Sabbatical Meeting

February 22-23^, 2008

Spanish Fort Presbyterian Church

5-5:45 p.m. – Registration

5:45-6:30 p.m. – Dinner

6:40-7:40 p.m. – Small Groups

7:45-9:00 p.m. – Worship

Call to Worship – Groups called to worship by Handbells and Handbell Choir

·         Open time of sharing and presentation from written reports

·         Sharing our Journey of Faith – Matt McCollum

Sermon – Rev. Samford Turner

·         Moment for Mission by Bill Wills

8:00-8:30 a.m. – Registration

8:30-9:15 a.m. – Breakfast

·         Welcome

·         Examination of Ministers/CLP

9:30-10:30 a.m. – Small Groups

10:45-12:00 p.m. – Worship

Scripture Reading – Sandy Lacey

Sharing our Journey of Faith – Sandy Lacey

·         Open sharing and requests from written reports

·         Sharing our Journey of Faith – Seoyum Son and Dee Koza

Commissioning Prayer accompanied by the Laying on of Hands and Anointing with Oil – Dr. Mark Mueller

Invitation to Anointing and to the Table – Dr. Mark Mueller/Rev. Doug Resler

 

 

 

1.      That the Presbytery approve the End of Year 2007 Financial Report (see attached).

 

2.      That the Presbytery approve the final report on the Capital Fund Campaign and approve the final distribution of funds (see attached).

 

3. That the Presbytery approve the plan of the Hispanic Ministry Committee for the future of our Hispanic Ministry in South Baldwin County (see attached).

 

4.   That the Presbytery approve the Final Budget for 2008 (see attached).

 

5.   That the Presbytery approve the request of the Union Church in Arguta (north   of Ozark, AL) to sell 40 acres of land, the proceeds of which will help with the ongoing maintenance of its cemetery and the maintenance of the Church building. This may seem like a strange request, but this land was given to the Church about 100 years ago for the express purpose of aiding the Church in just this way. The 40 acres is not adjacent to the 68 acres upon which the Church and the cemetery are located, but is a separate parcel of land. Almost all of the 40 acres are wetlands and are not suitable for farming or the growing of trees. The proceeds of the sale will be used for the purposes named above. Additionally, the Church has about 200 acres (also separate from the property around the Church) that was also given for the same purposes. The Church has leased some of this land over the years to farmers and cut timber on other land with the proceeds accomplishing the same purposes.

 

         

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Date: December 31, 2007

 

To:     Members of Administration and Visioning Divisions

 

From: Diane Williams

_________________________________________________________

 

The Preliminary Financial Statement for December 2007 is attached.** Highlights of the month's activity are as follows:

Some of our churches are behind in their loans, but most of the Development Fund Loans are up to date.

 

Our General Fund balance is $21,673.

The General Fund Reserve is now $50,000.

Development Funds available are at $82,315.

Hispanic Ministry is $32,048.

Unrestricted Pledged receipts are over budget by $218 or 1% for the month and under budget $7,942 or 2% for the year. Compared with last year, this year's receipts have increased by $21,527 or 6%.

Presbytery Operating Expenses are under budget by $13,367 or 37% for the  month and under budget $22,336 or 5% for the year. Compared with last year, this year’s expenses have increased by $24,380 or 6%.

 

Included with this Financial Report is the December report of 2007 pledges and receipts from the churches.

 

 

 

 

 

Capital Funds as of 12/31/07                          $166,672.50

Interest on Funds                                                24,994.68

            Balance of Funds Excluding Int.         141,677.82

 

Division of Funds according to Plan (85% NCD, 10% Hisp. Min., 5% Camp. Min.)

 

            Designated for Hispanic Min.             $ 7,800.00

            10% of Cap. Funds                                77,809.32

                        Total                                        $85,609.32

 

            Designated for Camp. Min.                $ 3,896.00

            5% of Cap. Funds                                  38,904.66

                        Total                                        $ 42,800.66

 

            Balance of Funds Excluding Int.        $141,677.68

                        Less total Hisp/Camp. Min.      128,409.98

                        Total left in Cap. Funds          $ 13,267.70

 

Spring Hill Church originally made a $300,000 pledge to the Capital Funds Campaign. They will continue to pay toward that pledge until they have completed their pledge.

To date, they have paid just over $152,000.

They will begin Church Based Campus Ministry in 2009 in association with Ala. Pres. Campus Ministry Board. They would like to designate their annual payments to the Capital Campaign to support this Campus Ministry (about $23,585.00 per year).

 

We think we should support them in so doing. Because of this pledge to Campus Ministry, which will total about $150,000.00, we suggest that we combine the funds shown above for Hispanic Ministry and Campus Ministry - $ 128,409.98 - and make that money available for the new direction for Hispanic Ministry as per the plan attached.

 

This would honor both our commitment to Hispanic Ministry and Campus Ministry as both of these endeavors move in new directions.

 

Further, we suggest that we take the accrued interest noted above   $ 24,994.68

And the amount left over from the Cap. Funds                                 $ 13,267.70

            Total                                                                                        $ 38,262.38

 

And keep that money ($38,262.38) in the Cap. Fund Account for Christ Presbyterian Church as it may need it in the 2-3 years to come.   Any balance remaining after that time would go into the New Church Development Fund.

To meet the spiritual needs of the growing Hispanic population in South                  Alabama, and in Baldwin County in particular.

 

For a number of years the Presbytery of South Alabama has supported an Hispanic Ministry program with that program nested in the First Presbyterian Church of Foley, Alabama. During this time the Presbytery has attempted several “models” of ministry to encourage growth and participation. These models have included calling ordained pastors, for short periods of time, from Mexico (Presbyterian Church of Mexico—PCM) and calling, part-time from within the community itself, a lay person who was trained and subsequently ordained as a Commissioned Lay Pastor of the PCUSA. Difficulties with calling pastors from Mexico include immigration and visa problems and cultural adjustments (language, medical and legal needs of community, etc). The need to have a full time pastor (and part-time staff) dedicated to reaching out to the growing Hispanic community has become evident.

                        Preaching and hearing the word

                        Communion

                        Music

                        Adult Bible classes

                        Children and youth Bible classes

                        English as a second language classes

                        Health and medical

                        Immigration

                        Legal (justice system, court assistance)

                        Translation services

                        Housing assistance

                        Community Advocacy

                        Fellowship

                        Developing a mission “attitude” among members

                        Neighbors helping neighbors (Vecinos ayudando a los vecinos)

                        Flyers and advertising

                        Marketing the program both within the Hispanic community

                            as well as within the local municipal and business community

·         Full time pastor

                  Fluency in Spanish and good English required

                  Preferably Hispanic

·         Assistant pastor

·         Music director (part-time position)

·         Social service coordinator (part-time position)

·         Translator (simultaneous translations in Worship)

·         Teachers (part-time positions)

·         Ordained pastor:                      $50,000  per year (5 year assignment)

·         Assistant pastor:                      $ 7,800 per year

·         Music director:                         $ 5,000 per year

·         Social services coordinator:     $ 4,800 [$12.00 per hour (8hrs/wk/yr)]

·         Teachers: Volunteers

·         Rent to Foley 1^st :                  $   2,400  per year

·         Translator:                               $   2,500  per year

·         Miscellaneous:                        $   4,800  per year

                                                                   $ 77,300

 

 

                                                                                                             $ 77,300

            services

·         Advertising: Prepare flyers and print ads in Spanish and deliver to

            Tiendas, Mexican restaurants, and worker placement agencies

January 2008:            Develop and present plan to Presbytery Visioning Division

February 2008:          Present plan to Presbytery at February meeting (Feb 22&23)

March - May 2008:    Develop job descriptions for staff positions

                                     Develop and write New Church Development Grant for

                                        funding to begin in 2009

June 2008:                 Advertise for and seek qualified persons to fill positions (Assistant

                                       Pastor position to be filled by current Lay Pastor Armando

                                       Guevara)

July 2008:                   Call Music director and social services coordinator (filled by

                                       current social services coordinator)

Spring 2009:              Call Hispanic Pastor