NOTES FROM THE OFFICIAL BOARD

Highlights of the January 2023 Official Board Meeting

The Official board met in person on January 24. Board members were joined by two committee members. Highlights include

1..Looking at year end financial statements and considering the 2023 budget.

2. Weighing the pro's and con's of our mask mandate and deciding to move to masks recommended model. 

3. Receiving updates from the Next 100 Years Team and Community Ministry We are hoping for more clarity around the future of Community Ministry as the Board of Calvary, members of our Outreach committee, the council of Trillium  and the Community Ministry Management  Committee are meeting on Jan 30th.

As always, please speak to me or any board member with any questions or concerns.

Respectfully submitted,

Jennifer Witzel

Highlights of the December Official Board Meeting

As we gathered together for the last meeting of 2021, these were the highlights:

• Discussing the upcoming Investment Strategy Meeting to determine in broad terms what we want our investments to do to support the short and long term desire for Calvary to minister to its community.

• Discerning how to make a Land Acknowledgement a meaningful part of our worship.

• Discussing how first visioning meeting was designed to start the process and there will need to be more ways and times for the larger congregation to have input. 

• Deciding to inquire with the bank to set up etransfer as a way of donating to Calvary.

• Receiving the Treasurer’s Report and learning that we are down approximately $15000 in envelope givings from last year. 

• Asking for the Pandemic Team's recommendations in response to the rising number of covid cases. 

With prayers and best wishes for a safe, healthy and Merry Christmas.

Warmly,

Jennifer Witzel,

Chairperson, Official Board

Additional Information:

Givings:

2021 is coming to a close 

We are more that $15000 behind last year in envelope givings.

Would you consider a special gift to help us close the gap?

Highlights from the November 16th Official Board Meeting

The Official Board met on Zoom on Tuesday evening, November 16. Highlights of our work:

Highlights of November 16 Official Board Meeting

• Making preliminary plans around the Annual report and Annual Meeting
• Discussing the need for maintaining confidentiality by all volunteers and staff
• Deciding to form a "Next 100 Team" to explore how Calvary can continue to serve both inside and outside her walls

As always, if you have any feedback, reach out to me or any member of the Official Board.

Respectfully submitted,

Jennifer Witzel

Chairperson of the Official Board

Highlights from October 19 Official Board Meeting

The Official Board met on Zoom on Tuesday evening, October 19. Highlights of our work:

• Choosing a streaming package that board members feel will best suit our current and future needs.
• Sharing several pieces of correspondence from United Church partners and also congregation members. In particular, there are two opportunities to learn and share with other churches. Some board members are hoping to participate in these opportunities. Anyone who is interested in learning about what other United Churches are doing to look at the church and its mission in new ways is invited to participate. Please feel free to look at the links and reach out to Jennifer if you are interested.
• Discussing the duty of both staff and volunteers to respect and maintain confidentiality and privacy in dealing with sensitive information.
• Wondering about how to start a future looking visioning process.

We are not alone: Thanks be to God.

Jennifer Witzel

Links:

Engage with Love and Justice | EDGE (edge-ucc.ca)

https://ucrdstore.ca/products/edge-s-weekly-curiosity-cohort

Highlights of the October 19th Official Board Meeting

BOARD HIGHLIGHTS

The board met on October the 19th on Zoom. Highlights of that meeting include:

1. Hearing from our treasurer about our current financial status. Envelope givings are over last year and well below budget. This will result in a larger deficit. A stewardship campaign may help mitigate this.

2..Discussing the news that Trillium is working on a unified outreach plan that will likely result in the dissolving of Community Ministry as it now operates as soon as early next year. .

3. Hearing that preliminary information received back from Kindredworks indicates that our site may not be suitable for redevelopment for housing as originally imagined. There are other possible ideas that could involve redeveloping some of the property for other uses and/or types of housing.

4. With the first 3 items framing our discussion, there is some urgency in getting a methodical visioning process in place. Rev Tim has agreed to lead us through Signpost #1 from Edge.. titled   You are Here. Dates and more information coming soon. 

If you have any questions, please reach out to me or any board member.

Jennifer Witzel, Chairperson, Official Board

Highlights of  the April 18 Official Board Meeting:

The Official Board met on Tues April 19 and spent the bulk of our 2 hour meeting discerning actions to take to expand and enhance our ministry as we move into our next 100 years. After a lengthy discussion, it was decided to look further into 3 main initiatives.

1. To look at other thriving churches to see what makes them successful. 

2. To look at our existing property and investigate how we could improve it both functionally and environmentally to make it more attractive and useable by both the congregation and our surrounding community. 

3. To look at how Calvary might address the housing crisis by asking the United Church Resource Corporation to conduct a feasibility study about using a portion of our property for affordable housing.

We intend to gather information, to work with the Next 100 Years team, and to present our findings to the congregation for further discussion and discernment. 

If you have any questions, please reach out to me or any board member.

Respectfully submitted, 

Jennifer Witzel, Chairperson, Official Board.

Highlights of the March 15 Official Board Meeting

The Official Board met over Zoom. Highlights of our meeting include:

• Deciding the next step in Visioning is to connect with a United Church coach to support the board and congregation in imagining our future. 
• Planning to have a special joint meeting with the Board and Trustees to expand on an investment strategy.
• Deciding to highlight one committee monthly, focussing on the work and the number of meetings so members may be inspired to join a committee where they can use their time and talent. 

If you'd like to know more, please feel free to reach out to Jennifer.

We are not alone. Thanks be to God.

Jennifer Witzel

Chairperson 

Official Board. 

Highlights of February 15th Official Board Meeting

The Official Board met over Zoom.

Highlights of our meeting include:

• Receiving and approving The Pandemic Response Team's recommendations for reopening the church for in person worship as well as group meetings. The Board is very

grateful to Gerti and the team for their gathering of information, expertise and guidance

over the past two years!

• Finalizing plans for the Annual Congregational Meeting. The meeting will be part of

worship Sun Feb 27th in person and livestreamed. We will also be offering a Zoom

component for anyone interested in participating virtually.

• Hearing Rev. Tim's plan for small postal code group meetings as a way for members to

connect and share with Tim and each other.

• Discerning more about the Visioning process.We are seeking ways to balance the need

for the congregation to reconnect and find stability after 2 years of Pandemic disruption

with the desire to actively pursue a new Vision for all areas of our life together. Stay

tuned!

If you'd like to know more, please feel free to reach out to Jennifer.

SEPTEMBER 21, 2021

Official Board Highlights

The Official Board had a very full agenda that made the Sept 21 meeting run into another meeting on Sept 28. Highlights include:

• Having committee chairpersons and members share their recent work-- even in the midst of a pandemic, there is a lot of work being done!
• Confirming the Pandemic Team's re-opening plan, including asking for proof of vaccine to be in the church.
• Making a plan to purchase streaming equipment. A few members of the board plan to meet with 2 companies to determine what will best suit our needs.
• Deciding to collect more information about HEPA air scrubbers to decide if they are needed and if they will offer enough protection to allow congregational and choir singing.

Our next board meeting will be Tues Oct 20.

The board welcomes your thoughts. You can reach me by phone or email listed in the directory. 

Jennifer Witzel

Chairperson o the Official Board

JULY AND AUGUST 2021

Official Board Highlights

My name is Jennifer Witzel and I am bringing you news from the Official Board. Your board members are Tracey Campbell, Art Kelly. Larry Kelly, John Roe and me. 

The Official Board has met twice this summer, once in July, once in August:

Highlights from July Meeting include:

Choosing Art Kelly as secretary and Jennifer Witzel as Chairperson. Each will serve a one year term, subject to discussion next June.

Deciding to contact United Church partners to help us in the process of discerning the next 100 years and a possible 100th year anniversary project.

Naming our response to the discovery of bodies at residential schools.

August Highlights include:

Welcoming Rev. Tim Graham 

Approving the installation of glass panels to increase the height of the balcony railing to meet our insurer's safety standards. 

 Learning that Rev. Tim is wanting to form a worship team to support all aspects of worship. Also, having a discussion around keeping a virtual worship available when we return to live worship in the sanctuary, currently set for Sept 12.

Discussing the importance of good communication between Board, Committees and the Congregation. It was decided that all Committee Chairpersons and group leaders be invited to the Sept 21 Official Board Meeting. 

The Official Board welcomes your thoughts. You can reach me by phone or email listed in the directory. 

Jennifer Witzel,

Chairperson of the Official Board