October Session Meeting Report
Session met on October 17 and Frank Douma, a member of the Preschool Board, joined Session to requested various changes to the preschool by-laws to bring them in line with current procedures and also to streamline the Preschool Board. Session decided to defer the decision until next month after they vote on the larger changes to the Session size reduction and change in structure.
A decision was delayed on a new procedure for when/how the Mission and Social Justice Committee will consider social justice resolutions. A motion to officially receive our new members (Dwight and Nancy Colby, Tam Ayers, Kendall Christen and Gerry Fuller) passed.
Session discussed a new Session organizational structure last month (based on the recommendations of the Creating Our Future consultants). Session members were invited to ask questions that came up after they had time to consider the new structure. The size of Session will be reduced (by attrition) and all the current functions/committees will have a place in the new structure, however they will be organized differently. The congregation will receive the new structure at the annual meeting.
The Session will meet on November 9 to further refine the recommendations that came out of the Creating Our Future (COF) process. Later, the COF recommendations will be presented to the congregation for their consideration and input.
Financial contributions for the year are slightly ahead of expenditures so the projected budget shortfall will be somewhat reduced.
The stewardship campaign already began and Kevin Marshall will be our 2025 stewardship chair. The congregation will be asked to contribute a 3% increase in pledges for this year to cover inflation. In November, the finance committee and the chairs of the Operations, Personnel, and Mission and Social Justice committees (the three committees with the largest budgets) will meet to draft the 2025 budget. Session will review and (perhaps) approve the budget at their December meeting and the congregation will receive the budget at the annual meeting in January.