MINUTES: SEPTEMBER 21, 2021
TRINITY UNITED CHURCH LEADERSHIP COUNCIL
PRESENT: Janice Anderson, Pierre Bonhomme, Allan Hoyle, Mary Lawlis, Nancy McKeraghan, Peter Mohan, Ian Thomson. REGRETS: Linda Prior.
DEVOTIONS: Allan led us with a reading from the Quest Bible on the Parable of the Talents. A reminder for us to use the opportunities given us.
HOLY MANNERS: Janice read our Holy Manners Covenant.
APPROVAL of the AGENDA as amended (inclusion of Ross Carson’s request and clarification with respect to the choir under Discussion): Moved by Mary, seconded by Nancy. Carried.
APPROVAL of the CONSENT AGENDA as amended (inclusion of the Sustainability and the Congregational Meeting Minutes): Moved by Pierre, seconded by Peter. Carried.
MINISTER’S REPORT: A hymn sing and worship has been held Tuesday afternoons. An application is being worked on with respect to offering refugee support, partnering with St Paul’s Church. Alison and Peter Mohan with Rev Linda will attend a meeting on September 28 & 29th to obtain an update. Our supper program has been up and running successfully for the past three weeks. A gathering was held to discuss programming for youth at the Faith Family Friday event. Another meeting will be held to go over the suggestions. We participated in the Main Street Art Walk on September 11th & 12th. Trustee meeting took place on September 15th with another scheduled for December 1st. A meeting will be held on October 6th for those interested in membership and a worship held on October 24th to receive them. An afternoon book study has started with an evening one to begin next week. A recorded separate service has been held at 9 a.m. on Sundays to enable it to be uploaded to YOUTUBE so it is available at the same time as our live service at 10:30 It was decided that going forward we would hold only one service at 10:30 which will be live streamed and then uploaded as soon as possible for viewing on line.
TREASURER’S REPORT: Pierre presented his report. In answer to the use of restricted funds; they cannot be reallocated by the congregation, only by those who donated them. Moved by Pierre, seconded by Peter that the report be accepted. Carried.
M & P REPORT: Nancy updated us with respect to M & P.
DISCUSSION ITEMS:
- Sound System: has been installed and the video works well.
- PKD: will be moving out by the end of October. Can we repurpose the rooms? Suggestion that the areas be photographed with furniture to make them more appealing. Moved by Nancy, seconded by Ian that we look for new tenants. Carried. Rental rates should be looked at since they were last reviewed approximately three years ago.
- Selling surplus pews: Some of the surplus pews have been moved to the chapel and some are too large to be moved. Moved by Mary, seconded by Janice that we attempt to sell these items. Carried. Suggestion to advertise them on face-book/marketplace.
- Dumpster: There is a lot of ‘junk’ that is currently on the stage including two couches. Moved by Nancy, seconded by Pierre that we rent a dumpster to remove unwanted/unusable articles from the church. Carried.
- ENVI: high speed internet is currently not available. John Ostime is looking into a cloud connection to do a line-of-sight WIFI. 100 megabites should be okay to handle our live streaming.
- Thrift store/Social enterprise activity: Three people have volunteered to set up the old board room. Moved by Nancy, seconded by Mary that we approve in principle the formation of a thrift store in the old board room and advertise for volunteer support. Carried. Ian, Allan and Bev Hoyle will work on what kind of things should be collected and offered.
- Spring AGM: Allan suggested that there are a number of individuals who should be considered to be made honourary elders. This will be tabled for further discussion until the new year.
- Congregational Meeting: At the meeting there were a number of questions about hiring a second minister. Moved by Pierre, seconded by Peter, to strike a task team to investigate the hiring of a second minister and to report back to the congregation on November 28th. Carried. Ian and Nancy will act as co-chairs and a number of individuals were suggested to be approached to be on the team. Rev
Linda will not be involved other than to look into the possibility of a grant being available under Innovative Ministries. Nancy will need to communicate to the congregation with respect to Natalie’s role.
- Music issues: Vlad has come up with a plan to vary the music program. There is a concern with respect to where singers are positioned. Timothy Eaton’s choir sing wearing masks. Congregants who sit in the first three rows are potentially at risk of exposure to germs with current positioning of the soloists. Those who use the wheel chair section cannot be moved back. Relocating the piano onto the platform was suggested so that the singers could stand at the back and Vlad could still see them. If we request rapid testing, who pays for the tests? Installing plexiglass is not an option. Allan will reach out to Vlad to discuss options and copy Nancy.
- Clarification re the choir: The choir would like to know who is making the decisions around the reopening of the church and the resumption of the choir. What are the criteria being used? The reopening team will respond.
- Dinners: Ross Carson raised concern about the lack of dinner options for those who need help. There is nothing offered on Wednesday and Thursday evenings. Moved by Nancy, seconded by Janice, that Allan write a letter in support of recommending to the town of Newmarket that they sponsor meals on Wednesday and Thursday evenings at Inn from the Cold through their Community Support Fund. Carried.
- Mary Simon: We discussed the merits of asking Mary Simon, our new Governor General, to speak at Trinity. Moved by Janice, seconded by Pierre that Allan write a letter extending an invitation to Governor General Mary Simon to speak to the congregation about indigenous affairs. Carried.
- Leadership recruitment: It is important that the congregation is aware of the shortfall in leadership positions. It was decided that an announcement go out, specifically with respect to the positions of Treasurer, Secretary and Property Chair.
- Point of Order: The Value Statement that was generally approved at the Congregational Meeting should have had a separate motion to accept. This will be an agenda item for the November 28th meeting.
Meeting adjourned.