ROAD CREW MINUTES, OCTOBER 30, 2008

23 members in attendance; 17 households represented

Goals of Meeting:
1. Welcome New Members
2. Discuss Community
3. Approve Budget
4. Elder Nominations – begin process
5. Pray
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7:00 PM Arrival; chitchat

7:10 PM Prayer led by Pastor Likkel

7:20 PM Welcomed New Members: Mike & Teresa Elenbaas
• Informal Q&A, introduction of Mike & Teresa
• laying on of hands and prayer

7:40 PM Emmaus Road: Making Trail Mix
Brief presentation by Pastor Likkel
• Congregational Stats: 44 “regular households”, 67 adults, 21 single folks, 23 couples, RC has 43 members
• Trail Mix = an analogy to community
• We’ve got talented, rich, small bowls of various single ingredients; yet a woefully empty large bowl, unless those small bowls are combined; when small bowls remain isolated, and contribute just a bit of themselves, mixture doesn’t happen
• Single ingredients created to be thoroughly mixed together, says Great Trail Mix Creator
• Though we feel scarcity of time, resources, gifts we realize abundance when we find it in one another, in community, all together

Table Talk: Pastor Likkel invited members to discuss their past/current experiences of mixing in community, sharing life together
• Sharing stories, sharing trail mix
• What did you hope to find in community?
• What have you found, what haven’t you found?
• What are the barriers?

Reflect: after 20 minutes of discussion, large group shares reflections from Table Talks
• Participation in Small Groups, barriers & wishes, affects “connectedness”
• Mix things up: getting together more, for pool for example (recreation)
• Benefits of being with those you might not otherwise be with, going beyond the surface
• Small Groups provide an opportunity to commit to stay plugged in & not make excuses
• Developing some group events on a smaller scale, without expectation for large numbers
• Talking with others about why not involved, the church and the individual families
• Carpooling! Hard to get here, so far away; joining a small group based on geography
• As an early church, so similar; how easy to get together and all go out together
• Discussed communities in general: school, political
• What is community of church? Many approach by who is like me? Who can be my BFF?
• Shift to learning to form relationships and learn to rely on one another, those not like us
• (Takes a recognition that God sees how folks might fit together below the surface)
• Delicate balance about being a small church community: scarcity
• Positive to be small: no option to sit, take and leave; must be involved or wouldn’t be

8:10 PM Budget
Brief presentation by Treasurer Mike Colyn; handed out RC budget
• Same story for past few years, since 2002
• Slight increase in giving locally, probably the highest yet (last year especially low)
• No single reason for giving changes: some new folks, some increased given
• Health care doubled in last few years
• Have spent nearly all of $10k of Classis PNW’s first phase of grant

Q&A
• Q: What is Sunday Set-up (category)? Why has it increased? A: Two people now vs. one.
• Q: Did we take $5k from savings? A: Yes, we used part of $20k from Ministry Coordinator funds

• ERIC: Several years ago, we were promised $80k from classis in ’97; when new church sponsored in Classis PNW, given this money for land to build. They held onto when we didn’t build, then gave to us. $10k released— we invested in chairs, etc, then asked for another $20k for Paul Belk’s part time position funding; since then, we “graduated” (attained “organized” status within Classis PNW), and were granted remaining $50k. It’s for whatever we deem appropriate. Our outside giving (non-member donors) is decreasing, and we should be growing local giving and sending it out. And an idea: we should start contributing to help support new local churches; ministry share determined by ratio--$56 per person. Council commitment to present giving from positive way; we approach our congregational giving not as an emergency or crisis. Remember the 50x50x50 formula (50 people, giving $50, 50 weeks a year), which amounts to $125k? Seems realistic. There is more giving potential at ER. Let’s adopt a biblical response to giving, a commandment.

• Q: What is currently in savings? A: $20-30K, plus recent $50k deposit
• Q: How do we keep going? A: Grants, have received checks from churches in years past
• Note: Appears we could continue for 5 years if we spent $15,000 over each year; We spent over budget $5k last year, meaning we have historically spent less than budgeted
• Q: What about sending to families (relatives of ER members who might donate to ER)? A: Netted about $5-6k beyond $18k single gift which we received last year, 2007/08

Mike called for a vote; Essentially, a vote to spend as we have in the past
• Road Crew voted to Pass the Budget as Mike presented it

8:40 PM Nominating Elders
Pastor Likkel gave a Brief Introduction to process, with handouts on the tables
• Ben Lappenga, David Anema, Suellen Yerger, will all continue as Elders through 2008/09
• Andrew Mullenix, Juliana Pope, Mark Nelson, Dan Ruiter will step down from office after having served a full two-year term; Dan Ruiter has served more than two double-year terms!
• Pastor Likkel thanked each outgoing Elder personally; brief prayer
• Potential Elder candidates listed and posted on Road Crew website, along w/details re: process
• Nominations due from RC members by 11/23; use white box, email, phone, etc.

8:55 PM Concluded with Prayer and Dismissed by 9PM