Annual Report 2013-2014

Annual Report 2013-2014

Annual Meeting Agenda1

2013 Annual Meeting Minutes2

Pastor’s Reports3-4

John Petersen, Patrick Patterson

Staff Reports5-9

Wendy Paulson, Justine Carlson, Amy Olsen,
Mandy Rubink, Chuck Hoogland, Garrett Steinberg

President’s Report (Executive Committee)10-11

Scott Bergs

Commission Reports12-15

Faithful PeopleServant

Justice & PeaceWord & Sacrament

Proclaim

Altar Guild / Yarnworks16

Quilters/Library Committee 17

Ministerial Report 18

Endowment Fund 19-20

Analysis of Revenues & Expenses 21-23

Dedicated/Restricted Accounts24-25

Balance Sheets by Fund26

2014 Christ the King Staff Members

Pastor John Petersen, Senior Pastor

Pastor Patrick Patterson, Pastor of Administration

Pastor Donohue Sarff, Pastor Emeritus

Wendy Paulson, Education Director

Justine Carlson, Opportunity Coordinator / Education Assistant

Chuck Hoogland, Music Director

Garrett Steinberg, Contemporary Music Director

Mandy Rubink, Jr. High Youth Director

Amy Olsen, Administrative Assistant / Membership Ambassador

Chris Thompson, Financial Administrator

Devin Rubink, Communications Specialist

Mark Thompson, Custodian

Al Lee, Custodian

Christ the King Lutheran Church

Annual Business Meeting Agenda

[updated 7-17-14]

July 20, 2014 -10:30 a.m.

1. Opening Prayer
   
2. Establish Quorum
   
3. Call to Order
   
4. Approval of Agenda
   
5. Approval of Minutes:
   -Annual Meeting, July 14, 2013, page 2
   -Special Congregational Meeting, February 23, 2014 (reverse side of this sheet)
   
6. Acceptance of Treasurer’s Report, pages 20-26
   
7. Acceptance of Commission Reports, pages 12-15
   
8. Endowment Committee Report, page 19
   
9. Election
   
10. Approval of 2014-2015 Budget
    
11. Old Business
    
12. New Business
    -Renew, Refresh, Rejoice
    -Austin Family Recognition
    
13. Pastors’ Reports, pages 3-4
    
14. Closing Prayer
    
15. Adjournment

Annual Business Meeting
Christ the King Lutheran Church
July 14, 2013

Call to order by Brad Brozik, President of the Congregation at 10:48 a.m. There is a quorum present. Meeting will be presided by Scott Bergs, Vice-President of the Congregation.

1. Opening Prayer: Pastor Patrick Patterson
2. Approval of Agenda: Sarah Cramblit/John Frey. Motion. Passes.
3. Approval of July 29, 2012 Minutes: Brad Brozik/Jennifer Johnson. Motion Passes.
4. Acceptance of Treasurer’s Report: Ernie Retzlaff/Isaac Patterson. Motion Passes.
5. Sarah Cramblit reviewed the report for the congregation and commented on the financial result of ending with a positive net difference of approximately $6000 compared to budget.
6. Pastor Patterson added that we have 2.74 months of expenses held in cash on a goal of 3 months. This level varies throughout the year.
7. Acceptance of Commission Reports: Jim Borseth/Al Lee. Motion Passes.
8. Endowment Committee Report: Brad Brozik/Doug Cramblit. Motion Passes.
9. Approval of 2013-2014 Budget: Jim Borseth/Julie Hatleli. Motion Passes.
10. Pastor Patterson reviewed the balanced budget. He noted that the budget continues to become more accurate by the month rather than being entered as an annual amount with months averaged. This helps predict cash flow needs.
11. Pastor Patterson also reviewed several specific missions that have plans for the coming years.
12. Unfinished Business: None
13. New Business:
14. Council Nominations
15. Sarah Person, Kevin Elliot, and Brian Hanson were nominated by the Nominating Committee. A written ballot was taken. Motion passed.
16. Election of Treasurer
17. As part of the constitution we are required to nominate our Treasurer at each Annual Meeting.
18. Nomination of Andi Johnson as Treasurer. Jim Borseth/Sarah Cramblit.
19. No other nominations. Motion passed.
20. Scott Bergs noted his thanks and congratulations to all elected.
21. Question was asked as to the process that was used to determine our church policy toward gay marriage.
22. Scott Bergs responded that this had indeed been a congregational decision through the council acting on its behalf of the congregation as elected representatives. The council received assistance from the Bishop as well.
23. Acceptance of Pastors’ Reports: Al Lee/Kathy Brozik. Motion Passes
24. Closing Prayer from Pastor Patterson
25. Adjournment: Al Lee/ Garrett Steinberg. Motion Passes. Meeting adjourned at 11:25 a.m.

Respectfully,

Jeri Retzlaff

CTK Council Secretary

Senior Pastor – John R. Petersen

I thank my God every time I think of you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of our partnership in the Gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:3-6

I’ve often wondered how Paul was able to be so thankful and so filled with joy so that every time he thought of the church and those who were a part of it – his heart filled to the brim to overflowing with reasons to rejoice? I have to believe there were some challenges posed to Paul by the members of this congregation. There had to be some issue that they couldn’t agree on to the extent that caused him to wonder – if only in the far reaches of his thought process – Why did I ever let the bishop convince me to accept a call to this place?

So, what was it that caused Paul to be so thankful and so filled with joy whenever he thought of this church? It was their partnership – their Partnership In the Gospel. I thank my God, says Paul every time I think of you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of our partnership in the Gospel from the first day until now. This Partnership – it was their purpose – it was their mission. They had come to a place in their life together as a congregation where they not only recognized, but acknowledged God’s design and God’s desire for each of them individually and all of them together as followers of his son, Jesus Christ. Short of a lot of prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit, Paul doesn’t tell us how they got to the point of understanding their relationship to one another and to God as a partnership, but I have to believe that a strategic planning process was involved!

Whatever it was, it brought aboutKoinonia – the term used by Paul for this Partnership – is a joint venture in which all parties actively participate to ensure the success of the mission. The word itself expresses intimacy with Christ and other believers. There is a sense of oneness among the members of this congregation. It is them together with Christ living out God’s desire and God’s design for his Kingdom through them. And by God’s Grace and the power of the Holy Spirit they are now able to move this Partnership forward to its God intended goal.

Did the struggles and challenges go away – of course not. In some ways they only intensified. But the focus of this group of church members was not on any one of the challenges or issues – but rather on their life and work together in and for the sake of the gospel. And it was that commitment that brought both Paul and the members of First Church of Philippi – joy and rejoicing. Their focus was on their partnership in the gospel and as long as it remained there, the work that God had entrusted to them would be accomplished.

As I write this last annual report as senior pastor of the church that bears our Savior’s name, it is my prayer that Christ the King will continue to join together in this Gospel Partnership to be that caring community committed to empower all people to know Christ and to make Christ known.

Lord Christ, you have no body on earth but ours – no feet but ours. Ours are the eyes through which your compassion must look out on the world. Ours are the feet by which you may still go about doing good. Ours are the hands with which you bless people now. Bless our minds and bodies that we may be a blessing to others. Amen

Administrative Pastor – Patrick A. Patterson

It’s a Vision Thing

Where there is no vision, the people perish. Proverbs 29:18

Having vision is an important aspect of any endeavor, but I believe it’s foundational to what we do as a church. Author Steven Covey wrote that you must begin with the end in sight. I believe that’s a good working definition of vision. I began this adventure in ministry at CTK seven years ago with a congregational planning process that helped clearly articulate God’s preferred future for our congregation. We’ve been working together since then to clarify the vision for reaching those missional goals to be a caring community committed to empower all people to know Christ and make Christ known.

With any process there are twists and turns along the way. Our context has changed numerous times since the mission was first articulated, and we’ve made mid-course corrections to adjust. Seeing that elements of our Christian education efforts had plateaued, we envisioned an entirely new approach that ushered in a Wednesday night experience of food, fellowship, worship and learning that quickly surpassed our Sunday participation levels. After moving beyond our previous governance functionality, we envisioned a new model based on our baptismal promises to help everyone live those promises daily. When state law changed to end marriage discrimination based on gender preference, we developed a faithful response based on God’s unconditional love.

While it’s not always easy to see what God is up to in our rapidly changing world, we have continually worked together as a church family to act faithfully. This year we learned of another change in our context. After nearly 19 years as the senior pastor at CTK, Pastor John announced his decision to step down from that position. The council had been preparing for the eventuality of a pastoral vacancy. A year earlier it had charged a Pastoral Continuity Mission Team with the task of envisioning how to move through such a transition in leadership with the least amount of disruption to our mission as possible. This demonstrated good vision, but because it was outside of commonly accepted practice, the mission team recommendations met with resistance. Once again, church leadership acted faithfully, and we now stand on the threshold of calling a new senior pastor.

God’s mission for Christ the King propels us forward, and we continually adjust to our changing context with a vision for helping all people get involved. It’s not always easy but it is always life giving. Being ambassadors of Christ here in this place is our call and our opportunity. Sharing the love and grace of our Savior with one another and the world God created and loves so much is knit into the very fiber of our being. It’s up to us all to find ways to do it better. By inviting greater participation we become a more effective family of laborers going into a harvest that is plentiful.

It’s a vision thing: us capturing God’s vision for our world, and then having the vision to bring it to completion. It’s not just a good idea; it’s what we’re called to do. If I’m called as your new senior pastor, it will be my responsibility to help us see this shared vision for our ministry to completion so that none will perish. It’s a vision thing; are you with me?

Wendy Paulson – Children’s Education Director

JAM and Kids Klub~ This year, both the Sunday morning JAM and Wednesday night Kids Klub children’s ministry programs used Workshop Rotation Model. Over the past 10 years, rotation model at CTK has proven to be the way to keep kids engaged and in God’s Word. While the number of registered children is almost equal from Sunday to Wednesday, more Pre-K children attend Sundays, and more older elementary attend Wednesdays. Rotation model is adapted accordingly to manage the numbers on both days.

Rainbow Room ~ Justine Carlson continues to oversee the program for 3-5 year olds as they begin their exploration into timeless Bible stories. The Rainbow Room provides children with the basis they need to move on to the workshop rotation model. They experience hands-on and interactive learning styles as they rotate each Sunday morning to music, snack, craft and story. Every week, their lesson comes directly from the Beginner’s Bible and a scripture verse is reinforced at each area so they become familiar with God’s Word.

VBS ~ We continued our tradition of the last 3 years with the newest Go Fish curriculum: Gotta Move for Vacation Bible School; a fun-filled week praising God and ‘keepin’ in step with the spirit’! 150 CTK and Messiah kids learned what it means to be a Christian and walk with God. Having faith means weGotta Move! And we did…through His Grace, His Word, His Son, His Forgiveness and His Spirit. The favorite field trip to Jack McGowan’s farm, lots of games, crafts, music and Bible study, rounded out with a program for parents gave us a full week of learning about how God provides everything we need to be close to him, all we have to do is respond!

Wacky-doodle Wednesdays ~ Our newest children’s ministry offering began the summer of 2013 when we introduced Wacky-doodle. Six Wednesdays in the summer filled with fun and fellowship and God in our midst of prayer doodles that bring 1st through 6th graders together to play and pray. Play: we take off on a fun adventure that engages kids in fellowship with their peers and their high school leader. Pray: using the theme of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, children learn to pray with doodles.

CheckPoint ~ Christ the King is serious about safeguarding God’s children and we are concerned for the safety and protection of children any time they are in our facility. Checkpoint provides parents with the assurance that CTK staff can identify and confirm the location of children at any time, and especially in the case of an emergency. Checkpoint is an online check-in/check-out system that assures a child is only being sent home with the parent (or a designated person of their choice). This program was implemented in the summer programs and continues to be used in all children’s ministries throughout the year.

CLEM Kids ~ The King’s Messenger page for parents of children 3 years old to 6th grade – is a way to communicate all that is happening in children’s ministry on a monthly basis. This keeps the congregation, and especially parents, informed of what children are learning, when volunteers are needed, and any special events taking place.

All these opportunities for children provide them with a basis for comprehensive life-long education ministry so that all can grow together to Know Christ and to make Christ Known.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ~ Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Justine Carlson

-Education Assistant

On Sunday mornings in the Rainbow Room we teach pre-school and kindergarten children Bible stories, lessons and scripture from both the Old and New Testaments. This is accomplished by using a mini rotation format where the children rotate from story to snack to craft after starting their morning off with music. Each of these areas reinforces the Bible story of the day and scripture verse.

Music in the Rainbow Room is led in a large group setting by Elaine Marzinskewith accompanist Shannon Beal. These children, the Rainbow Choir, sing for the congregation in churchduring Rotation ‘Raps throughout the school year. The Wednesday night children have music a few times a month with MaryBeth Patterson.

In the Kids Klub Rainbow Room, our Wednesday evening ministry, the children also learn Bible stories, lessons and scripture from both the Old and New Testaments just as we do on Sunday mornings. We continued using the same rotation format of transitioning between story, craft and snack.

Wacky-doodle Wednesdays and VBS are other areas of ministry where I, along with the Wacky-doodle or VBS team plan & implement programing for fun, God filled days for children 3yr. – 6th grade.

-Opportunity Coordinator

As Opportunity Coordinator it is my responsibility to find, organize and contact volunteers for all the ministry opportunities we have right here at CTK and in the community. As we continue to learn all that our software system - ACS Technologies - can offer us, my role has expanded to manage different parts of the database and to help congregation members learn how this software can benefit them.

I was privileged to once again be able to attend the annual ACS Technologies conference in May. The conference was held in Nashville, TN where I was able to attend eleven different workshops learning many valuable tools, tips and ideas on how best to continue to make this new software work for our congregation. I was able to network not only with the experts from ACS Technologies but many other individuals who come from all different types of churches.

Amy Olsen – Membership Ambassador

This year marks my second year adding the position ‘Membership Ambassador’ to my title.

We held new member orientation in October and April, and welcomed 87 new members consisting of 36 households in the past year. Thanks to the New Membership Mission Team consisting of Lynn and Darla Austin, Angie Cofield, Karen Moritz, Gretchen Spear, and Amy Zimmermann for their help with staffing the Welcome Center during reception months, as well as their availability to meet and greet the newest members of our congregation during orientation and new member reception Sunday.