First Presbyterian Church of Houston Session Agenda May 15, Devotional and Opening Prayer... Houghton Hutcheson

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1 Dinner 5:30 PM - FH 154 and FH 156 Meeting 6:30 PM - Solarium First Presbyterian Church of Houston Session Agenda May 15, 2012 Devotional and Opening Prayer... Houghton Hutcheson Omnibus Approve April 17 th Session Meeting Minutes... 1 Approve Consent Motions... 3 Approve Membership Reports... 4 Clerk s Report... Houghton Hutcheson Jane Costello Committee Reports Finance... Sharon Henry... 6 o (Includes motion to approve Budget) IN2 Final Report... 8 Final Capital Campaign Summary of Expenditures Advisory Council Minutes Permanent Fund Minutes April and May Planned Giving Minutes Youth Minutes Children & Family Minutes Pastor s Report... Bill Heston Executive Director s Report... Jennifer Boubel Old Business New Business Prayer and Praise Communion... Andrew Stepp Prayer and Motion to Adjourn Important Dates: June 3 rd Ordination and Installation of Session Class of 2015 June 9 th Meeting of Presbytery of New Covenant (St. Andrew s PC) June 10 th Holy Communion in Sanctuary Services June 19 Next Session Meeting

2 MINUTES OF THE SESSION THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF HOUSTON APRIL 17, 2012 The April Meeting of the Session began at 6:30 p.m. in the solarium with a quorum present. Jack Modesett opened the meeting with devotional and prayer. Attendance: See the attached Session Attendance Record for attendance to date for this year. Omnibus Motions: The following omnibus motions were passed without discussion. Approval of March 20, 2012 Session Meeting Minutes Approval of the March Membership Report Consent Motion to move Holy Communion for the Sanctuary services from the previously scheduled date of May 27 th to June 10 th. Ministry Report: Rev. Jon Crantz and Rev. Jim Birchfield distributed a handout describing the Discipleship Initiative: Update. The approved proposal of June 2011 was reviewed and the plans for fulfilling those goals in the months to come were discussed. The plans to execute an integrated approach to discipleship and disciple-making include: New Member Preparation, Small Groups, Main Street University, and IT Support. Clerk s Report: Houghton Hutcheson gave a farewell tribute to John Van Wagoner as senior clerk for the Class of 2012 and to Alan Stewart who served as Member-at-Large on the Advisory Council. John Van Wagoner thanked the Session for the opportunity to serve as clerk and thanked the Class of 2012 for their service on the Session. Sharon Henry was thanked for her service as head of the Finance Committee. Jane Costello reported on the Prayer and Fasting Retreat and asked for comments and feedback from those who attended. The response was very favorable and it was suggested that they continue to have retreats in the future. Houston Hutcheson gave an update on committee assignments and requested the ministry liaisons to assist the ministries in recruiting membership for the following year. The Session elected Lesley Lilly to serve as Clerk for the Class of 2015 and Fred Robertson to serve as Member -at- Large for the Advisory Council. On March 22, 2012, an e mail motion from AnneMarie Wallace was sent to the session and passed requesting permission to serve communion to the Grief Share group of 10 people on March 28. Reports: Finance Committee: Sharon Henry reported that the church is operating within budget and the month will end with a surplus as spending is down. The Budget Proposal for was distributed and discussed. The proposed budget represents a 5% increase to the bottom line over last year. Sharon also reported on the status of Stewardship Campaign pledges to date, and indicated that they are tracking very favorably as compared to the same time last year. 1

3 Pastor s Report: Rev. Jim Birchfield reported his Study Leave was a very rewarding time spent. There have been positive responses to The Denominational Task Force Report which is now on the church website. There will be three more Town Hall opportunities for the congregation to express concerns and ask questions. The Session is encouraged to attend these meeting so they may be informed of the concerns of the congregation. Old Business: none New Business: On April 30 th, the Session approved by electronic mail the following motion: Moved by the Advisory Council that the Session of First Presbyterian Church approve the appointment of the following three individuals to the Board of Directors of Presbyterian School: Julie Harris Bill Lee Jamie Rootes Prayer and Praise: Community prayers of concerns and praise were offered. Communion was served by intinction with Rev. Bill Heston officiating and Elder Chris Derden assisting. Rev. Heston adjourned the meeting with prayer at 9:00 p.m. Rev. Jim Birchfield, Moderator John Van Wagoner, Clerk of Session 2

4 Consent Motions 1. A request to receive into membership of First Presbyterian Church of Houston the following youth: Gentry Barton Harrison Barton Elena Benn Elise Betts Andrew Blackwell Philip Blackwell Jared Burch Emily Calkins Julia Casbarian Jackson Cook Zack Cox Katie Craig Tim Craig Zachary Currier-Martin Lane Drager Joe Flinn Emily Fraser Rafe French Cooper Gillespie Nick Griswold Christopher Hanna William Heck Matthew Ho Grace Homeyer Jacob Hulten Kaitlyn Jong Peter Kennedy David King Trey King Sam Kretschmar Madison Lanclos Scott Le Vay Grant Lee Jenny Lillard John Lilly Emma MacDougal Erin Neville Jeffrey Paine Lauren Phegley Izzy Purdie Brittney Reese Harrison Reid Turner Sassaman Olivia Shanks Micah Shipman Ryan Smith Conner Stewart Jack Talkington Leslie Villarreal Sam Wempe Cecile Wilde Ben Williams Gage Williams Graham Williams Camille Williamson Jacob Wise 2. The following Elders request to be Commissioners at the June 9 Presbytery Meeting at St. Andrew s Presbyterian Church: o Jan Costello, Houghton Hutcheson, Bill Hargrove, 3. The Permanent Funds Committee requests $25,000 for Pfunanane Ministries to purchase property on which the school building and children s homes are located. 4. The Permanent Funds Committee request $25,000 for Montreat Conference to go towards the renovation of The Assembly Inn. 5. The Permanent Funds Committee request approval of three new members to the Permanent Funds Committee effective June 1, 2012 to replace three members whose terms end May 31, New members will have a three-year term ending May 31, Proposed new members are Jennifer Rustay, Sue Oldham and Gene Alford. 3

5 Worship Services Comparison Week 14 4/1/2012 Week 15 4/8/2012 Week 16 4/15/2012 Week 17 4/22/2012 Week 18 4/29/2012 8:15 Worship :30 Worship :45 Worship :05 Worship Total Worship Att Worship Services Comparison Week 14 4/3/2011 Week 15 4/10/2011 Palm Sun Week 16 4/17/2011 EASTER Week 17 4/24/2011 8:15 Worship :30 Worship :45 Worship :05 Worship Total Worship Att Worship Services Comparison EASTER Wk 14 4/4/10 Week 15 4/11/10 Week 16 4/18/10 Week 17 4/25/10 8:15 Worship :30 Worship :45 Worship :05 Worship Total Worship Att April 2012 Baptisms: Infant 3 Adult 2 Weddings: 1 Member Funerals: 1 NonMbr Funerals: 0 4

6 FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, HOUSTON REPORT TO THE SESSION MEMBERSHIP REPORT, APRIL, 2012 RESTORED TO ACTIVE ROLL Kennard, Mr. Anthony Drew (Drew) Parmer, Mr. Grant Evan Parmer, Mrs. Linday Paige Moffett Poynter, Ms. Pamela obtained new address at their request at their request returned to active DECEASED Hagemeier, Mrs. Dorothy (Dottie) 4/17/12 Hudson, Mrs. Donna Godsey 4/9/12 Hudson, Mrs. Mary Clarice Dirks 4/17/12 (from Inactive roll) Robbins, Mr. Lowell M. (Pete) 4/23/12 (from Inactive roll) Skaggs, Mrs. Priscilla Kringel 4/23/12 MOVED TO INACTIVE MEMBERSHIP ROLL Graves, Mr. Thomas Andrew moved out of state in 2005 MEMBERSHIP AS OF March 31, Gains 4 Losses -4 MEMBERSHIP AS OF April 30,

7 FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF HOUSTON FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES May 9, 2012 Members Present: Chris Champion, Debbie Hanna, Sharon Henry, Patti Hopson, Paul Palmer, Burdette Huffman, Bret Stanley and Chris Wolfe Staff Present: Susan Aldana and Jennifer Boubel Members Absent: Victor Harris and Edward Griffin Next Meeting: June 13, 2012 at 7 a.m. The meeting opened with prayer. The committee reviewed the April (11th month) financial results of the Church, noting that there are several expenses/financial adjustments that are not reflected in the April financial package that should be considered as we approach the last month of the fiscal year. Specifically some invoices from the custodial company have not been received yet for the past 2 months, there are some property tax bills that have not been paid, there is a cash-to-accrual item related to prior youth trips which should be cleared from the balances sheet and there is a Windstar deposit that should be expensed. The committee discussed these items and determined that the minutes should reflect the expenses after consideration of these items. A summary of financial results inclusive of these items is presented below: April 2012 (Month) (000's) Budget Actual Var. Giving $ $ $ 75.3 Other Income Total Revenue $ $ $ 75.3 Operating Expenses $ (671.8) $ (807.8) $ (136.0) Surplus/<Deficit> $ $ 66.2 $ (60.7) April 2012 YTD (000's) Budget Actual Var. Giving $ 7,382.2 $ 7,317.2 $ (65.0) Other Income - (5.4) (5.4) Total Revenue $ 7,382.2 $ 7,311.8 $ (70.4) Operating Expenses (7,492.7) (6,955.2) Surplus/<Deficit> $ (110.5) $ $ The Committee also reviewed a comparison of the April YTD amounts, 2012 versus

8 April YTD (000's) Var. Giving $ 7,311.8 $ 6,593.4 $ Operating Expenses (6,955.2) (6,627.2) (328.0) Surplus/<Deficit> $ $ (33.8) $ The committee noted that YTD giving is ahead of the YTD giving as of April 2011 but slightly behind the YTD budget. The committee noted that the information technology budget was substantially under budget as a % of budget. Jennifer Boubel noted that some computer purchases may be in process, resulting in some additional expenses in May, and that she thought that a budgeted item for a server may not have been spent as planned. The committee discussed the need for long-term capital budget planning and concluded that they would invite the Director of Operations to the June meeting to discuss the need for information to accommodate long-term budgeting for capital needs. Chris Champion reported that the audit committee will meet with the auditors immediately following the finance committee meeting. The Meeting adjourned at 8:00. Debbie Hanna Chair, Finance Committee 7

9 First Presbyterian Church of Houston Invested and Involved Capital Campaign Final Report April 17, 2012 Our Congregation undertook the Invested and Involved Campaign (IN2) in At that time we were being served by our interim pastor, Dave McKecknie and a sense of urgency developed to move our church forward on the path our Session had established in its Vision This meant we wanted to become a more mission focused congregation, needed to enable more Biblical teaching, and needed to address significant deferred maintenance items and facilities improvements. Our members pledged $8 million. The attached report shows how we have spent the $7.5 million we have received. Missions IN2 funds have blessed the lives of countless people around the world. Locally, College of Biblical Studies received $70,000 to complete Library construction, provide books and equipment and funds to maintain the facility. Forge for Families received $100,000 to help fund an education wing of the youth and family center in the Third Ward. The FPC Missions Center has been remodeled and now houses the Shepherd Center, Operation ID, WorkFaith, and Holy Ground. Internationally, Micah Project received $200,000 originally for college scholarships but with the focus shifting from solely academic to also providing job skills training, portions of the funds have been allocated to the relocation of the trade school workshop to the new location of the Micah House on the outskirts of Tegucigalpa, Honduras. African Renewal Ministries received $120,000 to fund the building and equipping of a church and a school reaching over 400 children in Uganda. Maranatha Community Church received $400,000 to respond to the AIDS pandemic and assist those impacted by HIV/AIDS patients, families and orphans in South Africa. Part of the funds were used to complete a crèche or nursery day center for children and a beautiful new small group home by Power of God Church for the ever increasing number of orphans in Embo, Zwa Zulu Natal which suffers a 68% HIV infection rate. The funds also were used to establish a small group home and first school for the disabled in the community of Grabouw.. Millennium Relief and Development received $310,000 for medical relief and care with one primary clinic and three mobile clinics in a highly stressed, war torn region. Medical and dental care and emotional care is being provided to desperate and hurting people. If not for these clinics, no care would be available truly life saving. 8

10 Debt Reduction / Teaching In the years preceding 2008 FPC had accumulated about $2 million in operating deficits that were funded with bank debt. That debt meant that funds were needed to pay interest and principal each year funds that could be utilized to build our staff and increase our teaching resources. IN2 provided $1.9 million to reduce our operating debt. FPC is now debt free (with the exception of possible seasonal borrowing to bridge us over lower giving months). Mission accomplished! Facilities Projects Our steeple was in desperate need of some TLC. Our IN2 project started as a cleaning, but once engineers looked below the outer structure, they realized it needed far more work. The restoration project included the steeple as well as the exterior of the sanctuary. You may all recall the upgrades to the cooling system of the sanctuary. The major upgrades to mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems extended beyond the sanctuary, replacing and upgrading equipment of which some dated back to the original 1940 s construction. The entire Lancaster Center and the church offices were re carpeted. The Youth space of Lancaster Center was completely remodeled and furnished. The new look, feel and teaching tools were all funded through IN2. The chapel was revitalized, making it a brighter, cleaner and more welcoming place. We now have funds and are in the planning phase for outside lighting improvements on the North side of the building and improved hallway lighting and painting in the Classroom building. Summary FPC embarked on IN2 at a time when the nation s economy was entering the worst recession in a generation and life in Houston was disrupted by hurricane Ike. Many dozens of our congregation got involved in IN2 by serving in the planning, communication, hospitality, and prayer of the campaign. As a congregation, we got invested in solutions to issues confronting us! To Christ be the Glory, Debbie Hanna, Scot Luther, Susan Miclette, Fred Robertson 9

11 Capital Campaign Receipts and Expenditures Summary Receipts 7,546,483 Expenditures: Missions: FPC Missions Center 527,621 Palestinian Bible Society 69,000 African Renewal Ministries 120,000 Maranatha Community Church 400,000 Millennium Relief, Darfur 400,000 Micah Project 200,000 Forge for Families 100,000 College of Biblical Studies 70,000 Total Missions 1,886,621 Debt Reduction 1,886,621 Facilities: Steeple Interior and Exterior Restoration/ Sanctuary Building Exterior Restoration 1,027,702 HVAC Improvements/Replacements 395,994 Carpet/Floooring 368,478 Youth Remodel and New Furniture 562,804 Chapel Renovations 92,642 New Stackable Chairs 94,451 Various Renovations 447,166 To Be Completed Exterior Lighting on North Side of Campus 185,000 Building Improvements in Classroom Building 200,000 Fellowship Hall Roof Replacement 56,554 Building Assessment 65,000 Total Facilities 3,495,791 Campaign Expenses 277,451 Total Expenditures 7,546,484 10

12 Advisory Council Meeting Minutes May 9, 2012 The meeting opened with prayer at 8:10 A.M. In attendance were Bill Heston, Jane Costello, Sharon Henry, Houghton Hutcheson, Alan Stewart, and Jennifer Boubel. John Van Wagoner and Jim Birchfield were out of town. There was a brief discussion of what follow up, if any, is needed for the three Town Hall meetings that had been held over the prior month. It was generally agreed that the Town Hall meetings went well, although there was some feedback that attendees at the first two would have appreciated more time to air their views. No specific follow up is needed although the Advisory Council did suggest that an item on the June Session agenda, when Jim is back and the new Class of 2015 is in place, might be a general discussion of what s next as far as denominational issues are concerned. Jane gave an update on the Standing Nominating Committee, of which she is a member, and indicated that they will be bringing a slate of nominees to the September Annual Congregational Meeting for the Officer Nominating Committee that will nominate the Elder Class of It will be up to the Session to provide two Session members as nominees for that ONC, and Jane will discuss this briefly at the May 15 th meeting of the Session. Houghton discussed the process for updating committee assignments for , and said that the current Session Liaisons were asked at the April Session meeting to shepherd that process for their respective committees. Liaisons will assure that there is a succession plan in place for the positions of Chair and Vice Chair, and that proposed replacements have been secured for members rolling off in If Chairs and Liaisons require assistance or wish to have recommendations for new members, those requests will be directed to the Clerks who will work with the staff to identify prospects. (No such requests have been received as of the date of this meeting.) The goal is now to have all Session committee rosters updated in time for them to be approved at the June Session meeting. Since the Class of 2012 is rolling off the Session and the Class of 2015 will be coming on board in June, there will also be a reshuffling of Session Liaison assignments, with the Clerks working in close consultation with Session members on making the best matches for those assignments. Bill Heston and Houghton briefly discussed the Session Binder, which will now be distributed to the Session at its June meeting after the new members have been installed. There was a discussion of the final report that had been received from the capital campaign committee (IN2) and how this report should be shared with the Session and the congregation and perhaps even celebrated in view of the excellent outcome of the campaign. It was agreed that the reports sent by co-chairs Fred Robertson and Scot Luther will be shared with the Session as part of the Session Packet for the May 15 th meeting and briefly discussed at that meeting. It was further agreed that this successful campaign will be celebrated by the entire congregation at the Annual Meeting in September. Sharon gave a financial update. She reported that through 11 months of the fiscal year, giving is slightly below budget and it is therefore likely that giving for the full year will fall a bit short of the $8 million budgeted figure. However, the shortfall amounts to approximately 1 %, and expenses are tracking below budget as well. As such, we will end the year with a surplus Sharon also mentioned that the Finance Committee will bring a motion to the Session on May 15 th asking for approval of the budget for the new fiscal year starting June 1. The proposed budget was distributed to the Session at the April meeting so that members would have the opportunity to review and study it. Finally with regard to Finance, there was a discussion of whether we might include in worship either on Sunday May 13 th or Sunday May 20 th a Finishing Strong presentation by Sharon in each of the worship services. Bill agreed to work with the Worship staff to come up with the best way to fit that in. Jennifer Boubel gave an update on several staff matters as well as changes affecting the Fit for Life ministry. 11

13 Houghton suggested that a formal report to the Session from Jennifer in her capacity as Executive Director be added to the standard Session Agenda along with the currently existing Pastor s Report and Clerk s Report. This will take place starting with the May 15 th Session meeting agenda. Following a closing prayer by Jane Costello, the meeting was adjourned. Respectfully submitted, Houghton Hutcheson Clerk of the Class of

14 Permanent Funds Ministry Report Date: April 16, 2012 Members present: Janet Lionberger, Becca Herbold, Tom Graves, Bill Gutermuth, Lou Shields, Betty Hundley, Joe Bybee Members absent:, Tom Kennedy, Bill Marshall, JoNell Gerland Staff present: Susan Aldana, Jennifer Boubel, Bill Heston Becca Herbold opened in prayer. Summary of matters discussed and actions taken: The Committee approved the PFM minutes of the February 6, 2012 meeting. o Betty Hundley motioned; Lou Shields second. Susan Aldana presented the Commitment and Disbursements reports. Grant Proposals: The Committee reviewed a request from Nehemiah Center to release their annual funds of $1,045. o Approved; Betty Hundley motioned; Joe Bybee second. The Committee reviewed a request from FPC s Youth Ministry to release their annual funds of $7,190. o Approved; Joe Bybee motioned; Betty Hundley second. The Committee reviewed a grant request from the Arrow Child & Family Ministries Freedom Place for $20,000 to fund services at Freedom Place. o Denied. It is the history of PFM not to support budgetary items. The Committee recommends the application be reworked to reflect specific project needs. Joe Bybee motioned; Tom Graves second. Other Business: The Committee had general discussion on plans for future funds distribution. It was recommended to adopt the use of the Cornerstone name as the standard when identifying with gifted funds. The Committee agreed to use the Cornerstone name in place of Permanent Funds. Designated funds names will be referred to as Cornerstone- Fund Name. Lou Shields closed in prayer. Next meeting: Monday, May 7, 2012, 5 p.m., FH 251 Chair: Janet Lionberger, janetlion@gmail.com 13

15 Permanent Funds Ministry Report Date: May 7, 2012 Members present:, Becca Herbold, Tom Graves, Bill Gutermuth, Betty Hundley, Bill Marshall, JoNell Gerland Members absent:, Tom Kennedy, Janet Lionberger, Joe Bybee, Lou Shields Staff present: Susan Aldana, Bill Heston Becca Herbold opened in prayer. Summary of matters discussed and actions taken: The Committee approved the PFM minutes of the April 16, 2012 meeting. o Bill Gutermuth motioned; Bill Marshall second. The Committee reviewed the Commitment and Disbursements reports. Grant Proposals: The Committee reviewed a grant request from Pfunanane Ministries for $35,000 for the purchase of property on which the school building and children s home s are located. o Approved $25,000 from the Benevolence-Ricks Fund. Tom Graves motioned; Betty Hundley second. The Committee reviewed a grant request from Montreat Conference Center for $25,000 towards the renovation of The Assembly Inn. o Approved $25,000 from the Benevolence Fund. Tom Graves motioned; Betty Hundley second. The Committee reviewed a grant request from Montreat College for $10,000 to the Matthew McGowan Endowed Scholarship, which supports students. o Denied, outside scope of PFM policy. Bill Marshall motioned; Tom Graves second. The Committee reviewed a grant request from Open Door for $5,000 to support counseling effort with underwriting of purchase of teaching materials for spiritual training of resident students. o Denied, outside scope of PFM policy. Bill Marshall motioned; Tom Graves second. The Committee reviewed expenditures from the Mary Carter Fund paid out by the authorization of the Caring Committee for Budget Years and o The Committee accepted the accounting for Budget Years 2010 through 2012 as it is in accordance with PFM s policy. Consent Motions requiring Session approval: Request from Pfunanane Ministries for $25,000 for the purchase of property on which the school building and children s homes are located. Request from Montreat Conference Center for $25,000 towards the renovation of The Assembly Inn. Other Business: The Committee authorized the Director of Finance to manage the cash position of the Permanent Fund s operations to insure that funds are available for approved disbursements without leaving excessive funds un-invested. The Committee authorized any unspent funds at the end of Budget Year to be rolled over to impending Budget Year funds. Bill Marshall motioned; Bill Gutermuth second. JoNell Gerland closed in prayer. Next meeting: Monday, June 4, 2012, 5 p.m., FH 251 Chair: Janet Lionberger, janetlion@gmail.com 14

16 Planned Giving and Endowment Meeting Wednesday, May 9, :00 p.m. in FH 251 Committee members present: Chris Athon, Bill Hall, Susan Miclette, Dave Morris, Nancy Wells, (Bill Heston, Executive Pastor). Members absent: Merry Davis, Cody Nath, Wade Stubblefield, (Robert Moore, Session liaison). Assistant Nancy Purcell attended to take notes for session report. Meeting opened with prayer. Committee reviewed workshop notes from February Discussion Highlights 1. CORNERSTONES (giving beyond a lifetime) Session approved March 20, 2012 Giving society name change from Cornerstones for Christ to Cornerstones. Stepping Stones for Christ giving society eliminated. 2. Letters Letters sent to members who were former Stepping Stones for Christ with information about annual Planned Giving and Endowment Honor Roll (available on Cornerstones Sunday, April 29) and appreciation for past contributions. Members may still contribute to the endowment, but our focus is to encourage members to become Cornerstones (members who notify the church that they have included First Presbyterian Church, Houston, as a charitable beneficiary of their will or estate plans). 3. Logo The Cornerstones logo (update) contains the ancient Celtic cross etched on stone. 4. FPC GIVING page online Changes were made to the look of the GIVING page including (update of Cornerstones, Cornerstones enrollment, Grant and Scholarship applications). Testimonials by FPC members Christina Stone and Staman Ogilvie are currently posted there. 5. Publicity for Cornerstones Sunday E weekly and Church Alive published testimonials and information on how to enroll as Cornerstones. 6. Cornerstones Sunday Reviewed Planned Giving and Endowment Honor Roll new look. Success: received inquiries regarding Cornerstones and some gifts to the endowment. 7. Committee Committee Members Planned Giving and Endowment and Permanent Funds Committee functions were reviewed. New PG&E committee member recruitment is in progress. Rotating off: Susan Miclette, Bill Hall, Chris Athon. 8. Goal Affirm the message of stewardship (giving beyond a lifetime). 9. Meetings Resume in September. Meeting times to be determined. New chair: Cody Nath. Meeting adjourned at 6:15 p.m. Submitted by Nancy Purcell, for out going Chair Susan Miclette. 15

17 Youth Present: Keith Calcote, Anthony Ceder, Tim Cornelson, Judge Gordon Marcum, Dr. Eric Thomas, Kirby Shanks, Leslie Lilly, Merry Davis, and Martha McDugal Absent: Mark Cook The committee was called to order around 5:40 by prayer. This is the final meeting until the summer break. Big parent meeting on May 20 for all parents related to the summer trips. Youth Sunday this week; testimonies at all services plus the confirmation class at 11:05. Dealing with the disappointment of not speaking live; these will be on the web. We tried to capture the cross section of the uniqueness of the stories. About 40 seniors ready and willing to be involved. There will be a printed bulletin at 11:05 detailing all of the people involved. Summer trips are running with a wait list (about 20 waiting on missions, 5 waiting on Montana, and the Catalina Island trip is almost full). Denver is full and managing the wait list for his middle school trips. Now all of the payments and forms are going through the financial office, and it's a new process. There is a lag in making sure that all of the correct, current information flows to all sides. Will look for a sexuality conference in the fall. We talked about the program at Crossover Houston, Mo Ranch, and Vacation Bible School (the first week of August). The meeting was closed at 6:14 pm by prayer from outgoing chairman Keith Calcoate. 16

18 Children and Family Ministry Committee Meeting May 3, 2012 Minutes Members Present: Kristen Cline, Chair, Liz Palmer, Vice Chair, Valerie Arredondo, Session Liaison, Ashley Grady, Advisor, Kim Hock, Staff, Angie Miller, Staff Lay Members: Elizabeth Glenn, Melissa Carbajal Incoming Committee Members: Taylor Reid, Jane Friou Invited Guest: Sue White Members Absent: Chris Wolfe, Katie Clark, Randy Frazier, Lauren Bahorich Summary of Matters Discussed: The May 3 meeting began at 9:05 am in room FH259 with a prayer by Kristen Cline. 1. Thank you gifts were presented to committee members rolling off the committee and to Kristen for serving as Chair. 2. Incoming Committee members Taylor Reid and Jane Friou were introduced 3. Sue White addressed the committee regarding her numerous years of experience serving on the Committee a. Sue reminded us of the long history of FPC, and that it was the first church in Houston to offer Sunday School b. She noted that for 15 years, the ministry has been plagued with staff instability. c. After reading through our draft committee guidelines, Sue was pleased to see the inclusion of a Finance Committee liaison and a Worship & Music Ministry liaison. d. Sue expressed her concerns with the Early Childhood rooms, and noted the perpetual issue of sharing space with the school. Ashley Grady suggested that we might want to visit with other churches that share space with schools to see how the space is shared nd Hour of Programming a. The Committee is committed to exploring children s programming for elementary-aged children from 9:30 12:15. Members shared their ideas, which centered around a children s worship hour. b. Concerns were expressed regarding our ability to attract the additional volunteers needed to staff this additional programming. Kim Hock has already met with the Communications Department to devise a recruiting campaign Be a Piece of Our Puzzle. We discussed a Sunday School class for teachers being an option for attracting volunteers as well as improving our training capacity and fellowship among teachers. c. The Committee remains committed to building a church culture that welcomes children in every worship service, and to encouraging families to worship together. We discussed the possibility of one Sunday each month being dedicated to families worshipping together. 17

19 d. The Committee also coalesced around adding a mission component to the additional programming. This could involve testimony and across-age service as well as mission activities. e. A Subcommittee has agreed to meet weekly to continue developing a plan for additional programming that can be offered this fall. The meeting ended at 10:35 with a prayer by Liz Palmer. Important Dates: June 14 CFM Committee Meeting July 30 August 3 - VBS 18