Church Council
MEETING DATES: May 3 | August 2 | October 4
Church Council Meeting
August 2, 2026 – 12:15pm
New Hope United Methodist Church
Gathering and Opening (5 minutes)
Welcome and Purpose
Opening Prayer
Centering Moment – Pastor AW
Covenant Reminder
“We speak the truth in love, we listen with charity, and we seek the good of the whole church.”
Celebrations and Signs of New Hope (5 minutes)
A short round of “What good has God done among us since we last met?”
Review of Mission, Vision, and Current Focus (3 minutes)
A two-sentence reminder of the church’s mission and the committee’s specific charge.
“Our mission and vision are to build relationships of wholeness and hope through acts of worship, grace, and service and create a community that is joyful, generous, and just. Our Board/Council/Committee aids this work by effectively handling the business affairs of this church in an open and professional manner.”
Required Polity Items (as needed)
Review and approval of the minutes of May 3, 2026.
Trustees
· Approve the purchase of the new playground equipment in the amount of $164,000 to Noah’s Park
· Approve $5,000 for the installation of a fence around the playgroud
· Update and possible action on the construction of an expanded parking low
SPRC
· Update on Staff vacancies
· Timeline for annual staff evaluations
· Timeline for completion of the annual church profile
Finance
· Review of the June financials
· Approve budget revision to add $10,000 to the Missions New Projects line, for 1) mission new projects 2) health and welfare team 3) church and society team 4) hospitality and evangelism team
· Update on the annual audit
BRF Committee
· Update on the timeline for the feasibility study
· Review of the project calendar
· Review of information received so far
Major Agenda Items / Discernment Work (25–45 minutes)
For each item:
What is the decision or discernment needed?
What information do members need to decide well?
What is the missional impact of this issue?
What spiritual values guide our path forward?
Is this operational, directional, or transformational?
Report from the Lay Leader
· Recent visit from Rev. Gilvren Decal
Report from the Mission Council
Report from Program Staff Leadership
· Amy Aita, Director of Preschool Ministries
· Luisa Medina, Director of Children and Families
· Maddie Day Mickle, Director of Youth Ministries
· Tyler Stone, Director of Church Music
Reports from Pastoral Staff
· Dr. AW Shahan, Senior Pastor
Distribution and review of church calendar
Follow-ups, Assignments, and Timelines (5–10 minutes)
Clear, written commitments:
Who is doing what? By when? With what support? How will this group receive updates?
Connectional Responsibilities (2–5 minutes)
A brief space to note:
District or conference deadlines - CHARGE CONFERENCE MEETING OCT 18 4PM
Reports that must be filed
Connectional giving updates
Requests from the DS or conference agencies
Pastoral or Congregational Care Notes
Not for confidential matters, but a quick: “Who needs encouragement? Who needs prayer? How can we bless our people this week?”
Closing Reflection and Next Steps (3 minutes)
Two quick questions:
“Where did we see God at work in this meeting?”
“What do we need to remember before we leave?”
Adjournment
Confirm next meeting date – October 4th, 2026
Closing prayer
Board of Trustees
NEXT MEETING: Sunday, July 19th at 12:15 p.m.
Board of Trustees Agenda July 19, 2026
New Hope United Methodist Church
Gathering and Opening
Welcome and Purpose
Opening Prayer
Covenant Reminder
We speak the truth in love, we listen with charity, and we seek the good of the whole church.
Our decisions today will guide New Hope into the future.
Celebrations and Signs of New Hope
“What good has God done among us since we last met?”
Approval of Minutes
Approval of May 17, 2026
Approval of June 21, 2026
Review of Mission, Vision, and Current Focus
Our mission and vision are to build relationships of wholeness and hope through acts of worship, grace, and service and create a community that is joyful, generous, and just. Our Trustees Committee aids this work by faithfully performing our duties to oversee, maintain and supervise all responsibilities of the Board of Trustees.
Major Agenda Items
Old Business
Vehicle Wraps – Waiting on new logo
Hot water Tank – Installed July 10, 2026
Freezer for kitchen
Siding falling off – Kirby
Gutters for soggy side area – Kirby
Luisa’s office leaking
Foggy window in children room
New Hope Sign – Beginning brick work July 9, 2026
AV System for Sanctuary – Scheduled for week of July 27
Carpet in Sanctuary – Purchase additional replacement carpet
Chairs for Sanctuary – Jackie
New Business
Children’s Playground Equipment – 3 bids to discuss
Parking Lot Expansion – Bob Kaiser update
Follow-ups, Assignments, and Timelines
Clear, written commitments:
Who is doing what? By when? With what support? How will this group receive updates?
This matches effective governance practices and prevents meetings from becoming repetitive.
Closing Reflection and Next Steps
Two quick questions:
“Where did we see God at work in this meeting?”
“What do we need to remember before we leave?”
Adjournment
Confirm next meeting date
Closing prayer
Board of Trustees Agenda May 17, 2026
New Hope United Methodist Church
Gathering and Opening (5 minutes)
Welcome and Purpose
My sincere thanks to everyone for being here today to fulfill our mission to oversee, maintain and supervise our church property. Today we will review outstanding projects and begin discussion on several new projects that will require substantial church resources. Hopefully, we can agree on whether or not to move forward with these new projects.
Opening Prayer provided by Richard Norman.
Covenant Reminder We speak the truth in love, we listen with charity, and we seek the good of the whole church. Our decisions today will guide New Hope into the future.
Celebrations and Signs of New Hope (5 minutes)
“What good has God done among us since we last met?”
Approval of Minutes (1–2 minutes)
Approval of March 15, 2026, Amended Minutes
Review of Mission, Vision, and Current Focus (3 minutes)
Our mission and vision are to build relationships of wholeness and hope through acts of worship, grace, and service and create a community that is joyful, generous, and just. Our Trustees Committee aids this work by faithfully performing our duties to oversee, maintain and supervise all responsibilities of the Board of Trustees.
Required Polity Items (as needed)
Trustees Budget review of Q1 2026.
Investment & Legacy Ministry Team update given by Richard Norman
Trustees Restricted Funds Review
Major Agenda Items / Discernment Work (25–45 minutes)
Old Business
New Outside Church Sign
A contract was signed with Metro Sign to provide a new state of the art outdoor sign for New Hope UMC. A down payment of $35,875 (Trustees Rainy Day Fund) was issued. We are targeting completion of installation by the end of May. The balance of $35,875 will be due upon completion of installation. These funds will come from a combination of Trustees Designated for General Use Fund and Trustees Designated for Rainy Day Fund.
New Audio-Visual System for Sanctuary
A contract was signed with Audio Video Designs to provide a new AV system for the Sanctuary. A down payment of $9,662 (Trustees Rainy Day fund) was issued. We are targeting installation the week of June 15. The balance of $28,986 will be due upon completion of installation. These funds will come from a combination of Trustees Designated for General Use Fund and Trustees Designated for Rainy Day Fund.
Hot Water Tank
As of today, the hot water tank has not been replaced.
Temporary Buildings
Do we do more investigation or wait on reports from the building committee?
New Business
Children’s Playground Equipment
Cindy Long will give us the status of the playground equipment update. I would like the Trustees to approve/disapprove moving forward with this project. Bids are currently being accepted. Estimated cost is $160,000.
Parking Lot Expansion
Bob Kiser will give us the status of the parking lot expansion. I would like the Trustees to approve/disapprove moving forward with this project. Bids are currently being accepted. Estimated cost is $165,000.
Follow-ups, Assignments, and Timelines (5–10 minutes)
Clear, written commitments:
Who is doing what? By when? With what support? How will this group receive updates?
This matches effective governance practices and prevents meetings from becoming repetitive.
Closing Reflection and Next Steps (3 minutes)
Two quick questions:
“Where did we see God at work in this meeting?”
“What do we need to remember before we leave?”
Adjournment
Confirm next meeting date
Closing prayer
Finance Committee
MEETING DATES: April 23 | July 23 | October 29
New Hope United Methodist Church
Finance Committee Agenda
July 23, 2026
Welcome and Purpose
Opening Prayer or Centering Moment
Covenant Reminder
“We speak the truth in love, we listen with charity, and we seek the good of the whole church.”
Celebrations and Signs of New Hope
What good has God done among us since we last met?
Approval of Minutes
Approve the April 2026 minutes
Review of Mission, Vision, and Current Focus
Our mission and vision are to build relationships of wholeness and hope through acts of worship, grace, and service, and create a community that is joyful, generous, and just. Our committee aids this work by nurturing the financial and stewarding vitality of the church.
Major Agenda Items / Discernment Work
Approve the Financial Reports for April, May, and June 2026
Trustees - Parking Lot Project
Trustees – Playground Project
Budget Revisions:
Missions New Projects – increase of $10,000
Business Expense increase back to 2025 amount of $37,760
CDO tuition and fees will start appearing in Revenue, and the itemized CDO budget will start appearing in the expenditures.
Follow-ups, Assignments, and Timelines
Clear, written commitments:
Who is doing what? By when? With what support? How will this group receive updates?
Pastoral or Congregational Care Notes (if appropriate)
Who needs encouragement? Who needs prayer? How can we bless our people this week?
Closing Reflection and Next Steps
Two quick questions:
Where did we see God at work in this meeting?
What do we need to remember before we leave?
Adjournment
Confirm next meeting date.
Closing prayer
Finance Committee Meeting | 4.23.26 | 6:00 p.m.
New Hope United Methodist Church
Gathering and Opening (5 minutes)
Welcome and Purpose
In The Book of Discipline (¶258.4), the Committee on Finance is charged with all these activities:
• oversee stewardship • compile a budget annually • raise sufficient income to meet the budget • administer funds received by the church • count and deposit the offering • disburse funds • establish internal control policies • review and report annually on the adequacy and effectiveness of internal controls • provide for an annual audit of the church financial statements • report to the annual charge conference on the audit • recommend proper depositories for church funds • use contributions in accordance with donors’ intent • report annually to the Church Council all designated funds that are separate from the church budget.
Opening Prayer or Centering Moment
Covenant Reminder
“We speak the truth in love, we listen with charity, and we seek the good of the whole church.”
Celebrations and Signs of New Hope (5 minutes)
A short round of “What good has God done among us since we last met?”
Review of Mission, Vision, and Current Focus (3 minutes)
Following Jesus Christ, our church’s mission is to build relationships of wholeness and hope through acts of worship, grace, and service. Responding to Jesus Christ, our vision is creating a community that is joyful, generous, and just. We embody the love and grace of Jesus Christ with courage, compassion, and hope.
The Finance Committee aids this work by nurturing the financial vitality of the congregation, providing financial transparency, budgeting missionally, and implementing best practices.
Required Polity Items
Review and approve previous meeting minutes
Review and approve the previous month’s financial statements
Report on bank reconciliations
Major Agenda Items / Discernment Work (25–45 minutes)
External Audit Report and Readiness - Shelly Welch
Direction/approval of fundraising for camps through a Mission Moment
Direction/approval of fundraising for Miracle Sunday through various means
Business Manager progress report
New Finance Chair report
BRF Team progress and need for feasibility study
Follow-ups, Assignments, and Timelines (5–10 minutes)
Clear, written commitments:
Who is doing what? By when? With what support? How will this group receive updates?
Pastoral or Congregational Care Notes
Not for confidential matters, but a quick:
“Who needs encouragement? Who needs prayer? How can we bless our people this week?”
Closing Reflection and Next Steps (3 minutes)
Two quick questions:
“Where did we see God at work in this meeting?”
“What do we need to remember before we leave?”
Adjournment
Confirm next meeting date
Closing prayer
Staff Parish Relations
MEETING DATES (at 5:00 p.m.) : April 12 | June 14 | August 9 | October 11 | December 13 (if needed)
The SPRC met on April 12th to hear a report from Dr. Thomas Hoffmann about sorting through confidential personnel records and improving the system for how they are kept by the church in order for the church to be in compliance with state, federal, and denominational laws and expectations.
The SPRC also discussed the open positions for Business Manager, Operations Manager, and Children’s Ministry Assistant.
Finally, the SPRC discussed the nascent relationship between Wellspring Cleaning Services and New Hope, reviewing the updated contract for services and reporting on relationship building between church members and Wellspring employees.
The meeting concluded with a report from the pastor on supervisory updates and progress made by clergy and lay staff in fulfilling the mission of the church.
Lay Leadership and Nominations
NEXT MEETING: JULY 2026
The Nominations and Lay Leadership Committee is currently working on the selection of our new Finance Committee Chair and on our Ministry Fair coming up on August 9th. The Ministry Fair will provide an opportunity for prospective, new, and existing members of New Hope to find a tangible way to plug into a ministry beyond Sunday morning worship.