Administrative Council Meeting (8.08.25)

Date: Sunday, August 8, 2025

Attendees: 9 members present (See list below). Call to Order: The meeting was opened with a prayer led by Ted Pettengill.

I. Administrative Actions

  • Minutes Approval: The minutes from the last Administrative Council Meeting (November 10, 2024) were approved without corrections.

  • Church Auditor: Sara Hill reported that Sheila Giles has agreed to serve as the new church auditor, replacing Debbie Coolong.

  • 5th Sunday Combined Service:

    • Pastor Joyce proposed combining services with her husband's three cluster churches on the four 5th Sundays of the year.

    • Motion: Ted Pettengill asked for a motion to have a combined church service with the Houlton Cluster on the 5th Sunday of the month.

    • Result: The motion passed unanimously. The first combined service will be held on August 31st.

    • Potluck: It was voted on and agreed to have a potluck dinner following the combined service on the 5th Sunday.

II. Reports

A. Worship and Membership (Terry)

  • Worship Team: Thanks were given to Mary, Paula, and Kathy for their two and a half years of service.

  • New Pastor: The council expressed excitement for Pastor Joyce, noting her enthusiasm, ideas, and quick ability to learn names.

  • Media: Using grant money, the church purchased Faith We Sing books and CDs, a camera for streaming, and a streaming license from Song Select. The council is still working on resolving issues with the YouTube live stream.

  • Fellowship: The 2nd Sunday refreshments have been very popular.

  • Membership: Six new members were welcomed on December 1, 2024, with a few more people expressing interest.

  • Seasonal Services: Advent and Lent services went well, with many participants reading scripture or lighting/extinguishing candles.

  • Communion: Penny provides gluten-free bread for Communion. There is a hope to begin delivering Communion to homebound members.

B. UMF (United Methodist Women/Fellowship)

  • The UMF will not be doing the Christmas boxes this year and is seeking new mission projects.

  • They successfully purchased a new refrigerator.

C. Trustees (Ted Pettengill)

  • Parsonage: Ted plans to check the parsonage this Fall to determine necessary repairs and assess affordability. Maintenance currently includes simple lawn mowing (which Bob Howes generously provides as a gift) and clean-up.

  • Parking Lot: The parking lot is deteriorating. Ted applied sealant to slow the expansion, noting the costliness of the project.

  • Pest Control: Penny reported finding a mouse downstairs.

D. Cleaning and Maintenance

  • Indoor Cleaning: Chrissy is cleaning the sanctuary and the two rooms (Sunday school room and Library). Chrissy mentioned she could clean downstairs once a week.

  • Downstairs: Ross has offered to help find a young man to assist with downstairs cleaning. Sara Hill suggested that groups who use the space should clean it up after their events.

  • Garage & Storage Cleanup:

    • Ted will take all leftover items from the Yard Sale to the dump and stressed that no leftovers should be left in the garage.

    • Doris DeRespino and Denise Jutras offered to help clean the garage, which needs clearing both upstairs and downstairs.

    • Freezers: There are five freezers in the garage; two are used for the Food Pantry, two are unused, and one should be kept. The refrigerator in the Madelyn room is for Bread of Life.

    • Attic: Sharon McPhee asked Doris to help clean the attic storage room, which Rick Hill had organized. Terry will handle the Bibles and hymnals stored in the church attic, and Pastor Joyce suggested taking them to a nursing home.

III. Pastor Joyce's Report

Pastor Joyce shared five points:

  1. Everyone is a Minister: We are all equipped for works of service to build up the body of Christ. She thanked Penny Gowen for leading the service in her absence.

  2. Living Testimony: The church is a living letter from Christ, written on our hearts by the Spirit of the living God.

  3. One Body, Many Parts: We are a real church comprised of different people but united by one Spirit and one body.

  4. Children's Ministry: Volunteers include Jeanie, Chrissy, Penny & Ross, Katie, and Mary. Youth leaders are Delila, Aubry, Lydia, and Abe. Starting in October, children will actively participate in the service as acolytes, readers, etc.

  5. Cooperative Ministry: The seven-church cluster needs each other and the Houlton church needs prayer. The combined 5th Sunday service on August 31st will include a puppet show at Christmas.

IV. Communications and Prayer

  • Communication Preference: The Pastor requested that everyone write down their preferred method for receiving information (email, Facebook, or text) on the sheet at the back of the church.

  • Prayer Requests: Pastor Joyce asked for prayers for her family and for the Prayer Team. Terry holds the winter prayer chain list.

  • Visitation: The Pastor would like to have a get-together time to get to know everyone better.

V. Adjournment

The meeting was closed with a prayer by Penny Gowen and adjourned.

Respectfully Submitted: Regina Goode, Rec. Sec.

Present: Pastor Joyce Kang, Ted & Terry Pettengill, Chrissy Cunningham, Penny Gowen, Sara Hill, Marge Deshaies, Nancy Perkins, and Regina Goode.

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