Congregational Life Ministry Team

Last meeting: Sept. 9, 2008

Attendees:

Ellen Evensen

Elizabeth Hensel

Emilie Larson

Deni Lundwall

Jean Wuethrich

Staff:

Karen Herbrich

Jean Monson

Excused:

Dong Pham

Items that may require Council action: None

Items that may require budget/finance coordination: None

Important items of information:

• New Parent Ministry is starting, with prayer chain and prayer partners for expecting moms (adopting, as well as pregnant women). Sunday, there will be an insert in the bulletin about this new ministry.

• There is a new depression support group that Karen and Deb Blank are getting started, still in the works.

• CPR training will be from Gold Cross ($35 for nonmembers), which includes a 2-year certification and infant first-aid/CPR. This will be held at the Downtown Site, Wednesday, Oct 22 from 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.

• Blood drive scheduled for the Downtown Site, Wednesday, Oct. 22.

• Special Friends is still in force, and there have been some changes of matched friends due to scheduling conflicts.

• Karen will help organize the home communion visits to ensure more consistency with its practice and administration. (Home communion visits are different from Special Friends – info on Web site, under program offerings)

• Prayer workshop for 4 weeks in October as a LIFT learning opportunity. First one will introduce new parent ministry.

• Menu for LIFT meals has been set through December. LIFT meals will be held Sept. 10 through Feb 18 (start of Lent). Complimentary pb&j for confirmation students. Need more people willing to help serve meals – goal for 4 teams of 4 people to rotate. Meals will be alternating each week, catered from Mary’s, Zuppa’s, Schweitzer’s and Schreiner’s.

• Installation for Pastor Mary will possibly be scheduled the Wednesday before Thanksgiving (worship and reception). Pastor Mary’s ordination is Sept. 21 in Waupaca, at her home church.

• Pictorial directory – the sign-up for Oct. 6 and 7 will continue through the end of September. These extra dates will ensure the new staff and new members can be included, as well as other members who forgot to schedule an appointment, or were unable to attend a session during the summer.

• Spiritual Gifts Inventory – complete on paper, or online (through the church Web site, listed under “Volunteers”) and submit to the church office. Future option is to have FELC proprietary inventory so individuals can submit directly to church office in electronic form to avoid hassle of printing and mailing for those who complete online. Oct. 15 and 22 there will be LIFT learning opportunities for matching up the program needs with people’s spiritual gifts. Temple Talk scheduled to mention Time & Talent forms that in future, we hope can be sorted by spiritual gifts. Members need to fill out both the spiritual gifts inventory as well as the Time & Talent form.

• 50+ Ministry – October event is being hosted by Karen. Topic – light exercise, perhaps to lead to new small group that does walking.

New business:

• Goals for 2008 – small groups – making some progress in forming small groups. How do other small groups forming outside of Congregational Life interact with Congregational Life-related groups? Member care, growing health, prayer and Special Friends ministries. If they continue to expand, there would be a natural progression to Stephens Ministries. 50+ has exceeded the goals for 2008.

• Follow-up: think about goals from 2008 and 2009; think about where we want to focus; think about how spiritual gifts will be a part of 2009. Re-work timelines on current goals, redefine our goals for Stephens Ministry.

Submitted by:

Emilie Larson