Meeting Minutes

Present: Lulu Philips, Mary Laurel True, Mary Parker, Allyson Hayward, Al Hildenbrand, K.C. Bretzke, Greg Garman, Willow Cordes-Eklund, Steve Sandberg, Jan Werness, Nancy Larsen.

The minutes were approved as read.

Lulu gave the financial report. We continue to spend more than we take in. With this in mind we are planning fundraisers for the fall. The fall Art Fair will be Saturday November 22 and Sunday November 23. The Rummage Sale will be October 23 – 26. The Silent Auction Dinner and Dance will be Saturday December 13.

Al reported that the parsonage is ready to sell. The proposal to sell is being considered by the Board of Church Location and Building. They have not made a decision.

K.C. reported that the Staff Parish Relations Committee has not met. She requested more timely church council minutes a reminder.

Al reported for the Trustees that there are aspects of the new building that are not functional and are under warranty. This has reported to the proper person, who is stonewalling.

Greg reported for the Kitchen Cabinet that there will be a Community Meal Tuesday, August 19. Walter will stage a necessary inspection of the kitchen when he gets back.

Steve Sandberg gave a glowing report of the activities of the Sunday School. He is still looking into coordinating with another church on a teen service project. There should a Sunday School presence on the Walker Church web site to reflect what is going on.

Mary Parker said that there will a preview of coming attractions for upcoming Celebrations on Sunday August 24. There will be a guest speaker once s month. There is a calendar of the church year posted in the sanctuary.

Mary Laurel True introduced herself as a Powderhorn community member who would like to help us market the church space for increased income and greater community involvement. Greg stated that there is a tension between marketing and living our mission. Jennifer feels the burden of making policy decisions because no one has coordinated this. We need to make policy so Jennifer can mange the rentals on a day to day basis. Al stated that the Trustees need Mary Laurel True’s expertise in pricing. We need a fee schedule for Jennifer that is specific.

Allyson asked how do we get the word out about Walker? We need to redesign the web site so Jim Feldman can execute the changes. We need to pay attention to local print media like Southside Pride. We should ask people who rent the space for feedback and ask them to spread the word. Steve said maybe we could reach out to the Somali community through Mary Laurel True’s connections at Augsburg College, where she works in community outreach. We should form partnerships with groups in the community. We also need to reach out to young people. We discussed year longthemes – ” Come back to Walker!” “Walker is back!”

The meeting was adjourned.

Respectfully submitted,

Nancy Larsen

Church Council Secretary