Gethsemane Lutheran Church

Transcription

1 Gethsemane Lutheran Church

2 MISSION STATEMENT of GETHSEMANE LUTHERAN CHURCH Redeemed by Christ s Grace, we are committed to: Proclaiming Christ s Reconciliation and Healing, Investing our Gifts in Service, Teaching, Witness and Mutual Support, Working for God s Justice in Creation, Church and Society. GETHSEMANE LUTHERAN CHURCH 65 Sagamore Street Manchester, NH

3 THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE CONGREGATION JANUARY 28, 2018 AGENDA Invocation Presentation of the Minutes from the January 2017 Annual Meeting Report of the Pastor of the Congregation Report of the President of the Council Presentation of the proposed Budget for 2018 Congregation Vote on the Proposed Budget for 2018 Election of Council Members Election of Synod Assembly Delegates Benediction and Adjournment

4 ANNUAL MEETING OF THE CONGREGATION GETHSEMANE LUTHERAN CHURCH JANUARY 29, 2017 Documents distributed to the congregation before the meeting for review were: The January 29, 2017 meeting agenda The 2016 Annual Report of the Congregation The minutes of the January, 2016 Annual Meeting ATTENDANCE: 41 voting members (plus the Pastor) were in attendance. INVOCATION: Pastor Boehringer led the congregation in prayer. He then declared the meeting open. ACCEPTANCE OF THE AGENDA: A motion was made and seconded to accept as presented the agenda of the Annual meeting. The motion was carried unanimously. PRESENTATION OF THE MINUTES FROM THE JANUARY, 2106 ANNUAL MEETING: A motion was made and seconded to accept the minutes of the 2016 Annual Meeting minutes. The vote passed unanimously. REPORT OF THE PASTOR OF THE CONGREGATION: Pastor Boehringer presented highlights of his annual written report to the attendees. A motion was made and seconded to accept the Pastor s report as written. The motion was voted on and carried unanimously. REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE CONGREGATION: Marcia Sink, Congregation Council President, referred to her written report as she conveyed to the congregation her thanks and appreciation to serve as President for the past six years. A motion was made, and seconded, to accept the Council President s annual report. The motion was voted on and carried unanimously. PRESENTATION OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR 2017: Ron Jones, Council Treasurer, presented the Proposed Budget for A motion was made and seconded to accept the proposed 2017 Budget as presented by the Treasurer. The motion was voted on and carried unanimously. ELECTION OF SYNOD ASSEMBLY DELEGATES: Cindy and Chris Kaufmann volunteered once again to attend the Annual Synod Assembly in June, A motion was made and seconded to accept them as our delegates. A vote was taken and carried unanimously on this matter.

5 ELECTION OF NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS: A motion was made to vote on the new slate of Council members as a group by a voice vote, as opposed to written ballots. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously. The vote was taken, and by a unanimous vote of the congregation, the new Council members are Sue Capano, Lynn Dapice, Abby Kelly, Sue Roma (Treasurer), and Tyler Tafelski. Returning members are Ron Jones, Matt Noon, Dave Reinke, Kate Shaffer and Steve Stanley. BENEDICTION AND ADJOURNMENT: A motion to adjourn the meeting was made, seconded and voted upon. The motion carried. Pastor Boehringer led the congregation in the Lord s Prayer and dismissed the meeting with a benediction. Respectfully submitted by: Marsha Journay, Congregation Council Secretary January 31, 2017

6 REPORT OF THE PASTOR Anno Domini 2017 I must admit a certain ambivalence as I begin this report. To say that 2017 was eventful would be an understatement. It has been a year filled with highs and lows, and truth be told, I am somewhat surprised to be writing this report as the pastor of Gethsemane Lutheran Church. When the proposal was made in November of 2016 to invite the New England Synod Listening Team to help with some of the difficulties we were having, I did not anticipate just how difficult, time consuming, devastating, and spiritually draining the process would be. In the midst of the process, I seriously considered accepting the call of another congregation. However, having initiated the Listening Team Process, I felt responsible to see it through, and believed it vital to address some of the systemic challenges we faced, even those that predated my ministry, but into which I was also drawn. I also thought it necessary to give the congregation, in as much as possible, an opportunity to offer an unfettered critique of our mutual life and my ministry leadership. After discussions with Bishop Hazelwood, the synod staff, trusted colleagues, and Ron Jones and Steve Stanley, I decided to see the process through and remain committed to being here at Gethsemane. I am aware that some members were caught off guard by the presentation by Pastor Harris, when the Listening Team presented their report at the June congregational meeting, but as painful as the presentation was, the findings were based on the information provided through interviews with 37 respondents chosen by the council in a free and open process. Essentially, Pr. Harris reported to us, what we had said. The report has and will continue to influence how the Congregation Council and I conduct the ministry here. We re striving for more open procedures and better communication. We re trying to be more transparent in how we conduct ourselves. We are also looking for ways to be more inclusive in the decisionmaking process within the scope of our constitution. If you still have questions though, about the process, please ask Ron Jones or Steve Stanley. You can also ask me at any time to have some conversation. In the middle of this upheaval, other things happened at Gethsemane. After our kitchen flood last winter, it took nearly a year of research, digging, s, phone calls, etc., to force our insurer to concede that we were covered under our policy. I am grateful to Sue Capano, Shelley Stama, and Brad Cook for the time and effort they put in to getting a positive result. Hopefully, soon we will have a new commercial kitchen, which I believe will really enhance our fellowship and community outreach. The kitchen flood certainly impinged on our Campaign for G. It forced the Council and Operations Ministry to move the kitchen up on the priority list and brought other projects to a standstill, as we needed to understand the costs prior to moving forward with any new projects. Now at the end of the three-year campaign cycle, the council will reevaluate the work that needs to be done as we move forward and present a new plan to the congregation for discussion and approval. Of course, as with so many congregations our size, we continue to be financially challenged, and here, that challenge has been exacerbated by our internal difficulties and a conscious effort to curtail giving. However, I hope that we are on the upswing, and will continue to grow as a congregation. In addition, as Bishop Hazelwood continually reminds us, we need to be a congregation of experimentation. The solutions to our challenges will not come from the top down, there is not one formula that will work for every congregation. We are going to have to figure things out locally, and it won t be any one thing. We will have to continually adapt and change if we are going to proclaim the gospel to another generation. As is written in 1 John 3:2, Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. If there is something about which I

7 am encouraged, it is the number of people who our members have invited to worship, and the recent uptick in people who have come here from the neighborhood surrounding us. Looking back, there were some wonderful things accomplished here in Once again, we had a great VBS program entitled Operation Arctic, and our Christmas program, Camel Lot, was a hit. This congregation was the largest faith-based contributor to the New Horizons Walk against Hunger, and we packaged over 10,700 meals. In addition, GLC provided Christmas gifts for over 50 individuals at New Horizons shelters. Key in all of these are the people who give a tremendous amount of time and effort to make them happen. Gethsemane has been blessed with such people. I particularly want to thank Diane Destrempe as she enters retirement from being our Director of Music. It truly has been a pleasure working with Diane, and she has continually demonstrated both her gifts as a musician and a director of both music and musical productions. As a pastor, I have been grateful for her willingness to experiment with different worship formats, different instrumentation, and her positive outlook. At a personal level, I am thankful that she always managed to make me sound better than I am; in that way as an accompanist she has been phenomenal. We wish her the very best and Godspeed as she enters retirement and is able to spend more time with her family. We are also entering what we hope will be a short period of transition as Brian Fetterman transfers the task of being our webmaster to Theo Groh in the coming weeks. Brian has been our go to person for our web, Facebook, and presence for over ten years, but as he is now in his fifth year as a Michigan resident, it has become harder to be on top of what is happening here at GLC. Brian has done an outstanding job, and he will be missed; thank you Brian for everything that you have done. This past autumn we began a weekly Bible study that is held each Wednesday at noon. There is a small, yet faithful, group that is currently finishing up the Book of Acts, and we will be moving on to study the letters of St. Paul throughout the winter and Spring. In September, I began to be more involved with our Sunday School on a weekly basis, and we are continuing our Windows of Grace theme, exploring the biblical background for our stained-glass windows. While this has been a good experience for us, we are truly in need of someone who will lead our adults on Sunday morning. Each week, I see several people standing or waiting, and it would be good if we could involve them in meaningful structured discussion. Our Facebook prayer group has been slow in getting started. The idea was to have a group that would both pray and have discussion around prayer. While several people have taken the book we plan to use, few have signed up on our Facebook page to join in the conversation. Beyond Gethsemane, I remain committed to the work of New Hampshire s Youth Suicide Prevention Assembly, the Greater Manchester Clergy Association, and United Lutheran Seminary where I serve on the Board of Trustees and vice chair of the academic committee. Reviewing this past year, I want to thank our Congregation President, Ron Jones, and our Vice President Steven Stanley. They put in many hours and did a lot of worrying on our behalf. Sue Roma has done a great job in her first year as treasurer, and we hope she will continue. My thanks to our entire council for both their time, and their willingness to engage in some very difficult tasks, and to Shelley Stama, who takes a very difficult and demanding job and makes it look easy. Finally, my thanks to Paula, who endures my constant conversation about Gethsemane, the New England Synod, the ELCA, United Lutheran Seminary, and various other assorted organizations I am committed to. Since my first year in seminary, there isn t anything she hasn t done to help buoy the ministry of congregations we ve belonged to.

8 As we look forward to the coming year, we will need to continue to grow our congregation, and while there are many ways to get the word out, there is no better way to get people to attend a church than having someone invite them. Currently, we have a group working on strategic planning, and we continue to experiment. The Congregation Council will be reviewing our constitution, and our current ministry group structure as it has not brought the benefits we hoped for. It is not any one thing that will insure our future, but each of us has a role to play, from making Gethsemane a priority to welcoming others to the congregation we call home. We are called to proclaim the gospel both in season and out, and that remains our strength. Yours in Christ, Pastor Peter

9 2017 EVENTS January Blood Drive, Annual Meeting February March Youth Led Sunday, Baby Shower April Hymns & Hops, Easter Breakfast, First Communion May New Horizons Walk Against Hunger June Womens Retreat, Vacation Bible School July Mary Martha Ladies on the Road, WELCA Triennial (Sarah Dorsch Judie Chary) August Mary Martha on the Road, Calumet Camping September Rally Sunday, Jo Sad s Surprise Birthday Celebration October End Hunger Packaging Event, Religious Response to Hunger Reformation Celebration, Ladies Nite Out, Weekly Lunchtime Bible Group November Holiday Fair December SNHU Concert, Christmas Musical & Potluck Lunch, Dickens Christmas Carol Giving Tree, Barnes & Noble Gift Wrap

10 COUNCIL PRESIDENT 2017 Annual Report Dear Members of Gethsemane, It s time again to meet and review the past year in the life of our congregation. It has been a memorable year with both challenges and significant joy. These challenges and joys have been shared by the Church Council and congregation alike. I believe we ended the year with many positive and blessed events that move us into the New Year. As I m sure you all know by now, we suffered serious vandalism in our church kitchen last March. Someone turned the water on in the sink and plugged the drain, which caused a significant amount of water damage. Upon removing the cabinets, it was discovered that water had been leaking in and caused some of the floor joists to rot. The insurance company refused to pay the claim and refused to renew our policy. As of the writing of this report, the previous insurance company has not paid the claim for the kitchen repairs in full. This struggle over payment slowed down our renovation efforts tremendously. A new insurance carrier, Church Mutual, put forth a proposal for insurance which was accepted by the Council. The floor of the kitchen has been repaired and the walls have been painted. We are still waiting for the contractor to complete the restoration. We all look forward to a new and improved kitchen to enjoy as a community! Early last year a listening team from the New England Synod was requested by Staff Support to do an assessment of communication and leadership issues at Gethsemane. The assessment was completed, and the report was presented to the congregation on June 18. The Council had the very difficult challenge of reviewing the findings of the report and spent many hours working through the resolutions. As a result, one family transferred their membership to another congregation and one member submitted their resignation. Issues of communication raised at the June meeting are being addressed by posting the minutes of the council meetings on the bulletin board near the front doors. To facilitate communication between the council and the congregation, the council has reserved the first 10 minutes of each monthly meeting for people to come and discuss whatever joys or concerns they have with the council. The council and I continue to stress that the monthly council meetings are open meetings and any member of the congregation is welcome to sit in. On September 17, 2017 a Congregational Meeting was held to deal with our current financial situation. At that meeting it was voted to transfer money between accounts to cover necessary expenses. A Strategic Planning Committee was formed to consider many aspects of our church s ministry, finances, membership, and future. This committee is in the initial stages of its work and holding ongoing meetings. In the meantime, the Church Council continues to closely monitor the budget. The New Horizons Walk for Hunger held on May 21 was an enormous success with over 30 walkers participating and raising $5040. A special thank you to Karen Wynn for her efforts in organizing this event. This event has grown every year due to the extremely generous members of Gethsemane Lutheran Church. Our

11 Gethsemane team effort won the award for highest contribution for an organization of our size! The End Hunger meals packaging event was another tremendous success. Our members raised more than $2, which purchased enough product to package almost 11,000 Tomato Basil Meals. This program is run through "The Outreach Program" of the End Hunger New England branch, directed by Matthew Martin. Jane Marie Galiette was the representative that lead our volunteers through packaging 10,700 meals within 2 hours. These meals were donated to the New Horizons Food Pantry intended to be given to families who are food dependent in New Hampshire. A special thank you to Matt Noon for his efforts in organizing this event. The Attic Treasures / Craft Fair was once again an amazing success. As so wonderfully expressed by Carol Burgess We had the most amazing Attic Treasures this year; the bake sale was delicious (what wonderful bakers in this congregation); a room full of energetic vendors; the most baskets ever and so thoughtfully done and beautiful; the food in the Cafe was well received and enjoyed. Thankyou chili and soup makers, and adding hot dogs was a treat. The women of the Mary Martha group spearheaded the fair, but it is truly becoming a whole congregation's venture, and makes it feel more like a happy family working together for a common cause. Our Christmas Giving Tree was another successful and joyous event this year. This program gave Christmas to families living in Manchester s New Horizon s housing and shelter. I would like to thank Marsha Journay for coordinating this program and the congregation for its overwhelming response to the call. As many of you are aware, Diane Destrempe has given her notice of resignation as Music Director at Gethsemane. Her wish is to spend more time with her family, especially her grandchildren. Council voted to accept her resignation at their November meeting. I cannot thank Diane enough for her many years as Music Director at Gethsemane Lutheran Church. I would also like to thank Lynne Dapice for filling in while we search for a new Director of Music. I want to thank the 2017 Council members for their dedication and hard work this year. Steve Stanley, Vice President, Lynne Dapice, Secretary, Sue Roma, Treasurer, Abby Kelly, David Reinke, Katelyn Shaffer, Pastor Peter Boehringer, Susan Capano, Matt Noon, and Tyler Tafelski all sacrificed many hours of dedication and hard work to help support God s work and our future here at Gethsemane. We are pleased to have welcomed several new members to our Congregation this year, and appreciate the renewed vigor which the end of the year has brought. We encourage you to continue to participate in worship, in giving, and in your support of Gethsemane Lutheran Church. God Bless you and may Christ s Peace be with you throughout 2018, Ron Jones, President Gethsemane Lutheran Church Council January, 2018

12 GLC Treasurer s 2017 End of Year Report INCOME Actual Budget Giving Income $218,138 $250,553 91% Transfer from G by approval from donor $5,000 $5,000 Total Giving Income $223,138 $255,553 Operating Income Building Usage $7,885 $6,791 Total Budget Income $231,023 $262,344 NON-BUDGET INCOME Withdrawal from Investments $15,000 $6,309 Total INCOME $246,023 $268,653 92% EXPENSES Staff Compensation Pastor $135,212 $134,761 Administrator/Payroll taxes $24,364 $24,905 Music Directors/Supply Musicians $7,902 $9,971 Other Pay (vacation coverage, etc.) $1,025 $625 Total Staff Compensation $168,503 $170,262 99% Mortgage Payments $30,494 $30, % Building Costs $40,198 $43,013 93% Synod/Benevolence $2,997 $4,000 75% Office Expenses $10,298 $9, % Council and Ministries Communications (Council) $1,768 $116 Service and Outreach Ministry $1,029 $2,544 Program Ministry(W&M, ChEd, Fellowship) $7,956 $6,340 Operations Ministry $2,538 $3,011 Total Programs $13,291 $12, % Total EXPENSES $265,781 $268,653 99%

13 Gethsemane Lutheran Church Gethsemane Lutheran Church Balance Sheet As of December 31, 2017 Total ASSETS Current Assets Bank Accounts Memorial Fund #2 11, Operating Account #2 2, Operating Money Market 13, Pastor Discret # Total Bank Accounts $ 27, Other Current Assets Thrivent Investments 83, Total Other Current Assets $ 83, Total Current Assets $ 83, Fixed Assets Capital Improvement-Addition 243, Total Fixed Assets $ 243, TOTAL ASSETS $ 327, LIABILITIES AND EQUITY Liabilities Current Liabilities Accounts Payable Accounts Payable 0.00 Total Accounts Payable $ 0.00 Long-Term Liabilities St. Marys' Bank 359, Total Long-Term Liabilities $ 359, Total Liabilities $ 359, Equity Opening Bal Equity 0.00 Retained Earnings 0.00 Special Purpose fund Net Income -31, Total Equity -$ 31, TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY $ 327,762.25

14 GETHSEMANE LUTHERAN CHURCH 2017 Investment Fund Results 2017 Investment Fund (Thrivent) Beginning Balance January 1, 2017 $90, Securities Transfers $0.00 Additions and Withdrawals ($15,000.00) Income $4, Taxes, Fees and Expenses ($1,275.90) Other Activity $22.03 Change in Investment Value $5, Ending Balance December 31, 2017 $83,943.01

15 2018 PROPOSED BUDGET

16 Budget Estimate Budget Based on 2017 spending Budget Actual end of year Recommended BUDGET INCOME Giving Income Pledged Giving (operating & mortgage) $193,045 $201,616 Non-pledged Giving (operating & mortgage) $57,508 $16,522 Transfer from G by approval from donor $5, $0 Total Giving Income $255,553 $223,138 $0 Operating Income Building Usage $6,791 $7,885 Total Operating Income $6,791 $7,885 $0 Total Budget Income $262,344 $231,023 $0 NON-BUDGET INCOME Withdrawal from Investment Account $6,309 $15,000 Total Non-Budget Income $6,309 $15,000 $0 TOTAL INCOME $268,653 $246,023 $0 Income available for budgeted expenditures $262,344 $231,023 $0 Excess/Needed to balance budget $6,309 $34,759 $44,448 Over/Under 2017 Est. Actual compared to 2018

17 Benefits/Pension $38,288 $38,288 $40,280 $1,992 $166 / mo increase for benefits in 2018 Administrator/Payroll taxes $24,905 $24,364 $25,095 $731 Music Directors/Supply Musicians $9,971 $7,902 $9,500 $1,598 Other Pay (includes supply pastors) $625 $1,025 $1,025 $0 Mortgage Costs $30,367 $30,494 $30,367 $127 Building Costs $43,013 $40,198 $40,500 $302 Synod/Benevolence $4,000 $2,997 $4,000 $1,003 Office Expenses $9,000 $10,298 $9,500 $798 Communications (Council) $116 $1,768 $1,750 $18 Service & Outreach Ministry $2,544 $1,029 $1,030 $1 Program Ministry $6,340 $7,956 $8,000 $44 Operations Ministry $3,011 $2,539 $2,500 $39 Total Programs $12,011 $13,292 $13,280 $12 Total Budget Expenditures $268,653 $265,782 $270,471 $4,689 EXPENDITURES Staff Compensation Pastors Salary $44,973 $45,424 $45,424 Housing $41,000 $41,000 $41,000 Reimbursements $10,500 $10,500 $10,500 Total Staff Compensation $170,262 $168,503 $172,824 Council and Ministries

18 MINISTRY REPORTS

19 COMMUNICATIONS 2017 Annual Report Members: Pastor Boehringer, Brian Fetterman, Matt Krones, Shelley Stama, Steve Stanley The major push this year was to get the weekly Olive Branch (announcements) on-line. We found last year that so many of the bulletin announcement inserts were left behind each week. Beginning in early 2017 we started to send out an on Friday with a link to the coming Sunday s bulletins and the announcements. We thought this was working well, but have since found, that of the 158 s we send out with the links to the bulletins and announcements we have an average of about 46% (71 people) looking at the and less than 7% (5 people, and 2 of these are not members) opening the link and going out to the website to view the bulletins or announcements. We hear all the time that we need to communicate, yet when we do, very few take the time to read what we have written. In 2016 we stopped mailing 130+ copies of the Olive Tree newsletter out to members and friends. The savings in postage and paper have been good. We still make about 15 hardcopies each month to have for visitors and mail 8 to our shut-ins. We sound like a broken record, but it is still very difficult to get articles, photos and information on upcoming events with our present ministry structure. It makes it hard to create an interesting and compelling Olive Tree every month. As a committee we are still trying to figure out how best to get more people to get involved. We have also recently found disappointing results in the number of people clicking on the link within the and going out to the website and look at the Olive Tree. Results for 2017 show that of the 158 s we send to members and friends letting them know that the Olive Tree, serving and events calendars are ready for viewing, on average about 50% will open and read the and about 25% will go out to the website and look at the Olive Tree or calendars. The Communications Team will be working to find solutions to what we see as a major communications concern. The hacking issues we faced with the website in 2016 have been resolved with a security monitoring program that works 24/7. We continue to participate in the InTown Manchester downtown banner program and have heard many positive comments from people outside of the congregation. The daily Facebook post continues thanks to the effort of Steve Stanley. When needed, we have used the Facebook boost program to get a post out to a wider audience. That works well. We continue to work with different committees and outreach programs to help them develop marketing and PR tools to promote their events (Holiday Fair, EndHungerNE, Barnes & Noble Wrap Event, SNHU concerts and VBS are just a few) There will be some major changes within the Communications group in early 2018 that are starting to happen as this report is being written. Brian Fetterman has been our go to communications guru for over 10 years and for the past 5 years since his move to Michigan he has continued to manage our website, maintain our massive list and send mass s such as the Olive Branch and Olive Leaf to all our lists. He has worked with Shelley to create beautiful banners for our worship services and special events. Brian will be leaving our team as he feels by not being here he really doesn t get the full picture anymore to be able to work the website etc. Joining us on the Communications team this year is Theo Groh; Theo will be taking on the task of updating and maintaining our website along with bringing us into the 21 st century with Twitter and Instagram. Shelley will take over the responsibility for all the mass E-blasts that get sent out from Gethsemane via MailChimp. I speak for the communications team and for myself, I/we will miss Brian and all he has done over the years

20 for Gethsemane. We literally could not have done the extensive job of communicating to members and friends without his daily help. We wish him well and told him he better stay in touch with his Gethsemane family. I want to thank Brian for having my back all the time and what fun it has been to work with him. Respectfully submitted by: Shelley Stama (for the Communications Team) January 2018

21 OUTREACH MINISTRY 2017 Annual Report Members: Matt Noon (Chair), Ron Jones, Marsha Journay, Abby Kelly, Ed Moquin, Monica Moquin, Mike Shaffer, Monica Tafelski, Tyler Tafelski, Wendy Hileman (contributing) The Outreach Ministry headed up some very successful events in 2017, and Gethsemane members certainly showed their great generosity to helping our community. In May, Gethsemane Lutheran Church members participated and raised money for the New Horizon s 27th annual Walk against Hunger event. Karen Wynn, once again headed up our churches participation. The Outreach Ministry and Gethsemane members have been very fortunate to have had Karen run this event for the past few years and wish her well as she has moved on to be closer to family. This year Gethsemane members raised $ towards the walk, earning recognition as the top raisers for the Walking Team category made up of non-profit organizations, churches, and private groups. A special thank you to Tyler Tafelski for creating the thermostat, which gave Gethsemane members a nice visual to track how much money had been raise. Thank you to all who went above and beyond in your efforts in this worthwhile event. In October, through the New England regional Outreach Program: Ending Hunger, Enriching Lives headed up by Matthew Martin, the Outreach Ministry headed up our annual food packaging event. Our congregation raised enough money to package just over 10,700 Tomato/Basil pasta meals. All the meals were donated to the New Horizons food pantry for families experiencing financial hardships. A special thanks to Sue Capano and Shelley Stama for their efforts in designing and building the tomato vine visual. Members were able to watch as funds came in, and how close we were to meeting our goal of 10,000 meals. Shelley also coordinated with Matthew Martin s group and Gethsemane, things such as the event schedule, food drop off, and made sure enough volunteers were available. Another special thanks to David Harris who played the piano beautifully as we packaged the meals. This year under the direction of Marsha Journay, Gethsemane participated in The New Horizons Giving Tree program. Gethsemane members made short work of fulfilling our share of New Horizons children s Christmas wishes. Pastor Peter gave recognition to our efforts by displaying the gifts on the altar during our Christmas Pageant service which was a nice sign of recognition to our church members generosity. Once again Gethsemane participated in the Barnes and Noble Gift Wrapping event. This year Karen Andersen headed up the event. A special thanks to JoAnn Wegman and Monica Moquin for their efforts with the decorations for this event, which added to the joy of the experience. The group took pride in their efforts adding beautiful bows for each present wrapped. Just another example of how Gethsemane will go above and beyond. Another successful Winter Concert was put on by the Southern New Hampshire University Wind Orchestra with Pastor Boehringer coordinating with Rick Cook. Many people from outside of the church community attended and the comments were so positive that we are looking to do another one come spring time. Monica Moquin headed up refreshments for this event with delicious Mulled Cider and organizing delicious baked

22 goods from our members. Thank you to all who baked and helped with set up. A big thank you to Wendy Hileman, for taking on the role of contacting visitors to our church. Wendy has gone above and beyond by sending communications and making visits to those that are interested in learning more about Gethsemane Lutheran Church. The Cradle Roll program has been taken on by three Outreach ministry members. This is a program to keep in contact with families who have had a child baptized at Gethsemane Church with age appropriate items. This program was a lot of work for one person, so the group decided to split up the responsibilities to keep the program working smoothly. It has been an enjoyable year working with this group of outreach members. We have a good mix of new and veteran members. Fresh ideas have emerged for the future and annual events have run smoothly and successfully. There is a positive vibe, realistic opinions, and all out caring about the success of our church. Thank you to Monica Moquin, Ed Moquin, Karen Wynn, Abby Kelly, Karen Andersen, Tyler Tafelski, Monica Tafelski, Marsha Journay, Ron Jones, Janis Cox, and Mike Shaffer. Respectfully submitted by, Matt Noon, Chairperson January 2018

23 OPERATIONS MINISTRY 2017 Annual Report Members: Sue Capano, Barbara Connors, Ron Jones, David Kane, Jeanne Manseau, Matt Noon, David Reinke, Sue Roma, Geoff Sloane, Pastor Boehringer The Operations Ministry is responsible for the everyday operation of the Church, which consists of maintaining property, monitoring finances and providing stewardship programs to members of the Congregation. The past year has been a very busy year, with a major effort to educate everyone about what stewardship is about. Major funding programs have been made available for members. Generous Hearts: A special request to tithe Income Tax refunds and additional donations to the Operating Budget of Church. This program will continue in 2018, so be Generous. Electronic Giving App for Computer, Tablets and Smart Phone: This provides a way to give to church using electronic transfer methods. The program is helpful to those that use electronic transfers to do their banking. Amazon "SMILE": Amazon will donate a percentage to the Church when using the "SMILE" program when making purchases on Amazon. Heavenly Treasures: Donate unused items to Church that are no longer needed. Pictures are taken and item(s) are sold on EBay or Craig's List. David Kane and Sue Capano are the contact persons. The maintaining of property has been a challenge this year with insurance issues related to flooded kitchen and the rebuilding of kitchen, steeple siding repair after wind damage and many other issues that occur with an older church. Thanks to Sue Capano and Barbara Connor for keeping everything under control related to maintenance of property. The Stewardship Campaign for 2017 was an effort to contact every member giving unit. We delivered or sent out 105 Stewardship Packets in this effort and received 62 financial commitments from members. A special thanks to all the people involved in projects related to the parking lot. It has been decided to allow only church member parking, as this is necessary to allow snow plowing to be completed. Many hours have been spent in planting, watering and weeding this area to make it a Garden of Gethsemane, again Many Thanks to all involved. We have worked to provide guidance for financial funds so expenses could be paid. Also assisted in the generation of the 2018 budget that will meet the needs of the congregation during the coming year. A special thanks to Sue Roma for her commitment as Treasurer of Gethsemane. Sue spends many hours paying bills and providing reports to Council and preparing the Annual Budget. So, Thanks for a Well Done Job.

24 A special thanks to Jeanne Manseau for her commitment as Financial Secretary of Gethsemane. Jeanne spends many hours recording donations from donors, providing reports to Council and preparing financial statements for each donor. So, Thanks for a Well Done Job. Respectfully Submitted: David Reinke January, 2018

25 PROPERTY Annual Report 2017 Committee Members: Susan Capano (Chair), Barbara Connor, Matt Noon, On the evening of January 30, 2017, the water was left running in a kitchen sink, with the drain stopper in place. Our custodial service arrived over an hour earlier than usual that evening, found the water half-way to the choir room door, and quickly shut off and vacuumed up the water. The insurance company instructed us to take out the kitchen all the way to the subfloor, to determine how far the water had penetrated. The same insurance company decided in November that our insurance was valid (thanks to the efforts of Shelley Stama, Sue Capano and Brad Cook). However due to full work schedules, the contractors have not yet begun the reinstallation. With the kitchen cabinets removed, we found the subfloor in the southeast corner of the kitchen to be rotted. A contractor removed and replaced the degraded floor section and some joists. This damage was due to groundwater infiltration and is not covered by insurance. Around the same time, ice and snow slid off the south roof and damaged a car parked next to the building. The insurance company paid, minus the deductible. We had a day during the winter with very high winds that peeled siding off the steeple, exposing decorative windows which had been sided over. The siding was replaced and the work covered by insurance, minus the deductible. Our parking lot has been open to neighborhood use since it was paved. Many notices were placed on windshields asking the owners to give us their names and phone numbers, so that we could contact them when it was necessary to move their vehicles. Also, instructions were given via theses notices on vacating the lot on Sunday mornings, during special church events, and for snow removal. All these efforts were to no avail. The church council instructed the property committee to post signs and place notices on windshields announcing that the parking lot is for church use only. This work has been completed. The parking lot plantings were tended and the grass mowed during the spring, summer and fall. Donations of perennials are always welcome (the Planting Task Force will determine which plants are appropriate). A special thanks to Sara Kjendal, Jeanne Manseau and Dave Kane. Other typical maintenance and spot repairs around the building have kept volunteers busy, and we grateful for their help. Monitoring the use of our church by rental groups is a continuing responsibility. Respectfully submitted by: Susan Olson Capano, Chairperson January 2018

26 CHRISTIAN EDUCATION 2017 Annual Report Members: Abby Kelly (Chair), Andrea Galasso, Allison Krones, Monica Moquin, Kate Shaffer, Monica Tafelski, Joanne Wegman January 2017 March 2017 April 2017 Continued with our Champions for Christ themed Sunday School held on Sunday mornings during the educational hour. Our openings were directed by Dave Kane and Diane Destrempe Youth led Sunday was held on March 26 th at the 10:30am service. All the children participated in helping to run the service. The children acted out a skit called The Choir Rehearsal, writ ten by our very own Diane Destrempe; the theme was that God has made us all specific and different, yet made so that we can work together in His name. The children also sang the Body Song in support of our theme. Many of the children were scheduled to go to Calumet's annual Sunday School Weekend (March 31-April 2), but, unfortunately it was canceled due to a snow storm. Pastor led two of our children, Audrey Howard and Viviana Tafelski, in their First Communion classes, culminating with their First Communion on April 13 th, Maundy Thursday. Celebration of Easter with the children and their families at fellowship and a brunch held at church on April 16. May 2017 June 2017 Our last day of Sunday School was celebrated on May 21st, the same day as the New Horizons Walk Against Hunger. Many of our children participated in this walk and helped to raise money to fight against hunger. We all headed to the Arctic for Vacation Bible School from June 26-June 29 led by our fearless leaders, Joanne Wegman and Allison Krones and many volunteers. Thirty-seven youngsters registered and attended Arctic Exploration. A wonderful time was had by all! September 2017 September 17th was our rally day for Sunday School. We started our new curriculum, Windows of Grace ; learning about the stories of the beautiful windows in our church. October 2017 On Reformation Sunday, the children of the church rang the bells during fellowship to celebrate the 500th Anniversary December 2017 Our annual Christmas Pageant was held on December 17th at the 10:30am service. The Camel Lot was a wonderful play in which all the church youth participated along with the JJJ band and the adult choir and was a resounding success! We have many talented youths in this church.

27 All in all, this year has been a success. Many of the children and members of the church have learned a lot from our Windows of Grace theme. The children have become more comfortable in participating during services and have volunteered to help during fellowship. A special thanks to all of the adults who have supported me and the children throughout the year. It is only through this special group of people that we are able to accomplish so much! Respectfully submitted by: Abby Kelly, Chairperson January 2018

28 WORSHIP & MUSIC Annual Report 2017 Worship and Music are alive and well at Gethsemane. Our worship is expressed weekly in our traditional liturgy and the Joy, Java, Jesus (JJJ) service in a shorter, more contemporary manner. We also enjoy special worship opportunities, especially during Lent and Holy Week, along with Bible study opportunities, and youth -led services. For traditional worship we are blessed with six Assisting Ministers and six Communion Assistants. More volunteers would be welcome; just let Pastor know of your interest. We have a committed Altar Group that works tirelessly each week to set up for the services and we thank them for their continued help. Attendance is not what it should be, but the richness and rewards of the liturgy are both comforting and satisfying. Music is an integral part of all worship at Gethsemane. Music is an essential part of traditional worship, the JJJ experience, Vacation Bible School, and our children s Christmas program. We are blessed to have an adult choir, a bell choir, and the JJJ band. A big thanks to our choirs that meet from September through June and our JJJ Band that meets year-round. In December Gethsemane hosted a concert by the SNHU wind ensemble. Our Director of Music, Diane Destrempe resigned her position effective December 31, We would like to thank Lynne Dapice who has graciously stepped in as interim organist, choir director and JJJ Band member. A committee has been formed to find a new Director of Music. Respectfully submitted by: Hank Chary for Worship and Music January, 2018

29 GIFTING/MEMORIAL PROGRAM 2017 Annual Report Members: David Reinke (Chair), Barbara Connor, Bonnie Ramsey The Gifting/Memorial program is responsible for the receiving of gifts for the Church and if they are acceptable for use by the Church. The use Memorial Funds that have been donated in memory of someone are also monitored to make sure the funds are used per the request of the families of the person that is being memorialized. Any expenses over $500 must be approved by the Church Council. This year we received Memorial Gifts of $ with requests for: The funds were used to provide funding for Pascal Candle in This year we have approved and accepted gifts for use in the church. Replacement Altar Linens were purchased in memory of nine (9) families and approved by Church Council. Cabinet built to provide storage of Church Banners. Respectfully Submitted: David Reinke, Chairperson January,2018

30 MARY MARTHA WOMEN'S GROUP 2017 Annual Report Committee: Carol Burgess (chairman), Jane Scarlett (secretary), Jeanne Manseau (treasurer) This group is open to all the women in the church and their friends. Meetings are held the second of each month except July and August, meeting at noon for lunch and fellowship. Monday The following is a list of our accomplishments for this year: We supported the New Horizons Walk Against Hunger with monetary gift and walkers New Horizons - with cash donations; gifts of gloves, hats, backpacks after Christmas, filled requests from the Giving Tree for 10 people this Christmas, and provided feminine products all year. NH Food Bank monetary donations. Diaper Drive for Our Place End Hunger New England with a monetary gift and participated in the food packaging. ELCA Good Gifts - money for chicks, water tablets, mosquito nets, goats and school fees and uniforms. Seafarers Christmas at Sea monetary donation. Matched funds for the kids planning to attend the youth convention. Set up the Easter breakfast providing paper goods, tablecloths and cutlery, and did the cleanup. Replaced ribbons in the hymnals as needed, and replaced all the inserts in the back of the hymnals. Held our fabulous Christmas Fair, the most successful to date, and thanks to many who worked so hard to make it happen. Made candy cane gifts for the Sunday School kids. Assisted with the baby shower for a member. Supported Judie Chary and Sarah Dorsch as they went to the WELCA Triennium convention Donations to the church for four tables, a heater for the Mary Martha room, cups and supplies for coffee hour, and $1250 for the kitchen project. Our programs this year included: Interfaith Women's meetings three times a year NNE WELCA in Vermont this year Attended Calumet for a women's retreat in June with 18 women attending Summer get togethers in July and August at Denise Merrill's house and Sara Kjendal's house. A speaker from the Salvation Army Ladies Night Out at Fratello's A pizza party Easter bonnet contest A day honoring mothers Flag Day program Birthday party celebrating all our birthdays Cookie swap More of our donations are listed in the treasurer's report. Respectfully submitted, Carol Burgess, Chairman January 2018 Respectfully submitted by: Carol Burgess, Chairperson

31 WOMEN of the ELCA 2017 Annual Report of the Treasurer's December 31, 2017 Balance as of January 1, 2017 $ 3, Income: Offering $ Interest.20 Coffee Hour Donations Proceeds from Holiday Fair 3, Giving Tree Donation NE WELCA Synod Convention Refund Reimbursement for 2017 Retreat Deposit $ 5, $ 8, Disbursements: New Hampshire Food Bank $ Christmas at Sea End Hunger Packaging Event New Horizons Walk Against Hunger New Horizons Backpacks and Items Giving Tree Gifts for New Horizons Manchester Animal Shelter-In Memory of Shirley Mason Diapers for Our Place ELCA Good Gifts Thank Offering for the WELCA Triennium Convention WELCA Donation Retreat Deposit Christmas Cards for Shut-Ins Pastor s Discretionary Fund 1, Youth Group Baby Shower Gift Kitchen Repair Donations 1, Heater for Mary-Martha Room Purchase of two tables Start Up Cash for Fair Facebook Ads Holiday Fair Yard Signs Gift Card for Raffle Basket Lottery Ticket for Raffle Basket Coffee Filters Juice for Coffee Hour 8.17 Cups $ Napkins for Coffee Hour Cost of Groceries for Easter Breakfast Tablecloths, Napkins & Ribbons for Easter Breakfast 7.97 Tablecloths & Decorations for Baby Shower17.00 Pizza for March Meeting $ 5, Balance as of December 31, 2017 $ 2, Respectfully submitted by Jeanne E. Manseau, Treasurer January 2018