October 2021 Vineyard

council concerns
Council summary
August 2021 meeting
Council met for its regular monthly meeting on August
10th. Don Friend presented a strong financial report,
indicating that we are continuing to keep expenses on
track with income. Your generosity continues to be a
blessing as we move forward with the mission and ministry
of St. Mark’s.
We discussed the Fall schedule, which will include a 5
p.m. Saturday service, a 9 a.m. Adult Faith Formation and
Sunday School, and a 10 a.m. service on Sunday mornings.
We are excited about the new addition of education and
fellowship opportunities for adults on Sunday mornings.
Council also received an update on the sale of the CDC
(at that point, the sale had not yet closed ... spoiler alert
– it’s been sold!). Additionally, we continue to meet with
representatives from ESSE Adult Day Services to evaluate if
St. Mark’s can serve as a site for them in the near future.
Marcia Broucek, Beth Benson, and Pr. Patrick gave a
presentation on a new church management system:
Shelby CMS. Shelby CMS would allow us to bring all of our
member systems and data into one centralized portal,
including our online giving platform. As we continue to
move into a digital future, it will be essential for St. Mark’s
to provide our members with an accessible communication
platform. The Council voted to request the Endowment
Committee to approve the spending of $1,500 from
memorials unspecified and $1,500 from Endowment Fund
interest income for the purchase of the Shelby CMS. We
are looking forward to providing this new platform to the
congregation sometime in 2022.
Carol Reiseck gave a report on the Stewardship Team’s
plan for the Fall. The theme will be “We are an offering,”
with a kickoff on the weeked of October 2/3 and pledge
weekends on October 9/10 and 16/17. Council members
were asked to prayfully consider their pledges and be
prepared to return their pledge cards at the September
Council meeting.
Council member
nominations
We are grateful that our Council serves
our congregation so faithfully! Each
member can serve for a two-year
term but not more than three terms
consecutively. This is intentional so that
we don’t burn people out and that we
also incorporate diverse voices.
In September, the St. Mark’s Nominating
Committee met to review our Council
members’ terms and to nominate
members for upcoming vacancies. This
coming year, we will have five positions
available, some of which are executive
positions.
We ask you to pray and discern for
yourself about this opportunity to serve.
If you decide that your gifts of service
might be to serve on Council, please
contact Michelle Leedham at 630-518-
5405.
The deadline for nominations is
December 1st. Nominations will be
published in the January Vineyard and
then voted on at our regular annual
meeting on January 30, 2022.
Respectfully,
Michelle Leedham
Nominating Committee
“Now we have received
not the spirit of the world,
but the Spirit that is from God,
in that we may understand the gifts
bestowed on us by God.”
—I Corinthians 2:12
—Emma Albers, Council Secretary
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