860 283-8480
505 South Main Street
Thomaston, Connecticut  06787
Minutes - June 24, 2015
 Our Savior Lutheran Church
Annual Meeting Minutes        June 14,2015
 
  1. Gather the ministers and call the meeting to order: The meeting was called to order at 11:39 AM by Karl Buckley.  33 people were in attendance.
  2. Prayer, Approval of or addition to agenda, welcome guests.
 Pastor Gollenberg led us in prayer. Under Old Business, item A. added-Quarter Tube. Jen Marr from Comfort Dog Ministry was welcomed.
  1. Ms. Jen Marr-Comfort Dog Ministry:  Jen Marr and her Comfort Dog(Addie) talked about Comfort Dog Ministry. Comfort Dog Ministry is part of Lutheran Church Charities. A dog and its handler respond to crisis situations such as Sandy Hook to offer comfort and hope. The dog is owned by it’s sponsoring church. In Addie’s case, her sponsoring congregation is Immanuel Lutheran of Danbury Ct. Training is done to help the dog and trainer to minister to the needs of people going through crisis and trauma.
  2. Minutes from previous Annual Meeting, June 22, 2014 and Minutes from Special Budget Congregational Meeting, November 9, 2014.
A motion was made by Betsy D’Amico and seconded by Jennie Kearney to accept the minutes from both the Annual Meeting(June 22, 2014) and Special Budget Congregational Meeting(November 9, 2014). The motion accepted by unanimous consent. The motion passed.
  1. Pastor’s Report
In addition to Pastor’s Report in the Annual Report, Pastor Gollenberg talked about the declining and aging membership of the Lutheran Church. The New England Synod Workshop, Generation to Generation, addressed the differences between the older and younger generations as how they view different aspects of the Church. There are shifts in how money is given(checks/cash vs electronic payment). The motivation for giving has gone from out of a sense of duty to how the giving will cause an impact. Short term and more specific goals are more important to the younger generation than long term goals. Web sites are very important for getting information out. They need to be concise and include everything on one page. We need to have multiple conversations not just one general one.
  1. Nominating Committee Report and Election of Council Members
Karl Buckley, Karen Ligi, and Bev Sabia are finishing their first term on Council and are thanked for their service. These three people are nominated to serve for a 2nd term on Council. A motion was made by Betsy D’Amico and seconded by Lynne Kearney to accept Karl Buckley, Karen Ligi, and Bev Sabia as members on Council. The motion passed with unanimous consent.
  1. Committee and Organization Reports
Music Ministry: Jennie Kerney and the choir were thanked for their ministry.
Earth Keeping: Committee thanked for the flowers that are planted. Blue Bucket ministry a vital ministry.
Prayer Chain: Feedback was requested on prayer requests. The action of prayer is important.
Property/Maintenance: John Schwalm was thanked for his long term commitment to our property concerns.
Web Minister: A new web site will be previewed and revised as needed. All comments or suggestions are welcome.
Audit Report: The auditors(Karl Buckley, Carol Lizotte, Joel McCorkle) were thanked for their work.
Treasurer: Sandy Talbot noted that $1000 has been designated for outside missionary support. We need to let the congregation know about this.
 
Be it resolved that we accept the committee and organization reports presented in the Annual Report and presented verbally today, and be it further resolved that we thank with deep appreciation all the disciples who share their time and their gifts through their service to the Church of Jesus, the Christ…especially today we recognize council members who are finishing their terms: Karl Buckley, Karen Ligi, Bev Sabia. A motion was made by Betsy D’Amico and seconded by Lynne Kearney to accept this resolution. The motion passed.
 
  1. Old Business
    1. Quarter Tube: We need to decide where the funds from this project should be used. A motion was made by Betsy D’Amico and seconded by Eileen Finer to have the funds from this project go towards Calumet Confirmation Camp starting July 1, 2015. The motion passed.
  2. New Business
    1. New England Synod Assembly (June 5-6 2015) reflections: Eileen Finer gave her impressions of the Assembly. 450 people were in attendance at the Assembly. Two consolidated churches were added to the synod. Pastor Goldenberg was acknowledged for his 40 years in the Ministry. Worship was very casual especially for Communion.
  3. Closing Devotions: Pastor Gollenberg led closing prayer.
  4. Dismissal: The meeting ended at 12:55 PM.
 
Respectfully Submitted
 
Diane Elwood-Council Secretary