Congregational Life and Outreach Support (CLOS) Ministry Team Minutes

November 10, 2015

In attendance: Stephen, Judith, Bea, Lon, Brian, Dot, Deborah, and Josie

CLOS goals:

1.      Continue to enhance and improve communication

2.      Foster small groups

3.      Encourage other ministry teams to embrace “outreach” as a core mission

The current calendar of upcoming 2015 events follows: 

Date	Event	Time	Place	Description/notes
Nov 21, and Dec 12	Sell cookbooks at Farmer’s Market	8:30 am – 1 pm	Downtown mall and Farm & Ranch museum	Like it says right there in the event title
Dec 6	Soup & games	After worship	Fellowship hall	CLOS makes soup for the congregation and we play board games or card games

 

1.      Retrospective review on trunk or treat:

a.       What went well:  good turn-out, good food, lots of attendees were impressed by it being free, generally food quantities were about right (about 380 hot dogs seems right), games were popular, free bibles were appreciated (but maybe we could give out kids’ bibles or bible storybooks next year), cookie decorating remained popular (but ran out of sprinkles and icing)

b.      Improvement areas:   more games would be good – some suggestions are a cupcake walk & putting games in the library and asking people to sign up to run them during the event; figure out a better way to gather up kids for the costume contest (announcements on the loudspeaker was not enough, maybe prominent signs at various locations at the event)  

2.      Cookbook report:  About half are sold and all remaining proceeds are pure profit to go towards charities. Deborah has asked various businesses if she could sell cookbooks.  We will be selling at Farmer’s market two more Saturdays and also at the Farm and Ranch the weekend of the 21st.  We expect sales to increase as Christmas comes closer.  Folks also can contact Deborah and pick up books to sell at various venues or groups they are involved with.

3.      Soup and games assignments for Dec 6:

a.       Clam chowder – Kathy

b.      Corn chowder – Dot

c.       Chicken – Lon

d.      Caldillo – Josie

e.       Posole, Horchata, cocoa powder  – Stephen

f.       Bread and chicken chowder – Bea

g.      Vegie , tea – Deborah

h.      Vegetable beef, tea – Judith

i.        Congregations may bring desserts if they wish but that is purely optional, as the CLOS team wants people just to come and play and eat.  Judith will talk to Cliff to make sure the Korean congregation is invited and Josie will make sure the Hispanic congregation is invited.

j.        Various CLOS members will bring a game

k.      Drinks will be water, coffee, tea, hot chocolate (individually from powder), and Horchata

l.        Other items are butter for bread, small bowls so people can sample.  We figure 2-3 quarts of soup sounded about right.

4.      Lloyd Kirschenmann offered to help with a picture directory update. We discussed the proposal at length.  The major outcome of the discussion is that we definitely feel we need a picture directory (several recent members found them very useful and the last time we did that was 2011).  We agreed to coordinate putting one together.  Not settled was whether the format would be digital, print, or both.  Lon agreed to contact Olin Mills or United Pictorial and find out details about the print option. Lloyd can do the digital/website option but it is unclear if that would require one sitting for the digital pictures and a second sitting for a print option (via a photography and publishing company).  The team feels that two sittings are a non-starter.  The team will also discuss further with Lloyd to make sure we have thought about this right. Looks like it will take a few months to plan and schedule.

5.      The team reviewed the budget.  We still have remaining funds in this year’s budget and will pursue larger advertising for Christmas events (including the Cantata). We will also look to upgrade church signage, as agreed to during the previous meeting – on this note Judith agreed to contact City Codes and find out more about what we can do as far as signs in the front of the church.  Also, the team agreed to make postcards for the church members to give out and mail (which is only the cost of paper for the postcards).   We also discussed the budget for next year but did not reach solid conclusions – it was uncertain what type of budget we should request since much of the previous year’s budget for outreach came from a designated fund, which is nearly spent.