FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

LEXNGTON, KENTUCKY

ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL MINUTES

January 24, 2005

 


At 7:03 p.m. Mary Lee Kerr chair, called to order the First United Methodist Church Administrative Council with a prayer.  Mary Lee shared what a joy it was to meet with the Administrative Council and a great honor to serve the Lord in this way.  She shared three favorite scriptures about serving:

  1. 2 Corinthians 4:6
  2. Ephesians 2:10
  3. 1 Corinthians 12:12

 

CONVENING THE BODY

 

 

 

Mary Lee Kerr asked the Council to review the minutes of the September 27, 2004 Administrative Council Meeting.  Howard Shellhaas made a motion to accept the minutes as presented, second by Sue Weant.  Motion approved.

 

APPROVAL OF THE 9/27/04 MINUTES

 

 

 

Finance Area

·         Roy Allison, chair began his report with a testimonial; sharing he has been active at FUMC for two years and has found it to be a blessing.  Roy said he considered the finances of the church to be great and a sign of a healthy church.  Non-pledges were estimated from the experience of past years in order to come up with a balanced budget for 2005.  Dr. Jim Orr made a motion to approve the proposed Finance Area Report, no second required.  Report approved.

Staff Parish

·         Mary Mowery, chair reported the only salary being presented for approval was that of Rev. Ken Klemme at $33,500 for the year 2005.  Motion was made by Mark Miller to approve the proposed Staff Parish Report, no second required.  Report approved.

Lay Leadership

·         Rev. Ken Klemme reported 2005 Committee on Lay Leadership list was comprised of only the positions required by the Book of Discipline and that list was approved on November 29, 2004 Charge Conference.  The “At-Large” section contains no names and is a work-in-progress.  Motion was made by Howard Shellhaas, no second required.  Report approved.

 

MINISTRY UPDATES & DECISIONS

Missions Area

·         David Bratcher, chair reported $7,600 was collected from the Christmas offering.  $3,800 went to the High Street Neighborhood and the balance to go to the mission trip to Estonia.  David was pleased to report that $25,000 had been collected for Tsunami relief through UMCOR.  Faith

Promise wind up will be February 28.  Nabil Samara will

 

 

 

be at FUMC on February 6 and on February 20 Rev. Lee

 

 

MINISTRY UPDATES &

      Padgett, director of Aldersgate Camp will be with us.  July 6-17 is slated for the Estonia Missions Project.  While in Estonia the team will be renovating a house recently purchased at action to be used for a church.  The approximate cost for the trip is between $1,600 and $1,700 per person.  The deposit deadline will be sometime in March.  Contractor, Steve McKinney has offered to pay the salary for three of his employees if FUMC will pay for their travel expenses.

Endowment Foundation

·         Howard Shellhaas, chair reaffirmed to the Administrative Council that the endowment is good and he thought grew 25% in 2004 when actually the year-end figure was $880,137.65 which represents a 37% growth.  The Endowment Foundation intends to produce a yearly report containing more data.  The Foundation extended two $500 scholarships: (1) Emily Noland and (2) Scott Pabian.  The Foundation’s hope, in time, is for the fund to grow into four scholarships.

Building Task Team

·         Rev. Paul Brunstetter shared with the assembled, “we do have a healthy church with a wonderful future ahead of us”.  Rev. Brunstetter said he has been praying a good deal about where we go from here – we have a lot of space challenges.  We are a downtown church that is here to stay  and here to stay for the good of the community.  Rev. Brunstetter continued to share the following six phase plan he has been considering:

 

            FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

·      Proposed Building Phases

            PHILOSOPHICAL VALUES

1.      First UMC is “Downtown for Good”

2.      As disciples of the Great Commission, we should anticipate growing 10% every year.

3.      Making room for visitors/seekers is urgent.  The “80 percent rule” is real.

4.      Parking, Choir Space, Recreational Space/Program, Sunday School, Gathering Space, and Fellowship Hall space are all legitimate and urgent needs

5.      Satellite church at Andover is a wonderful opportunity,

but must not be bound by a building

                  PHASE ONE

                   Option A

                   New and enlarged chapel, overflow seating

                   Option B

                   Three morning services, two Sunday Schools (Rev.                    Brunstetter inserted that he has seen where this hurts                    the church and not a good option.)

                   Support Requirements:

·        Relocation of offices to Rokeby or Upper Street property

·        Expansion and “opening up” of hallways and “gathering area”

·        Long range architectural plans

·        Technological excellence

                   PHASE TWO

·        Andover Recreational Facility

                   Support Requirements:

·      Staff person

·      Long range architectural plans

·      Available Monies - $150,000?

PHASE THREE

·      Expanded Parking Leases

                   Support Requirements:  

·      Shuttle Plan

·      Available Monies

º       Trustees?

º       Finances?

PHASE FOUR

·        New Sanctuary
Support Requirements:

·        Expanded parking opportunities

·        Adequate choir space

·        Adequate fellowship space

·        Improved youth and children’s space

·        Available Monies

º       Capital campaign

PHASE FIVE

·      Christian Living Center
Support Requirements:

·      Available Monies

                   PHASE SIX

·        New Satellite Sanctuary at Andover

Athletics/Andover Task Force

·         Delaney Woods, chair reported to the Administrative Council the Andover facility just is not a user-friendly building.  What do we do out there?  The committee feels there is a need if the building could be converted into something we could use for athletics and they are really excited about the possibilities.  The Task Force is thinking of looking for creative talent within the church who could convert the large room into a gym and the side rooms into meeting spaces.  However, they have nothing to propose at this time.

Discipleship Area

·         Randy Greenup, chair shared with the Council that he originally came from Georgetown.  Since being a FUMC he has been trying to get his arms around where people are in this church.  Are there small groups other than Sunday School and what other small groups are out there?  The Lenten study has been set up to meet in small groups and already 100 people have signed up.

Church Structure Proposal

·         Rev. Paul Brunstetter shared the following proposal:

1.      Develop a simplified church structure that will:

·        Enable Team Concept

·        Every team should have:

a.       Lay Leader

b.      Team

c.       Staff Liaison

2.    Differences between servant teams and committees:

·        Fewer members / Everyone attends

·        High commitment / passion / calling

·        Relational

·        Consensus

·        Involves others in specific ministry

·        Mindset of motivating and deploying

·        Trust, not bureaucracy

·        Purpose and people, not program driven

3.      Develop a simplified church structure that will:

·        Enable Team Concept

·        Stream-line our structure

·        Create fewer meetings and more ministry

·        Facilitate our 5 purposes

·        Empower lay leadership

·        Engage more in gift-based ministry

·        Create Clear Communication

4.      Finding (Evangelism)

·        Greeters

·        Welcome Center

·        New Members

a.     Visitation

b.    Pictures

c.     N.M. Classes

·        ALPHA

6.     Igniting (Congregation Care)

·        Stephen Ministry

·        We Care

·        Telecare

·        Visitation

·        Hospital

·        Parish Nursing

·        Fellowship

·        Picnics / Socials

·        Prayer Partners

a.       College

b.       Military

·        Recreation / Sports

a.       Softball

b.       Basketball

c.       Soccer

d.       Volleyball

7.     Reaching (Missions)

·        Missionaries

·        Habitat

·        Room in the Inn

·        Sister Churches

·        Nathaniel Mission

·        High Street

·        UK Wesley Foundation

·        Special Offerings

·        Children’s Home

·        Wesley Village

·        Young Life

·        The Rock

·        Camps

·        Local Needs

8.     Strengthening (Worship)

·        Music and Arts

·        Choirs

·         Worship Leaders

·         Ushers

·         Communion and Alter Guild

9.      Training (Discipleship)

·         Sunday School

·         Small Groups

·         Library

·