SESSION PACKET Stated Session Meeting January 21, 2020 _____Approved _____Approved with Amendments Trinity Presbyterian Church 1 SESSION PACKET – TABLE OF CONTENTS P3: Agenda P4: Upcoming dates P5: Clerk’s Report, including Session minutes & membership reports P21: Moderator’s Report P22: Committee Reports organized by 8 Core Values cover sheets highlighting dates from each ministry P59: Appendices 2 SESSION AGENDA TRINITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH January 21, 2020 CALL TO ORDER/DECLARATION OF QUORUM Richard Floyd CLERKS’ REPORT Alex Erwin MODERATOR’S REPORT Richard Floyd OMNIBUS MOTION to approve Consent Agenda (see next page) Richard Floyd SPECIAL ORDERS & REPORTS TRUSTEES Charlie Moseley and Tom Jones MOTION: To create a Trust Fund for Major Maintenance of Trinity Presbyterian Church COMMITMENT Susan Foxworth Hamilton John Shepard MISSION Velma Tilley and Craig Perdergrast Esther Stokes MOTION: That the Session approve adding Trinity Presbyterian Church as a campaign partner of the Second Chance legislation to expand Georgia’s expungement laws. FINANCE Christine Quillian OPEN FORUM PRAYERS AND DEPARTING BLESSINGS Richard Floyd 3 Consent Agenda To approve minutes of the Called Session Meeting on December 10, 2019. UPCOMING DATES Session/Coordinating Council Session Meeting Monday, February 17, 2020 Williams Hall Called Session Meeting to receive new Sunday, February 9, 2020 Chapel Parlor members Presbytery Meeting Saturday, February 8, 2020 Alpharetta General Interest “Like” Documentary Screening Sunday, January 26, 6:00 pm The Loft Souper Bowl of Caring Sunday, February 2, after services The Loft and Sanctuary Called Congregational Meeting to vote Sunday, February 16, during on Elder Slate worship hour Sanctuary Trinity Explores Monday, February 24, 7:00 pm The Loft 4 CLERK’S REPORT 5 2019-2020 Presbytery Commissioner Assignments Saturday, February 8th Alpharetta Alex Erwin Jim Balloun Keith Knight Shelby Holihan Bill Montgomery Shirley Davis Christine Quillian Richard Powers Saturday, May 9th Calvin Center Barbara Robertson Doug Benn Kim Mansfield Lasley Gober Callie McDonald Sarah Shoup Shannon Sale Steve Karasick If you cannot attend as assigned, it is your duty to find a replacement from any active or inactive (College of Elders) Elder or switch with someone already assigned. Please inform the Clerk of Session Alex Erwin [email protected] and Karen Simmons [email protected] of any change. There will be a brief class the Sunday before each meeting. A reminder and a digital copy of the Commissioners Handbook will be sent approximately 1 week before the meeting. 6 SESSION AGENDA & MINUTES TRINITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Monday, November 18, 2019 CALL TO ORDER/DECLARATION OF QUORUM Richard Floyd Following an opening devotional by Judy Garland, the meeting was called to order at 7:00 pm. Clerk of Session Alex Erwin declared a quorum. CLERK’S REPORT Alex Erwin Alex shared a letter from June Bishop, a copy of which was provided in the Session Packet. In the letter, June summarized a recent discussion in her study group. The group agreed that Trinity was a church that stood for social justice, community service, and education around current issues. She believes that many of the recent congregational issues and complaints seem trivial vs. issues involving Christian behavior or Trinity’s historical positioning. June wanted to encourage the Session and other church leadership to use the interim period to reinforce Trinity’s roots as a progressive body. Alex shared that he had a discussion with June, and she was complimentary of the College of Elders presentation by Richard. She believed he effectively outlined the key topics that Trinity needed to examine during the interim period. MODERATOR’S REPORT Richard Floyd Richard previewed the theme for this year’s Advent season: “What Can’t Wait”. He summarized the many planned events and services that will take place during December. He also reminded everyone that, as is typical, there would be no Session meeting in December. The Session retreat, which usually takes place in January, will be put on hold for the time being. Timing for the retreat will be revisited following the start of the interim pastor. In place of the retreat, there will be a regular Session meeting on January 21 (the Tuesday following MLK Day). Richard also provided an update on the Engagement Working Committee, which includes a number of current Session elders. The group had held their first meeting and their initial focus has been to define what “engagement” means for Trinity and how we might best support it. Trinity Director of Engagement Sarah Wikle is helping to coordinate this effort. Once the group gains greater clarity on this topic, Richard anticipates they will come to Session with a report and discussion. Unfortunately, members of the Interim Pastor Hiring Committee were unable to attend (as they were meeting with a candidate). In their absence, Richard reported that the group’s work is continuing. To date, they have talked with over 50 people, conducted remote video interviews with seven people, and had in- person interviews with three candidates. They are in the process of conducting references checks and hope to have a candidate to present to Session shortly after Thanksgiving. Richard also noted, as he communicated in a congregational email sent earlier that day, that he is not a candidate for the interim position. He believes that, at this moment in Trinity’s life, the congregation would be best served by someone coming from the outside, with a fresh set of eyes and fresh perspective. Richard reinforced that he is fully committed to being acting head of staff until the arrival of the interim, and after his or her start, he will continue to support the interim in any way he can. 7 OMNIBUS MOTION Richard Floyd The minutes from the October Session meeting were approved without objection. SPECIAL ORDERS & REPORTS COMMITMENT Susan Foxworth Hamilton & John Shepard Susan and John provided an update on the Commitment Campaign, which has a goal of $3.9 million. As of November 12, we had received 231 pledges totaling approximately $1.65 million. The team believes they are off to a strong start and are paying close attention to the number of new and reactivated pledges. Additional telephone and email follow-ups are underway. Age group-based and small group communication and follow-ups are also taking place. Session members thanked Susan, John, and Betsy for their continuing work in this important area of ministry. INACTIVE ROLL Tom Farmer Tom has been leading an effort to update the church rolls, but various activities to validate and refine the membership rolls has been underway for many years. Last year, Molly ran a report of church members with no record of financial contribution during the preceding five-year period. From that list, confirmed members were removed as well as members who were students, members of the military, or residents in senior care facilities. That resulting list of about 600 members became the starting point to more closely review in terms of validating membership. As a next step, staff, clergy, and many well-connected members carefully reviewed this list to identify any member who might have some involvement or participation, and thus should not be removed from the roll. After this screening, the list stood at about 450 names. Next, individuals on this list were mailed a personal letter from the Clerk indicating that we had missed their active participation and asked for how we might help them reengage with the church. The letter also included a card and email address they could use to indicate how they understood their current relationship to Trinity: did they want to remain an active member on the rolls?, did they want to be moved to the inactive roll?, or did they want to be dropped from the roll. The mailing yielded a 15% response and 23 letters were returned undeliverable (a total of 65 responses). As a result of this work, the Session was provided with the names of 379 individuals to be removed from the active membership roll for various reasons: 1) those requesting to be removed because of a change in church membership, 2) those asking to be deleted at their request, 3) those who have moved with no forwarding address and no activity for four years, 4) those requesting to be moved to the inactive roll, and 5) a final group to be moved to the inactive roll after having no response to the inquiry letter. Should we receive any subsequent information from anyone in this last group, their names can be added back to the active roll or other adjustments made at their request. The Book of Order no longer requires churches to maintain an inactive roll. It simply states that the Session may remove any person from the roll if they have been inactive for at least two years. Tom recommends we maintain an inactive roll in case there are people who want to come back, for one reason or another. Moving them from the inactive to the active roll is easily done. The Session reviewed the list of individuals in each of the five categories and then voted on 5 separate motions covering the 379 people*: 8 Motion 1: Persons to be deleted from the from roll of Trinity Presbyterian Church because of membership transfer to another church. (6 individuals) Motion 2: Persons to be deleted from the roll of Trinity Presbyterian Church at their own request. (13 individuals) Motion 3: Persons to be deleted from the roll of Trinity Presbyterian Church due to inactivity for four years and having moved with no forwarding address. (24 individuals) Motion 4: Persons to be moved to the inactive roll of Trinity Presbyterian Church at their own request. (23 individuals) Motion 5: Persons to be moved to the inactive roll of Trinity Presbyterian Church, having received a letter noting their membership inactivity with a request for information, but no response received.