Jan 2015 vestry minutes

STANDING MEMBERS: X

Fr Jeff Hammond

X

Fred Grimes

X

David Spencer

X

Jim Spruiell, Sr. Warden

X

Johnny Gorden

X

Pris Williams

X

Vickie Luckenbach, Sec.

X

Margaret Hawn

X

Jack Oates Jr Warden, ex officio

X

Jimmy Davis

X

Jack Kendrick

X

Ric McCormick, Treas.

GUESTS: X Pat McCormick TOPIC

Guest

DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION/RECOMMENDATIONS

Guest

ACTION(S)

RESPONSIBLE PERSON

EVAL/STATUS

Call to Order

Jim Spruiell, Sr. Warden

Devotional/ Prayer Approval of Minutes Introduction

Jim Spruiell opened the meeting with a prayer

Completed

Jim

Closed

January minutes approved electronically

Completed

V. Luckenbach

Closed

Pat McCormick, Landscape Committee (see Junior Warden’s Report below)

Completed

Jack Oates

Closed

December 2015 Financials

FYI

Ric

Complete

Sub Committee Reports Administration Old Business

Balance Sheet: There was an increase of about $17K. The increase is due to December offerings (+17K) which were way above the budget and December prepaid pledges for 2015 (+21K). The increases were offset by expenditures from other funds (the largest amount being the Good Samaritan fund outlay of 20K (the balance as of the end of December is 53K). Significant activity from other funds were as follows; Copier Fund (-$880), Benevolence Fund ($788), Endowment Fund (-$749), Building Fund ($1,537), MMO Fund (-$1,056).

Monthly Operations: There was an $18K positive result this month. This is primarily due to two factors  Offerings were over budget by about $17K.  Expenses for the month were under budget by $1K As usual December offerings were very strong.

Vestry Minutes

1/19/2015

Page |1

Expenses were just under budget.

St Barnabas’s financial health continues to be very good; there is a $30K surplus for 2014. In 2015 the Vestry will decide which fund(s) will receive the 2014 surplus.

MMO: MMO has a deficit this month of $1.K. Enrollment is running at a high level. Enrollment is at the maximum level (39 children on Mondays and 37 on Wednesdays). There is a surplus of $569.00 for 2014.

David Spencer will serve as the vestry member on the finance committee.

New Business

The annual stewardship update includes $320,000 in pledges with 122 pledging units. Eighteen are new pledging units and 34 are increased pledges.

Expectations are that we will be equal to or exceed last year’s numbers.

FYI

Ric

Open

Jim discussed, with information from Ric, that currently there is $38,500 carryover from 2014 and the vestry needs to decide what to do with that carryover. Some proposals of this could include a vestry retreat, recommendations from the finance committee, a fund for something catastrophic, building and grounds, equipment, etc. Ric stated that this did not have to be decided at this meeting but could wait for a couple of more months in order to determine the best uses for these carryover funds.

FYI

Jim

Open

Ric discussed that the budget for 2015 at this time is our current plan and that it could change as needs arise. (See attached budget)

FYI

Jim/Ric

Open

Ric opened a discussion regarding a new process for collecting money after the 11:00 service. Right now there is only one person doing this which is Ric. He would like to have others share this responsibility and suggested that perhaps each vestry member could take over some of this duty.

Ric stated that the person does not have to count

FYI

Jim

Open

Vestry Minutes

1/19/2015

Page |2

the money but just get it organized. Jack Kendrick has graciously volunteered to do this for the month of February since he has done this previously; however, a new process needs more discussion.

Ministry Old Business

Jeff discussed the major fund-raiser which was the Non Event. St. Barnabas was to pay to the Good Samaritan Center $20,000 in 2014 and that was done.

FYI

?????

Open

FYI

Jimmy

Open

FYI

Jack Oates

Open

Jeff also stated that St. Barnabas will send $52,800, which is minus the costs for the materials to publicize and solicit donations, in a check which has been requested to be cut this week. This will close out this line item.

A discussion to publicly communicate the results of the Non Event was supported.

Jimmy Davis stated that he will take charge of the Ministry Committee. He reported that St. Barnabas doesn’t really know how the “Everyone Belongs” (Hospitality Process) is going so as a result there are things on hold. He feels that perhaps this ministry must be done in house rather than with a staff person (Tom Luck, see Rector’s Report). Jeff thinks we need to get more people involved in this, for example recruit and train greeters. Pris interjected that she wanted to remind all vestry members to wear their nametags since she was recently approached by newcomers on how to become a member of the church and the only way they could identify someone to talk to was through the nametag she was wearing at the time.

Jimmy further stated that he has put a plan together.

New Business Property Old Business

Junior Warden’s Report January 19, 2015 Vouchers Approved Property Maintenance: Service A/C units

Vestry Minutes

1/19/2015

Page |3

$ 772.32 Replace CEB water heater 1,305.60 Lock on Altar cabinet 5.49 Property Improvement: Two entry locks 47.98 $ 2,131.39 Routine Work: Reeh Plumbing replaced the 40 gallon water heater in the CEB with a 10 gallon unit. The heating element in the old unit (the original on installed in the building) failed and could not be removed without destroying the unit.

Hill Country Refrigeration performed the fall servicing on all of our air conditioning and heating units. The system board in the west CEB unit was found to be defective (fan was running all of the time) and was replaced.

The power strip in the amplifier section of the sound system (located in the Sacristy) failed and was replaced by Bill Smallwood with a temporary strip. A correct power/surge strip will be ordered and installed along with proper surge strip in the balcony. The system will also be revised to permit turning on both the amplifier in the Sacristy and the sound mixer in the balcony with one switch in the balcony. To turn the system on now, switches at both locations must be turned on.

Major Work: Nothing to report.

Re-keying Project: The Kwikset locksets on two closet doors in the balcony of the Sanctuary were replaced with Schlage locksets in preparation for re-keying the building. All of the locksets are now Schlage.

The keyless locks for the Kitchen, Sacristy and CEB doors have been programmed. Any requests for access as a result of the notice in the Encourager and the weekly service bulletins will be incorporated into the programming. The first

Vestry Minutes

1/19/2015

Page |4

phases of this project (install three keyless locks into the Kitchen, Sacristy and CEB and re-key the Sanctuary, CEB and Chapel) will be done in February. All persons affected will be contacted prior to the work. The final phase of the project (re-key the offices, classrooms and parish hall) will be done in the future after the key/code plan for that building has been fully developed.

Jack gave a demonstration to the vestry on how the new locks would work and gave the vestry members their code to use with the locks.

Future Work: A plan has been developed for the installation of flower beds and a “water feature” south of the Parish Hall, in the newly created granite gravel area. This plan should be presented during the January Vestry meeting.

No activity to report on the following item that were listed in the previous report: Two outstanding items that needs to be done are to install underground drain lines from the downspouts of the new CEB gutters and repaint the Parish Hall (a “maintenance request” item). No action (request for bids) has been taken on either of these items as of yet.

Another item that needs to be addressed is the handrail (actually a short wall) along the front of the balcony. The height of this wall is approximately 12 inches shorter than required by codes and represents a real safety hazard – especially to the Organist who sits up well above the top edge. The design of the revise wall will have to be done by a Registered Professional Engineer or Architect.

Pat McCormick made a presentation regarding the installation of flower beds and a “water feature” south of the Parish Hall, in the newly created granite gravel area. The plan includes a Biblical garden with a fountain to create white noise. She has visited other gardens and met with a landscaper. This will be a pondless fountain and Vestry Minutes

1/19/2015

Completed

Jack Oates

Closed

Page |5

the requested funds will include moving rocks, labor, plumbing, motor for the fountain, etc. The fountain will be approximately 18” in height. Jack Oates made the recommendation to approve $3,000 for this project to be taken from the building fund. A motion to approve $3,000 for a pondless fountain in the backyard to be taken from the building fund was made by Jack Kendrick and seconded by Fred Grimes. The motion carried and was approved by the vestry.

New Business STANDING AGENDA Rector Report

DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION/RECOMMENDATIONS

Jeff discussed that the vestry made plans in December to bring on Tom Luck as a part time staff member. However, he was not administratively released from his current diocese where he is retired. He has been approved to be a supply priest in our diocese.

ACTION(S)

RESPONSIBLE PERSON

EVAL/STATUS

FYI

Jeff

Complete

FYI

Jeff

Open

Jeff also made several charges to the vestry. One charge is Visioning. This Visioning charge is to take our abundance and use that abundance to the “big things” the church can do such as what was done with the Non Event. He charged the vestry to “show God’s abundance.” He also charged the vestry to be “nimble and light” in our thinking so that we don’t miss the “big picture.” There are so many more resources beyond the money…..things to stretch us……how can we be a giant beacon. Jeff told us we can remain fiscally conservative but think of ways we can get bigger and better….being generous is never a bad thing. Jeff also says this is an unusual church in that every rector and vestry gets to put stamps on what we do. He wants us to “put down some foundations” so that in the future vestries will know this is “how we practice things….we want to perpetuate good practices for the future…..have an infrastructure and model to use from year to year.”

Jeff asked how many vestry members needed notebooks to help with the continuity from year to year. Six vestry members indicated they needed notebooks.

Vestry Minutes

1/19/2015

Page |6

ANY OTHER BUSINESS Closing Prayer ADJOURNMENT NEXT MEETING

DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS ACTIONS

RESPONSIBLE PERSON

EVALUATION /STATUS

Jim Spruiell closed the meeting with a prayer Jim Spruiell, Sr. Warden Prayer leader next meeting will be Jimmy Davis

Completed

Jim

Closed

FYI

Ric

Open

Minutes updated as per email from Ric McCormick on 1/22/2015 The annual stewardship update includes $336,120 in pledges with 127 pledging units.

Eighteen are new pledging units and 36 are increased pledges. Expectations are that we will be equal to or exceed last year’s pledged

income.

Respectfully submitted _______________________________ Vickie Luckenbach Secretary of the Vestry

St Barnabas Episcopal Church Vestry Minutes

Vestry Minutes

1/19/2015

Page |7