Diaconate Meeting Minutes                                                                         January 7, 2009

Attending: Jan Llewellyn, Syd Bare, Barbara Stevens, Sandy Laliberte, Jan Cliggott, Carol Beckloff, Bill Carr, Nancy Sandberg, David Wilbur.  Rev. Terry and our church committee liaison Hid Welch attended the first half of our meeting.

Jan opened the meeting with prayer.

Jan asked Rev. Terry to clarify how diaconate should expect the offering plates to be presented. Going forward the diaconate will wait for the plates to be offered.

Rev. Terry asked for feedback on the Christmas Eve service.

Observations included too frequently standing and sitting, overall service a little too long, 155 people attended, with about 30-40 children.  Generally, the earlier time was very well received.  We discussed that the trend in Christmas Eve services is hold them earlier.

Rev. Terry would like to plan an Ash Wednesday service at Noon as an ecumenical event for the community, with one deacon in attendance.  We supported this, and repeating last year’s Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services.

Minutes: JanC’s motion to accept minutes, seconded by Bill, approved unanimously.

Treasurer: Barbara bought 4 bottles of juice.  Petty cash is now $56.61.

Old Business:  Jan passed out copies of the weekend sexton responsibilities that house committee put together.  We reviewed this, and made suggestions how to balance weekend sexton’s work on Sunday away from the first floor with our need to have the sexton nearby for assistance. JanL will meet with Roy about our concerns.

Dave’s draft letter to members with medical training is done, and JanL will finalize the mailing list for Dave to send mail it out.

JanL is still working on the tiny tots schedule with Patty, for the diaconate.  She would like to investigate some ideas to make tiny tots more appealing to visiting parents; to address security concerns, parent notification during the service, etc.  Also, a means to deliver audio of the service to the tiny tots room for the adults on duty.

New Business:  We discussed building security and some recent problems we’ve had. We feel that having a Sunday sexton will help this problem. 

JanL asked for written comments to add to the annual report, and what made last year great for our church, and what would make next year better.  Jan thanked the ‘retiring ‘committee members for their service and wished them well on their next committee assignments.

Coffee Hour assignments for January:

            1/11     Barbara Stevens and Carol Beckloff

            1/18     Bill Carr and Nancy Sandberg

            1/25     Sandy Laliberte and Jan Cliggott

            The Deacon of the Day schedule for next four weeks:

1/11     Jan Cliggott

            1/18     Barbara Stevens

            1/25     Syd Bare

            2/1       Dave Wilbur

Carol read closing meditation.

Our next meeting will be February 4, 2009

Dave will close the next meeting.

And I would like to add on behalf of all the Diaconates, thank-you to Jan Llewelyn and Barbara Stevens for co-chairing this committee for the past year.   Their leadership and work behind the scenes for this committee and for the church has been extremely appreciated. 

Respectfully submitted, David Wilbur