Congregational Council Updates

Highlights of the Regular Monthly Meeting on September 10, 2024

Update from Pastor Peter

This summer PoP experimented with a single service at 9:30 am, which was well-received by participants, though overall in-person attendance was down. Outdoor worship was also enjoyed, but it was difficult to recruit volunteers to help set up worship services, which makes these services difficult to do well long term. There will be opportunities to share feedback in the coming weeks. Pastor Peter also drew attention to an opportunity on Monday evenings, beginning September 30th, at Roseville Lutheran. This program, entitled “JustMOVE!” will be facilitated by Dave Scherer and Joe Davis who visited PoP last year and will focus on how to move together across difficult boundaries that divide communities. There is a one-time $25 “tuition” to participate and you may attend as few or as many sessions as you would like. Additional information can be found by clicking here.

New Sound & Video Equipment for the Reception Room

A motion was unanimously approved to purchase new sound and video equipment for the reception room. This will include a permanently mounted camera and microphone to make adult forums or events with visitors easier to host with more helpful and intuitive equipment. Chris Thornton is volunteering to acquire and install the equipment.

Personnel Committee Update

The personnel committee shared a summary of Pastor Peter’s ministry review. Peter has also been completing ministry reviews for all full-time and part-time staff. The review process was helpful, but could have been improved with broader participation with the 360° review survey. 

Treasurer Report

Arjun Sethi shared that the 23/24 budget broke just past even (+$2,000) which was far better than expected and but shows the resiliency of the congregation. Thank you for your generosity! The first couple of months of the current fiscal year is on track for expectations.

Property Management Team Update

Roseville city council does not want to allow the solar panels to be located in the parking lot because they feel these projects are better suited to be located on farmland or otherwise unused land. Appealing the decision of the city council does not seem like a viable option, so James Ericksen is investigating with the contractor the feasibility of placing solar panels on the roof. The city council also has rules against solar on roofs, so the final decision on whether this will happen is still to be determined. 

Youth Update

PoP’s high school students are inviting everyone to attend 10:45am worship on September 29! This service which will be youth-led and will review the trip to New Orleans this last July. High schoolers will also help with Spooky Music taking place at PoP on Wednesday, October 30 beginning with dinner at 5:15pm and concert starting at 6:00pm. Students and staff are working on putting together a camping trip in June in lieu of a large youth trip next summer. 

PoP Council @ Sunday Forum on Oct. 27

Sunday, October 27 the Sunday Forum will be a council update to the congregation. This will include a presentation and update to the Build the Church project approved by the congregation in June. We will also update the congregation about ongoing projects, including an update to the solar project. Finally, an update on the Sacred Settlement will be provided including upcoming ideas and potential projects. 

Sacred Settlement Update

The council wondered about the process of discernment for expanding Prince of Peace’s Sacred Settlement and what the timeline or viability may look like. Expanding the settlement will place greater demands on our facility and our staff. Necessary upgrades such as installing laundry machines which may require renovating the building utilities. We came to the decision that it may be pertinent to bring together a team within PoP to discuss these questions further and make a proposal to the congregation in the future. The Settlement Stewardship Team will likely be charged with proposing a process for discernment which addresses all of these concerns.