Church Development and Renewal Team

Nan Sollo, Chair

Role and Function:
The committee oversees, proposes and evaluates programs for strengthening and renewing existing congregations and develops and carries out plans for new church starts including pastoral search and site selection. We offer support and training in each of these areas.

Changes in 2005:
This year we returned to meeting as one group (last year new church and renewal groups met separately). We felt meeting once with everyone would make the most of Tom’s time.

2005 Accomplishments:
We are continuing to build a significant number of resources for local churches seeking ways to foster growth and renewal. A number of churches are using the Natural Church Development. We renewed our subscription to Percept, an online demographic resource.

Paul Borden’s book Hit the Bullseye has been used in discussion and we would like to offer his growth and renewal ideas to the Conference in the coming year, including having the Rev. Borden come in person to work with us. We are also looking into the possibility of offering and Easum/Bandy workshop on church growth in conjunction with First Congregational Church of Greeley, UCC in late summer or early fall.

One of our goals for next year is to make all the churches in the Conference aware of all the resources available for church growth and development. Resources include books and videos that on file in the conference office and active ongoing programs (Percept, NCD etc.)

We held an Evangelism Lab at La Foret to help churches work with “Church Bullies”. Twenty people benefited from the workshop. We are in agreement, as a committee, that this information should be offered again- either at an annual conference meeting or offered to associations.

We have discontinued the search for a new church start pastor until we have a settled conference minister in place.

We continued work with Vista Grande UCC to sell their building and find new pastoral leadership.

A memorandum of understanding has been drawn up by the United Church of the San Juans in Ridgeway, Colorado. This is an interdenominational congregation of about 60 members who are seeking ties with UCC, PCUSA, ELCA and UMC
We are looking forward to serving the conference in the coming year with support and resources to help each church reach its fullest expression as the Body of Christ. We also look forward to the vision and insights of our new conference minister and will continue to look for new ways to provide assistance to our congregations.

Karen Smith, Chair

The Faith Nurturing Committee exists to provide opportunities for spiritual growth to all members of the conference. We strive to meet the needs of all people for education and inspiration in all aspects of faith and leadership within the church. Because our goals revolve around Camps, Retreats, Educational functions, and Worship, we are known as the Faith CREW. We strive to represent all areas and groups within the Conference.

Members of the Faith CREW “adopted” churches to contact as reminders of upcoming events. Comments and requests for programs were also solicited from these churches.
The very successful camping program for 2004 offered camps and retreats for all ages and for some specific groups. Campers with disabilities were welcomed at La Foret. Evaluation forms tell us many people felt God’s presence and spiritual growth while at the center. Rates for camps for 2005 will have to be raised again, but are well within the range of costs for camping across the country. Scholarships were and are available for those who need them. The committee reviewed principals related to camping and to choosing camp staff, and strengthened them as needed. We appreciate all those who contributed funds and work to build the Labyrinth at La Foret.

Two members (one lay person, one staff member) attended the National Outdoor Ministries Consult in Connecticut. Every church was sent a camping packet and Camp Sunday worship resources, including a DVD video.

We have tried to remain in contact with the La Foret Board. This led to our learning of the advisability of reducing the indebtedness of the camp, and the idea to collect large donations to be paid directly against the principal. This idea will be promoted at the June 2005 annual meeting. We felt God’s hand in this inspiration.
Information on resources for leaders of youth groups was sent to all churches. We are seeking input on a retreat or camp for college age adults.

A Couples Enrichment Event was held for all couples in committed relationships. The Rev. Dr. Ralph Datema, a UCC minister and qualified marriage counselor, led this event. Attendees appreciated the experience and the diversity of the group, and asked that such an event be offered on a regular basis.

A Justice Alive! event in Denver, organized and executed by the Peace and Justice Task Force, was well received and may lead to further joint action.

Rocky Mountain Conference has agreed to host the Western Regional Youth Event in summer 2006, and many of our congregational youth leaders have offered help. The Western Region is eight UCC conferences; location and dates for the event are being finalized.

Scott Thomas, chair

The role of the finance committee is to develop and oversee the operating budget of the conference, to review and alter policy to meet the changing needs of conference program and staffing patterns. The committee meets regularly, with the help and guidance of our treasurer, Steve Haskins, to respond to changes in the conference’s financial circumstances.

“It was a dark and stormy night…..It was the best of times and the worst of times….There is good news and there is bad news. What do you want first?”
You undoubtedly have heard these familiar phrases. They do describe the conference budget process and the budget itself.

The 2004 budget did work. We were able to contribute 30% to OCWM. We finished the year with a slight surplus. Unfortunately, the surplus was due to decreased staff and some extraordinary income. The surplus was not, I repeat not due to increased pledging from our individual churches. I know that some of the churches in the conference did increase pledging and to them we extend a grateful “thank-you.”
The 2005 budget and the projections for the 2006 budget could end up as “the best of times or the worst of times.” Which outcome we have depends on the churches in our conference. Everyone wants better and more services from the conference office. These services require people, and people increase the budget. The 2005 budget at this point projects a small deficit. It can be covered out of surplus. The 2006 budget will require increased contributions from all of our churches.

The conference staff has done a good job and we thank them! Thanks are also due the Finance Committee and Steve Haskins, our treasurer. Everyone asks good questions at meetings and has the best interests of the conference at heart.
It is up to the individual members of the Rocky Mountain Conference to determine if our future is the “Best of Times!”

Treasurer's Report
Steve Haskins, Treasurer

The 2004 financial statements and Finance Committee Meetings reminded me of the “classic” movie, ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’. Although Clint Eastwood never attended a Finance Committee meeting (and no cigars were smoked there), here is the lowdown:

The Good
The 2004 statement of activities shows an increase (a.k.a. surplus, net income) of $45,454 in unrestricted net assets. The 2004 Conference budget projected a balanced budget. Therefore, the conference exceeded its budget by $45,454. This was accomplished in two main ways.
The 2004 actual revenues exceeded the budgeted revenues by $12,049. This “excess” revenue was entirely the result of Program (Camping) revenues being $15,500 more than budgeted.
In addition, the 2004 actual expenses were $33,404 less than budgeted expenses and most of these were from operations. As in 2003, this was a result of everyone (staff, committee members, etc.) trying to economize as much as possible knowing it was going to be a tight year

The Bad
Per Capital Dues. Per capita dues revenue hovered at around $83,000 for 2002 and 2003 but plummeted to $71,599 in 2004. Thus, per capital dues revenue was under budget by $11,400 in 2004. This amount represents a decrease of 2,280 paying members conference wide. If per capital dues were paid for every member conference wide, it is estimated that per capital dues would be around $89,200.

The Ugly
In the past three years, OCWM contributions have decreased from $540,467 in 2002 to $504,942 in 2004. At the last annual meeting, the delegates voted for a 2005 budget with a 10% increase in OCWM contributions to raise OCWM to about $557,000. Unfortunately, pledged OCWM contributions for 2005 were only around $500,000. This made it difficult to revise the 2005 budget, which you will observe at this annual meeting.

Epilogue
The Statement of Financial position shows the various assets, liabilities and funds as of December 31, 2004. The assets and funds include the allocation of realized and unrealized gains and losses from the investments.

Ralph S. Datema, Chair

Members of our committee this year were Ralph Datema (NE), Chair, Steve Brown (SE), Carla Gilbert (UT), Jane Nelson (MD), and Harley Tripp (WE). The Committee met three times – September 17, 2004, January 21, 2005, and March 11, 2005.

Tasks accomplished this year include the following:
Boundary Training at the 2004 Conference in Fort Collins, complete with certificates to all attendees.
A total of thirty people attending Part I of this training last year (2004). Part II will be offered at the RMC Conference in Grand Junction this year (2005). The material used is developed by the Center for Prevention of Sexual and Domestic Violence in Seattle, Washington. It includes four videotapes. Part I deals with relationships, power, dual relationships, dating, friendships, and gifts. Part II deals with the Pulpit, transference, hugging, touching, and intimacy. Either workshop, Part I or Part II, meets the requirement for boundary training in the Northeast Association. All pastors are encouraged to take both workshops. Certificates will again be awarded for attendees.

Salary Guidelines
Thanks to Harley Tripp, the committee has generated very impressive guidelines for salary planning, which are based on both conference salaries and national trends. Suggested salaries are listed in curves and ranges, allowing for more choice than tables. Variables for salary include years of experience, expectation and performance, and size of the church. 45 of our 82 churches have less than 150 members. The committee is very proud of this work. We appreciate you, Harley!

Survey of Association Church and Ministry Committees to assess needs.
For our January meeting, we surveyed the Association Church and Ministry Committees to assess their needs and ways our committee might help. Our findings included the following:
A. Boundary training has been well received.
B. Leadership development, orientation, and training were requested by some associations.
C. Additional support with the search and call procedure, though we felt the conference staff was working well with this.
D. Attention to clergy accountability and congregational accountability, including retired pastors and pastors in specialized ministry.
E. Clergy care and support for active as well as retired ministers.
F. Conflict management skills.
G. Training for Pastoral Relations Committees.

Bully Workshop Supported
The Bully Workshop was held in February. Focus of this workshop was to identify church bullies and to deal with this by not sacrificing personal worth through identification with the negative energy of the bully dynamic, to name it, and tie the dynamic to behaviors.

Looking ahead, for the 2005-2006 year, the committee will endorse a training workshop on M.O.M. (Manual on Membership), to be sponsored by the Committee on Parish Life and Leadership. Also, the committee plans to expand the work further on the salary guidelines, and offer additional workshops on boundaries.

The Ministry Committee appreciates serving the conference, and have appreciated working with our very competent conference staff who are always a joy.

Stuart Haskins, Chair

The Mission Committee is responsible for programs relating to the wider mission of the conference. It can also offer support to the wider mission of local congregations and it stands ready to deal with any mission concerns that may arise. The Peace and Justice Task Force and the Global Partners Committee report to the Mission Committee in the conference structure, although they function autonomously.

The major function of the committee continues to be the determination of grants to a variety of Mission Partners, as well as the support of these partners in non-monetary ways. In 2005, the Committee has granted a total of $52,450 to 33 organizations consisting of 2 ecumenical ministries, 5 campus ministries, 26 other agencies assisting constituencies such as the rural and urban poor, youth affordable housing, peace, AIDS, etc. In 2005, seven new agencies were funded. New applications are always welcome and can be made through applications distributed to all local congregations in the fall. Full descriptions of the work of our Mission Partners are to be found in the annual report.

In addition to funding our Mission Partners, the committee makes small grants to the Peace and Justice Task Force and the Global Partners Committee.

This year, the committee is also implementing a new policy of our Global Board on visiting missionaries. Instead of a few days, assigned visiting missionaries will be in the conference for from two to four months, thus enabling much greater visibility for our global mission. The committee is currently meeting with its counterpart in the Rocky Mountain Region of the Disciples of Christ to plan this new program.

Knowing that budgetary restrictions have caused many conferences to eliminate mission funding, the committee is grateful for the OCWM support of our churches and the determination of the conference to continue funding its important work.

Jerry Eslinger, chair

The Personnel Committee is entrusted with the responsibility of recommending to the Board of Directors of the Conference policies which pertain to the employment and/or dismissal of all Conference employees, as well as job descriptions for the employees. This project was competed by the Personnel Committee in 2004 and adopted by the Board. In the intervening months a staff evaluation was completed for the Acting Conference Minister, and, in consultation with the Acting Conference Minister, the other employees were evaluated. From time to time, the Personnel Committee is also consulted on salary and benefit issues, for consideration and/or adoption by the Board of Directors. The committee completed its tasks and is up-to-date on all of its responsibilities.

Merv and Danni Bangert, Co-Chairs

Since the official beginning of our Global Partnership between the United Church of Christ (UCC) Rocky Mountain Conference, the Disciples of Christ (DOC) Rocky Mountain Region and the United Evangelical Pentecostal Church of Venezuela (UEPV) in 1998, many individuals have traveled back and forth between our two countries with a goal of finding joy in new friendships, cultivating and understanding of each others’ cultures including similarities and differences, and trying to help each other change the face of the world.

In 2004-2005, we sent nineteen persons from twelve different congregations to Venezuela to participate in the UEPV ministries to their people. At this Annual Meeting, UEPV representatives the Rev. Elida Lugo, UEPV seminary instructor and president of the national UEPV Women’s Association, and Roman Castillo, educator, former national legislator in Venezuela, and one of the authors of the new Venezuelan Constitution are our guests bringing the story of their churches’ struggles and dreams to share with us. As these visitors and returning delegates share their stories and we grow in our understanding of mission, churches in this conference are enriched and challenged.
At last year’s annual meeting in Fort Collins, we commissioned and sent our first youth team off to Venezuela. Leaders of that team included the Rev. Ben Broadbent, the Rev. Malcolm Himshoot, Brook Bell, and Karen Smith. Youth participants were: Sarah Blessing, Gabriel Espiro, Ashley Jennings, Ellen Thompson, Kristie Parrinelle, Melissa Gardner and Gracy Huntley. For 10 days they experienced life in Venezuela with youth from the UEPV.

Returning from Venezuela with the youth team was Dorian Singh who had been there since March working on an internship. (A youth mission is planned for July ’05 with the Rev. Steven Hoffman leading and a third youth mission will occur in July ’06.
In August ’04 a referendum election was held to recall Hugo Chavez, Venezuela’s president. Our UEPV partners asked us to send an election observer who would help determine the fairness of those elections. Walter “Joe” Shaw went as your representative in this very important election.

The Rev. Stuart Haskins and Kat Haskins were to serve as our representatives at the UEPV Annual Meeting in August. Upon arrival Kat suffered a medical emergency that hospitalized her and kept the tow of them from the annual meeting. In spite of Kat being ill and having emergency surgery, Kat and Stuart had a very positive experience because they were surrounded by love and kindness by our UEPV partners.

A September ’04 visit here from an UEPV delegation had to be canceled due to their inability to obtain US visas.

A Medical Mission Team consisting of Alice Silver and Pat Smatla, co-leaders, Donna Nelson, Beth Eha and Della Lane went in November ’04. They worked beside the UEPV medical volunteers providing medical clinics, medical supplies and health education.
The Inter-generational Construction Trip planned for March ’05 was canceled because of scheduling complications. A similar trip is planned for April ’06.
There are many opportunities for churches and individuals in this conference to participate in this important ministry. Pick up materials at the Global Partner table in the display hall. Recruiting for ’06 is going on now.

Submitted by Kate Goodspeed, with the approval of other PJTF members

The PJTF enthusiastically supported the “Rock the Boat” on September 24 and 25, 2004. “Rock the Boat,” organized and hosted by the Peace and Justice Ministry Team of Plymouth Church in Fort Collins, brought in national and regional Justice and Witness staff. Over 90 concerned members of conference churches, as well as many from churches of other denominations in the Fort Collins area, attended this event.

The task force’s key event of this year was to plan and hold Justice Alive!, a conference-wide event focusing on justice and peace issues. Between 80 and 100 people attended this two-day event over President’s Day Weekend, February 2005. The PJTF extends thanks to the members and leaders from Park Hill Church, who were generous and indefatigable hosts, and to all from the conference who worked on planning this event and who attended it. It was a great success, with regional and national speakers. The best news is that we came in on-budget, funding almost the entire event through the modest registration fees, which included three meals.

During this year, the PJTF continued to re-evaluate its structure and mission and rotated leadership at our meetings. Thanks to all who convened and took minutes, and especially to Ed Hawley who does a lot of the work behind the scenes. The PJTF remains committed to helping individuals and congregations incorporate the principles of just peace into all aspects of life, including worship, education, fellowship, stewardship, and relationships. “Membership” in the PJTF is open to all who are committed to peace and justice issues

The PJTF promotes the Just Peace Offering in local churches. Part of that money stays with the local church and part goes to fund PJTF work. With this fund and other conference funds, we helped fund folks going to the School of the America’s Watch, and also to the Justice and Peace Network’s Western Regional Meeting, as well as paying dues to other organizations such as the Colorado Coalition for the Prevention of Nuclear War and other occasional task force expenses

Each year at the Annual Meeting of the Conference the PJTF presents a Peacemaker Award based on nominations from churches. In 2004, the award was given to Berkeley Rich, Blair Chambliss and Jim Vandermiller, all members of First Plymouth in Englewood, for their work in founding Housing Justice! They arrived at the RMC annual meeting in Fort Collins to receive the award in the early stages of an 800-mile walk around Colorado to call attention to housing needs. The PJTF also helps determine who shall receive the Robert and Lucille Inglis Fund scholarship, which is available for a UCC minister every three years to study issues of peace and justice.