Council Notes November 6, 2025
Council was called to order by President Rich Hollenbach. Council Minutes of the October meeting were approved as written.
Treasurer’s Report: At 83% of the 2025 year, our receipts are about 75% and our expenses are around 82%. Member Giving for Pledged & Unpledged Envelopes is at 80% and 140%. The deficit for the month is $7,083 and our year-to-date deficit is $28,535. $5,000 was taken from the Endowment Fund and placed into the Univest Check Account. (The Endowment Fund now contains $72,628,86.) The Treasurer’s Report from October was approved as written.
President’s Report: My seminary classes are going well, and I have my Candidacy Entrance Interview this Saturday, November 8, 2025. Our deficit grew again by $7,000 and we will be close to our $38K budget deficit at the end of this year. I will be away on Sunday, November 23rd.
Pastor’s Report: I have led and presided at worship regularly throughout the month at Faith and Jerusalem. I continue to do shifts at Lansdale Hospital as the Volunteer Protestant Chaplain and volunteer at Mitzvah Circle. I had a wedding planning meeting on October 8, 2025, with Jonathan Hollenbach and Tia Blauvelt. Then, I officiated the wedding ceremony on October 17, 2025. Our Stewardship Program kicked off on September 28, 2025, and ended on October 19th with Breakfast Church. Our theme for the year is “A Listening Faith.” The people that I have talked to have responded well. I hope to have more conversations with other members soon. Thanks to all that helped plan and execute the breakfast church! Faith Education Dinner restarted on Sunday, October 12, 2025. Next dinner will be on November 9, 2025, at 5:30pm and the topic is on creation. We have three youths who are participating. Confirmation Sunday is November 9, 2025, at the 9:30am service. Genevieve Prunkel and Kyle Fritzinger will be affirming their baptisms. Upcoming vacation: November 23, 2025: My brother is running the Philadelphia Marathon, and I want to support him. Pastor Dee Littleton will be leading worship as Rich is away as well.
Ministry Team Reports:
Monday Night Bible Study (MNBS): Our small group will be doing a four-week Advent Study “Behold the Savior” on November 10, 17, off November 24 for Thanksgiving Week, reconvene on Dec 1 and finish December 8. We will pick our next study after the Christmas holidays on January 5, 2026. The zoom link is printed in the weekly bulletin and the Mustard Seed. Anyone interested in joining contact Gail Achilles at email [email protected] or cell 267-664-3328 or just pop in on us anytime on the zoom link. All are welcome.
Sunday School: Children ages 3 to 11 are welcome to attend Sunday school. (Children leave during Worship service with the Sunday school teacher after children’s sermon and return for communion). It is very convenient for the parent/caregiver to attend worship while their children attend Sunday school. Also on November 30, under Miss Nancy’s guidance, the Sunday school children will choose which animals to purchase for God’s Global Barnyard (those in need) using Faith Lutheran congregation’s generous “noisy can” offerings.
Parents’ Night Out – Youth Fellowship (PNO-YF): – We will be meeting Friday, November 21, 6 pm to 9 pm, in the Fellowship Hall. Our theme is Thanksgiving. Psalm 28:7: “The Lord is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exalts, and with my song I give thanks to Him.” Our December PNO-YF will be December 5. Please note that December 12, 2025, PNO-YF has been moved to December 5, 2025. There will be no PNO-YF on 12/12.
Young Adult Group (ages 12 to 17) – This month’s meeting is scheduled for Sunday, November 16, 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm, in the Fellowship Hall. Our theme is Thanksgiving/Advent. Philippians 4:6: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." Luke 2:11: “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord.” Our December YAF will be December 21.
Communications: Sheena Navarro will be joining the Communications Team.
Finance: External Financial Review (2025) – presently researching who will do this review. New Pastoral Health Benefits – Pastor chose his new health plan which the cost is now placed in the preliminary budget and is based on his 6% raise to his base salary. Vanco replacement with Tithle.ly in 2026 – Vanco will be cancelled on December 30th. Information will be sent out to Vanco users to transition them to Tithle.ly. Offering Counting Schedule – Janet Hill put together a counting schedule for the remainder of 2025, and a new schedule will be compiled every 3 months. The team is still looking for a new credit card company. 2026 Preliminary Budget – Debbie Hollenbach, Finance Ministry Chair, highlighted updates to the preliminary budget to council. The new 2026 Preliminary Budget is $160,014.27. Projected income is $116,464. This leaves us with a projected deficit of $43,550.27. The 2026 Preliminary Budget was approved as written.
Fellowship/Hospitality: 11/30 – Soup & Sandwich, sign-up sheet will go out on 11/9. Working on the 2026 schedule. One special coffee hour a month, except for June and October there will be two.
Long-Range Planning: Coordination with the Nourishing Vocation Project and Listening Faith. Adam Feldman and Debbie Hollenbach are joining the team.
Mutual Ministry: Have met with all the staff.
Nominating Team: Melissa Prunkel is the chair along with Janet Hill and Bonnie Staller. Six council members will continue in 2026. One must leave (Rich) and one is eligible to run for a second term (John). We can have up to three more council members (total of nine).
Property Team: The fallen tree in the woods behind the parking lot has been cut up. Scattons is doing our HVAC preventative maintenance on 11/4/2025 -- has been completed. Our fire extinguishers will be inspected on 11/5/2025 – has been completed. Adam is replacing the men’s room urinal due to a leaking pipe.
Social Ministry: September – $158 was collected and sent to Amy Karpus, Chief Operating Officer for 141 Impact toward schooling for Claire, a 14-year-old deaf child. Donations were made in memory of Pastor Joyce Nelson. October - 30 boxes of quick bread and muffin mixes and 20 boxes of potatoes were donated and delivered to the Food Cupboard in Hatfield. November – Collection for Code Blue at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lansdale. “Noisy Can” project – January to October, God’s Global Barnyard “noisy can collection” has received at total of $468.50, $35 in August, $50 in September and $30 in October. November will be our last month to take this collection. At the end of November, Nancy Gansner and the Sunday School children will discuss what to donate this money toward in God’s Global Barnyard.
Stewardship: Our Stewardship Program will be kicking off our them for the year which is “A Listening Faith.”
Worship & Music: Meeting was held on October 15th to plan up through Christmas.
OLD BUSINESS Constitution Update – Constitution Update: Needs a few changes based on feedback from council review before being sent to the congregation for review. There are some new guidelines from the ELCA that we will review and incorporate as needed. New theme for the coming year, “A Listening Faith.” Book: “The Listening Life: Embracing Attentiveness in a World of Distraction” by Adam S. McHugh.
IMPORTANT DATES: Nov 25: Thanksgiving Worship Service 7pm; November 27: Thanksgiving Day.
Next Meeting: Wednesday, December 3rd, at 6:30 PM pot luck dinner.
Council was called to order by President Rich Hollenbach. Council Minutes of the October meeting were approved as written.
Treasurer’s Report: At 83% of the 2025 year, our receipts are about 75% and our expenses are around 82%. Member Giving for Pledged & Unpledged Envelopes is at 80% and 140%. The deficit for the month is $7,083 and our year-to-date deficit is $28,535. $5,000 was taken from the Endowment Fund and placed into the Univest Check Account. (The Endowment Fund now contains $72,628,86.) The Treasurer’s Report from October was approved as written.
President’s Report: My seminary classes are going well, and I have my Candidacy Entrance Interview this Saturday, November 8, 2025. Our deficit grew again by $7,000 and we will be close to our $38K budget deficit at the end of this year. I will be away on Sunday, November 23rd.
Pastor’s Report: I have led and presided at worship regularly throughout the month at Faith and Jerusalem. I continue to do shifts at Lansdale Hospital as the Volunteer Protestant Chaplain and volunteer at Mitzvah Circle. I had a wedding planning meeting on October 8, 2025, with Jonathan Hollenbach and Tia Blauvelt. Then, I officiated the wedding ceremony on October 17, 2025. Our Stewardship Program kicked off on September 28, 2025, and ended on October 19th with Breakfast Church. Our theme for the year is “A Listening Faith.” The people that I have talked to have responded well. I hope to have more conversations with other members soon. Thanks to all that helped plan and execute the breakfast church! Faith Education Dinner restarted on Sunday, October 12, 2025. Next dinner will be on November 9, 2025, at 5:30pm and the topic is on creation. We have three youths who are participating. Confirmation Sunday is November 9, 2025, at the 9:30am service. Genevieve Prunkel and Kyle Fritzinger will be affirming their baptisms. Upcoming vacation: November 23, 2025: My brother is running the Philadelphia Marathon, and I want to support him. Pastor Dee Littleton will be leading worship as Rich is away as well.
Ministry Team Reports:
Monday Night Bible Study (MNBS): Our small group will be doing a four-week Advent Study “Behold the Savior” on November 10, 17, off November 24 for Thanksgiving Week, reconvene on Dec 1 and finish December 8. We will pick our next study after the Christmas holidays on January 5, 2026. The zoom link is printed in the weekly bulletin and the Mustard Seed. Anyone interested in joining contact Gail Achilles at email [email protected] or cell 267-664-3328 or just pop in on us anytime on the zoom link. All are welcome.
Sunday School: Children ages 3 to 11 are welcome to attend Sunday school. (Children leave during Worship service with the Sunday school teacher after children’s sermon and return for communion). It is very convenient for the parent/caregiver to attend worship while their children attend Sunday school. Also on November 30, under Miss Nancy’s guidance, the Sunday school children will choose which animals to purchase for God’s Global Barnyard (those in need) using Faith Lutheran congregation’s generous “noisy can” offerings.
Parents’ Night Out – Youth Fellowship (PNO-YF): – We will be meeting Friday, November 21, 6 pm to 9 pm, in the Fellowship Hall. Our theme is Thanksgiving. Psalm 28:7: “The Lord is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exalts, and with my song I give thanks to Him.” Our December PNO-YF will be December 5. Please note that December 12, 2025, PNO-YF has been moved to December 5, 2025. There will be no PNO-YF on 12/12.
Young Adult Group (ages 12 to 17) – This month’s meeting is scheduled for Sunday, November 16, 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm, in the Fellowship Hall. Our theme is Thanksgiving/Advent. Philippians 4:6: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." Luke 2:11: “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord.” Our December YAF will be December 21.
Communications: Sheena Navarro will be joining the Communications Team.
Finance: External Financial Review (2025) – presently researching who will do this review. New Pastoral Health Benefits – Pastor chose his new health plan which the cost is now placed in the preliminary budget and is based on his 6% raise to his base salary. Vanco replacement with Tithle.ly in 2026 – Vanco will be cancelled on December 30th. Information will be sent out to Vanco users to transition them to Tithle.ly. Offering Counting Schedule – Janet Hill put together a counting schedule for the remainder of 2025, and a new schedule will be compiled every 3 months. The team is still looking for a new credit card company. 2026 Preliminary Budget – Debbie Hollenbach, Finance Ministry Chair, highlighted updates to the preliminary budget to council. The new 2026 Preliminary Budget is $160,014.27. Projected income is $116,464. This leaves us with a projected deficit of $43,550.27. The 2026 Preliminary Budget was approved as written.
Fellowship/Hospitality: 11/30 – Soup & Sandwich, sign-up sheet will go out on 11/9. Working on the 2026 schedule. One special coffee hour a month, except for June and October there will be two.
Long-Range Planning: Coordination with the Nourishing Vocation Project and Listening Faith. Adam Feldman and Debbie Hollenbach are joining the team.
Mutual Ministry: Have met with all the staff.
Nominating Team: Melissa Prunkel is the chair along with Janet Hill and Bonnie Staller. Six council members will continue in 2026. One must leave (Rich) and one is eligible to run for a second term (John). We can have up to three more council members (total of nine).
Property Team: The fallen tree in the woods behind the parking lot has been cut up. Scattons is doing our HVAC preventative maintenance on 11/4/2025 -- has been completed. Our fire extinguishers will be inspected on 11/5/2025 – has been completed. Adam is replacing the men’s room urinal due to a leaking pipe.
Social Ministry: September – $158 was collected and sent to Amy Karpus, Chief Operating Officer for 141 Impact toward schooling for Claire, a 14-year-old deaf child. Donations were made in memory of Pastor Joyce Nelson. October - 30 boxes of quick bread and muffin mixes and 20 boxes of potatoes were donated and delivered to the Food Cupboard in Hatfield. November – Collection for Code Blue at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lansdale. “Noisy Can” project – January to October, God’s Global Barnyard “noisy can collection” has received at total of $468.50, $35 in August, $50 in September and $30 in October. November will be our last month to take this collection. At the end of November, Nancy Gansner and the Sunday School children will discuss what to donate this money toward in God’s Global Barnyard.
Stewardship: Our Stewardship Program will be kicking off our them for the year which is “A Listening Faith.”
Worship & Music: Meeting was held on October 15th to plan up through Christmas.
OLD BUSINESS Constitution Update – Constitution Update: Needs a few changes based on feedback from council review before being sent to the congregation for review. There are some new guidelines from the ELCA that we will review and incorporate as needed. New theme for the coming year, “A Listening Faith.” Book: “The Listening Life: Embracing Attentiveness in a World of Distraction” by Adam S. McHugh.
IMPORTANT DATES: Nov 25: Thanksgiving Worship Service 7pm; November 27: Thanksgiving Day.
Next Meeting: Wednesday, December 3rd, at 6:30 PM pot luck dinner.
