Amazon Store on the GCC website!

GCC Family! You have a great opportunity before you to give back to the ministries of Grace Community Church. How you may ask? Simply by doing something that you may already be doing - shopping on Amazon.com.

That is right. You don't have to check your eyesight. Amazon.com has a program called Amazon Associates. Amazon provided GCC a link for our website. If you use that link to access Amazon.com, GCC will receive 4-6% back off of every purchase you make of any item. This money will be placed into our Emergency Relief fund through which we assist those in our church and community who are in need.

Also, we have set up a GCC Amazon Store where you can see book suggestions from our church staff as well as resources we recommend on different topics or from studies done at GCC. You can access this store by clicking the link from our GCC homepage at www.graceindallas.org.

To give GCC the kickback from Amazon.com, either use the Amazon Store on our website or click the link at the top of that page, or bookmark this link and use it from now on when you access Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=graccommchu07-20

March 2011 Council Meeting Minutes

Grace Community Church

Council Meeting Minutes

3/8/11

Attending: Susie Futrell, Chuck Baker, Blain Harris, Tim Howard, Pastor Dave Bertolini, Annette Anderson, Pastor Guy Basso, Daniel Porter

Tim opened in prayer.

February minutes were approved.

Pastor’s Update

Since his return from Sabbatical, Pastor Guy has continued to spend quality time in prayer, seeking spiritual guidance. He expressed his heart of concern for some of the challenges facing those in our body; including illnesses, financial burdens, and the loss of loved ones.

In addition to general Church management issues, home visitation and funeral service participation have been among of the needs Pastor Guy’s been attending to.

The Pastors have received great feedback regarding The Bible in 90 Days program. The B90 Sunday school class is generating interesting discussion and the Pastors are likewise impressed with the accompanying video series.

There was discussion about the upcoming Easter season, including service times for Easter Sunday, Easter Breakfast coordination for the Fellowship Hall, children’s participation in the Palm Sunday service, and some details for our Good Friday service, with the following conclusions:

4-17 9:30am Palm Sunday Service

4-17 6:30pm Palm Sunday Evening Service: Jews for Jesus presentation

4-22 pending Good Friday Worship and Communion Service

4-24 9:00am Easter Service (8:00am Breakfast)

4-24 11:00am Easter Service (10:00am Breakfast)

Additionally, Pastor Dave introduced details for the upcoming Marriage Seminar. GCC will host the Focus on the Family series: Who Did You Really Marry? Friday, April 8^th (6:30-8:30pm), and Saturday, April 9^th (8:30am-12:30pm).

*Note—Due to the timing of the Marriage Seminar, Pastor Dave has scheduled the Father/Daughter Dessert for July. Details will be forthcoming.

Bus Use Policy

Pastor Dave passed out a revised version of the Bus Use Policy that he introduced in last month’s Council Meeting.

Council discussed some of the wording on the draft and agreed that a few additional changes were still necessary. Specifically, revisions are needed regarding the necessity to run DMV checks on a bi-annual basis, as well as a need to distinguish between local vs. extended trip protocol.

Council was also notified that Church Mutual’s background checks are run randomly, which does not meet GCC safety standards, therefore all background and DMV checks will go through Village Missions.

Action: Dave will make the additional form changes, and upon approval, will separate the forms to be stored and dispensed appropriately. Potential Bus drivers may obtain the forms from the church office. Jody and Tara will manage the background checks.

*Note—Kerry Hanson has installed the remaining Bus seats. Total seating capacity is now at 15, including driver. There is also has one spare seat in storage.

Church Pictorial Directory

As a result of their research on the topic of a new church pictorial directory, Jody and Tara recommend the services of Signature Images, the same company we’ve used in the past. Although the church was displeased with their previous production delay, Signature Images has assured us that they’ve remedied the issues which caused the delay, and are capable of delivering us a quality product in a timely manner.

Photography session sign-ups will begin June 12^th. These sessions will run the week of June 14^th-18^th, and tentatively July 12-16 and July 19-30^th.

Production of the directories is scheduled for August, with a delivery date of September 1^st.

Action: Moriah Harris and Allison Person will assist Tara and Jody with the management of photography scheduling. Dave and Jody will verify individual listing details for all church attendees included in the directory.

*Note—An updated pocket directory will be made, in conjunction with the pictorial directory.

Church Fundraising

Youth Mission Fundraisers

With the youth’s Montana Mission Trip on the horizon, Council discussed different methods of fundraising for the youth group.

As a church policy, mission support letters should only be sent to people within the church whom the support raiser has a personal relationship with. A focused effort on raising support through family and friends, both within and outside of the church, is strongly advised.

Ben is planning several upcoming group fundraisers:

· Spaghetti Dinner/Silent Auction: Tickets will be sold for an all church spaghetti dinner and silent auction. The youth mission team will prepare and serve the meal, while Angela and Ben coordinate community donations for the silent auction.

· Marriage Seminar Childcare: The youth mission team will manage childcare during the upcoming marriage seminar. Donations are suggested.

· Ugo’s Pizza Night: On a yet to be determined date, a percentage of the proceeds from Ugo’s Pizza will be donated to the youth mission team (this fundraiser is pending).

Action: In accordance with our policy, Pastor Ben will meet with The Elders to gain

final approval for all church fundraising activity.

*Note—Random fundraising is against GCC policy. All fundraising activity, for any

ministry, must meet the approval of the Elders.

Amazon.com

Pastor Dave told the council about a church income opportunity through the

Amazon.com Associate Program.

The program works by placing an Amazon.com badge, with link, onto our church

website. Once a person clicks through the link to Amazon.com, GCC will receive

4% cash from the total purchases made by the individual.

Appropriately, this Amazon badge will be placed near a recommended reading list on

our website, while the 4% kick back applies to any purchase and is not exclusive to

books.

Action: Council approved Dave to register our church for the program and to place

the Amazon.com badge on our website.

Capital Improvements Update

Fellowship Hall/Artist Rendering

Linda Shryer and Kenya Tichenor, along with Angela and Denise, our interior designer, selected a color scheme for the Fellowship Hall renovation. The women also discussed other design elements, such as a mural, to be painted on the east wall of the room, relocation of the large water filter and drinking fountain, and a restorative treatment for the room’s wood paneling. Additionally, the group considered painting the Fellowship Hall pews, as well as some general kitchen updates including surface material and flooring improvements.

Action: Once Denise completes a color board, Angela will present a budget and timeline to the council for review.

Council also discussed the following:

· Fireplace removal vs. covering

· Fluorescent lighting

· Ceiling height

· Projector/screen angle

· Sound deadening panels

Council also discussed that in order to be ADA compliant, we’ll need to update and improve the basement restroom.

Concerns regarding proper asbestos encapsulation were also discussed with recognition of our need to defer to the expertise of a professional in this area as we move forward with our project.

Building Exterior

Council stood outside the north wall of the Fellowship Hall as Chuck described necessary improvements to the cement wheel chair ramp, exterior railings, doors, and awnings.

Action: Chuck will obtain bids from both Fowler Construction and CD Redding for the major construction work.

*Note—The parking lot lights have been turned to better illuminate the youth house, and other dark areas on the church property. Council was pleased with the results. Bill White has offered to further reposition/enhance the parking lot lights, and to wire them with lockable switches. Council graciously accepts this offer.

Financial Update:

Daniel informed the Council that church giving is on track for the first time in three years. He identified consistent giving as the reason for the positive trend.

Round Table

Misc. Maintenance Issues

Pastor Ben notified Chuck about a problem with the plumbing in the youth house restroom. Steve Forbes, of Priority Plumbing, ran a power snake through the sewer line to identify the problem.

*Note—It’s since been determined that there was in fact a break in the sewer line. Council approved the cost of repair.

Chuck informed the Council that the heat in the modular isn’t working.

Action: Someone will be out to fix the heat within a few days.

Chuck notified the council about a mice issue in the church’s kitchen pantry.

Action: Outdated food has been discarded and traps have been set.

Kitchen/Social Committee

Yvonne Basso is currently filling the volunteer position of Social Committee Coordinator.

In light of the upcoming Easter breakfasts, council discussed the need to communicate to our church body that both male and female kitchen helpers are appreciated and help greatly in the efficient function of social events.

Council discussed the old, heavy tables in the Church basement. Chuck asked if we could replace these tables with lightweight, plastic tables, which would be much easier for Women’s Ministries to set up.

Action: Council approved Chuck to purchase of 2-4 plastic tables. The church will store the old tables in the shed until further notice.

General Misc.

It was noted that the church office hours are not listed on the GCC website.

Action: Dave will post the office hours on our website.

Chuck told the council that Grace Christian Preschool has donated their large plastic play structure to the Goodwill.

Council discussed the offer of several people who’ve recently volunteered for various help ministries. Chuck has a list of individuals and will call upon them as needed.

Pastor Dave closed in prayer.

The next meeting is April 12th, 2011 from 6:30 – 8:30 pm in the Conference Room.

Bible in 90 Days

It has started! The GCC community is reading through the Bible in 90 Days. For the next 3 months, we are going to be totally focused on the Lord through His Word! It will be an amazing time to read parts of the Bible you never have before, to read other parts like it was for the first time, and to finally say that you read God's letter to you in its entirety.

Do you want to join us? Check out our webpage at: http://graceindallas.org/content.cfm?id=332

GCC Council Mtg for Feb. 2011

Grace Community Church

Council Meeting Minutes

2/8/11

Attending: Blain Harris, Dave Bertolini (staff), Tim Howard, Guy Basso, Susie Futrell, Angela Stockdall, Chuck Baker (Elder rep.), Jim Cross, Annette Anderson, Berta Horton (guest)

Pastor Guy opened with prayer.

January minutes were approved.

Pastor’s Update

Pastor Guy has returned from his five week sabbatical in Hawaii. He expressed his deep appreciation for the time off, and said it was of great spiritual and relational benefit to him and Yvonne.

As a result of his trip, Pastor Guy was able to reflect on our spiritual journey as a church. He desires to lead us, as a church body, to refocus on the powerful work of The Holy Spirit, with less of a spiritual reliance on programs.

More of his thoughts and intentions will be shared with us all (Elders, Council, Ministry Leaders, and Congregants) in the weeks ahead.

Capital Improvements Update

Design and Construction

Council discussed the interior improvements including color design and flooring. It was determined that carpeting the majority of the Fellowship Hall will best accommodate our needs. Also, Angela spoke about her plan of attack for arriving at paint color, and other artistic decisions.

Action: Angela Stockdall, Linda Shryer and Kenya Tichenor will make color selections and meet with an artist. Together, they will work with Denise (interior designer) to create a detailed plan. This plan will be presented to the congregation in both model and digitalized format.

Much discussion centered around long term solutions for some of our exterior challenges outside the back of the building, including the old concrete, wheel chair ramp, outside stairs and railings, doors, and the exterior fireplace bricks.

Action: Chuck Baker will meet with Scott Champion, of CD Redding, to gather information and price quotes for each area of concern.

Additionally, Chuck made contact with a licensed electrician and will meet with him this week to discuss the cost of wiring, lighting, etc. Ultimately, Denise will manage the work of any interior subcontractors.

Sanctuary Chairs vs. Pews

The Church Office passed along a catalogue of sanctuary chairs as an alternative to our current pews. Council agreed that this will be something to consider in the future. At present, we’d like to keep our budget focus on the current Fellowship Hall improvements.

We will keep the catalogue on file for future consideration.

Water Fountain

Update: Though the current water fountain is still working, without the ability to find replacement parts, its days are numbered.

Chuck is working on finding a way to order a new unit at a cost of $600-$800.

Exterior Cross

Clarification: The Council’s understanding is that the cross is still under construction, as Mark Speelman is mounting lights to its interior surface. Once Mark is finished, Bob Herndon will work with Hugh Genualdi to complete the process of securing and wiring the cross to the building.

Action: Tim will follow up with Bob Herndon.

Church Bus/Van

Seats

Kerry Hanson is working on transferring/securing seats inside the bus. There will be seating for 15, including driver, once all seats are in place.

Bus/Van Use Policy

Dave presented a template (used by another church) for our own Bus Use Policy. The detailed template includes criteria for approved drivers, protocol for requesting use of the bus, and guidelines for bus operation. It also includes a Bus Trip Request Form, Driver’s Safety Checklist, Bus Trip Mileage Log, as well as driving tips specific to group transportation and instructions for emergency procedure.

Council discussed some slight modifications to the form, to make it appropriate for a church of our size.

Berta Horton suggested placing the mileage log on a clip board, to be dispensed and recalled in the same manner as the bus keys. In her professional experience, this will ensure accountability for tracking mileage. Council appreciated this suggestion and agreed to implement the clipboard/key strategy.

With safety in mind, council discussed the criteria for drivers. Congregants who wish to be approved as bus/van drivers must submit to a background check as well as a DMV check. Explanation of circumstances involving any traffic citations will be evaluated with discretion. Additionally, drivers may be asked about any medical conditions or medications which are known to impair driving ability. Also, a safety video with written test, and a short test drive of the bus will be required.

Action: Chuck Baker will acquire a written test from the Salvation Army, to be used in conjunction with our Church Mutual Driver’s Safety Video. Dave will oversee Jodie Pearce as she modifies the wording on the Bus Use Policy. Jim will check with Church Mutual to make sure that our protocol meets their safety criteria as well.

Vehicle Maintenance

Kerry Hanson recommends the local Ford dealership for bi-annual oil changes and a thorough mechanical check of the bus once per year. Council agrees that this is a prudent solution for our maintenance needs.

Maintenance Person/Council Liaison

As the Council is still working through its own transition, we spent time discussing a communication/implementation strategy for the ground and building maintenance needs. While Chuck is stepping down from Council, he is willing to continue to provide regular maintenance to our facilities.

Council approved Chuck to spend up to $250.00 for repairs, at his discretion. Larger expenditures will warrant more discussion.

Round Table

Church Directory

Blain Harris introduced the topic of our cancelled church pictorial directory by offering the volunteer services of Moriah Harris and Allison Person. The women are willing to take photos, copy, and collate a less formal directory in lieu of the professional pictorial directory we’ve had in the past.

With gratitude for the offer, Council feels this idea would not be cost effective, as the previous directories have not cost the church anything.

Council discussed some of the challenges of putting together a directory and agreed that it’s now time to move forward with this project.

Action: Pastor Guy will assign this task to Tara. Blain will ask Moriah and Allison if they’re willing to help Tara with the process.

Fellowship Hall Coordinator

Susie Futrell wondered if we’ve made any progress in the area of finding a new Kitchen/Fellowship Hall coordinator.

As of yet, this ministry position remains vacant.

Sunday Morning Transportation

Chuck Baker spoke about the Sunday morning transportation needs of some of our elderly congregants. Council discussed the fact that the church bus will work well for this purpose.

Once someone steps forward to take on this area of ministry we can evaluate how to move forward with a plan of action.

Calendar of Events

Dave Bertolini passed out a Ministry Events Calendar through August and an Operational Plan (calendar) for 2011.

Note: Tim Howard turned in the official forms adding him and Annette to the State Directory.

Susie Futrell closed in prayer.

The next meeting is March 8, 2011 from 6:30 – 8:30 pm in the Conference Room.

Godly Men - Where Art Thou?

Have you ever been really challenged? Like knock you out of your chair challenged? This video did that for me. We need men to step up in our churches. I hope the ministries of GCC (or wherever you attend church) are preparing men to lead their families, their churches, and in their communities!

GCC Council Mtg for Jan. 2011

Grace Community Church

Council Meeting Minutes

1/11/2011

Attending: Dave Bertolini, Jim Cross, Kristie Taylor, Angela Stockdall, Tim Howard, Kristie Taylor, Blain Harris, Daniel Porter

Kristie opened with prayer.

December minutes were approved.

Welcome to our new members – Tim, Blain, and Annette! Annette was unable to attend this meeting.

Pastor’s Updates

The “Crazy Love” series is going well. The feedback has been very positive.

A “Bible in 90 Days” challenge will run from mid-Feb. through June 5.

Pastor Guy and Yvonne are doing well in Hawaii and are enjoying their studies, church, and preparing for the upcoming “Bible in 90 Days” sermon series.

Bob Herndon stepped down from being the primary grounds/maintenance contact but has agreed to continue helping until someone is found to replace him in this role. Scott Chapman has been reporting to Bob for the janitorial duties. Dave will assume the supervision of the janitorial staff. Council had discussion about the grounds and maintenance coordination and agreed that it’s ideal if the person in that role is also someone who sits on Council. Chuck volunteered to be a point of contact at least through the summer or until his Council term is complete.

Capital Improvement Updates

Chuck had further phone conversation with Denise, the interior designer. She has recommended some flooring options for the fellowship hall. She made some recommendations for local contractors for some of the work.

The planned capital improvements are addressing functional, safety, and aesthetic needs. Council would like to communicate the needs and purposes of these updates to the congregation more clearly. It was also agreed that the capital improvement activities should include work on the handicap ramp in back as well as the technical equipment and functionality for overflow and events. Angela agreed to work with Denise on color choices and may include a few others for preference input. She will also look into getting some quality artist renderings of the project vision.

Action: Chuck will contact Denise again and start getting some of the update activities scheduled. Timeframes will be communicated to Pastor Guy and Pastor Dave so they can begin presenting the vision and project scope. Design suggestions will also be forwarded to Angela so she can talk with an artist to possibly prepare a visual presentation of the planned updates for display.

Note: It would be desirable to replace the switch panel and install some dimmable ballasts. Council would like Denise to consider rebates currently available through Energy Trust of Oregon when selecting lighting and fixtures.

The water heater did get replaced in the basement.

There is a cracked window in an upstairs preschool classroom. Repair has been scheduled.

The water fountain is currently functioning; however we cannot get replacement parts for it any longer.

Action: Chuck will get some bids for replacement of the water fountain.

The new exterior cross has been made, and the building is wired for the lighting. Council agreed to ask Bob to finish the installation of the cross.

Budget

The capital improvement budget was discussed, especially in light of the feedback received in the congregational meeting. The line of credit is available, but Council agreed to exercise caution in incurring debt and would like to see about funding the update activities without utilizing credit. We can identify some operating cash to use toward the immediate costs and would like to ask for targeted giving from the congregation to make up the rest.

Jim provided an overview of the church budget activity. Giving was slightly ahead for this month, but our overall budget is still a bit behind for the year. About 24 households are making up about 50% of the total giving budget.

Emergency Action Plan

There was further discussion about the presentation of ServPro services from the last meeting. It was decided that Council will not convene a workgroup to develop an emergency plan as previously discussed. There was consensus that our current emergency contacts are known by Council and office staff, and ServPro’s phone number will be kept on file as needed. If special equipment or signs need to be purchased, the requests will go through normal channels for approval.

Driver Requirement List and Van Seats

Kerry Hanson has agreed to help develop a driver checklist as well as a quarterly maintenance checklist. We have a couple of volunteers who have agreed to do the regular maintenance on the church van. Jodie will use the checklists and develop the official forms. A list of approved drivers is currently being compiled, and Jodie is working with Church Mutual and Charisa to work out a process for background checks.

Action: Dave will bring the draft checklist to the next meeting for final approval.

Pastor Ben has requested that the wheelchair lift be bolt secured in the van to be able to add more seating (convert from 12-passenger to 15-passenger). If/when we need the lift, it can simply be unbolted and the seats removed.

Council approved Kerry to obtain price quotes for the added seats and will report back to Council for final approval.

Roundtable

Tim and Annette need to be added to the Secretary of State church officer registry.

Action: Jim will send the web link to Annette to submit the change before the next meeting.

This is Kristie’s last meeting as her 2-year term has concluded. Tim will assume the Moderator role at the next meeting. Annette will assume the Secretary role at the next meeting.

Tim closed in prayer.

The next meeting is February 8, 2011 from 6:30 – 8:30 pm in the Conference Room.

Funding the Future

As most of you know (if you don't know you must have missed church for a while), GCC is in the process of updating our facilities. So far, we have fixed beams, rotted siding and painted the outside. Still to be done is mounting a new outside cross and the freshening up of the bathrooms, back entry ways and fellowship hall. We also are discussing how we can make the FH more accessible to those who have mobility issues. The FH project is not just about improving the look of the place. The ceiling needs repairing and the carpet has become a tripping hazard. Therefore, these are improvements that we must do rather than improvements we just want to do. While we are doing what is necessary to be able to continue to use the FH, we hope to make the place look better!

At the last congregational meeting in December 2010, there was much discussion about fundraising vs. borrowing. One of the amazing things about GCC is the leadership we have in place. At the congregational meeting in February of 2010, it was approved to borrow $120,000+. Our leadership was able to manage our finances in such a way that the painting and massive structural changes needed have been done without borrowing a cent. Because of the work Jim Cross and our council did in managing our finances, we are in a great position moving forward because of not needing to borrow near as much.

Our hope and prayer is that the people of GCC will get behind this project. Through increased giving, our church council would be able to continue these improvements with borrowing a very minimal amount, if at all! Please consider what you can give to allow GCC to minister effectively far into the future! We thank you for your support!