Woodstock Reformed Church

Consistory Meeting

November 1, 2022

Present: Pastor Cari,  Sandy Todd, Shannon Godfrey, Annie Lavalle, Ed Jabs, Jim Ulrich, Mike Cooter, Mike Terner

The meeting opened at 7:20 with devotions led by Annie.  She shared a reading from James which reminds us that more than our faith is needed.  We need to put our faith into action.

Each member of Consistory was then invited to share something good that has happened recently in his or her life.  Birthday fun, Halloween enjoyment, good news from family members, connections with old friends and appreciation of the gifts offered by others were among the moments of joy shared.

A motion was made and passed to accept the proposed agenda.

Motions related to acceptance of minutes from previous meetings (Sept 27, Oct.4 and October 25) were made and passed.

Refugee family news:

        Mike Terner suggested  we might assist the new Afghani refugee family by posting the availability of  Shiraz as a handyman.  This would not be an endorsement of his work but rather part of the mission of our church to help support the family.

        The Ukrainian family may be coming to visit our church on November 13 but that is not definite at this time.

Calendar events:

        November sermon series will feature “A World of Impermanence.”  Church members have been invited to be mindful of the good things in their lives and share a daily gratitude with others via email.

        Nov 13:  New members will be received.  There will be a potluck & grill-out lunch following the service.  Pastor Cari’s friend who had been invited to share, during the service, some thoughts regarding helping individuals experiencing trauma will be rescheduled for a later date.  It was thought that it would be helpful if the church community was provided some general information about trauma in preparation for the talk.

        Nov 17:  Interfaith Thanksgiving Service will be held at Overlook UMC.  Both lay and clergy are being invited to participate in the service and volunteer readers are being sought.  There will be a choir under the leadership of Lee Stowe.

        Looking ahead to the new year…

        Jan 1:  Carol Kenyon will be preaching

        Hospitality and welcome will be emphasized in 2023.  Specifics are not determined at this point but there will be a focus on being purposefully inclusive and an exploration of just how to do this.  It would involve education of the entire congregation, sharing meals and music, children perhaps visiting the homebound, and more regular mission activities together.  There may be a possible Alpha course offered.  The suggestion was made that this might be scheduled to take place during Lent which begins this year on February 22.

        Healing prayer services, involving the pastor and elders may be held periodically.

        Confirmation class is being considered.

Sexton position:

        A lengthy discussion of the sexton position was held.  Under the new proposed arrangement, the sexton will be responsible for cleaning as well as “traditional” sexton tasks.  The current cleaners will be terminated the end of December and there was a suggestion that we notify other churches of their availability for cleaning jobs.  The consistory expressed concern that the workload involved in taking over both the sexton and cleaning responsibilities might be too much.  Mike expressed confidence in being able to do this and allayed the  consistory’s concern for him.  A vote was taken and Mike has been offered the position of sexton.  He is willing to do the work of sexton between now and the end of December but will not officially accept the title until January first when he will become sexton with a salary.  At that time he will no longer be able to serve as a deacon.  Appreciation for Mike’s considerable skills and willingness to serve the church in this way was expressed.

Budget presentation:

        Sandy distributed an itemized budget which was discussed with some changes to be made.  A revised budget will be distributed when it is available.  At this time, 18 pledges have been received in contrast to 31 pledges received last year.  Some people making on line pledges may not realize that those pledges need to be renewed yearly.  Annie, Sandy and Jim will make personal contact to follow up.  In addition to Cari being made a full time pastor, Krista, as music director and Irene DeGraff, as office manager, will be given a 5% raise.  It was noted that November may be a good time to renew the emphasis on giving.

The Financial Oversight Committee will be needing a new chair, since Sandy is completing her term.

Update on artwork display of church members:

Shannon reported that Jicky and Cynthia will work with her .  

They are considering which area to use, taking into account that some rooms and hallways are open for many hours of the day and thus not secure. Mike Terner suggested a sign that says “Display at your own risk.”

Some are questioning if this is an opportunity to sell.  It was suggested that a card for each artist might be displayed with contact information.

Shannon expressed her feeling that this is being done to display God’s gifts to the artist.

Next meeting:  Tuesday, Dec. 6

        Topics to be discussed:

        How to deal with noise complaints

        How to deal with the loss of the women who for many years have been caring for the gardens on the green.

Annie closed the meeting at 9:47 pm with prayer.

Respectfully submitted,

Susan Ulrich, Secretary