Present: Fred Ahrens, Rob Arnold, Dave Axtell, Lee VanVuren, Jeannette Ahrens, Pastor Raebel

The meeting was called to order by Fred Ahrens. Pastor led in opening prayer. The devotional was from John 10:22 - 30. It was the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. Verse 27: “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.“ Verse 30: “I and the Father are one.” We are to listen to the voice of our Shepherd.

Minutes from the council meeting of February were read. Dave Axtell made a motion to accept the minutes; Rob Arnold seconded the motion. Motion carried.

Elders Report:An elder was not present for the meeting, so Pastor reported that the Elders are working on the budget for 2014. The Confirmation Banquet will be held on May 22nd. Pastor will be attending school in Fort Wayne on June 10th through 14th. There will only be one service for the following holidays: May 26, July 7 and September 1. Early Communion will be the Pastor’s decision with the reverence and hunger for the sacrament being displayed by the young communicant. Rob Arnold made a motion to accept the report; Dave Axtell seconded the motion. Motion carried.

Board of Education Report: Sue Rosenwinkle was absent, but Fred Ahrens read a report from Sue. The registration for Preschool is doing very well. Wanda Medina is working on the budget for 2014. The Sunday School last day is May 19; with Rally Day being planned for September 9 by Cecilia and Pastor. A motion to accept the report was made by Lee VanVuren; seconded by Rob Arnold. Motion carried.

Trustee Report: Dave Axtell reported that the Fellowship Hall floor was completely stripped, sealed and buffed. The Preschool floors will now be cleaned with Pine-sol or Lysol. A job description, including the Custodian Responsibility List will be made by the Trustees. A new commercial dishwasher will be purchased for the church kitchen by May 31. We will need to hire a contractor to officially connect to the city water. A motion to accept the report was made by Rob Arnold; seconded by Lee VanVuren. Motion carried.

Treasurer Report: Rob Arnold reported that we are in week 41 out of 52. The surplus money is great, but giving is down. The preschool is doing great and the day care is okay. A motion to accept the report by Dave Axtell; seconded by Lee VanVuren. Motion carried.

Stewardship Report: No report until August.

Pastoral Report:Pastor reported that since he gave his report in the Elder’s Report, he only wanted to report that the Health Insurance Review Committee is continuing to review what options will be available for the church called employees.

Building Expansion: Fred Ahrens reported that April 18 will be the next meeting. This meeting will include the architect to discuss the schedule, storage, the playground, and the building expansion.

Old Business: None

New Business: Lee VanVuren asked for a building fund to be set up. Pastor responded that he will check with the District about Capital Fund Raising.

Can the fifth Sunday be used as “adopt-a-Preschool student” to assist with tuition?

Pastor is requesting three volunteers to assist with re-writing the Church Constitution to reflect the job description of a DCE, how they will work within the church, and changes with the preschool working with the DCE.

Lee VanVuren made a motion to adjourn; seconded by Rob Arnold. Motion carried. Meeting closed by praying the Lord’s Prayer.

Respectfully Submitted,
Jeannette Ahrens