ROAD CREW MINUTES, OCTOBER 15, 2009

Thursday, October 15, 2009 – Street Bean

Goals of Meeting:
1. Welcome new members
2. Receive elder nominee list; update on nomination process
3. Vote on budget
4. Receive ministry reports/updates
5. Pray
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7:10 Elder DeVries welcomed everyone; Pastor Likkel read a Psalm and opened with prayer

7:15 NEW MEMBERS
Pastor Likkel introduced David and Jessie Elenbaas, Aaron and Kristen Vander Linden, and Cornel Blackwell; all had completed the Milestones to Membership process and affirmed the Membership Covenant to join the Road Crew

7:25 ELDER NOMINEES UPDATE
Elder DeVries announced that Suellen Yerger had chosen to step down from leadership, having served a three year term; her service is appreciated, and her presence in Council will be missed!

Pastor Likkel presented updated Elder Candidacy Criterion as discussed by Council:
Henceforth, a candidate for nomination to the office of Elder for Emmaus Road should be:
• Member of Road Crew (no time requirement)
• Relationally connected (no Small Group membership requirement, but encouraged)
• Elders put eligibility list together after individual conversations with members across districts
• Minimum commitment two years; no requirement to leave after three
• Continue rule to permit only one member of a married couple as Elder
Names of eleven Elder candidates were announced, ten of whom had consented to being nominated as Elders, one of whom had said “Maybe”…

7:35 BUDGET
Treasurer Mike Colyn handed out hard copies of Stewardship Team’s proposed budget for ministry year 2009/10
• Pastor Likkel explained the meaning of “Ministry Shares” in the Tithing category; a way for small churches to do big things, within the Christian Reformed denomination, each congregation shares an agreed upon amount of money per adult member; the funds are pooled together and spent on missionary work, relief work, new church plants, etc.; Emmaus Road paid her Classical Ministry Shares at the end of this recent year, and plans to do the same for 09/10
• Pastor Likkel also shared that the Likkels want to change health insurance approach and bring the monthly premium back to where it was prior to Aug. ’09 when it jumped considerably
• At a certain point, Eric and Alicia Likkel left the meeting and the Road Crew deliberated over the budget with Treasurer Colyn presiding; after 10 or 15 minutes, Road Crew voted to approve the Budget

8:00 GODLY PLAY; PARENT MINISTRY
• Pastor Likkel announced that the candidate for the Godly Play Specialist who had shown great interest in the position had backed out the night before she was going to visit and accept the position. Chad DeVries is heading up an effort to find further candidates.
• Pastor Likkel described a “reframing” of our approach to Children’s Ministry: Parent Ministry. Promising a letter to the congregation, Likkel pledged to begin leading an effort to emphasize Church Beyond Sunday as a parental focus, whereas much of our emphasis – too much in the pastor’s opinion – has been placed on Sunday morning programming for our children. This will become a peer to peer strengthening of relationships between parents, for the sake of better faith building among our young.

8:15 GROUNDWORKS; BELLTOWN FORCE (David Anema, Daniel Tidwell)
• Pastor Likkel expressed great excitement and encouragement, along with gratitude to Jennifer Henry, for the way Groundworks Sundays have been launced. Likkel also noted that the projects began with less personal contact with neighbors, but have, as of the last Groundworks Sunday, become more personal and given the church greater opportunity to know some of our neighbors.
• Pastor Likkel introduced David Anema and described his role as an Americorps Volunteer in Belltown; David will be spending 20 hours per week toward Community Development work on behalf of the church; this is a government grant program that churches are allowed to make use of. Next, Likkel introduced Daniel Tidwell, a Mars Hill Graduate School student who is interning with Emmaus Road this year; Daniel’s internship will overlap in many ways with David Anema’s Americorps activity. Likkel also praised Jennifer Henry for her efforts in connecting Emmaus Road with Belltown neighbors via Catholic Community Servies.

8:30 WRAP-UP QUESTIONS/COMMENTS
Elder DeVries pointed out that the meeting had moved along very quickly; there was time for general questions and/or comments
• Though the budget had been voted on and approved, a question was voiced about making a specific change to the budget, possibly delaying funds toward hiring a Godly Play specialist and seeing if the current volunteers could function without anyone in that role. Pastor Likkel responded on behalf of the volunteers, declaring need for this role to be filled: current volunteers (small number of parents) have stated their willingness/ability to fulfill role of “primary storyteller” f%or a few more months, but only with the hope of finding someone to step into the role Amanda Houston vacated last spring. The question of the entire budget, however, could be revisited in another six months, and if changes need to be made, Road Crew and Council could act, including revisiting the hiring of a specialist in this role.
• Pastor Likkel took this topic as an opportunity to declare the need for a Children’s Ministry Deacon, someone who would volunteer to be a liaison between parents and the Godly Play Specialist, as well as someone who would oversee the various clusters of children and volunteers who comprise Emmaus Road’s Children’s Ministry on Sunday mornings. Currently, each cluster of children and volunteer adults are functioning on their own, but nobody is overseeing the whole effort, responding to issues, or casting vision. An open invitation to the Road Crew was expressed, for someone to come forward and follow in the footsteps of Chrisitna Gerrish-Nelson, and before her, Sarah Groen-Colyn.
• The desire to see 100% of parents involved and sharing in Children’s Ministry was reiterated by more than one person
• A vision of Groundworks Sundays including a “junior crew” of children and/or youth all working together on some project was met with enthusiasm.
• The question of whether or not to pursue childcare for future Road Crew meetings was raised; several parents expressed interest; Council will line it up for next time

8:45 PRAYER
Road Crew divided into small groups and prayed for a few minutes before dismissing.

9:00 DISMISS
Road Crew dismissed on time!