NORTH MADISON CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

1271 DURHAM ROADMADISON, CONNECTICUT 06443

Annual Report

May 17, 2015

NORTH MADISON CONGREGATIONAL CHURCHANNUAL REPORTS

May 17, 2015

TABLE OF CONTENTS Page

Call to the 2015 Annual Meeting 3

Minutes May 18, 2014 Congregational Meeting 4December 14, 2014 Semi-Annual Budget Meeting 6

Report from the Pastor 8

Book of Records 11

The Treasurer’s ReportNMCC Budget vs Actual 12NMCC Portfolio 142012 Named Donor’s Capital Fund 15CNS Budget vs Actual 16

Board of Deacons 17Deacons’ Membership Review 21

Board of Christian Education 22

Circle Nursery School Board 25

Communications Committee 27

Deacon Service 28

Missions Committee 29

Music Committee 31

Nominating Committee 33

Pastoral Relations Committee 36

Property & Planning Committee 37

Quiet Ministry 39

Stewardship Committee 40

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North Madison Congregational ChurchCongregational Meeting Minutes

257th Annual Meeting18 May 14

In attendance: 46 members and 8 non-members of NMCC

I. Executive Committee Chairman John Nassif called the meeting to order at 11:26 AM—The Rev. James Latimer opened the meeting with a prayer after which he thanked John Nassif for his service as Chair of Executive Committee

II. Minutes for the May, 19, 2013 General Meeting were accepted unanimously after a motion by Robert Linn and a second by Calvin Price

III. The Rev. James Latimer gave his reportA. Showed video, “Get Service,” the theme of which was “Why we GatherB. Via a PowerPoint presentation, discussed guiding principles of becoming a missional,

congregation-centered, and inviting churchC. Noted that in the 2014-2015 church year, he wished to articulate a particular vision for NMCC

—I.e., What bold step of faith can we take for God in our community that is very noticeable and around which we can rally and be known for?

IV. John Gallops gave the Treasurer’s reportA. Finances at NMCC have started much more successfully this calendar year than in 2013

B. John explained the portfolio process and stated that NMCC’s Vanguard®-based portfolio continues to do well

V. All Committee reports were accepted by unanimous vote after a motion by Robert Linn and a second by Calvin Price

VI. The slate of Boards and Committees was presented A.  Acceptance of the slate was moved by Gail Benson and seconded by Rene Chin B.  The motion passed unanimously

VI.  Roberta Hanlon reported for the Board of Deacons regarding the review of church membership roll

 A.  Explained process—see p. 27 of Annual Report and see p. 29 for those who were moved to associate status or removed from membership list

B. After an extensive discussion regarding this issue, James Cooper and Patricia Hunter were moved to associate members list, and Esther Magee’s status was to be determined—with these alterations, the updated membership roll was accepted unanimously after a motion by Roberta Hanlon and a second by Peter Meier     

VII. Keith Luckenbach moved and John Gallops seconded that Article IX. §14 be removed from the NMCC BylawsA. This would remove the reference to the Library Committee, but not the church’s library

itselfB. Tom Whitaker suggested that some books from the library be placed in Fellowship Hall—

this idea was met with general assentC. The motion carried unanimously

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  IX. Calvin Price moved that the Rev. Dr. John Pelletier be recognized as Pastor Emeritus of

North Madison Congregational Church A. Ann Whitaker seconded the motion B. A lengthy discussion occurred regarding this motion with many attendees speaking for or

against it C. The motion carried, 22-14

X. The meeting was adjourned by John Nassif at 1:29.

Respectfully submitted,

J. Keith LuckenbachClerk

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North Madison Congregational ChurchCongregational Meeting Minutes

Semi-Annual Budget MeetingDecember 14, 2014

In attendance: 29 members and friends of NMCC

I. Executive Committee Chairman Thomas Lauher called the meeting to order at 11:50 AM; Pastor Jim opened the meeting with a prayer and copies of the budget were handed out.

II. John Nassif reported regarding the 2014 Budget. Last year’s $17,000 deficit was approved. There had previously been a $10,000.00 deficit, but we are ending the year with a deficit of $5,844.00.

III. Regarding the 2015 budget, it was decided that a 3% cost of living adjustment would not be paid to church employees. Instead, a 3% 2014 year-end bonus was approved for each employee. Then, the cost of living adjustment would be revisited in July 2015.

IV. The proposed budget was reviewed. The Board of Finance’s intention was to have no more than a $20,000 deficit. The final draft was amended and voted on unanimously at the December, 2014 Executive Committee Meeting.

V. Holly Francis moved to approve the proposed 2015 budget. Linda Young seconded the motion.

A. Discussion. John Gallops gave an explanation of the income side the budget.B. Maureen Jones asked about the Hoffrichter Mission Fund. John Gallops

responded that annually a maximum of 5% can be drawn from this fund and that this money can only be used for Missions.

C. Bob Garbarino asked how the deficit gets funded. John Gallops responded that money is taken from Unrestricted Funds to meet the deficit.

D. Holly Francis asked if we use the Principal. John Gallops responded that we can only use the Principal from Unrestricted Funds.

E. Regarding expenses: Board of Christian Education requested $7,000.00 and got $6,500. The Missions budget was cut by $1,000. All other budgets remain essentially the same as 2014.

F. Regarding personnel expenses, the office manager salary was increased as she has been undervalued and underpaid. All others remain essentially the same as 2014.

G. Property maintenance expenses were discussed, including contract cleaning for the downstairs and the fact that the amount of snow removal which will be needed is unknown. We have been shopping for lawn care and snow plowing, but no one wants to bid because Madison Earth Care always wins the bid.

H. The Dr. Johnson Cemetery Fund started with $130,000.00. At the end of November, 2014, there was $304,000.00 in the fund. In 2015, we will draw down $14,000.00 from this fund.

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I. Bob Garbarino asked about painting of the church. This would be a major capital expense and would need to be approved by the Congregation. Estimates are being gathered.

J. Beth Berestecky asked about additional fundraising. John Gallops indicated that if anyone wants to come up with fundraising ideas and implement them, they are welcome to.

K. Question regarding the office expenses being up by 46%. They were under-budgeted in the past. During 2014, we have spent over $5,000.00 on computers and upgrades to our network. We are getting a lot of office information out, which is computer related.

V. John Nassif called for a vote to approve the budget: 29 yes, 0 no and 0 abstentions and the motion passed unanimously.

VI. Tom thanked Keith, in his absence, for his years of service as Clerk of the Church.VII. Calvin Price moved to adjourn the meeting. Maureen Jones seconded the motion

and the motion passed unanimously.VIII. The meeting was adjourned at 12:20 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Eileen M. McCannClerk

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Pastor Jim’s Annual ReportMay 2015

Grace and peace to you in our Lord Jesus Christ!

Much wonderful ministry has happened among and through us since May 2014. It’s an exciting time to be part of NMCC, though sometimes a bit nerve wracking. We’re being challenged to trust God’s presence and guidance. I’m reminded of God’s word spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? (Isaiah 43:19)

Not many congregations experience what you have in the past five years: the departure of a long tenured beloved and talented pastor and the right-sizing that must happen to move forward. This right-sizing occurs at multiple levels: leadership, finances, staff, worship attendance, and the number of helping hands in our ministries.

God is calling us to new awareness: In what way/how is God Calling us to live into the Gospel of Jesus’ transformative love going

forward? How is God Calling “me” to use my own God-given passions and talents within the

congregation’s newly defined ministry?

Done with intention, it typically takes a congregation 3-5 years to arrive at its “new normal.” Done without intention, a congregation with this kind of major change in its recent past is continually conflicted, as people haven’t done the hard work of releasing familiar expectations and habits that is needed to discover and embrace a new reality.

Our Getting Focused with Purpose initiative is helping us do exactly this. I am so pleased with how you have now deeply engaged with this process. We are bravely and faithfully moving ahead, anticipating that in the fall of 2015 we will have adequate clarity of what “doing justice, loving kindness and walking humbly with our God,” looks for us now. It is putting meat-to-bones of the 3 Guiding Principles we embraced in 2013: Missional, Congregation-Centered and Inviting. (See graphic below.)

I would love for us to articulate a big challenge to which we feel God calling us: What bold step of faith can we take for God in our community that is very noticeable and around which we can rally and be known for? And along the way you have been sharing your God stories publicly in worship, at Generosity Dinners, in the Pay-It-Forward Testimonies, and Vessels for God testimonials. That’s what “church” is about: Experiencing and transmitting God’s transformative love for the sake of Justice, compassion and forgiveness in our community and world.

The Worship Team has played a vital role here. The Vessels for God Lent worship series that sparked so much movement of the Spirit would not have happened without the collective creative leadership of a group of people. The Worship Team is a huge blessing to me.

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The above reflects the main priorities I had during the past twelve months : Offering spiritually enriching and lively worship opportunities Providing leadership and guidance for staff decisions Developing and mentoring lay leadership “Right-sizing” our budget and organizational structure Pastor care Together with you, managing the “gaps” left by the departure of Rob Osso (10/2013) and

Morgan Aery (12/2014)

I envision these strategic priorities (among others) for the next 12 months : Finishing our GFWP initiative Applying the GFWP results to all aspects of our ministries, including organization

structure/By-laws, staffing, etc. Creating sustainable models for our Christian Education and Property & Planning ministries Leadership development.

My vision for our ministry is that lives will be transformed – ours and others – as we take seriously our God-given passions and talents and serve from them to glorify God and bring God’s values of justice, kindness, love, compassion, community and joy into our world. This is why I choose to be a pastor and is what energizes me.

Your Friend in Christ, Pastor Jim

Data for Worship attendance, new members and giving.

020406080100

2012(latterhalf)

2014 2015

Worship Attendance

0

5

10

15

May-13

Jul-13

Sep-13

Nov-13

Jan-14

Mar-14

May-14

Jul-14

Sep-14

Nov-14

Jan-15

Mar-15

May-15

New Members

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$30.00

$31.00

$32.00

$33.00

$34.00

$35.00

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Avg. Pledge

Charts:Worship Attendance (includes children): During the latter part of 2012 Sunday average worship attendance (including children) was 75; in 2014 it was 95. From 4/14 to 4/15 it was 99.

New Members (not including Confirmands): 2013 (6 people); 2014 (17); 2015 so far (6).

Average Weekly Pledge: 2011 ($32.32), 2012 ($34.86), 2013 ($34.52), 2014 ($31.67), 2015 (31.71).

3 Guiding Principles:

Consumer Church Missional Church“I go to church” vs. “I am the church”

Pastor-centered Congregation-centered.Ministry is done by the staff vs. I serve using my talents and interests (“Feed” myself

by serving others)Welcoming Inviting“We’re glad you’re here,” vs. “What are your needs & interests?” “I have an idea you

may like…” “Would you like to join us…?”

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BOOK OF RECORDSMay 1, 2014 – May 1, 2015

BAPTISMS (5)

June 8, 2014 Shelby Ann Allen, daughter of Susie and Robert AllenHunter Ann Donahey, daughter of Angela and Victor Donahey

July 5, 2014 Greyson Lee Tierney, son of Katy Brewer and Brandon Craig TierneyXavier Joseph Cone, son of Kristen Leigh and Chris Allen Cone

April 4, 2015 Arabella Grace Bernier, daughter of Amanda and Chris Bernier

WEDDINGS (1)September 6, 2014 Gretchen Korman and John Murphy (officiated by Rev. James Latimer)

NEW MEMBERS (34)

May 11, 2014 (11 on New Member Sunday)

Heather Atwater, Carol Anne Bachhuber, Mary Lou Cook, Ann Damarjian, Orlene Gallops, Bob Garbarino, Tom Hansen, Nina Hsieh, Michele Mauro, Terry McGuire, Vance Taylor

May 18, 2014 (1 on from New Member Sunday)

Dina Dunn

June 29, 2014 (2 on New Member Sunday)Clarance Jones, Maureen Jones

October 26, 2014 (2 on New Member Sunday)Jill Aboulian, Melissa Clark,

June 8, 2014 (18 by Confirmation)

Shelby Allen, Christian Bray, Ben Chasse, Hunter Donahey, Emma Connolly, Olivia Fumiatti, Genevieve Garceau, Chris Hartmann, Anna Lefante, Ryan McAneany, Erica Mallon, Elizabeth McCann, Abigail Murphy, Hayley Murphy, Clare Nelson, Matt Parker, Kailey Piekarz, Emma Segnere

FUNERALS AND MEMORIAL SERVICES (MEMBER) (2)

September 23, 2014 Joyce Blundon (officiated by Rev. James Latimer)November 5, 2014 Sandra Stella (officiated by Rev. James Latimer)

FUNERALS AND MEMORIAL SERVICES (NON-MEMBER) (4)

May 31, 2014 Halina Mabry (officiated by Rev. Vance Taylor)November 19, 2014 Chester Norman Truax (officiated by Rev. James Latimer)January 10 2015 Anthony Leo McDonnell (officiated by Rev. James Latimer)January 24, 2015 Shirley Ruttner (officiated by Rev. Vance Taylor)

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Named Donors Capital Fund

To: The Members of North Madison Congregational Church

From: John F. Gallops, Treasurer

Subject: Named Donors Capital Fund – Annual Report

Date: April 21, 2015

The Named Donors Capital Fund was created by the church’s Executive Committee in the fall of 2005 as a vehicle whereby members and friends of the church may provide for the church and have their generosity remembered for many years.

Gifts to the fund are treated differently from other contributions made to augment the church’s capital. For example, if John Jones should decide to make a gift of $10,000 stipulating that it should be recorded as the William Jones Fund (William being John’s father), then the gift, with any increases over the years, will always be listed in the church’s financial records and reports as the “William Jones Fund.” Additionally, there is an annual restriction on withdrawals, 5%, which will insure that the original gift will always be there. Studies show that appreciation on a mix of bonds and equities will be sufficient to support an annual withdrawal of 5% as long as the American economy exists. More information and a copy of the fund document can be obtained from the church treasurer.

Set forth below is the status of the fund as of the December 31, 2014 . The generosity of those who have already given is appreciated; and it is hoped that others will want to participate in this vehicle, designed with the long-term financial health of our church in mind.

Held in the church’s investment accounts:250th Anniversary Gift Fund: $19,684.00Alexander and Joanne Zorba Fund: $1,400.00Barbara and Kenneth Munro Fund: $2,085.00Bryan Boling and Family Trust Fund: $3,447.00Caroline Rossi Fund: $1,444.00Carolyn Jones Ignatuk Fund: $2,629.00Donald E. Reese Fund: $7,039.00Helen and John Bischof Fund: $2,085.00In Honor of Henrietta Schraner Fund: $2,731.00James, Irmgard and Kyle Boling Fund: $3,447.00John and Beverly Gallops Fund: $2,422.00Mary Ann and Don Epperson Fund: $1,400.00Nancy P. Conover Fund: $1,400.00Pat Hunter and Jim Cooper Fund: $1,352.00Roberta and Thomas Lombardi Fund: $1,400.00Teresa and Harry Johnson Fund: $13,748.00The Clemmons Family Fund: $1,400.00The Cooke Family Fund: $1,400.00

Held in the church’s bank accounts pending year-end crediting as provided in the fund document:None.

Total amount in the fund:$70,513.00

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Board of Deacons Annual Report – 2014-2015

This year’s Deacons are: Dawn Barber, Beth Berestecky, Karen Chapman, Jim Connolly, Kate Davis, Sandy Dickson, Peter Haff, Roberta Hanlon and Bruce Whittaker.

The Board of Deacons provides the spiritual leadership of the church, working with the pastor in worship and pastoral care and the retention and growth of NMCC membership. It’s been a busy year with particular focus on enhancing our Ministry in several areas:

Caring Ministries - Improved our coordinated effort as we assessed needs and connected with resources in our congregation and in the wider community to ensure coverage.

Memorial and Celebration of Life Services Updated and enhanced the quality of coverage with which they are delivered.

Worship – Enriched the worship experience and connected it to our GFWP Initiative.

New Members - Continued efforts to connect with new faces and engage them in our community.

Adult Enrichment - Continued to offer programs that represent a variety of options to engage the congregation and friends outside of worship.

Caring MinistriesWith several families in our congregation in life-changing crisis situations, we needed to ensure that pastoral care could be provided by not only Pastor Jim, the deacons and Caring Ministries but additional resources in NMCC and as well as external communities of which these members also receive support. Each family was assigned a dedicated deacon or Caring Ministry individual who lead the coordinated efforts across all resources. All of the ministries have been very active this past year serving a wide range of requests:

Knitting Ministry – Our Knitting Ministry Members knit and distributed prayer shawls this past year, extending the work of God and our ministry outside our building and into our wider community through requests for shawls from members for their friends and family. Each shawl includes a card with a prayer and information on how the shawl was made. Leader: Chris Bailey

Called to Care Ministry provided outreach to members in need of a friendly phone call, an errand to be run, or a visit. In addition, we recruited well over 25 folks who pitched in painting, doing home and yard cleanup, gardening and building special needs items to support our congregation. Leader: Melissa Blundon

Caring Cooks distributed food to those experiencing illness, surgery or economic hardship. 15-20 members of this team and others provided meals for families in need. Leader: Karen Garceau

Prayer Ministry sent out close to 50 cards to those in need of comfort and support, especially health concerns and the passing of loved ones. In addition the Prayer Chain is called upon throughout the year for special prayer for members, friends and family in crisis. Leader: Linda Young

Memorial and Celebration of Life ServicesDeacons provided support for 6 memorial services for members Joyce Blundon and Sandra Stella; and non-members Hanna Malbry, Chester Truax, Anthony Leo McDonnell and Shirley Ruttner. Most of the families requested reception support, which required planning additional with the family and Deacon Services. To

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better support the families and their need to celebrate the life of their loved ones we developed a questionnaire with Deacon Services to collect needs, suggest services and enlisted the participation of deacons, deacon services and others to provide a special experience for the families.

Worship Team/Special ServicesThe Worship Team is an ad hoc team Board of Deacons. The members this year included Melissa Blundon, Sandy Dickson and Roberta Hanlon. This team worked closely with Pastor Jim to develop themes, liturgies, visuals, and activities to directly engage the congregation in the worship experience. Special services for this past year planned by the worship team included: Homecoming Sunday – set the stage to support our Fall worship plans Day of Remembrance – to celebrate and remember loved ones during a Sunday worship service;

included lighting of candles in memory of lost loved ones. Longest Night - held at the time of the Winter Solstice (December 21st), this service provides a safe place

to express and attend to that sadness through meditation, readings, music in a quiet candle lit atmosphere.

Advent: Our theme, “Learning to Walk in the Dark”, was woven into all aspects of our worship service during Advent, including special artwork. Additional services for Advent were:

Christmas Eve – This family-friendly service has a focus on Gospel readings about Jesus’ birth Christmas Eve – Candlelight Service

Lent: Our thought-provoking Lenten theme “Vessels for God” presented us with ways to identify ways in which we serve and how. This year included the use of personal vessels and testimonials, discussion groups during worship and ties to the GFWP Initiative. Special Lenten services were:

Ash Wednesday - beginning of the season of Lent with a reflective service that inspired us to recommit to personal spiritual growth during the days leading to Holy Week.

Maundy Thursday, Day of Remembrance – in this family-friendly potluck supper and service of remembrance we remember the Lord’s Last Supper and his prayers in the garden for guidance and strength through a community supper, readings, song and communion.

Tenebrae (Good Friday) - deeply moving service of lessons and hymns, lighting of candles that gave way to the encroaching darkness, recalling the trial and death of Jesus our Christ.

Easter Vigil – to some members, the most meaningful experience of Holy Week: we keep vigil in the quiet of our sanctuary from Friday evening to Easter morning.

Easter Dawn - This special simple service recalled the gift of life eternal conducted at Summer Hill cemetery through scripture, song and reflection by Pastor Jim.

Membership New members – Thirty five new members joined NMCC (May 2014 to April 2015): 12 new members in

May, two adult members and 19 through confirmation in June and 2 in October. Adult membership involves preparing a new member orientation session with Pastor Jim and at least one deacon prior to New Member Sunday. The Board invited 13 prospective members for our spring 2015 Membership Sunday on May 3 and 6 new members are expected to join.

Review of Membership - The Deacons reviewed of the church membership rolls, mailed letters and recommended moving 23 people to associate membership and removing 43 inactive members from membership at the 2014 annual meeting. Membership rolls review and proposed adjustments are underway for the 2015 Annual Meeting.

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Youth Confirmation – The Deacons hosted a Confirmation rehearsal reception to welcome our 18 new members and their families in May of 2014 and participated in the confirmation ceremony on Confirmation Sunday.

Adult Enrichment The Adult Enrichment program continues to offer a wide range of programs and events tailored to meet the needs of our church and provide members and invited friends with opportunities for personal growth and fellowship. Gentle Yoga : This ongoing program is held in Fellowship hall Monday Evenings. Attendance ranges from

10 to 20 participants each week including long-time church members, people new to the NMCC church family, and community members. Sessions run for 6-7 weeks and we generate a small profit on every participant.

Blessing of the Animals : This year’s event was held outside on the church lawn on September 27, 2014 and drew approximately two dozen members and nonmembers. Pastor Jim blessed each dog or cat with a prayer, hymns were sung, and a free-will donation of pet needs and cash allowed us to make donations to the Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter in Branford and Labs4Rescue.

Journeying to the Center: A Walk in the Labyrinth , led by Anne O’Connor on Saturday, October 25, 2014. A video presentation was followed by a labyrinth meditation at the Mercy Center in Madison. Approx. 15 participants attended and NMCC made a small donation to the Mercy Center in gratitude for their facility.

Finding Light in the Darkness : The two-part series was facilitated by Tom and Ann Whitaker on November 9th and 16th, 2014. This exploration of spiritual readings, designed to help participants respond to moments of loss, sadness, and darkness, drew 21–24 people to each of the two sessions.

Connecticut River Eagle Watch : This family event was led by bird artist Michael DiGiorgio on Feb. 28, 2015 to explore the Connecticut River in search of nesting and perched eagles. Approximately 30 people carpooled to the sites and enjoyed lunch together in fellowship afterward at the Ivory Restaurant in Deep River.

Development and Communication Welcomed 2 new deacons, Beth Berestecky and Dawn Barber and the return of Sandy Dickson and 4 new

Junior Deacons. We elected to not fill the two partial terms and one full term. We currently have 9 Deacons and 9 Junior Deacons serving. Training included onboarding the new Deacons and Junior Deacons with personalized training.

Deacon Retreats – We held 2 retreats this year:o Spring Retreat - The Spring overnight retreat was held in June 2014 timed to welcome the new

deacons. The retreat included getting to know and build intimacy with each other and prepare to engage the church community for the coming year. We worked on a deacon vision statement, taking a look at our passions, talents and needs of the NMCC community. Finally, we created a closure ceremony with the 4 deacons whose term was ending.

o Winter Retreat - In March 2015 we focused our attention on taking an inventory of the skills of the current deaconate and identifying what skills were needed deacons we needed to recruit. We conducted a workshop to enhance skills to help us identify and techniques to invite new deacons to join the Deaconate and then put together a list of prospects.

Communications – worked closely with the Communications Committee to provide coordinated worship and adult enrichment communication through the Sunday bulletin, weekly email, monthly newsletter, web pages, signage for services and Facebook updates.

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Ushers, Readers and Deacon Scheduling The Deacons schedule all readers, ushers and deacons throughout the year for each service. We currently have 12 readers, including one new reader this year and 15 ushers (two of whom were new this year).

Junior Deacon Program This year’s Junior Deacons: Reed Berestecky, Kyle Boling, Ben Chasse, Olivia Chasse, Emma Connolly, Ryan Murphy, Chris Parker, Matt Parker and Erin Shafer.

The Junior Deacon program is open to all confirmed 10th, 11th and 12th grade members of our church. The Junior Deacons have helped the Deacons with many aspects of worship each Sunday including leading the Call to Worship, serving as ushers and serving communion. Junior Deacon Chris Parker served as a mentor for the confirmation class. The Junior Deacons are an integral part of the deacon team, and a very important part of our worship service.

BaptismWe provided deacon support for the celebration of five baptisms: Hunter Ann Donahey, (daughter of Angela and Victor Donahey), Joyce and Kevin Tierney’s grandsons: Greyson Lee Tierney, Xavier Joseph Cone and Arabella Grace Bernier (daughter of Amanda and Chris Bernier).

VideotapingThe videotaping of the service provides an important outreach to those unable to attend worship on Sunday morning.

Respectfully Submitted,

Roberta HanlonChair, Board of DeaconsApril 30, 2015

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Deacons’ Membership Review MOVE TO ASSOCIATE LIST - 26

Butler, JackButler, JaneButler, PeggyButler, TimothyButler, WillCadwell, BenCadwell, DennisCadwell, MarylouCadwell, MorganCadwell, SamCasparino, AlexandraFlynn, Wendy*Forti, EricaHaff, StephenMurphy, Alison*Murphy, Bryan*Murphy, Cooper*Murphy, Cullen*Murphy, McKay*Perry, Scott Perry, Karen Tierney, Joyce*Tierney, Kevin*Varone Carolyn*Williams, RobWilliams, Jennifer

REMOVE MEMBERSHIP - 3

Vestuti, DeniseVestuti, GaryWikstrom, Alison

* Responded to membership letter and requested change

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Board of Christian EducationAnnual Report

2014-1015

The children and youth of our congregation inspire so many others to volunteer their time, talent, passion and love to provide warm and caring programs from our Children's Church on Sunday mornings to our two youth groups and our Confirmation Program. Thank you to ALL who have made our Christian Education Programs better and richer because of YOUR devotion.

Children's Churchserving preschool - 8th grade

o Sunday School – We have had approximately 16-21 kids each week attend our services downstairs. On holiday Sundays are numbers are closer to 30.

Date Theme/Curriculum Adult Volunteer Teachers Teen AssistantsFall Heiffer CurriculumDec The Christmas Pageant occurred on

December 14 and served as our worship service. All new script this year. Olivia Chasse and Ryan Murphy (both Seniors) were Mary and Joseph. Olivia sang with Bryan Boling. Several duos by kids. Live donkey added some spice to the show with typical donkey behavior.

Karen MurphyCharlie Shaffer

Olivia ChasseRyan Murphy

Jan - Feb 2015

Formerly used VBS:Discovering God Everywhere

Vera Levis, Sharon Mallon, Rene Chin, Karen MurphyJeff Chin

Haley and Ryan Murphy, Erica Mallon, Elizabeth McCann

Feb - March

Formerly used VBS:Shining God's Light

Missy Belcourt, Dan Mallon, Karen Murphy, Rene Chin

Haley and Ryan Murphy, Erica Mallon, Elizabeth McCann, Gen Garceau

Part of this rotation was community service where the 5th-8th graders made dinners to freeze for church members, the 2nd-4th graders made scented lotion, and our preschool-1st graders made homemade dog bones for local animal shelter.

April - Jun Formerly used VBS:Kid's Circle Ranch

Rene Chin, Linda Lefante, Jeff Ignatuk, Sharon Mallon, Karen Murphy

Haley and Ryan Murphy, Erica Mallon, Elizabeth McCann

Community service continued with

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each class making a different kind of cookie for the NM Fire Department. Each was frozen so that firemen can take out as desired. Huge card was sent along with yummy cookies.

Youth GroupsJunior Youth Group serving 7th - 8th grade

Approximately 7-14 youth attend activities. spring 2014 - New Haven overnight trip to feed the homeless. 10-15 kids attended

along with Morgan Aery and Mark Dickson. September- Guilford Fair was canceled due to lack of signed up youth October- Chapel on the Green: 12 youth worshipped and distributed sandwiches. Mike

Efenecy and friend help prepare, CROP Walk November- Hearth, Harvest Dinner, Team building, making cookies for craft fair December -

Christmas Party at the Hearth Five youth (2 being high schoolers) helped decorate cookies at The Hearth

with residents from the Keepsake Unit.

Christmas Craft Show Raffle Our JYG and parents helped raise $395 for NMCC this year by selling raffletickets during the craft show! This was by far the most we’ve raised over the past 4 years.

Coat Drive for City Mission Society of Boston $200 ($100 from members of the church and remaining from JYG Mission

Trip Fund) was sent to City Mission Society of Boston to help purchase new coats for the children of Boston. $100 was collected from members of the church, and a matching donation of $100 was taken from the JYG Mission Trip fund.

Upon Morgan's resignation, Rene Chin and Karen Murphy volunteered to lead, organize and run the JYG. One or both will attend each event/activity.

January 2014- 10-12 youth cooked Joke (meat) Loaves and zucchini muffins for members of church assisted by adults Rene Chin, Karen Murphy and Pastor Jim Latimer.

February- 5 youth Roller skated at Middletown Roller Rink chaperoned and lead by Karen Murphy and Missy Belcourt.

March- canceled due to snow April – Boston Urban Outreach Mission Trip serving the unhoused. 9 attended along

with Rene Chin and Frank Walsh as adult chaperones.

Senior Youth Group

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serving 9th-12th grade

The 2013-2014 SYG year ended with the annual Mission trip in Washington DC, July 12 - July 19, 2014. Working with Youth Services Opportunities Project (YSOP), 16 SYG were chaperoned by Morgan Aery, Pastor Jim, Jeff Chin and Jim Sachs with the focus of helping the homeless.

The 2014-2015 SYG was led by Jeff Chin and started the year with Cooking with the Chin's, an event in which the SYG cooked the dinner for their parents. Since then the SYG has met twice a month with an average attendance of 17 youth. Meetings have been were scheduled for twice a month balancing meeting at the Church and external activities.

Highlights so far have been: Yoga with PJ (Pastor Jim), Cookies for College - SYG baked cookies for all former SYG members that are now college freshman (6 freshman), Holiday party at the Church that was catered by Bradley and Wall, Bowling and paintball.

The SYG school year will end with a SYG bbq at the church in June. The Mission trip for 2015 has been scheduled for July 26 to Aug 1 in Blue Knob, Pa working with TeamEffort.

Confirmation

Curriculum Lead by: How many attended

Adult Volunteer Mentors

Junior Deacon Mentors

How many confirmed

My Faith Journey: adapted from curriculum from Simsbury Church

Pastor:Jim Latimer

Rene Chin

20 youthBrian GarceauLinda LefanteDonna SegnereRene ChinSharon MallonDan MallonScott ConoverGail Faithful

Caroline MorinErin McAneanyRyan Murphy

May 2014:18 confirmed

Remembering that with each baptism that occurs, EVERY child of NMCC belongs to EACH of us,

Rene ChinChair of Board of Christian Education

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Circle Nursery SchoolAnnual Report for the 2014/2015 School Year

Mission Statement

The mission of Circle Nursery School is to provide exceptional early childhood education for the young children in our community. Highly qualified and dedicated professionals work in harmony with our families to create an ideal learning atmosphere.

Nursery School Board

Director—Kathy Niejadlik & Donna Perry President- Rene ChinVice President—Claudia Esposito Secretary – Lisa Brown Treasurer--John Gallops Parent Representative- Jessica SchepsParent Representative—Amy Morrissey Parent Representative- Victoria O’BrienParent Representative- JoAnn St. Pierre Legal Consultant- Sue Barrett

Our Families

Circle Nursery School served 40 families (from Madison, Durham, Killingworth, Clinton, and Guilford) in four classes for the 2014/2015 school year

Teaching Staff

Currently, our staff consists of seven teachers.

Circle Tots 2’s - Kathy Niejadlik

3’s class: Head Teacher Abigail Sperry and Assistant Teacher Shannon Baker

4’s class: Head Teacher Donna Perry and Assistant Teacher Jackie Kidwell

Pre K class: Head Teacher Amy Heilmann and Assistant Teacher Debbi White

Program Development

We completed our second full year as a NAEYC accredited program in January 2015. We used the CT Preschool Curriculum Framework and the CT Assessment Framework for all of our preschool classes.

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Current Financial Situation

Please refer to the most recent information available in the Treasurer’s report for CNS budget information. We began the school year with a full roster in PreK and high enrollment in the 3’s and 4’s classes. Throughout the year we registered three additional students which helped increase our income. With the exception of the months of September and December we ended each month with a surplus. We expect to end the school year with a surplus which we hope to save toward NAEYC reaccreditation fees.

Fundraisers

Our fundraising this year consisted of the Butter braid Fundraiser in October, two family movie nights, and the Yankee Candle fundraiser in March. Fundraising money is usually earmarked for purchases for the children, either items/improvements for the playground or classrooms.

Community Service

Circle Nursery School children and their families participated in the following community service programs this year:-Food Drive --CNS collected nonperishable items to donate to the Madison Food Bank -Trike-A-Thon - The children will participate in a “Trike-A-Thon,” riding their tricycles and

bicycles to raise money for the St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital

Nursery/Church Relationship

We continue to maintain open lines of communication with Morgan Aery, and now Rene Chin, concerning the space we share with Christian Education. We believe that having Rene Chin as our board president serves as a positive connection between the NMCC and CNS. We also have experienced strong support from Tom Lauher and the Property and Planning Committee.

Looking to the Future

Going forward, we are in the process of surveying our families to better meet their needs. While our goal is to maintain our presence in the community as a traditional preschool, there may be ways to extend our hours and/or services to ensure CNS remains a viable outreach program of NMCC.

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Communications Committee Annual Report submitted April 2015 Members: Roberta Hanlon, Chair; Carol Anne Bachhuber; Phyllis Carlisle, and Kathy Dann (currently on leave). Overview – The role of the Communications Committee is to ensure that there is a unified, clear and consistent message with all communications, internal and external from public relations, web pages, weekly church email, monthly newsletter, signage and advertisements. Public RelationsThe committee has worked to get the good news about NMCC activities to the public. We have generated strong publicity on various events and activities, including the Antique Show on the Green, Tag Sale, Blessing of the Animals, fund raiser for the Bernier family, the Harvest Dinner, and the Christmas Fair.

Each of these events was supported by eye-catching posters that members posted around town at Madison Chamber member locations and in their work places, along with tear-off pads of paper that could be taken with the viewers.

NMCC Web pageContinue to maintain and update the content of the NMCC web page www.northmadisoncc.org which several new faces to our congregation have cited as how they got information about what we offer. NMCC Facebook PageThe Facebook page continues to be updated through occasional postings, with photos whenever possible. Improving the posts (better photos, shorter posts) will continue to be a goal of the committee along with finding a way to build the friends base within the Church and encourage more discussion. Internal CommunicationsWe continue to fine tune the coordinated process for submitting content for any of our communication touch points (Sunday bulletin, weekly email, monthly newsletter, web site and Facebook) so the information is consistent and available through all channels.

SignageThe team worked closely with event owners and CNS to put together a coordinated schedule for posting signage in compliance with Madison Zoning Board regulations. We also ensure the signage is updated or created to meet the schedule. Events that were promoted this year: Summer Worship Services, Antique Fair, Homecoming Sunday, Tag Sale, Blessing of the Animals, Harvest Dinner, Advent Season services, Christmas Fair, Christmas Special Services, Fire in the Kitchen Concert series, Ash Wednesday service, Holy Week Services and Circle Nursery Registration. Where a “filler” is needed, we use the “God is Still Speaking” message.

Respectfully Submitted

Roberta HanlonChair, Communications Committee

April 30, 2015

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Deacon Service Annual Report 2014-2015

The Deacon Service Committee provided support for several memorial services by being available to help with receptions in fellowship hall. The committee also provided lunch for the Getting Focused with purpose meetings. The Committee provides coffee and juice each week after church. Coffee hour has been expanded to include food each week which requires more preparation and clean up by the Deacon Service committee. In response to this our committee has grown to include more helpers. Deacon Service provided cake for New Member Sundays, the Christmas pageant and Confirmation. The work of the Deacon Service Committee has played a key role in enhancing the fellowship of our church.

Respectfully submitted,

Melissa Blundon

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2014-2015 Missions Committee Report

North Madison Congregational Church continues to support outreach in many ways that help people all year long. While this report will describe the work of the Missions Committee, we should acknowledge the efforts by dedicated members of our congregation that expand its commitment to outreach. As a missional church we subscribe to the believe that God works through everyone.

Breakfasts at Columbus House have been served twice a month by teams of church members lead by Peter Meier and Roberta Hanlon for many years. Christmas Eve breakfast is a true celebration featuring the beauty of carols from our choir, presents for residents and a warm and wonderful early morning feast.

Through your generous 2014 stewardship pledges, our annual budget was used by the Missions Committee of North Madison Congregational Church, walking humbly with our God, to inform and empower our congregation to:

First, Love kindness through prayerful, financial and physical outreach to Columbus House, Raise the Roof/Habitat For Humanity, Connecticut Quest For Peace, St. Martin de Porres Academy, Shoreline Soup Kitchens and Pantries, Reach Up, New Haven Youth Continuum, Our Church’s Wider Mission and various UCC Charities. The Giving Tree offers families a wonderful opportunity to guide their children in generosity. It is updated quarterly with new needs, so continue to check it out.

Secondly, we Seek justice through supporting programs that respond to the plight of powerless people by giving them tools, education and opportunities to improve their lives. This year we have invited Love 146 to speak to our congregation about their mission to end child trafficking and exploitation through survivor care and prevention.

Our congregation has fed children in Nicaraugua, paid their teachers’ salaries and provided their schools with necessary supplies through Connecticut Quest For Peace. We continue to give inner-city kids in New Haven the chance for a rich, nurturing, comprehensive and Christian-based education through our support of St. Martin de Porres Academy. As a founding partner of Madison Cares / Habitat For Humanity, NMCC supported its members as they worked beside a determined family building a home and their future. We continue to expand our presence in the community through a monthly collection of loose change which is distributed to local food pantries. Right here at home, we have recognized individuals within our own congregation whose burdens can be eased by our financial assistance.

The Missions Committee wants all of us to realize that the scope and breath of our work reflects both the needs of our community and the interests of our individual committee members. Each of our outreach organizations has deep connection to members of our church: Allison Rivera is President of St.

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Martin’s; Gail Faithful is a long-standing advocate for Ct. Quest for Peace; John Gallops is intregal to the success of Madison Cares/Habitat for Humanity; Lynn Hidek has opened our lens to the shoreline’s need for affordable housing, food inequality and wage disparaties through her participation on the Shoreline Basic Needs Task Force;Kate Summerlin has a interest in raising awareness about human trafficking in both near and far communities through her contacts with Love 146.

As we considered our financial Stewardship of North Madison Congregational Church, we’d like you to think of the Missions Committee as each of us embodying the arms and hands of the Body of Christ—whether hammering at a Habitat site, scrambling eggs at Columbus House, picking a leaf from the Giving Tree or packing clothing to send to Nicaragua, through all of our pledges WE are truly wrapping many in a sustaining hug, lifting up others in the name of our Lord.

This energy, this outreach, this caring compells us to imagine, generously and abundantly, the tangible benefits—in Jesus’ name-- that our stewardship pledges will accomplish in the 2015-2016 budget.

Respectfully submitted,Kate SummerlinMissions Committee

Allison Rivera, Lynn Hidek, Joyce Rivera, Ann Damarjan, Robbin Nassif

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NMCC Music CommitteeAnnual Report 2014-2015

This church year, the hard-working choir of North Madison Congregational Church sang during every Sunday from Homecoming Sunday through the Sundays in June. Numerous pieces were sung a capella and many new anthems were learned.

In the following months, the choir participated in special music activities:

· November – many choristers sang at the Thanksgiving ecumenical service held at First Congregational Church in Madison

· December – On December 14, 2014, many choir members participated in the Winter Concert of Shoreline Youth Symphony Orchestra and Whiz Kids held at St. Margaret’s Catholic Church. The choir also sang at the very moving 10:00 NMCC Christmas Eve service.

· January – This year on Epiphany Sunday, Miles Dunn, Scott Conover and Keith Luckenbach sang as the Three Kings, in the traditional regal attire.

· April – On Maundy Thursday, the choir sang In Remembrance of Me at the Pot Luck Supper after a spiritual time of fellowship and communion. On Palm Sunday, the choir presented selections from Requiem by John Rutter, accompanied by a small orchestra, including violins, cello, timpani and oboe. We are very thankful for Ann Clemmons, who consistently recruits such talented instrumentalists. The piece also featured soprano soloists, Vanessa Vradenburgh and Eileen McCann. Individual choir members sang on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday as well. At the end of April, the choir joined St. Andrew’s choir for their 8:30 am service, and then the St. Andrews Choir joined NMCC for our 10:00 am service, each choir learning a new anthem, “Lord of the Dance,” by John Rutter to sing together.

· May-- The choir joyfully participated again in the Consociation Choir Festival, this year held at the North Haven Congregational Church. In addition, it is always a treat to hear our NMCC men’s choir. Annually, they join with the men of North Guilford Congregational Church and other churches to learn two anthems to sing at the festival.

· . In the last year, we welcomed some new choir members: Holly Francis (alto/soprano), Peter Haff (baritone), Dina Dunn (soprano), Melissa Clark (soprano) and Leslie Jaluria (alto).

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We are blessed to have many talented musicians within our own church. Ken Shuey and Miles Dunn have composed music and have offered up their songs during worship this past year. Carol Luckenbach is a sincere blessing to us all when she shares her talents at the piano, providing musical leadership when Linda Juliani is away, accompanying the tenors and basses during sectional rehearsals and joins Linda for four-handed anthems. Kevin Kane occasionally accompanies the choir on bass or bodhran and Mike DiGiorgio accompanied the choir on Fly Away Medley during worship as well as at the choir festival.

In addition, we are so fortunate to have Bill Clemmons, who volunteers his time to direct the choir, week after week. He also can be heard playing the trumpet on Easter Sunday and playing the violin in the summer. Ann Clemmons is invaluable. She writes music for the children’s orchestra at the Christmas Pageant, gathers instrumentalists together to play in church, shares her amazing expertise on the violin and holds up the alto section in the choir. We are also blessed to have our NMCC string players, Stacy and Emily Shafer, Debbie Gilbert, Beth and Melinda Clemmons, and Miles Dunn. We also enjoy the occasional performance by the bluegrass group, The Circle Rounders, which has included at various times, Mike DiGiorgio, Kate Davis, Kevin Kane, Ken Shuey, Eileen McCann, Miles and Dina Dunn and Ann Clemmons, among others.

This year we welcomed several young people to lead musically during worship. The Christmas Eve children’s service included a moving performance by Olivia Chasse, singing and playing her guitar on the song, “Hallelujah.” Bennett Sprague played Via Dolorosa on violin on Good Friday with Jim Latimer singing baritone and Linda accompanying on the piano.

The heart of the music at North Madison Congregational Church, of course, is our minister of music, Linda Juliani. Her love, kindness and faith permeate the church through her skills in playing the organ and piano, accompanying the choir, as well as planning, selecting and ordering the worship music, recruiting and practicing with soloists, and playing those amazing organ postludes week after week. She is our NMCC treasure!

On Summer Sundays, we continue to have beautiful music. We are grateful to the variety of instrumental and vocal soloists and groups who generously volunteer to present one or two pieces during the summer. Each and every Sunday, we enjoy singing our praise, our joy and our faith. SOLI DEO GLORIA!

Respectfully submitted,

Eileen M. McCann, ChairKeith LuckenbachHeather Crawford

Bill Clemmons, ex-officio memberLinda Juliani, ex-officio member

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Nominating Committee

Members  Peter Haff, Dawn Barber, Melissa Blundon

We started the year with a few meetings at each of our homes to review each board and committee slates and plan various ways to fill the  slots and create some new areas of serving our church.

Under Pastor Jim's guidance we tried to open our vision to identify the large number of activities that the church offers and let members and friends get involved in a variety of levels.

Roberta Hanlon is always of great help in creating and communicating our events and reports for the church. Thank you!

We reprinted Cora Ogdens' Christmas card and sent it to 150 or so members and friends in December.  We did this to try to "touch" various old members and friends who have been part of our wonderful church over the years.  We had much fun in sending and wonderful responses from many who received the amazing card.

We spent a lot of time discussing every member of the church and how we could find them a connection in some way to help serve NMCC.

We had a successful Nominating expo that Dawn Barber lead in great fashion.  We extended the expo for 4 Sundays so a variety of people could have the opportunity to sign up . We found that having our Getting Focused With Purpose process going on through this year we have tried to complement the excitement and positive energy that is growing at NMCC.

Our vision this year was to yes fill the openings on the Boards and Committees, but more so get as many members and friends involved in something....... In our busy lives time is a precious item. Our message to all we touched was get involved at whatever level you feel comfortable, but join us in helping out in some way.

Many folks joined an activity and have blossomed in faith to do a lot more at our wonderful Church...

It has been a pleasure and an honor to chair this talented committee.

God Bless,

Peter Haff

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Pastoral Relations CommitteeAnnual Report

May 2015 

The Pastoral Relations Committee supports Rev. Latimer and fosters communication on issues or concerns.  Our role is to assist the pastor in visioning effective ministry from both personal and corporate (community) perspectives. Confidential meetings are held quarterly or as-needed.

Membership consists of two elected and two appointed individuals……Dawn Barber (E), Scott Conover (A), Peter Meier (A), and Stacy Shafer (E).

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Property and Planning CommitteeAnnual Report July 2014- June 2015 OverviewThe Property and Planning (P&P) Committee is responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the church building, adjacent structures, it’s grounds and the Summer Hill Cemetery. The P&P Committee co-ordinates with the Town of Madison as the church is a designated emergency shelter.

The committee members volunteer for three year terms with two members rotating off annually. Committee Members:Term ending June 2014: Tom Lauher, Peter RiveraTerm ending June 2015: Peter Rivera, Jeff Chin (co-chair)Term ending June 2016: Mark Barber, Bryan BolingTerm ending June 2017: Larry Kilburn, Paul Sprague Term ending June 2018: Bob GarbarinoPastor Jim Latimer, Ex-officioFor the July 2014 - Jun 2015 year, Tom Lauher and Peter Rivera continued to remain on the committee with Tom acting as the other P&P co-Chair.

Year in Review: The committee conducts regular inspections for the following:

September: Roof, Bell Tower, and Grounds January and July: Sanctuary, Fellowship Hall, and Kitchen February and August : Circle Nursery classrooms, Playground, and Community Room/Kitchen April and October: Summer Hill Cemetery

The committee plans and conducts regular scheduled (monthly, quarterly, bi-annually) testing of: Fire Drills to support CNS Gas generator for compliance as an Emergency Shelter Water testing Inspections: Radon and Fire alarm system

Church Cleaning: Americlean was selected as the contractor of choice for the cleaning of the downstairs classrooms during the school year. Inconsistent cleaning of the church and complaints from CNS resulted in the termination of the contract in March 2015 and the selection of D&K for the remainder of the school year.

The upstairs continues to be cleaned with the help of volunteers or donations in lieu of volunteering. In January an anonymous donor hired Geniemaids to clean the sanctuary once a month for the 2015 year. Geniemaids have been scheduled for the last week of the month so that the Church has the extra cleaning effort prior to Communion Sundays. A second anonymous donor has given ~$1300 for the cleaning of the Sanctuary. Identifying a cleaning company is still being investigated.

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Maintenance & RepairsThe two CNS classroom floors as well as the Community room floor were stripped and waxed prior to the start of the CNS school year. The rugs downstairs were shampooed twice (August and December) while the Sanctuary carpet was shampooed once (August)

The annual fall cleanup was completed on Saturday Oct 25, 2014. Sixteen volunteers helped beautify the church and a big thanks goes out to: Tom L, Jeff C, Keith L, Carol L, Bryan B, Jim F, Peter R, Peter H, Paul S, Holly F, Linda Y, Larry K, Mark B, Dawn B, Bob P , and Pastor JimWork completed that day was:

Weeding & Raking including bamboo management Playground slab repair. Installed railroad ties along the edge of the slab and placed outfoor furniture

to create a seating area Kitchen shelving re-organized for better storage and usage Sanctuary carpet vacuumed/Pews cleaned Back stairwell really cleaned Dumpster fence repair Repair/repoint mortar walls along front entrance staircase

Facilities UsageThe community room continues to be used by AA and Alanon groups on a weekly basis. Fellowship hall and the Sanctuary are used for Fire in the Kitchen and piano recitals (5-6 times a year). Additional facilities usages this past year has been for Memorial services, Harvest Dinner, Christmas Fair and Youth group activities.

Fencing of the Green Madison Historical Society, Madison Chamber of Commerce, Lions’ Club Octoberfest and Raise the Roof organizations are scheduling weekends that require volunteers.

Looming Capital projects Repair and paint the Bell Tower Replace roof above sanctuary

Respectfully submitted, Jeff Chin, co-Chair

 

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QUIET MINISTRY

We currently have eight members. Each member is assigned two to three weeks every six months to make sure the pew pockets are supplied with joys and concerns slips, the blue card for information and the discretionary envelopes. When needed fill the candles on the communion table.

There are no meetings and responsibilities are done on one's own time. Anyone interested please contact Linda Young at 203 457-0723 or lindaluy@sbcglobal.net.

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Stewardship Committee (Generosity Team)Annual Report 2014-2015

Background:

Our church is rich in spiritual, physical, and financial resources. It is through the generosity of the congregation that the Stewardship Committee pinpoints these resources by gathering and employing them to successfully achieve the total Christian outreach desired by our congregation. These resources are found through gifts of time, talent, and financial support. Our committee, also known as, the Generosity Team strives to provide a generosity message as a means of enriching the congregation with a sense of generosity and how that generosity might influence an inherent duty and responsibility to support the church. This message not only embodies that our resources benefit those who gather within, as well as, for the larger good that we provide for the broader community but also that we, as a congregation, benefit personally in the generosity we share. The chairperson of the Stewardship Committee is also a member of the Board of Finance that formulates and proposes our church’s yearly budget. After this is accomplished, the Generosity Team then works on one or more programs as part of an annual pledge campaign to realize the funds necessary to fulfill the budget. Based on the outcome of the pledge campaign and pledges received, the budget is then adjusted for presentation at the December semi-annual congregational meeting for a vote.

Committee Members:

Jim Farrales, Chair (0), John Gallops (0)

Sanna Stanley (1), Miles Dunn (1)

Peter Meier, Michelle Mauro, Ann Damarjian (2)

Frank Walsh (3), Melinda Clemmons (3)

Number in parenthesis denotes number of years remaining on the committee

Summary:

The most significant contribution of the Generosity Team is carrying out the annual pledge campaign, also known as, the Stewardship Campaign. The Generosity Team now meets year around sponsoring various Generosity events other than the Stewardship Campaign. The summer months, however, are devoted to working on the annual pledge campaign. Some of the year-around events includes a weekly generosity quote placed in both the Sunday bulletin and the weekly email update, as well as, sponsoring Generosity Pot Luck dinners where acts of kindness are shared. Both of these activities foster the feeling of the generous spirit of Christian stewardship within our congregation of members and friends.

For this year’s annual pledge campaign, the Generosity Team put together a narrative budget, organized community events, and created a brochure of these events titled a “Season of Generosity”. During this year’s “Season of Generosity”, an initiative called Pay-It-Forward was introduced to NMCC. Starting on October 19, 2014 members/friends were able to submit their name for a chance to be given $50 to use in any way he/she felt would impact someone or some group within our congregation or in the wider community. Three Generosity Samaritans were picked and provided testimonials during the next week’s worship service. Three separate Food Drives were organized to benefit local food pantries resulting in more than an estimated $1,200 of food to be donated to local pantries. A Generosity Pot Luck dinner was held at NMCC, as well as, a Generosity Dinner prepared and served at the Madison Senior Center. The “Season of Generosity” culminated with the blessing of financial commitments pledged to our church on Gratitude Sunday, November 16, 2014.

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As a result of the pledge campaign, a total of $187,974 was pledged for 2015. The following data in the table below represents the results of the last 5 years of pledges received. From 2011-2014, there was a downward trend in the total number of pledges, while the total number of members increased slightly. This year, there was a decrease in the number of members yet there was an increase in the number of pledges. Despite the decrease in membership, the total annual pledge was more than the previous year’s by nearly five percent.

Year Membership Pledge Units Total Pledge Average WeeklyPledge per Unit

2015 297 114 $187,974.00 $31.712014 304 109 $179,528.00 $31.672013 296 114 $204,668.00 $34.522012 367 126 $210,315.00 $34.862011 363 149 $250,445.00 32.32

The Generosity Team has been responsible for including generosity quotes in our weekly bulletins and email updates, creating a booklet of Generosity Moments, and sponsoring very successful and well attended Generosity Pot Luck dinners. At these dinners, we shared “feel good” short videos demonstrating generosity, as well as, videos showing stories of Paying-It-Forward. Due to the success of the Pay-It-Forward initiative held during the “Season of Generosity”, various church members offered to Pay-It-Forward and donate $50. The total collected will enable the activity to continue for an entire year.

Along the theme of generosity, the committee initiated three new programs starting in the 2013-2014 season including offering weekly generosity quotes, sponsoring pot-luck dinners, and creating a generosity booklet. The Family and Friends Generosity Pot Luck Dinner has become a favorite event where friends and family can come together for fellowship while watching videos of Paying-It-Forward and sharing stories of personal generosity moments and testimonials. A second edition of the Generosity Booklet is in process with the collecting of stories and has plans to be published and disseminated before the beginning of summer.

Respectfully Submitted:

Jim Farrales, John Gallops, Sanna Stanley, Miles Dunn, Peter Meier, Michelle Mauro, and Ann Damarjian

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