Sabbatical Planning Team notes 4/23/08

Attendees:  Connie Morton-Ewbank, Thelma Hutton, Angie Robidoux, Miriam Smith, Sue LeSueur, Beth Bell Lavoie,

Agenda:  Share available background information

We have been sharing wonderful conversations about what worship and the worship space means to each of us. We look forward to sharing our excitement as the congregation joins in the renewal process.

Clergy compensation:

Connie brought an electronic copy and distributed a hard copy of the relevant pages from the Clergy Compensation package.  The team discussed several scenarios for Supply coverage, from Full time to 1/3 time.

·         Salary for full time for 3 months for a Senior Clergy would be approximately $19470. At 30% would be $6425 (13 hrs wk including their travel here:  5 hrs Sunday, 2 hrs Tuesday, leaving preparation time and travel at 6hrs). For ½ time we would need to budget $9,735.

·         Supply clergy to cover 3 services per week would be $300x13 wks plus 18% for retirement; $4,600 this would not cover pastoral emergencies.  We also need to include budget for mileage.

As of March 2008 we have $3600 in the sabbatical fund, and we expect to add $500 for 2008 and possible $500 for 2009.  The transfers from Operating Funds to the Sabbatical Fund typically happen in December of each year.

We can ask area clergy to backup Sue for Pastoral Emergencies, Sue will check on availability and cost.   Weddings and Funerals are a big concern. Cannons require 30 day notice and 30 day counseling for Weddings.  If there was a funeral for a member of the parish, and Sue was home, she would want to be called and let them know that she was available. 

We need to prepare our pastoral care team/ministers for the sabbatical.

Parish Narrative

We need to find a copy of the Parish Narrative prepared by the Search Committee for our last search.  Beth will email Rae Salisbury, Bob Francis and Maggie Mackie-Ciancio and ask if they have a copy.

Brainstorming/Discussion

·         Sue knows 2 rectors that have received Lilly Grants for Sabbatical, and solicited tips and recommendations.  Their advice was to “Follow the Directions”. Due to the volume of grants the review committee receives, they are most likely to fund a proposal that explicitly followed the direction!

·         Although we plan to have a congregational renewal program that will begin well in advance of Susan’s sabbatical, the proposal will contain only the events and subsequent budgets for the period of time that Sue will be on Sabbatical and during the reintegration process. 

·         Continued discernment about worship and worship spaces; what it means to each of us, what seekers are expecting or looking for, how our experience of knowing the Living God is affected by our worship experience, what prayer looks like from a personal and a corporal perspective.

Actions for Next Meeting

Sue will check with the diocese to see if they have compensation guidelines for Sabbatical clergy coverage that differs from the Clergy Compensation Guidelines

Locate a copy of our 1st mutual ministry cycle report and or survey results since Sue joined us.

Next meeting will be on 4/30 at 6:30 at Sue’s office.

Agenda for 4/30 meeting:

·         Timelines and costs for activities during the sabbatical and reintegration

·         Sue to share her narrative. 

·         Finalize the outline for the Grant Proposal.

Submitted by Beth Bell Lavoie