ADVENT LUTHERAN CHURCH 2018 ANNUAL REPORT

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3 ADVENT LUTHERAN CHURCH 2018 ANNUAL REPORT TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Pastor Anita Warner 4 Director of Music and Worship Arts 9 Parish Associate 12 Communications Specialist 13 Beloved Community Arts Center 15 President 18 First Vice President 24 Second Vice President 25 Communications Committee 26 Community Connections 28 Faith Development 29 Stewardship 30 Operations 34 Christian Music Theater 35 Columbarium 37 Congregational Meeting Minutes 38 Parochial Report Financial Summary Budget Summary 62 3

4 Annual Report of Pastor Anita Warner But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. Ephesians 2:13-14 Community is the gift and calling of being church together. Community brings joy, companionship and comfort. Community enables us to do much more together than we can separately: our gifts, taken together, are enough for the ministry to which God is calling us. Community also brings challenge: discomfort in community is often an opportunity for personal growth, for listening more deeply and with humility and addressing blind spots. Community is so needed in our time and place. A number of social and ideological forces are fraying community and making it more difficult. This is not new in the history of humanity but has now become fairly intense in our own lifetimes. Christ, however, has broken down the dividing wall between peoples and in his life among us draws disparate peoples close to one another. The New Testament celebrates the gift of diversity present in the true church. The gospels describe Jesus encountering a wide variety of people, drawing them to himself and sending them together in mission and ministry in their communities. The apostle Paul describes the church as the body of Christ, with many members, many differing gifts, all necessary and valued. Diversity is necessary for the work of the gospel. Scripture teaches us to welcome and cultivate diversity in our congregation and community. Christ and the Holy Spirit, breaking down human barriers, makes this possible for all believers. Our core values lift up the joy of community in Christ. We continue to work out our strategic focus of Growing The Beloved Community in South County through service and the creative arts. The Beloved Community is a vision advanced most powerfully by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in which all in the community share in its resources. Relationships are characterized by a spirit of sisterhood and brotherhood. Conflicts are resolved through nonviolence and through sharing power in such a way that all forms of bigotry, racism and oppression are overturned in a spirit of friendship and goodwill. Growing The Beloved Community in South County means growing it in our congregation s life and ministries, in ourselves and in all our relationships, so that through God Spirit, working individually with others and as a congregation, systems and structures that oppress people locally are dismantled and abundant life becomes a possibility for everyone. 4

5 Pastor Adisa Armand and I worked with Janel Jannusch and Kris Andry to develop an anti-racism training workshop. 50 people participated in a one-day workshop on Saturday, February 3. We used the film Cracking the Codes by World Trust and other materials, dialogue, personal stories, shared exercises and small group conversation to lay a foundation for ongoing anti-racism work in our congregation and community. Pastor Adisa returned to work with the Church Council, staff and vision leaders in April. The Church Council used the book Understanding and Dismantling Racism: The 21 st Century Challenge to White America by Joseph Barndt and its study guide, to which I added scriptures and prayers, as the basis for our devotions and shared learning this year. The new ministry of the Beloved Community Arts Center (BCAC) is one way in which we are working out this strategic focus. The BCAC has been co-developed with LatinX neighbors who are committed to this vision with people of Advent. Please see the separate Beloved Community Arts Center report included in this annual report for more on what happened in 2018 as the BCAC was born. Leading Leaders and Staff It is my work to engage with others in this congregation daily to build up community. I support the work of the Church Council and the sub-group of the Executive Committee through participation, presence, consultation and leadership. As I support the leaders together, and their work with committees and task forces separately, my work is to support aligning our life together and mission and ministry with the gospel of Jesus, to our best understanding. My work is also to support aligning our life together and mission and ministry with our congregation s core values and strategic focus. Finally, it is to support aligning our life together and mission and ministry with one another, lifting up all the differing gifts and promoting the expression of the many gifts in an orderly and Spirit-led way. These leaders are leading our congregation through a period of adaptive change. As you read the reports from the various committees and ministries, I invite you to share with me gratitude to God and each other for the blessings of all that people have been offering to our congregation, community and world. Aligning our work with the gospel of Jesus, our core values, strategic focus and one another s efforts is also the work that I do in managing our talented and dedicated staff. As you read their reports and benefit from their varied work, I invite you to share with me gratitude to God and to them for all that they have been offering in leading and supporting our congregation s ministries. With Ed Merrell s initiative and support, I supported Karen Parker and Lou Ann Trost in four sessions of Developing Women Leaders at Advent, including leading one session. 5

6 Particular Ministries I lead Besides supporting all the other leaders and staff in their leadership, I have particular responsibility for a number of ministries: Preaching, worship preparation and worship leadership: I prepare all the worship services, with Kyle Jones and with broad input from people on the Worship and Music Committee; preach and occasionally support others in sharing their testimonies; and, with others, lead the worship services on Sundays and at other special times in the church year, and for weddings, funerals and memorial services. Teaching: I lead Bible studies and other classes on Sunday mornings, including Discovery Class in the fall and the first half of a nine-session study on the book of Revelation. I also lead the Bible study for Mary and Martha Circle once a month. I develop and lead confirmation sessions for students in grades 7-9, with support from Jacqui Kanode. In , confirmation met monthly for a full Saturday morning and focused on the New Testament. In , confirmation meets twice a month on Wednesday evenings and focuses on Luther s Small Catechism. Confirmation also includes fellowship and service in our congregation and community. During the summer, Rev. Lee Tyler and I, with support from adult members, led five sessions of communion instruction for children, a younger group and an older group. Finally, I support individuals and families in preparing for baptism, and seek out and support those who may be considering service in the ministry of the gospel as a rostered leader in our church. Pastoral care: In the church, our care is to flow from shared mission and relationships with one another. I support the ministries of Pastoral Partners and Lay Eucharistic Ministers in providing connection and care for people in our congregation. I also personally engage in visitation in hospitals, care facilities, homes, coffee shops, restaurants, and my study at church. Pastoral care involves conversation and prayer related to confession and forgiveness, vocational discernment, addiction, domestic violence, relationship challenges and opportunities, theological questions, illness, grief, and more. I strongly encourage that each person in the church provide support and prayer for one another, particularly those near to us in worship, in small groups, and in ministry groups, such as choir and Sew Seeds. Interfaith and community involvement: My letter of call states that in addition to what is stated above, I am to witness to the Kingdom of God in the community, in the nation, and abroad; and speak publicly to the world in solidarity with the poor and oppressed, calling for justice and proclaiming God s love for the world. I do this through general community involvement, and through bringing an awareness of God s Kin-dom and love to the community, nation and world while sharing with our congregation s members the opportunity to 6

7 share perspectives on solidarity with the poor and oppressed and justice in and among our congregation. I am a part of the Interfaith Clergy Alliance and support local actions, such as standing in solidarity with Congregation Emeth following the massacre at a Pittsburgh synagogue. I support several Interfaith Community of South County events each year through leadership and participation. I participate in some actions with PACT (People Acting in Community Together) and SURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice), including speaking out at the ICE facility in Morgan Hill on December 20, after local people who were detained were denied their due process rights to legal counsel and held in a van for 5 hours. Ministry with youth: Besides leading confirmation, I support all youth participation at Mt. Cross retreats. The focus of high school youth in 2018 was participating in the ELCA National Youth Gathering, This Changes Everything, in Houston, June 24-July 1, We held monthly getting ready sessions beginning in February, including Bible study, prayer, and learning about the community. Parents and grandparents supported the youth in fundraising and participating in the Synod BASH day April 21. Five youth from Advent and two youth from St. Stephen s Lutheran in Santa Cruz went to Houston as a group; I served as chaperone along with Jacqui Kanode and Matt James. Upon return, the youth led music and worship and shared personal reflections in worship at Advent. Ministry with children: I prepare a children s message for each worship service. Kris Andry has led the development of Children s Time each Sunday. Beginning this fall, children are present in worship through communion, then leave for minutes of Children s Time that includes a Bible story, activity and prayer time. There are two groups, one for younger children and one for older children, and the dismissal is between 11:00 and 11:10. A small group of leaders supported this ministry through the fall, and more are becoming engaged for Looking ahead Our congregation continues to work through adaptive change in order to grow younger and more ethnically diverse and representative of our surrounding community. That need for adaptive change and Christ-centered community remains as we take specific steps this year in implementing our vision: Reconciling in Christ process: Another part of our vision work is to engage in a shared process of discernment as a congregation on the possibility becoming an official Reconciling in Christ (RIC) congregation, which publicly practices full welcome and inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, queer and other non-binary people. I look forward to this process that is intended to include all voices. While this process has been a goal for a while, the conversation will become active early in

8 Refreshing welcome: In 2019 we will look to update our processes for outreach and welcome. This will include refreshing some materials, spaces, signage, and procedures for follow-up with visitors. We need a group to take responsibility for this work. Capital Fund, General Fund and Legacy Campaign: Council is recommending that we engage in a contract with the ELCA Mission Investment Fund (MIF) to lead a comprehensive stewardship emphasis this Lent and spring that will involve small group Bible studies, a prayer vigil, and preaching and leadership from consultant the Rev. Dana Peterson. The capital campaign portion is to raise funds for campus improvement projects approved by the congregation. The general fund portion is to address our need for additional income to support our mission and ministries. The legacy fund portion is to invite the people of our congregation to consider including our congregation in their estate plans. Small groups: As small groups will likely be established for a short-term Bible study this spring, I will support those people who want to continue in small groups for study, prayer, personal support and service. Beloved Community Arts Center: I will continue to support the development, and developing staff and leaders and structure for the BCAC. I invite you to prayer with me, with gratitude, that God will work through us for the realization of Beloved Community, as living out of our core values and gospel mission in Jesus name. In the Spirit s love and communion, Pastor Anita R. Warner 8

9 Director of Music and Worship Arts I. Worship Services and Musical Events Overview a. Two Themed Music Sundays: Celtic Music Sunday, Jazz Music Sunday. Blue grass service planned but canceled due to band s availability b. Wednesday, February 14 - Our congregation joined St. John the Divine for Ash Wednesday Service on their campus. c. February 22 March 21 Thursday evening Lenten Soup Suppers and Holden Evening Prayer Services were held. Paperless Music from Music that Makes Community was taught to the congregation. d. Holy Week services: March 25, 5:30pm Music at Advent presented a Palm Sunday Concert: In His Own Words by Dan Goeller with the Festival Chorus and Orchestra; March 29, 7:00pm Maundy Thursday Dinner Church service with prayer, music, and fellowship; March 30, 7:00pm Good Friday; March 31, 7:00pm Holy Saturday Easter Vigil Service we lit our candles from the new fire, dressed the church, and reaffirmed our baptisms; April 1, 8:00am & 10:45am Easter Services with Brass Quintet, Organ and Timpani. e. Sunday, April 8 we moved to having only one service at 9:30 for the remainder of the year. f. May 20 June 10 Hosted NorCal Music Festival. NorCal musicians offered music in worship for three Sundays. Multiple concerts presented involving both full orchestra and chamber ensembles. Advent s chancel choir was featured in the opening concert with several choral favorites accompanied by the NorCal orchestra. g. Sunday, October 7 - Worthy to Be Praised: A Gospel Concert presented at 5:30pm by Festival Chorus and Gospel band. h. Advent hosted the New Life Band from Tanzania for a concert on Saturday, October 27. They also offered music in worship on Sunday, October 28. i. Sunday, November 4 All Saints Service: Dia de los Muertos style service with youth mariachi group from Saint Mary Parish in Gilroy. Music at Advent hosted a Pupusa luncheon held after worship that raised $716 benefiting Santa Cruz al Salvador. j. Sunday, November 18 Hosted 4:00pm Interfaith Community Thanksgiving Service. k. Friday, December 7 Advent s Chancel Choir participated in a 7:00pm community Christmas service at the LDS church. 9

10 l. Sunday, December 9 at 5:30pm Music at Advent presented Lux The Dawn from on High by Dan Forrest. We collaborated with the around 155 faculty members and students from Valley Christian High School. m. Sunday, December 16 Music at Advent hosted Bay Bells Christmas Concert with our director of music, Kyle Jones, accompanying on the organ. n. Monday, December 17 Service of the Longest Night at 7:00pm led by pastor Lee Tyler. o. Monday, December 24 Two Christmas Eve Services held at 4:30pm and 7:30pm. The 4:30 service was a family service in which children were invited to tell the Christmas story by bringing different pieces of the nativity to the chancel and interacting with a puppet show by Kirsten Kammermeyer. The 7:30 service featured gathering music lead by members of celebration ensemble and the chancel choir. Special thanks to Kate Benson for sharing beautiful clarinet solos with us. Both services had candle lighting, carols, and communion. II. Music at Advent Ensembles a. Resound and Jubilation choirs met through the end of the school year and adjourned for the summer. Unfortunately, due to many conflicts with students schedules, we were unable to reconvene in the Fall when school started back. I hope to get these ensembles restarted in 2019 as student availability changes. I am considering only doing two 10-week sessions a year so that a constant commitment is not necessary and participation can be focused. b. Chancel choir added six regular singers to its membership. We had a New Year s party at the home of David and Susan Persing. We continue to combine with many community singers to form a festival choir for larger musical productions. We adjourned from Thursday evening rehearsals from June and July and resumed our regular schedule in August. We celebrated Advent season by wearing our robes and processing in with handbells. A new service mass was written by the Director of Music, Kyle Jones, and introduced to the congregation with a soup supper and time of learning the Thursday before Advent began. The new liturgy was well received. c. Celebration Ensemble continues to accompany and enhance music for Sunday worship. Special thanks to those who serve as cantor throughout the year: Peter McElheny, Mary Kohlmiller, Allen Siverson, Mike Orth, Jennifer Hamilton, Brenda Hendricksen, Gretchen Leff, Megan Gill, and Hannah Chin. Wednesday rehearsal attendance has waned. A new rehearsal time should be considered at this time to create more consistent attendance. 10

11 III. IV. Altar Guild a. The Altar Guild has 16 members who prepare the communion elements and dress the altar for each Sunday worship service and for special services. At the regular annual meeting in November, members divided the scheduled months and the extra tasks (baking bread, ordering and buying wine and grape juice, ordering candles, candle oil and communion cups, extra cleaning). Banners and special candles are currently part of the extra tasks since Liturgical Arts is inactive. b. One new member joined this year and one member is taking a year off. Procedures were reviewed. The single Sunday service at 9:30am has made scheduling and serving easier this year. Liturgical Arts a. Various people supported decorating our worship space throughout the liturgical year. Thank you to Linda Loftesness and Christine Walsh for the leadership. b. Jennifer Hamilton provided decorations for our All Saints service which included colorful paper flowers around the sanctuary entrance, marigolds, and an elegant table for congregants to light candles in memory of their loved ones. c. Laura McCoy and Masuyo McElheny spearheaded decorations for Advent and Christmas creating a tree adorned with white paper doves that included names and scriptures provided by congregants. V. Ushers, Greeters, SALT (Sound and Light Team), Communion Assistants, Lectors, Cantors, and Healing Prayer ministers. a. Our church services continue to be a consistent level of quality and make community visitors feel welcomed. This is in large due to the volunteer help of many congregants who dedicate themselves to serving the aforementioned roles. Thank you for your gifts of time and service. VI. Other News a. 16 new, 8x3, seated risers for the choir were built by John Hopkins to expand our chancel to accommodate 140 singers. These risers are now used both in the choir room and in our sanctuary (replacing the old risers). They can be used to facilitate future orchestral concerts and plays/musicals in our sanctuary. b. Rick Siverson continues to offer gifts of tuning and instrument maintenance to the church s music ministry. 11

12 Please consider sharing your gifts with Liturgical Arts, Altar Guild, Ushers and Greeters, SALT, Communion Assistants, Lectors, Cantors, and Healing Prayer Ministers. Talent and Inspiration abound at Advent and we are blessed to be here together sharing in God s wonderful work. In His Service, Kyle Jones, Director of Music and Worship Arts Parish Associate Annual Report Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless God s holy name. Psalm 103:1 This last year, 2018, has been a year filled with blessing. My health has improved and I have been able to participate more fully at Advent. The year concluded with me leading worship and preaching for the first time since my health improved. It is truly a blessing to be able to service Advent through worship. My role as Parish Associate is to serve at the pleasure of the Pastor, where I take on small assignments to off load her work. I make phone calls, organize trainings, and help plan special worship services, as needed. In addition, this past year I have had two Bible Study groups in assisted living facilities. The first group at Village Green kept growing smaller until, as a group of 2, we decided to end the class. On the other hand the group at Valley Pines is thriving. Attendance ranges from 7 or 8 to as many as 15. Many members of the group feel they are attending a worship service that is interactive and concludes with communion. Sheila Walton and Liz Pratt regularly support this study and service. In addition to the Bible Study at Valley Pines, I had the opportunity to mentor Gunnar Marcheschi through planning and leading worship services at Valley Pines for his Eagle Scout badge. Other projects for the year included teaching a communion class for 4 th through 6 th graders. The class consisted of five children and four parents and it was great fun. The children had their first communion on July 22 nd. I also planned and co-led with Pastor a training for Lay Eucharistic Ministers. Then I lead a mini retreat for Pastoral Partners. In addition, I coordinated Advent Day at BookSmart book store as a fund raiser for Advent. I continue to be active in the interfaith community and served as part of the Interfaith Thanksgiving Service. Finally, I organized and led a Service of The Longest Night, during the Advent Season. In conclusion, this past year has been filled with many blessings: yhe blessing of children s questions, the faith of Senior Citizens as we study together, and the rich and varied worship that is at the heart of Advent. Blessings, Pastor Lee Tyler 12

13 Communications Specialist We continue to fine tune our communications and are constantly looking at ways in which we can be more effective in serving the congregation. We continue to communicate across multiple channels allowing people to access Advent information across multiple touchpoints whether it be by social media, , web, print or all of the above. Bulletin Each week a worship bulletin is prepared to include worship information and weekly announcements. Each Friday morning, Advent sends out an highlighting upcoming events to approximately 265 members of our congregation. The details upcoming events and programs that are happening and upcoming at Advent. We also use to send out information to targeted ministries. Flyers and Signage Flyers and posters have been created in support of communicating key activities such as special worship services, educational opportunities, musical programs, workshops, interfaith activities and The Beloved Community Arts Center. Newsletter This past February, our newsletter, Advent Adventures shifted away from a newsletter feel that focused on notifications of upcoming events. It moved to a magazine feel, with more articles and content on our theology, mission and ministry, allowing us to better share our reflections, explore faith, and tell the story of our community. Furthermore, we have also changed to a new look and feel for the publication to reflect the new format. It is now published seasonally and each publication will focus on a different liturgical season. Additionally, we would like to thank Mike Fumagalli for all his years of service producing the newsletter. He was instrumental in helping with the production of the newsletter each month. This duty has now transitioned to Eileen Arellano. Press We have been working with local press specifically Morgan Hill Times, Morgan Hill Life and Gilroy Life to make sure our events are included in their online calendars. We also created and submitted print advertisements for Christian Music Theatre and Christmas Worship services. Social Media 13

14 We are continuing to engage with the congregation more and more on Facebook. Our page is up to 344 likes which is up from 314 likes last year at this time. On Facebook, we post information about upcoming events, pictures from past events, and articles which are may be of interest to Advent members. This year, we also began using Instagram as another form of social media to engage with the congregation. We currently have 52 new followers on Instagram. Lastly, we set up a YouTube Channel for Advent Lutheran. We have several videos on YouTube which are available for public viewing including videos that highlight Advent core values, Christian Music Theatre and several puppet show performances from worship services. Advent has had over 180 views of our YouTube Page. Website We are diligently keeping current with weekly updates of coming events highlighted on the home page. Additionally, this past year we added a website within our website for BCAC. We have a version of the BCAC section that is both in English and Spanish. On this BCAC section, we have included program information, forms, and the ability to register online. We have also compiled a privacy policy for our website which is available for public viewing on the website. Lastly, each week we are now posting sermon recordings which can be accessed from the home page of Youth App We continue to use MinHub, a youth app that Pastor Anita uses to connect with the youth of Advent. Eileen Arellano Communications Specialist 14

15 Beloved Community Arts Center Annual Report The BCAC is a part of a larger vision of our church. We as a church want to contribute toward growing The Beloved Community in South County. What is The Beloved Community? We all benefit when we know, respect, help and delight in the people who are our neighbors and when our neighbors do so for us. We depend upon one another. Our lives are richer when we are amazed by our differences and can learn with one another and from one another. The vision of The Beloved Community comes to life when we live in this way. The Beloved Community overcomes isolation and fear with relationships of care, justice and creativity. This is God s vision for life on this earth. As César Chávez said, Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others, for their sakes and for our own. The BCAC was co-developed by Advent members with a vision for growing The Beloved Community in South County through service and the creative arts, and by LatinX community members who share that vision. As we grew together in 2017 in understanding the values, gifts, needs and goals of one another, in early 2018 the codevelopment group considered several different options that were pitched for a first offering of the BCAC. The group chose that the first offering could be affordable group music lessons for children and youth. Advent people involved with this co-development process in 2018 included Pastor Anita, Kris Andry, Valerie Sacks, Kyle Jones, and Ed Merrell. Neighbors involved in the co-development process are Delia Gomez, Reyna Ceja, Maricela Segura, and Susana Aldana. For the fall session, Pastor Anita served as Program Director for BCAC. Kyle Jones served as Assistant Program Director, focusing on music and administration, and Reyna Ceja served as another Assistant Program Director, in exchange for tuition for her sons to participate in BCAC classes. Reyna did communication outreach to parents, particularly in Spanish, and provided Spanish translation. Judith Dunham offered Spanish translation for a number of documents. Carrie Merrell served as volunteer Registrar/Treasurer for the fall session. The teaching staff for the fall session included Carlos Barba as the guitar mentor, Sam Sotelo as the world percussion mentor, and Kyle Jones as the singing mentor. Carlos and Sam were paid per class. Kyle and Pastor Anita do this work as a part of their work at Advent and receive no additional compensation. The BCAC Open House on August 4 brought in most of the registrations as well as an opportunity to meet people and answer questions. 10 volunteers from Advent, 2 volunteers from the development team who aren t part of Advent, and our 3 mentors staffed the Open House. 15

16 Based on registrations, we set this class schedule: 9:00 9:45 Guitar for grades 1-3 in Room 10, followed by a 15 minute break 10:00 10:45 Guitar for grades 4-8 in Room 10, followed by a 15 minute break 10:00 10:45 World percussion in the Choir room, followed by a 15 minute break 11:00 11:45 Group singing in the Choir room The first session met each Saturday, August 18 October 20, except Sept. 1, for a total of nine classes in ten weeks. We rented guitars to students who need them, for $65 per session, plus a $115 security deposit. Kyle was able to negotiate this low price with Guitar Center, so that if families decide to keep the guitars at the end of the first session, they have paid for them and simply do not receive a security deposit refund. 30 class spots were occupied by 16 different students. This was a great scale for our Minimum Viable Offering. We learned a lot about the program, and smoothing out our own practices and procedures. Of the families involved, 3 participate at St. Catherine s Catholic Church 2 are members of Advent Lutheran Church 1 participates at Westhills Community Church 1 participates at Shadow Mountain Baptist Church 4 do not have a church home A minimum of five volunteers were needed each Saturday morning: at least one volunteer in each class, as well as two volunteers to welcome people, provide information and direction, monitor the restrooms, share snacks, and generally keep the children safe. Pastor Anita applied for a grant through St. Mark s (SF) Lutheran Endowment Fund for purchasing instruments, and received a $1000 grant. We also used special gifts and a few hundred dollars from an outreach fund to purchase the instruments (mostly percussion) that we needed for this session. We held two intercambio (interchange) potlucks shared by BCAC families and the congregation. These were for building the relationships, as relationships are foundational to growing the Beloved Community. In this way volunteers and participants could come together for a good time, and people in the congregation could meet participants and begin relationships. 16

17 The format of the intercambio potlucks is to speak for 30 minutes in Spanish and then for 30 minutes in English. Some congregation members who don t know even a single word of Spanish came and enjoyed themselves, learning at least one or two new words or phrases and sharing the company of delightful people they did not know yet, along with a shared meal. The intercambios are a time for relaxation, joy, fun, celebration of the new thing we are doing together, and new relationships. We had some simple phrase sheets available for non-spanish speakers and non-english speakers. The first intercambio was held on Saturday, Sept. 15, 12:00 1:00 PM, halfway through the session. A good number of Advent people and BCAC people had a joyful lunch together. The second intercambio was following the final classes and performances on Saturday, October 20, and the same thing happened. There is Spanish saying: Dime con quien andas, y te dire quien eres, that is, Show me who you walk with, and I ll tell you who you are. We hope that many people in our congregation are or will be participants, together with our neighbors, in Beloved Community. For 2019, the plan is to continue to offer music instruction in a winter session, including violin, guitar, hand drums, and singing, for grades The teaching staff is Lori Franke, violin; Gordon Gibson, guitar; Sam Sotelo, hand drums, and Kyle Jones, singing. Carrie Merrell will be the staff Registrar/Treasurer. Guitar Center will continue to work with us for guitar rentals, and Kamimoto Strings will work with us for violin rentals. Future offerings will be determined by the development group. Pastor Anita hopes to continue to work with community and Advent leaders to form a board for BCAC in Having BCAC become a part of Lutheran Services in America (LSA) is a possibility we will explore, as that will open up further funding possibilities and organizational support. Pastor Anita Warner 17

18 President s Annual Report See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19 The last President s annual report, for the year 2017, touched on a wide range of topics: our Strategic Focus - Growing The Beloved Community in South County through service and the creative arts, the Transforming Church process, our Core Values, another Vision Retreat led by TAG Consulting, Council Conversations on immigration, a special Congregational meeting to approve a new loan from Mission Investment Fund (MIF) to consolidate Advent s current mortgage on the church and a mortgage to purchase suitable housing for lay staff, having to say goodbye y adios to Voices College-Bound Language Academy, the formation of the Beloved Community Arts Center (BCAC) co-development team, and commemoration activities for the 500 th anniversary of the Reformation begun by Martin Luther. Kevin Ford of TAG Consulting reminded us that Advent is in The Time of Great Confusion as we move ahead. What shall we lift up about Advent s year of 2018? Rev. Adisa Armand joined Pastor Anita to present a one-day anti-racism workshop in early February for the congregation and for Council. Later that month, Rev. Adisa joined Council at its retreat to reflect on the antiracism workshop and talk about next steps. During the year, Council read Understanding & Dismantling Racism by Joseph Barndt and used this as the focus of our monthly Council meeting devotions. The leadership team is considering next steps for anti-racism. God makes a way! The Beloved Community Arts Center (BCAC) is the signature ministry vision for Advent, is owned solely by Advent, will be ongoing and sustainable, will tap into the majority of Advent s members and friends, and will build on our strengths. The BCAC co-development team continued its work toward launching the first offering for the community. The co-development team currently includes Reyna Ceja, Delia Gomez, Kyle Jones, Maricela Segura, Pastor Anita, myself, and others who contribute as their time permits. The team strives to involve all stakeholders - young students, parents, mentors/teachers, and the congregation. A Council Conversation on BCAC was held in April and the Council selected the BCAC Scholarship Fund as Advent s 2 nd quarter mission. BCAC launched it first arts opportunity in August with classes for guitar, percussion, and singing. Classes for the 10-week session were led by Carlos Barba (guitar), Sam Sotelo (percussion), and Kyle Jones (singing). Volunteers helped with logistics and classroom support including Reyna Ceja, David & Valerie Chambliss, 18

19 Delia Gomez, John Hopkins, Jacqui Kanode, Mary Kohlmiller, Masuyo McElheny, Carrie Merrell, Marcia Nelson, Pastor Anita, and myself. (Please forgive me if you volunteered and I failed to note that.) Twelve families with 17 students were enrolled. Two Intercambio potluck lunches were held, one in September and the second at the end of the session in October. People representing all the stakeholder groups, students, parents, mentors/teachers, and the congregation, participated while sharing great food and bi-lingual conversation (30 minutes in Spanish and 30 in English). A second BCAC session will be held starting January 2019; see What s ahead in 2019? at the end of this report. God makes a way! After Easter, Advent changed from two worship services to one worship service that begins at 9:30 AM. Before making the change, Council and the congregation discussed this over several months including at a Council Conversation in January. Two follow-up surveys indicate that, by-and-large, most respondents are comfortable with the single service. God makes a way! All organizations need leaders. Whether we talk about businesses, governments, families, or churches, leaders are important. Historically and currently, women are underrepresented in leadership roles, particularly in the upper echelons of organizations. Fortunately, Advent s staff is an exception to this, and we are particularly blessed as a result. Our Pastor Anita, Parish Associate Pastor Lee Tyler, Admin/Operations Manager Sherry Quick, Communications Specialist Eileen Arellano, Nursery Attendant Ernestina Atanacio, and Bookkeepers Helen Chin and Judith Dunham demonstrate expertise and leadership in their various roles. My observation is that men have more opportunities to develop leadership skills and experience than women. Thus it is appropriate that Advent offer opportunities for women to explore leadership from a general perspective and also from a personal, Christian perspective. Karen Parker and Lou Ann Trost have held leadership roles in the church and in secular organizations. They agreed to co-lead gatherings on developing women leaders for the church. They held meetings in June and August to introduce the topic. Then they organized and co-led a series of three meetings to expand and deepen the discussion of women s leadership. More than 20 women participated in these meetings. Please thank Karen and Lou Ann for their service to Advent s women. God makes a way! Bruce Naylor has volunteered to do Advent s bookkeeping for literally decades. Others and I have relied on his diligence, expertise, and historical knowledge of Advent s financial circumstances. More than two years ago, Bruce advised Council that he wanted to step away from that role. Norman Osumi, Treasurer, Bruce, and others have worked diligently to hire a competent 3 rd party accounting company and internal bookkeepers and to 19

20 oversee the transition. In mid-2018, Advent hired AdminBooks to manage payroll and monthly reporting, etc., and Advent hired Helen Chin and Judith Dunham to share the internal bookkeeping activities such as accounts receivable and accounts payable. Thanks to Bruce for his service in the past and through this transition. And thanks to Helen and Judith for accepting these roles. God makes a way! Advent s identity and brand have been a topic for discussion in Council and the congregation since Lynn Astalos presented information on rebranding at the Council Retreat in February Workshops were held during the year to further explain the church s identity and brand and why we might consider changing it. An on-line survey and in-person interviews were completed to further explore the concept and gather feedback from those who participated. This discussion continues. God makes a way! A Capital Campaign was one of the topics discussed at the January 2018 Council Conversation. Possible capital projects mentioned then were the Murphy Frontage Improvement project (curb, sidewalk, gutter, landscaping, and signage), renovation of classrooms for the BCAC, upgrade our sound system, lighting upgrades, modernization of the trash/recycling area, exterior painting of our buildings, possible expansion and renovation of the choir room, new furnishings for the gathering area, and a possible organ upgrade. Stewardship and Council obtained cost estimates from two organizations that could lead our Capital Campaign. At the November Congregational meeting, Council recommended hiring TAG Consulting to lead our Capital Campaign. Although the motion passed with 35 Yes votes and 22 No votes, there were a significant number of important questions and concerns raised. In subsequent meetings of Exec and Council, we discussed how to respond and what steps to take next. The December 2018 Council s Corner provided information in response to some of those questions. That month, Joyce Gray., Stewardship chair, scheduled a conference call with Mission Investment Fund (MIF) Capital Campaign Services and several Council members and Pastor Anita. The outcome from that call and subsequent communications with MIF is that Council and Pastor agree that MIF would be a better choice to lead Advent s Capital Campaign in MIF holds Advent s mortgage and was very helpful in 2017 when we refinanced the church debt and bought the condo. Bible study, devotions, and prayer are key components of MIF s capital campaign leadership. MIF suggested new approaches for our capital campaign that may provide more flexibility to address our needs. The estimated cost for MIF s capital campaign services is ~$13,000 which is ~$25,000 less than TAG Consulting. The Capital Campaign way forward will be revisited at the January 2019 Congregational meeting. God makes a way! 20

21 Year-end 2018 update of key Council Action Items that were completed or are in progress. Item Description Provide safety and first aid training to staff Anti-racism training Reconciling In Christ (RIC) Volunteer Management System (VMS) Growing Young focus shifted to Children's Time during worship. Refresh Advent welcoming experience Examine Advent archives; use ELCA record retention guidelines to assist in determining what must be retained and what can be securely discarded. Responsible group & person Staff - Sherry Exec - Ed SCORE: Janel Council to support Faith Development - Kris Exec - Pete Communications - Lynn Faith Development - Kris SCORE:Engagement - Mark Worship & Music Communications - Lynn Communications - Lynn Status In progress, anticipate training Jan. 2019, invite MHPCNS & BCAC Next steps to be determined. Initial 1-day workshop & Council retreat follow-up completed. In progress - leaders seeking to add new committee members & discerning how to present concept to congregation in 2019 In progress - "WhenToHelp" being used, needs BCAC coordinator In progress In progress - Worship & Music & Communications to engage In progress 21

22 Recommendations to change Endowment Fund bylaws Exec - Grant Completed (1/28/18) Put together financial and practical guidelines for planning an intern year Exec - Ed Completed (3/24/18) Review and update Facility Use/Fundraising Request Form and Facility Use Rates Exec - Brad, Ed Completed (4/24/18) YouTube Channel Communications - Lynn Completed (5/30/18) Confirm that sick leave policy changes have been incorporated into Advent's policy document Explore using Dropbox for Advent's policies & procedures Develop strategy to implement the vision of Beloved Community Arts Center (BCAC) Update Financial Secretary job description to define the responsibilities of this role and the role of the Assistant Financial Secretary Review and update Treasurer job description. Review and update Bookkeeper job description; define titles and responsibilities for both internal and external bookkeeping roles. Personnel - Brad Exec - Ed Communications - Lynn SCORE: Kris, Janel Exec: Pastor, Ed Staff: Kyle Community members - Voices, Learning & Loving Center Financial Secretary - David Personnel Cmte - Brad Treasurer - Norm Personnel Cmte - Brad Completed (9/26/18); Sick Leave Policy Rev 0 approved by Council Completed (11/27/18) Completed (11/27/18); BCAC 1st session completed Oct Codevelopment team planning next session for early Completed (11/27/18), updated description accepted by Council Completed (11/27/18), updated description accepted by Council Please thank the outgoing Council members: Jacqui Kanode (2 nd Vice President), Norman Osumi (Treasurer), Marcia Nelson (Community Connections), and Valerie Sacks (Worship & Music) Council members elected at the November 2018 Congregational meeting were Janel Jannusch (Treasurer), Catherine Holmes (Community Connections), Elinor Martin (Worship & Music). Joyce Gray (Stewardship) and Ed Merrell (President) were re-elected to their second 2-year terms. 22

23 Continuing Council members for 2019 are Brad Bannister (1 st Vice President), David Chambliss (Financial Secretary), Pete McElheny (Secretary), Kris Andry (Faith Development), Lynn Astalos (Communications), and Carrie Merrell (Operations). Kathy Panzica was appointed by Executive committee to the position of 2 nd Vice President for 2019 Council, subject to review by Council and ratification by the congregation in January Others volunteered their time to support Advent. Please take a moment to thank them. Advent s voting members at the 2018 Sierra Pacific Synod Assembly were Daniel Carlile, Catherine Holmes, and Pastor Anita. The Nominating Committee of Jacqui Kanode (Council liaison), Karen Parker, and Daniel Carlile in consultation with Pastor and Council President identified and contacted potential candidates for Council. Robert Beasley completed the financial audits of Advent s books for 2016 and The Personnel Committee of Jane Osumi, Molly Crowe, and Rob Boyd reviewed and updated policy and procedure documents and sent them to Council for acceptance. What s coming in 2019? Further development and expansion of Advent s Beloved Community Arts Center (BCAC). The second 10-week BCAC session begins on January 26, 2019 and will continue until March 30. A Council Conversation on Advent s identity and brand will be held on January 13, Introduction of the Reconciling in Christ concept and program. Next steps in anti-racism training will be rolled out with new opportunities for learning and understanding. Pending Congregational approval on January 27, 2019, a Capital Campaign will be held this spring with a consultant hired from the Mission Investment Fund (MIF) Capital Campaign Services. Possibly a Pastoral Intern in the fall. More opportunities for leadership development in our church. Advent continues to be challenged as we navigate The Time of Great Confusion. We have implemented the Beloved Community Arts Center (BCAC) programs, and we are continuing to develop our Strategic Focus - Growing The Beloved Community in South County through service and the creative arts. Going forward, how are we called to grow our new BCAC ministry? How will we provide financial resources to the General Fund and Mortgage Fund that supports our staff and operational expenses? What will be Advent s identity and brand going forward? How can we be more welcoming and strive to become more diverse like the South County community that surrounds us? God makes a way! 23

24 Why not drop in to a Council or Executive meeting and offer your comments on the issues being discussed? Guests are always welcome! Meetings are held in the Berkland Fellowship Hall and dates are posted on Advent s website calendar, Despite this time of confusion, we are continually and unfailingly called to have faith and not to lose hope. God makes a way! Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your Council President. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made know to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Jesus Christ. Philippians 4:6-7 Respectfully submitted, Ed Merrell, Council President First Vice President Annual Report The primary responsibility for the First Vice President during 2018 was to update the job descriptions for Treasurer, Community Connections Chair, Worship and Music Chair and Financial Secretary. All are being worked on and should be complete early in With the purchase of the condominium in Morgan Village at the end of 2017, a new responsibility of the 1 st Vice president is to be the liaison between the Church Council and the property management company for the Morgan Village Homeowners Association and to be the go to person when questions or needs arise from the occupant of the condominium. We have had only one incident where there was water intrusion on the kitchen floor and the damage was covered under the HOA insurance policy. The congregation ratified a new fund at the January 2018 Congregational meeting. It will be called a legacy fund and will be the responsibility of the Church Council. The legacy fund will replace Advent s endowment fund which was established in 1998, was the responsibility of a separate committee independent of the Church Council, had no committee activity since 2001, and had no assets. This is a work in progress with communications between the church council and the Synod. Respectfully submitted Brad Bannister, First Vice President 24

25 Second Vice President Annual Report The primary responsibility for the second vice president continues to be coordinating Quarterly Missions for Advent. The missions are selected based on current local and international needs. They may support projects or organizations and are generally two local community based and two international, although there are no mandated requirements for mission selections. The Church Council makes the recommendations and selection but it is the behind the scenes people who make it happen. These include four staff members: Eileen Arellano communication specialist, Sherry Quick Administration and Operations Manager, and Bookkeepers Helen Chin, and Judith Dunham, as well as Advent volunteer extraordinaire Linda Loftesness. Special Thanks This year many of our members have generously supported our missions with both time and financial resources. A special thanks goes to two of our Advent members who stepped up to Chair two new projects during our fourth quarter mission. First, Laura McCoy who was the Chairperson for the Thanksgiving dinner provided to community members in need. This dinner was cooked and served at Advent on Thanksgiving Day. In addition to the delicious food (most donated by Advent members) Laura and her crew prepared and served the meal, decorated the fellowship hall, and provided games and activities for the guest to enjoy! Second, Cheryl Franzen was the Chairperson for the Christmas Gift Project for the homeless families residing at the Safe Car Park (SCP) in Morgan Hill. Cheryl developed a list of the resident s, their first names, ages and clothing sizes for all the children in the park, and a wish list for each person. She charted the sign-ups of Advent members for each family, and she and her husband Dick delivered all the gifts to the Compassion Center in Gilroy. First Quarter Mission First quarter mission funds were collected to support Mt. Cross. Donations collected for this quarter mission were $ Second Quarter Mission The second quarter mission was supporting the Beloved Community Arts Center (BCAC). Money donated helped with start-up costs, such as purchasing instruments, and their cases. The total collected for BCAC was $1,

26 Third Quarter Mission Third quarter mission, Lutheran World Relief (LWR) focused on support for the people affected by war in the Middle East. The total collected during the third quarter was $ Fourth Quarter Mission Fourth quarter was divided into two mission projects. The first was New Life Band of Tanzania. A freewill offering was collected during the concert in October and donations collected for the Band throughout the year, totaled $7, The second mission project was Safe Car Park (SCP) of Morgan Hill. The five to seven families (living in their car, trailer, tent, or motorhome) are housed behind the Morgan Hill Bible Church. Two projects, described above, Thanksgiving dinner and the Christmas Gift project, plus donations to support the day-to-day needs of the program were collected during November and December. At the time this report was written, $1,400 had been donated to purchase items needed for the SCP project. Respectfully submitted, Jacqui Kanode, Second Vice President Communications Annual Report The Importance of Communication As we all recognize in our families, marriages, and friends, good communication can build relationships and poor communication can have the opposite effect marked the first year we had a dedicated Communications Ministry at Advent. We see our ministry as the faithful service of God s people rendered unto God and others on His behalf to bring Him glory, build up His church, and reach out to His world. Two foundational principles guided our work this year. The first was to use best practices to expand our channels of communication. We have an aging congregation that often prefers old school methods of communication while other communities we serve use social media, video, and the latest digital technologies to communicate. Both are important to meet the needs of those we serve. The second principle is simply to listen, not just to hear what is being said, but to understand and then engage in a healthy dialogue. Effective communications is a collaborative effort and intended to be an enabling function for Advent. We worked closely with Advent s communications specialist (Eileen Arellano) to facilitate and provide an effective and current communications ministry. 26

27 Brand & Identity Throughout the year, we continued the work that was started in 2017 around changing our church brand and identity. We facilitated discussions and workshops with Church Council and the congregation and conducted surveys and interviews to gather input into the process. We ask for your continued prayers for God s guidance as we continue to explore the best solution for our church. Supporting our Ministries In the spring, we filmed several videos at Advent. We now have a short video of Pastor Warner on our web site sharing Advent s core values. We also created promotional videos for CMT and BCAC. The BCAC piece was filmed in English and Spanish. We also assisted in developing the messaging and logo for BCAC. Governance & Administration In our first year, it was important to put our house in order. We took physical inventory of the church archives mostly stored in the attic and organized our archives dating back to our beginning in This had not been done in many years, if ever. We implemented Box, a free online file sharing tool to store Church Council files and other important documents. We started tracking and reporting communication metrics on a monthly basis, and created a press list of key media contacts in the case of an emergency. To this end, we created a comprehensive crisis communication policy and procedure for Advent. This is not a disaster management or emergency response plan. It is a clear procedure on how to communicate in the event of a crisis. It included a mock drill in July which will be repeated in January 2019 with the entire Church Council. Our crisis communication policy and procedure has since been adopted by ELCA as a best practice. Looking Ahead If the decision is made to move forward with a new brand and identity for our church, this will require the most time and attention from the Communications Ministry in We will need to carefully consider a new name and logo, a new monument sign and perhaps building signage. We also want to ensure that the BCAC identity complements any new church identity. All of this will require sustained communications to ensure our community is well-informed of who we are as a church. We will also look at refreshing and re-designing our web site to reflect any changes in our brand and identity. The opportunities to further improve and expand our communications ministry is limited only by the time and talents of the people who faithfully serve on our committee. We welcome anyone who has an interest in serving with us to join us in Lynn Astalos Communications Ministry 27

28 Community Connections Annual Report The various committees under the Community Connections umbrella have been very busy this year. Established programs have continued successfully and a few new programs have been added. The ongoing goals for these groups have been to be a presence in the community and to involve community members if at all possible. Sew Seeds has been very active again this year. Headed by Jeanett Severson, they have moved into Room 2 where there is a lot more room and better lighting for all their efforts. At the ingathering event in October, Sew Seeds had made 243 quilts, 43 Personal Care Kits, 248 School Kits, 32 Fabric Kits and 144 Baby Care Kits. They have several individuals who work regularly with them who are not members of Advent. The Food and Fellowship group is headed by Nancy Lee. They are always in search of new members. Their annual winter party was held at Betto s Restaurant in Morgan Hill and everyone had a great time. The BBQ Fundraiser held in April, was very successful. It was extremely well attended and raised over $4000 for the purchase of 2 picnic tables and better lighting for the library. And finally, the summer party in August, held at the Lee s home, was a great day for all involved. Pastoral Partners continue to minister to the spiritual needs of members of Advent. Headed by Fran Hagenbach, several different program speakers came to speak on various topics of interest to the group. The November meeting was interesting as everyone was asked to bring a memory to share with the group. This brought on a flood of memories from all who were there about various events and people in their lives. Community Table is headed by Marianne Glover. This group continues to serve a hot meal to anyone who needs one. In addition, meals to go are made up and provided to those who want one. During the summer the numbers drop somewhat but when the weather starts to turn cold, more people show up. Usually around come in. God s Work, Our Hands Sunday in September was a successful event for Advent. Many volunteers helped out on that day with various projects. On this day alone, 30 Baby Care Kits were made, 15 Personal Care Kits were made and over 90 To Go Bags were made, in addition to many School Kits assembled. A church service was held at Valley Pines Assisted Living facility and meals were prepared and delivered to the several fire stations in town. Plans were being made to do this for the fire stations on an ongoing basis. Many busy hands make light work! Food continues to be collected and delivered to the Reach Out facility at St. Catherine s church. Each month a different food or food category is featured. This reach out effort has continued for many years. The Morgan Hill Safe Car Park project was a new focus for Advent last year. Two members of Advent, Nancy Lee and Masuyo McElheny, are regular volunteers there. There is always a need for more volunteers and more 28

29 volunteers from Advent would be a real plus. The 4 th Quarter Mission focused on the Safe Car Park, with monetary donations needed. A list of items needed by the staff at the car park was also published. In addition, Advent members prepared a Thanksgiving meal for the clients at the car park. Headed up by Cheryl Franzen, client families at the car park were adopted by members of Advent in order to provide each member of each family with Christmas presents. Merry Christmas! The Local Assistance Fund is available to help those in need in South County. This December ten $100 gift cards to Safeway were purchased to be given especially to homeless people in our area. Four have been given out. The rest will be held in reserve, to be given out as needed. Respectfully submitted, Marcia Nelson, Community Connections Faith Development Report And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. - Hebrews 11:6 My main focus for my first year in Faith Development has been on Advent elementary youth. Children s Time began again in March of 2018 for students age 4-years through 6th grade. Through trial and error we have built it up to last about 30 minutes and that includes a discussion, activity, and closing prayer. The children have formed good friendships and really enjoy the activities. The volunteers have also formed a nice community and we always have enough hands on deck, though we re trying to bring in more volunteers as well. One place where we continue to struggle is finding Mt Cross chaperones. The children have shown an interest in going to camp but we need chaperones who have been SAFE community trained to go with them and so far we don t have any to go with the youth who identify as boys. We will continue to tackle that in In regard to the budget, we came in under budget in 2018 and lowered our planned budget for The lack of Mt Cross scholarships played a role in those numbers. It would be great to send some of our youth to camp even though it would mean more money out the door for those needing assistance. In 2019 we will continue to develop Children s Time and try to expand Faith Development s role beyond the Advent youth. See me if you are interested in helping the FD committee. Good things are happening but we need more help from YOU! Submitted by Kris Andry, Faith Development Chair 29

30 Stewardship Committee Annual Report I would like to inform everyone about Advent s Stewardship activities and accomplishments in Once again, I would like to remind everyone what Erin Matteson wrote about stewardship in Giving. She stated: While stewardship is about money, it is not only about money. In Genesis which means beginning humanity was entrusted with the care of all creation long before money even existed We are stewards of resources (money) in addition to our time, talents, attitudes, and how we advocate for the earth and all that is in it. Our Stewardship Committee is made up of people who are indeed stewards of a variety of resources at Advent: our time, our talents, our attitudes, our willingness to advocate for others, and yes, even our giving of money. Our work on this committee reflects this broad mission as we endeavor to be part of God s healing work on earth was an exciting year for the Stewardship Committee. Early in the year we handed out Lenten Devotionals. On February 22nd, we hosted one of the Lenten Soup Suppers. Bags of Gladiola bulbs with a note saying, We re Glad You re Here were handed out on Easter Sunday. On Sunday May 13 th in honor of Mother s Day all the women and girls were given red roses. On Sunday, June 17 th, in honor of Father s Day, Advent men were given barbeque products. Then it was time to start planning for our fall program, Live Simply. Following is a synopsis of the events that took place during our fall stewardship program and the schedule for our 2018 Did You Know? recognition. Fall Stewardship Program for 2018 Our Fall program started with the Oktoberfest celebration on September 22nd and concluded with Commitment Sunday on October 21st. Our theme for the Fall Stewardship Program for 2018, Live Simply, was addressed through letters, bulletin inserts, temple talks, and sermons. The Fall Stewardship Program team is made up of the Stewardship Committee: Pastor Anita Warner, Valerie Sacks, Virginia McQueen, James Dill, George Crowe, Brad Bannister, and Joyce Gray. At the end of 2018 one of our dear members, Valerie Sacks, left our committee when she moved to be closer to her family in Oregon. If you have an interest in being a part of the Stewardship Team, please let Joyce know. If you give through Simply Giving, the Stewardship Team and Financial Secretary still need your pledges to plan for You may complete your pledge card(s) and place them in the offering plates, drop them off at the office, or contact our Financial Secretary, David Chambliss. 30

31 Thank you to each person and household who have made commitments of giving to Advent in If you haven t yet made a commitment of giving, we invite you to do so. General Fund commitment cards are white and Mortgage Fund commitment cards are green. Both are on the Resource Table in the gathering area. Members of the Stewardship Committee sent out personalized, custom Thank You cards to each person or family making a commitment. Children making a commitment received their own thank you card. Cards were sent out as soon as the list was available, and those who missed Commitment Sunday or didn t commit on that day were reminded in the worship bulletin to pick up and complete pledge cards for the General Fund and Mortgage Fund. Oktoberfest One of the highlights of the year was the Oktoberfest on September 22. The event was a success with more than 50 people in attendance. As we have in the past, the Stewardship Committee provided sausages, buns, drinks, beer and wine and members of the congregation brought a dish to share. Kyle Jones added a special touch to the celebration with the music program he put together for the event, and Tom Dunham played a key role in the skit performed at the dinner. We received positive feedback from both long-term church members and newcomers who are just getting acquainted with Advent. Did You Know? On February 7, 2010, the first Did You Know? appeared in the bulletin and the first article expanding on the weekly recognition went into Advent Adventures in March. Each week a different Ministry or group at Advent Lutheran is recognized both in the bulletin and during service. The members are asked to bring the Communion elements to the altar along with the offerings for the day and receive a thanksgiving prayer and blessing by Pastor Warner. These ministries and groups do make a difference and we wanted to share them with you. Here is the 2018 schedule of individuals and groups that have received recognition: Installation of Church Council Anti-Racism Training Organizing Participants Martin Luther King Jr. Interfaith Service Participants Nominating Committee Members Installation of additional Church Council Members Those who helped establish a residence for our Director of Music and Worship Arts Anti-Racism Workshop Participants Ushers 31

32 Communications Ministry Columbarium Committee Greeters Blood Drive Donors and Volunteers Advent s Choirs Communion Assistants Coffee and doughnut pick up and clean up squad Altar Flower Providers Food and Fellowship Fundraiser and members Pastoral Partners Mother s Day Confirmation class students and leaders Communion Bread Bakers NorCal Music Inc. Supporters Plant Caregivers Father s Day ELCA Youth Gathering students, families and chaperones Ric Siverson Piano Tuner Personnel Committee Celebration Ensemble (Gather Musicians) Communion Instruction Participants Librarians BCAC Open House Volunteers Houston Youth Gathering Participants Educators past and present Cantors Faith in Daily Labor (Labor Day) Gods Work, Our Hands Volunteers Ken Carlson Carpet Cleaner Live Simply Fall Program Team Safe Community Instructors Sherry Quick and Diana Guido Sew Seeds and Lutheran World Relief Volunteers New Life Band Host Families 32

33 Pledgers for the Stewardship Fall Program BCAC Fall Session Volunteers Liturgical Arts Team Veterans Day ICSC Participants in South County activities Volunteers for Safe Car Park including Thanksgiving Dinner Altar Guild Ken Carlson-Carpet Cleaner Movers, Shakers and Goodie Makers for LUX concert Children s Time participants Family Christmas Service participants Currently we are meeting on the second or third Thursday of the month from 10:30 AM until 11:30 AM. We welcome all who wish to attend and invite anyone who is interested in stewardship to become a part of the team. Our team includes members who have been with Advent for years and those who are new to the congregation. The Good Egg Award New in 2017 and continuing in 2018 was the implementation of the Good Egg Award, which is given out to those in the congregation who, behind the scenes and often unknown to others in the church, make good things happen at Advent. In 2017 Valerie Sacks gave out these awards to Megan Gill, Rosemary Perry, Doris Staehr, Floyd Seitz, Carrie Merrell, Janet Kammermeyer, and Mike Orth. In 2018 we gave out the Good Egg Award to Mary Kohlmiller and Valerie Sacks. Goals for 2018 include creating a committee whose responsibility it is to contact those members who haven t been attending services, continuation of personal notes thanking individuals for their support of and commitment to the ministries of Advent, and creating articles for the Did You Know? program, which recognizes ministries, individuals and groups at Advent. The Stewardship Committee will be involved in actions related to campus improvement projects in 2019 as we are committed to update the sound system, the lighting of church grounds, the painting of the outside of the church, and other projects. My thanks go to the dedicated men and women on the Stewardship Committee. It has been a pleasure to be part of this team since January I am looking forward to seeing what we will be able to accomplish in Respectfully submitted, Joyce Gray, Stewardship Committee Chair 33

34 Operations Committee Annual Report Once again, much has been accomplished in the upkeep of our church facility and grounds. In 2018: The broken vent/fan in the East men s restroom was replaced. Twenty-four new padded folding chairs were purchased for use in Rooms 10 & 12/13. Two new, wheeled chair carts were purchased for chairs (see above) in Rooms 10 & 12/13. Most of the old brown, metal folding chairs were donated to the Gilroy Knights of Columbus by way of Freecycle. Multiple leaking sprinklers and irrigation valves were replaced. Whiteboards were re-hung in Rooms 9, 10 & 12/13. Dead tree in courtyard was replaced with a Chinese Pistache tree and irrigation installed. New carpet & baseboard was installed in Room 2. Spring & Fall Work Days were held. Malfunctioning toilet in North women s restroom replaced. New caretakers found for front parking lot roses. New light/motion detection timers installed in all restrooms. New picnic tables purchased with funds raised by Food and Fellowship and assembled for courtyard. Water fountain filter changed (annually). Numerous burned out light bulbs replaced with new ones. Trees along driveway and in preschool play yard pruned. Two African Sumac trees along eastern edge of church property removed. Faucet & handles for one sink in South women s restroom replaced. Janitorial cart purchased with funds earned from our recycling of cans & bottles. Thank you to all who contribute their time and their skills: Brandt Baugher, Pierce Baugher, Daniel Carlile, Dave Chambliss, Valerie Chambliss, Bill Hiller, John Hopkins, Arne Kalma, Sherry Kalma, Jerry Kenyon, Grant Leff, Linda Loftesness, Ed Merrell, Sherry Quick, Craig Simberg, and Scottie Miles. Please let me know if you have specific skills and/or just want to help out. There is always more to do on my list 34

35 Looking forward, these are projects we d like to tackle soon. Many of them will require funds we hope to raise through our Capital Campaign. Build trash/recycling enclosure Retrofit parking lot, driveway and courtyard lights with LED fixtures Repair exterior beam ends and paint exterior of church Strip and refinish 12 exterior oak French doors Paint church interior Replace AC/Heating units in Rooms 1&2 Replace ceiling panels in Rooms 1&2 Improve lawn & planting area irrigation for better coverage Improve lighting in Gathering Area & Sanctuary Relocate existing monument sign (or remove) on Murphy frontage Install new sign on front wall of church Install new landscaping and irrigation on Murphy frontage Respectfully submitted, Carrie Merrell, Operations Committee Chair Christian Music Theater (CMT) Annual Report Christian Music Theatre (CMT) is a musical theatre day camp for children of all faiths. It uses the performing arts to cultivate respect for ourselves and others, to communicate human values, to increase concern for the health of our planet, and grow in relationship with God. Children participate in drama, music, choreographed movement and art (set, costume and prop construction). The week culminates with a performance of a full-length original musical. EVERY child is in the performance! Participants are children entering kindergarten through the ninth grade. We are limited to 100 children per session, in each age group. CMT is a non-profit outreach program of Advent Lutheran Church. Children and teens learn positive values, develop skills and experience healthy relationships. Families learn that Advent Lutheran Church values youth and youth programs. CMT is a safe environment for campers who grow in responsibility, teamwork, and positive self-esteem. 35

36 All adult staff, counselors and counselors-in-training (CITs) must complete Safe Community Training (which is provided at Advent) in order to work at CMT. A counselor-training meeting is also held prior to the beginning of the summer sessions for all volunteer and paid counselors. During the summer of 2018 we had two 6-day sessions scheduled. Unfortunately, we had to cancel both sessions, as we didn t get enough sign-ups for either session. All registration fees were returned. We usually employ over a dozen high and college-aged students as counselors. Sometimes the students volunteer their time for the week. CITs must volunteer for two sessions before they are eligible to be hired as a paid counselor. The adult staff usually consists of eight adults. Tuition fees pay for royalties, supplies, costumes and payroll. Advent Lutheran Church provides rehearsal and performance space. All productions are on Saturday evenings at 7:30pm and are free and open to the public. No ticket purchase is required. The production synopsis are usually made available online at CMT Camper Registration forms are usually made available in March and scholarships are available to families. Families can apply for a scholarship in writing during the registration period. We generally ask the family to pay at least a portion of the tuition. CMT currently has a balance of $ after the 2018 summer season. The Executive Committee of Advent Lutheran Church usually approves the schedule and budget in January of each year. The CMT board meets informally to decide various issues that come up regarding CMT. The members are Carrie Merrell, Chris Paulsen, Nancy Siverson, and the Worship & Music Chair as Council liaison. Pastor Warner is consulted as needed. The future of CMT is currently under review, and could be incorporated in some fashion into current ministries of the church. Respectfully submitted, Carrie Merrell, CMT Production Coordinator 36

37 Columbarium Committee Annual Report The Columbarium Committee members are: Jim Carr, Joyce Carr, Dick Franzen, Cheryl Franzen, Carrie Merrell (Council Representative), and Pastor Warner (Advisory). Number of niches sold this year: 6 Number of niches sold to date: 27 Number of niches available: 9 Number of inurnments this year: 3 Number of inurnments to date: 12 Columbarium Fund Account Beginning Fund Balance: $ Funds Received: $ Funds Expended: $00.00 Ending Fund Balance: $6,

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