Gloria Dei Lutheran Church
Governing Board Minutes

Minutes of the August 10, 2004

President Deb Kesse called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. Those in attendance were Pastor Burcham, Lou Grotheer, Deb Kesse, Doug Pals, Laurie Peterson, Dave Sengpiel, Faith Spark, Shawn Woolman, and Ken Wunsch. There were no visitors.

Pastor Burcham opened the meeting with a devotional, "How do I Respond When I Get Stuck Holding the Bed Pan." The article emphasized the choices people have in choosing their attitude. You have the choice to choose your attitude no matter what the task. Handle yourself with dignity, integrity, and honor. In every interaction, you have the choice to choose to serve the Lord in His glory and honor. Pastor Burcham then closed with a prayer.

President Kesse requested the minutes from the July 13, 2004 meeting be approved. Dave Sengpiel made a motion to accept the minutes as read with a second from Faith Spark. The motion carried.

Next was a discussion of the article, "Why Does It Cost So Much? " It was pointed out that the larger the congregation gets the higher the expectation is for excellence. With those thoughts in mind, it is critical Gloria Dei maintain being good stewards of the resources we have been blessed to oversee.

The Board discussed the need for a review of the Paid Time Off (PTO) policy for the staff. Pastor Burcham will review the existing policy and report the results of that review at the October meeting.

The Board approved a scholarship for Rodney Serbus of $1500 from the discretionary funds of the mission budget. This will supplement the scholarships already awarded to him by the church. Rod is beginning his ministry studies at St Louis Seminary. Along with District and Seminary scholarships, this will provide coverage for his full tuition. It is the board's intention to continue funding his education throughout his years at the seminary.

The Board reviewed the Senior Pastor's Report dated August 10, 2004. It was noted that worship attendance is still maintaining very high levels, especially considering the summer season.

A pre-construction meeting was help on August 8, 2004. The construction should start within two to three weeks. The dead trees will be removed and others trimmed back to facilitate installation of the privacy fence. A tree also needs to be moved near the circle drive. The MTA will be notified when the people need to park in the east parking lot. The contract for the fencing is with Des Moines Fence, and is being coordinated by Grimes Asphalt.

The roof repair is underway and should be completed by August 13, 2004.

The multi-media project is experiencing issues. The electrician will not install the shades so a new electrician will be found. Also, Pratt has indicated the windows are not the size they based the quote on, therefore the price of shades could potentially be doubled. The board is continuing to monitor the expenses to ensure that the total project does not exceed the amount approved by the congregation.

The Outdoor Signage contract was awarded to Etc. Graphics. The project will come in over budget. It was decided to allocate the savings from the roof project to pay for the overage of the sign project.

A Director has been selected for the Pre-School. Her name is Terry Stienke. A Ministry Action Team has been established to help and/or advise. Terry will not join the staff until January 2005 although she is anxious to begin work on a volunteer basis immediately.

There was a brief discussion of the 40 Days of Purpose Campaign. Pastor Burcham informed the Board he will be doing the weekly videos to ensure the doctrine is represented appropriately.

Shawn Woolman made the motion to approve the Membership Report through August 1, 2004. The motion was seconded by Kent Wunsch. The motion carried.

Business Manager, Charlotte Nutter, submitted the Financial Report for July 2004. It was noted that a payment of $44,225 was made towards the organ. Also, money was moved from the loan on August 10, 2004. Dave Sengpiel made a motion to approve the financial report. Faith Spark seconded the motion. The motion carried.

The Board began the review of the Policy Manual, beginning with Section 2.

There was no Old Business.

New Business: Preliminary dates of August 21, 2004 or September 11, 2004 to begin goal setting were set. The dates will be finalized in the next few weeks.

A motion was made by Ken Wunsch to adjourn the meeting at 8:30 p.m. Doug Pals seconded the motion. The meeting adjourned with recitation of the Lord's Prayer.

Respectfully submitted by Laurie E. Peterson, Recording Secretary.