Location: Ahavas Israel

Reviewing curricula for "post Year 1" for all our Covenant Groups.

Groups which have completed the Branches © experience (Year 1 – the Vision Quest) are in a different category than possible newly forming groups which have NOT completed that part of the church experience. We agreed unanimously that we wish to encourage ALL members of the church to commit to a “Year of Study” and to complete the Vision Quest.

Groups which have completed the “Vision Quest” process (groups 2, 3, 4, and 6) seem to be achieving reasonable success with group-generated program/curriculum ideas. The board decided that developing new or additional curricula/programming for these groups is not necessary at this time, but we will attempt to learn from each group about the resources and programming activities which were successful, and keep these in an “idea bank”.

People who are founding members, or who have completed the Vision Quest in now-defunct Branches © groups, or who (for whatever reason) wish to leave an existing group, may be interested in forming covenant group(s) that use a program other than the Vision Quest book, just as ongoing Branches © groups develop other forms of programming suitable for the needs of the group and its component members. In a few months time, after the launch of the next Branches © group (Group 9!), we will contact the identifiable members of this cohort of ASCC members to see if there is interest in establishing “Non-Branches” Covenant groups. We do NOT want these groups to be (or be thought of) as “competition for the Branches © Vision Quest.

Letter to Roots graduates calling for formation of new Branches group(s), and possibly “Non-Branches Covenant Groups” . See handout from KMJ, 5 pages.

The letter and handout were reviewed, and the letter to Roots © graduates was accepted with minor modifications. KMJ will be sending the letter to all graduates of the upcoming Roots © class, as well as previous Roots © graduates who are NOT currently members of operating Branches © groups, inviting them to organize and form new Branches © groups for the Vision Quest experience. Timing is estimated at mid to late March for the organizational meeting. KMJ will ask Brent for ideas for possible new leaders, and those leaders will be invited to join the Branches Leaders 2 group (the other Branches © Leaders group is evidently defunct). New, “Non-Branches” group formation will be later in the church year.

 

 

Dates, location and program ideas for summer 2007 “ALL-Branches” picnic

We are planning for a Sunday afternoon in July picnic for 2007 to avoid the time crunch experienced last year in May. A picnic seems like the best type of program, with each group sharing insight into their experiences of the year, as has been the tradition. Branches © group 9 should be up and running by then, and will be the guests of the other groups. We may also have alternative groups established by then under the Covenant Board umbrella, but no decision was made as to the suitability of inviting that group (or groups) to participate at this time.

Getting Covenant groups to assume responsibility for chalice lighting in services.

Group 8 did December, group 6 covered January, Group 3 has volunteered for February, group 5 for March, group 2 in April. When Branches © group 9 forms in March, we may ask if that group can cover May, both to round out the year and as a way of “acknowledging” the new group.

Review budget for incoming board to be selected in June, 2007 (4 months from now).

Board took this issue under advisement, took no action at this time.

Approve expenditures for SGM network, 2 book purchases, BYOT curriculum.

Board authorized purchase of 4 books on Small Group Ministry and leadership issues, as well as a $65.00 congregational membership in the SGM network. KMJ will pay, then request reimbursement. Look for Large Print in the books, if available.

Setting up new groups (and new kinds of groups) within ASCC.

a. How, what criteria define Cov. Bd. Role, who does what?

i. Covenant groups “should” all begin with the Vision Quest.

ii. Covenant groups are intentionally designed to be “long lived” and have stable membership

iii. Differences between “Affinity groups”, “Service groups”, “Social groups”, “adult RE/Topical groups” and covenant groups need to be explored and understood. We hope that some of the books we are purchasing will assist this board and the entire church to understand those distinctions.

b. BOT review? What needs to be done for new groups (not year 2 of existing Branches groups)?

i. At this time, nothing. We will discuss again in March and April to see what we might do late in Church year.

c. What is our “vision” for groups?

i. Covenant Board will investigate the possibility of creating a “library cart” (similar to the hymnal cart) with video, DVD and book-based resources all Covenant groups can share.

d. Should we survey membership?

i. Maybe, but not now.

 

Status of book – when we need to reprint, how can we get electronic version, where are copyright letters, etc.

KMJ will contact Sue Belaski to obtain electronic version of the book for printing. Sue might also have whatever copyright correspondence there is, so she will be asked to provide what there is.

Cost to print has been “guesstimated” at ~$5.00 per copy (in unknown print run size) by Ruth B and Sue B, based on past experience.

Begin to select new board members for next year

e. Membership criteria

i. We will try to revise our board bylaws to allow ALL members of Covenant groups be eligible to serve on the Board, as the pool of eligible members is currently too small to get a large and active board.

ii. Board unanimously agreed that ALL members of groups which have gone to a “rotating leadership” model meet the criteria for eligibility to Covenant Board membership.

f. Rotating membership means all group members eligible?

g. Size of board?

i. Bylaws allow 3 to 7 members. More members (if they can commit time and effort) would allow more in-depth leadership training, group mentoring, curriculum development, etc.

ii. Problem is the small pool of eligible persons, coupled with the “burnout facto” many active church members are experiencing.

A nominating Committee is needed to recruit new Board members for the 2007/2008 church year. All board members will take this under advisement and begin to look for volunteers for this task.

 

Transition plan

h. No specific action taken at this meeting, but the board expressed its intention to give the subsequent board the accumulated “work product” (notes, minutes, programming ideas and issues, etc., etc., as well as a proposed budget with some explanation of the reasoning for the line items) that we have generated over the course of this church year.