Old North Abbey, Knoxville, TN
Parish Council Meeting Summary, meeting of October, 2020 (by Zoom)
Minutes prepared by Daniel Yoder, summary by Daniel Yoder

Attendees: Aaron, Brent, Charleen, Daniel, Gregg, Mary, Rusty, Spencer
Absent: Amber
Clergy attending: Joy

Financial Report
None

Facilities

• Nov. 29 target for moving indoors, but no childcare at that point
• Aaron will pursue getting the carpeting replaced before then
• Aaron and Nick will continue working on the office rooms
• would like to have an outdoor workday to prepare for winter
• Daniel will check on high-efficiency filters for HVAC

Worship Service

• will stay in current mode through Nov. 22, Nov. 29 will be in new mode
• most likely scenario will be two services, most likely both in the morning with maximum of 80 people
  — one would be zoomed or recorded
  — will need to be masked and distanced
  — volunteer crew will clean between
  — much discussion of seating by family or pod, singing at one or both, etc.
• will revisit at next meeting

Fall planning

• Bishop visit Oct. 25
• Covenant Ceremony (outdoor in-person service) Nov. 1 @ 4:30
• Synod (virtual) Nov. 6 & 7; Rusty & Spencer will attend 10 am Business Meeting Nov. 7
• Parish Meeting (virtual) Nov. 15 @ 4:30
• Baptisms at outdoor worship services Nov. 1 and Nov. 22
• PC approved expenditure for Joy to develop Children’s book for Advent
• Gregg offered to lead Advent evening prayer; approved by PC

Next meeting 7:30 pm Tuesday November 3 in the Commons or by Zoom.

Old North Abbey, Knoxville, TN
Parish Council Meeting Summary, meeting of September 1, 2020 (by Zoom)
Minutes prepared by Amber Ford, summary by Daniel Yoder

Attendees: Aaron, Amber, Brent, Charleen, Daniel, Gregg, Rusty, Spencer
Absent: Mary
Clergy attending: Joy

Financial Report
The PC approved an expenditure of $3803 for outdoor audio equipment by unanimous email on 8/16/2020.
Deborah presented the financial report. During August we made a $35k payment against the mortgage principal to reduce our interest payments. Our giving YTD is over budget and our expenditures are $16k under budget.

Library Proposal

• Cathy and Destin LeBlanc prepared a very thorough plan for Library use. Aaron will make several suggestions to them for editing the proposal to remove the key code and to set up an email address. We will also work to remove the extra chairs from the Library hallway.
• The PC agreed that the Library could be open when the Church is open (so currently just Sunday mornings), and the person responsible for locking up will check the Library.
• The PC agreed that the Library can be open under Covid restrictions, with the expectation of safe practices.

Services

• both the outdoor morning and evening Zoom services appear to be going well, with no need for any substantial changes
• as the weather cools, the morning outdoor service will be moved to 10:00 am
• Aaron asked the PC to ponder how winter services will look and at what temperature those should begin.
• the Covid Response Committee will meet to propose a winter plan

Fall Planning

• the Covenant Journey will be done via Zoom or spaced out in the Sanctuary. Aaron and Nick will put together a plan for the 1st and 2nd sessions for new members. The Covenanting ceremony will take place Nov. 1. Aaron will follow up with Hannah on production of a new covenant.
• the Congregational Meeting will take place the evening of November 15
• the Bishop visit is tentatively planned for October 25
• there will be baptisms on Nov. 1 and Nov. 22.
• Synod will occur remotely Nov. 12-13. We need to identify two members to attend

Next meeting 7:30 pm Tuesday October 6 in the Commons or by Zoom.

Old North Abbey, Knoxville, TN
Parish Council Meeting Summary, meeting of August 4, 2020 (by Zoom)
Minutes prepared by Amber Ford, summary by Daniel Yoder

Attendees: Aaron, Amber, Brent, Charleen, Daniel, Mary, Rusty, Spencer
Absent: Gregg
Clergy attending: Joy

Financial Report
Deborah presented the financial report. Giving remains strong, at $162,900 year to date. We are $16,000 over budget in giving and $12,000 under budget in spending. The PC also agreed to go ahead with a $35k paying down of the mortgage, a move that had been agreed to but postponed due to Covid uncertainty.

Facilities
The sound quality of the outdoor services needs improvement. Brad is compiling a list of equipment that can be used for both the outdoor services and future indoor events. The Parish Council approved up to $2000 for new sound equipment. Services will continue as they have been operating. With a PA, capacity may be able to increase to 150. Aaron asked that everyone give thought to how to handle services when the weather cools in late fall. The PC also agreed to allow several resource coordinators from local schools to infrequently use ONA space as an office work area.

Financial Assistance
The PC agreed on several donations totaling $5k to meet immediate needs brought by parish members. They also allocated $500 to purchase reusable water bottles for Belle Morris students Finally, they agreed to provide $150/month in funding to the campus ministry of an ONA member for the next year.

Covid-19 response

• both the outdoor morning and evening Zoom services appear to be going well, with no need for any substantial changes. The outdoor services have seen some new people attending, and the children have handled things very well. The morning inclusion of Eucharist wine appears to work well. We see no need at this point to change anything in the services
• we agreed to allow the outside groups meeting at ONA on Monday and Thursday evening to begin using the space again, with the understanding that they will adhere to the 5 Core Principals

Next meeting 7:30 pm Tuesday September 1 in the Commons or by Zoom.

Old North Abbey, Knoxville, TN
Parish Council Meeting Summary, meeting of July 7, 2020 (by Zoom)
Minutes prepared by Amber Ford, summary by Daniel Yoder

Attendees: Aaron, Amber, Brent, Charleen, Daniel, Gregg, Mary, Rusty, Spencer
Absent:
Clergy attending:

Financial Report:

• Financials look strong, with giving in Jan-June exceeding spending by about 20%, partly due to greatly reduced building costs
• over that period our giving has exceeded the budget by about $3300, while spending is far below
• we have about $14k in the Covid-19 discretionary fund

Parish Needs:

• we decided to give $1k of Missionary Initiative funds to a member’s family, whose business recently burned
• we voted to reimburse Deborah $500 for her additional time spent on ONA activities

Covid-19 response:

• both the outdoor morning and evening Zoom services appear to be going well, with no need for any substantial changes. The outdoor services have seen some new people attending, and the children have handled things very well. The morning inclusion of Eucharist wine appears to work well. We see no need at this point to change anything in the services
• we agreed to allow the outside groups meeting at ONA on Monday and Thursday evening to begin using the space again, with the understanding that they will adhere to the 5 Core Principals

Building updates:

• Aaron and Nick will get the wiring in the Office checked before continuing to work on re-covering it and painting.

Next meeting 7:30 pm Tuesday August 4 in the Commons or by Zoom.

Old North Abbey, Knoxville, TN
Parish Council Special Covid19 Meeting Summary, meeting of June 17, 2020 (by Zoom)
Minutes prepared by Amber Ford, summary by Daniel Yoder

Attendees: Aaron, Amber, Brent, Charleen, Daniel, Gregg, Spencer
Absent: Mary, Rusty
Clergy attending: Brad, Joy

Update from ADOTS: no additional information

Update from Knox County / Tennessee: Well into Phase 2. Cases are rising, but hospitalizations and deaths remain low.

Debriefing on and subsequent plans for in-person services;

• as decided on last meeting, on June 14 there was an early outdoor service attended by 93 people, an evening service in the sanctuary attended by 12-13, and the evening service was broadcast by Zoom to 12-13 households.
• the morning service went very well, with excellent participation and no problems with following safety guidelines. The children behaved exceptionally well, and Aaron congratulated them in particular in a follow-up email on Monday
• the volume for the morning service was OK, but we will consider purchasing a portable speaker in order to reduce voice strain and accommodate more people.
• for those there, the evening service felt more strained and strange. Aaron will contact those households to get feedback on whether they would prefer sticking with that, moving to a solely Zoom service, or participating in a larger outdoor service.
• the Zoom broadcast of the evening service did not work very well due to technical difficulties.
• the sign-up for the morning outdoor service will be expanded to 125 (was at 100 for the 14th), and people will be reminded to bring hats, pop-up tents, etc. for the sun.

Next meeting 7:30 pm Tuesday July 7 in the Commons or by Zoom.

Old North Abbey, Knoxville, TN
Meeting Summary, meeting of June 2, 2020 (by Zoom)
Minutes prepared by Amber Ford, summary by Daniel Yoder

Attendees: Aaron, Amber, Brent, Charleen, Daniel, Gregg, Mary, Spencer, Rusty
Absent:
Clergy attending:

Financial Report:

• Deborah was ill an unable to attend, but hopes to send the reports to us by Friday

General Updates

• Nick is on staff as of June 1

Updates on Service planning under Covid19

• the Council discussed general trends of COvid19 in Knox County, and saw no compelling reasons to change plans from what was discussed May 19.
• the plan is to begin in-person services on June 14 with a 9:00 outdoor service and an evening indoor service that will be streamed with Zoom. Both services will implement social distancing and wearing of masks when in proximity. During the outdoor services household groups will be spaced 12 ft apart, and masks will not need to be worn when within the group’s space. In the evening service groups will be spaced at least 6 ft apart, and all will be asked to wear masks. Care will be taken to make the bathrooms safe, and all will be asked to wear masks when going to or in those spaces
• the Parish Council will hold a special meeting on June 16 to discuss how to move forward

Special meeting 7:30 pm Tuesday June 16 by Zoom.
Next regular meeting 7:30 pm Tuesday July 7 in the Commons or by Zoom.

Old North Abbey, Knoxville, TN
Parish Council Special Covid19 Meeting Summary, meeting of May 19, 2020 (by Zoom)
Minutes prepared by Amber Ford, summary by Daniel Yoder

Attendees: Aaron, Amber, Brent, Daniel, Gregg, Mary, Spencer, Rusty
Absent: Charleen
Clergy attending: Nick, Brad, Joy

Update from ADOTS: 1) continues to recommend deferring to state and county guidance; 2) recommends that if there is communion, it be with bread only; 3) at-risk individuals should be strongly urged to stay home; 4) if there is a policy (e.g., wearing a mask), it must be clearly stated in advance as an expectation, and strictly enforced

Update from Knox County / Tennessee: it looks now like things are progressing well towards moving into Phase 2 of the relaxation beginning May 30.

ONA plans to move forward

• the services will continue to be available by Zoom for the foreseeable future, even when in-person services begin
• many different possible approaches to relaxation were discussed
• it was decided to move forward with planning for an outdoor service on June 14. Aaron, Amber, Brent, Gregg, and Mary have agreed to serve on a planning committee, which will meet at 8:00pm on Monday 5/25 or on 5/24 if too many have Memorial Day plans. The committee will develop very clear guidelines and expectations, including the following:
  1) contingency plans in case of inclement weather or other outdoor issue;
  2) means for keeping attendance to a safe level, including how to handle guests (if any);
  3) will the participation schedule (readings, prayers, etc.) need to be shuffled to use just those in attendance, or is there some way to have Zoom attendees lead portions too?
  4) service practical aspects, including the altar table, lectern/s, seating (blankets or chairs), sound amplification, Zoom recording (and possible broadcasting?), bulletins, how readers/prayers will participate, communion, will those on blankets be expected to kneel and stand like in a regular service, etc.
  5) use and cleaning of bathrooms
  6) clear expectations for attendee behavior, including especially expected safety measures;
  7) recommendations for families with children;
  8) encouragement that at-risk individuals stay home.
• the plans for this will be reviewed at the next Parish Council meeting on June 2 to determine if we should proceed given the situation at that point.
• Aaron will share these plans with the congregation and explain that they are contingent on local data trends and guidelines.

Next meeting 7:30 pm Tuesday June 2 in the Commons or by Zoom.

Old North Abbey, Knoxville, TN
Parish Council Meeting Summary, meeting of May 5, 2020 (by Zoom)
Minutes prepared by Amber Ford, summary by Daniel Yoder

Attendees: Aaron, Amber, Brent, Charleen, Daniel, Gregg, Mary, Spencer, Rusty
Absent:
Clergy attending: Nick, Brad, Joy

Financial Report:

• even with the 2nd large payment on the HVAC system, April contributions exceeded expenses, and giving was at budgeted amount
• an extra $12k was donated for a contingency fund to aid parishioners. This has not been drawn on due to subsidy funding, but may be needed in the future
• the PC agreed to pay for the expenses associated with a new candidate moving through preparation for the diaconate

Facilities:

• installation of the new HVAC unit for the upstairs has been completed under Russ’ supervision

Covid 19 response:

• as per ACNA / ADOTS direction, any relaxation will be made strictly observing federal / state / local recommendations, and decisions will be made by the Parish Councils (which include the Rector) with guidance from local and parish health professionals
• the top priorities are unity of the parish, the bonds of love, and safety of the parishioners
• ADOTS has provided additional specific guidance for changes in uses of buildings and services
• after extended discussion, the PC decided to continue Zoom worship for now, and to meet again in several weeks to examine further evidence of the impact of the phased relaxation
• we will explore options to further provide community support. One suggestion was organizing a group for mothers with small children

Updates:

• the online church directory will begin sometime soon

Next meeting 7:30 pm Tuesday June 2 in the Commons or by Zoom. A special meeting will be called in mid-May specifically to continue discussion of the pandemic response

Old North Abbey, Knoxville, TN
Parish Council Meeting Summary, meeting of April 7, 2020 (by Zoom)
Minutes prepared by Amber Ford, summary by Daniel Yoder

Attendees: Aaron, Amber, Brent, Charleen, Daniel, Gregg, Mary, Spencer, Rusty
Absent:
Clergy attending: Joy

Financial Report:

• for March expenses exceeded giving by roughly $1k, due in large part to a large partial payment for the new HVAC
• Tithely has become the primary source of giving
• it was agreed to make giving by mail easier by including the Burwell mailing address on the website Giving page

Facilities:

• installation of the new HVAC unit for the upstairs has been completed under Russ’ supervision
• mowing has begun, with Aaron handling most of that
• the basketball goal has been placed
• volunteers have helped with planting and weeding
• Aaron plans to purchase mulch and a few more shrubs
• Joy will get a quote on carpeting from Fraizers, as discussions with Home Depot have fallen through

Updates:

• the online church directory will begin sometime soon after Easter
• after much thought and discussion, Aaron has decided to postpone his sabbatical until the July-Sept 2021

Next meeting 7:30 pm Tuesday May 5 in the Commons or by Zoom.

Old North Abbey, Knoxville, TN
Parish Council Meeting Summary, meeting of March 3, 2020
Minutes prepared by Amber Ford, summary by Daniel Yoder

Attendees: Aaron, Amber, Brent, Charleen, Daniel, Deborah, Gregg, Mary, Spencer, Rusty
Absent:
Clergy attending: Joy

Financial Report:

• 2019 giving exceeded expenses by $23,000, thanks especially to some large special gifts
• Deborah met with Budget Committee to implement some of the changes approved at the previous Parish Council meeting
• January 2020 giving was again high, as is expected for special year-end giving

Facilities:

• carpeting and other flooring are proceeding, with samples in for Beautification Committee to check
• Gregg will research alternatives for cleaning the steeple
• Aaron will follow up on HVAC fix with Rocky Top
• Daniel will follow up with minor repairs and add tags to the Board again
• Aaron will announce that chairs are up for grabs before disposing of the rest
• Daniel will remove Fairmont Presbyterian sign on Cecil
• Daniel will explore replacing exterior lights

Updates:

• Charlene found an inexpensive church directory app. Nick and Rusty will follow up on setting it up.
• due to illness scares, we will be doing communion with just bread for the short term

Next meeting 7:30 pm Tuesday April 7 in the Commons.