ROAD CREW NOTES, MARCH 4 2012

1. ROOTS & BRANCHES UPDATES
Pastor Likkel deliberately read through each of the Nine Roots & Branches (see notes from May 2011 Road Crew), reminding members what we united around last year.
Focused on developments, growth in following areas:
Evangelism Beyond Sunday; reported conversation w/ Jessie Elenbaas & Alicia Likkel, emphasizing 1 Peter 3:15; looking ahead to "open mic" type event, where stories of sharing faith, Good News are told and shared; will include folks from sister congregations around Seattle; details TBD

Rooted & Linked; expanding Belltown Covenant; continued church planting and strengthening with local CRC Cluster (church office soon relocating to ground floor on Greenwood); March 15 Children In Worship event

Church Big versus Big Church; this perspective seems to be taking hold among members as we enjoy God doing big things with our relatively small hands

2. FINANCIAL UPDATE

Mike Elenbaas shared report based on information previously included with online Road Crew Agenda

Left time for Q&A; few comments/questions from visitor entertained, otherwise not much discussion; work of Stewardship Team approved, including moving ahead with Benevolence Fund as outlined in agenda.

ROAD CREW NOTES FROM NOVEMBER 13, 2011

1. Budget Proposal

· Mike Elenbaas presented proposed budget as had been published a week prior; congregational giving throughout 1st three quarters kept pace with expenses; expenses kept fairly static; no staff raises for couple years; health insurance premiums lowered; office & worship space rent increased normal modest amount; cash reserves in bank account kept level, but some big end-of-year bills remain due

· Q&A: discussion ensued around ways to spend 10% collective end-of-year offering outside Emmaus Road; also how to gauge keeping bank account stocked to cover three months' expenses as various financial obligations or opportunities arise

· Vote: Road Crew approved proposed budget; also approved scheduling follow-up finance-centered Road Crew mtg. in Spring

2. Children’s Ministry Update

· Deacon Teresa shared briefly how trial program, Big Kids' Bible Worship, has been going; so far so good, but time for additional volunteers has come; Angie should not sustain current level of leadership indefinitely

3. Roots and Branches Update

· Pastor Likkel refreshed Road Crew's memory around Nine Roots/Branches, with few examples of developments; pledged to keep these areas of ministry growth before the church; invited participation, again, around individual members' areas of passion, calling, interest, etc.

4. Welcome New Members

· Road Crew privileged to officially welcome Josh Gillanders, husband of Kara (Rozeboom), into Road Crew for first time! Severtsens and others to be welcomed at upcoming Road Crew.

ROAD CREW MINUTES, SEPTEMBER 11, 2011

Meeting over lunch following worship

Goals of Meeting:
1. Presentation: Time to Try Some New Things:
• Children’s Ministry; Parenting Beyond Sunday
2. Invitation to participate
3. Blessing on leaders, volunteers

NOTES

PRESENTATION: TIME TO TRY SOME NEW THINGS

INTRO:

Throughout year of listening, Pastor able to interview about 90% parents.
• Affirmations: parents/kids participating in Godly Play program report positive experiences w/Matt and Godly Play stories; parents also grateful for relationships between various adults from congregation and children; Groundworks Sunday projects important to children, as well as adults
• Shared concern: from several parents, desire for something during sermon & prayer times on Sunday mornings to be offered for children not quite ready to stay/participate through entire worship service; current Godly Play program during worship great, but geared to younger children (roughly pre-school through 1st/2nd grade); TIME TO TRY SOMETHING NEW
• Regarding Parenting Beyond Sunday, couple specific issues emerged; few ideas for us to explore.

CHILDREN’S MINISTRY; HOW WE ARRIVED AT THIS POINT; WHERE WE GO FROM HERE
After considering concerns voiced during parent interviews, Pastor convened small brainstorm group in July, including Children's Ministry Deacon Teresa Elenbaas, Godly Play team member Rennie Araucto, and Children's Ministry volunteer Angie R.; proposal from this group offered to Council, August 4; Council's main concerns included possible burnout among parent volunteers, since this is a NEW program added to other Children's Ministry activities; Council also affirmed that Emmaus Road values participation of children/youth during worship. Those concerns voiced, Council approved launch of this program on trial basis.
• Program was announced in August eWeeklies
• Sunday, September 18: Godly Play will resume, but only session for younger children during service; the 9:30AM session formerly prior to worship will be suspended, at least temporarily, as we try new program for older kids during worship. Angie R. will lead Big Kids’ Bible Workshop (current name of new program) on trial basis, every other Sunday for several months.

Important: this program is a trial only; Angie and Teresa need help and welcome further input and participation; many details are still being determined. This program can only move forward if a strong handful of volunteers come together as a team.

PARENTING BEYOND SUNDAY
Pastor Likkel listened to Emmaus Road parents talk about how they nurture their children's faith beyond Sunday, as well as ways they remember their own parents modeling faith in Christ; a couple issues emerged. Addressing these issues like nurturing spiritual "roots"; will help strengthen families and church.

1. One issue is that of recognizing our role as Christian parents; we are called to care and pray for our children, and communicate faith in word and deed at home and throughout life together in our families. This role not always acknowledged; often parents tempted to turn over faith development of children to others.
2. Related to this, other issue for us to address as a church is how our own relationship with God can become transparent to our children; we cannot answer all questions, nor live perfectly as disciples, nor model sainthood always, but we must reveal to our children how Gospel of Jesus, our personal redemption, and presence of his Spirit, impact our lives and relationships

What do we do about these two issues; how do we nurture these roots? Few things we can explore:

1. sharing of stories, what seems to be working (or not) in our homes; sharing of favorite resources, books, film, etc.;
2. learning events, such as Children in the Faith Community: Continuing the Conversation, Thursday, October 13, 11:30am - 1:30pm, Saint Paul's Episcopal Church, Seattle and Children, Youth and Family Ministry in the 21st Century, Monday, October 24 · 6:30pm - 9:00pm, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Lynwood.

INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE
Rather than engage in large group Q&A after the presentation, Pastor Likkel invited anyone interested to come over to the front table to discuss the new Children's Ministry program with himself, Deacon Teresa Elenbaas or Angie R. following the prayer and dismissal.

BLESSING of LEADERS, VOLUNTEERS
To close the meeting, Pastor Likkel invited each of the Children's Ministry leaders, volunteers, parents, grandparents, and finally the entire "spiritual family" of Emmaus Road to stand; a prayer asking for blessing, spiritual support, and guidance was offered as we launch into a new season of ministry.

ROAD CREW MINUTES MAY 15, 2011

12:00 PM Pastor greeted everyone;

· restated goal of mtg; to hear from one another following a “40 Day” period of prayer and reflection, asking God to guide Emmaus Road forward; taking notes on what is shared into Council/Elder mtgs prior to June 12 Road Crew “business” mtg.

· read Emmaus Road’s Name/Story, Motto, and statement of Call/Mission – “Emmaus Road in Belltown; Emmaus Road around the Sound”

People invited to share:

· Eric began: shared story of “Totcho’s” involving Mark/Angie and neighbors @ Greenwood Artwalk

· Suellen shared inspiration garnered from loving acts of fellow members painting their house

· Kurt shared story of Sacramento church that had faded, then come back to life, growth, based on testimony of women attending INHABIT conference recently

· Mark N. shared how unique Emmaus Road is, in terms of “fit” for certain people, including himself, coming from a non-active church life previously

· Erin testified that since belonging to Emmaus Road, she is feeling more solid in faith, more able to share faith and find people faith around her at work

· Rennie/Amy shared story of their own journey through complacency, coming to realization that issues connecting/relating to church had less to do with church, more to do with their own lifestyle/efforts; once they chose to re-engage, belonging to church felt different, good again

· Andrew/Chandra shared how begin part of Emmaus Road, then New Horizons, eventually led to foster parenting pursuits; realized strength of church community essential to personal support as future parents

· Cornell feels pressure to work Sundays; resisting because cannot imagine losing this crucial relationship with spiritual family, and identifies the pressure as part of a spiritual conflict

· Anna-Marie encouraged by prayers of church; has impacted work, school

· AM also looks forward to sharing ministry w/other congregations; shared testimony, stories, would strengthen all

· Mike E. shared how fears around future of children’s ministries abated as he considered the strength of multi-congregational approaches

· Mike also shared that he knows he could be more transparent about his church family w/those outside Emmaus Road

· Beth affirms Parenting Beyond Sunday as a prime responsibility; church’s collective efforts to nurture children must happen in concert with parents’ own initiatives; there is a unique witness kids receive in fellowship of church, special relationships with diverse crowd they would be less likely to know outside church

· Beth also affirmed promotion of Emmaus Road versus isolation; AND cultivating value of each of us putting our $ where our mouth is to continue sharing ministry together

· Mark N. echoed Beth; stated how important it is not to kick the $ down the road, to pursue change now, not at moment of crisis

· Mark N. believes that exposure to the fellowship of diversity that is Emmaus Road is THE program that is most important for children of church to experience

· Suellen testified to the truth and mystery of divine supply; faith is required, leaning on God’s provision without seeing it all, moving as Spirit leads in shared ministry of obedience, sacrifice, risk, trusting God will give what is needed to continue forward

· Tracey reflected on meaning of how Christ gives, not as world gives; there is a balance achieved, real peace, when perceptions of needs and actual provisions meet; sometimes it is more one than the other, but it is not the natural, worldly way, of only focusing on provision, not dealing with perception

· Alicia testified to the love evidenced in Emmaus Road

· Alicia also testified to how God has provided spiritual strength, ability, power, to follow through in difficult ministry scenarios, she would have previously avoided before being part of Emmaus Road

· Angie emphasized the need to be engaged with one another; to grow spiritually, one must belong to communicative, intentionally encouraging, gently pushing community; e.g. prayer for each of us is strengthened when we pray together communally

· Eric challenged everyone to come fifteen minutes earlier Sunday mornings to facilitate praying together more than we do during our typical hour of worship liturgy

1:15 PM DISMISSAL

All held hands in prayer; shared primarily prayers of thanksgiving and praise.

ROAD CREW MARCH 13 NOTES

On a rainy Spring Forward Sunday morning, having lost an hour of sleep, AND contending with green St. Pat's Day Dashers filling up the street parking, we still had a pretty decent turnout! It shall be remembered as our 1st Annual Lenten Road Crew Lunch. Jeff and Suellen Yerger crafted a delicious array of soups and breads, all prepared at home. We began our meeting officially welcoming Lara Fullner-Grennan and Erin Fullner into the Road Crew. The remainder of the meeting consisted of a 20 minute presentation: Pastor Eric Likkel's "state of the church" address, sharing joys and sorrows, and an invitation to engage in "40 Days of Discernment" together; Mike Elenbaas offered an update on Emmaus Road's finances; charts online. We concluded with a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday and enjoyed FOUR birthday cakes for Cornell (thank you, bakers). There were no votes or decisions called for, but a passionate plea to engage in prayer, consult with one another, interact with the Pastor and Council, and return to share what the Lord places on your heart - May 15. Big decisions will be made together - June 19.

ROAD CREW NOTES, SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

Greenwood Office, Thursday Sept.23, 2010, 7-9pm; approx. 15-20 members present.

Pastor Likkel invited members around the circle to share what most excited or encouraged them about Emmaus Road; dominant theme emerged around Groundworks Sunday activity.

Review of Elder Nomination process took place. Pastor pledged to get the process underway in October.

Financial update offered, followed by pledge to schedule Sunday post-worship meeting for Road Crew vote to approve budget.

Pastor shared plan to interview every church family and hear how parents follow through with spiritual instruction and faith building Beyond Sunday (Parenting in Faith Beyond Sunday); after interviewing each family, hope is to take themes which have emerged and present to church, then invite parents to respond with ideas for building a more peer supportive environment in Emmaus Road, to help us with one of the most important ministries parents share.

Coming alongside church planters - Matt Wolfe, Simon Cunningham - a way for Emmaus Road to be involved in church planting.

Prayer/dismissal around 9PM.

ROAD CREW MINUTES, APRIL 22, 2010

7:15 Eric Greeting, Prayer

7:25 Eric Review of Council role and participants

Thanks Mike & Teresa and Rennie

Introduce Flow Chart

7:30 Rennie Presentation of Flow Chart draft; answered questions

Stressed purpose of increasing communication, clarity, efficiency

Additional purposes to relieve Eric and place responsibility of fully exploring idea on member

Timeline of decision-making is situational

New ideas and proposed changes will share one process

Tabled discussion: What is required for RC vote? Super-majority?

8:25 Eric Asks Road Crew to vote; approved

Request made to further publish Council members beyond blog

In attendance at New Horizons:

Mullenix

Bishop

Anema

Araucto, R.

Chainus, A.

Munson, K.

Gaitan, R.

Elenbaas

Likkel

Colyn, S.

Rosnick

Nelson, M.

Ed

Scanned copy of handwritten notes on file with Eric :)

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
____________________________________________________________________________

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!

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
______________________________________________________

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

ROAD CREW MINUTES, AUGUST 28, 2008

Hello Road Crew.  Thanks to those who came out last night to New Horizons for our late summer Road Crew meeting, especially you busy moms with bunches of kids!  Here are notes from the meeting.

We welcomed Everett McCullough as a new member, benefiting from his testimony and story of how God has been speaking and breathing new life into him.

We spent time looking at the proposed Purpose/Identity statement, the updated version of our Name/Story, our Motto, and a summary of our Call and Mission.  Prior to last night's Road Crew meeting, your Council had carefully worked through five drafts.  Several folks offered helpful feedback and insight, and we made a few adjustments before approving the update which you can read here...  

The hope of this particular project is for members to find these short statements helpful in grasping how Emmaus Road approaches the Great Commandment and Great Commission, in our particular time, place, reflecting the crowd God has brought together.  While the Church's call and mission are clearly expressed in Scripture, we aren't trying to better the Bible in stating who we are and why our church exists; our statements are meant to be local expressions of how we follow the Word.  We discussed the importance of linking our statements back to the foundational, biblical statements, communicating how Emmaus Road stands in the historical stream of orthodoxy.  

We also touched on the duality of our Call and Mission - a regional identity as well as a neighborhood identity.  One of the phrases used - the "Word made flesh" - was discussed, as to it's clarity.  We wondered if it is too insider, too churchy or christianise.  In the end, we decided to keep this phrase from the Gospel of John, as a possible launching point for a conversation about incarnational ministry, both in our daily lives "around the Sound" as well as our church's somewhat institutional role, taking an incarnational form, in our "neighborhood of gathering."

Pastor Likkel will be gradually entering the new statements onto the main web page; some of it has been updated already today.

Two "Green Space" initiatives in Belltown were presented, examples of our congregation functioning as "Spark Plugs" or "Glue" in the context of community development.  See the "Spark Plugs and Glue" article from December '07 here, and read the article about these two specific ideas here.

Pastor Likkel mentioned topics to be addressed at our October 30 Road Crew meeting:

• Leadership Changes, among Elders and Deacons; between now and then, the nomination process will be initiated; look for information in the next couple of weeks.
  
• Community Health: how are you experiencing ministry TOGETHER?  While we tend to view life as "me living my life," the countercultural call of the Gospel, the created order from the beginning, is that we view life as "our life".  How is that being experienced by the people called Emmaus Road?
  
• Budget: time for the annual approval of a new budget for the '08/09 ministry year; look for information this coming month in preparation for the October meeting, discussion, and vote.
  

The meeting ended as it began, with prayer.

Big thanks to Chandra, Nell, and Josiah, who watched our little ones during the meeting.