Church of St. Philip

Parish Administrative Council

 

Date:  September 18, 2008

 

Location:  Parish Rectory

 

Present:  Fr. Joe Steinbeisser, Ray Doering, Gary Halbur, Gene Nonweiler, Mary Piepenburg, Ken Ludvigson, Dwight Lorensen, Cathy Michaud, Ken Zachman, Jean Halbur

 

Not in Attendance:  Dave Daeges & Lynn Mergen

 

I.          OPENING PRAYER

The meeting was called to order by Fr. Steinbeisser.  He led the Council in prayer.

II.        REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Motion by G. Halbur, second by G. Nonweiler, and carried, to approve the minutes of the July 24, 2008 Administrative Council meeting.

IV.       REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF AGENDA

Motion by K. Ludvigson, second by G. Halbur, and carried, to approve the agenda as presented

V.        REPORTS

1.  Finance Report:  The reports for July and August were included with your agenda.  Note that the amounts budgeted for utilities are already over the monthly budgeted amounts.  When we created the budget last spring, an increase in utilities was factored in, but if the trend continues we will be under-budgeted on those lines.  

There was $15,000 transferred to the parish account from the Bazaar account and $19,299.79 will be transferred from the Gambling fund for the gaming at the bazaar.  Total revenue from the Bazaar is $34,299.79.  Last year’s revenue was $31,573.

 

2.  Gaming Report:  During the August 14, 2008 meeting, it was reported by Bev Mathwig that pull tabs are not selling well at either of the two sites.  The Ron Christensen benefit raffles are completed and funds will be disbursed to Ron following this meeting.    Jack Pollock will be opening Jack’s Tavern this fall in Darwin has requested that we offer pull tabs in their premises.  The premises permit process has been initiated.   The following disbursements were made:  $81.74 to Ellsworth Township (for charitable distribution) and $12,115 to Ron Christensen (benefit raffle proceeds)

 

During the September 11, 2008 meeting, it was reported by Bev Mathwig that pull tab sales are continuing to suffer.  There are problems with cash shortages at both sites.  Bev has had to report the cash shortages for the past three months to the State Charitable Gaming Board in part with the recent compliance review.  She isn’t sure what the recourse will be, but she is expecting that there may be a citation.  The paperwork has been completed and sent to the State for the permit for Jack’s Tavern in Darwin.  He will be opening October 1st and we are hoping that the permit will be approved for that date as well.  The committee has drafted a new policy on guidelines for the use of the gambling

license for raffles.  The following disbursements were made:  $36.37 to Ellsworth Township (for charitable distribution), $19,299.79 to The Church of St. Philip (bazaar gaming proceeds) and $500 to Kids Against Hunger (food packaging for poor).

 

A.  Annual Report

The Annual Report for the State Charitable Gaming Board was presented.

Motion by G. Halbur, second by K. Ludvigson, and carried, to approve the Annual Report as presented

B.  Raffle Policy

Motion by R. Doering, second by M. Piepenburg, and carried, to accept the Raffle Policy as presented by the Gaming Committee.

 

3.  Maintenance Committee:  The Maintenance Committee met on September 4, 2008.  It was decided that a list of fall clean-up chores should be formulated and a group of volunteers put together to help.  Rich Peipus, a Litchfield School District employee, who is licensed for asbestos repair will be repairing the 5 or 6 spots that need work done in the school.  It was determined by the committee that the best spot for the location of the swing set and monkey bars would be adjacent to the present playground and that snow from the parking lot should be pushed onto the empty lot south of the rectory.  It was established that a quote sheet with specific requirements should be formulated for snow removal and various parties approached to see if they would be willing to submit a quotation.  There was discussion regarding the boiler and pneumatics in the school building.  Dave E. has contacted Joel Ramthun who works for Meeker County in the Family Services Building and he has agreed to come and meet with Dave and help him to get the system regulated.  The committee looked at the drywall problem that has been persisting in the peak of the roof and are recommending that crown molding be installed to cover the problem.  Replacement of light bulbs were discussed and it was recommended to contact an electrician to give us a quote on having them bring in a lift and do the replacement of the bulbs that cannot be reached by ladder. (It is estimated that the cost of using a lift will be $500 per day)

 

4.  Cemetery Committee:  There was a meeting on July 22nd.  There was discussion about laying a cement strip down the middle of the lots for the placement of headstones.  This has become the practice at many cemeteries for ease of mowing and upkeep.  It would be especially beneficial in the new areas that do not have burials yet.  There has been some reseeding and fertilizing of the cemetery grass.  We will be meeting soon to determine another possible cemetery work/clean up date which will most likely occur after October 15th when all decorations are to be removed from the ground by the graves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.  Area Pastoral Council Report: 

 

 

6.  Worship Report:  Our parish Music Committee met this past month and made musical selections for our Parish Masses from September to end of Nov.   We will meet on September 22nd to discuss and make plans for advent & Christmas liturgies.  Our Worship/Ministry Team will be meeting the end of September to discuss workshops for liturgical ministers and to make plans for fall/advent/Christmas environment for liturgies.

7.  Peace and Social Justice Report:  met on Thursday August 28th.  They discussed plans for a global dinner on Thursday, October 2nd bringing the Issue of hunger and poverty to the table for discussion.  The Committee also discussed the annual Socks program for November.

 

8.  Faith Formation Report

Grades PreK-2-Karen Kulzer

SUNDAY SCHOOL REPORT

Sunday school got under way last Sunday, Sept. 7th. We have 40 kids registered but I suspect that number will grow as families get into their fall routines. We've made a few changes this year. Our 2nd graders are now meeting on Wednesdays. This allows them to have more class-time as they prepare for First Reconciliation and First Communion. Preschool - First Grade are again meeting on the first and third Sundays of each month from 9:15-10:15 a.m.

We have new text books for our 1st and 2nd graders, so now all Faith Formation students in grades 1-6 are using the "Blest are We" series from RCL Benzinger. The diocese is offering training for catechist at a workshop in Redwood Falls, Sept. 27th. The keynote speaker is John Carr, who will speak on social justice issues. I have heard him speak in the past and he is very good. It is an all day workshop but I am hoping we can take many of our catechists as this is a wonderful opportunity.

 

Grades 3-11-Jodi Schons

We are off to a great start of the Faith Formation year. On Sept 3 we had our kick off night where the youth and parents came and learned about the changes of the Faith Formation program, met their teachers and ended the evening with an ice cream social.

Our enrollment numbers are up this year…several families registered that haven’t participated for sometime.

We are utilizing the church and the school this year. The elementary classes (gr 2-6) are held at St Philip’s School from 6:45pm-7:45pm and junior high and Confirmation classes met at the church from 7:00pm-8:00pm.

The Faith Formation year has been divided into 4 semesters which consist of:

  • Class sessions
  • Youth and/or Family Night
  • Community Service Night
  • Sacramental Nights

In each semester there are 6 to 7 class sessions and have incorporated a night for the other activities.

Upcoming events:

October 8: Service Night: Kids Against Hunger

October 10: Rite of Welcome at 5:30 pm Mass for 11th Grade Confirmation

October 18: NET Retreat for grades 9-12

 

 

Youth Report: 

St. Philip’s Youth Group Highlights:
*Powerful, Spirit-led mission trip to Thunder Bay Ontario led members of the mission team to volunteer three weeks before school giving wheelchair rides to the residents at Emmanuel Home. Future service projects with local nursing home residents are in the works.
*Larson Catering generously donated all the food for our youth group food stand at the Sept. 6 horse show at the Meeker Co. Fairgrounds. A nice fall day and many barrel racers led to a great profit! The youth and parents who ran the food stand enjoyed the horses too!
*Youth from our parish will serve lunch at the Amazin’ Farm on Sept. 13 for Meeker Coop’s Customer Appreciation.
*Mary Nagel has volunteered to drive our church bus to Valleyfair Sept. 14 loaded with youth and adults from our parish and community. We thank her!!
*Pizza and Prayer Power Hour will debut Sept. 17 and run Sept. 24 and Oct. 1. This is a new ’event’ led by the youth minister to give youth grades 7-12 a comfy, fun, prayerful place to hang out before faith formation class. Pizza, prayer, contemporary Christian music, crazy games and ’hang out’ time are being planned.
* The Youth Advisory Council met Monday, Sept 8. We have four council members at this point. We meet every other month with the goal of helping address the needs of youth in our parish. Parents and youth (grades 6-12) are invited to join this leadership team!
*The youth group will serve breakfast at the VFW on Sunday, Sept. 28 as a fundraiser. Dena Carlson is heading up this fundraiser.
*The second gathering for our mission trip to Guatemala in July of 2009 will be Sunday, Sept. 28 at 6:30pm at St. Philip’s. A number of youth and adults from St. Philip’s and Church of Our Lady have expressed interest, and now we will start committing to this exciting adventure to serve and grow with our sister parish of San Lucas Toliman.
*Youth Weekend (where youth take active roles in weekend masses) and the Youth Group Bake Sale are planned for Oct. 11-12.
*A youth group sponsored event is being planned for MEA for our families/elementary age youth and a 7-12 grade event is being planned for the end of October.

 

9.  School Report: 

What’s New this Year

  • Scott Foresman Reading Street Language Arts Curriculum

(This is an exciting new adoption for which we have been saving for several years.)

  • S.M.A.R.T. curriculum (researched bodily movements to enhance brain development):  This is being led by Mrs. Erickson (K) and Ms. Schons (phy ed) after attending an intensive training this past summer.  This is integrated into each classroom and it is really fun!
  • Round, folding lunchroom tables with attached bench seats

 (The students love them!)

  • Use of the parish bus
  • A newly paved playground (We are all most grateful.)
  • New playground equipment:  4 swings and an inclined ladder for upper body strength.  These are scheduled to be installed by the parents on Sept. 27.  These are possible through a gift which was matched by a parent’s company.  We were able to get both items because of the kindness of Pat Tacheny who organized the purchase with her employee discount.
  • A new school logo designed for us by Rosanne Hansen
  • 13 new kindergartners
  • 9 new families (7 from St. Philip’s, one from Church of Our Lady and 1 of another faith tradition)
  • A new diocesan director of schools: Karla Cross, former principal of St. Anastasia, Hutchinson

 

What’s the Same

  • Same great teachers and support staff (with the exception of Judy Hames who chose to retire and we miss her) and same old principal
  • 69 returning students, for a total enrollment this year of 82
  • A very well-kept building (Thanks to Dave!)
  • Lunches cooked at the Augustana kitchen and delivered by a crew of generous Knights of Columbus coordinated by Bill Huhner
  • Wonderful parents and generous volunteers
  • A supportive pastor and parish that make it all possible

 

We are off to a good start and looking forward to a wonderful year of growing in faith and knowledge.  We trust in God’s continued grace as we go about our work with His children.

 

10.  Hispanic Ministry Report:  Our parish Hispanic Ministry Committee continues to meet on the 1st Thursday’s of the Month.  Sr. Anna Marie Reha director of Hispanic Ministry for the Diocese attends and leads our meetings.  This past month we reviewed the committee’s participation in the parish Bazaar (Mexican Food Stand). We decided that offering three choices of foods was too much for the small number of helpers we had.  Suggested we plan differently for next year.  Possible just tacos, nachos, nachos grande and eliminate Tostados.

The committee reviewed our Sunday Liturgical Ministry schedule for upcoming months and noted that we have 4 new children trained as altar servers.  We mentioned that Faith Formation Program began on the 3rd of September and that Pat Lopez and Martha Lara will be teaching the Spanish Sacramental Preparation Classes on Wednesdays.  We discussed a need to provide a Hispanic cultural environment for our parish celebrations of All Saints and All Souls Day.  It was suggested to invite families to bring pictures of their loved ones to place around a specially prepared Altar.  We discussed parish plans to bring teenagers to the Spanish Teen Retreat being held in Renville on September 14th.  Martha L. & Pat Lopez will chaperone. We are hoping that 10 young people will be attending.  The committee discussed inviting families who had children baptized this past year to attend an evening gathering on Friday, November 7th as a way of providing ongoing evangelization & catechesis to these families.

 

 

11.  Stewardship Committee Report:  Nothing to report at this time.

 

12.  Pastor’s Report   Since we last met, we were able to have the school parking lot resurfaced. The School Committee is working on having games painted on the lot for phy-ed and recess.  Two basketball hoops have been donated for the lot.  We are in process of purchasing swings and monkey bars for the playground. We also arranged for the purchase of new luncheon tables for the school cafeteria, using excess $ from the school hot lunch fund.  I met with the Principal & teachers prior to the beginning of school as part of the teacher workshop days and attended the Parent meeting and Back to School Nights.   We had a summer all-staff day on August 20th to discuss plans for the upcoming year.  Parish Staff will meet the 1st Wednesday of each Month and I will be meeting with our Faith Formation/Youth Ministry team on the 2nd Wednesday of the Month as well.  We held our annual Mission Coop Appeal Weekend on August 23rd.  We arranged for our 4th & 5th graders and adults to attend the Bishop’s Ordination & Installation Mass on September 15th.  About 25 parishioners attended.  Our Parish Bus has experienced some vandalism.  Bus Windows were broken two different times. We have moved the bus to the Church parking lot with hopes that this may prevent future vandalism.  We are looking for a possible storage/garage site for the bus.  I have been working on a fall parish newsletter and assisting Jean with the preparation of the Annual Self-Study and Financial Report.

We have updated our Parish Website and now have a complete calendar for our parish with all events and activities posted on it.   I celebrated 1 funeral, 7 baptisms and two marriages and have been working with 5 couples for future marriages.  I welcomed Mike McNeil, the new Pastoral Administrator Intern from St. Gertrude in Forest City to our area, attended the Manannah Ice-Cream Social on August 15th,  hosted the August 26th Area Pastoral Council Meeting here at the rectory and have been meeting and working with the committee planning a food packaging night for October 8th for “Kids Against Hunger”.  In addition, I continue to prepare and celebrate daily & weekend masses, Saturday confessions, visit nursing homes, respond to parishioner needs.

 

VI.       OLD BUSINESS:  DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEMS

1.  Parking Lot between School and Rectory/Playground

Fr. Joe reported that the School parents will be painting various games on the parking lot and erecting a new swing set and monkey bars on September 27th.  It was also reported that snow from the parking lot will be pushed onto the lot where the church was.

2.  Bell Tower

Fr. Joe presented the letter from the Diocesan Consultors that rejected the bell tower plan that had been submitted.  It was decided that the architectural firm needs to be contacted for another plan.

3.  Parish Self-Study

The Annual Parish Self-Study and end of year reports were approved, signed and sent to the Diocese.

4.  Parish Investments

Motion by R. Doering, second by C. Michaud, and carried, to start a Parish savings account with ING Direct for 1 year and re-evaluate the account at that time.  It was also determined that some of the monies that are in money market accounts be moved into short-term certificates of deposit.

VII.     NEW BUSINESS:  DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEMS

1.  Future Building Plans

After extensive discussion of whether the parish should move ahead with a new building project and what phases of the project should be addressed, it was determined that all building plans or proposals should be put on hold for 6 months. 

2.  4th Degree Knights of Columbus Fundraiser

Motion by G. Nonweiler, second by K. Ludvigson, and carried, to approve the Christmas wreath fundraiser by the 4th degree Knights.

 

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The meeting was adjourned at 8:25 p.m.

 

 

Respectfully submitted by Jean Halbur