Board of Elders Meeting Minutes

        February 11, 2013

Present: Ming-Jer Tsai (Chair), Pastor Caleb Chang, Liqin Chen (Acting Secretary), Ke-Chieh Chu, David Ho

Invited: Chinese Ministry Prayer Meeting Representatives: Mei-en Chang, Irene Chang, Wensong Pan, Rosa Tsai; Stewardship Committee: Howard Chen (Chair); Social Concerns Ministry: Yang-Sheng Tzeng (Chair)

Elder Tsai opened with prayer at 8:00 pm.

1. Church Building Expansion (“CBE”) Project

Elder Chu provided project update, including design for both the 151 Spring St. and main building renovations, current financial situation and expected process and timing for permitting with the City of Lexington. Significant gap remains between CBE pledge goal and received pledges. Permitting activities currently focused on 151 Spring St. renovations. Permit application expected to be filed with the City of Lexington in March, with approval by June.

Elder Chu provided current financial projections for the next five years. Various options for next steps discussed, and BoE encourages congregation to pray for the project’s financing.  Discussion tabled until next BoE meeting.  

2. Ministry Review - Chinese Ministry Tuesday Prayer Meeting

Reviewed accomplishments and challenges. Although prayer meeting has been a great help to the congregation and the importance of prayer is fully recognized, attendance has not been encouraging. Proposed means to improve attendance, including personal invitations, obligation for Church Council members to attend, spiritual sharing, use of more common hymns, special topics/themes for prayer meetings, prayer network, publishing the number of attendees, and teaching on prayer from the pulpit and in Sunday schools and fellowship.

3. Ministry Review – Stewardship Committee

Deacon Chen provided current status, including team member changes, accomplishments and upcoming near term projects (e.g., new roof). Proposed inventory of physical plant and equipment to begin soon. Challenges include management structure and budget approval procedures. Deacon Chen struggles with issues dating back to prior to his term as Chair; BoE suggests that Deacon Chen meet with past Stewardship Committee Chairs for advice and background information.

4. Social Concerns Ministry Budget

Brother Tzeng presented the proposed 2013 budget, which contains a few new ministry projects and support for new organizations. The level of funding currently in the Social Concerns Ministry Fund plus the recently completed pledge will be sufficient to cover the proposed budget. BoE approves the proposed budget.

5. MetroSouth Core Co-Worker Team

Proposed two candidates to join the MetroSouth Core Co-Worker Team: Brothers Hongshu Guan and Ping He would replace two members who will step down. BoE approved both candidates.

6. Pastoral Staff Off Campus Requests (Pastor Caleb excused)

BoE approves the continuation of pastoral support to Boston MetroWest Bible Church at the same level as last year (no more than once per quarter per pastor; to be considered church ministry) while BMWBC continues pastoral search.

BoE did not grant request from pastoral staff to exclude preaching at Chinese Bible Church of Greater Lowell and Chinese Bible Church of Greater Nashua from inclusion in the outside ministry allowance (10 days per year, with maximum of four Sundays) due to overwhelming pastoral needs at CBCGB.

7. Elder Nominations

Elder Tsai provided update.

Elder Chen closed with prayer at 11:00 pm

長老團會議

2013年2月11日

出席：蔡明哲(主席)、章開第牧師、陳利欽(代理秘書) 、朱克潔、何明治。

應邀參加：中文部禱告會代表──張美恩、陳一萍、潘文嵩、戴寰；理事會──陳國榮(主席)；社會關懷事工──曾陽生(主席)。

蔡明哲長老於晚間8時作會前禱告。

1. 教會擴建計畫：

朱長老報告近況，包括：設計整修151號和主要樓層，目前的財務狀況，以及Lexington鎮建築許可的預定進度和時程。教會擴建認獻的目標和實際收到的認獻，還有很大的差距。目前，建築許可的重點集中在151號的整修。建築許可的申請預計於3月提交給Lexington鎮，希望於6月獲批准。

朱長老就目前的財務，放眼未來的五年。討論下一個步驟的各種選擇，長老團鼓勵會眾，為擴建計畫的財務奉獻禱告。下一次會議再繼續討論。

2. 事工檢討－中文部週二禱告會事工

檢討成果和挑戰。雖然禱告會對會眾有很大的幫助，禱告的重要性也得到大家的認同，出席率並不令人滿意。改善出席率的建議，包括個人邀請，教會聯會成員有參加的義務，靈裡的分享，採用熟悉的讚美詩，專題/重點的禱告會，禱告網，公佈禱告會的人數，以及在主日講臺、成人主日學和團契裡，教導如何禱告。

3. 事工檢討－理事會

陳執事報告現況，包括團隊成員的變化，目前的成果和即將進行的短期計畫（例如，新的屋頂）。提出即將開始實體空間和設備的清查。面臨的挑戰包括管理結構和預算核准程序。陳執事對他擔任主席之前已經存在的一些問題，感到困難，長老團建議向過去的理事會主席請教相關背景資料。

4. 社會關懷事工預算

曾弟兄提出了2013年預算，其中包含了一些新的事工計畫和支持新的機構。目前社會關懷事工所保管的奉獻，以及最近完成的認獻，將足以支應所提出的預算。長老團批准該預算。 

5. 南區植堂核心同工團隊

提出了兩名人選加入MetroSouth的核心同工團隊：關洪書和何平將取代兩名將卸任的成員。長老團批准兩位候選人。 

6. 教牧人員外出講道的提出 (開第牧師離席)

在波士頓西郊聖經教會聘牧期間，長老團同意沿用去年的標準（每位牧師一季不超過一次；權衡教會事工），繼續提供講道支持。

由於本教會在牧養上的極度需要，長老團沒有同意教牧人員的請求，排除了把羅威爾華人聖經教會和拿城華人聖經教會的講道，計入准許外出講道的日數中（每年有十天，最多四個主日）。 

7. 長老提名

蔡長老報告現況。

陳長老於晚間11時作結束禱告。