2023 - Operations Working Group December 2023 Report
The McDougall Operations Working Group held monthly Zoom meetings on September 21st, October 19th, and November 16th and our last meeting for the year will be on December 21st. Members of the Operations team this fall have included Rev. Joanne Anquist (Minister), Joanne Pritchard (Operations, Lead), Norma May (Treasurer), Bruce Munro (Assistant Treasurer), Barrie Clayton (Property Lead), Peggy Jorgensen (M&P Lead) and Sonia Dodd who joined the team as Operations Convenor in November. Thank you to Norma May and Nick Perrin who recorded the Record of Business Notes for the September and October before Sonia joined the team.
At each Operations meeting the Treasurer, Norma May, has shared month-end financial reports she has received from the church’s bookkeeper, Courtney Den Boer. These reports are then made available to all Council members through the Treasurers Reports folder in the shared Council Google Drive folder. Leaders of church groups with restricted funds have been able to request monthly updates related to their groups’ fund by contacting the Office Administrator, Jen Heidebrecht.
Highlights from the Operations work this fall include the following:
A. Decisions related to the work of Ministry and Personnel team:
Approval of the M&P recommendation to hire Jerimiah Laquette as the church’s new Caretaker/ Handyman
Review of M&P plans for recognizing Harpal Chahal on his retirement from his Custodian staff position and supporting him in his application for UCC pension and change to a casual fill-in custodial role at the church
Creation of a separate Grant Application contract for Jen Heidebrecht to research, prepare and provide oversight for new grants related to our ministry team programs and outreach initiatives. In early December a new UCC Seeds of Hope grant submitted by Jen was approved!
B. Decisions related to work of the Property team
The Property team’s review of the church’s security systems led to an Operations decision to re-key all of the church’s outside doors
On the recommendations of the property Leads, Operations contacted the McDougall Foundations to request that funds to be given to the church to cover the costs for roofing repairs completed this year as well as for the purchase of an ‘On-Demand’ hot water system to replace the four traditional tanks that are no longer working. Both these capital improvement projects were included in the engineering report prepared for the church in 2021.
Operations reviewed the Property Leads’ update of the terms of the lease agreement with the Jesus Baptist Church for space in our basement. The agreed upon changes consolidated the space available for McDougall use. Operations approved the expenditures for the painting and flooring renovations needed as a result of the changes.
C. Decisions related to our Ministry Teams
Family and Community Ministry Team
The LINKages Society of Alberta that Rev. Danah has been partnering with since the fall of 2022 is folding after providing intergenerational programs and training support in Calgary for 29 years . Because of the success of the McDougall’s Community Ministry intergenerational programs these past two years and our commitment to provide similar programs in the future, LINKages transferred over $4,000 of their surplus funds to our church in December.
D. Related to the Operations Mandate in other areas
Fall Stewardship Campaign
This year’s Stewardship Campaign was headed up by Joanne Pritchard, Operations Lead, Sarah Reuangrith, Communications Coordinator and Bruce Munro, Assistant Treasurer. Special thanks to Sonia Dodd, Marianne Medhurst, Carol Clayton, Leslie Stoddart and Paula Sangster for their assistance with the envelope stuffing, labeling and distribution of the stewardship packages. Many hands made for light and joyful work!
Although the planning and oversight for this annual campaign falls within the Operations mandate, future leadership and fresh ideas for this important work is needed for the years ahead. Please contact Joanne Pritchard if this is an area where you would be willing help out next year.
2. Shared Ministry Pilot with Red Deer Lake and Ogden churches
After exploratory talks in August between representatives from Red Deer Lake United Church, Chinook Winds Regional Staff and McDougall Council leaders where the possibility of south Calgary United Churches partnering to share ministerial and other resources was seriously considered, an agreement was drawn up by McDougall Operations for an 8-week Shared Ministry Pilot Project this fall.
On December 14 representatives from 2. Clause 3 (a)
In 2013 Telus offered and we agreed to an annual rent of $21,000. Using this figure increased by the CPI to 2024 should provide about $27,000 annual rent in constant dollars.
3. Clause 3 (b)
On December 14, representatives from the shared ministry team and church leaders from Red Deer Lake and McDougall met to determine interest in our sharing ministerial resources in the new year. Once a Memorandum of Understanding has been developed with Chinook Winds oversight, the details will be shared with the McDougall congregation at a Town Hall meeting in January. Details will be provided on the Friday Eblasts.
Joanne Pritchard
Operations Lead
To learn more about Operations please visit the Operations webpage.