CITC Transition Team Meeting Minutes 3/21/09

1. Scope of Transition Team (i.e., Mission)
   
   
   
   1. We will bring three major items to the community for decision:
      
      
      
      1. Staffing
      
      
      2. Budget
      
      
      
      3. Formation of decision-making body
      
      
      
      
   
   
   2. We will have 3 documentary end products:
      
      
      
      1. Foundational document
      
      
      2. Budget
      
      
      3. Leadership body format and member selection
      
      
      
      
      
   
   
   3. Each of these major decisions will be effective through the current fiscal year.
   
   
   4. We will also handle small administrative matters until a decision-making body is in place.
   
   
   
   


2. Transition Timelines
   
   
   
   
   1. Urgent – What are the next steps till Easter?
      
      
      
      1. PL’s report:
         
         
         
         1. Latte machines: We have 2 latte machines, one of which belongs to the Fregins and one of which belongs to Neeki. The Fregins are willing to donate theirs to CITC. We need to ask Neeki about his.
         
         
         2. Items stored at PL’s house: PL is currently storing hospitality items, furniture, art pieces, and other CITC belongings that need to be moved asap so she can get her house ready to put on the market.
         
         
         
         3. Church cell phone: PL currently pays for the church cell phone as an extra phone line on her own phone bill. We need to separate that billing and decide who will carry the CITC cell phone (most likely the next pastor).
         
         
         4. Website: Not up and we need to take care of that.
         
         
         5. CITC computer equipment: We currently have 4 Macs and 1 PC (not in good shape). PL, Neeki and Courtney each have a Mac and there is an extra one that used to be Lara Arp’s. We also have 4 printers, one of which is a printer/copier being used by Courtney. Most of this equipment is in offices at COH.
         
         
         
         6. CoH storage: There is some office furniture in PL’s and Neeki’s offices (desk, credenza, file cabinet, etc.) and a bunch of CITC furniture in COH storage: 75-80 chairs, 6 pews (2 belong to PL), metal table and chairs (2 sets; Dullye’s want one back), pulpit, Lord’s Supper table. We need to see if anyone in the community has the ability to store these things and have a community moving day. If not, we need to sell through eBay, craiglist, or a yard sale.
         
         
         7. Office supplies: PL as been buying some office supplies, including the ink for the color printer that is used to print the programs.
         
         
         8. CoH: We can continue to have office space there and they will do our accounting.
         
         
         9. PL requests that we pay her health insurance through June 1 and we decided to do that. We need to see if Neeki also wants this benefit.
         
         
         
         10. Courtney’s salary: The Methodist Church will pay her a part-time salary of $1,750/month until June 1. We need to consider supplementing that, particularly if she starts working full-time. For purposes of comparison, in the Methodist Church she would have a starting full-time salary of $42,000/year, plus housing allowance, health insurance, and retirement benefits.
         
         
         
         
      
      
      2. Piano
         
         
         
         1. There is a baby grand piano in storage at the Meiers house that needs to be moved and sold asap. We are going to ask Neeki to go and get the serial number on Tuesday.
         
         
         2. We need to determine value. Ron may know appraiser and will contact him to see if he can do the appraisal on Tuesday.
         
         
         3. There are 2 possible buyers already.
         
         
         
         
         
      
      
      3. Grants
         
         
         
         1. There are 2 grants we have applied for:
            
            
            
            1. Fund for Theological Education
               
               
               
               1. We submitted letter of interest and they invited us to submit full application which is due March 31. Putting the application together will be very labor-intensive.
               
               
               2. The grant seeks funding of $16,000 for 3 ministry apprentices, each of whom would serve 4-month terms.
               
               
               
               3. The problem is we need a mentor for the apprentices.
               
               
               4. This grant is linked to the other grant application sought from Calvin.
               
               
               
               
            
            
            2. Calvin
               
               
               
               1. This grant is to establish a Collaboratory run by CITC that would offer workshops to other churches in 4 topic areas.
               
               
               
               2. It would generate revenue because we would charge the participants.
               
               
               
               
            
            
            
            
         
         
         2. The team decided that it is not a good time to pursue these grants.
            
            
            
            1. We are losing key staff, PL and Neeki, that were instrumental to making these grants.
            
            
            
            2. There was a discussion of whether we need to be looking inward or outward at this time of transition.
            
            
            3. There is a concern we cannot execute the grant work to our full potential at this time and we want to maintain good relationship with the grant organizations.
            
            
            4. It was decided that PL and Courtney will communicate with the grant organizations, withdraw our applications for this year, and explain that we intend to pursue funding for similar projects in a future grant cycle.
            
            
            
            
         
         
         
         
      
      
      
      4. Wednesday night locations
         
         
         
         1. Possible solutions are rotating host houses or finding another site like Turner House.
         
         
         2. The Shirleys have offered to be part of a house rotation and will host this coming Wednesday, March 25.
         
         
         
         
      
      
      
      
   
   
   
   2. Short term
      
      
      
      1. Courtney’s responsibilities and our responsibilities to Courtney
         
         
         
         1. We decided that our most important priority is to determine whether Courtney will be called as our next pastor.
         
         
         2. We will encourage the congregation to continue to get to know her over the next week.
         
         
         3. A community meeting will be held next Sunday, March 29 at 10am. This will be a Q&A with Courtney.
         
         
         
         
         
      
      
      2. We did not have a chance to discuss short-term sustainability, financial responsibilities, or our relationship with COH.
      
      
      3. It was decided that church location and whether to stay at Kidd Springs will be a decision for the future decision-making body.
      
      
      
      
   
   
   3. Long term (short discussion for this meeting): In terms of our future decision-making body, process, and structure, we briefly discussed that it would be best to ask members of the congregation to bring us their ideas. We will filter them and present the best options to the community.
   
   
   
   
   


3. Communication
   
   
   
   1. To community: Going forward, we will communicate with the community in the following ways:
      
      
      
      1. Blog postings. Scott will set that up.
      
      
      2. News of the Community announcement. Rob will take care of that.
      
      
      3. We would like to distribute a print-out of future meeting schedules and topics when that is figured out.
      
      
      
      
      
   
   
   2. The transition team will have weekly meetings and will communicate online during the week through email and through a website called Base Camp.
   
   
   
   


4. Next meeting
   
   
   
   1. We will meet again next Sunday, March 29, at 2pm. We will be processing the results of the community meeting held that morning and discussing the budget. Further agenda items are to be determined.
   
   
   
   2. Wes will begin working on a budget and will circulate that this week.