Spring 2023 Congregational Meeting

Agenda

March 7, 2023

  1. Opening - Floyd Gadd
  2. Report on Preaching - Floyd Gadd
    • Rotation, Schedule, Pulpit supply
  3. Report on Music - Floyd Gadd
    • Resources, Participation
  4. Report on Missions - Floyd Gadd
    • Ministries and Missions Support
  5. Report on Facilities - Rod Amberson
  6. Report on Activities - Rod Amberson
    • Bible Study
    • Quiz Meet
    • "Safe Church"
  7. Report on Library - Rod Amberson
    • Establishing a library curated books, videos, etc
  8. Report on Finances - Rod Amberson
    • Presenting the 2022 Financial Statement
    • Outline of proposed 2023 Budget
  9. Open Floor for questions, comments, and suggestions not already addressed
    • Ladies Bible Study
    • Membership List, process
  10. Closing - Rod Amberson

Reports

 1. Opening

Floyd opened with a scripture reading from Acts 2:36-47, related devotional comments, hymn 352 "I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord", and prayer for the Lord's gracious guidance.

2. Preaching

Since our establishment as a fully constituted church at the beginning of November, 2022, preaching has been shared on a rotating basis between our two elders, Rod Amberson and Floyd Gadd. A series of sermons on 1 Thessalonians has taken us through to this month. After 1 Thessalonians has been completed, a series on 2 Thessalonians will follow, after which there will be a short series in the Psalms. We anticipate that this will take us through to the end of June.
From time to time, we expect to draw from outside of our immediate congregation for pulpit supply. Our most likely sources will be personnel from Gospel of Grace Fellowship in Weyburn, Moose Mountain Reformed Baptist Church in Arcola, and Fellowship Baptist Church in Saskatoon. We look forward to the prospect, in time, of raising up competent preachers from within our own congregation.
There were no comments or suggestions from the congregation, so the elders will consider and make a decision on where to go next. Feedback is always welcome.

3. Music

We understand the singing of the congregation to be a vital part of local church life. The scriptures call on us to sing to God, and to speak to one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.
We are using the hymnal “Hymns of Grace” as our principal source for congregational song, though we do, from time to time, also use songs from other sources. We value the use of scriptural psalms, and a plan is underway to add copies of a Psalter to our resources for congregational use, to supplement the selections of psalms already present in our hymnal.
The pool of people who present lead congregational song is presently quite small. We look forward to expanding this group to include others. We elders place a great deal of value on leadership that is covenanted together and committed to "submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ". Since this is a role that involves public spiritual leadership, our normal practice will be to engage people who have expressed mutual commitment by aligning in covenant with GRBC.

4. Missions

At the present time our church is not designating a part of the offerings collected on an ongoing basis to the support of missionary activity. We would like to begin doing that in the near future.
Two potential recipients of missions giving that are being considered are Tim Killillay and Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary.
    • Tim Killillay is elder-qualified, and sent from a local church in the USA. The focus of his ministry is indigenous discipleship and church planting in Peru. There is a Canadian missionary support program through which we could invest in this ministry in such a way as is appropriate with tax-deductible gifts.
    • Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary is a reformed baptist seminary in Owensboro, Kentucky. While it is not yet clear what the administrative details of contributing to the support of this seminary from receipted charitable donations might look like, there does exist the possibility that GRBC members could have access to seminary courses if a plan of support is put in place.
Tim Killillay and Family
The Killalley family is sent and supported by a local church in the USA for ministry in Peru. Tim is elder-qualified and has focused on training men from Peru for the work of ministry, through theological education and discipleship. The Killillays are currently active in planting and establishing a local church in Peru. The Killilllays are registered with a missionary-support organization in Canada, that makes it simple for GRBC to direct our giving to their support. Our planting church, Gospel of Grace Fellowship, supports Tim as one of their missionaries.
Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary
CBTS is a confessional seminary that focuses on training people where they are, through online courses and generous audit options. The dean is Sam Waldron. CBTS also publishes books, articles, and podcasts. Our support may include the benefit of discounts for our members to enroll in CBTS courses for credit. There would likely need to be arrangements made to be able to give to CBTS, since they are based in the USA.
The Master's Academy International (TMAI)
We have partnered with TMAI in prayer, and they are also supported by Gospel of Grace. The arrangement for giving would need to be set up between GRBC and Grace Life Church near Edmonton, as we are not able to give directly to TMAI.
Aaron Cross - Good News Ambassadors and Bibles for Muslims
Aaron is well known to many at GRBC. He has attended here a few times, and has been supported by Gospel of Grace for many years. Aaron is not currently in membership in a local church, but is attending an Anglican church in Regina, where family is willing to attend. We will continue to pray for Aaron and his ministries, Good News Ambassadors and Bibles for Muslims.

5. Facilities

Our arrangement with Sonlight is going fairly well. We currently pay $1000 per month for Sunday afternoons after 2:30 pm (Sonlight is almost always gone by 12:30 pm), Tuesday evenings in the sanctuary and Thursday evenings upstairs (officially in Room 22, but we generally also use the adjacent room, with verbal permission). If we have additional needs, there may additional fees.
We need to ask that people refrain from hanging out in stairwells, closed rooms, closets, or upstairs. Food needs to remain in the fellowship hall downstairs.
We are not averse to owning our own building, or leasing our own space, but are not in a position to make such a big decision at this time.
Sonlight CRC is looking at how they might be able to utilize their facility further - week nights are already full with dance classes, Sonlight clubs, Girl Guides, AA, and our midweek study and Quizzing; and weekends are full with Biet Tzur on Saturday, Sonlight on Sunday morning, GRBC Sunday afternoon and evening. Sonlight is looking at how they might be a blessing during weekdays, perhaps a mom’s afternoon, or homeschool activities. We have also been invited to work with them on community outreach. Sonlight CRC is confessionally aligned to the "Three Forms of Unity" (Belgic Confession, Heidelberg Catechism, Canons of Dort).

6. Activities

Bible Study
Bible Study is open to everyone. It is not exclusively an adult bible study. The material is not inappropriate for anyone.
We completed bible studies in Ephesians and Romans in 2022. Ephesians and Romans were primarily at Rod’s house, and were quite interactive, paragraph by paragraph rather than verse-by-verse.
We completed “The Church” by Media Gratiae from September to January. We started the series at Rod and Jo’s house, and then moved to Sonlight. It was not as well attended as Ephesians and Romans. If anyone would like a copy of the study, talk to Rod.
We have started “Dust to Glory” by Ligonier, and it is going well, with pretty good attendance. Audio is available at Monergism (Thanks for finding it, Karen). The timing generally runs a little over an hour of study time (25-30 minute video, 10-15 minutes of discussion, 10-15 minutes of prayer), followed by visiting (anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes).
We also have an option to partner with Ligonier Ministries to gain access to a number of their resources for personal bible study, and for deep discounts on their Ligonier Connect platform. The cost (to GRBC) would be approximately $1 per person per month.
Quiz Meet
The Quiz Meet bible quizzing program is run through UB David & I'LL B Jonathan.
QuizMeet is a bible memory sport that encourages participants to commit large portions of the bible to memory.
Quiz Meet is a Bible Quizzing program aimed at encouraging youth in grades 7-12 to memorize God's Word in a fun and competitive atmosphere. The schedule for memorization covers 15 New Testament books over an 8-year cycle.
Grace Reformed Baptist Church believes that God has given the responsibility for training children to parents.
      1. Our primary focus will remain on keeping families intact - we encourage fellowship together as families, we worship together as families, we study together as families, we respect fathers and mothers and the jurisdiction of the family.
      2. QuizMeet does not replace parents, and signing children up for QuizMeet does not replace family worship or individual devotions - view this as "extra-curricular".
      3. Guard against a pharisaical or downtrodden attitude in your children - doing well at QuizMeet is not a sign of being "super-spiritual", and doing poorly is not a sign of being a "bad Christian".
      4. Parents are welcome to come watch the quizzing practice and the Quiz Meets.
Membership Class
Really this is on the agenda just to ask whether this is something that would be of value to anyone. The option would be to include 30 minutes or so at 2:30 on Sunday afternoons before we need to set up for the service. It would be a chance to discuss, ask, answer questions about the church, baptism, faith, and go over the church covenant.
Safe Church
This came up when we obtained insurance in November, and questions around church policies. “Safe Church” is a term for Abuse Prevention policy. This is more of a concern for schools, clubs, and churches that aspire to run many programs. In such cases, there is a need for processes to avoid and/or handle abuse and allegations of abuse.
We don’t intend to run a lot of programs, but we can also benefit from having a “Safe Church” Policy. After the service, we have times of fellowship that fill the building in various places. We’ve tried to keep people in public areas – not in the stairwells, not upstairs in the classrooms, in the larger areas, with doors open, etc. That is an informal approach. We want to exercise appropriate care, without freaking people out and impairing fellowship.
Quiz Meet is an example where minors are not always accompanied by their parents or adults within their family. Informally, we maintain a system of multiple volunteers/adults and open rooms. Volunteers don’t provide rides. Volunteers are not alone in the same room with quizzers.
These are common sense, but informal approaches. The “Safe Church” policy would formalize the approach, and provide procedures for reporting and receiving reports, evaluating situations, and addressing concerns. Rod is working on a safe policy and will have it in place for the fall.
It is important to note that this is not being done in response to any situation, concern or danger.
That being said, you may have heard of a situation in which Rod and Floyd did require a visitor to not attend for a month, following inappropriate behavior at a bible study. The incident was documented and addressed. Anyone who was present was made aware (or their parents were made aware) in an appropriate level of detail. I mention it now only because I don’t want there to be any questions or ongoing discussion. Rod and Floyd consider that the matter has been dealt with.

7. Library

Part of the money received from Gospel of Grace Fellowship was for the purpose of establishing a church library. Several books and videos have been purchased for the library and a list will be published on the website.
There needs to be a method of marking and tracking borrows and returns, a storage and/or display method, and someone who is willing to be in charge of the library.
We still have permission to access the GoGF electronic library. To access the GoGF e-library, go to http://weyburnchurch.com/member-login/library and enter the password, "login."

8. Finances

Refer to the images at the bottom of page. Categories are also explained below.

 

2022 Year End Financial Report
Grace Reformed Baptist Church was planted in Regina by Gospel of Grace Fellowship in Weyburn. The Elders, Deacons, and members sent GRBC with $10,000, as well as pre-paid October rent and damage deposit of $1,500.
Donation Receipts have been delivered for all offerings. If you haven’t received yours, please let Rod know. If you haven’t received one for GoGF, please let Kurtis know.
GRBC 2022 filing with the Canada Revenue Agency has been submitted and acknowledged. (So that means we are doing things right so far).
2023 Budget
The 2023 Budget is using the same categories as the 2022 Year End Statement. Estimates were based on the data available from November and December 2022, which was pretty limited data. The estimate for offerings is probably low, based on January and February, but summer also needs to be accounted for.
We want to support a pastor vocationally, which we can't do at this time. We also want to contribute to missions support and would eventually like to purchase or lease meeting space of our own. This is a good reminder that God is in control, our timing is not always His timing. These financial matters are important, but secondary.
In 2022 we used the spreadsheets that GoGF is using. In 2023, we are using the Church Management software that is part of the website, app, member management system, and giving platform (“Subsplash”). We are working to have William as book-keeper for GRBC, to receive and track donations and to reconcile the bank account, and to input all transactions so that receipts will be provided correctly.
The Subsplash software is also our continuity plan. Since the livestream, website, app, giving, and church management software can be managed without technical expertise or coding ability, administration can be transferred from Rod with little interruption.
Donations – Offerings in November and December 2022
Missions Offering – If a missions-specific offering were taken
GoGF Transfer – Initial Transfer provided by GoGF
Salary, Wages & Benefits – Floyd and Rod have not taken any wages or other pay from GRBC. Our hope is to vocationally support a pastor in future.
Rental – Based on the amount of the last agreement (October 1, 2022 - March 31, 2023)
Insurance – Insurance, - assumed no director's liability insurance for 2022
Pulpit Supply – Costs associated with guest speakers
Teaching Supplies – Teaching assets  or subscriptions - books, studies, library, and other resources
Conference – Expenses to attend or host a conference
Missions Giving – Gifts to missionary support
Travel – Travel expenses for meetings, visitation, etc
Website, Online – Website, App, hosting, etc
Supplies – Coffee, cups, plates, cutlery and other kitchen supplies required for potluck (but also grape juice used for the Lord's Table)
Admin Supplies – Capital expenses - new assets, crates, A/V equipment, etc
Bank Charges – Affinity Credit Union will be very low. Payment processors will be 2.9%.
Phone – Grasshopper 1-800 number

9. Questions

Ladies Study
Naomi asked about having a Ladies Bible Study, possibly on weekdays. There were no suggestions offered for topics, books, or such. This may fit into the ideas that Sonlight had for mid-week, mid-day use of the building. The Elders will look into it.

Members

The question was asked about who is a member. Here is a list of current members. There are several people in discussion about becoming members.
      • Alex, Maryn Tiganov
      • Floyd, Karen, William, Bethany Gadd
      • Jason, Sandi, Xander, Nesha, Navae, Mattias Funk
      • Rod, Jo, Billy, Tommy, Johnny Amberson
      • Raney Denzin

Membership Process

The process to become a members is to state your desire to an elder, who will ask about your profession of faith and readiness for membership (baptized as a believer). The elders will then announce the intent to the congregation, to allow a time of getting to know the potential new member(s). If all goes well, the individual(s) will be formally welcomed into membership, usually about 3 weeks after announcing the intention to the congregation. The entire membership will join in affirming (re-affirming) the church covenant together.
A copy of the church covenant is available here.

10. Closing

We closed with a reminder that this is Christ's church, subject to His word, and the witness of the Holy Spirit. Timing and details are in His hands and we trust Him with all things.

These meetings are to be a visible and tangible outworking of our commitment to be mutually submitted to each other. The Elders and Deacons will continue to report on these matters as a matter of stewardship and submission to the body of Christ expressed in this local church.

The elders seek to steward faithfully the resources of GRBC in the mundane administration of the church, as servants of Christ and of His church. Worship must always be foremost, and yet matters of where we meet and the economics and details of running the church also need to be cared for. The elders seek to lead with a humble attitude, therefore nothing is being done behind closed doors and questions are always welcome. Questions need not wait for the next congregational meeting.