FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (U.S.A.), LAS CRUCES, NM

STATED SESSION MEETING

TUESDAY, July 15, 2014

 

Moderator Reverend Dr. Norm Story convened the meeting at 7:02 PM and Elder Jacqui Jones of the Missions Ministry Team opened it with a prayer.

 

Elders Present:  Lyn Ames, Lon Anderson, Corina Armendariz, Brad Class, Susan Grandle, Nancy Johnson, Jacqui Jones, Bill Kuyper, Winnie Quinzi, Roger Sellers, Greg Sherman, Stephen Taylor, and Dennis Thomas.

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Elders Excused Absence:  Blaine Goss.

 

Guest:  Deacon Moderator Steve Johnson.

 

Establish Quorum: The Clerk of Session established that a quorum was present. 

 

Approval of Agenda: The agenda was approved as published.

 

Pastor’s Report:  Pastor Dr. Story advised the Session that the green fabric covered chairs in Watkins Hall are very worn and need to be replaced.  He advised the Session that we could purchase 68 new folding chairs from Sam’s Club at a cost of approximately $1,300.  The families representing several Memorial Funds have been contacted and are comfortable with using these funds for that purpose.  The Session voted to sell the used chairs on Craigslist.

 

Pastor Dr. Story advised the Session that since Greg and Kelly Temple have agreed to serve for two years as youth advisors and Michelle Osborn is will to continue directing Salt and Light, he suggested that the CE Search Committee be dismissed with our thanks.  After a brief discussion, a motion was made and seconded to disband the Search Committee.  The motion was approved by Consent.

 

He advised the Session that his summer sermons focusing on different spiritual gifts would end with the last being delivered in August. 

 

Rev. Story discussed the divisive issues coming out of the most recent GA.  He urged the Elders that we focus on our local ministries and do not let issues that we can’t change distract us from the Great Commission, our call to make a difference where God has placed us.  He reminded the Session that regardless of what PC(USA) allows, we defined our marriage policy and use of facilities policies last Spring in accord with the way Jesus defined marriage in Matthew 19. He said that he would be taking Study Leave in August at the ECO (Fellowship of Presbyterians) Conference and hoped to learn more about these divisive issues and possible faithful responses.

 

He reminded the Session of the upcoming Called Presbytery meeting at 10:30 AM on Saturday, September 19^th at Ruidoso First Presbyterian Church.  The purpose of the meeting is for the Sierra Blanca Special Administrative Commission to share the input they have received during their meetings held around the presbytery over the past weeks.  It will also allow us to hear a report from our Presbytery’s representative to the General Assembly meeting in Detroit about what he saw, heard, and did at the meeting.  He urged anyone who could attend to do so for their own information and fact finding, and said that car-pooling would probably be available wherever possible.  He said that preliminary information about the Special Committee’s Final Report is that they will probably recommend that we all remain as members of the Presbytery of Sierra Blanca when they it at the September 27-28, 2014 Presbytery Stated Meeting at Lovington First Presbyterian Church.

Pastor Dr. Story reminded the Session that Dr. Janet Loman would be commissioned as a Commissioned Ruling Elder by the Presbytery in our Sanctuary at 4 PM on Sunday, July 27^th and urged everyone who could, to attend this historic event in our church.

 

Clerk’s Report:  The Clerk’s Report was as written in the meeting agenda

a. The inspection of our church record books is on hold pending additional guidance from the Stated Clerk of our Presbytery.

b. The Clerk requested the Session approve the requests of Bill Diener (#4125) and Bill Brown (#4533) to be removed from our Membership Rolls.

c. Membership Commission meetings welcomed new members Janette A. Smith on May 20, 2014; Aline Lyly Pangoup on June 1, 2014; and Roberto Lazo on June 29, 2014.

d. Reverend Dr. Norm Story joined Stanley J. Dimsha and Peggy T. Vanlandingham in Marriage in the First Presbyterian Church Sanctuary on Saturday, July 12, 2014.  The Clerk requested Session approval to record this marriage in our church Marriage register.

 

Approval of Minutes:   The Clerks Report and the approval of the Minutes of the STATED SESSION MEETING on May 20, 2014; the MEMBERSHIP COMMISSION MEETING ON May 20, 2014; the MEMBERSHIP COMMISSION MEETING ON June 1, 2014; and the MEMBERSHIP COMMISSION MEETING ON June 29, 2014 were on the Agenda Consent Docket and were APPROVED BY CONSENT.

 

Deacon’s Report:  Deacon Moderator Steve Johnson reported that they will not meet until July 18^th but that their “Socks & Undies” donations campaign was going good.  They were not getting any help from the Las Cruces Public Schools Administration personnel as they tried to get a list of the school supplies needed for their “Backpack” donation campaign, so they were developing their own school supplies list.

 

Committee Reports:

 

Administration:  Written with no action items.  The committee advised the Session that they had hired Vanessa Medina as our Bookkeeper effective July 1, 2014 instead of continuing to just purchase her Bookkeeping services.  They are also converting our payroll practice from twice a month paychecks, to bi-weekly paychecks.  All of the affected employees were in agreement with these changes.  They reported that the mid-year review of our Ministry Team budgets indicated that all Teams were at or below their budgets, and said “Good Job everyone!

 

Buildings and Grounds:  The committee said that with Vacation Bible School over, they were going to start the removal and replacement of the loose floor tile in Reeves/Watkins Hall.  They also reported that during VBS, 2 of the 3 air conditioning units serving Branigan Hall went down, but the Aire Serv maintenance personnel were able to get 1 unit back in service quickly.  Repair of the 2^nd unit is on hold pending a thorough review of the cost involved.  The choir loft circuit breaker also went down and was replaced during July.

 

Christian Education:  The committee reported that we had a great Vacation Bible School, with children attendance at 39 on Mon, 45 on Tues, 50 on Wed, 41 on Thur, and 43 on Fri.  The Adult VBS classes also went very well, with a good integration between the 2 congregations.

 

Congregational Life and Outreach Support: The committee reported they will host an Ice Cream Social after church on this coming Sunday, May 20^th. They asked everyone to help them develop new ways to advertise our church activities to the local community.  They said that the youth put VBS fliers on all the apartments just north of us, but this localized advertising brought in just 1 new child to VBS.

 

Missions: No meeting, but they agreed via email with the Bookkeeper’s decision to switch from mailing monthly donation checks to our Missionaries in India, to sending quarterly checks.  This saves us the higher cost of monthly international mailings, and was agreed to by the Missionaries before being implemented.

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Music and Worship: The committee did not meet and therefore has no report.

 

Foundation:  No meeting, therefore no report.

 

Financial Report for June 1 - June 30, 2014

 

                   Jun (Actual)    Jun (Budgeted)       YTD (Actual)      YTD (Budgeted)

Income       $33,408.51                                         $194,505.28

Expense     $31,994.17                                         $178,361.54

 

The Consent Motion to receive all Committee Reports and accept the Financial Report was approved.

 

Old Business:  The Teams did not meet in July so there was no discussion about how can we get more church-wide participation and involvement in:  Church Adult Sunday School classes; Church fellowship and leadership activities; Church Stewardship; and recruitment of new members of all ages.

 

New Business:

 

a.    .Rev. Dr. Story reported that he has 2 young people who might be available later this summer to assume responsibility for updating our church web site.

b.    Rev. Dr. Story asked the Elders who had been involved in our Membership Commissions to give the Session feedback about the process.  They said that the new members appeared to be comfortable with the process and it appeared to be good.  They thought that more Elders should participate on these commissions, and get to meet and talk with the new members.  It was suggested that If the Elders wore name tags at church, it would help everyone in the congregation know who they were and increase their visibility and availability to both members and visitors.  A motion was made and seconded to get name tags for the Elders and Deacons.  The motion was approved by acclamation.

 

The next Stated Session Meeting will be Tuesday, August 19, 2014 at 7:00 PM. The Music and Worship Ministry Team will be responsible for opening prayer and meditation.

 

Adjournment: Reverend Story adjourned the meeting with prayer at 8:07 PM.

 

 

 

______________________                ______________________                                _____________      

Carlton Connor                             Rev. Dr. Norm Story                                      Date Approved

          Clerk of Session                                   Moderator