Servant Team Members Present: Dwight Bailey, Karl Overbeek, Don Rowe, Glenn Spyksma, Jeff Wenke, and Don Werkhoven. Guest: Tim Ramage. Absent: Tim Arensmeier.
Opening Prayer and Devotions.
Vice President
Glenn Spyksma opened the meeting at
Request for Ordination Transfer.
Rev. Timothy
Ramage submitted a request for his ordination to be transferred from the PCUSA
to the RCA. Tim is currently under
contract with
Rev. Ramage was
given opportunity to share his spiritual pilgrimage, including his coming to
Christ as a teenager and his call to ministry.
He also shared the call on his heart to plant a church in his home town
of
The Servant Team closed their time with Tim with prayer and laying on of hands.
M/S – To recommend that the ordination transfer request from
Rev. Timothy Ramage be approved and that he be received into classis as a full
participant as a Minister of Word and Sacrament following his signing of the
Declaration for Ministers of Word and Sacrament. CARRIED.
Classis Minister Report – Karl
Overbeek
1. Classis Report to
2. Classis Assessments for New Church Plants. Karl Overbeek shared a proposal to build into the structure of every new church plant a graduated schedule for payment of classis assessments. His rationale for this proposal is two-fold: 1) to minimize the shock-impact of budgeting a full-share of classis assessment at the time of official organization as a church; 2) to provide the fledging congregation with the feeling of inclusion in the membership and affairs to classis.
M/S – To refer this proposal to the Church Multiplication
Commission for discussion and feedback. CARRIED.
3. Affinity Classis. Karl shared the preliminary work being done by a committee to form a new classis based affinity (common ministry calling/focus) in the 13-state Far West Region, RCA. The shared ‘affinity’ of the churches in this proposed new classis would center on God’s love for the city. Churches in the Far West Region with this ‘affinity’ would be invited, or could make application, for membership in the new classis. Karl indicated that BCO provisions give regional synods the sole authority to form or disband classes. He emphasized that this is a work in progress and is an information item only.
4. Ordination Request. The Servant Team received a request from the Church of the Cross Bd. of Elders to reinstate the ordination of Bob Van Hofwegen. Karl reported on his personal meeting with Bob earlier in the week to explore the nature of this request. Don Werkhoven pointed out that rather than re-ordination, the request that the S.T. should focus on is certifying Bob’s eligibility for a call, since ordination can only take place once a call has been received.
M/S -- To authorize a Servant Team sub-committee of
Don Rowe, Don Werkhoven, Karl Overbeek, and Glenn Spyksma to meet with Bob Van
Hofwegen to explore further his fitness and readiness for ordained ministry and
to report back to the full Servant Team prior to the Spring 08 classis
meeting. CARRIED.
5. Classis Minister Performance Review. Karl reported that he receives an annual performance review for the Regional Strategist portion of his job but not the Classis Minister portion. He asked for feedback on his performance. He expressed concern about the amount of time and energy that he is spending on “fund-raising.” He indicated that this isn’t something that he feels that he is particularly good at and wondered if this was the best use of his time. The Servant Team members affirmed the excellence in Karl’s overall job performance. It was acknowledged that although ‘fund-raising’ was not a specifically stated part of the Classis Minister duty statement, the current circumstance of classis created a need for this activity. It was also pointed out that as the ‘Steward of the Classis Vision,” the Classis Minister is largely responsible for articulating and casting a compelling vision for kingdom expansion that will result financial commitment to support the vision.
M/S -- To recognize and affirm the performance excellence of
Karl Overbeek as Classis Minister during the past year. CARRIED.
M/S – To accept the Classis Minister Report as presented. CARRIED.
Stated Clerk Report
1. Miraloma Update. Don Werkhoven reported that legal documents
were filed with the Superior Court of San Francisco on August 1 seeking an
Order for Summary Judgment in the
2. Elk Grove Property Update. Don reported that a land developer from
M/S – To accept the Stated Clerk Report as presented. CARRIED.
Congregation Development & Renewal
Commission Report – Don Rowe, Moderator
1. Living Faith and Lighthouse Consultations: Commission Moderator Don Rowe reported that the contracted consultations with LFCC and Lighthouse have been completed. These consultations were authorized by the CD&R Commission as a result of the need for classis intervention as revealed through the Nine Trigger Points for Evaluating Church Health process. Rev. Mike Hayes was contracted to meet with the pastors, leadership boards, and members of each congregation to determine areas of strength, weakness, and need. Following his written evaluation of each church, Mike, Karl Overbeek, and Don Werkhoven met with each pastor individually to review the evaluation report, followed several weeks later with a meeting with each leadership board. Specific recommendations were made for both the pastor(s) and the leadership boards for consideration and implementation.
2. Missional Coaching Model. Don reported on the initial meeting earlier
in the day with a group charged with putting together a framework for coaching
classis pastors and key lay leaders in what it means to be a “missional” church
and classis. Don explained that the
purpose plan is to conduct four “training-for-coaches” (T-4-C) sessions (first
session Oct. 30) with participants invited from the five sub-regions of the
classis (Bay Area-South; Bay Area-North;
3. New
4. 2008 Proposed Budget. The Commission recommends a $5,000 expense budget for 2008 which represents a $15,000 reduction from 2007.
M/S – To approve the recommended CD&R Commission 2008 budget
of $5,000. CARRIED.
M/S – To accept the CD&R Report as presented. CARRIED.
Leadership Development Commission Report
– Dwight Bailey, Moderator
1. Candidate Care. Dwight reported that the Dick Evers submitted his resignation as chairperson of Classis Candidate Care Committee, effective at the conclusion of the Fall 07 Stated Session. Rev. Doug Morton (CotC-SJ) has consented to take over this important function.
2. 2008 Proposed Commission Budget. The Commission recommends a proposed expense budget of $20,000, unchanged from the 2007 budget.
M/S – To approve the recommended Leadership Development Commission
2008 expense budget of $20,000. CARRIED.
New Church Development Commission Report
– Jeff Wenke, Moderator
1. Jeff reviewed the highlights of the reports from the nine yet-to-be organized churches that were shared at the NCD meeting earlier this afternoon. The real ‘PRAISE GOD’ is that 53 adult baptisms have occurred in these fledging churches in the first six months of the 07 and worship attendance is approximately 950 (adults and children).
2. Commission Name Change. The NCD Commission voted to recommend a change in the name of the commission to Church Multiplication Commission. This new name will distinguish it more clearly from the other NCD (Natural Church Development. It also more clearly aligns with the language used at the denominational and regional synod level.
M/S – To recommend approval of the name change of this
commission from
3. Apostolic Regional Missionary. Jeff reported that the Commission voted unanimously to approve a classis-funded Apostolic Regional Missionary position beginning Jan. 1, 08, subject to meeting specific funding benchmarks. They also approved a motion to recommend to the classis that a two-year contract be extended to Rev. Eddy Aleman fulfill this function.
4. 2008 Proposed Budget. The Commission recommends an expense budget of $30,000 which is remains unchanged from 2007.
M/S – To approve the recommended NCD Commission expense budget
of $30,000 for 2008. CARRIED.
M/S – To accept the NCD Commission Report as presented. CARRIED.
Salary Scale Committee Report – Don
Werkhoven
Don distributed copies of the Salary Scale Committee report that recommends a 2.4% minimum salary increase for Minister of Word and Sacrament and Commissioned Pastors. He also noted that the maximum IRS mileage reimbursement is for 07/08 is .485
M/S – To adjourn the meeting.
CARRIED.
The meeting was
adjourned at
Recorded by:
Don Werkhoven, Stated Clerk
Agenda for 2007 Fall
Stated Session
Classis Report | Classis Report #2 |
CMC-ARM Report | Spring 2007 Stated
Session Minutes | Salary
Scale for 2008 | Servant
Team Minutes | CDR Report
Web posted:
Updated: