The March meeting of the Simplified Accountable Leadership Board included a beautiful devotion, reporting on how our church has remained active during COVID-19 times, collecting and improving policies, reviewing finances (generally positive), continued visioning, the sanctuary flooring replacement proposal and plans to return to the sanctuary for worship. Read a bit about each of these topics below.
Devotion: from Grounded by Diana Butler Bass https://dianabutlerbass.com/books/grounded-finding-god-in-the-world-a-spiritual-revolution/ — treating our neighbors with empathy and mutual responsibility.
Church activity during COVID – the Care Team, Inclusivity, Outreach, the Green Team, UMW, small study groups, the Music programs and others have kept busy using a mixture of caution and enthusiasm. Gratitude to all who have worked to keep our church’s mission active and alive!
Policies – over the years, various policies have been carefully created for the benefit of our church. A subteam of the Board is collecting these, and in some cases improving them, so that they will be in one place and available to future teams.
Finances – our PPP loan from last year will likely be fully forgiven, and the paperwork for such is ready to file as soon as the bank is ready to accept it. We want to continue to celebrate that 2020 finished in the black even without this loan!
Visioning – in addition to themes of staying connected during COVID and pressing forward with initiatives to add members, this month’s new visioning theme was attracting and keeping younger families. More thought and discussion is needed. Stephanie reminds us to focus on things we already do well, that we can build on.
Sanctuary floor replacement – the carpet is stained and crinkling, and staff has recommended i) replacement with a vinyl wood-look product, and ii) adding a ramp to allow for handicapped access to the altar area. We are seeking more congregational input prior to a final project approval. See FAQs and a summary of the project on the church’s website.
Returning to the Sanctuary – assuming COVID numbers continue to decline, we hope to return to the sanctuary when the flooring project is completed, although during the summer we may continue outdoor worship as well. Online worship is something we want to maintain long-term, so the future will include producing both in-person and remote worship opportunities.