Trinity's Congregation Council meets each 3rd Tuesday at 6:30 PM. All are welcome to attend and observe. To speak at a meeting, or with other comments or questions, email the council: council2324@tlcs.church.
Greetings from the Congregation Council!
We would like to share these updates from this month’s meeting.
Building project
Decisions about building siding are still in process. The contractors, J2 and McLeod, are preparing costs for 3 options. We expect that the cost may be higher than initially planned.
Cold Weather Shelter
On October 11th, TLCS was notified that Volunteers of America (VOA) will take over management of shelter operations. They will continue using the same operating model (host guests at Maple Park Church, contract with overnight hosts, welcome the same volunteers, transport guests using Trinity’s van). A meeting will be held on Monday, October 23rd to discuss details. The CWS board would like to express thanks to Trinity for their years of support.
Build Up, Branch Out (Re)Commitment Sunday
TLCS staff have been working hard on the event and lunch. RSVP’s have been very helpful. Options were discussed to ensure leftovers are not wasted. Reminder phone calls by staff and council members will continue. Members and staff discussed the event program. The focus will be providing opportunities to intentionally engage with one another, and to share stories of generosity over the past year. Confirmed attendance is higher than originally expected, so the Council approved an increase in event expenses.
Council retreat
The Council will be meeting for a retreat on October 28th. A focus will be continued relationship-building.
Personnel Committee recommendations
Clint expressed gratitude for his partners on the committee, Wayne McGuire and Kim Palmer. The committee reviewed salaries in the marketplace for positions comparable to TLCS positions. Clint shared a summary of the results from the committee, which will aid in the budget discussions.
Reconciling in Christ (RIC) team update
Pastor Jenna shared updates from the RIC team, which comprises about 8 people between TLCS church and schools. They have been meeting twice monthly. As a reminder, David Horton is an intern with Reconciling Works, which is the non-profit that leads ELCA’s RIC work. TLCS went through the process to be a RIC congregation about 16 years ago, so considerable time has passed since these initial commitments were made.
The group is reviewing current requirements for RIC status, to ensure that we are living into our commitments. Pastor Jenna noted some areas for review to ensure they highlight our commitment to racial equity and welcoming of LGBTQIA+ persons, including our current welcome statement, steps in our call process for rostered leaders, and our ceremonial weddings and blessings. We are also asked to make an annual contribution to the RIC program via Reconciling Works. Jenna highlighted various opportunities to dive deeper into the RIC work on a regular basis, including celebrating RIC Sunday which is January 28th, celebrating various cultural groups, and creating brave, safe spaces for difficult conversations.
2024 budget
David led the council through a review of the drafted budget. The budget is based on historical information, and thoughtfully considers our values.
In gratitude and appreciation,
Your Congregation Council