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Review before you come - documents for congregational meeting Jan. 28

Please plan to read, think about, and ask questions about these documents BEFORE coming to the congregational meeting January 28.

Mark your calendar for noon, January 28 (Sunday) for our "first congregational meeting" of 2018.  We have some important and complex items to discuss together, and some reading for you to do prior to coming to the meeting.  If you have questions for clarification, I hope you will contact the recommended person before the meeting so that our time together can be efficient.

REVIEW:  Agenda for the meeting

TOPIC 1:  You will be deciding whether to approve the terms of call for Pastor Joy.

At our November meeting, you approved our calling Joy to serve as pastor to Prism.  You also charged Council will approving and bringing to the congregation the terms of call for Joy - basically, what she agrees to do this year, and what we agree to do this year.  The CUCC/Prism Liaison Team also worked with Pastor Joy and Pastor Jenny to create an agreement between CUCC and Prism.  If you have any questions about either document, please talk to the Liaison Team:  Frank Gailor, Joan McAllister, or Jim Smith.


REVIEW:  Call Agreement between CUCC and Pastor Joy Alford and Memorandum of Agreement between CUCC and Prism
No copies of these agreements will be printed for the meeting.  If you want a copy, print it and bring it with you.

TOPIC 2:  You will be asked to approve changes to our constitution and bylaws
Please take time to read carefully the proposed changes. 

At our November congregational meeting, Grady McCallie presented proposed changes to our constitution and bylaws.  He invited you to bring comments to him, and some of you did.  Council has reviewed carefully the proposed changes with amendments based on your suggestions, and expresses their support for the package.

To assist us in having a fruitful conversation at the congregational meeting, we will consider a separate motion on each of five topical groups of changes, with a separate motion to approve each group.  Because our constitution and bylaws requires that changes proposed by Council be presented to the congregation at least two weeks prior to a vote, Grady will present changes based on your comments to him as amendments to the primary motion for each group.  You can, of course, make a motion for additional changes from the floor.

As you review the constitution and bylaws, you can see which changes are in each group by looking at the notations on the right side side.
Group 1technical and similar small, non-substantive changes (Items labeled "amendment 2" are based on your suggestions for these technical changes.)
Group 2requested by specific ministries  (Items labeled "amendment 3" are based on your suggestions for these requests changes.)
Group 3:  changes to conform to current practice (No amendments recommended)
Group 4:  changes to personnel and pastoral relations/ finalizing head of staff model (No amendments recommended)
Group 5finances (Items labeled "amendment 4" are based on your suggestions for these finances changes.)

Please read carefully the proposed changes.  If you have questions, please contact Grady prior to the meeting. We will carefully discuss the changes, but you can help us work well if you have a solid understanding of what is proposed before coming to the meeting.

REVIEW:  Constitution (November proposal with amendments based on your comments),
Bylaws (November proposal with amendments based on your comments),
Breakout of amendments based on your suggestions (changes since the version you saw in November)
You can find the current constitution and bylaws on our Important Church Documents page.
Copies to share of the constitution and bylaws will be printed for the meeting.  If you want your own copy, print it and bring it with you.

TOPIC 3:  You may ask questions about the yearly reports from 2017. 
Every January the ministries and officers of CUCC submit reports on what they did in the previous year.  If you have been feeling disconnected from some of CUCC's work or if you are considering becoming involved in a new area of our ministry together, be sure to read these reports before the meeting.  Questions about the reports?  Ask the author of the report before the meeting.

REVIEW:  Yearly Reports
If you have questions, talk to the chair of the ministry.

No copies of the yearly reports will be printed for the meeting.  If you want a copy, print it and bring it with you.

TOPIC 4:  You will be asked to approve the minutes of our November meeting.

REVIEW:  Draft minutes of November 19, 2017, congregational meeting
No copies of the draft minutes will be printed for the meeting.  If you want a copy, print it and bring it with you.

TOPIC 5:  You will be asked to approve a budget for 2018.
We hope you are still considering prayerfully whether you can increase your pledge for 2018.  As pledges continue to come in, Stewardship Ministry will be revising their budget proposal.

Proposed 2018 operating budget
Proposed 2018 capital budget

Copies to share will be printed for the meeting.

TOPIC 6:  You will be asked to approve a slate of officers and ministry/committee chairs.
Any corrections to the draft should be sent to Geri Bowen, gerikhb@gmail.com.

REVIEW:  Slate of officers and ministry/committee chairs.A few copies to share will be printed for the meeting.

We know that not everyone is comfortable reading documents online.  If you need a printed copy of any of these documents, or you hear of someone who doesn't use the internet and would like a copy, please contact the office so you have an opportunity to read and consider before the meeeting.

Respectfully submitted,
Jane EG Smith
Moderator