CBCGB Church Council Minutes, Q1 of 2015

        March 21, 2015

中文翻譯在末後段落

1. In Attendance:

1. Board of Elders (“BoE”): Liqin Chen (Chair), Ke-Chieh Chu, Yuguang He, Timothy Lu
2. Board of Deacons (“BoD”): Joshua Chang, Christopher Cheng (Secretary), Chun-Yi Hu, Lance Pan, Phil Sailer, Beata Shih, Ji-Yong Wang (Treasurer), Xin-Wen Wang, Jimin Xiong, Haiguo Wu (Head Deacon), Jian Zhang
3. Pastoral Staff: Minister Steven Bowman, Sr. Pastor Caleb Chang, Pastor David Eng, Pastor Sandy Liu, Minister Jennifer Lin, Pastor Chuck Lowe, Pastor Ju-Ta Pan, Pastor Jiang Wei
4. Absent:

1. Elders: David Ho, Terry Yang
2. Pastors: Pastor Steve Chang (sabbatical), Minister Yuegang Zhang

2. Location: Church office basement

3. Meeting Agenda & Minutes

1. Meeting started at 9:11 am.  Pastor Caleb opened in prayer.
2. Pastoral staff reports

1. Senior Pastor report (Pastor Caleb)

1. Praise God for:

1. Church was only cancelled one Sunday thus far this winter.
2. The Sharon property purchase vote passed with a high approval rate.

2. 151 Spring Street will be complete in June.  Fellowship and Sunday school ministries, along with stewardship will work to arrange room assignments.
3. Upcoming events:

1. Spring Mandarin Gospel Meeting (next weekend)
2. Good Friday (4/3) with joint communion
3. Easter Sunday (4/5): no communion because of Good Friday service
4. Baptism (4/26)
5. Mother’s day (5/10)
6. Memorial day retreat (5/23-25)

2. The pastors also noted that many youth and college kids need prayer for personal crisis.

3. Board of Deacons update (Deacon Haiguo)

1. Stewardship accomplishments

1. Main building

1. Re-roofing project is complete and related water damage was repaired.
2. Insulation was added around right side sanctuary thermostat.
3. Church basement closet sliding doors were fixed.
4. The elevator, which broke on January 3, was repaired.
5. Fluorescent lights were all replaced and closets were cleaned.
6. All annual inspections passed (elevator, fire alarm and sprinkler).

2. Church office:

1. Office bathroom renovation was completed.
2. Unused basement sink was removed to provide more space.
3. Office basement boiler pump water leakage was addressed.

3. Carriage house and outside

1. Oil boiler maintenance.
2. As part of CBET, space has been cleared on the hill for parking (90 cars) which can be used once snow has melted.
3. Cut down dead tree and removed dirt/rocks.
4. RCN installed a telephone line on a temporary pole.

4. Peter Huang retired at end of 2014.  Eric Young has assumed his responsibilities.
5. Deacon Lawrence relocated to Taiwan after the February meeting.  The Board of Elders will appoint an interim deacon to complete his term ending in December.

2. Upcoming special projects

1. HVAC system in the main building basement, pending church council approval.
2. Sanctuary gas heaters
3. Grading around the main building foundation and walking path behind church office
4. Vinyl floor tiling repair in church office and main building basements
5. Protective railing in front of the church office basement water heater
6. Main building flooring service (carpet and vinyl tiles)

3. IT and worship accomplishment

1. Security cameras installed and functional.  Board of Elders can access footage only when there is an incident or for routine maintenance.
2. Network infrastructure renovation complete.  CBCGB-main is only for pastoral staff, thermostats, and children’s ministry check-in computers.  All others who need network access should use CBCGB-guest.
3. Sanctuary computer upgraded.

4. FY2015 approved capital expenditures

1. Jan: $5,500 was approved for an in-ear monitor system for English ministry worship.
2. Feb: $55,000 was approved to support the Metro-south property purchase.
3. So far $162,500 has been approved and $245,000 has been spent in FY15 (including $199,520 spent for re-roofing which was approved in FY14).

4. Board of Elders update (Elder Liqin)

1. Pastor Steven Chin’s presentation at the last church council meeting about building church leadership was well received.
2. Ministry reviews have been transitioned to a “need-based” model to focus on ministries that may need support from the Board of Elders due to ministry transitions or other reasons.
3. Elder Timothy is in charge of reviewing church policies and identifying those that need updates/revisions.
4. Community outreach committee is in process of being formed.
5. Special thanks to  the Board of Deacons for handling the logistics of the financial plan and special membership meeting for the Metro-south property purchase.
6. The Board of Elders has asked Metro-south co-workers to create a plan/timetable for how Metro-south will become independent from the mother church.
7. Church vision

1. The elders have been holding monthly prayer meetings and reading books/studies to inform the church vision.
2. A first draft was created in January and discussed with the pastoral staff.
3. The church vision process is being delayed for a few months so that the draft can be refined and all of church leadership can be unified.
4. Elder Liqin encouraged everyone to promote prayer and solicit feedback from the congregation for this vision process.
5. The church council will have a retreat about the church vision in June.

5. Quarterly Financial Report (Deacon Ji-yong)

Deacon Ji-yong reported on the church’s current financial situation.  He gave an overview of the various monthly financial reports generated by the finance committee.

Ji-Yong also encouraged ministry leaders to submit their budget requests on time for the annual budget review process which begins next month.

For the General Fund budget summary - up to February 28, our total expense is at 61.1% and our total offering is at 76.5% of the total annual budget after eight months of the fiscal year.

8. Except for the general fund, YTD includes accumulated carry-over from previous years.
9. The total CBE project donations since December 2012 has been $857,148.59.

6. Budget and capital request approvals

1. Church van ministry (Jeff Zhang)

1. There were unexpected van repairs required in January totalling $2,200.
2. The Quincy outreach ministry van anticipates incurring previously unplanned parking costs of around $1,000.
3. Deacon Xinwen motioned to increase the van ministry budget (Acct 54200) by $3,200 from $7,000 to $10,200.  Pastor Caleb seconded.  The motion passed unanimously.

2. Chinese ministry worship (Pastor Caleb)

1. The piano tuning budget has been exceeded because originally, the existing piano was to have been replaced already.  This replacement is delayed pending the completion of 151 Spring Street (where the existing piano will go).
2. Deacon Lance motioned to increase piano tuning budget (Acct 55050) by $1,300 from $2,000 to $3,300.  Pastor Sandy seconded.  The motion passed unanimously.
3. The Sunday flower team has requested more budget due to:

1. Adding/updating plants in the sanctuary
2. Adding fresh flowers in the sanctuary during the Christmas celebration
3. Buying fake poinsettias on sale after Christmas for next year
4. Buying orchids for the winter seasons

4. Deacon Haiguo motioned to increase the flower budget (Acct 55010) by $500 from $500 to $1,000.  Deacon Xinwen seconded.  The motion passed unanimously.
5. The recording budget has used 1342.6% of their budget, possibly due to budgeting oversight.  Clarification (and budget amendment proposal) will come in the future.

3. Chinese ministry spiritual revival meeting (Xinyu Li)

1. The memorial day retreat has an estimated cost of $18,000 which wasn’t budgeted because the original plan was to hold an in-house conference.  There is currently $7,000 available in two separate budgets that can be used.  Options to fund the difference are through the general fund budget and/or through an additional overhead charge to retreat attendees.
2. Elder Ke-chieh motioned to increase the in-house conference budget (Acct 56400) by $5,000 from $5,000 to $10,000.  Deacon Xin-wen seconded.  The motion passed unanimously.

4. HVAC system installation in main building basement

1. The temperature and humidity in the basement is dependent on weather and basement occupancy.  This affects comfort for kitchen staff, children, and Sunday schools.  More importantly, it has allowed mold/mildew to grow.
2. The proposed project is to install an HVAC system in the general basement area and install a ductless split system in the kitchen and the classroom next to the kitchen.  The project will be complete by June.
3. Elder Ke-chieh motioned to approve $90,000 from the capital fund to install an HVAC system in the main church building basement.  Pastor Caleb seconded.  The motion passed unanimously.

7. Copyright compliance guidelines (Jennifer Che)

1. The church received a letter demanding payment for the use of an image embedded in a guest speaker presentation hosted on our website.   Once we were aware of it, we immediately removed the image and responded, indicating removal of the image.  No response back has been received.
2. Jennifer Che, intellectual property attorney, gave a presentation about basic copyright law as it relates to churches and suggested steps CBCGB could take to address potential copyright issues going forward.
3. Pastor Sandy indicated that CBCGB was adding a video license for the Lexington site in view of the children's ministry's needs.

8. Pastor Jiang closed in prayer and Elder Liqin adjourned the meeting at 12:45 pm.
9. Addendum

1. In March via electronic ballot, Deacon Haiguo Wu motioned to approve a financial package to support the Metro-south (MS) property purchase at 383 Old Post Road, Sharon, MA:

1. Provide up to $55000 Matching Fund towards cash donation from MS members
2. Allocate 50% of (MS General Offering minus MS General Expenses) to MS Building Fund for three Fiscal Years (FY15, FY16 and FY17)
3. At the end of FY15, FY16 and FY17, surplus from General Fund will be distributed in the following sequence: MS Building Fund, CBCGB General Reserve Fund, CBCGB Capital Fund and other areas decided by CC
4. Use MS Building Fund to pay back the no-interest loan associated with the property purchase
5. Mother church will pay up to $15000 for any remaining loan at the end of FY17

Deacon Chris Cheng seconded.  The motion passed.

1. 出席:

1. 長老團：陳利欽(主席)，朱克潔，何煜光，盧忠信
2. 執事會：張子剛， 鄭嘉文(秘書)，胡中義，潘瀾,，Philip Sailer，尹思瑩，王繼勇(司庫)，汪新文，熊繼敏,，吳海國(執事會主席)，張建
3. 教牧同工：鮑斯文傳道，章開第主任牧師，吳經權牧師，劉梅碧儀牧師，林珍妮傳道，盧植德牧師，潘儒達牧師，韋江牧師
4. 缺席：

1. 長老：何明治，楊德禮
2. 牧師：張子義牧師(安息年假)，張越剛傳道

2. 地点：教會辦公樓地下室

3. 會議議程記錄

1. 會議於上午九點十一分開始。章開第牧師作會前禱告。
2. 教牧同工工作匯報

1. 主任牧師簡報(章開第牧師)

1. 讚美上帝：

1. 在今年的整個冬天，教堂只取消一次主日崇拜。
2. 南區購地投票表決在高支持率中通過。

2. 151號樓將於六月份竣工。團契和主日學事工以及產物管理委員會將進行房間分配的安排工作。
3. 近期活動：

1. 春季華語福音佈道會(下週末)
2. 復活節(4/5)：主日聖餐與受難節聖餐合併
3. 浸禮（4/26）
4. 母親節（5/10）
5. 國殤日紀念(5/23-25)

2. 牧師們還指出，許多青年人和大學生們需要對個人危機進行禱告。

3. 執事會報告(吳海國執事)

1. 產物管理方面

1. 主樓

1. 屋頂工程已經完成，相關受雨水損壞處已經修復。
2. 環繞主堂右側的調溫系統添加了絕緣材料。
3. 教堂的地下室衣櫃的推拉門修復。
4. 1月3日壞了的電梯修復。
5. 所有的熒光燈全部更換，清理了壁櫥。
6. 通過所有年檢(電梯，消防報警和自動噴水滅火器)。

2. 教會辦公樓：

1. 辦公樓衛生間裝修完成。
2. 未使用的地下室水槽被移除，以提供更多的空間。
3. 辦公樓地下室鍋爐水泵漏水問題已被解決。

3. 馬房以及外部：

1. 油鍋爐維護。
2. 作為教會擴堂一部分，在坡上的空間已被清理出來了，一旦雪融化了可用於停車(90輛車)
3. 砍伐枯樹以及去除污垢/岩石。
4. RCN在臨時的桿上安裝了電話線。

4. 黃秀雄在2014年末退休，他的職責由楊立功接任。
5. 甘良生執事在2月會議後遷往台灣。長老團將任命一名臨時執事來完成他的任期直到十二月。

2. 即將要作的項目：

1. 在主樓地下室的暖氣空調系統的設置，等待教牧長執聯會批准。
2. 主堂的天然氣取暖系統。
3. 主樓周圍的基礎建設和教會辦公樓後面的步行道
4. 教會辦公樓和主樓地下室的塑料地板的維修。
5. 在教會辦公樓的地下室的熱水器前加防護欄桿。
6. 主樓地面維護(地毯和塑料地板)

3. 信息技術方面

1. 安全攝像頭已經安裝並開始運行。當有異常發生或是例行維護時，長老團可以獲取原始資料。
2. 網絡基礎設施改造完成。 CBCGB-main只供牧師，辦公室，調溫系統及兒童登記處使用。所有需要網絡的其他用戶應該使用CBCGB-guest。
3. 主堂的電腦已經升級。

4. 2015財政年已經得到批准的資產項目：

1. 一月份：$5,500美元被批准為英語部崇拜時使用的入耳式監聽系統。
2. 二月份：$55,000美元被批准為支持南區植堂。
3. 到目前為止$162,500美元已獲批准，$245,000美元已經花費在2015財年中(其中包括在2014財年中被批准用於更新屋頂的$199,520美元)。

4. 長老團簡報(陳利欽長老)

1. Steven Chin牧師在最近一次教牧長執聯會會議上關於建立教會領袖的演講深受歡迎。
2. 基於部門轉換或其他原因，事工檢討已經轉變成“需求型”模式來關注那些可能需要長老團支持的事工。
3. 盧忠信長老負責審查教會的政策，並確定那些需要更新/修訂的政策。
4. 本地宣教委員會在形成的過程中。
5. 特別感謝執事會提供的針對南區植堂的財務計劃和臨時會員大會的後勤工作。
6. 長老團已要求南區同工創建一個​​如何使南區獨立於母堂的計劃/時間表。
7. 教會異象

1. 長老們一直在進行每月的祈禱會和讀書/研究來告知教會異象。
2. 第一稿創建於1月份，並與教牧同工討進行了討論。
3. 教會異象進程被推遲了幾個月，這樣可以使得草案得以精煉並且使得教會所有領導的意見達成一致。
4. 陳利欽長老鼓勵大家踴躍禱告並且從中徵求對這一異象進程的反饋意見。
5. 教牧長執聯會將在六月份有一個關於教堂異象退修會。

5. 季度財務報告 (繼勇執事)

繼勇執事報告了教會目前的財務狀況。他對財務委員會提交的不同月份的財務報告做了一個概述。

繼勇還鼓勵各事工領導在下個月預算審核前及時提交他們的預算需求。

常費基金預算匯總– 截止二月28日, 在財年過去8個月時，我們的總花費達到預算的61.1% 同時總奉獻達到年度預算的76.5% 。

1. 除了常費基金，累計項包含了歷年的滾存。
2. 總的CBE 專項奉獻始於2012年12月，已經達到$857,148.59.

6. 預算和資產資金需求審核

1. 教會交通車事工(Jeff Zhang)

1. 出現預期之外的交通車修理費在一月份，總計$2,200.
2. Quincy 的交通車事工預期出現計劃外的停車費用約$1,000.
3. 新文執事提出增加交車事工預算(Acct 54200) $3,200，從$7,000 到$10,200的動議. 開第牧師附議. 提議獲得一致通過。

2. 華語敬拜事工 (開第牧師)

1. 鋼琴調音已經超過預算。原計劃鋼琴是被替換的，由於151工程的推遲而暫緩替換了。
2. 執事潘瀾提出增加調音預算(Acct 55050)$1,300，從$2,000加到$3,300的動議。碧儀牧師附議，提議獲得一致通過。
3. 主日鮮花組申請更多預算理由：

1. 增加/升級聖所的花卉
2. 在聖誕慶典期間在聖所增加了鮮花
3. 在聖誕之後採買了促銷的一品紅為新的一年
4. 為冬季準備了蘭花

4. 海國執事提出增加花卉預算(Acct 55010) $500從$500到$1,000的動議.新文執事附議，提議獲得一致通過.
5. 錄像的支出已經達到預算的1342.6% , 可能歸咎於預算制定的疏忽。將會出台預算的修訂以及澄清辦法。

3. 華語部退修會 (李新宇)

1. 國殤日退修會有大約$18,000 的開支並沒有列入預算，因為原定的計劃是舉辦一個教會內的會議。現在大約有$7,000 可用，是分在兩項預算下。對於差額的部分可以通過常費和/ 或通過附加的管理費用來平衡。
2. 克潔長老提出增加教會內部會議預算(Acct 56400)$5,000，從$5,000加到$10,000的動議。新文執事附議。提議獲得一致通過.

4. 主樓地下室空調及通風系統安裝

1. 地下室的溫度和濕度是和氣候與地下室的使用密切相關的。也同時影響主日學、兒童以及廚房內服務的同工們環境的舒適性。尤為重要的，不合適的溫濕度可能導致霉的滋生。
2. 所提的項目是要在主要的地下室區域安裝空調和通風系統，並安裝無管的分支系統到廚房和與之相鄰的教室。這個項目預計6月完工。
3. 克潔長老提出增加$90,000 給資產基金用於安裝主樓地下室的空調與通風系統的動議。開第牧師附議. 提議獲得一致通過。

7. 版權遵守的準則(Jennifer Che)

1. 教會收到一封要求付款的信。它對我們教會網站上一個客座講員的介紹內容中嵌入的一幅圖片提出了版權申明。當我們注意到這個問題後，馬上移除了圖片並做出了回應。現在還沒有收到進一步的回應。
2. Jennifer Che，知識產權律師， 就基本的知識產權法及其與教會的關係給我們做了介紹。並對CBCGB 可能面對的相關問題與對應方法做了建議。
3. 鑑於兒童事工的需要，碧儀牧師指出CBCGB 增加了一個錄像許可。

8. 韋江牧師做了結束禱告，利欽長老宣布會議在12:45 pm結束.
9. 附錄：

1. 在三月份的電子投票中，海國執事提出了教會南區事工（MS）購置位於383 Old Post Road, Sharon, MA地產的財務支持的動議：

1. 對南區會員現金捐款提供上至$55000的Matching Fund。
2. 連續三個財務年度(FY15, FY16 及 FY17)撥款（南區事工常費捐款收入減去常務消費）的一半至南區事工建堂基金。
3. 在這三個財務年度（FY15, FY16 及 FY17）的結尾，常費基金餘額的運用將按以下順序：南區事工建堂基金，CBCGB General Reserve Fund, CBCGB Capital Fund 以及其他由教會牧長執聯會決定的使用項目。
4. 使用南區基建基金支付購置地產的無利息貸款。
5. 母會將在2017財務年度結束時支付上至$15000的貸款餘額。

 鄭嘉文執事附議。提議獲得通過。