An unsettling note at our June council meeting was the Treasurer’s report for May, which indicated that as a congregation we are falling behind in our financial stewardship. While our expenditures are less than last year, our income is also less. As a congregation we need to have everyone involved! Please check and see if you have fallen behind your Estimate of Giving. If you are in a position to help us catch up, please do so! 

A small group has worked on bringing our constitution up to date and we are grateful for their efforts. Larry Mikkelson, Yvonne Erickson and Harlan Nelson are to be thanked for doing an excellent job on a time-consuming task. Simple editorial changes, ELCA-mandated changes, and expanding the bylaws and continuing resolution aspects of the document reflect many hours of effort. Work remains to be done by the council as well as two separate votes by the congregation on any changes, so the process will take time.  

One recommendation for bylaw change is to move the annual meeting to the third Sunday in October, thus enabling more snowbirds to attend the annual meeting. To do so would involve changing the fiscal year to end either August 31 or Sept 30. The drawback, as seen by some, is the major effort required to assemble the annual report and establish the budget, all during the late summer. Can all of that work (much of it volunteer) be done in July and August?  The council wants to know your thoughts on this. Is the third Sunday in October an optimal time to “catch” snowbirds? Should it be earlier? Later? 

Finally, the Planning/Building committee has begun its task, using as a starting point reports from the Property Management Committee and the report from the Space Task Force. A sizeable committee (about 25 people) has volunteered to serve and Dave Willey will chair the group. The council is firmly behind this committee’s efforts and asks everyone to get the ideas and suggestions flowing. There will be staff assistance from the church office for this project and the plan is to have notes from their meetings posted on the Zion Amor web site so everyone can read about the activities. 

As always, your church council seeks your ideas, suggestions and comments regarding what is happening at Zion. Please let us hear form you!

Jim Olson, Council President