Church Council Meeting Summary
March 2024
A discussion was held, and a motion was voted to have a single service for the summer period, commencing on June 9 and continuing through Labor Day Sunday.
The Council will need to reach a decision no later than the July meeting regarding service times following Labor Day.
The Trustees informed the Council of the need for repairs to two doors (Door 1 and Door 16).
Additionally, trustees advised that the loft storage room requires cleaning and reorganization. Any items not tagged with an owner by the end of April will be disposed of.
Any utilization of space within the church premises must be scheduled on the church master calendar, which is maintained by the office assistant.
During the Finance meeting, a shortfall in pledges was discussed. Each group is requested to submit updated budgets with 30% reductions by the upcoming finance meeting.
The Children Extravaganza and touch-a-truck event were tremendously successful, with 800 hot dogs served and 660 goodie bags distributed.
For those interested, full minutes are available upon request to the church office.
February 2024
The Board of Trustees is currently in the process of applying for a FEMA grant aimed at enhancing security measures. As part of this endeavor, they are exploring the possibility of hiring a professional grant writer.
The Leadership and Nomination Committee has nominated John Alexander as the Finance Chair and Earl Conklin as the Vice Chair of the Council. Both nominations have been duly approved.
Until further notice, the 11:15 worship service will be conducted in a blended format.
The renovation package has been submitted to the District Office for their approval.
The Stewardship status remains on track based on previous contributions. The committee will now focus its efforts on reaching out to those who have not yet pledged.
Hypothermia Week saw an average of 46 guests and a total of 410 volunteer hours, excluding the coordinator. The dates for next year's event are set for February 23rd to March 1st.
The Easter egg hunt and "Touch a Truck" event are scheduled for March 24th from 2-4 PM. Volunteers are needed for these activities.
The inaugural meeting of the new young adult group was successful, and it has been decided that they will meet twice a month.
WDS (Week Day School) will soon have its own website, which will be linked to the church's website for easy access and navigation
January 2024
Trustees have been repairing items in the WDS and have nearly completed the transition to LED lighting throughout the church, resulting in savings on our electric bill.
Finance has posted a net loss for St. Matthews, including the WDS, of $56K.
Council approved a required change for our legacy assets held with Vanguard. Vanguard is transitioning from a Mutual Fund Account to Brokerage Accounts. The approval involved designating 2 members of our Legacy committee as account representatives for these accounts.
Due to the cancellation of Sunday service due to snow, Commitment Sunday has been rescheduled to Feb. 18.
A new district superintendent, Rev. Kirk Nave, has been appointed to Northern Virginia, effective July 1, 2023.
Hypothermia Week is scheduled for 2/11-2/17, and the coordinator is seeking volunteers.
The Children and Family Coordinator is organizing the Shrove Tuesday pancake supper on Feb. 13 and the Easter Event on March 24. Volunteers are needed. She also mentioned that during the children's sermon time, the children will be observed walking up to the altar area. However, the live stream camera will pan away during the sermon and will not show the children leaving the altar. This measure is taken for the safety of the children.
The Confirmation Class for 2024 is deferred until next year, as only 2 youths have signed up. A larger group is expected next year.
The SMUMC Strategic Plan was discussed and approved. The next council meeting will address how to measure and monitor progress.