Deacons Minutes

November 21, 2013

Attendance:   Current deacons:  Don Behnke, Eddie Armendariz, Mike Bartholomew, Carrol Blevins, Nancy Cowan, Carol Goss, Bill Haynes, Marianne Maley,  Donna Mathis, Dutch Matkin, Bruce Pearson and Collette Walz. Rev. Norm Story also attended most of the meeting.  In addition, the following deacons-elect of the Class of 2016 attended:  Ernie Armendariz, Scott Burns, Pat Felhauer, Steve Johnson and Barbara Sauter.

 Absent:   Bill Marlow and Jacque Parks (both excused), Harry Topley, Cindy Tafoya and Anna Suggs

 Donna Mathis opened the meeting with a prayer at 7:00 p.m.  

 ACTION ITEM FOR SESSION:   None

             The minutes of our meeting on October 17 contained the following three errors:

            1.  Local Missions:   first sentence should read "Don noted that we still have lots of bedding in our inventory."    Delete "including a new donation from Mountain View Hospital."

             2.  Transportation:  Delete second sentence concerning the wheelchairs.

            3.  Music and Worship:  The correct date for decorating the sanctuary will be November 30, not December 1.

            The minutes were then approved as corrected.

 Pastor's Remarks:

             Rev. Story said the following:

            1.   All deacons should distribute the Advent calendars to our sheep.   During the Christmas season, these calendars are a great way to encourage people to become more involved with the church.

            2.  There is still a need for two or three volunteers to coordinate the receptions following funeral services, e.g., to insure that the tables are decorated and to receive donations to the church from the families of the deceased.   We also need a volunteer to coordinate the lunch for the high students who will be taking the AP exams at our church in spring 2014. 

            3.  The church continues its search for a new Director of Christian Education/Youth Director.

            4.   At the December meeting, the deacons must select a new Moderator for 2014.     

 Moderator's Remarks:   See Administration and Local Missions below. 

 Correspondence:    None.

 Treasurer's Report:   Donna Mathis provided the report for the period January through October.   As of the end of October, the deacons had a surplus of $1,686.17.   We expect to spend most of this amount by the end of the year for various projects, including our gifts of Christmas baskets to the needy. 

 Building and Grounds:   B&G will proceed with plans to renovate the playground after we have received payment from the insurance company for the arson damage to the old playground.   B&G also hopes to complete a number of outstanding tasks before the end of the year, including painting the dining room walls in Watkins Hall on December 12.  Carrol Blevins offered us a supply of old towels and sheets from the bedding ministry for our painting project.

 Congregational Life:   The annual Trunk or Treat event was a great success.  CL is now considering holding a picnic or hike after the New Year.

 Christian Education:   CE handed out the Advent calendars and devotional pamphlets at the service on November 17 and then at Salt and Light on November 20.

 Missions:    Claudette Walz reported that Joel and Barbara Trudell, missionaries in Kenya whom we support, will be visiting our area from November 29 to December 9.   They will attend a couple of events at our church during this period, including a Minute for Mission and the adult Sunday school.   All members of our congregation are urged to attend these events and get to know the Trudells.   On another matter, the Missions Committee is continuing its revisions of the Missions Handbook, which describes the various missionary activities which our church supports.

 Music and Worship:  Marianne Maley invited everyone to help decorate the sanctuary on November 30.   She also recently participated in a review at First Presbyterian Church in Albuquerque of the new Presbyterian hymnal, "Glory To God."   The participants sang a number of the new hymns and were very enthusiastic.   About 60 percent of the hymns in the new hymnal are also in the current one, so there should not be any radical change in our Sunday music.

 Administration:   Don noted that the Church budget for 2014 will be 13 percent less than this year's for some committees.  We are still calculating incoming pledge amounts.   Admin and the other committees have been requested to do evaluations of all the church's salaried employees in their area of responsibility.  

 Local Missions:  Don said we will have to defer our "Las Cruces Cares" campaign until May or June of 2014, when the Church scheduled is less busy.   He also expressed concern that the demand for food from the Mobile Food Pantry is regularly exceeding the supply of available food.   Although our church is providing 5,000 pounds of food per month, the number of needy people is steadily increasing.   Don said that dedicated giving from individual members of our congregation has helped keep the operation going but is simply not sufficient to meet all the need.   Therefore, after considerable discussion, the Deacons voted to donate $50 per month to Iglesia del Pueblo for the Mobile Food Pantry expenses.  This may result in reducing some other expenses, including our one-time Emergency Assistance donations and our Christmas Basket program, which depends in large part on donations from the congregation.   Carol Goss will obtain the Christmas "donation trees" and set them up for the first Sunday of advent.        

 Visitation:   Carrol thanked those deacons who have been visiting our shut-ins.  She will be conducting devotional services at Good Samaritan on November 22.

 Soup Kitchen:   No report.   However, we did learn that only two FPC volunteers showed up at El Caldito last week.   Normally, six or seven help.   This is not a deacons' project but does depend on volunteers from our church.

 Transient Meals:   We have seven meals remaining but may need to buy some more before the end of the year.

 Transportation:      Bill Haynes reported that the team now has five drivers.   They rotate their duties, but there are sometimes conflicts when a driver who is already supposed to be an usher is called to drive on short notice.   Bill said that when this happens, the other deacons who are not drivers must step up immediately to usher.

 Old Business:    None, other than items stated above in committee reports.

 New Business:    None      

             We adjourned with the Mizpah Benediction at 8:10 p.m.

 Respectfully submitted by Bruce Pearson