The Grace Blog

Pre-Pandemic we regularly published Session minute summaries in Grace this Week.  Since we have not been together some of you have asked if we could publish them online.  What follows are summaries of the minutes from March and April 2020.  May and June are in another post, and we’ll continue to share this way.  Full copies of the minutes are always available upon request.

Session Summary: March 16, 2020

• The session met via Zoom and began with prayer.
• Steve Hooper was elected as the clerk of Session (and secretary of the corporation).
• Catherine gave an update on the Next Church Conference she attended in early March.
• Sunday, March 15, worship was online only, and the Session voted to continue this through the month of March.
• Jacob’s Learning Ladder remains open.
• A discussion as held about how long we could guarantee to pay Grace staff (Jacob’s Learning Ladder (JLL) included). Session voted to continue to pay staff through the April Session meeting (regardless as to giving or JLL tuition) and to work with the trustees to evaluate things before then.
• The Parlor is ready to be painted as part of the Deep Roots campaign, and the BOT approved ordering the furniture selected by the Parlor team.
• Financial reports were approved and received.
• The staff is working to communicate with the congregation through calls, Facebook, emails, and texts.
• The meeting was closed with joys, concerns, and prayer.

Session Summary: March 30, 2020 (called meeting)

• The meeting was held via Zoom and opened with prayer.
• The Session voted to continue online only worship through April.
• Martin Burch gave an update on the church financial status.
• Jacob’s is currently at about half of its pre-mid-March enrollment. We expect the same or lower enrollment in April.  The Food Ministry will lose money in this time.
• Martin took a webinar on the Payroll Protection Loans and will continue to investigate them. He is working with our local Citizen’s Bank on this as well as the Board of Trustees.
• Catherine shared that the PCUSA has changed its stance on virtual communion and is now permitting it.
• Catherine led a discussion about how we could have a baptism on Easter.
• The meeting was closed with prayer.

Session Summary: April 20, 2020

• The meeting was held via Zoom and opened with prayer.
• A report was given on Deep Roots updates. The painting in the Parlor is done, and the carpet and furniture are ordered.
• A discussion was held about how online worship is going, what’s working and what could be better. Catherine noted that we will continue online worship long after people can return to the building.
• A discussion was held about when to return to in person worship. The Session voted to stay online only through May 17 and to revisit this at the May 18 Session meeting.
• The financial report was given then received and approved.
  • Martin noted (previously emailed) that we received the Paycheck Protection Program loan, and that it will most likely become a grant.
  • Jacob’s Learning Ladder numbers were discussed.
• Sean Foster has resigned and will enroll in graduate school.
• It was noted that many Grace teams continue to meet virtually. The Grace zoom account is very active.
• The session voted to rescind our invitation to host presbytery on May 12. (Catherine said it was all but certain that the meeting would be either virtual or cancelled.)  In the event that it is virtual, Dave McIntire and Darcy Eads were elected as commissioners.
• April was to be the month to meet with the confirmation class. That will happen in May, either via Zoom or in person.  Confirmation Sunday is set to be May 31.
• The staff and others continue to cultivate online community building opportunities.
• Our church, with the presbytery, applied for a grant from the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance to benefit the Wichita International Rescue Committee. We received $5,000 for IRC.
• A called Session meeting is set for April 27 to elect a search team for the Director of Music Ministry position.
• The meeting was closed with joys, concerns, and prayer.

Session Summary: April 27, 2020 (called meeting)

• The meeting was held via Zoom and was opened with prayer.
• There were two items on the agenda:
  • To elect a search team for the Director of Music Ministry position
  • To determine steps for worship
• The Session approved the search team: Pam Head, Janet Rhoads, Charlene Randle, Dave McIntire, and Bill Vavra
• The Session voted for worship to remain online through May.
• Because a Grace staff member tested positive for the coronavirus, worship this week is pre-recorded from the homes of staff members.
• The building is currently closed, including JLL.

Share