The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Our Savior Haddonfield, NJ 2015 Annual Congregational Report And Brunch Meeting Sunday, January 31, 2016 AgendaThe Annual Meeting will begin immediately following the brunch at approximately 11:15 AM.Order of Business PageDevotions 16AttendanceMinutes of 2014 Congregational Meeting 15Reports of the Officers 2-3 Senior Pastor 4 Vice President 4-5 Financial Secretary 6-7 Treasurer 5 Audit Committee 3-4Report of Staff Members 8-9 9-14 Director of MusicReport of Memorial Gift BoardReports of Committees and Sub-committees (in alphabetical order)Unfinished BusinessElection of Church Council and Memorial Gifts BoardNew Business Adoption of the 2016 BudgetAdjournmentPlease bring this report with you to the meeting. A limited amount of copies will be available.
2015 Senior Pastor Annual ReportAs I reflect on the past year and the timing of writing this report, a day after David Bowie’s death, I can’t help but hearhis voice singing, “Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes. Turn and face the strange. Ch-ch-changes.” It has been a year of changes andin some ways the beginning of turning to face the strange, the unknown, and the uncertainties that come with it. Withchanges come opportunities and challenges for both our present and future. Here are some changes we experienced in2015 that presented new challenges and opportunities for ministry as we move into a new year.Change in Church Staff: After 18 year s ser ving as Our Savior ’s Church Secretary/Office Administrator/Bookkeeper, we wished Monica Baxter farewell and Godspeed as she begins a new life in the Chicago area. By separat-ing the Parish Administrator and Bookkeeping positions we were able to hire two people who are uniquely gifted ineach for these specific roles. Cyndi Garcia continues to amaze us with her attention to detail and timeliness with respectto Our Savior’s fiscal and fiduciary responsibilities as our new Bookkeeper. Sandy DeDonatis has been phenomenal asour new Parish Administrator in coordinating volunteers, scheduling home communion visits, and organizing the over-all running of the office and congregation’s activities. Both women have brought a greater efficiency to the daily work-ing of ministry at Our Savior.Change in Worship Format in Summer: We exper imented with using the Holden Evening Pr ayer litur gy overfour weeks in July and August on Sunday evenings followed by ice cream sundaes to see if this could be a liturgy thecongregation would embrace during Advent or Lent in the year or years to come. Those who attended found the acousti-cally led worship to be uplifting and more spiritual than expected. Look for it to be offered again in 2016.Changes Initiated by Lisa Jester: In her last six months with us, Vicar Lisa pr ovided us with a number of minis-try changes to consider keeping after her departure in June. She invited parishioners to join her with the imposition ofashes on the corner of Kings Highway near Starbucks on Ash Wednesday as a way for the community to embrace thebeginning of Lent, even if they couldn’t get to worship. She resurrected the tradition of having a lecture in Lent by hav-ing the President of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia speak on the book he wrote, “Making Sense ofthe Cross” and the theme of our Lenten Midweek Series, at a lecture on a Sunday in Lent utilizing the Hinkleday Lec-ture Memorial Funds. She changed the way we think of the homeless by inviting the congregation to join her in attend-ing The Welcome Church worship service held for the homeless in downtown Philadelphia. She created and providedthe training class for Greeters that continue today through the Outreach ministry team. She also created and led the Dis-cipleship Classes for those seeking to deepen their journey of faith by living out the marks of discipleship; prayer, wor-ship, study of scripture, service, invite, encourage, and give. We look forward to continuing the changes Vicar Lisa in-troduced as we move forward in 2016. Lisa certainly impacted our lives and we look forward to celebrating her gradua-tion from LTSP this May and anticipate the news of a first call in the near future.Changes in Stewardship Funding: In 2015 we no longer included a Memor ial Gift Fund gr ant to suppor t Gen-eral Fund ministry, which meant the congregation supported the 2015 general ministry through their regular giving. Weended the year a few thousand dollars in the black versus expenses and thank all the council and ministry leaders forunderspending the financial plan in order for this to occur. We also experienced an increase in average pledges perhousehold this year and hope this change is reflective of the giving from non-pledged offerings in 2016 as we anticipatean increase in staffing and ministry expenses.Changes in Sunday Morning Participation: For the thir d str aight year in a r ow, our aver age wor ship attendancehas remained at 172, not including those participating in our Sunday school ministry. While this may seem dishearten-ing, the reality is, in a time when many congregations in our area and nationally are experiencing a steady decline inworship attendance, the fact we remain unchanged is at least hopeful. Sunday school weekly participation is noticeablylow compared to the potential and those participating in our confirmation ministry with approximately a third of the 85baptized children of Sunday school age attending per week, compared to 75%-90% of the 22 confirmation youth attend-ing Learn Events. This begs the question, “Is Sunday school still the effective model for our children to explore the sto-ries of faith in the Bible and learning the basic fundamentals of the Christian faith; the Commandments, Creed, andLord’s Prayer?” It may have worked in the 60’s and even 70’s but the world has changed dramatically even in the lastfifteen years. This is why in 2016 I plan to explore possible new options for families to provide for their children’s in-struction in the Christian faith on a two-month sabbatical this summer and we seek to hire a Director of Youth and Fam-ily Ministry to develop and implement the changes needed to address this issue. Any feedback and input families canprovide will be most appreciated.I’m excited for 2016 and the ministry we will share together. I hope you will consider how 2016 will also be a year youexplore a deeper practice of our faith in Christ and share how the ministry at Our Savior can best facilitate you in thatprocess. Together we will continue to be God’s hands for the work Christ calls us to do from the font and the Table.In Christ’s service, Pastor Wayne Page 2
2015 Changes in the Parish Register Members Received (45)By Infant/Adult* Baptism (18) J ason Angelone, J r ., Er ic Br oschar d, Malcolm Campbell, Nor ah Campbell, SamuelChaiken, Naomi Doyle, Theodore Fetter, Hailey Little, Hailey Meyer, Erin Myles, Michael Newton*, Vivien Ottens, Nicho-las Runne, Logan Thompson, Kristina Thompson*, Hayley Wakefield, Paxton Wallace, Adam YoderBy Transfer, Profession of Faith, Reactivation, Clerical Adjustment (28) Alex Bon, Er ic & J acqueline Br oschar d,Dave & Susan Danton, Richard DeMichele, John & Terry Gordon, Connie Lechler & Richard Ottens, Antoinette Majerholc,Lindsay Mauritzen, Richard Muller, Eric & Sara Nemeth, Darcy Newton, Brian O’Neil, Robert & Cindy, Robert Jr and So-phia Pineiro, Gary & Stephanie, Aiden and Avery Visconti, Jim & Jennifer, and MaKayla Wilkers Voting Members Removed (89)By Death (8) Glor ia Butcosk, Debor ah Mor r issey, Anna Hr ivnak, Shir ley Lee, Fr ancis Sylvester , Susan Reintzel, JohnRowell, Mary Lou (Molly) Smith,By Transfer or Other (7) Mar ea, and Adeife and Olufunmilayo Adejuwon, David & Mar ianne, Dylan and J or danTaylorBy Member Request (11) Nancy Byr ne, Caitlyn Ebbenga, Fr ank & Renate Genieser , Lee Heine, Kur t Schneider , J r .,John & Vashti, Connor, John, and Logan WilsonBy Congregation Council Due to Inactivity (63) A copy of the names r emoved fr om the Voting Member ship is availa-ble from the Church Office upon request. Pastoral ActsConfirmations (15) Patr ick Ainswor th, Luke Baxter , Luke Fabian, J oAnna Howley, Har ley Killian, Rober t Pensa-bene, Reese Qualls, Kayla Rodriguez, Olivia Roncace, Alexandra Schaffer, Veronica Schaffer, Andrew Shah, Aidan Spence,Hannah Stauss, Mark VaughnFirst Holy Communion (12) Br ian Bogina, Cleo Cottone, Lila Cottone, Collin Duckett, Konner Dye, Gr ace Ewing,Theodore Howard, Dylan Melcher, Robert Pineiro, Jr., Ava Poliofico, Emerson Riley, and Bennet WrightFirst Bibles (11) Cleo Cottone, Lila Cottone, Andr ew Kiewel, J ulia Kiewel, Dylan Melcher , J avier Miller , Rober tPineiro, Jr., Ava Poliofico, Emerson Riley, and Bennet Wright.Weddings (4) (italics indicates non-member, by date) Blake Klerks & Heather Williams, Eric Newell & Catherine Strunk,Andrew Duckworth & Ashley Everham, Jan Michael Brody & Pamela Hoffman.Non-Member Funerals (4) Betty W ood, M ary Pyle, Christine Jack son, R obert M cCleary Director of Music2015 was a year of growth and exciting events for the Music Ministry. During the weekends of January 24 - 25 andJanuary 31 – February 1, the Youth Bell/Vocal Choirs at LCOS participated in a Choir Exchange with Youth Bell/VocalChoirs from St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Silver Spring, Maryland, just north of Washington, DC. Planning started in Au-gust 2014 and continued until right before the Exchange. These weekends provided our Youth Bell/Vocal Choirs with amemorable faith, social, and musical experience. They experienced worship at another Lutheran church, grew closer to eachother, and met and connected with other Lutherans of a similar age.The summer brought us many unique musical experiences. Various singers and instrumentalists provided special mu-sic every Sunday during the 10:30 AM service. In addition, on four Sunday evenings in July and August, we held “Sundaeson Sunday” in the Parish Hall, which started with a short evening service called Holden Evening Prayer, followed by icecream sundaes.Starting in September, there were changes in rehearsal schedules for the Children’s Choirs. Previously they had re-hearsed on Wednesdays but switched to Sundays from 9:00 – 9:45 AM. This has resulted in participation from children whowould otherwise not be able to participate.On October 18, Tangled Blue, a husband and wife duo from the Minneapolis area, helped lead worship and providespecial music. They were very well received and used their voices, guitar, and a number of percussion instruments to helpenliven worship.On November 22, there was an afternoon Dessert Theater event at church at involved the Adult, Youth, and Chil-dren’s Choirs, as well as a variety of soloists. This event showcased the wonderful musical talent at LCOS and provided awonderful fellowship opportunity. This event would not have been possible without several people. Finally, there were manypeople who brought desserts to the event.December 13 was the Sunday for the Sunday School Christmas Pageant. Due to the length of the pageant, it wasmoved to Sunday afternoon. Themed “Christmas Around the World”, dozens of Sunday School students joyfully lifted theirvoices in telling the Christmas story.The Lessons and Carols service on December 20 and was a tremendous success. Planning started in July 2015 andincluded the Adult Choir, the Adult Bell Choir, Youth Choir, Youth Bell Choir, the Children’s Vocal Choir, an orchestra ofbrass and violin, and several readers. In addition, there were several Advent and Christmas hymns. Many additional singerswere added to the ranks of the adult choir. Many thanks to Dave Wyche for circulating press releases and to Maryanne Corsi- Page 3ni for assisting with the flyer.
Throughout the year, new opportunities were created for people to be a part of the choirs. The Festival Choir,which included just adults, sang on a few occasions, including Rally Day, Reformation Day, Lessons and Carols, andother Sundays. LCOS also continued with its instrumental offerings. Instrumentalists enhanced worship on a monthlybasis at the minimum, including violin, cello, and flute. Conga and other percussion instruments also enhanced worship.All of these offerings greatly enhanced worship. The adult choir sang every Sunday, except during July and August. Allof the other vocal and bell choirs sang or rang in worship at least once a month during the program year. Members wereadded to all ensembles. The Worship and Music Committee met every month, except for July. A few more thanks are in order. Pauline Worusski was invaluable as she provided crucial accompaniment to allof the vocal choirs, and added vitality and creativity to the liturgy and the hymns at every worship service. In addition tothose volunteers already mentioned, several individuals helped out during the year. Rita Lattanzi provided tremendousassistance in filing the choir music. Karin LaBarge helped with cataloguing the music library into an Excel spreadsheet.Peg Riley organized the Adult Choir Progressive Dinner. Finally, thank you to all of the volunteers who help with themusic ministry and those who sing/ring in the various choirs. You are greatly appreciated! Respectfully submitted, Austen Wilson Report of the Vice President and Personnel Committee2015- Where did the year go? What did we accomplish? Where do we want to head in the new year? Those are thethings most of us think about as one year passes into the next. LCOS is no different. Take a moment to read the reportsof the various committees and groups in this annual report and see how our mission statement has come to life at LCOS.GOD's work. Our hands. LCOS has helped touch the lives and spread the good news to both members and non-members. This level of commitment takes our time, talent and treasure. The members of LCOS have continued to growin all areas of stewardship. This year marks the close of our capital Refresh campaign where we accomplished a signifi-cant capital expenditure (Organ and sanctuary makeover) within a relatively short two year period. Our congregation hasalways been there to answer the call. 2016 has us ready to take on another journey. We have a need to add a new person-nel position with a Director of Youth and Family ministry. Adding this position will challenge our faith that our com-mitment will bear fruit. This position is designed to help us support existing members and reach out to our communityand non-members. Over the last few years LCOS has bucked the trend of the worldwide church by stopping the down-ward spiral of attendance and stewardship. This position is intended to help us move back into a growth position. Butone person or position will not make this a reality. Our continued good stewardship and faith are needed for this positionto blossom. Our time is one of the hardest resources (often more than money) for most of us to commit to and is what isneeded the most in 2016. GOD's work. Our hands. Go back and take a look again at the various ministries’ reports andlook at the opportunities for you to get involved and help support the mission of LCOS and our Lord. Remember oneperson can make a difference in the live's of others. I look forward to working with each and every one of you in 2016.In addition, I would be remiss if I didn't take a moment to discuss some of the major changes that took place with per-sonnel this past year. We said goodbye in June to both Vicar Lisa Jester (our intern) and Monica Baxter (our parish ad-ministrator). One being here for a short period (Vicar Lisa) and the other serving faithfully for over 15 years (Monica).Each making a significant impact to our ministries and our lives. Both will be missed. This change did give us an oppor-tunity to bring on Sandy DeDonatis as our new Parish Administrator in July with expanded responsibilities to help facili-tate coordination of volunteers. Sandy has already put her stamp on this position and we look forward to her many yearsof service. In addition, we added a new position (Bookkeeper) to help with this area of financial responsibility. CyndiGarcia started with us in May and has been a great addition to our office staff.I appreciate the opportunity to serve this congregation and am always available to listen, take advice or help in expand-ing LCOS's role in the ministry of our Lord. Respectfully submitted, Rich Windle 2015 Financial Secretary Report 1. General Fund Envelope offerings for 2015 totaled $380,908 compared to the $404,624 we anticipated receiving resulting in a $13,716 shortfall in anticipated giving. It was also only $482 more than total 2014 offerings. Thank you for your continued support! 2. We continued to use a three-year rolling average of the congregation’s actual offerings from 2012-2014 to deter- mine what the monthly giving percentages would be and anticipated offerings each month. The shortfall in an- ticipated giving may have been the result of overestimating what General Fund Envelope Offerings would be, based on pledges received. The 2016 Financial Plan reflects an estimate based on 2015 actual offerings in rela- tion to 2015 pledges. 3. We received fewer pledges for the 2016 General Fund ministry (106 compared to 121), but the amount pledged increased to $264,362 from $257,528. What is encouraging is we have a number of regular contributors who pledged for 2015 but not for 2016 at the time of this report, which we anticipate will result in sufficient support of Our Savior’s ministry. Page 4
4. Average Weekly Attendance (AWA) for worship in 2015 was 172 people per week, which is identical to both 2014 and 2013. While a plateau may seem disheartening, please note that many churches are experiencing a decline in attendance in our area. These numbers do not include teachers and children leaving worship to attend Sunday school. The Congrega- tion Report submitted to the ELCA will include them as well in our total, as they are truly a part of our Sunday worship experience, so expect a jump in the AWA as it is reported to the ELCA Respectfully submitted, Jane Evans, Financial Secretary All Envelope Offerings Worship Attendance Monthly Monthly Monthly Difference Giving Giving 2015 + or - to 2014 2015 to Plan Cumulative Month % of Plan Plan Giving 23,277 25,509 2015 2014 2013 2014January 25,661 26,276February 7.59% 30,697 39,302 -7,420 -7,420 35,516 182 166 171 10%March 7.02% 28,419 32,011 34,912Apri l 9.32% 37,705 34,569 -2,758 -10,178 24,920 133 162 170 -18%May 8.79% 35,551 26,306 28,079June 6.79% 27,463 23,632 1,597 -8,581 26,376 199 174 242 14%Jul y 7.24% 29,296 29,399 24,088August 7.13% 28,870 30,732 -3,540 -12,121 31,520 267 320 148 -17%September 6.12% 24,770 29,548 34,271October 8.63% 34,900 7,106 -5,015 165 155 147 6%November 34,152 34,110December 8.27% 33,475 52,318 -2,990 -8,005 54,849 162 133 157 22% 8.18% 33,098 -5,238 -13,243 119 106 135 12% 14.92% 60,381 4,629 -8,613 124 110 109 13% -4,618 -13,231 161 168 159 -4% -3,927 -17,159 180 182 179 -1% 1,054 -16,105 175 184 208 -5% -8,063 -24,326 200 231 217 -13%Total 100.00% 404,624 380,907 -24,168 -24,168 380,426Average YTD Worship Attendance 172 172 172 0% AUDIT COMMITTEEThe Audit Committee recommended to the Congregation Council that the audits for 2013 and 2014 be performed by an outsidefirm due to the number of accounts the church now has between the General Fund, the Dedicated Fund, the Altar Guild, the Ma-jor Repair Fund, the Pastor’s Discretionary Fund, and the five separate funds with the Memorial Gift Funds. The Memorial GiftBoard agreed to pay the cost for the audit of the 2013 and 2014 books and the Congregation Council will be budgeting the auditof the 2015 books in the 2016 Financial Plan.The members of the Audit Committee are grateful for the opportunity to have served the ministry of stewardship in the congrega-tion over the years in providing an annual financial review. Respectfully submitted, Debbie Roncace and Carol Maniaci Page 5
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2015 MEMORIAL GIFT FUND REPORTThe Memorial Gifts Fund Board of Trustees takes very seriously the tremendous responsibility that the Church has given tous to faithfully manage the gifts given to the Church. The funds have grown over time to a total to $1,114,838 at the end of2015 and provided important support to various ministries. The following is a five year history of the funds:FUNDS 12/31/2011 12/31/2012 12/31/2013 12/31/2014 12/31/2015Endowment $713,491 $749,317 $887,495 $911,706 $814,674Restricted 18,718 19,417 19,074 20,084 19,332Unrestricted 13,069 18,763 14,104 22,336 47,878Clark/Hartmann 45,285 44,751 43,613 45,626 42,999Paterson-Plotze 137,092 152,373 180,953 191,494 189,955TOTAL $927,655 $984,621 $1,145,238 $1,191,246 $1,114,838Major Repair 5,407 22,445 21,735 7,712 6,611Generous Gifts 7,089 16,789 11,715 1,525 19,455Disbursements 118,260 73,463 37,834 37,049 90,346INVESTMENT PERFORMANCE: The funds had a negative Investment Retur n of (.4% ) in 2015 and ar e held indiversified investments with approximately 61 % in Equities and 39% in Fixed Income and Cash.GIFTS: Dur ing the past year , we r eceived gener ous gifts of $19,455 in memor y of Ruth Bar e, Roger St. J ohn, DavisScholl, Ann Hrivanak, Mary Lou Smith, Shirley Lee and others. Of the unrestricted gifts, 10% is allocated to support theMajor Repair Fund. We are grateful for the stewardship of our members who remember the Church in life and death. Weencourage all members of the Church to continue their faithful stewardship through their estate planning.EXPENDITURES: Dur ing the past year , we contr ibuted to the ministr y thr ough financial suppor t of our seminaryintern, several scholarships, support of the Church staff transition, several social ministry projects, church property enhance-ments, outreach and music programs.MAJOR REPAR FUND: Dur ing the past year , $1,490 was spent to maintain our pr oper ty. To suppor t the MajorRepair Fund, 10% of new unrestricted memorial gifts and a transfer from restricted gifts were deposited in the Major RepairFund for future Capital Expenditures. With only $6,611 remaining in the fund, additional funding sources should be encour-aged.MEMORIAL GARDEN: The Memorial Gifts Board of Trustees has been working over a year to commemorate our 25year anniversary with the addition of a Memorial Garden at the church. A conceptual design was created by our landscapearchitect, presented to the congregation and approved by the Memorial Gifts Board of Trustees during the year. A final de-sign is now being developed for approval and we expect the garden to be completed in the spring of 2016. Thanks to BobMirabello, Laura Oakes, Don Miano and Pastor Zschech for their work on this project as well as our consultants Gene Kainand Pam Powers of Kane-Murphy Funeral Services and Al Masullo of Knolltop Nursery.SUMMARY: We continue to seek to be faithful Chr istian stewar ds, using the gener ous gifts r eceived thr ough theMemorial Gift Fund wisely in furthering the work of our Lord. We are thankful for the privilege to sustain the rich heritageof generosity of our members through faithful management of these gifts. We encourage all members that are able, to makeprovisions for carrying on their stewardship beyond this life, knowing that their intentions will be faithfully administered. Faithfully Submitted, Mike Fallon & Paul Knauer Committee and Sub-Committee Reports Adult EducationLutherans recognize the need for and discipline of lifelong study of Scripture and the Christian faith. To that end there wereseveral opportunities for adults in the congregation to deepen their understanding of Scripture and the theology and practicesof the Christian faith. They included;Pastor’s Bible Study: Pastor Wayne Zschech leads the same session on Monday nights and Wednesday mor nings forvarious six to seven week programs. In 2015 the group read the entire books of Acts, Romans, and 1 and 2 Corinthians anddiscussed portions of them over the 6 to 10 week study periods. The classes are more of a discussion group on the selectedreading, with Pastor Wayne acting as the facilitator to connect how the Scripture reading applies to our faith in daily life.Lenten Midweek Seminars: Dur ing Lent the congr egation was invited to r ead and discuss Rev. Dr . David Lose’sbook Making Sense of the Cross. Participants read the chapters assigned for each week and Vicar Lisa Jester and PastorWayne Zschech facilitated the discussion following the soup dinner. Dr. Lose also provided a brief overview of the bookand its content at a lecture one Sunday during the series.Baptism Class for Parents: Pastor Wayne Zschech led a class for par ents desir ing to have their infant or child bap-tized periodically throughout the year. It is intended to prepare parents for the responsibilities they agree to provide at theirchild’s Baptism as well as provide a general overview of the Lutheran theology of Baptism and how our church practices thesacrament. The class is held at least two to three times a year. Page 9
Discipleship Classes: Vicar Lisa J ester pr ovided two, two-hour seminars on how members of the congregation can deep-en their faith walk by focusing on the seven marks of discipleship identified by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Ameri-ca; Prayer, Worship, Study, Service, Invite, Encourage, and Give. The class is intended to provide new and long-time mem-bers an opportunity to explore and discover how they can more deeply live out and into their baptismal faith. Vicar Lisadeveloped the Power Point slide presentations for the seminars and led each one as a part of her Internship Project.Awaken Workshop: Pastor Wayne Zschech led a two-day workshop during which participants reflected, discovered,dicerned, and developed a Personal Calling Statement using the Awaken Workshop materials. The class is offered twice ayear and followed up with an Activate Workshop that enables participants to put into action their Personal Calling State-ments in the context of their daily life. Altar Guild The Altar Guild is a group of 21 very dedicated ladies. These ladies sign up for one month a year, they come in on Sat-urdays and make the church beautiful for our Sunday worship. If you can't dedicate a whole month, maybe just the 1st Sun-day of the month when we have full communion, we are always in need of people to wash the communion cups after eachservice. If you're too busy after church on Sundays maybe you could come in one day a week and fill the pew card holderswith scribble cards and sharpen the pencils. There is always something that you could do, no job is too small. This issomething that would be great for a family with school aged children. We do not have any set meetings that you must attend. I know how busy everybody is and to have to attend anothermeeting once a month is not something everyone looks forward to doing. These are some of the ladies that serve on the Altar Guild, Kathy Shone, Joan Candia, Betsy Kuehn, Jane Evans, Court-ney Rickert- Mills, Jennifer Asselin, Carol Larro, Nancy Gulick, Becky Bogina, Arlene Storlarick, Debbie Hartigan, JoanJohnson, Nancy Frazier, Jaimie Frazier, Cheryl Cook, Eva Shaw, Donna Mirabello, Sue Tharp, Shirley Webb, Peg Olt andStacey Shaw. You probably know some of them, maybe you sit next to them regularly during a Sunday service, just askthem to explain what the Altar Guild is about. I must give a big thank you to all who are members of the Altar Guild, you all do such a great job. Special thanks to ourTreasurer/Flower Memorial Chairperson, Stacey Shaw, Recording Secretary, Donna Mirabello, Corresponding Secretary/Communion Chairperson, Betsy Kuehn and last, but not least my co-chair Arlene Stolarick. A very special thanks toSue Tharp who does a fantastic job decorating the church for all seasons. The Altar Guild is self-sufficient, we never have to ask for funding from the General Fund. We get our money from themembers of the congregation who put in flower memorials, for the deceased family members or friends. You may also putin a memorial to someone honoring them for a special anniversary, birthday or any special event. If you are interested in joining the Altar Guild please contact me or my Co-Chair Arlene Stolarick we would be morethen happy to speak with you. Maybe this is the committee that God is calling for your help. A special thanks to all whosupport the Altar Guild. Respectfully submitted, Eva Shaw and Arlene Stolarick, Co-chairs. Altar Guild Treasurers ReportThe treasurer of the Altar Guild submits the following report:Checking account balance as of 1-7-16 $ 1,457.96Savings account balance as of 1-7-16 $ 10,729.27Please note $5000 of the savings account is dedicated by the Cunningham Family for altar flowers for their parents everyAugust.The Altar Guild is responsible for purchasing the communion wafers & wine, oil for the candles, the weekly altar flowers,baptismal candles & napkins, Christmas Poinsettias and Easter Lilies.The Altar Guild purchased new fair linen to cover the altar. We are seeing a decrease in the amount of memorials beinggiven so we had to increase the price of the memorials to $20.00 for weekly flower memorials and $25.00 for the Christmasand Easter memorials. Respectfully submitted, Stacey Shaw - Treasurer Confirmation Confirmation ministry is really a life-long process that begins in baptism and continues throughout one’s life. How-ever, the catechetical instruction that is typically referred to as “confirmation” typically occurs during a youth’s 7th and 8thgrade years. In 2015 there were fifteen youth who participated in their Affirmation of Baptism on June 7, whose names arefound in the Parish Register report of this document. They also attended a pre-confirmation retreat in the Poconos wherethey examined and identified how they would live out each of the promises they would be making in the Affirmation ofBaptism service.Each youth and parent Guide use the Head to the Heart resources to facilitate small group discussion, as well as providescripture readings and devotional material for each day of the week in between Learning Events, that typically occur evertwo weeks. Youth and Guides are involved in leading the Theme Events by preparing some form of skit, image, or analogyrelated to the theme of the night. Service events included helping decorate the church for Christmas, making a meal for MyFather’s House, and cleaning up a section of Newton Creek on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. The Fall Retreatthis year was a lock-in at the church focusing on Stewardship of Time, Talent, and Treasure. Community building Page 10
exercises were also included in the activities both on Friday night and at Ironwood Outdoor Activity center in Lumberton,utilizing their high and low ropes courses. I cannot thank the parents enough who give of their time and lives to the youth of our confirmation ministry. Theirongoing participation is what insures a vibrant and faithful youth ministry in our congregation. Many thanks to ChristinePensabene, Craig Roncace, Matt Vaughn, and Carolyn Fabian for volunteering last year and to returning Guides AlisonLeverick and Amal Spence for continuing to volunteer this program year along with new Guides; Vicar Lisa Jester, DanCook and A.J. Miller as they work with the 22 youth in the 2015-2016 program year. Many thanks also, to those parentswho volunteered to coordinate the various Play and Serve Events throughout the year. We couldn’t do it without you. Faithfully submitted, Pastor Wayne Zschech Communications CommitteeCommittee members:Brett Ainsworth- chairman, Judy Caravelli- co-chairman, Curt Bogina, and Dave WycheA new website was developed by Green House Graphix. They will monitor the site and update as we send new informationand photos.We prepared and distributed 54 press releases, 4 Advisories and 15 calendars. The Lessons and Carols flyers were revised,printed, and we distributed those to the community. An ad was created for the 2016 Haddonfield Directory.A press release template was designed to be used by committee leaders for community press releases and information to beincluded in the Messenger.Posters were made to track the progress of the May Budget Challenge.Ads for the Bookkeeper and the Office Administrator positions were created and sent to local newspapers, to six Had-donfield churches, and posted on Facebook and the LCOS website.Seven members were interviewed for Faces of LCOS articles that appeared in the Messenger.Updates were made regularly to the bulletin boards and the electronic board at the Wayne Avenue entrance. Respectfully submitted, Judy Caravelli Congregational ResourcesThe goal for the Stewardship Campaign for 2016 was to persuade members of the congregation to increase their pledges tothe General Fund by all or a portion of their Refresh pledges. The theme for the 2016 campaign focused on youth and fami-ly ministry with the hope that the increased pledges would support a part-time staff member to lead the youth and familyministry here at LCOS. The campaign brought in 106 pledges of $264,362.00 to the General Fund. This year pledge cardswere mailed to households for members to consider their pledge before returning their pledge card on Commitment Sunday.As part of the focus on youth and family life, the committee produced a booklet of Favorite Prayers, submitted by membersof the congregation along with explanations of where the prayers came from. The popular collection was distributed at theFall Festival, to Sunday School students, and to those attending worship services. A campaign to meet the $8,276 ChallengeOffering, a line item in the 2015 Gener al Fund Budget, br ought in $4023.00. We wer e hoping to r eceive $38 beyondintended giving from each household. To provide options for giving, we provided information for members to give throughSimply Giving. Alter nate choices to envelope giving include a QR code for mobile phone giving, automatic deduc-tions from bank accounts, and donations made online. For 2016 we reduced the number of envelope boxes ordered from522 to 425 by asking high school and college students to give with their families. Giving statements for 2015 wer e mailedin June and October 2015 and January 2016. Monthly updates, tracking attendance and giving, were included in the wor-ship bulletins. A page devoted to giving was added to the LCOS web page.I want to thank the devoted committee members for their work—Mark Bare, Janice Bellenghi, Carol Maniaci, and Lu-Anne Fogelson. Respectfully submitted, Laura Oakes, chair Fellowship TogetherFellowship Events: Annual Congregational Block Party Family Movie Night Family Game Night Adult Christmas Brunch Neighborhood Christmas Caroling Fastnacht Wine and Beer Tasting Progressive Dinner Senior Game DayLooking forward to 2016 with a Fellowship Together Coordinator to facilitate this year's events. Respectfully submitted, Amal Spence Page 11
LibraryThe only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it and join the dance ~ this is what the LibraryLadies did.We have been working to make the library a welcoming place for everyone. We shopped for and purchased two woodentable and chair sets. We examined our library collection thoroughly so as to select that which was most important andappealing. A seasonal display table has been put in the Narthex and we have begun building a database for our materialsto make it easier to find what you may be looking for.We welcome you to come in and check us out. Any donations and recommendations are greatly appreciated.Libraries ~ you don’t need any money, because you aren’t going to buy anything but, every single time you visit, you willgo home with a changed outlook. Respectfully submitted, Judy Caravelli, Beth Hill, Barbara Standke Outreach Outreach has started a Greeter Program this year and we have about 30 greeters, including a few children who loveto do it with their parents. This was all set up with the help of Vicar Lisa and Bobbi Newsham. It has been very well re-ceived and we are always looking for new volunteers to welcome visitors, guests and even members with a warm smile. This past October we also participated in the Haddonfield Fall Festival. Thanks to all of the volunteers that came out togreet and offer information about the ministries at LCOS. If you would like to become a greeter or to join the Outreach Committee, please feel free to contact one of us. Respectfully submitted, Nancy Frazier Prayer GroupWe continue to utilize an email chain as prayer requests arise. If you have specific prayer requests, contact the office byphone or through a pew card.If you are interested in joining our prayer group, please contact me at [email protected]. Respectfully submitted, Connie Wolf Property Report for year 2015We want to thank the Thursday Handyman’s Group (Don Wallace, Don Webb, Jon Batchelor, Matt Braccio & PeachesLarro) for all they do around the church, as well as our Custodian, Don Richards for cleaning the church.Some of the projects that were done around the church this year were: Repointed the steps on the main, Wood lane church entrance Replaced broken and loose bottom step leading to the sliding door. Brandon Quanci completed his Eagle Scout project of the kitchenette upstairs in the library area. Assembly of numerous new desks and chairs purchased for the Sunday School Placing see-through observation “windows” in the Pastor’s door and the Cherub Choir door. Repairing leaks as they “appear” in our old steam system piping. Reconfiguring the front office area by relocating the computer, bulletin board, and related cabling, etc. Performing numerous repairs and preventative maintenance tasks to keep our facilities in top order and to meet vari- ous government requirements, such as fire, elevator and boiler inspections. Routine carpet cleaning and kitchen floor maintenance.Projects for the year 2016: Identify more handicap parking capacity on Wayne Ave for Sunday morning. (We are going to try to rope off a larger section of Wayne Ave for temporary handicap parking on Sunday mornings). The Memorial Garden Respectfully submitted. Glenn Martin SeniorsThe Seniors Ministry for 2015 was Seniors Game Day held on the 4th Tuesday of each month (Except July and August) atLCOS. Participants contributed canned good to our LCOS Food Pantry and enjoyed fellowship before and during lunchfollowed by card games, bingo and dominoes. There were usually 30 to 35 participants. Respectfully submitted, Laurie Eason Page 12
Sisters~In~Spirit This year Sisters~In~Spirit has continued to provide LCOS women with the opportunity to get to know oneanother and share joys and concerns of our lives. We enjoyed gathering at homes as well as dinner out on several occa-sions. Sisters~In~Spirit also enjoy helping others through service projects. During Lent we again led the congrega-tion in participating in the ELCA Baskets of Promise. With your help we collected and assembled Personal Care Kitsthat were delivered to Lutheran World Relief and will be distributed to those in need around the world. In the fall wemade ornaments and encouraged LCOS member to donate to a Habitat for Humanity family who lost everything in afire. We also enjoyed sending cards to LCOS members who are not able to worship with us regularly.Please join us this year whenever you can! All women are welcome. If you have any questions contact me at:[email protected] or 856-795-2855. If you would like to be included in our e-mails please send your e-mailaddress to me. We’d love to have you join us! Respectfully submitted,Connie Wolf SOCIAL MINISTRY ANNUAL REPORT - 2015In 2015, the members of the Social Ministry Committee were: Jane Evans, Larry Friant, Joan Candia, Nancy Gulick,Betsy Kuehn (chair), Eva Shaw, Stacey Shaw, Ruth Friant, Dan Cook, Cheryl Cook, Jeannette Jelonek, Kathy Shone,John Drozdal, Teresa Vitale, Donna Stillwell, and Pastor Wayne Zschech. We meet on the 1st Tuesday of each monthat 7pm (except for July, August, and January). Please contact me if you are interested in being part of the Social Min-istry committee.Advent Giving TreeWe provide gifts to families in need. Church members select a name from the Advent Tree in late November to ear-ly December, purchase, wrap and return requested gifts. In 2015, the congregation generously provided and delivered278 gifts to children, teenagers, adults, and families through the following organizations: Urban Promise, My Father’sHouse, Caring Hearts Ministries, LCOS Pantry families, Garfield School in Collingswood, and Central/MiddleSchools in Haddonfield. Thank you to all who took an Advent Giving Tree tag and bought the gift or donated moneyto buy gifts for tags that were not taken. A total of 169 tags were taken by LCOS members. In addition to the$2000.00 budgeted for the Advent Giving Tree, we had 109 tags left to purchase gifts with monetary donations thecongregation made for the Advent Giving Tree. In 2010, the Advent Giving Tree was dedicated in Dianne Reinhardt’smemory to remember her many contributions to this ministry. Donna Stillwell has now taken over as Advent GivingTree Coordinator.PantryWe provide supplemental groceries to needy area families. Volunteers donate food, stock shelves, pack the grocerybags, record the activities, and deliver food to the families on a bi-weekly schedule. Many church individuals andgroups donated food and money to help the Pantry including the seniors from Senior Game Day, Vacation BibleSchool children, Sunday school children, and the Adult Choir. We provided supermarket gift cards to our Pantry fami-lies at Easter, Thanksgiving (also Holiday Food bags), and Christmas. Teresa Vitale took over as Pantry Coordinator inJanuary 2015.New Visions, Inc. of CamdenWe provide holiday meals with our annual Holiday Food Drive donations in addition to donating used items andcontributing to their programs. On Monday November 23, 2015, about 85 Holiday food bags were delivered to NewVisions. We also support New Visions with a monetary donation at Thanksgiving. This agency is the successor to Til-lie and John Myers’ Good Samaritan Center.Caring HeartsWe assisted this non-profit agency’s families--each family has at least one member affected by AIDS or the HIVvirus. We supported the seasonal holiday parties by providing baked goods and refreshments as well as a collecteditem (underwear, baby wipes, socks, deodorant, and gifts from Advent Giving Tree) and provide assistance at theseparties. The congregation donated deodorant for the Spring Give-A-Way in April 2015. We also supported CaringHearts with a monetary donation in March and a special Christmas donation. We helped Caring Hearts prepare andprovide food for Thanksgiving dinners for families throughout South Jersey.IHOC (Interfaith Homeless Outreach Council) - Social Ministr y collected school supplies over the summer to bedistributed to homeless children in South Jersey. 103 filled backpacks plus extra supplies were donated to IHOC. Do-nations were distributed through the Interfaith Homeless Outreach Council (IHOC). IHOC is a non-profit organizationbased in Cherry Hill that is supported by more than 40 churches and synagogues to help homeless men, women, andchildren. Thank you to Stacey Shaw for coordinating the projectMy Father’s HouseWe make a hearty, healthy dinner and deliver it to the 14 women who came to My Father’s House for Christianbased, court-mandated counseling every Tuesday. The women are required to attend a series of probation and counsel-ing sessions lasting 16 weeks. The counseling portion is run with the Camden city courts and is geared to help theteenagers become independent of the circumstances that landed them in the trouble that brought them to the attentionof the courts in the first place. We also provided Advent Giving Tree gifts. Thank you to Ruth Friant, who is coordi-nating the meals for My Father’s House. Volunteers are also needed to help deliver meals to My Father’s House onTuesdays. Contact Ruth if you are interested in preparing a meal or if able to help deliver the meals. Page 13
Urban Promise Ministries At its May 2009 meeting, Memorial Gifts Board approved two $1000 scholarships for two Urban Promise graduatingseniors per year for up to four years of college or trade school. Ideally by the fourth year, LCOS will be providing eight$1000 scholarships per year perpetually funded from the Bernadine Plotzke and Jean Patterson endowments. At the Sep-tember 2009 meeting, Memorial Gifts Board approved the revision of the Urban Promise Scholarship to include Camdengraduating seniors that are involved with Urban Promise in addition to those graduating seniors from Urban PromiseAcademy. Two $1000 scholarships were awarded in 2015. At the November 2014 meeting, Memorial Gifts Board ap-proved including Christus Academy students.LCOS COOKBOOK: The Social Ministr y Committee published a cookbook entitled “Feeding the Flock”. Proceedsfrom the sale of the cookbook benefit the food pantry.Donations We supported the following programs and services through annual monetary donations: My Father’s House, LutheranWorld Relief, Caring Hearts Ministries, Haddonfield Fire Company, Haddonfield Community Caseworker, Lutheran So-cial Ministries, Camden Lutheran Parish Campership and Camp Programs, Auxiliary of Lutheran Crossings EnhancedLiving, Habitat for Humanity, Fellowship House of South Camden, Ronald McDonald House, Interfaith Caregivers, andNew Visions. Thank you for your offerings which make these donations possible. Respectfully Submitted, Betsy Kuehn, Social Ministry Chair Vision CommitteeThroughout 2015, the Visions Committee: Contacted Samaritan Healthcare and Hospice to continue providing Grief Counseling at LCOS in 2015 and through 2016 Met with Interfaith Caregivers to try to coordinate their clients’ needs with our congregation for Adopt a Senior by our families initiative Wrote articles about Grief Support for Messenger Filed reports Solicited volunteers to help with clean-up and set-up for sessions and to drive clients if necessaryIn 2015, provided: Sharing Grief and Hope Jan. 8-Feb. 26 Early Endings April 2-May 21 Daughters Without Mothers Sept. 14-Oct. 26 Coping With the Holidays Dec. 3In 2016, scheduled: Daughters Without Mothers Jan. 18-March 7 Early Endings April 4-May 23 Sharing in Grief and Hope April 7-May 26 Respectfully submitted, Dave Wyche Worship & MusicWorship and Music Committee meets on the first Sunday of every month immediately following the 10:30 service andincludes lunch!!! We do not meet during the summer months. The committee is an umbrella for all parts of worship:Music, Altar Guild, Acolytes, Ushers, and Communications. We work toward creating a meaningful experience to inspireregular attendance. We also welcome anyone who would like to learn more about us to join us!For the last three years, our Sunday worship attendance has averaged 172.To all the members of the committee, Nancy Frazier, Glenn Martin, Eva Shaw, Stacey Shaw, Austen Wilson, PaulineWorusski, Dave Wyche, and Pastor Zschech,Thank you for your effort all year long. You made my transition onto the committee in October an easy one. Respectfully submitted, Catherine Bare Youth GroupThis year we continued to grow in numbers and events. In February, Vicar Lisa took two Senior High Youth to WinterYouth Assembly, the Senior High Retreat through the New Jersey Synod. We were also able to host an amazing EasterEgg Hunt for the Sunday School kids. We also were able to start Bible Study with the Senior High Youth Group. In Octo-ber we held our Annual Halloween Fair and took part in Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. We finished the year offwith our Annual Drop and Shop. We cannot wait to have another great year next year! Many thanks from Amal Spence,Nancy Frazier, Vicar Lisa and Pastor Wayne for their on going support! Respectfully submitted, Jaime Frazier Page 14
Annual Congregational Meeting Minutes, Sunday, January 25, 20151. Call to Order: Pastor Zschech called the meeting to or der at 12:15 P.M.2. Opening Devotion: Pastor Zschech led the assembly in the Devotions pr ovided in the Annual Repor t.3. Attendance: A quor um of baptized/confir med voting member s wer e in attendance. Minutes from the 2014 Annual Congregational Meeting: No additions or cor r ections. Motion to accept the minutes: (Jack Ber r igan, Scott Fogelson) Appr oved unanimously4. Reports of Officers: Pastor Zschech - Senior Pastor: Please r efer to r epor t on page 2. Vicar Lisa Jester – Intern: Please r efer to r epor t on page 3. John Drozdal – Vice President/Personnel: Please r efer to r epor t on pages 4 & 5. Jane Evans-Financial Secretary: Please r efer to r epor t on page 5. Tom Foskett-Treasurer – Please refer to report on pages 6 & 7. Audit Committee: Please r efer to r epor t on page 9. A question was r aised as to whether an outside fir m should be used to audit the various accounts of the church and the new Council and Treasurer will consider this option in 2015 and beyond. Motion to accept and approve reports: (Dale Kr edatus, Tom Reiter ) Appr oved unanimously5. Reports of Staff Members: Austen Wilson – Director of Music: Please r efer to r epor t on page 3. Upcoming events include: Mar ch 15 – Adult Choir Festival at LCOS with Presbyterian and Baptist Churches of Haddonfield; May 17 – Concert at LCOS – The Messiah part 3. Motion to accept: (Eva Shaw, J ohn Dr ozdal) Appr oved unanimously6. Report of Memorial Gift Board: Please r efer to pages 8 and 9. Mike Fallon led the assembly thr ough a r evision to the Bylaws and rationale for the changes. Discussion followed. The most significant change in the By laws will re- quire 5 votes for any motion to pass. For future Bylaw changes, a vote of three-quarters rather than two-thirds will be required to protect gifts as to their use in the future. Motion to accept: (Spike Riley, K. Laughlin) Appr oved unanimously In addition, Mike Fallon shared, the Board decided The Endowment Fund is to be renamed after Lou Dunkle who initiated the creation of the Endowment 25 years ago. Bob Mirabello stated that in celebration of the anniversary of the Memorial Gift Fund, exploration is underway for a gift to the congregation of a Memorial and Meditation Gar- den. A question was asked if a plaque can be installed to honor those who are not cremated and Bob said the com- mittee would take this suggestion into consideration. Motion to accept: (Jaime Fallon, A J Miller ) Appr oved unanimously7. Reports of Committee and Sub-committees: Please r efer to pages 10-14. Pastor introduced the committee chairs and presented those who were going off council with a carved wooden cross.8. Unfinished Business: None9. Election of Church Council and Memorial Gift Board: The outgoing member s of Council ar e: J ohn Dr ozdal, Tom Foskett, Sandy DeDonatis, and Dave Wyche, and the outgoing member of the Memorial Gift Board Members is Cathe Bare. The Nominees for Council are: Sheila Huff (1st term) – Worship & Music, Luanne Fogelson (1st term) – Treasurer. The Nominees for Memorial Gift Board are: Bobbi Newsham (1st term) and Karin LaBarge to serve the remaining three years of Susan Reintzel’s unexpired term. Motion to Close Nominations: (Mar k Bar e, Helen Mountney) Appr oved unanimously10. New Business: 2015 Ministry Financial Plan: Please r efer to r epor t on pages 6-7. Tom Foskett stated that there is no more assistance from the Memorial Gift Board in 2015. Discussion about Davis (Van Fund) and Parch (Elevator Fund) followed. A question was raised if money is being set aside to replace the church van to which Pastor Zschech shared that the van is underutilized and the money might be better used for support for Interfaith Caregivers. Pastor Zschech also shared the Challenge Offering identified in the Income portion of the 2016 Financial Plan indicates a $38 offering above and beyond a member’s regular envelope offering. The figure was calculated based on the number of families that regularly contribute to the ministry at Our Savior. This Challenge Offering is necessary to bridge the gap between income and expenses to achieve a balanced 2016 Financial Plan. A question was also raised regarding the status of the Refresh Appeal and it was shared that less was borrowed than was approved and that pledges are on track to pay off the loan by the end of the year. Motion to accept Budget: ( Juhan Runne, Pauline Worruski) Approved Pastor Zschech also shared that a gift in honor of outgoing Council and Memorial Gift Board members would be made to the ELCA Churchwide Appeal: Making All Things New Motion to adjourn: (A J Miller , Betty Keene) Appr oved unanimously with the pr aying of the Lor d’s Prayer. Respectfully submitted by Laurie Eason, Council Secretary Page 15
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Our Savior NON-PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE204 Wayne AvenueCorner of Wood Lane and Wayne Avenue PAIDHaddonfield, NJ 08033 Cherry Hill, NJ Permit No. 164Annual Meeting - January 31, 2016 Time Sensitive Material Enclosed - Mailed January 21, 2016Address Service RequestedAnnual Meeting - January 31, 2016DATED MATERIAL Devotions Responsive Prayer 2 (from LBW . 164)Pastor: Holy God, holy and mighty, P Let us pray. Lord God, you taught the hearts of yourholy and immortal, faithful people by sending them the light of yourCongregation: have mercy and hear us. Holy Spirit. Grant that we, by your Spirit may have aThe Lord’s Prayer right judgement in all things and evermore rejoice inThe Apostles’ Creed his holy counsel; through Your Son, Jesus Christ ourP Show us your mercy, O Lord, Lord. C AmenC and grant us your salvation. P Heavenly Father, in whom we live and move andP Clothe your ministers with righteousness. have our being: we humbly pray you so to guide andC Let your people sing with joy. govern us by your Holy Spirit, that in all the cares andP Give peace, O Lord, in all the world; occupations of our life we may not forget you, butC for only in you can we live in safety. remember that we are ever walking in your sight;P Lord, keep this nation under your care, Through Jesus Christ our Lord. C AmenC and guide us in the way of justice and truth. P Let us bless the Lord.P Let your way be known upon the earth; C Thanks be to God.C your saving health among all nations. P The Lord bless us, defend us from all evil, and bringP Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten, us to everlasting Life.C nor the hope of the poor be taken away. C AmenP Create in us clean hearts, O God,C and sustain us with your Holy SpiritP The Lord be with you.C And also with you.
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