Overview of Transition Team Meeting 11/8

The Emerging Unified Church of Carlisle

Overview of Transition Team Meeting

November 8, 2012

On Thursday, November 8, 2012, the Transition Team met for the eleventh time.  This was, by far, our longest meeting to date as we deliberated almost three hours.  It was also, undoubtedly, one of our most important meetings.

Our first item of business was the presentation of the Child Care Focus Group’s recommendations.  The short-term recommendation is that both the Little Angels Preschool and Childcare Center at First and God’s Little Ones at Grace Preschool continue in their current locations until an appropriate, unified site is determined.  It is also recommended that the programs begin to communicate with each other formally and coordinate services.  Eventually, the ambitious recommendation sees a Children’s Director overseeing these programs under the auspices of a unified board. 

The Administrative Structure Focus Group presented three recommendations to the Transition Team.  It recommended a Leadership Council to replace the former administrative structure.  Put succinctly, less structure will be more efficient and less cumbersome. Initially, the nine members will be selected by each church’s current administrative council – three from each church with one serving a three year term; one serving a four year term and one serving a five year term.  This will bring the Leadership Council some continuity.  Henceforward, all new terms will be for three years.  A member will able to serve two terms before going off the Council for at least one year. Pastor Jim will chair the Council for the first year after which the chair will be elected from within the Council.

The second recommendation is a proposed initial staffing plan for our congregation of 600 to 800 members.  It is based on the book, Inside the Large Congregation, which had been highly advised for them to use.  Once the Leadership Council has been organized and is operating, one of its first orders of business will be to announce the staffing needs for our new church and its hiring process for these positions.

Finally, the third recommendation is the Plan of Union which must be submitted to the Conference after it has been approved by our congregations.  It covers the very basics about our new church and gives our new church the authority to establish the Leadership Council.  It will be voted on December 9 at the individual church conferences.  

Time did not permit us to review the ten-page Interim Communications Plans which has been prepared by the Communications Focus Group. Finally, Pastor Jim announced that he had regretfully accepted Dennis Downey’s resignation from the Transition Team due to health reasons.               

                      

Transition Team

Pastoral Team                     Allison                                   First                                                       Grace

Jim VanZandt, Chair            Ron Axsom                          Tracy Horgan                                       Colleen Kulp

Mira Hewlett                        Ann Cook                             Debra Washinger                                 Kerm Leitner, Sec.

Susan Stewart                      Jeff Harpel                            Lois Weibley                                         Randy Noaker

Dennis Keller, DS                Joanne Reynolds                                                                                 Dianne Otto

Our next scheduled meeting is Tuesday, November 27, at 9:30 am in the Grace Library.