Board of Elders (“BoE”) Meeting Minutes

        June 8, 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).

Invited for Spiritual Formation ministry review and other matters: Pastor David Eng, Chun-Yi Hu, Paul Huang, Pastor Chuck Lowe, Wensong Pan, Jane Yu.  

Elder Tsai opened with prayer at 9:00 am.

1. Devotional sharing: Pastor King-Fai, Elder Tsai, Loren, and Pastor Caleb

2. Spiritual Formation ministry review.

Jane Yu conducted the review for English Ministry (“EM”):

- Sunday School (“SS”): Include both required and elective classes. Approaches to improving the attendance were discussed.

- Discipleship: Demand is high. Both SS classes and one-on-one (paired) mentorship (through Inter-Collegiate Fellowship) have been offered.

- Retreat: Attendance of 60-75 in past years. Typically offsite, Fall Retreat will be moved onsite this year. BoE suggested inviting Chinese Ministry (“CM”).

- Membership:  Steady participation.

- Marriage Mentoring: SS class offered and one-on-one premarital counseling required for all engaged couples.

- Challenges: Low SS attendance (typically 40-50), but stable. One difficulty is the SS time slot (before EM worship), particularly for families with young kids.

Paul Huang conducted the review for CM:

- Ministry includes SS, bookstore and library. CM SS attendance historically about 200-270 while Chinese Sunday worship attendance historically about 650 -700. About 60 coworkers offer around 15 SS classes, including core courses for new members and elective classes. Quarterly coworker training and collaborations with other ministries are offered as an extension of pulpit ministry.

- Challenges: Low SS attendance with only ~40% of Chinese Sunday worship attendance; better understanding of CM needs; starting a mentorship program; need to upgrade SS multi-media functionality.

- Goal: Increase attendance; provide co-worker training such as the theology workshop from July 12-14 taught by Rev. Wilson Chang); update website.

- Long-term goal: Establish CBCGB Bible College for internal advanced training and coworker enrichment, potentially in collaboration with EM and with availability online. 

BoE suggestions: Fellowship support; co-worker training; establishment of principle that no ministry meetings should be scheduled during SS time.

3. BoD updates

Several different tasks are being handled by BoD members throughout the month.  These include:

- Investigating worker's compensation insurance options

- Implementing fire/safety procedures for large events held at CBCGB

- Investigating ways to relocate Friday night groups that use 151 Spring Street during that facility’s renovations this fall. 

4. Report from Senior Pastor:

- The 2nd half of Joshua will be preached this summer.

- Pastors Sandy and Jiang have returned from sabbatical.  Pastor King-Fai assisted MetroSouth during Pastor Jiang’s sabbatical.

- Pastor Chuck has prepared substitutes during his sabbatical.

- Pastoral staff annual review will start soon.

- Church vision-setting process by BoE expected to move forward with follow-up meetings after the pastoral staff annual reviews are completed.

- Two CM theological seminars will be conducted during the summer by Rev. Wilson Chang and Dr. Wellesley Hu, offered through CES華神.

- Long awaited website redesign should go-live soon.

5. Pastoral staff hiring:

Pastor Caleb raised the need for a CM pastor and prepared the job description. All pastors are all occupied with other ministries. Pastor Steve Chang is the only one who helps the CM congregation, with over 700 members, and his focus is on the Care ministry. Urgent needs include CM discipleship training, small group leadership training and ministry development.

Discussions: In general, there were no objections to getting a CM pastor. The candidate can be sought both internally and externally. Internally, we may consider reassignment of pastors’ duties to better cover the CM ministry. Senior Pastor may help identify ministry tasks for possible sharing among pastors, including those in MetroSouth and/or City Outreach Ministry. One concern was raised about the role of the senior pastor once a CM pastor is hired. The BOE will continue to discuss this in the next meeting.

6. Additional discussion items

- Church Council (“CC”) retreat planning: 25 CC members + 6 invitees confirmed. The agenda includes budget approval, strategic planning, and special topics by Dana Baker from Grace Chapel.

- CM information session will be held in the Chapel on June 16, in the format of a town hall meeting. The date for a corresponding EM information session will be determined.

- Church employment records: The BoE recognized the necessity to maintain basic employment records. The BoE requested that the Human Resources Committee (“HRC”) draft a proposal for what should be included in the employment record. BoE also suggested that the employment record be maintained by the HRC.

- Young Professional Fellowship (“YPF”) holds an annual Spiritual Retreat, and is expecting 20 students to come this year. The students need financial support for the event. YPF requested permission from the BoE to subsidize $100 per student to cover part of the retreat cost (total of $2,000). BoE proposes YPF apply for funding through the proper channel - Local Mission. Subject to CC approval, BoE asks Local Mission to add the amount of $2,000 to the 2014 budget for the event.  Evaluation of the various student ministries (NEWS, CPM, and YPF) will be reviewed in the near future.

7. CBE update

- CBE architects have completed the architectural design – the land survey and drawings for the 151 Spring Street building renovation are done.

- Permit application preparation is underway; working on drainage plan and HVAC and fire protection/sprinkler system design. Plan to submit permit application from mid-to-end of June; hoping to get permit in July.

- Will start searching for contractors in August if all goes as expected.

- Total offering received up to end of May 2013 for CBE Project is $272,926 since the start of the pledge in December 2012. The goal is $1 million by the end of next year.

- Promotion Team is working on Newsletter.

8. Deacon nomination committee has been formed:

David Ho (Chair), Joseph Cheung, John Cintolo, Yuguang He, Han-Tai Lu, Wensong Pan, Fang-yin Yen.

Elder Chen closed with prayer on 12:45 pm.

長老團會議記錄

2013年6月8日

出席：蔡明哲（主席），章開第牧師，陳利欽（秘書），蔡景輝牧師，朱克潔，何明治，楊德禮，施志寧（執事會主席）。

為靈命建造事工及其它事項受邀參加者：吳經權牧師，胡中義，黃俊文，盧植德牧師，潘文嵩，Jane Yu。

蔡長老於上午9點以禱告開始今天會議。

1. 靈修分享：蔡景輝牧師、蔡長老、施志寧和開第牧師。

2. 靈命建造事工回顧：

Jane Yu 主導英文部事工的檢討：

-主日學： 包括必修和選修課程。對提高出席的方法進行了討論。

-門徒訓練：需求很大。 提供主日學課程和一對一（配對）的輔導（通過校園團契） 。

-退修會：在過去幾年有60-75出席。通常在教會外；今年秋季退修會將於教會內舉行。長老團建議邀請中文部事工參加。

-會員：  有穩定的參與。

-婚姻輔導：主日學課程和 一對一婚前輔導是準夫婦必修的。

-挑戰：主日學出席率低（一般為40-50），但很穩定。主日學時間（英文崇拜前）是困難的原因之一，特別是對有年幼孩子的家庭。

黃俊文主導中文事工的檢討：

-事工包括主日學、小書房和圖書館。中文主日學出席人數約200-270，而主日崇拜人數平均約650 -700。約60個同工開辦大約15種主日學課程，包括新信徒的核心課程和選修課。同工的季度培訓和與其它事工的合作作為講壇事奉的延伸。

-挑戰：主日學出席率低，大約只有主日崇拜人數的40％；更好地了解中文事工的需要；開始輔導計劃；主日學多媒體功能需要更新。

-目標：增加出勤率；提供同工培訓，比如從7月12日至14日的張宗培牧師的神學講座；更新網站。

-長期目標：建立CBCGB聖經學院，用以作內部進深培訓和同工建造；可能與英文事工合作，及使用網絡。 

長老團建議：獎學金支持；同工訓練；確立一個原則，即不要在主日學時間安排事工會議。

3. 執事會報告：

執事會成員這個月處理了幾個不同的任務。包括：

- 研究職員的保險補償方案。

-在CBCGB舉行大型活動時，消防/安全程序的實行。

- 研究在今年秋季對151號房子改建時期，對週五晚上使用該地方的團契的安置。 

4. 主任牧師報告；

-今年夏天將講道約書亞記後半部份。

-Sandy牧師和韋江牧師安息年休假返回。景輝牧師在韋江牧師休假期間協助了南區的事工。

-Chuck牧師為他安息年休假安排好了代理。

-教牧同工年度檢討即將開始。

-由長老團主導的教會異象制定程序將于教牧同工年度檢討之後繼續召開會議。

-中文堂在暑期將主辦兩個系列的神學講座，分別由張宗培牧師和華神的胡維華牧師主講。

-期待已久的重新設計的網站不久即將上線。

5. 教牧同工的招聘：

開第牧師提出需要一個中文堂牧師，并草擬了工作職掌。所有的牧師都已經排滿了事工安排。現在中文堂只有子義牧師幫助服侍超過700名會眾，並且他的服侍重點是關懷事工。迫切需要包括中文堂門徒訓練、小組帶領人的培訓和事工的發展。

討論：總的說，在招聘中文堂牧師事項上沒有反對意見。候選人可以來自教會內部或外部。在內部，我們可能考慮重新分配牧師的職責，以便更好地涵蓋中文堂事工。主任牧師可以幫助分配事工任務，協調牧師們分擔，包括南區和/或城區外展事工的牧師。一個引起關注的問題是聘請中文堂牧師后，主任牧師的職責。長老團將在下次會議繼續討論這個問題。

6. 其他討論項目

- 牧長執聯會退修會計劃：已經確定了25個聯會成員外加6個特邀人員。會議議程包括批准預算、策略規劃，和由來自Grace Chapel的Dana Baker提供的專題講座。

- 中文堂信息會議將在6月16日在副堂舉行，是以市政會議的形式舉行。相應的英文堂信息會議的日期待定。

-教會員工聘期記錄：長老團認識到保留基本員工記錄的必要性。長老團要求，由人力資源委員會起草一份員工記錄所應包含的項目，并建議由人力資源委員會維護員工記錄。

-社青團契（“YPF”）每年舉行一次退修會，預計今年會有20名學生參加，並且需要資助。社青團契向長老團請求為每名學生提供100元的資助，作為對退修會費用的部份支持（總共2,000元）。長老團提出社青團契應通過適合的管道——本地宣教事工——來申請經費。由於需要經過聯會批准，長老團要求本地宣教事工在2014年為這個退修會加列2,000元預算。對各項學生事工（NEWS，CPM 和社青團契）的評估，將在不久以後開展。

7. 擴堂（CBE）更新

- CBE建築師已完成建築設計- 土地調查和151號房屋更新的圖紙已經完成。

-許可證的申請準備工作正在進行;排水計劃、暖通空調和消防/噴水滅火系統設計工作正在進行。計劃于6月中下旬提交許可證申請，預計7月份可以得到建築許可。

- 如果一切都如預期，8月份將開始尋找承包商。

- 自2012年12月開始認獻，截止2013年5月底CBE項目收到的奉獻共272,926美元。我們的目標是在明年年底前達到100萬美元。

- 推廣團隊正在製作新聞通訊。

8. 執事提名委員會已經組成：

何明治（主席）、張培智、沈約翰、何煜光、盧漢台，潘文嵩、李芳英。

下午12:45陳長老帶領禱告結束會議。