Board of Elders Meeting Minutes

        March 9, 2013

Present: Ming-Jer Tsai (Chair), Pastor Caleb Chang, Liqin Chen (Acting Secretary), Pastor King-Fai Choi, Ke-Chieh Chu, David Ho, Loren Shih (Chair, Board of Deacons), Emily Cheng (CC Secretary).

Invited fellowship ministry review: Xinyu Li, Meagan Chan, Chuck Lowe, David Eng, Xinwen Wang.

Elder Tsai opened with prayer at 9:00 am.

1. EM fellowship ministry review.

Meagan presented EM fellowship, on behalf of EML Fellowship Core, which includes Emily Cheng, Pastor Chuck and Pastor David. Currently there are 6 fellowship groups: ICF, Charis, Compass, Home Groups, MAPS and GPS. Total number of attendees of these fellowships is estimated at 160, about 2/3 of the Sunday worship attendance. Bible study topics are at choice of fellowships. Some follow the preaching, but some do not. Pre-study is common for those not follow preaching.

Pastor Chuck raised the challenges in promoting fellowships. How to encourage people to give up a part of their friend circles and join fellowships in Christ.

Suggestions and comments: sharing between EM & CM fellowship ministry leaders on annual basis (e.g., promotion events), joint CM and EM fellowship leadership training on generic topics.

2. Devotional sharing: Elder tsai shared for a few minutes his recent trip to Israel.

3. Pastor report from Senior Pastor Caleb:

* Preaching: completed the Book of Revelation, along with Daniel series. People are not turned away by the serious teaching; instead many new believers are attracted to the throne of the God Almighty.

* Exchanging preachers between CM & EM and inviting Youth Pastor preaching CM

*PM Service has gone on with a little growth, since moved to 1:15pm.

*Positive improvement seen in CM Weekly Prayer Meeting.

*April CM special conference will be special mission revival conference between 4/26~4/28, with speaker of Robert Cheng鄭昌世牧師.

* The long planned welcome video should be ready in a month.

3. BoD updates

Head deacon Loren Shih gave an update on the February BoD meeting. Items included:

* BoD approved the cost for renovating the women's restroom partitions on 2nd floor (outside sanctuary). New restroom signs have been installed.

* Finance committee is looking for improved strategies for investing CBCGB's liquid assets. Elder Ming Tsai mentioned that any investment strategy will have to be conservative.

* BoD is tracking the A/V chapel improvements. The budget for these improvements was approved already, but Pastor Caleb Chang is interested in the status of progress being made.

4. CM fellowship review

Overall, CM fellowships are growing and  well involved in various church ministries. All are self-sufficient. Some fellowships even run their own retreat. The challenges and concerns include: dependent on Awana program (in-church groups are growing but off-church groups are declining), big portion of Friday attendees do not attend Sunday service, some fellowships are lack of Bible study leader, key coworkers are drawn away to serve Awana program, some groups are getting too big, space is limited on Friday but not willing to move to Saturday, how to prevent the tendency of becoming Christian "social club".

proposals: provide leadership training to new coordinators, similar to Small Group Leader Training by Pastor Caleb; In addition, mentorship should also be considered to coordinators: Update fellowship mentor program (by pastors and elders);Encourage more mature Christians helping fellowships in need.

Action item: Planning for Sunday school or summer class for fellowship coordinator training, promote church leaders and mature Christians helping fellowships, encourage fellowships share available space with other fellowships in needs.

5. CBE project brief update from KC (more detailed info see special BoE meeting minutes 2/21/2013)

The project planning and expectations:

* Fundraising Goal: $1 M Cash Donation by Dec. 2014. A thermometer will be installed in the lobby for fundraising status indication.

* Issue Church Bond Up To $1 M by Dec. 2013

* Issue Monthly or Bi-Monthly CBET Newsletter Starting April 15, 2013

* 151 Renovation Permit Approval from Lexington Town by June, 2013

* Start 151 Renovation Construction by July, 2013

One issue was raised, that all users of #151 facility, fellowships and ministries, need to be rearranged during construction for the renovation.

6. Other businesses

* Stewardship: Property Manager support stewardship ministry 100%, and will report to Stewardship committee only. Both should serve church together with diligence and joy.

* Clarified Employment Record keeping

Elder Chu closed with prayer on 1:00 pm

長老團會議記錄

2013年3月9日

出席：蔡明哲 (主席) 、章開第牧師、陳利欽 (代理秘書) 、蔡景輝牧師、朱克潔、何明治、施志寧 (執事會主席) 、劉安玲 (聯會秘書)。

受邀參與團契事工檢討：李新宇、Meagan Chan、盧植德牧師、吳經權、汪新文。

蔡長老於上午 9 時作會前禱告。

1. 英語部團契事工檢討

  Meagan代表英文部團契核心同工劉安玲、盧牧師、吳牧師等，簡報英文部團契。目前有大專生(ICF)、恩典(Charis)、羅盤(Compass)、家庭小組、MAPS和GPS六個團契小組。參與團契的總人數，約有160人，約佔英文主日敬拜人數的三分之二。查經的主題由團契決定，有些團契按主日講道內容，有些團契沒有，後者普遍都有預查。   

  盧牧師對推動團契事工發出挑戰：如何鼓勵大家走出一部份的朋友圈子，參與在基督裡的團契。建議和總評：每年有華語部和英語部團契負責人的分享 (如：推廣活動)，參與華、英語部團契負責人在一般性主題的訓練。 

2. 靈修分享：蔡長老以幾分鐘的時間分享了最近以色列聖地之旅。

3. 開第牧師教牧報告：

* 講道：連同但以理書系列，把啟示錄講完，聽眾對嚴肅的教導並未轉身，反而有很多初信者，被全能神的寶座所吸引。

* 華語部和英語部傳道人的交替，並且邀請青少年牧師到華語部傳講。

*下午堂敬拜移到下午 1:15後，有一些成長。

*華語部的每週禱告會有可喜的改善。 

*將於4/26~4/28舉辦華語部培靈特會，講員為鄭昌世牧師。

* 經過長期計畫的迎賓短片將於一個月內出爐。 

3. 執事會近況

施志寧主席報告二月執事會議的更新事項如下：

* 執事會通過整修二樓女衛生間（大堂對面）隔間的開銷。衛生間的新標示牌已經完成。

* 財務委員會正尋求改善本教會流動性資產的投資策略，蔡長老提及，任何投資策略都要保守。

* 執事會正研商改善副堂的視聽設備。這項改善的預算己經通過，開第牧師想等到有更進一步的改善決策。 

4. 華語部團契事工檢討

  總括而論，華語部團契正在成長，並且都很積極地參與許多教會的事工。所有團契都可以自足，有些團契甚至自己辦營會。所面對的挑戰與關切，包括：依賴AWANA(教會內的團契成長，但教會外的團契縮小)，很大一部分參加週五晚上聚會的，並未參加主日敬拜；一些團契缺少帶領查經的；主要的同工被召去服事AWANA；有一些團契太大，週五的空間有限，但又不願移到週六；如何防止團契走向基督徒社交的形式。

  建議：為新的負責人供提領袖訓練，類似開第牧師的小組訓練課程；此外，負責人要重視輔導的工作：（牧長們）提供新近的團契輔導計畫，鼓勵更多成熟的基督徒到有需要的團契去幫助他们成长。 

  跟進事項：為團契負責人計畫主日學課程或暑期班訓練；造就教會領導和成熟的基督徒來協助團契；鼓勵團契跟有需要的團契分享可用的空間。 

5. 克潔作教會擴建近況簡報 (詳見2月21日長老團特別會議記錄)

計畫的訂定和預期：

* 奉獻目標：2014年12月底以前，完成一百萬美元現金奉獻。在大廳設置了一個溫度圖表，可見奉獻的情形。 

* 在2013年12月以前，發行至多一百萬美元的教會債券。

*在2013年4月開始，發行教會擴建消息月刊或雙月刊。

*2013年6月，Lexington鎮核發整修151號的批准文件。

* 2013年7月整建工程開始。

將產生一個問題：目前使用151號設施的團契和事工，在整建施工期間，需要重新規畫使用空間。 

6. 其他

* 產物管理委員會：產物經理百分之百支持產物管理事工，並且只對委員會作報告。兩方要以努力和喜樂的心同工，為教會服事。 

* 釐清聘僱記錄的保管。

朱長老於下午1時作結束禱告。