Good day, Board of Directors!
I pray this report finds y’all well.
Please accept this article with the videos below as my submission for your meeting. I am getting it to you early so you have time to read this and watch the videos before your meeting. That way, should you have questions, I will be around to answer them.
I am also including my original email to y’all below (slightly edited), regarding end of the year funding possibilities.
Good morning, all!
This week the M.O.S.T. Ministry Home Team as well as the appropriate sub-teams approved [overwhelmingly!] some end of the fiscal year, one time donations. They are listed below.
Please note that these are all with budgeted and approved funds. [That is, we have the funds to cover each of the items listed.]
Also, these are one-time donations. This is not setting a precedent that we will always give “such-and-such” agency “such-and-such” amount of money.
Please note that these are all with budgeted and approved funds. [That is, we have the funds to cover each of the items listed.]
| $ 5,000 | MAM, General Fund,[CAN & BODY Teams Approved] |
|---|---|
| $ 5,000 | LINC Houston, General Fund [BODY Approved] |
| $ 15,000 | Elijah Rising, Kendleton Purchase [FAST Approved] |
Also, these are one-time donations. This is not setting a precedent that we will always give “such-and-such” agency “such-and-such” amount of money.
More information regarding the $15k donation can be found here: www.elijahrising.org/kendleton/
Finally I want to mention that our preference is not to just make cash donations without “dirtying our hands.” That is to say, this is not going to be our “modus operandi.” That said, we are still laying the foundations and definitions of how we will choose ministries to support and be with. In the meantime, we will have times when we will “just serve” or “just give” to facilitate the act and habit of each and in helping those in our community be transformed by the love of Jesus through us.
As there are only days left in the fiscal year, time is of the essence here.
Many thanks!
In addition to those budget items, the short highlights for the MOST Ministry are:
- We’ve defined our general geographical area of service and community opportunities.
- We’ve defined more of our philosophical and ministry boundaries to help guide what ministries and opportunities we will and will not pursue.
- The GIFT team’s work in deciding what gift and interest inventory to use is fairly complete. A lot of updates to our church software has been reflected in this. Some “next tasks” will be to get the rest of the congregation on board to fill these out and use getting them online for searches and use.
- We are combining teams 3 and 4 (CAN and BODY teams, respectively). I had been thinking about this for a while, but the teams came up with this suggestion and recommendation themselves. It has been ratified by the Home Team.
- We have a meeting for the Home Team and the leaders of the sub-teams on September 16, to touch base, coordinate, and make any needed course corrections.
- There are a couple of teams which, due to the summer break, have still not yet met. This is concerning, but now that school is starting, we will be sure to get that remedied.
- After the September 16 meeting, we will start looking at “kicking things up” a few notches – including concrete ways for folks to get involved.
- St. Mark is now an official part of the strategic partnership for the Freedom Church Alliance in Houston! This is a part of the efforts for the FAST Team, putting the Churches in the Houston area in partnership to work together to abolish sex trafficking.
- The BOLD team is having a guest from Salem Lutheran in Tomball in on August 30, to share what we should be doing and looking at as we explore international missions; including possibilities of joining with other congregations in their efforts.
- We had a few St. Mark people (I don’t know specifics as of yet) who attending LINC’s “Glocal Mission Day” last Saturday!
- ALL OF THE ABOVE ITEMS AND MORE can be found at most.heitshusen.com. More is coming there all the time. One big item I’m working on: a MOST Ministry “dashboard,” to see what is going on in the ministry (tasks, progress, etc.) for each team at the current point in time.
That should do for now!
Should you have any questions, please let me know (before I leave for Oklahoma early Saturday morning).
In Joy,
Pastor Scott