MARY TAYLOR MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Milford, CT 06460  
Get Directions Here!
203-874-1982
Email us at :    mtmumc@sbcglobal.net                                                       
Webmaster: Comments@mtm-umc.org

MTMUMC Church Council Minutes – January 12, 2012

Meeting called to order by Michelle Lapadula, Co-Chairperson, at 7:10 pm. Pastor Ginny opened the meeting with
prayer. Minutes of the December meeting voted to be accepted.
Attendees: (Alpha Order) Leigh Bak, Nancy Bennett, Alan Berrien, Pastor Ginny Carle, Cathy Cono, Carol Gantter,
Tom Griggs, Michelle Lapadula, Bill Petremont, Laura Perregaux, Rich Perregaux, Jim Repetsky, Hal Vink, Jane Vink,
and Joan Zauner

Men’s Club – Report submitted and read by Jim Repetsky.  Planning meeting held and 2012 calendar of events has
been drafted including the following highlights: Valentine’s Dinner Dance 2/11, Shrove Tuesday Pancake supper
2/21, Easter Sunday breakfast 4/8, summer church picnic (date TBD), Oyster Festival 8/18, and Thanksgiving
Dinner 11/18 along with several other smaller events.  All men are welcome to help plan and execute events!
Missions - Report submitted and read by Deb Dubien with the following highlights: The Alternative Giving catalog
raised $2620 (11 participants, though dollar amount consistent with prior years).  Leigh Bak shared the catalog with
others outside our congregation who were interested in learning more about it.  Thank you for Boys & Girls Village
gifts; all 29 children received both clothing and toys.  Alternative giving through flowers has been used by few
people.  Would like to set up of a servant cross with particular draping as visual symbol (along with mention in
bulletin) when a gift is given in lieu of flowers.  UMCOR, UM ARMY, NYAC Storm Relief are the missions supported.  
Early Responder Training to be offered for people to be trained prior to mission trips.  Dates will be announced in
Beacon and bulletin.  The Community Supper served 31 guests in December.  Food ran out so two who arrived late
could not be served.  When standard dates have to be changed, attendance drops off.  Keep in mind for future.  
Need to formalize responsibility and ownership of monthly suppers.  Jim Repetsky, Joan Zauner, and Carol Gantter
will form a sub-group of Missions to act as Community Supper Coordinators.  Deb distributed documentation on how
to run a Community Supper event.  Souper Bowl to take place on 2/5 (Men’s Club provides soup, Missions
coordinates sandwiches).  Missions will also collect canned food and food gift certificates at this event.

Methodist Youth Fellowship (MYF) - Reported by Leigh Bak.  Very successful dinner and dessert auction after
pageant.  Jude Xanthus and his group attended the MYF Christmas Party and we presented them with a check for
$5199 for Mountains of Hope for Haiti.  MYF also raised $1400 for scholarships for 7 kids at Somali Refugee Safe
Home.  Upcoming events include 1/22 movie night at Lapadulas; Souper Bowl pancake breakfast and food collection,
2/18 skiing at Butternut, hosting March Community Supper, and progressive dinner.  In March, MYF will participate in
a 30-hour   famine combined with Rock-a-Thon, followed at the end of the month by Easter treat making.

Caring Ministries – Reported by Hal Vink.  Committee is scheduled to meet every other month after Worship the last
Sunday of the month (next meeting January 29).  Healing and Wholeness service meets in Dodd Hall.  Leadership
team is down to 3 people with departure of Mary Lou Hastings.  Open invitation to congregation to be a part of the
service. No long term commitment is needed and participation requires no special training or skills.  Visitation team is
actively seeing people and making calls.

Parish Nurse - Reported by Leigh Bak.  Several years ago, we engaged Lifeline to perform voluntary health
screenings for us in Dodd Hall, open to the community.  We discussed offering this service again and reached
consensus to move ahead with scheduling and publicity.

Staff/Parish Relations (SPR) – Report submitted by Dennis Darak and read by Michelle Lapadula.  Next meeting to
be on Thursday, January 19th.  The committee will be working on completing forms for the District, to be submitted to
Ken Kieffer.

Stewardship – No report.      

Trustees – Report submitted by Stacy Meszaros and discussed by Bill Petremont with the following
highlights:                  
1) Structural engineer did walk through of water damage around stained glass windows;
2) Groups using buildings and Building Usage Forms will be revisited each January;
3) Officers were re-elected to their positions. Welcomed Dave Carr as new trustee. Foundation representatives
unchanged for 2012;  
4) Recommended purchase of fire safe;  
5) Established recommendations for sidewalk care and EPP approved de-icing agents;  
6) New lights will be installed in classrooms and qualify for rebate from UI;  
7) New thermostat and floor outlets have been installed in Dodd Hall;
8) Bruce was not able to strip Wesley Center floors and Steve Bettencourt to obtain estimates;
9) Completed walk-through of parsonage; washing outside of building; Bruce doing interior repairs. Bruce enables us
to save significant money by doing small jobs;
10) Approved to have Ron Standish tree service remove dead limbs on trees in courtyard and parking lot.  
11) No lights in parking lot recently due to timer problem.  Some keys have access to sexton’s closet, so people are
going into the closet.  Timer needs to be set so that lights stay on overnight during Alkathons at Thanksgiving and
New Year’s Eve.  
12) Moving pew and putting new end on it is delayed due to contractor availability.
United Methodist Women (UMW) - Reported by Joan Zauner.  Next meeting on February 14th (2nd Tuesday) at
12noon (bring lunch).  Committee will plan for Mother-Daughter banquet to be held in May.

Worship - Reported by Laura Perregaux. Next meeting will be on 2/7.  Welcome new member Haley Lapadula.  
Lorraine Thorpe will not be available due to surgery, so Ken Wilhelm will act as solo pew steward.  New
announcement format (Liturgist reads from a form) in place and needs more time for comment.  Attendance at
Christmas Eve services was 312 across the two services, roughly evenly split between the two.  Attendance
Christmas Day was 60 people.  Received   feedback that bell choir play time was too long.  Perhaps consider
restructuring timing for when bells are integrated into the service.  Need liturgists; see Laura  Perregaux to sign up.  
Omitted notification of use of incense in bulletin (wise men carried in gifts) and received feedback that scent was too
strong for a few people and they had to leave the service.    Committee and pastor apologized for the oversight and
indicated that advance notice would be provided in future cases where it is used.  Living crèche went very well and
had many volunteers.  Newspaper photographer took photos of the crèche and worship services, though his
presence was somewhat distracting.

Communications - Report submitted by Kat Bennette and read by Michelle Lapadula.  Untimely death of home PC in
December has been resolved.  New laptop purchased.  Website updated using offline backed up files.  Continue to
keep website updated via Beacon and Bulletin.  All requested adhoc updates completed in December.  We are
beginning to update the Fair page with the goal of having full online Fair Vendor Application ability, including full
Paypal payment.  When restoring the website discovered there are different Paypal modules available (only one was
part of the standard website package).

Sunday School - Report submitted by Sylvia Elliott and read by Michelle Lapadula.  We welcomed 8 new students
since October with current enrollment at 53.  Pageant was well attended and 21 children participated.  New
costumes, manger, stage and lighting direction were all put into use this year.  Thanks to Bill Elliott for building the
new set décor.  Gifts were given to all pageant participants and Sunday School children.  All Scouts Day will be
recognized on 2/12 and will hold Palm Sunday Easter Egg hunt on 4/1.  Need to fill leadership spots for VBS 2012.
Fair-on-the-Green – Report submitted by Kat Bennette and read by Michelle Lapadula. Meeting after worship on       
January 22.  With Eileen’s guidance, the initial fair mailing was pared down to vendors who have participated in the
last 4 years.  Any vendors older than that will most likely not be interested.  This was done to reduce unnecessary
costs.  We have been receiving 1-2 requests per week for information for the fair since the beginning of December.  
Currently about 275 applications will be mailed out.  All fair information will be available via the website with PDF file
for all online vendors to print out and mail or fax, and Word form for those who know how to fill out and mail an
attachment.

Finance – Reported by Nancy Bennett.  Waiting for results of Stewardship campaign as well as Trustee budget.  Bills
are being paid, but need Stewardship results in order to determine budget.  There are serious issues with current
Finance  software (10 years old, lacks support from vendor); Nancy researched alternative applications.  
Recommended Shepherd Staff (ShepherdStaff.org) package for $1200 with free support for one year, includes initial
data conversion, and annual support charge thereafter.  This package comes highly recommended from other
contacts and churches with whom we’ve consulted.  Purchase request has been submitted to trustees for approval
(conduct e-mail vote with Stacy Meszaros coordinating); price is good through February 1.      
Foundation – Reported by Pastor Ginny.  Meeting scheduled for 1/26.

Gay-Straight Alliance - Report submitted by Marcia Winter and read by Michelle Lapadula.   GSA met this week and
has many things in the works.  Committee will be meeting with local GSAs (ie Stratford, New Haven, Woodmont UCC)
to collaborate on activities and issues.  Bowling Night is planned for Feb. 12 at 4:30pm at Milford Lanes, open to
MYF and the whole church community!  Covenant of Conscience regional meeting will be held at Mary Taylor on
Feb. 29 –  10-12.  GSA also plans to do some community service  outreach projects, open to all, not just GSA.  Next
meeting will be Feb. 19 after church.     

Lay Leaders - Reported by Leigh Bak. Fabulous trip to Haiti with 6 college students and 4 adults, supplied musical     
instruments to United Methodist Church in Furcy.  Drum set, electric guitars, keyboard, microphones, and generator
were purchased with money raised by MYF.  There was an overwhelming response from the congregation.  Pastor
was delighted and spoke of this fulfilling the dream they’d had for years.  Power of music to inspire and uplift people
was   evident to all.  The third women’s meeting and first youth meeting ever were held (50 attended the youth
meeting).      Upcoming District Resource dates were published via e-mail and we are looking to coordinate car pools
for Saturday 2/4 from 9:30am-12noon at Cheshire UMC and Sunday 2/12 from 2-4pm at Torrington UMC.
Membership & Evangelism - Reported by Cathy Cono.  Adult Fellowship Party well attended and enjoyable evening
for all.  Thanks to Wally and Carol Gantter for hosting.  Ten people attended Adult Nightwatch at  Cathedral of St.
John the Divine and enjoyed very much.  Mary Taylor had the largest group at the event.   Several people enjoyed
our second fellowship luncheon at JANI restaurant after worship on New Year’s Day.  Next meeting will be held in
Wesley Center on Thursday 1/26 at 7pm.  Agenda to include setting calendar of events for 2012.  Carol Walker will
attend the meeting to discuss planning joint events with UM Churches in Seymour (small congregation).  We will look
into leveraging “Radical Hospitality” resources provided by the conference.

Nominating – Reported by Pastor Ginny.  Meeting scheduled for 1/26.

Pastor’s Report - Reported by Pastor Ginny.  
1) First two Vital Congregation meetings have been held and third scheduled for 1/29 after worship.  Vital
Congregations “Incubation” training for pastors begins late February.  Six metrics are being calculated and submitted
weekly on Mondays by 12 noon (worship attendance, monies received, money toward benevolences, people
engaged in mission, professions of faith, and people participating in small group activities – note: for example MYF,
UMW, Bible studies, Prayer Shawl Ministry are counted, but general committee meetings are not)
2) Planning to revamp Mission  Statement to make more concise; more like a slogan easily remembered.  Future
programs will be considered in light of new mission statement.  
3) Christmas Eve service – spontaneous and spirit-led music with drums, guitar, and voice singing Emmanuel leading
in to Silent Night was very moving and truly took the service to another level.  
4) Attending Bishop’s Convocation week of 1/16 for “Renovate or Die” program  
5) Pastors announce Spring Bible studies Pastor Hal will teach “24 Hours that Changed the World” by Adam Hamilton
and Pastor Ginny will teach second half of “Bible for Beginners”
6) Considering using Bishop Robert Schnase book “Five practices of fruitful congregations” as basis for Lenten
sermon series 7) For Epiphany Sunday—apologies for lack of advance notice regarding incense.

Members-At-Large - Allen Berrien – e-mail addresses are recorded in attendance books, but do not appear to be
added in to distribution lists.  Pastor Ginny will add his e-mail to the list.  Membership and Evangelism has a long
term goal to determine a permanent process for managing all information coming in attendance sheets, not just
visitor information as is currently the case.  Tom Griggs – we should consider purchasing a sandwich sign that could
be used for ad hoc publicity needs to increase effectiveness of events and services to the  community.

Old Business – Previously discussed using computer and projector to display songs and other visual cues during      
worship service.  Need to assess options and costs.  Using technology in this way is more welcoming to people who
are new to our church.  We all need to remember to welcome visitors, offer to help them follow the service, and invite
them to Friendship House.

New Business – From 2/26 – 2/29, 6 members of our congregation will be serving on the team for a Tres Dias
weekend and two of our members are first time attendees.  Please hold the entire group in prayer.  Laura
Perregaux’s Certified Lay Minister process continues with module 3 completed and additional meetings on 2/16 and
in March.  She is preparing for the District Board of Ordained Ministry meeting on 4/10 to be approved and certified
at the District Conference on May 6th.   She will be the 4th candidate for Certified Lay Ministry from our district and it
would be great to have our congregation well represented at the conference.  Allen Berrien attended a conference
and received copies of the book “Bearing Fruit” by Lovett Weems; he will request additional copies to share with the
congregation.

Closing prayer @ 9:12 pm. Meeting adjourned.

~Respectfully submitted by Cathy Cono