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Worship Team – Feb. 1, 2012
Worship Team Meeting -February 1, 2012
In attendance: Jim Kiser, Director of Music & Interim Worship Team Leader; Pastor Neal Sadler; Pastor Mariah Marlin-Warfield; Barbara Brockway; Val Cervenak; Gene Febus; Amanda Honnert; Arnold Ingraham; Jane Greinke; Cathy Fafrak, Organist & Interim Scribe.
Members not in attendance: Nick North, Worship Team Liaison to the Congregational Council.
Jim began the meeting with a reading from Psalm 84.
Pastor Mariah offered an opening prayer.
2011 year end and proposed January 2012 budgets were reviewed. Minutes were also reviewed and Arnold motioned for approval; Barb seconded, and the motion passed.
Report from the Senior Pastor:
The Hymn Sing will take place this Sunday at the 8:15 and 10:30 services.
Founder’s Day will be on February 12th. The theme will be “The Patchwork of Our Lives.” Each service will include 3-4 people who will speak about their lives and how they weave into the fabric of the church.
The music for Founder’s Day will consist of early American hymn tunes.
Report from the Youth & Family Life Pastor:
The Chain-Breaking Faith group will once again be collecting “Easter Bags” which will be blessed on Palm Sunday.
Youth Sunday is scheduled for March 11th with one unified service at 10:30 a.m. The theme will focus on teenagers in the bible. The Chancel Choir has been invited to sing an anthem that morning.
On February 26th, the middle school youth will be selling Fair Trade coffee and chocolate to supplement their trip to Hiram Farm.
Beginning March 4th, the high school youth will be selling raffle tickets for a “basket auction” to benefit their trip to Overlook Farm in Massachusetts. Each church ‘team’ is being asked to donate a basket for the auction on March 11th (the dessert auction will be held the same day). Worship team members tossed around ideas and settled on preparing a basket filled with wine, bread and other gourmet items. Arnold volunteered he and his wife, Cheri, to assemble it. The team decided that the contents of the basket should not exceed $100. At Jim’s suggestion, it was agreed that the Chancel Choir may donate a basket, as well, if there is interest in doing so.
The Reconciliation team will be promoting a “5th Sunday Mix-Up”, where members are encouraged to attend a different service than usual. Mariah will speak with the Discipleship Education and Leadership Team (DELTS) about the FISH rotation on that Sunday, April 29th.
Report from the Director of Music:
The Ash Wednesday service will be held at First Christian, and the music director there has written a choral piece for the combined choirs to sing.
The bells will play on Palm Sunday.
Jim is assembling a brass choir for the Easter anthem.
He would like to open up the singing of the “Hallelujah Chorus” on Easter to include any instrumentalists who would like to play along. Jim will have parts ready and will begin promoting this around the middle of March.
Lent/Easter Programs:
Neal met with Pastor Laura at First Christian and the theme for the service will be “From Brokenness to Hope”. Ashes will be distributed at the beginning of the service.
Lenten study programs will be offered on each of the five Wednesdays, and will begin at 6:45 p.m. with desserts offered by the Caring team, then a brief program of prayer and song, followed by breaking out into three separate studies. One will focus on stressed families, one on communication and relationships, and the other on the many stereotypes of Jesus.
The Maundy Thursday service will be held here, at Medina UCC.
The Good Friday worship service has not been set at this time.
There will be a sunrise service on Easter morning at Spring Grove Cemetery at 7:00 a.m., followed by three regular services at church.
The Lenten sermon series is entitled, “The Timeless Promises of God”.
New Team Members:
There is still a vacancy to fill for the 8:15 service.
The 9:00 service will have a rotating representative each month. This month, Amanda Honnert was able to attend. Val Cervenak was present to observe the meeting and consider whether she feels called to serve as a 9:00 representative.
Reports from the Worship Services:
8:15 -
Arnold reported that the service is running smoothly and he has not been aware of any negative comments.
9:00 -
The Gathering Leadership team is putting together a job description for a keyboardist/band leader position. They hope to spread the news by word of mouth or post the description at local colleges and/or music websites.
Attendance has improved!
Ken Hubal has been filling in on keyboard. More singers are needed, as is a second drummer to alternate with Mark Woodling.
10:30 -
Jane reported that there was untreated ice on the East entrance steps the last few Sundays. This was before the new custodian started his position.
She also expressed appreciation for the way in which the prayers of the people has been broadened to include more joys and prayers for world concerns.
JMM –
Nick has distributed worship assignments and lay sermons through June.
Barb Hubal, Jeff Jessie and Nick will share duties at The Inn (Emeritus).
Gil Brucken is the new worship leader at the County Home.
Ann Usher and Betty Lynham continue to serve at Medina Retirement Village (Evergreen).
Mark Armstrong and Nick will lead services at Western Reserve Masonic Community (WRMC). Mariah will be worship leader occasionally during the summer months.
Announcements:
The next meeting will be on Wednesday, March 7th at 8:00 p.m. in the East Room.
Pastor Neal closed with prayer at 9:20 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Cathy Fafrak
Worship Tm Notes – March – Aug, 2011
Condensed Worship Team Meeting Minutes – March 2, 2011
The main focus of the inaugural meeting centered on finding congregation members to fill vacancies on the team. Team members were asked to speak with people they know and encounter each week at church to discuss possible involvement.
Pastors Neal & Mariah gave updates about worship events for the Lenten season, including one blended service for Youth Sunday on March 13th.
Jim Kiser, the Director of Music, discussed music possibilities for Easter and Music Appreciation Sunday.
The Gathering Band will need a drum set in the next 1-2 years, and it was suggested that monies for the new equipment could come from fundraising or memorial gifts.
Organ tuning and maintenance quotes from different organ builders/companies will be sought in the upcoming months.
Other business included the discussion of communion setup for the 8:15 service.
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Condensed Worship Team Meeting Minutes – April 6, 2011
After opening with prayer, worship and music budgets were reviewed, and minutes from the last meeting were approved.
The success of Youth Sunday was discussed, and Pastor Mariah announced that the Confirmation Service will be on May 1st @ 3:00 pm in the sanctuary.
Pastor Neal reported that August 7th will be a unified service led by the high school youth who are going on a mission trip. A Southern Gospel vocal group may also be providing music during the service and an outdoor concert with a picnic afterwards.
Logistics for Palm Sunday and Easter were discussed. The Easter Sunrise Service at Spring Grove is being coordinated by Carl Skorepa.
Jim Kiser would like to end the 10:30 am Easter service with the “Hallelujah Chorus” and invite congregation members who know the piece to come up and sing along with the choir.
While organ tuning quotes are still being collected, Carl Emerson will do the Easter tuning, scheduled for April 15th.
Nick North mentioned that he would welcome oversight, council, assistance and criticism from the Worship Team regarding the Joyous Messenger Ministry (JMM) and the planning and execution of these services. Fresh eyes and ears would provide him with feedback and perspective. Recruitment of planners and participants remains an ongoing endeavor.
As Worship Team Liaison to the Congregational Council, Nick spoke about the “Vision of Growth” pamphlet that was written several years back, and asked the team members to look at the worship section and provide feedback.
Members present discussed their term lengths on the Worship Team, ranging from 1-3 years.
Continued collaboration between the Chancel Choir and the Gathering Band was brought up, which led to a question about any recent Time and Talent lists to identify new and established members who would like to use their musical gifts in the services.
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Condensed Worship Team Meeting Minutes – May 4, 2011
The meeting opened with prayer, worship and music budgets were reviewed, and minutes from the last meeting were approved.
Palm Sunday’s combined anthem was a success and the “Hallelujah Chorus” was well received at the Easter Service; Pastor Neal thought it might be a nice tradition to start.
Music Appreciation is on May 15th and Leonard Machles will guest conduct an anthem.
An invoice was received for the organ tuning done in April, but it was not itemized and there were scheduling problems that resulted when Carl Emerson had to come back the next day.
August 7th service plans have been finalized, including “The Homeland Singers” providing special music and an outdoor concert.
Pastor Neal reported that Miki Saito would like to present an evening of music that would be a fundraiser for a group or cause within the church. This would take place in the fall.
Barb Hubal mentioned an idea she had about starting a “Christian Coffee House” night of music and other family entertainment that would be open to the community during the winter. It was suggested that she put together a proposal and report back with her findings.
Other items to note:
The 8:15 service could benefit from some lay involvement; perhaps a member interested in reading the scriptures once a month.
A few of the Gathering Band cables and microphones are not functioning properly; replacements may have to be found.
Another representative for the 10:30 service has been found.
The “Visioning Guidelines” that were distributed at the last meeting were discussed.
In light of a member’s recent health issue on a Sunday morning, the church’s emergency medical procedures were discussed.
Special Summer Music will be starting up in June.
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Condensed Worship Team Meeting Minutes – June 1, 2011
Nick North opened the meeting with prayer. The minutes from the last meeting were passed and worship and music budgets were reviewed. In response to a question, Jim Kiser explained our CCLI/LicenSing agreement and compared it to using only one hymnal versus buying new hymnals and the cost comparisons.
Music Appreciation Sunday came together nicely, and guest conductor, Leonard Machles, was well received. There are still five remaining spots open for summer Special Music.
The Chancel Choir will present Puccini’s “Magnificat” for their Christmas program.
Alive on the Square plans will need to be discussed as it falls this year on the 10th anniversary of 9-11.
Regarding the position of Team Leader and Scribe, Jim explained that he really is not supposed to be Team Leader, nor is Cathy supposed to be the scribe as they are both paid staff and Cathy is not a member of the UCC. Nick consulted the Constitution for information. Jim offered to help transition any team member who would be willing to take over the position.
Pastor Mariah reported that Medina High School will have their Baccalaureate ceremony on June 2nd at 7:00 p.m. at St. Francis this year and everyone is invited.
There will be two separate sermon series for the summer. The Gathering will focus on the Psalms, and the 8:15 and 10:30 services will feature the Prophets.
June 5th is “Partners in Ministry” Sunday. Karen Leidy will preach and do communion as she has received her license to do so. Arnold Ingraham asked about the position of Licensed Lay Minister. Mariah explained distinctions between ordained and lay ministers, and that Karen’s ministry is connected specifically to Medina UCC.
Pentecost is coming up on June 12th.
The Confirmation service on May 1st welcomed seven teens into full membership. Mariah expressed concerns over the weak attendance at this service, and wanted to ‘plant a seed’ about next year – possibly one service on Sunday morning?
Reports from the Worship Services:
Arnold reported that lay people are participating in the 8:15 service with favorable results and comments. So far, he and Nick North have taken turns in this capacity.
Barb Hubal remarked that the Gathering enjoyed having the Chancel Choir sing in their service on Music Appreciation Sunday.
Jane Greinke mentioned that the sanctuary pews need some attention. A thorough cleaning is long overdue and there are holes where the wooden screw covers have popped out over the years. Could replacements be found? Pastor Mariah said that the high school youth will be having a work day in the church sometime soon.
Nick North reported that Andy Honnert, a new JMM volunteer, led his first worship service at the County Home, and that that particular location is growing in attendance.
Other business/concerns/issues:
Barb presented her proposal of a “Christian Coffee House/Open Mic Night” idea. There were positive reactions from all present. It was decided that the idea should continue to be researched with the suggestion that a small group be assembled to coordinate further study.
Nick brought up the “hymn-sings” of years back, and that it would be a nice tradition to resurrect. Discussion followed about doing something along those lines over the summer. Mariah proposed a service of hymns and their history, possibly in July. Jim and Nick expressed interest in exploring that option, and further discussing the idea with Pastor Neal.
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Condensed Worship Team Meeting Minutes – July 6, 2011
The meeting began with a scripture reading and Pastor Neal led the group in prayer. The minutes from the last meeting were reviewed, discussed and passed.
Worship and music budgets were reviewed, including a request that the Worship Team subsidize a portion of “The Homeland Singers” expenses when they perform on August 7th. Also, Congregational Council has asked several teams to retroactively subsidize the cost of one of the tests that Karen Leidy was required to take as part of her UCC Lay Minister Licensure. Discussion and suggestions followed regarding both issues.
High school youth will be leading the worship service on August 7th and will talk about their mission trip to Philadelphia.
Pastor Mariah plans to host a preaching workshop for Gathering and JMM leaders in the fall.
Jim ordered music for the December 4th Christmas program.
A discussion of Hymn Sing Sunday (on July 10th) followed, with Nick North explaining the order of the services.
The “Alive on the Square” service was discussed at length. Jim has found a two-part anthem called “World Peace Prayer” that calls for keyboard, guitar and possibly drums; he’s hoping that the Gathering Band can be involved, and if there are other pieces that the Band would like to collaborate on, Jim would like some lead time to prepare.
Pastor Neal currently has a call in to Rev. Cornell Carter. No formal topic has been chosen yet, but after talking for a few minutes, the group decided that the service should focus on “Reconciliation and Peace.”
Jim put out a plea for a replacement Team Leader again. He added that the scribe position could work on a rotation basis. Andy Honnert liked this idea and volunteered to take the minutes at the August meeting.
There are now two vacancies to fill on the team. A representative is stil needed for the 8:15 service and now another one for the 9:00 service, as Barb Hubal resigned her position.
Reports from the Worship Services:
Attendance has been good at the 8:15 service during the summer. More Chancel Choir members are coming and many are choosing to worship when the temperature is cooler.
Nick inquired about the sign-up sheet for lay readers at the 8:15 service, as there is an opening on August 21st.
The banner makers will be making a banner for the south wall of the chapel.
The Gathering attendance has stayed pretty steady through June, although perhaps increased slightly.
Andy reported that the Gathering Band is dealing with the issue of “band burnout” and that band members have gotten away from following a list of who is playing on a given weekend. Another situation involves figuring out whether the lay preacher for a given Sunday should decide how large an ensemble to have for that day and how to better communication between those involved. Resolving these issues soon is a goal.
The 10:30 attendance is sparse. Many young families are missing due to vacations and sports.
Jane Greinke asked about the High School youth cleaning the sanctuary pews. Will the missing pegs be replaced? Pastor Mariah reported that the Building and Grounds committee did not approve that project.
Barb Brockway is delighted that Karen Leidy can do communion at more of the nursing homes.
Nick mentioned a challenge at The Inn regarding finding a replacement Worship Leader, as Jeff Jessie will be discontinuing that role at the end of the year.
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