participation that we can give it!!!
2. Time away. Thanks
for the chance to be away for a week at the end of August. I checked in with my ailing father in
Redwood City and made some more sawdust ;-)
3. 1st Draft of a possible Social
Statement on Human Sexuality. Mount Cross members will
have opportunity to discuss this draft in two sessions. The first session, Saturday morning,
September 13, from 9:00 until 11:00 a.m., will be devoted to a discussion of
the text of the draft, clarifying what it says and addressing questions. The second session, Saturday morning,
September 20, from 8:45 a.m. until Noon, will be devoted to hearing from two
speakers from different perspectives: those who seek to restore homosexual
persons to a proper sexual orientation and those who support freedom for
lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. It is hoped that all who attend and speak will have read
the draft. Click on this link if you
would like to see and read the draft, or the executive summary, or read the frequently asked questions, click on the
appropriate links. We will make printed
copies available for those who cannot obtain it from the internet.
4. Mount Cross Precincts (neighborhoods). The Stewardship Committee is revising and improving
the neighborhoods used for several years for different stewardship programs
(Pony Express, Garden Baskets). We will
gather as precincts at a series of “Pie with the Pastors” events in October
(Sunday, 10/5, 2:00 p.m.; Sunday, 10/5, 4:00 p.m.; Tuesday, 10/7, 7:00 p.m.;
Sunday, 10/12, 1:00 p.m.; Thursday, 10/16, 7:00 p.m.; Sunday, 10/19, 2:00 p.m.;
Sunday, 10/19, 4:00 p.m.; Thursday, 10/23, 2:00 p.m.; Thursday, 10/23, 7:00
p.m.; Sunday, 10/26, 7:00 p.m.). These
mood of these gatherings will be thankful and upbeat; the activity aimed at
growing the connections with people from the same neighborhood. And, oh yeah, the collection of the
stewardship materials that had been mailed at the beginning of October. After the stewardship campaign is over I
hope these groups will continue and be counted on as the source of sponsors for
new members who live in the same area, the households from which emergency
meals can come, etc.
5. Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. I
have written to the pastors of the other Camarillo churches with whom we have a
full communion relationship – St. Columba’s Episcopal, Trinity Presbyterian and
Camarillo United Methodist – asking if they would join me in preparing a sermon
for one of the Sundays in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (January
18 or 25, 2009). The theme
for the 2009 observance is “That they may become one in your
hand,” using Ezekiel 37:15-19, 22-24a as the text. I see us preparing a sermon together but
delivering our own in our own church.
But we would share the fact that we prepared it together and perhaps
develop a common theme or approach or illustrations. Publicity could indicate that sermons based on the same text and
prepared in concert will be delivered in all four of these churches on the same
morning, etc., etc. I see this as a
simple way of celebrating our unity in Christ without a lot of logistical
issues. A small first step…
6. Dates:
·
September 13 – 1st discussion
session - Draft Social Statement on Human Sexuality
·
September 14 – 1st day of
Sunday School
·
September 14 – Stephen Ministry
Orientation for the Class of 2009, Noon
·
September 15 – registration opens for
2009 ELCA Youth Gathering
·
September 20 – 2nd discussion
session - Draft Social Statement on Human Sexuality, with speakers from two
perspectives on homosexuality.
·
September 26 & 27 – Faith
Family Festival at CLU
·
September 28 – New member orientation
(Parish Life Center), Noon
·
October – a series of “Pie with the
Pastors” events, on various afternoons and evenings, sponsored by the
Stewardship Committee.
·
October 12 – CDC’s 20th
anniversary commemorated in worship services (PowerPoint)
·
October 12 – CDC Back-To-School Night
BBQ, Teacher Installation & Parent Education event.
·
November 2 – Stewardship Sunday
·
November 9 – reception of new members
(all 3 services)
·
November 16 – commemoration of 20th
anniversary of the “new” sanctuary (brief PowerPoint and prayer)
·
December 7 – Hanging of the Greens
I. ACTIVITY FOR JULY 2008
A. VISITATION
Shut-in
Communion visits: 9 (40)
Member/visitor
home visits: 7 (27)
Hospital/convalescent
home/jail visits: 5 (38)
Telecare
calls: 12
B. MEETINGS
Mount
Cross:
Church Council, Church staff (weekly), Stewardship Committee, Stephen Leaders,
VBS Story telling team (2), Congregational meeting.
Conference,
Ecumenical, other: Campus Interfaith board, Alma Via Sunday afternoon service, served as
member of listening team for a conference church in conflict.
C. PASTORAL ACTS: Baptisms – 0 (10),
Weddings – 0 (2), Funerals – 1 (1).
Bible Studies: Sunday morning – 0 (6), Tuesday morning – 1 (8).
D.SPECIAL
EVENTS: Summer worship series &
schedule, VBS & Program.
D. COUNSELING HOURS: Pre-marital – 1 (13),
Pre-baptism – 0 (4), Crisis/other – 7
(29).
II. 2008 GOALS
A. Core Value: Intimacy With God
Action: I’m exploring the possibility of starting a new
House Mission group this fall that would focus on discovering, developing and
using spiritual gifts and becoming better aware of the signs of God’s
grace. I sent a prospectus to five
member households that explains what I would like to accomplish and asking for
their reaction, feedback, critique, etc.
If you would like to see what I’m working on, you can read the letter at
www.mountcross.com/egg.htm
B. Inactive Households
Action: Early last week 25 letters went out to some of the
adult children who are still listed within their parent’s households.
C. Strategic Planning Process
Action: Completed.
D. Future Pastors
Action: Three of our high school age young people and one
who will start college this Fall assisted me with story telling at Vacation
Bible School. By week’s end, I had
written myself into the background of the scripts and they were taking the lead
and doing a nice job. Also, one of the
members of the story telling team presented the children’s sermon on July 27.
III. INFORMATION & ACTION ITEMS FOR COUNCIL
1. Time away. I
plan to be on vacation the week of August 18-24. Also, I have jury duty on August 15.
2a. 1st Draft of a possible Social
Statement on Human Sexuality. Mount Cross members will
have opportunity to discuss this draft in two sessions. The first session, Saturday morning,
September 13, from 9:00 until 11:00 a.m., will be devoted to a discussion of
the text of the draft, clarifying what it says and addressing questions. The second session, Saturday morning,
September 20, from 8:45 a.m. until Noon, will be devoted to hearing from two
speakers from different perspectives: those who seek to restore homosexual
persons to a proper sexual orientation and those who support freedom for
lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. It is hoped that all who attend and speak will have read the
draft. Click on this link if you would
like to see and read the draft.
We will make printed copies available for those who cannot obtain it
from the internet.
2b. Synod Hearing on the Draft.
|
August 9, 2008 |
Bethania
Lutheran Church |
3. A Channel Islands Conference Event To Get
Excited About. Please save the dates
- September 26 & 27 – for a "Faith Family Festival" at
CLU. This event will include music,
drama, clown ministry workshops, worship and no meetings! Each congregation
will have a table at the park to display one or more of their ministries, like
our Prayer Shawl ministry & Project Peace.
4. Dates:
·
August 16 - Special Al-anon meeting in
Luther Hall
·
August 17 – Baptism orientation, Noon.
·
August 17 – Church Olympics & picnic
at Pleasant Valley Park.
·
August 24 - Baptism Festival
·
September 1 – office closed
·
September 2-5 – CDC parent orientations
·
September 7 – Rally Day. Return to 3 service schedule for worship
(8:15, 9:30 and 10:45 a.m.)
·
September 13 – Discussion of Draft Social
Statement on Human Sexuality
·
September 14 – 1st day of
Sunday School
·
September 15 – registration opens for
1009 ELCA Youth Gathering
·
September 20 – Continuation of discussion
of Draft Social Statement on Human Sexuality, with speakers from two
perspectives on homosexuality.
·
September 26 & 27 – Faith
Family Festival at CLU
·
October – a series of “Pie with the
Pastors” events, on various afternoons and evenings, sponsored by the
Stewardship Committee.
·
October 12 – CDC’s 20th
anniversary commemorated in worship services (PowerPoint)
·
October 12 – CDC Back-To-School Night
BBQ, Teacher Installation & Parent Education event.
·
November 2 – Stewardship Sunday
·
December 7 – Hanging of the Greens
I. ACTIVITY FOR JUNE 2008
A. VISITATION
Shut-in
Communion visits: 4 (31)
Member/visitor
home visits: 7 (20)
Hospital/convalescent
home/jail visits: 1 (33)
Telecare
calls: 2
B. MEETINGS
Mount
Cross:
Church Council, Church staff (weekly), Stewardship Committee, Stephen Leaders,
Budget Committee, Vacation Bible School.
Conference,
Ecumenical, other: Campus Interfaith board, Conference pastors.
C. PASTORAL ACTS: Baptisms – 3 (10),
Weddings – 1 (2), Funerals – 0 (0).
Bible Studies: Sunday morning – 1 (6), Tuesday morning – 1 (7).
D.SPECIAL
EVENTS: Rite of Confirmation (#2 of 2),
Takin’ It To The Streets service project, Bell & Choir concert
service, assisting minister training, begin summer worship/preaching theme.
D. COUNSELING HOURS: Pre-marital – 2 (12),
Pre-baptism – 2 (4), Crisis/other – 6
(22).
II. 2008 GOALS
A. Core Value: Intimacy With God
Action: I am developing a plan to launch at least one new
House Mission group this fall. The
group would meet to explore their spiritual gifts.
B. Inactive Households
Action: No letters or calls this month.
C. Strategic Planning Process
Action: Completed.
D. Future Pastors
Action: Four of our high school young people will be
assisting me with story telling at Vacation Bible School and some children’s
sermons during worship this summer.
III. INFORMATION & ACTION ITEMS FOR COUNCIL
1. Knee report. I had a
third MRI on my knee 6/23 and saw the doctor 6/26. One portion of the bone that had died is still not fully
healed. As it is on a weight bearing
area, I’m still not able to run. Will
have another x-ray in about three months.
Look for me to continue to walk about in my running shoes for the
foreseeable future and I’ll be looking into mountain biking to replace my
running.
2. Time away. I
hope to be on vacation a night or two early in the week of August 11 and the
whole week of August 18-24.
3. Mortgage.
Could we refinance our exiting
mortgage in such a way as to cut our current monthly payment in half and
thereby free up money for operating expenses and/or facilities improvement and
expansion. I took this question to the
Church Loan people at Thrivent and this is what I learned.
·
Our original loan is a 25 year term loan
(1988-2013) with a rate adjustment every five years.
·
The remaining principal is $462,000.00
·
Our current interest rate is 5%
·
Our monthly payment is now about
$3,548.00
·
The next scheduled rate adjustment will
take place in March 2009.
·
We have been assured by our rep at
Thrivent that interest rates will go up.
·
When the term of the loan arrives in
March 2013, we will owe a balloon payment of $332,314.00
These facts suggest that we
will have to refinance. The question
being now, in March 2009 or March 2013.
If we feel that now is the time, here is what we can expect:
·
To the current balance, we would add a
fee of 1% of the loan amount, bringing the new amount to be financed to
$465,000.00
·
If we were to refinance now, we could
expect an interest rate of 5.75%
·
The new loan would also be a 25 year
loan, with adjustments to the rate every five years.
·
The new loan would not have a balloon
payment.
·
If we refinanced today our monthly
payment would be about $2906.00 or about $600.00 less per month, $7200.00 less
per year than we are currently paying.
Not a cut in half, but still a significant savings.
We have the application form
(available on their website) and I have requested Thrivent let us know if any
additional paper work is required. If
you would like to view Thrivent’s PowerPoint presentation about their church
loan program, click here.
4a. 1st Draft of a possible Social
Statement on Human Sexuality. Tentative dates have been
penciled onto the church calendar: September 13, 20 & 27. The first and last sessions will be about 60-90
minutes and deal with the text of the draft.
The center session will be an all morning session, 8:45 until Noon. At this second session, speakers will be
invited to speak to the draft from the perspective of those who seek to restore
homosexual persons to a proper sexual orientation and from the perspective of
those who support freedom for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender
people. Click on this link if you would
like to see and read the draft.
4b. Synod Hearings on the Draft.
|
July 19, 2008 |
Hill
Avenue Grace Lutheran Church |
|
|
August 9, 2008 |
Bethania
Lutheran Church |
5. A Channel Islands Conference Event To Get
Excited About. Please save the dates
- September 26 & 27 – for a "Faith Family Festival" at
CLU. This event will include music,
drama, clown ministry workshops, worship and no meetings! Each congregation
will have a table at the park to display one or more of their ministries, like
our Prayer Shawl ministry.
6. Dates:
·
July 13 – Special newsletter deadline –
one Grapevine to be sent out in July.
·
July 21-25 – Vacation Bible School
·
August 16 - Special Al-anon meeting in
Luther Hall
·
August 17 – Baptism orientation
·
August 17 – church picnic event.
·
August 24 - Baptism Festival
·
September 1 – office closed
·
September 2-5 – CDC parent orientations
·
September 7 – Rally Day
·
September 14 – 1st day of
Sunday School
·
September 15 – registration opens for
1009 ELCA Youth Gathering
·
September 26 & 27 – Faith
Family Festival at CLU
·
October – a series of “Pie with the
Pastors” events, on various afternoons and evenings, sponsored by the
Stewardship Committee.
·
October 12 – CDC’s 20th
anniversary commemorated in worship services (PowerPoint)
·
October 12 – CDC Back-To-School Night
BBQ, Teacher Installation & Parent Education event.
·
November 2 – Stewardship Sunday
· </