2019 - My Worship Times 4.0 Network...Exceptional Worship Radical Hospitality Authentic Community...

ANNUAL REPORT TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH • STILLWATER, MN

2019

2019 Annual Report

Because God

first loved us,

we live as Jesus in the world,

loving God and loving neighbor.

Exceptional WorshipRadical HospitalityAuthentic CommunityLifelong Faith FormationCompassionate Action

why trinity? core values

Trinity Lutheran Church is a faithful community in the heart of Stillwater.

We seek to be a church grounded in the reconciling Gospel of Jesus Christ.

In doing so, we intentionally educate ourselves in becoming more effective advocates for all of God’s people.

We embrace those of strong, uncertain, or undiscovered faith.

We embrace all sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions.

We embrace every age, family structure, race, ethnicity, physical and mental capacity, and economic circumstance.

We believe all people have been created in the image of God, and therefore have valuable stories and infinite worth.

welcome

Trinity Lutheran Church

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Report of the Congregational Council President ______________ Page 4Lead Pastor ________________________________________________ Page 6Pastor of Lifelong Faith Formation___________________________Page 10Worship __________________________________________________Page 12Outreach Missions ________________________________________Page 13Congregational Life & Congregational Care __________________Page 14Gifts Management _________________________________________Page 16Stewardship Team Report __________________________________Page 18Annual Meeting Agenda ___________________________________Page 20Minutes of Annual Meeting: November 18, 2018 ______________Page 21Minutes of Special Congregational Meeting: February 24, 2019 _Page 27Fiscal Year Statistics _______________________________________Page 28Pastoral Acts ______________________________________________Page 29CPA Report _______________________________________________Page 30Financial Report Overview __________________________________Page 47Balance Sheet Summary ____________________________________Page 48Fiscal Year-End Summary of Income & Expenses ______________Page 49Treasurer’s Report _________________________________________Page 50Fiscal Year 2020 Proposed Ministry Budget ___________________Page 51Nominating Committee Report & Council Election ____________Page 52Congregational Council Nominees __________________________Page 53Bishop of the Saint Paul Area Synod Report __________________Page 54

2019 Annual Report

Last year my report began by talking about both the highs and lows that Trinity had experienced my first three years on the council and the positivity that came with the fourth year. This positivity has continued during my fifth year. Service on the council is no longer trying to put out fires and being forced to make hard decisions. Instead it has become a time of renewing spirituality, building community, and looking to the future of Trinity.I have been asked a number of times what exactly does Trinity’s council do. The church constitution says the council has general oversight of the life and activities of Trinity, and in particular our worship life, to the end that everything must be done in according to the Word of God and the faith and practice of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.The constitution specifically says the council duties include the following:a. To lead the congregation in stating

its mission, to do long-range plan-ning, to set goals and priorities, and to evaluate its activities in light of its mission and goals.

b. To seek to involve all members of the congregation in worship, learning, witness, service, and support.

c. To oversee and provide for the administration of Trinity to enable it to fulfill its functions and perform its mission.

d. To maintain supportive relation-ships with the rostered ministers and staff and help them annually to evaluate the fulfillment of their calling or employment.

e. To be examples individually and corporately of the style of life and ministry expected of all baptized persons.

f. To promote a congregational climate of peace and goodwill and, as differences and conflicts arise, to endeavor to foster mutual understanding.

g. To arrange for pastoral service during the sickness or absence of the pastor.

h. To emphasize partnership with the synod and churchwide organi-zation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America as well as cooperation with other congrega-tions, both Lutheran and non-Lutheran, subject to established

policies of the synod and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

i. To recommend and encourage the use of program resources produced or approved by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

j. To seek out and encourage quali-fied persons to prepare for the ministry of the Gospel.

The council has incorporated the duties listed in the constitution into four statements which are the guides which it uses for providing leadership to Trinity: We are to be spiritual leaders of

Trinity by virtue of our leadership position.

We are to oversee the life and activities of Trinity.

We are to oversee the administra-tion of Trinity.

We are to support both the rostered ministers and the staff.

The past year has brought exciting things to Trinity. At the last year’s annual meeting, the congrega-tion voted to affirm Trinity as a Reconciling in Christ (RIC) commu-nity and the following Welcome Statement was adopted: Trinity Lutheran Church is a

faithful community in the heart of Stillwater.

We seek to be a church grounded in the reconciling Gospel of Jesus Christ.

In doing so, we intentionally educate ourselves in becoming more effective advocates for all of God’s people.

We embrace those of strong, uncertain, or undiscovered faith.

We embrace all sexual orienta-tions, gender identities and expressions.

We embrace every age, family structure, race, ethnicity, physical and mental capacity, and economic circumstance.

We believe all people have been created in the image of God, and therefore have valuable stories and infinite worth.

A celebration of Trinity as an official RIC community was held during worship on Sunday, Jan. 6, 2019. The work on RIC will continue.

REPORT OF THE CONGREGATIONAL

COUNCIL PRESIDENT


Doug JohnsonPresident, Congregational Council

[email protected]

The outdoor Green Space was improved this year by planting trees and installing a beautiful new sign introducing the public to Trinity.Financials were good. There was a surplus at the end of the fiscal year (see the financial report on Page 47 for details). In August the Operating Line of Credit was needed to pay $6,000 toward bills, and in September the money was paid back. The Operating Line of Credit is no longer needed to balance the budget.With the consent of the congrega-tion, Trinity sold three small tracts of unbuildable land which lay directly north of the Third Street parking lot. The tracts were of no use to Trinity and were sold for $27,000. That money, together with a $50,000 dona-tion designated for debt reduction and money left from the Open Doors fundraiser (designated by the donors for debt reduction), was paid to Thrivent to reduce the mortgage debt by $102,000.Trinity’s future is good. Attendance is increasing. There is a feeling of optimism in the building. In 2021 we will celebrate the founding of Trinity 150 years ago. Everything that is happening is only possible because of God’s grace which has provided Trinity with its extraordinary staff and hundreds of volunteers. I thank you all with gratitude!

2019 Annual Report

Siblings in Christ, what a year it has been! While nothing can capture the fullness of a year in ministry, here are some highlights of what has been and what is to come.Staff Trinity’s staff is strong, resilient, creative and committed. Each member of staff is either a spiritual leader of the congregation and/or responsible for creating an environment where spiritual growth can thrive. We take our work seriously and find joy in serving you.We have enjoyed excellent staff stability since long before my tenure. And change is part of staffing. Melissa Gubricky, administration/nursery, has taken a new position with Family Means, where she can use her skills and experience in an area of deep interest to her. We will be refining that job description and beginning the hiring process later this fall. High School Director Kelsey Cruisinberry returned to school to fulfill her student teaching requirement for her Master’s degree. Monty Lysne—who was in a part-time position as Confirmation Director—has shifted to fulltime director of both Middle and High School ministry. We also have three new additions to staff to celebrate: Faith Community Nurse Kim Dahlgren, and just after the start of our new fiscal year Visitation Pastor Don Fultz and Nursery Coordinator Anna Schwartz.We meet weekly as a full office staff and have added a program staff meeting once per month to enhance communication and better coordinate ministries. Whenever there is a 5th Tuesday in the month, we celebrate together; taking turns planning team building activities. This coming year will include training sessions to enhance our skills, including such things as developing our own leader-ship and that of others, conducting effective meetings and first aid.Reconciling in Christ (RIC) Last year’s report included a full explanation of the RIC process, so this year we celebrate a nearly unanimous approval of our new welcome state-ment at our 2018 annual meeting. When we began this process almost two years ago, we understood that both the welcome statement and a rainbow flag would be a message of welcome that is not limited to the LGBTQ community. And we learned that the flag is an efficacious public

proclamation of our commitment to an expansive spirit of welcome. We hung a rainbow flag on the exterior of our building and, temporarily, in our sanctuary. Since that time, we have enjoyed more visitors and people responding to that public welcome, including but not limited to:• People who have been in our

building for non-Trinity meetings, concerts and other events.

• Families and individuals seeking an explicitly welcoming and affirming community.

• People who have experienced marginalization in other faith, educational or work contexts.

• Young families.• LGBTQ couples and families

seeking faith formation for their kids.

Proclaiming the welcome of Jesus Christ is what the Gospel is all about.Council Transitions and congregation conflict demand much of a council. They did a courageous and faithful job, making some difficult and unpopular deci-sions. But they were committed to stewarding this congregation—and its staff, resources and ministries—into a hopeful future. With the budget in good shape, staff stable and ministries expanding, we are able to revisit how the council does its work.To that end, we have re-invigorated the finance team to take on primary responsibility for oversight of the church’s financial health and well-being. The new finance chair, Andrew Thelander, is currently serving an interim appointed term on council—completing the term vacated by Mary Claire Olson Potter. It is our hope that with excellent communication between finance and council, the council can turn it’s attention to devel-oping and visionary spiritual leaders of the congregation—arguably what the councils of vibrant, large congre-gations should be focused on.We have expanded the time we spend together in prayer, bible study and devotion. Currently, the council members are taking turns bringing a courageous devotion based on one of our core values. We receive reporting in advance of the meetings, so time isn’t spent in simply disseminating information. And we are shifting our attention to the future and imagining what can be. Our meetings are shorter

LEAD PASTOR


and richer, and our relationships are developing in deeply faith filled ways.You council loves to hear from you. So please come see us or drop us a line. We meet the third Monday of each month. Your council is: Doug Johnson, Mel Sullivan, Arba-Della Beck, Tom Olsen, Krista Gossai, Andrew Thelander and me. Ex-officio: Bob Eiselt. Pastor Peter also attends each meeting.Tanzania My husband, Ted Olson, and I trav-eled to Tanzania with nine others, some from Trinity and some from other faith communities. We enjoyed the remarkable hospitality of the Iringa diocese and our partner congre-gation in the village of Mwatasi. We visited various ministry sites, the preaching points for the congregation in Mwatasi, schools, and water proj-ects. We flew to Arusha to visit with Dr. Mark and Linda Jacobson and tour their multi-point medical ministry. We enjoyed safaris at Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire National Park. It was a varied experience, both spiritually and culturally enriching. We met old friends and made new ones. It pushed me emotionally and physically beyond boundaries I had previously left unexplored. Ted and I offer many thanks to the powerful leadership of Michele Hermansen and the kinship of Fred Anderson, Vic Thalacker, Marie Rogger, Rick Klempke and Paul and Brenda Kaese. And many thanks to all who sponsored me and us with financial support, prayer and enthusiasm!As we continue to grow into a fuller understanding of the accompaniment

model of mission, we are learning new ways to support water ministry in Mwatasi. It isn’t easy work, but it is holy work. We are committed to this partnership and hope to find ways to deepen our relationship with our Tanzanian siblings.Year of Renewal We completed our Year of Renewal cohort earlier this year. After a year of workshops, retreats, conversations, surveys, assessments and many deep conversations, we created a new mission statement and identified five core values to shape our ministry in this next chapter of Trinity’s life and mission together.Mission Statement: Because God first loved us, we live as Jesus in the world: loving God and loving neighbor.Core Values (in no particular order): Exceptional Worship, Authentic Community, Compassionate Action, Lifelong Faith Formation and Radical Hospitality.Neither the mission statement nor the core values are intended to be the last word. Rather, they are for this season of ministry. We are still thinking about vision: what would Trinity look like/what would Stillwater look like if Trinity were able to live fully into the gospel and our core values.A new practice we have adopted since the completion of the Year of Renewal is regular massed ministry team meet-ings. All ministry and other teams/committees meet together five times per year for a meal, devotions, and learning. Then the teams separate for their regular meetings. This practice allows for better coordination and -continued on next page-

2019 Annual Report

communication about ministries, sharing information across a greater segment of the congregation and shared skill building.Worship Worship continues to be the heart center of our congregational life. We kicked off the program year with TrinityFEST. We added a seasonal Longest Night Service for those seeking an alternate to the festive, massive Christmas worship experi-ence. We are reigniting Wednesday evening Lent services (Love Without Limits last year), bringing together the larger congregation with our Wednesday youth faith formation. And we now have an informal, litur-gical Wednesday evening worship called The Current. (It’s 7:07 and worship is next!) This is 23 minutes built on the prior Sunday’s reading and music and is offered according to the Youth Faith Formation calendar. While it is primarily serving Wednesday Night Faith Formation Families, anyone is welcome anytime!We give thanks to Jerry Nelson and Gene Kelm for the beautiful and highly functional new pulpit!And thank you to the Worship Arts Team for the seasonal color and worship appointments that give visual shape to our worship together.Looking ahead we give thanks and will bid a tender farewell to Travis Nordahl for his years of technical expertise, audio-visual wizardry, patient partnership and faithful service. Travis is turning his attention to his fulltime job. We wish Travis and his wife Rachel all the best and send them off with our love and gratitude.One and Done Book Group Last year during Lent, we offered several opportunities for folks to read and discuss Love Without Limits by Jacqueline Bussie. One group enjoyed their time together so much, they have continued to meet, reading such things as White Fragility by Robin Diangelo, Dear Church by Lenny Duncan and more. The name is chosen to reflect that anyone is welcome to join the group for a single session or regularly. Check the website or contact me directly for updates on One and Done! We will continue to read and discuss challenging material addressing issues like race, gender equity, the intersection of faith and politics.

Things we are looking forward to:150th Anniversary Planning On June 19, 2021, Trinity will celebrate her 150th anniversary as a congrega-tion. A small steering committee has assembled and begun planning cele-brations to take us through the year. So far we are planning a birthday party with cake and ice cream on the lawn on our actual birthday. A history wall will grow throughout the summer of 2021. And we will have our big celebration the weekend of TrinityFEST, 2021. Mark your calen-dars! More details will be forthcoming and there will be ample opportunities for anyone who wants to be involved. (Please let me know if you want to get connected now.)Women’s Ministry Women’s retreats have long been one of my life-giving passions in congre-gational ministry. Zanny Johnson and I are excited to be offering two opportunities for women to engage in a retreat: a day retreat this fall and a weekend retreat in February. The theme for both is “Our Sacred Selves.” Our retreat leadership team includes Lucinda White, Sandy Wendt and Rita Friesen.We are also exploring an expansion of women’s small group ministry, similar to the Trinity Tired Men’s Ministry launched this year. Zanny Johnson and I are co-leading a group of women in bible study and spiri-tual practice to develop leaders and practice possible models for the small groups. More information about how to get involved in a small group will be forthcoming later this winter.Warming Space Trinity is taking a giant leap as we join with St. Andrew’s—Mahtomedi to offer day and overnight emergency shelter to members of our community experiencing homelessness. This is building on the work St. Andrew’s did in offering emergency shelter during last year’s polar vortex. They were able to shelter about a dozen folks. Because they also offered supportive services, their guests found perma-nent housing, which they still occupy.We will offer daytime warming shelter from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. when the temperature goes below zero degrees. Overnight emergency shelter will be offered from 5 p.m. to 9 a.m. when night time temps are expected to be 10 degrees below zero. St. Andrew’s will be the warming space site from


Dec. 26 through Jan. 31. Trinity will be the site from Feb. 1 through March 7.As you can imagine, this will be a volunteer intensive ministry: food, bedding, laundry, activities, hosting—both day and overnight, maintenance support and more. We hope to engage the entire Valley faith community in this volunteer work, inviting everyone to help take care of our vulnerable neighbors when it grows dangerously cold. John Hodler and Jeff Anderson are key leaders in this effort and welcome your participation in whatever way best expresses your giftedness.The Warming Space represents just one way in which the faith commu-nity is responding to the rise in home-lessness in Washington County. For more information on other ways to get involved, reach out to John Hodler, Jeff Anderson, Roger Funk or me.

The role of a pastor is multifaceted as we are called within and beyond the congregation, with and beyond the synod. I am happy to answer any questions about what I do here at Trinity, for the synod, the seminary and beyond.Thank you to the best coworkers imaginable: Pastor Peter Weston Miller, Bob Eiselt, Jeannie Wendorf, Monty Lysne, Julie Jolivette, Zanny Johnson, Marilee Tangen, Ellen Neseth, Linda Flood, Kim Dahlgren, Pastor Don Fultz, Phil Kadidlo, Carol Carver, Anne Mikesh, Tom Hosek, Travis Nordahl, Anna Schwartz, Eric Trosdahl, Dave Goulette and Sonia Esch. You are deep wells of passion, faith, love and joy! You fill each day with laughter and gospel.A word of thanks to my husband, Ted Olson, who offers your pastor unflag-ging energy, support and love. Ted, I love you and give thanks for you every day.Trinity family, thank you for your eager sharing in the gospel. God has blessed this congregation abundantly and calls us to make the realm of God a vibrant reality in our community and beyond. We are ready. We are gifted and equipped. We are baptized, nurtured, fed, and called. We are the Body of Christ!Thanks be to God who holds the past, present and future.

Pastor Chris Bellefeuille, D.Min. Lead Pastor

[email protected]

2019 Annual Report

Lifelong Faith Formation—Children, Youth, Families, and Adults!In the last year, we have looked for creative ways to engage our families and youth, empower leaders through their strengths, and lead through the promises of baptism (lifted up in our shared Lutheran liturgy):• To live among God’s faithful

people.• To hear the word of God and

share in the Lord’s Supper.

PASTOR OF LIFELONG

FAITH FORMATION

• To proclaim Christ through word and deed.

• To serve all people following the example of Jesus.

• To strive for justice and peace in all the earth.

Lifelong Faith Formation is always evolving, and we have also been exper-imenting with some new best practices for interactive faith experiences in the twenty-first century:• More fully align with Trinity’s

wider Mission and Core Values.• Worshipping across generations

and learning styles is the most essential part of being the church (birth – 5th grade blended learning and Grace Spaces in the Worship Center).

• Celebrating milestones at every age and every stage.

• Equipping parents as the pastor/influencer of their families Monday through Saturday.

• Wednesdays and Sundays are not the only days that we can cultivate faith, but these limited hours are crucial for intentional family faith formation.

• Redevelop High School ministry through leadership training and Peer Ministry.

Cross Gen All In Love without limits. Poetic Diaspora. Seeking Lost Coins.Faith Formation happens all the time, but it is most effective to learn alongside a broad cross-generational community. We are blessed with a variety of authors, educators, and artists who are sharing their voices in timely ways. These faith-based change makers help us imagine our role and responsibility in the future of the church—through wonder and wisdom.I’m thankful to accompany our CYF Team, the Adult Faith Formation Team, and all the groups and families who are growing in faith because God first loved us.In joy and learning!

Pastor Peter Weston MillerPastor of Lifelong Faith Formation

[email protected]


Trinity Library Team The Trinity Library Team is currently composed of volunteers with varied interests in Library activities. The team enjoys reading, the companion-ship of volunteering in the library, and is open to new members. Volunteers use a selection process to choose resources, organize and manage mate-rials, maintain circulation records, create displays, enhance environment, plan events, coordinate with LADC, and communicate with the staff, ministry teams and congregation.The Library Team highlights the many resources that enrich learning and pleasure reading for adults and children. Examples include a library bookshelf in the Narthex and near the Garden Room, Faith Formation library visits, and Books & Brownies open houses. The Trinity Library is open whenever the church is open. Volunteers are in the Library Monday mornings from 9-11 a.m.Trinity Library Team includes: Andrea Eckman, Cynthia Franzen, Doreen Johnson, Barb Martin, Sara and Madi Dowling and Norma Wilson

Norma Wilson, Volunteer [email protected]

240 YOUTH & CHILDREN participated in Trinity’s faith formation activities

More than 700 adults participated in Trinity SMALL GROUPS – men, women, couples, spiritual direction, bible studies, ministry teams & more

2019 Annual Report

Worship has forever been at the heart of every faith and every faith commu-nity. From the dawn of humanity’s comprehension of our world, then later, the vast universe, our spirits long to express the often inexpress-ible—what we call “awe.” It’s no surprise then that when we gather to worship, we expect something great—perhaps even exceptional—to happen in our midst, and in our hearts. This is our hope as a team each week as we create worship experiences at Trinity.

For generations, worship at Trinity has been shaped by both internal and external forces. While we enjoy the mystery of the Spirit inspiring our worship in unexpected and surprising ways, we also desire to listen to the voice of the congregation, in order to respond to the longings of the people’s hearts to worship God. Assembling a team to help listen to the voices is the work of the Worship Ministry Team, which includes our Pastors, Directors of Worship, Charlie Payne, Tim Quarberg, Sylvia McAllister, Rachel Steltzner and David Brekke.

WORSHIP The main work of this team is not to design and determine the content of worship, but rather to speak for the congregation as decisions are being made about worship at Trinity. And to help the congregation more clearly understand the role and meaning of worship in our time. As we work with our other ministry teams at our bimonthly large group meetings, we anticipate seeing how the worship life of the people of Trinity fits with our greater mission—to make known the love of God, through Jesus, throughout the St. Croix Valley and the world.

We are aware that worship attendance in our culture is dropping almost annually. We see it in our midst. But we don’t believe that means that worship is on its way out. If anything we want to be ready for a renaissance of worship in future generations. The hunger for something greater than ourselves never abates. The need to connect with others who have faith, weak or strong, forever binds us together.

Parents, grandparents, sponsors, friends and the community will continue to welcome our children into God’s family through the baptismal font. Many families will continue to celebrate marriage or the lives of the departed in the context of their faith community. And every Sunday at the table God sets, we find Jesus waiting for all to come, to be fed, to be restored, affirmed, encouraged, included.

In the end it is our God, who has created all things, who makes our worship exceptional. We do strive for excellence—doing our very best with what we have been given. We have already received far more than we can give—we simply do our best, bring our best and share God’s best with all who love and seek God.

Carol Carver, Director of Worship [email protected]

Phil Kadidlo, Director of Worship [email protected]


OUTREACH MISSIONS

God has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? – Micah 6:8Outreach Missions overlaps and intersects with so many other teams within Trinity and it’s all about our core value of Compassionate Action. With numerous active small groups, Trinity members are living out their passion for mission every day in ways that don’t necessarily fall under the Outreach Missions umbrella administratively. The important thing is that we are supporting the vision of Trinity: providing an environment where people of all generations can live as Jesus in the world, loving God and loving neighbor. In addition, our team is charged with modeling and teaching about the accompaniment model of mission and ministry. The team also has fiduciary responsibility for all donated funds to Trinity that are designated to Missions. We are sub-divided into two primary action teams:The Local Action Team has emerged during this year with a “relief” and potentially also a “development” focus. We continue to support the wonderful services provided by Valley Outreach, Community Thread, Open Hands Midway, Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, and ELCA Disaster Relief, Josh Longnecker cooks for our Last Sunday Suppers, Angel Tree Christmas Gift Ministry is coordinated, and we are committed to the ELCA’s annual service day in September called “God’s Work. Our Hands.” Glenda Bjorum leads this segment of our local ministries. We have also been providing some support to a group of Anuak immi-grants from Ethiopia for the last several years, and a benefit concert is planned at Trinity on Nov. 3, 2019 in cooperation with other local churches to provide for their transportation needs. Heidi Kriesel-White is our liaison with the Anuak community.On the “development” side, a grass roots congregational interest in homelessness/housing issues was recognized and a team of individuals was formed, led by John Hodler. They spent much of the year studying the issue, meeting with other organiza-tions, and determining initial steps to involve the congregation. At the end of the 2019 church year, the team proposed a local mission strategy

focused on housing issues with a well-developed trilogy of education forums in October. The International Action Team is currently centered in walking along-side our Tanzania mission partners: our Companion Congregation of Mwatasi, providing Secondary School scholarships for Mwatasi students and post-Secondary scholarships for students of the Diocese, and supporting the medical ministries started by Dr. Mark Jacobson in Arusha. The team that traveled to Tanzania in October 2018 submitted their comprehensive report to the Outreach Mission Team and then the congregation this year, and it is posted on Trinity’s web site at www.trinitylc.org. We were also happy that Pastor Peter joined four Saint Paul Area Synod clergy in an educational exchange to Tanzania in February.In addition to our Tanzania focus, we also financially support other programs such as ELCA International Disaster Relief. And we hosted a well-attended adult learning session on Lutheran Mideast Development in November 2018.We have had some significant changes in our team at the end of this church year. Renae Oswald-Anderson began serving as our chair at the inception of the Outreach Mission Team in July 2015, moved into co-chair position with Michele Hermansen last year, and has now passed the baton of chair to Michele and remains as a

member of the team. Vic Thalacker and Heidi Kriesel-White have been on the Mission Team since it started in July 2015 and have ended their terms, although they each remain actively involved in several projects. We are exceedingly grateful to Renae for her continued leadership, and to Vic and Heidi for their passion, compassion, and contributions. This is a fun and cohesive team! On that note, we welcome Marie Rogger as a new member.There would be no Outreach Missions Team without YOU—all the compas-sionate people of Trinity who live as Jesus in the world, loving God and loving neighbor! Thank you to everyone who cooks or waits tables, or cleans tables, or volunteers in count-less ways for the Lutefisk & Meatball Dinner. It is Trinity’s largest fund raiser for outreach missions every year. Thank you to Tim Gillis and others who selflessly administer fundraisers like the parking lot initiative. Thank you to each person who leads a special project that enables people to partici-pate and utilize their strengths! Thank you to everyone who is engaged in a small (or big) group mission activity.

Michele Hermansen, Chair [email protected]

2019 Annual Report

Greetings, church family! I am daily impressed by what God is doing in and among us as we strive to connect to each other and to God. With the changing landscape of the larger church, so too do we change and grow here at Trinity to remain flexible and faithful in our response to our living and loving God.This is the beginning of year two for our Congregational Life/Connections (CLC) Team, a lay-led ministry team whose mission and purpose is to provide vision and support of congre-gational ministries that provide oppor-tunities for connection with others and with God at Trinity (as stated in our covenant). The CLC team members are Beth Coppock, Jon Fogelberg, Tracy Lysne, Lucinda White and Norma Wilson along with council member Krista Gossai. It has been a joy to work with these folks, enjoy community with them and share vision and passion for Trinity and its people.Perhaps you have seen the bright green poster in our Narthex with the words “New Here?” directing visitors to a table and the warm welcome of Sharon Longnecker. The New Here team was born of a desire to better identify and connect visitors to our ministries here at Trinity and all visi-tors receive a bag with a welcome gift, our ministry guide and most recent Trinity Today newsletter. I am most grateful for Sharon, Eunice Fultz and Margaret Prescott for their leadership of the New Here team.

In this last year I was so pleased to lead spiritual direction groups. I completed my spiritual direction training in the spring of 2017, and it is thrilling to offer group spiritual direc-tion here at Trinity! Group spiritual direction is:• Intentionally sacred time set apart

in a safe space• Non-judgmental, compassionate

and active listening• Slowing down and resting in the

deep love of God• Designed to refresh and renew

your spirit and fill your soul• Unfolding the truth of who you

are as a beloved child of God• All in the company of others.Groups form every season and meet every other week for 12 weeks, 6 sessions total. Now completing their second year, our solos group changed from 60 Plus Solo to Solo 55 Plus—for those who are age 55 and up, single and active. The lowered age limit has opened this vibrant fellowship ministry to more members.This spring we held our third annual “Talk & Tea” which pairs an author talk with a morning tea, and gathered 80 women to listen to Rev. Lindsay Hardin Freeman speak on her book Bible Women: All Their Words and Why They Matter. Our own Trinity Library is the hub of this event, giving this amazing in-house resource more visi-bility by gathering the women there at the top of the morning.I am so grateful for the many minis-tries that have been faithful and vibrant over the years and continue to do such great work in the name of Jesus! Ministries such as:• Caring Friends/Celebrating

Seniors—who stay in touch with every Trinity member age 75 and older through calls and cards, and the Celebrating Seniors event that happens three times a year (worship, luncheon and entertain-ment) in celebration of our seniors.

• Quilting ministry—our quilters made stacks of quilts for Lutheran World Relief.

• Knitting ministry—who knit and crochet prayer and baptismal shawls for our brothers and sisters in Christ.

CONGREGATIONAL LIFE &

CONGREGATIONAL CARE


• Prayer ministry—a group of prayers who faithfully meet and pray out loud the ongoing list of prayer requests.

• Sunshine ministry—a self-sustaining ministry of embroi-derers of dish towels that generate funds to send flowers to our 75, 80, 85 and 90+ year olds on their birthdays.

• Make a Meal Ministry (MMM)— providing meals to folks during times when a little extra help and support is needed.

• The list goes on and on! For a comprehensive and detailed cataloguing of all the ministries happening here at Trinity, please pick up a copy of our Ministry Guide or visit www.trinitylc.org.

I am happy to report we also welcomed 47 new members to our Trinity family this fiscal year! They are each beloved and precious children of God, and we are so happy to welcome them into our midst, and as we pray on New Member Sunday:

Merciful God, we thank you for new members of Trinity Lutheran church. You have called these brothers and sisters to yourself, enlightened them with the gifts of your Spirit, and nourished them in the community of faith. We celebrate their presence in this community as fellow workers in the kingdom of God and give thanks for the blessing of their voices and gifts. Amen.

An addition this coming year are two women’s retreats with the goal of strengthening women’s spiritual lives, relationships with each other and with God. These retreats will be led by Pastor Chris and myself, along with our team of Lucinda White, Sandy Wendt and Rita Friesen. A day retreat will be offered in November and a weekend retreat in February.

Zanny Johnson Congregational Life/

Connections Coordinator,Visitor & New Member

Ministry Lead [email protected]

Greetings,As the new Faith Community Nurse at Trinity I am looking forward to working with our care team and continuing to serve the needs of the congregation.I am currently working with the Volunteer Visitation team. We have a wonderful team of 14 visitors that tend to the spiritual and social needs of 22 of our people that are unable to get to church. They bring God’s word and love to them monthly.I am also the person through whom care needs are directed. Specifically assisting with clarification and help with understanding medical needs and different levels of care.Along with Zanny Johnson, our Congregational Life and Connections Coordinator, and Pastor Don Fultz, our Visitation Pastor, we provide all kinds of love and care for those who need it: lay and pastoral visits, distribution of prayer shawls, distribution of in home communion and meals when needed.

Kim Dahlgren, R.N. Faith Community Nurse [email protected]

2019 Annual Report

GIFTS MANAGEMENT

Bob Eiselt, Parish [email protected]

An update on our lighting, a true stewardship moment! By converting all of the building’s existing lighting to LED last year, we are practicing good environmental stewardship, stew-arding our financial resources, and vastly improving lighting in our entire building. Results thus far indicate that we have saved roughly $7,600 in elec-tricity charges in just the first year of operation, showing a reduction of 25 percent in kilowatt hours of electricity used, despite a very long, cold winter.More new carpet. Through a special gift and volunteer time we were able to demo, modify and re-carpet the chancel (stage) area, ramps and back halls of our Worship Center. A long overdue and much needed refresh and improvement to our worship space that is very visible to all who partici-pate in worship and events at Trinity.In a joint project between Trinity and our preschool partners Lake Area Discovery Center (LADC), we have transformed Room 102 into an Infant Room. As a result, LADC was able to expand their childcare offerings to infants. A helpful and high demand service for young families.Green Space enhancement with a new lighted sign. To complete the Green Space team plan for enhancing the appearance of our green space on Myrtle Street, a new lighted sign was designed and installed this summer. Thanks to some volunteer labor and memorials and bequests given for this project, including a significant, anony-mous memorial gift for the sign and a memorial gift for the landscaping around the sign.Also see the report from the Facilities Maintenance Team at right. Thank you to the members of that team for their efforts to keep our facilities maintained and in good working order.A great example of stewardship of time and talent in action is our Tuesday Guys Team. Under the leadership of Ron Hagen much of the year. And, with Ron and Kathy Hagen “wintering” in Arizona, Dan Wilson, Paul Fristad, Tim Edman and Chuck Newman lead this effort during the winter months. They don’t just meet on Tuesdays anymore! A huge thank you to this team, for their generous donation of time, equip-ment and expertise to Trinity and its ministries, without which we simply couldn’t make ministry happen in the same way!

Thanks to these groups’ efforts, a host of Trinity’s indoor and outdoor projects were completed in 2019! In addition to the aforementioned projects and continued modifica-tions and “tweaking” of components of the major lighting project, other accomplishments were: removal of the old baptismal font, Croix Center repairs, cleaned out and reorganizing of multiple storage spaces within Trinity, set-up and teardowns of: drive-in space, TrinityFEST, and other indoor and outdoor events, a variety of plumbing, carpentry and minor electrical repairs, and a myriad of furniture moves. All told, over 1,500 person-hours donated to Trinity! Included in this effort, a big thank you to Kathy Hagen, Kathleen Kraemer and Dan Wilson for painting a variety of spaces throughout Trinity. The combination of new carpet, new lighting and fresh paint helps to keep our building a bright and more welcoming space!Special thanks as well to our indoor/outdoor landscape team under leader-ship from Sandy Wendt, their efforts keep our greenery fresh and alive.Another special thank you to Claudia Swendseid and the members of our Stewardship Team. We are ever thankful for the work of the Stewardship Team, attending to our needed focus on the link between our faith in God and an attitude of gratitude and generosity in apprecia-tion for the financial gifts which richly bless us and this congregation.We were blessed with an exciting, overdue addition to our staff in FY 2019, welcoming a new Faith Community Nurse, Kim Dahlgren. It has been exciting to work with Kim, engaging Trinity’s many and varied life-giving care ministries alongside the multitude of unpaid care volun-teers involved here at Trinity.We bid a warm farewell to valued ministry partners: Melissa Gubricky, Nursing Coordinator and Administrative Support, Visitation Pastor Steve Hokonson, and Charlene Parayno (Child Care Provider). We thank them for their leadership and contributions to the ministries here at Trinity and wish them well.


Facilities Maintenance Team Report Members of the team are Dave Swager, Brian Larson, Tom Hosek, Bob Eiselt, and Mark Gieseke.Projects Completed in 2019 In 2019, the following projects were completed.• Constructed a new sign on corner

of Myrtle Street• Replaced carpeting on worship

center chancel, steps and ramps• Removed the old baptismal

font in preparation for Inclusive Grace Spaces

• Converted Room 102 to Infant Room – Joint improvement project with LADC

Priority Projects for 2020 The projects in the table below are the next priorities that are recommended by the Facilities Team. Which and how many projects are completed will depend upon available funds.In addition, in September 2019 the old floor tile at the east entrance to the Worship Center will be removed and the concrete floor polished in final preparation for the Worship Center Inclusive Grace Spaces and

Item Description Recommended Action Estimated Cost

Membership Database – Shelby is out of date and the system needs to be upgraded or replaced

Upgrade or replace the software $3,000 to $5,000

The drive-in screen panels are deteriorating and need to be removed. The shell needs repair, removal, or replacement

Perform removal and abatement of the screen panels and stabilize the shell

TBD

Historic east side of the church needs masonry repairs Tuck pointing, brick replacement, crack repair and sealing, and rebuild stairs; contractor’s quote could do the repairs in phases

$10,000 to $30,000

Furnace #11 – Living Room/Library/classrooms; no AC Replace with high-efficiency gas unit $4,850 to $7,500

South emergency exit door is rusted and requires frequent adjustment from frost heaving

Replace door and replace step $10,000 to $15,000

Communications Report Thank you to all the small groups, ministry teams, staff and everyone who contributes to the communica-tions and publications at Trinity to help get the word out about the plethora of opportunities to partici-pate in life and service at Trinity. The vast majority of our communications and publications are produced and printed in-house. On an average Sunday we print 475 bulletins, so with 52 Sundays in this last fiscal year that’s about 24,700 bulletins. That does not include the periodic insert or special occasion bulletin. And then there are the screens for Sunday worship and announcements, postcards for events, brochures and booklets, posters, letters and envelopes, stewardship campaign packet, this annual report, banners, signs, business cards, name tags, ministry graphics, web site, social media, email newsletter and blasts, and more!

Marilee Tangen Publications Manager

[email protected]

Monthly I produce the Trinity Today newsletter which ranges from 16 to 20 pages and is mailed to more than 170 homes and emailed to a distribution list of nearly 1,200 people. The news-letter includes all the worship, service and connection opportunities for the coming month, as well as articles from the pastors and ministry teams to tell the story of our faith community. Also included are connections to our ELCA larger church and community.In May we began the process of designing a new logo for Trinity that aligns with our mission, core values and welcome statement. Literally, it reflects our steeple and the river; symbolically it signifies our faith community carrying out the life-giving work of God in the St. Croix valley and beyond. The new logo was introduced in September 2019 and was highlighted at our ministry fair.Because the logo was developed in house in coordination with a congre-gational team, there was no impact

on the budget. Many thanks to the team who worked efficiently, smartly and creatively to develop something uniquely suited to Trinity. These folks are: Jennie Geiger, Marianne Geiger, Jill Davis Kneeskern, Scott Kneeskern and Brian Larson in partnership with Pastor Chris and me. Looking ahead to 2020 I will be giving the email newsletter and blasts an updated, more efficient look, as well as giving users more efficiency in subscribing and unsubscribing from our email lists. Continue to send me your event details, stories and photos. Thank you for the great work we do together!

as a possible future approach to floor improvement in the Worship Center.The Facilities Team would like to thank the volunteers who regularly take on many of these maintenance projects. Their service greatly reduces the cost of maintaining our facilities and allows us to make far more progress than would otherwise happen. The Team also is grateful for the contributions of the Lake Area Discovery Center (LADC) to projects that benefit both the church and the school.

Mark Gieseke, Team [email protected]

2019 Annual Report

351 families pledging, including 31 new pledgers is a strong outcome. Likewise, while we missed the increased pledges goal, nearly 40% of pledgers increased their financial commitment to Trinity in 2019—on average a 13% increase. Of the remaining, 183 pledged at the same level and 23 decreased their pledge.** Note that for the giver, giving at the same level or a decreased level can actually be a percentage increase if for reasons such as retirement or job loss, or new expenses such as college tuition, household income declines.

Efficiency Goal: Add 17 new auto-mated givers2019 Pledge Drive Result: Added 28 new automated givers

Fulfilling one’s pledge through auto-mated electronic giving from a bank account or credit/debit card helps ensure the pledger will be current on their pledge and benefits Trinity’s cash flow and budget management. The efficiency goal was exceeded with the addition of 28 new automated givers during the 2019 pledge drive. Over 50% of pledgers now use automated giving. Also, with changes in tax laws and other factors, more pledgers are fulfilling their pledge annually with stock, required minimum distribu-tions from IRAs, distributions from donor-advised funds and similar alternatives.Other ST accomplishments in 2019 include:1. Met with Thrivent staff to

identify ways to strengthen year-round, holistic stewardship programming.

2. Continued to explain and promote Trinity’s Endowment Fund as an option for legacy gifts. The brochure was made available at All Saint’s Day worship services.

3. Continued to promote electronic giving options including give-by-text and mobile through print, electronic and in-person communications.

4. Sent thank-you notes to all non-pledging households that contributed financially to Trinity, thanking them for their support and encouraging them to pledge in the future.

5. Updated laminated pew card that describes five different options for fulfilling a pledge along with instructions for using each option.

Team Purpose Trinity’s Stewardship Team (ST) defines stewardship as a recognition that all we have is a gift from God, all we have belongs to God, and all we have is to be used to serve God and share God’s love with the world.Our team helps Trinity members and friends 1) grow in their relationship with Jesus through personal steward-ship; 2) understand financial steward-ship as an act of faith; 3) be inspired to make Trinity’s ministries a giving priority, as funding them is essential to carrying out God’s purposes in the world; and 4) grow as a grateful and generous community.The team implements a year-round, holistic stewardship program, including the annual financial stew-ardship pledge drive, which raises pledged contribution income—the core of Trinity’s annual income.Team Make-up In 2019 the ST included seven Trinity members and two staff: Katie Monroe, Tim Gillis, Tami Jensrud, Melissa Haase, Amy Karlstad, Zach Lee, Claudia Swendseid (team lead), Chris Bellefeuille (Lead Pastor) and Bob Eiselt (Parish Administrator).2019 Accomplishments Central to the team’s work in 2019 was planning and implementing the annual pledge drive. The team largely achieved the pledge drive goals.

Financial Goal: Raise pledged contributions of $1.1 million2019 Pledge Drive Result: Raised $1,051,595 or 96% of our goal

While we didn’t fully achieve the financial goal, the results were still strong. Pledged contributions were up $44,141 or 4.4% over 2019 results.

Engagement Goals: • Grow pledges to 389 families• Add 35 new pledgers • Gain 189 increased pledges2019 Pledge Drive Result: • 351 families pledged • Added 31 new pledges• Gained 138 increased pledges

Our ability to do God’s work through Trinity’s ministries requires engage-ment by as many of Trinity’s members as possible. We measure this in part by the number of families pledging, new families pledging, and families increasing their pledges. Every faith community experiences some level of natural turnover each year, so

STEWARDSHIP TEAM REPORT


6. Showcased stewardship at Trinity’s Ministry Fair.

7. Continued to work with finance and communications staff to promote pledge fulfillment, especially in the weeks before the fiscal year-end, which helped accomplish a balanced FY 2019 budget.

8. Participated on Trinity’s Finance Team to ensure linkage between financial stewardship and expense management.

9. Authored articles for Trinity Today (TT) newsletter, including a summer spread highlighting members’ varied forms of stew-ardship. TT communications will continue in 2020.

Looking Forward The ST launched the 2020 pledge drive on October 6, 2019. Key features are:1. Theme and Bible Verse: Generous

God, Grateful People and Do not neglect to do good and share what you have for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. – Hebrews 13:16.

2. Stewardship Sundays: October 6, 13, 20, 27, November 10.

3. Goals:a. Pledged contributions: $1.1

million, up 4.6% from 2019.b. Number of families pledging:

365, up 4.0% from 2019.c. Number of new pledgers: 20

(There were 31 new pledgers in 2019.)

4. Stewardship education and information:a. Mailed stewardship brochure

and pledge information to Trinity friends and members inviting them to pledge to Trinity. Contained message from Lead Pastor; impact of gifts, stewardship stories, and directions on how to pledge.

b. Five Trinity members presented their stewardship stories at services during the drive.

c. ST members staffed an infor-mation table before and after services during the drive.

d. Used questionnaire, post-cards, posters, prayers, bible studies, and other commu-nications to engage Trinity

members and friends fully in the drive.

5. Modeling stewardship: Forty-one households from the ST, Finance, Council, staff and other lay leaders made “leadership” pledges totaling $158,736 or nearly 15% of the financial goal to kick-start the campaign.

6. Reporting: Reported weekly to congregation on progress against pledge drive goals.

7. Thank you and celebration: Sent thank you notes to all those who made a financial pledge; hosted a “thank you” celebration featuring cake at the drive’s conclusion.

Final results of the 2020 pledge drive will be available in late 2019 or early 2020.Conclusion Stewardship Team members are grateful for the opportunity to lift up faithful stewardship, in all of its aspects, as a way of life for Jesus’ disciples. When we live as God created us, we are generous people. By sharing all of our gifts, we live into God’s purpose for the world.

Claudia Swendseid Stewardship Team Chair

[email protected]

GENEROUS GODGRATEFUL PEOPLEDo not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. – Hebrews 13:16

2019 Annual Report

ANNUAL MEETING AGENDA

149th ANNUAL MEETING OF TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH

Stillwater, Minnesota

November 17, 2019, 12:00 p.m.

Meeting Agenda1. Meeting Called to Order – President Doug Johnson

2. Opening Prayer

3. Sharing of the Peace

4. Approval of Agenda

5. Introduction & Recognition of Congregational Council Members

6. Introduction of Parliamentarian

7. Approval of Procedures

8. Appointment of Tellers

9. Approval of Minutes of November 18, 2018 Annual Meeting

10. Approval of Minutes of February 24, 2019 Special Congregational Meeting

11. Election of 2020 Council Nominating Committee

12. Report of the 2019 Council Nominating Committee

13. Election of two (2) Congregational Council Positions

14. Recommended Motion – Nomination of Delegates for Synod Assembly – May 15-16, 2020

15. Reports from the Congregational Council, Staff and Ministry Teams

16. Report of the Church Treasurer for FY 2019

17. Presentation of Proposed Budget for FY 2020

18. Approval of Proposed Budget for FY 2020

19. Other Business

20. Closing Prayer – Adjournment


MINUTES

-continued on next page-

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CONGREGATIONAL MINUTES 148TH ANNUAL MEETING

Sunday, November 18, 2018 Location: Garden Room Time: 12:00 – 1:25 PM

Attendance: 145

1. Meeting called to order by President Doug Johnson at 12:05 pm.

2. Opening prayer provided by Lead Pastor Chris Bellefeuille

3. Sharing of the peace

4. Approval of Agenda

a. M/S/P to approve the agenda as presented

5. Introduction and Recognition of Council members

a. Doug Johnson introduced:

i. Mary Claire Potter – Vice President

ii. Tom Olsen – Treasurer

iii. Melanie (Mel) Sullivan - Secretary

iv. Arba-Della Beck – Member at Large

v. Krista Gossai – Member at Large

vi. Pastor Chris Bellefeuille

6. Introduction of the Parliamentarian

a. M/S/P to appoint Tom Haugrud as Parliamentarian

7. Tom Haugrud outlined the following procedures for approval:

a. Only members qualified to vote under the Trinity Lutheran Church constitution may speak and vote.

Under the Constitution, voting members are confirmed members that shall have communed and made a

contribution of record during the current or preceding year.

b. As required by our Constitution, the latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern parliamentary

procedure of all meetings of the congregation.

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c. In the spirit of the purpose of the meeting, all comments are to be kind, positive and seek to advance

the mission of Trinity Lutheran Church.

d. M/S/P to approve the procedures.

8. Appointment of Tellers:

a. John Hodler

b. Delzie Hodler

c. Eric Jackson

d. Jerilyn Jackson

e. Ryan Karlstad

f. Andrew Thelander

g. Dan Wilson

h. Norma Wilson

9. Approval of the Minutes – November 19, 2017 Congregational Annual Meeting

a. Confirmed the date of the meeting as November 19, 2017 and minutes will reflect the corrected date.

b. M/S/P to approve the November 19, 2017 Congregation Annual Meeting minutes.

10. Approval of the Minutes – December 2, 2017 Special Congregation Meeting

a. M/S/P to approve the December 2, 2017 Special Congregation Meeting minutes.

11. Approval of the Minutes – May 6, 2018 Special Congregation Meeting

a. M/S/P to approve the May 6, 2018 Special Congregation Meeting minutes.

12. Election of the 2019 Council Nominating Committee

a. Doug Johnson presented the following candidates for next year’s nominating committee:

i. Gail Olson

ii. Eric Olsen

iii. Dana Miller

b. M/S/P to appoint the individuals to the 2019 Council Nominating Committee.

13. Report of the 2018 Nominating Committee

a. The nominating committee provided the report of their activity.

b. M/S/P to approve the candidates for nomination to the Congregation Council.

14. Election of two (2) Congregation Council position

a. Doug Johnson presented Mary Claire Potter for a position on the Council.

b. Doug Johnson presented Melanie (Mel) Sullivan for a position on the Council.

c. A request from the floor for additional candidates was asked three times with no additional candidates

presented.



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d. M/S/P to appoint Mary Claire Potter and Melanie (Mel) Sullivan as a unanimous appointment from the

floor.

15. Recommended motion – nomination of synod delegates – May 2019

a. Motion to authorize the Congregational Council to elect representatives to the 2019 St. Paul Area Synod

Assembly. There are 10 delegates that can be elected to attend the assembly.

b. M/S/P to approve the elected representatives for the 2019 St. Paul Area Synod.

16. Reports from the Congregational Council, Staff and Ministry Teams

a. Doug Johnson asked if any member had questions about the reports. With no response,

17. Report from Year of Renewal Team

a. Mark Gieseke presented on behalf of the Year of Renewal Team.

b. He discussed appreciation for the other groups that help contribute to the information/background for

the Year of Renewal Team.

c. The Year of Renewal included reading, attending training, conduct a congregational survey, studied

demographic information, held listening sessions, conduct external interviews and drew Trinity’s asset

map.

d. This work highlighted that Trinity’s culture has changed. It is important to maintain our most treasured

core values and traditions, while expanding to new directions.

e. The group posed the question: Why does Trinity exist? The response: Because God first loved us, we

live as Jesus in the world, loving God and loving neighbor.

f. The core beliefs come from our constitution.

g. The Renewal Team highlighted the following core values:

i. Exceptional worship

ii. Radical hospitality

iii. Authentic community

iv. Lifelong learning

v. Compassionate action

h. Next steps include the following:

i. Council/staff/ministry team retreat

ii. Ministry teams will integrate the core values and activities into planning

iii. Sermon series on the core values

iv. Communicate our mission and core values

v. Book study on radical hospitality

vi. Host training in civility skill building

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vii. Council/staff will include reflection on how the core values are being lived in meetings.

viii. Measure progress

ix. Council retreat will consider further plans

i. Mark reminded the group that this is just the beginning of a process. More information will be

provided.

18. Report from Reconciling in Christ Team

a. Laura Fredericks and Jenny Rediske presented related to the work of the Reconciling in Christ (RIC)

team. They provided the background of the formation of the group, the purpose of the work, the

various information that has been provided and the ultimate intent of RIC.

b. The team reported that in a preliminary survey, 96% of the Trinity community supported the RIC work.

c. The team read the proposed welcome statement:

Trinity Lutheran Church is a faithful community in the heart of Stillwater. We seek to be a church grounded in the reconciling Gospel of Jesus Christ. In doing so, we intentionally education ourselves in becoming more effective advocates for all of God’s help. We embrace those of strong, uncertain, or undiscovered faith. We embrace all sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions. We embrace every age, family structure, race, ethnicity, physical and mental capacity, and economic circumstances. We believe all people have been created in the image of God, and therefore have valuable stories and infinite worth.

d. Doug Johnson reminded the congregation that moving forward with this welcoming statement will

require additional work.

19. Approval of Welcome Statement

a. The committees motion was M/S/P to approve to conduct the constitutional vote of the Affirmation of

Welcome statement.

b. The tellers to pass out the official ballots.

c. The motion is as follows:

“Be it resolved that Trinity Lutheran Church of Stillwater hereby adopt the following Affirmation

of Welcome and thereby becomes a Reconciling in Christ church”

d. Votes were counted by the tellers.

e. The tellers reported that the congregation to approve the Welcome Statement as presented.

f. The tellers reported 129 yes and 0 no.

g. The Affirmation of Welcome was officially passed!

20. Report from the Church Treasurer, Tom Olsen, for Fiscal Year (FY) 2018


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a. Tom presented the 2018 financial report from the Annual Report. Highlights from 2018:

i. Trinity experienced a slight surplus. This is the third year of the last four years that the church

has had a surplus.

ii. Contributions were slightly over budget of $1.3 million.

iii. Other income increased by $68,000

iv. The operating expenses were $14,000 over budget, which Tom explained that this was due to

the extra payroll in 2018 (27 payrolls versus 26).

v. Tom discussed the capital funds and what these funds were used for, including the 4th Street

facelift, carpet, and the lighting project.

vi. Tom reported that Trinity was able to refinance the debt, consolidate and move to Thrivent

Financial ($3,620,000 loan), resulting in an annual debt service of $238,000 annually, saving

about $50,000 annually.

vii. The line of credit maximum lending is $200,000.

viii. Tom expressed gratitude for all those individuals that were associated with the success of the

church this year.

21. Presentation of the Proposed Budget for FY 2019

a. Key assumptions

i. General contributions projected to increase at the same rate.

ii. Operating expenses forecasted to increase approximately $15,000, including a 2% increase for

the staff. This also includes $30,000 for capital projects for facilities and technology related

needs.

b. Claudia Swendseid gave an update from the Stewardship Team.

i. Pledges are at $839,778 with a goal of $1.1 million as of November 11, 2018.

ii. Claudia provided updates on the pledge status and encouraged the congregation to complete

their pledges for this upcoming year.

c. Questions

i. There was a question about rent and how it is accounted in the budget.

ii. There was a question about the various rents (Croix Center, USPS facility and rental income).

iii. There was a question of the lease term with the USPS. After this term expires, there is an

additional 15 years of options on the lease. There was a question if we had replacement cost for

this rent in the budget, which has not been considered.

iv. A question was posed about the benevolence and the amount of the budget. There was a

comment about how this might grow, which is an aspirational goal to reach a tithing level of


2019 Annual Report

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10%. This will be included in the work of the Renewal Team. It should be considered that

mission could be included in this total.

v. A question was posed about the van, which is listed as an asset on the financial.

vi. A question was posed related to the consideration of a debt reduction campaign. If this moves

forward, it will be a decision by the congregation, not the Council. There is a small group of

individuals working on this initiative.

vii. No other questions were posed by the congregation.

22. Approval of the Proposed Budget for FY 2019

a. M/S/P to approve the proposed budget for FY 2019 as presented.

23. Other Business

a. No other business.

24. M/S/P to adjourn the meeting at 1:40 pm. Meeting was closed with prayer.

Respectfully submitted, Melanie (Mel) Sullivan, Secretary


MINUTES

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CONGREGATIONAL MEETING TOPIC: SALE OF 3RD STREET PROPERTY

Sunday, February 24, 2019 Location: Main Sanctuary Attendance: 81 Time: 11:35– 11:45 p.m.

1. Meeting was called to order by Council President Doug Johnson.

2. Introduction of Parliamentarian – Tom Haugrud

3. Introduction and Summary of the Proposed Sale – Bob Eiselt

4. There were no questions from the congregation.

5. Vote

a. Per the constitution and the parliamentarian, a verbal vote was acceptable.

b. The motion was made and seconded from the floor to accept the offer for the sale of the

property.

c. Voting was completed verbally.

d. Final voting results: 81 yes; 0 no; motion passes

6. Adjournment

Respectfully submitted, Melanie (Mel) Sullivan Secretary

2019 Annual Report

Trinity Staff as of August 31, 2019

Pastor Chris Bellefeuille, D.Min. _______________ Lead Pastor

Carol Carver _______Director of Worship, Trinity Choir Director

Kim Dahlgren, R.N. _______________ Faith Community Nurse

Bob Eiselt __________________________ Parish Administrator

Sonia Esch ______________________Children’s Choir Director

Linda Flood ______________________ Food Service Manager

Dave Goulette ________________________________Organist

Thomas Hosek __________________________ Lead Custodian

Zanny Johnson _ Congregational Life/Connections Coordinator Visitor and New Member Ministry Lead

Julie Jolivette ________Children’s Faith Formation Coordinator

Phil Kadidlo _________ Director of Worship & Music Ministries

Monty Lysne ____________ Youth Faith Formation Coordinator

Anne Mikesh _______________________________ Custodian

Ellen Neseth _____________________Accounting Coordinator

Travis Nordahl ___________________ Audio Visual Technician

Marilee Tangen ____________________Publications Manager

Eric Trosdahl _________________________ Financial Secretary

Jeannie Wendorf ________________________ Office Manager

Pastor Peter Weston Miller _Pastor of Lifelong Faith Formation

Fiscal Year 2019 Statistics

Total number of baptized members on September 1, 2018 _______________________________ 3,202

Number of members received through baptism __________21

Number of members received through confirmation _______________________________________10

Number of members received through transfer/affirmation of faith ___________________________46

Number of members removed through death ____________12

Number of members removed through transfer, request, etc. _______________________________214

Total adjusted number of baptized members on August 31, 2019 _____________________________ 3,053

Non-member funeral services conducted by Trinity pastors _______________________________________2

Weddings conducted by Trinity pastors __________________5

2019 Trinity Congregational Council

Doug Johnson _________________ Council President

Andrew Thelander ________________ Vice President

Melanie (Mel) Sullivan _________________Secretary

Tom Olsen ___________________________ Treasurer

Arba-Della Beck _________________Council Member

Krista Gossai ___________________Council Member

Worship Attendance 2018 Christmas Eve:11 a.m. ___________________________________________260 2 p.m. ___________________________________________2013 p.m. ___________________________________________5184 p.m. ___________________________________________5559 p.m. ___________________________________________368TOTAL _________________________________________ 1,902

2019 Easter:Ash Wednesday ___________________________________353Total of all Lenten Services ___________________________653Maundy Thursday __________________________________190Good Friday ______________________________________212 5 p.m. – Easter Eve __________________________________817 a.m. _____________________________________________608:30 a.m. _________________________________________4079:45 a.m. _________________________________________60811 a.m. ___________________________________________390TOTAL _________________________________________ 2,954

10 a.m. Services (one service only) TrinityFEST _______________________________________369Children’s Christmas Program ________________________555Christmas Day _____________________________________ NALessons & Carols (Dec. 30) ___________________________232Palm Sunday ______________________________________533

Average Worship Attendance:9 a.m. ____________________________________________23710:30 a.m. ________________________________________1619 a.m. Drive-In (Summer) ____________________________176 10 a.m. Worship Center (Summer) _____________________152

FISCAL YEAR STATISTICS


PASTORAL ACTS

Garrett David Harman

Brynn Marie Harman

Loren Harvey Mark Nelson

Madison Marie Weber

Ruby Jean Schultz

Ariea Marie Dawn Dixon

Remi Lee Piniewski

Edward David Hewes

Harlow Mae Shopbell

Nora June Gervais

Grayson Gregg Gropel

MARRIEDMia Anderson + Nathan Matousek

Sheryl Cleaveland + Stephen Anderson

Alyssa Forbes + Jostin Coleman

Katie Germscheid + Tucker Richardson

Alexandra Ehret & Keisuke Okubo

TOTAL = 5

FUNERALSBarbara M. Ovall

Georgann Ellen Palmer

Lenore Helena Lee

Thomas Richard Mechelke

Michael James Secrest

Keaton James Larson

Rebecca Jean Marsnik

Larry Thomas Kuehn

Kent Edwin Charpentier

Norma Julia Swanson

Robert Louis O’Neil

Velva Jo Hausken

Phyllis Carol Wolf

Marilyn Rose Masterman

TOTAL = 14 MEMBERS = 12 (BOLD)

BAPTIZED

Taylor Garnet Anderson

Isabella Ann Appert

William Joseph Barwick

Johnathan Ryan Benson

Savannah Grace Benson

Ella Marin Cadenhead

Zane David Canaday

Allison Marie Carle

Isabella Noelle Chau

Alisa Rose Collyard

Timothy David Fultz

Soren Joseph Gabor

Colin Brady Glassman

Jada Lynn Hill

Eva Melissa Johns

Sydney Taylor Johnson

Ava Grace Karlstad

Elise Christine Karlstad

Kristin Marie Kaufman

CONFIRMED May 2019

Nellie Florence Brownson

Vera Kay Jelinek

Mason David Borowske

Colton Micheal William Johnson

James Henderson Parker

Oliver James Lee

Morgan May Adamson

Violet Marie Olson

Hayden Margery Madche

Parker Lois Madche

TOTAL = 21

Olivia Lauren Klepac

Isabel Christine Knowlan

Morgan Grace Lysne

Samantha Anne MacDonald

Sophie Anne MacDonald

Jenna Marie Maddux

Amelia Rose Maroney

Veda Lee Roeske

Karley Ann Rydeen

Julianna Lynn Silva

Hailey Marie Slachta

Charles Thomas Stinson

Carter John Stratmann

Maci Lynn Swanson

William Charles Swanson

Analeese Grace Weckwerth

TOTAL = 35

NEW MEMBERS = 10 (BOLD)