TLCS/LNC Engagement Committee Concluding Report

This committee was convened in January, 2025. After a few meetings to clarify its work the committee was commissioned by the Council to work on three objectives through February, 2026 in order to support the launch of positive, cooperative relationships between the TLCS community and the Lynnwood Neighborhood Center, in preparation for its January, 2026 opening.

The committee objectives were:

1. Define and share the collaborating relationship between our church and VOAWW’s Lynnwood Neighborhood Center.

2. Plan for communication with the congregation about VOAWW and the LNC.

3. Help the congregation prepare to be a welcoming neighbor to VOAWW and the LNC.

Objective 1: Define collaboration relationship

Activities/Actions

• The committee learned:

  • The Joint Operating Committee (JOC) was the only currently active collaborative group and its primary function was to provide guidance during development of the facility and development of the collaborative non-profit service partners

  • In addition to all of the property legalities, the property lease between TLCS and VOAWW mandates cooperation in at least two ways: (1) TLCS may use LNCS facilities at a rate of $1 per year and TLCS [para 9.5]; and (2) VOAWW must obtain written approval from TLCS for any sub-leases. It is significant to note that neither of these sections define the processes by which these occur.

  • That the committee was not actually authorized to make any decisions regarding the collaborative relationship

• In order to begin to lay the groundwork for collaboration, the committee met with two VOAWW leaders (Joe Hampson, formerly head of Community Resource Centers; and Brian Smith, President/CEO of VOAWW).

• The committee perceived that a new collaborative structure will be required once the JOC completed its role in construction oversight. Committee members attended a meeting of the JOC where this was acknowledged by the JOC and the JOC decided to conclude and celebrate its work. The committee supported Pastor Hector in beginning conversations with VOAWW President, Brian Smith to begin exploring new decision-making structures to replace the JOC. No agreements have been defined to date.

Recommendations

• The committee believes that a healthy, positive, long-term partnership relationship between VOAWW and TLCS should be built on clearly defined understanding of where responsibility and decision-making authority lies for making various types of decisions. Lack of clarity on this can be the course of significant conflict in partnerships. 

• The committee suggests that the TLCS and VOAWW clarify working agreements going forward at three distinct levels: Governance, Operations, and Ministry. These agreements might be documented through Memos of Understanding between the parties and written policies with each organization.

• Governance: TLCS and VOAWW executives and governing boards should be entrusted with authority to collaborate on the highest level decisions regarding such things as maintaining alignment on mission and vision (including joint approval of future sub-leases), legal and property issues and, perhaps guiding principles for operational staff (e.g. priorities for parking, building use, etc). This level should not involve itself in day to day operations but should provide basic guidance to those who will be making those decisions on a day to day basis. 

  • This body might meet quarterly or bi-annually.

  • TLCS should define and document who should be appointed to this body (e.g. staff, council member[s], congregants) and how they will be appointed.

• Operations: 

  • TLCS and LNC operations are distinct from one another and neither has authority over the other’s daily operations. There will be occasions when daily operations overlap, such as overlaps in parking demand or building use. Coordination on these occasions should be handled by the LNC Site Director (currently Meisha Wangerin) and TLCS Administrator (currently Don Boelter). They should be authorized to act according to guiding principles agreed upon by the governance body.

  • Coordination issues may arise with the TLCS schools. Pastor Hector and Don Boelter serve as the communication link with the schools directors.

• Ministry

  • The committee believes that it will be important to develop some sort of active group in TLCS to promote and maintain ongoing connections between LNC providers and TLCS volunteers. Such a group might be comparable to the Neighbors in Need or Living Waters teams currently active. It might be called the TLCS/LNC Service Team.

  • This team would not have any decision-making authority regarding the LNC.

  • This team would maintain contact with the LNC Site Director and with LNC providers who utilize volunteers in their services in order to understand their volunteer needs and provide clear information to TLCS congregants about opportunities where they might serve.

  • Because of the unique partnership between LNC and TLCS, the committee recommends that a staff member be identified to support this team, and maintain official connection at a ministry level with LNC. We observe that David Greelee was previously the staff member who held much of the relational energy for the LNC. The church administrator will be a staff connection but there should also be a TLCS staff connection who is charged to monitor and support the ministry aspect of the relationship so that it doesn’t devolve into simply a landlord/tenant relationship. The committee wonders if this role might fall under the newly created Relational Coordinator position.

Objective 2: Communication about VOAWW and the LNC

• Activities/Actions

  • We arranged for information about LNC to be included in What’s Happening periodically in the early part of 2025.

  • We hosted an interactive presentation about LNC at the congregational meeting in March, 2025.

  • We invited VOA President, Brian Smith to be present for a generosity moment and forum time to introduce his vision for LNC to the congregation.

  • We provided an interactive “sermon” on Pentecost to recall the collective discernment process and the long developmental journey that led to the TLCS/VOAWW partnership.

  • We created a written “origin story” to post on the website to document the Spirit-inspired process that led us to the LNC.

  • We hosted several LNC service providers (Boys and Girls Club, Child Strive and Center for Human Services) for Generosity moments and Q&A sessions following the worship time.

  • We arranged for publication of VOAWW volunteer opportunities prior to the opening and invited LNC Site Director, Meisha Wangerin to make an appeal for volunteers.

  • We arranged for VOAWW personnel to be present for the LNC blessing service at TLCS.

  • We perceive the high level of congregational awareness and enthusiasm and a number of TLCS community members who have attended LNC volunteer orientation as indicators that this objective was basically accomplished.

• Recommendations

  • There are more service providers that should be invited to share about what they do. Someone will need to coordinate that. Mike Schultz has indicated willingness to do that. We recommend experimenting with a different approach, inviting the presenter to set up at a table in the foyer during coffee hour to meet people and answer questions/distribute literature. This may increase the number of people who have some direct interaction with the presenter.

  • We considered a statement of our TLCS’s core aspiration regarding the LNC as follows: As a congregation, we believe God calls us to be catalysts for healing and transformation within our community. We are excited about the partnership with VOAWW and all of the tenants/partners because it allows us to participate in transforming the lives of persons in our community in so many ways that we could not do on our own. We want to participate with VOAWW in maintaining that Spirit-inspired vision; we want to hear and celebrate stories of how transformation is happening through the work of LNC; and we are interested in hands-on involvement in the LNC where appropriate opportunities and TLCS volunteer interest/availability align.

  • We recommend a disciplined approach to communication about LNC in a way that keeps the congregation continually aware of this aspiration. We suggest some sort of quarterly presentation (generosity moment/What’s Happening) that tells some story of life transformed through the work happening at the LNC. We believe such an approach will support an ongoing awareness of the ministry-oriented partnership.

  • VOAWW has indicated willingness to provide publicity for some TLCS events on their announcements board in the piazza area. TLCS Communications staff should coordinate those postings.

Objective 3: Prepare to be a welcoming neighbor/partner

• Activities/Actions

  • Recognizing that the LNC would likely bring new relationships and new people into our community, the committee initially discussed planning some “capacity-building” trainings that might help us build skills in welcoming and interacting with people different from ourselves. We listed options such as Allyship, Compassionate Listening, Non-Violent Communication, Gracious Space, Paths to Understanding Potlucks. Ultimately we discerned that it was premature to pursue such efforts in this preparatory phase and that they might be more effective at a later time if there were some specific sort of need to address.

  • We provided representation for TLCS on the LNC Opening Celebration planning committee.

• Recommendations

  • The committee recommends some sort of meet and greet, welcoming activity to introduce TLCS staff to LNC provider staff. We considered this for January 2026, but realized the pressures of starting up would detract from this. So we recommend considering, at some time in the future, that TLCS host some sort of drop-in coffee or lunch in the LNC building where the two staffs may meet each other.

  • The committee suggests that the new Relationship Coordinator position may notice needs for relational skill-building in the future and arrange something appropriate at that time.

Conclusion

Committee members are grateful for the opportunity to participate in this transition period as TLCS steps into an exciting new era of ministry with significantly increased potential to catalyze transformation in our community. We observe that congregational energy and enthusiasm regarding the LNC are high at this point in time and believe it is important to take immediate steps to maintain that momentum. As primary active partner, VOAWW will naturally continue to move forward in ramping up day to day operations of the LNC. If TLCS wants to continue an integral and active role in the LNC ministry, it will be important for the Council to take prompt initiative to engage in the conversations to define roles and responsibilities outlined in Objective # 1 Recommendations.

Committee Members: Mike Schultz, Mary Denny, Larry Pennings, David Greenlee, Pastor Hector