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Church Governance at Trinity Lutheran Church and School (TLCS)               

"Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith." 

-  Hebrews 12:1-2

Updates

December 14, 2023
The Governance Board would like to thank all those who attended the October 22nd Voters" Assembly Meeting and the November 19 Town Hall meeting.
At the Town Hall meeting, the Governance Board presented the results of the LCMS CADD survey results. This was a survey that all members of Trinity were asked to take. This survey is the Congregational Assessment of Development/Decline Status. Although the results were positive, they showed that younger age groups were underrepresented in the data.

The board’s suggestions for strategic direction/ goals were discussed at length during the town hall meeting. Those in attendance agreed that the following directions are important to the future of our beloved Trinity Lutheran Church and School:

·       Improvements are needed to improve the long-term financial health and stability of our school.

o   There was a discussion about the need to increase school funding year over year above inflation level.

o   There was an honest and open discussion and evaluation of existing revenue sources.

o   A need for new sustainable and stable revenue sources.

o   These changes need to be organized, repeatable, and not dependent on any specific individual (Person A can run it today, and Person B can step in and lead it tomorrow without having to re-invent the system.

o   There needs to engagement by the entire church to maintain improvements.

·       Trinity needs to increase engagement and active membership for people in the 18 – 40 age range.

o   We discussed what can be done to make Trinity a more attractive option as a church home to this age group without negatively impacting the needs of current church members.

o   We need to engage more people in this age group, through volunteer activities, to make Trinity more attractive to this age grou

·       There is a need to integrate more volunteers into programs and events. It must be:

o   Organized and repeatable

o   With ways to identify volunteers with time and talents needed

o   With appropriate ways to engage and manage the volunteers to assure a better experience for the volunteers as well as the planners.

The Governance Board is in seeking nominees to serve on this board. Please prayerfully consider joining us and helping us seek God’s will for our congregation. Information about serving on this board will be provided by writing GOVBOARD@TLCS.ORG or speaking to a board member.

Please continue to pray for your Governance Board as we seek God’s will and direction for Trinity Lutheran Church and School.

October 07, 2023

At the July Governance Board meeting, Dan Gosswiller was re-elected Chairman, Mike Hyre was elected Vice-Chairman, and Cheryl Michalow was re-elected Secretary.

After much prayer and consideration, Tom Mate has resigned from the Governance Board in order to address some significant issues affecting himself and his family. The Board fully supports his decision and thanks him for the last four years of service on the Board. As per the Policy Manual, the Board has appointed Bruce Glombicki to complete Tom's term, at which time that seat will be open for election. Bruce was one of the Board candidates at the last election in May. We thank Bruce for accepting this role!

The next Voters' Assembly meeting will be held on Sunday, October 22nd at 12:30PM. Please email voters@tlcs.org with any questions.

The Governance Board will be holding a Town Hall meeting after the Reveal Service at 12:30PM on Sunday, November 19th. The purpose of this meeting will be to allow the congregation to ask the Board questions and offer input regarding our existing strategic plan and governance policies. The Board will at this time also present recommendations for three new strategic initiatives.

Please continue to pray for your Governance Board as we seek God's will for our beloved Trinity Lutheran Church and School.

June 19, 2023

A huge thank you to all who attended the May 21st Voter’s Assembly meeting! The 2023/2024 budget was approved. Also, congratulations to the 2 candidates elected to the Governance Board: Dan Gosswiller and Mike Rauch. A heartfelt thank you is in order for Dan Gosswiller and Marco Melone for their service on the Board these past 3 years. We appreciate all who participated in the election process and sincerely thank you for your willingness to serve.

Please continue to pray for your Governance Board as we endeavor to carry out God’s will for our beloved Trinity Lutheran Church and School. Have a wonderful and safe summer!

NEXT VOTERS'ASSEMBLY MEETING SUNDAY, May 21, 2023 at 12:30 PM

The next Voters' Assembly meeting will be held on Sunday, May 21, 2023 immediately following Reveal Worship. Voters will approve the 2023/2024 budget and elect two new Governance Board members at the May meeting. Information about this year's nominees are noted below.

October 23, 2022

Trinity's Strategic Direction and long term goals as sanctioned by its voting members were reviewed at this Voters' Assembly Meeting. 

May our Great God continue to bless Trinity Lutheran Church and School!

September, 2022

At the July and August Governance Board meetings,  Dan Gosswiller was elected Chairman, Tom Mate was elected Vice-Chairman, and Cheryl Michalow was elected Secretary. 

The next Voters' Assembly Meeting will be held at 12:pm on Sunday, October 23, 2022. The purpose of the October meeting is to review Trinity's Strategic Direction and long term goals as sanctioned by its voting members. 

May our Great God continue to bless Trinity Lutheran Church and School!

August 2022 - Newly Elected Governance Board Members

Linda Burns was elected to serve her first 3-year term.
Tom Mate was re-elected to a second consecutive 3-year term. He served as Governance Board Chairman for the past two years.
Cheryl Michalow was elected to serve her second 3-year term after rotating off the Gov Board for 1 year.  

Thank you to all three candidates running for the two open Governance Board positions this year. We appreciate your participation and willingness to serve!

March 2022

The next Voters' Assembly Meeting will be held at 12:pm on Sunday, March 20th.

The May 2022 Voters Assembly meeting will be held on Sunday, May 22. Members who wish to become voters for this meeting must email:  voters@tlcs.org  by April 12. 

The purpose of the May meeting is to elect three new Governance Board members and approve the yearly budget. A huge thank you to outgoing board members Paul Massa, Tom Mate, and Adrian Palomeque!

May our Great God continue to bless Trinity Lutheran Church and School!

January 2022

Happy New Year!  The Governance Board continues to work on strategic direction for TLCS. We wish all of you and your families a blessed and healthy 2022! 

November 2021

The Voters' Assembly met on October 24, 2021 and strategic direction for Trinity Lutheran Church and School was discussed. The Governance Board then met on Saturday, November 6th to further develop plans for short term and long term strategic direction. The board will be working with Pastor Strand and members of the advisory boards in the coming weeks regarding strategic direction for TLCS. In addition, a board subcommittee has been meeting with Principal Montgomery and staff to assist in the governance section of the accreditation process for Trinity Lutheran School.

Please continue to pray for your Governance Board as we seek God's will for our beloved church and school.

August 2021 

At the July Governance Board meeting, Tom Mate was re-elected Chairman, Dan Gosswiller was elected Vice-Chairman, and Adrian Palomeque was elected Secretary. 

The next Voters' Assembly Meeting will be held on October 24th. The main purpose of the October meeting is to discuss strategic direction and long-term goals for Trinity Lutheran Church and School.  Members who would like to become voters members for that meeting should complete a Voting Membership Request Form and email it to voters@tlcs.org by September 7th. Please continue to pray for the Governance Board members as we seek God's will and direction for Trinity Lutheran Church and School.

July 2021 - Newly Elected Governance Board Members

Mike Hyre was re-elected to a second consecutive 3-year term. He served as Governance Board Vice Chairman for the past two years. Braden McClements was elected to serve his first 3-year term. Braden was previously appointed by the Governance Board to fill the remaining 1.5 years of Christopher Jones' tern when he moved out of state. Braden served as Governance Board Chairman in his final year.

Thank you to all five candidates running for the two open Governance Board positions this year. We appreciate your participation and willingness to serve!

June 27, 2021

The next Voters’ Assembly Meeting is Sunday, June 27th.  The purpose of this meeting is to adopt a budget (available in the Narthex 14 days before the meeting) and elect 2 new Governance Board members for a 3-year term starting in July of 2021. Information on nominees is listed below. 

Any eligible member of Trinity who would like to vote and has not attended a Voter’s Meeting or had an excused absence in the last fiscal year (July 1, 2019– June 30, 2020) must contact Paul Massa of the Governance Board at least 40 days ahead of June 13th, 2021 to request to vote (by May 3, 2021). Paul may be contacted for voting requests at voters@tlcs.org or via cell phone at 708-829-5619. REQUEST FOR VOTING MEMEBERSHIP forms are also available in the Narthex and these may be filled out and handed in to the church office.  If you miss the May 3rd deadline to vote at the June 13th meeting you are still welcome and encouraged to attend!

_______________________________________________________________________________________

ARTICLE II - VOTING MEMBERSHIP

 Section 1: Eligibility

All communicant members of this congregation who are 18 years of age or over shall be eligible to apply for Voting membership. Application shall be made by written request at least forty (40) days prior to the meeting at which they plan to present themselves for membership. Applications for membership shall be made to the secretary of the congregation.

Section 2: Maintenance of Voting Membership

When a voting member does not attend at least one meeting in a fiscal year, or have excused absence because of illness or occupation, he will be removed from voting membership. He will be notified prior to being removed. He is eligible to rejoin the assembly through normal procedure.

2021 GOVERNANCE BOARD NOMINEES

March 21, 2021

Voters' Assembly Meeting

Our next Voters’ Assembly Meeting is Sunday, March 21st at 12:30 pm. We hope to see you there!   

If you have never been to a meeting, We hope you’ll consider coming! This is one of three annual meetings.

If you would like to become a voting member of Trinity. Per By-law II of our Constitution (see below), the secretary must be notified in writing at least 40 days prior to the meeting at which you are eligible to vote You are still welcome to attend the meeting if your request is received after this date, in which case you will be eligible to vote at the next meeting.

Please email your request to voters@tlcs.org including the text - I request to become a voting member of Trinity Lutheran Church and School. I am a communicant member of this congregation and am 18 years of age or older.
or
fill out this Request for Voter Membership Form  and submit it to the church office. 

Thank you and please contact me with any questions.
Paul Massa | Governance Board | 708-829-5619

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

ARTICLE II - VOTING MEMBERSHIP

 Section 1: Eligibility

All communicant members of this congregation who are 18 years of age or over shall be eligible to apply for Voting membership. Application shall be made by written request at least forty (40) days prior to the meeting at which they plan to present themselves for membership. Applications for membership shall be made to the secretary of the congregation.

Section 2: Maintenance of Voting Membership

When a voting member does not attend at least one meeting in a fiscal year, or have excused absence because of illness or occupation, he will be removed from voting membership. He will be notified prior to being removed. He is eligible to rejoin the assembly through normal procedure.

February 21, 2021

Special Voters' Assembly Meeting

Our next Voters’ Assembly Meeting is Sunday, February 21st at 12:30 pm.  The topic of this special meeting is to vote on extending a call for a school principal.

October 18, 2020

Voters' Assembly Meeting

Thank you to everyone who participated in the October 18th Voters’ Assembly Meeting.  There was not anything up for a vote during this meeting, yet Voters’ meetings are a GREAT way to hear updates about what’s going on around Trinity Lutheran Church and School! Agendas for the meetings are available at least 10 days in advance. Before October’s meeting, detailed written ministry and operational reports were also available in the Narthex. You will be very pleasantly surprised when you learn about all the wonderful things going on here - even during a pandemic! 

April 1, 2020

VOTERS’ ASSEMBLY MEETING DATE CHANGE ANNOUNCEMENT

Our next Voters’ Assembly Meeting was scheduled for Sunday, May 17th however it is being rescheduled to Sunday, June 28th at 12:30 pm (God willing). Please feel free to address any questions to the Governance Board at govboard@tlcs.org or call Board Secretary, Cheryl Michalow at 708-580-1151.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:    Ecclesiastes 3:1

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.    Proverbs 3:5

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”    Joshua 1:9 

March 1st, 2020

Voters' Assembly Meeting

Our next Voters’ Assembly Meeting is Sunday, March 1st at 12:30 pm. We hope to see you there!   

If you have never been to a meeting, I hope you’ll consider coming! This is one of three annual meetings.

If you would like to become a voting member of Trinity. Per By-law II of our Constitution (see below), the secretary must be notified in writing at least 40 days prior to the meeting at which you are eligible to vote (January 21st for the March 1, 2020 meeting).  You are still welcome to attend the meeting if your request is received after this date, in which case you will be eligible to vote at the May 17, 2020 meeting. 

Please email your request as below to voters@tlcs.org or fill out the Request for Voting Membership form available in the Narthex and return it to the church office.  

I request to become a voting member of Trinity Lutheran Church and School. I am a communicant member of this congregation and am 18 years of age or older.

Thank you and please contact me with any questions.

Cheryl Michalow | Governance Board Secretary | 708-580-1151

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

ARTICLE II - VOTING MEMBERSHIP

 Section 1: Eligibility

All communicant members of this congregation who are 18 years of age or over shall be eligible to apply for Voting membership. Application shall be made by written request at least forty (40) days prior to the meeting at which they plan to present themselves for membership. Applications for membership shall be made to the secretary of the congregation.

Section 2: Maintenance of Voting Membership

When a voting member does not attend at least one meeting in a fiscal year, or have excused absence because of illness or occupation, he will be removed from voting membership. He will be notified prior to being removed. He is eligible to rejoin the assembly through normal procedure.

October 20, 2019

Voters' Assembly Meeting

Thank you to everyone who participated in the October 20th Voters’ Assembly Meeting.  There was not anything up for a vote during this meeting, yet Voters’ meetings are a GREAT way to hear updates about what’s going on around Trinity Lutheran Church and School! Agendas for the meetings are available at least 10 days in advance. Before October’s meeting, detailed written ministry and operational reports were also available in the Narthex. You will be very pleasantly surprised when you learn about all the wonderful things going on here! 

May 19, 2019

Voters' Assembly Meeting 

NEW GOVERNANCE BOARD MEMBERS

At the Voters' Assembly Meeting of May 19, 2019, the following three new members were voted onto the Governance Board:

• • Paul Massa

  • Tom Mate

  • Adrian Palomeque

Congratulations to the new members! Thank you to all nominees for your willingness to serve.

April, 2019

The May Voters' Assembly Meeting is scheduled for May 19th at 12:30 pm.  

The agenda will be available in the narthex at least 10 days before the meeting. The May Voters' Assembly Meeting is on the third Sunday in May unless otherwise noted. The primary agenda items for the May meeting are Governance Board elections and adoption of the next fiscal year's budget (available 14 days before the meeting). Below is information on the nominees for the three 2019 Governance Board positions.

2019 Governance Board Nominees

March, 2019

The May Voters' Assembly Meeting is scheduled for May 19th at 12:30 pm.  

The agenda will be available in the narthex at least 10 days before the meeting. The May Voters' Assembly Meeting is on the third Sunday in May unless otherwise noted. The primary agenda items for the May meeting are Governance Board elections and adoption of the next fiscal year's budget (available 14 days before the meeting).

February, 2019

The March Voters' Assembly Meeting is scheduled for March 3rd at 12:30 pm.  

The agenda will be available in the narthex at least 10 days before the meeting. The March Voters' Assembly Meeting is on the first Sunday in March unless otherwise noted. The primary agenda item for the March meeting is Governance Board and Senior Pastor reporting on progress of annual and long-term goals.

December 19, 2018

2019 Nominating Announcement

Now is the time to begin to prayerfully seek God's guidance and nominate or volunteer qualified men and women for service on the Board of Governance. The Governance Board Nomination Form  with the Fact Sheet will be available at the Welcome Center or and School website, TLCS.org, starting on the weekend of December 30, 2018. Completed forms are due February 17, 2019. Please place the completed forms in the proper bin at the welcome center. Three new Board of Governance members will be elected at the May Voters' Assembly. 

These elected members will fill the vacancies of the following outgoing members:

• • Wayne VanderVelde

  • Dale Brauer

  • Erica Petro

October 1, 2018

The October Voters' Assembly is scheduled for October 21, 2018 at 12:30pm.

The agenda will be available in the narthex at least 10 days before the meeting. 

February 5, 2018

The March Voters' Assembly is scheduled for March 4th at 12:30 PM.

The agenda for the meeting will be available in the narthex at least 10 days before the meeting and one of the agenda Items will be to vote on amendments to the By-laws of our constitution, which were presented at the October meeting. The proposed amendments follow.

If you have any questions, please contact Bev Rauch by Voters@tlc.org or by contacting the Governance Board at govboard@tlcs.org.

PROPOSED AMENDMENTS

Whereas By-law Article VI section 1 allows for the election of individuals to the Governance Board at the Regular May meeting of the Voters Assembly from a slate of deemed qualified candidates,

Whereas exact voting procedure is not currently included in the By-Laws,

Be it resolved that an amendment to By-law Article VI section 1. I. to include in iii:

    "The election of candidates will use the Plurality-at-large voting, a nonproportional voting system for electing several representatives. Multiple winners are elected simultaneously to serve the whole membership of the body. Each voter selects up to the number of candidates needed, however, they are unable to vote for the same candidate more than once. The candidates with the most votes (who may or may not obtain a majority of available votes) are the winners and will fill the positions. In the event of a tie, a second election will be held between the tied candidates."

Further be it Resolved that Article III Section 2 Quorum and Voting Procedures should be amended to include:

    "The Governance Board will be responsible for the integrity of all elections."

February 1, 2018

Governance Board Nominating Committee

The Nominating Committee of the Voters' Assembly, led by the Governance Board, has developed the timeline calendar for the election of two nominees to the Governance Board. This election will take place at the May Voters' Assembly. The process begins with the nomination of candidates for the Governance Board. A nominator contacts a Trinity member and asks if that person is willing to be considered for nomination. If so, the nominator fills out the Governance Board Nomination Form that will be available at the Welcome Center and at the Trinity Lutheran Church and School website. This form is to be completed and submitted by February 25th. Following a nomination, the accepting candidate will complete an application and turn it in by March 18th. It then becomes the responsibility of the Nominating Committee to review the application and interview the candidate. The slate of candidates will be announced on the weekend of April 8th. Members will have the opportunity of meeting the candidates at a meet and greet event that will be announced later with a late April or May date. Please pray that our Great God will guide us during this process, selecting the members He desires to serve His Kingdom here at Trinity Lutheran Church and School.

May 21, 2017

Voters' Assembly 

The May Voters' Assembly meeting was May 21st. Select reports from this meeting are available below.

MEMBERSHIP REPORT

SENIOR PASTOR REPORT

ASSOCIATE PASTOR REPORT

April 15th, 2017

Governance Board Nominating Committee

The Governance Board Nominating Committee consisting of Bill Birk (Governance Board Vice-Chair), Ken Lash (Governance Board Member), Wayne VanderVelde (Governance Board Member), Matt Butterfield (Voting Member), Judy Green (Voting Member), and Pastor Paul Strand (Senior Pastor), is pleased to announce the slate of candidates for the upcoming Governance Board Election1 on May 21st.

April 14th, 2017

Governance Board

For some time now, the Governance Board, Senior Staff, and Advisory Councils have been reviewing a request from Delta Sonic to purchase the area adjoining their property.  This is a very important issue to affect Trinity's future and would like everyone to have a say. We have tried to alert everyone of this event and allow those who are not a Voter to become one. We have held three town hall meetings to try to allow everyone the opportunity to ask questions and fully understand the issues. A fact sheet has been made available HERE and is also available in the Narthex.

Now the final decision as to whether Trinity should allow the sale of this property lies with the Voters' Assembly. This motion is expected to come to the floor of the Voters' Assembly at the May 21, 2017 meeting.. There is a special requirement in the constitution (Article III Section 2 of the bylaws0) for sale of property that requires a 2/3 of the voting membership to be present for a quorum for this issue. Without it the Vote will not come to the floor of the Assembly. In addition, if the quorum is met, it requires a 2/3 majority to pass the motion.

IT IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE FOR VOTERS TO BE PRESENT.

In addition to the Delta Sonic request, we will also be adopting our 2017-2018 budget and electing our new Governance Board Members at the May meeting. A normal 25% of the Voters assembly is quorum for these issues. If you have any questions or concerns about any of these issues, please Contact Us.

March 6th, 2017

Voters' Assembly

The March Voters' Assembly meeting was March 5th. Select reports from this meeting are available below.

MEMBERSHIP REPORT

GOVERNANCE BOARD REPORT

SENIOR PASTOR REPORT

ASSOCIATE PASTOR REPORT

CONTEMPORARY WORSHIP DIRECTOR REPORT

BUSINESS MANAGER REPORT

SMALL GROUP MINISTRY

MUSIC MINISTRY REPORT

CHILDREN'S MINISTRIES REPORT

CREATIVE MEDIA DIRECTOR REPORT

YOUTH MINISTRIES REPORT (PARTIAL)

DAY SCHOOL REPORT

February 5th, 2017

Governance Board Nominating Committee

Now is the Time...to pick up a Governance Board Nomination form to suggest a Trinity member be considered for the upcoming Voters' Assembly election in May. Forms will be available at the Welcome Center or can be downloaded here. Completed Nomination forms will be accepted from February 5 thru March 25th. Please pray for God's wisdom and guidance during the upcoming months in leading us to select His choices for this Board. 

1. We will be electing two Governance Board Members to fill vacancies created by expiring terms.