April 2013 Council Meeting Minutes

Minutes of the Regional Council of the Deanery of North Vancouver

Click through to see the minutes from the meeting on April 11, 2013.



Thursday, April 11, 2013
St. Clement’s Anglican Church

Chair:  Alison Watt
St. Agnes:  Kathy Campbell, Stephen Muir
St. Catherine:  Laurie Dye, Christine Rowe
St. Clement:  John Stowe, Lynne McNaughton
St. John:  Alison Brookfield
St. Martin:  Darlene Clarke
Gloria Dei:  Jim Berger, Bishop Gerhard Preibisch
NV Diocesan Council Representative:  TBD
Deanery Curate: Laurel Dykstra

1. Welcome/regrets: 

Regrets from Patrick Blaney and Sarah Tweedale. Alison Watt stated that Patrick Donahoe has taken a job on Vancouver Island. The Council wishes him well and thanks him for his service as the North Vancouver Diocesan Council Representative.

Bishop Gerhard was introduced as the interim minister at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church and warmly welcomed to the Regional Council; he inquired as to the role of the Lutheran members attending Regional Council. The Regional Council members consider the representatives from Gloria Dei as part of the Council with voice, but not vote.  The Terms of Reference will be reviewed to be inclusive of the Lutheran participation on the Council.

ACTION:  Alison Watt and Alison Brookfield will review the Terms of Reference and report back at the next meeting.

2.   Opening prayer – Lynne McNaughton

3. Agenda

M/S/C that the Agenda be approved as presented.

4.   Minutes

M/S/C that the Minutes of the March 14, 2013, meeting be adopted as circulated with the following amendments:

• The Meeting on September 12
• Item 5 (b) contribution from St. Catherine’s to Youth Ministry is $3,200.

5.   Business arising from minutes:

1. Email Groups:
Alison Watt reported that starting in April 2013, the approved minutes of the Regional Council will be posted on the North Vancouver Deanery blog.  Following on the discussion at the March Regional Council, Mike Nelson provided input on the issues of a second or private email list.


M/S/C that the existing email group for the Regional Council be amended to include only the current members of the Regional Council.

6.   Reports:  

1. Youth and Adult Ministry Working Group
Laurel Dykstra circulated a draft position description for a Regional Youth Ministry Coordinator (Part-time) and reviewed key points. The position description will be accompanied by a short portrait of the region and the current status of youth ministry. A small hiring team including Laurel will be struck to review and interview candidates. The Regional Council expressed its appreciation to the Working Group for preparation of this document.

The following items were suggested as feedback on the document:

• Someone with Human Resources experience in the region needs to review the job description and deliverables.
• Need for an evaluation form for lay workers, perhaps using resources from the Diocese of Olympia or Douglas Fenton at the Diocese.
• Include Lutheran participation in the program.
• Funding is in place for Phase 1 but we do not have funding commitments after December including Diocesan partnerships; therefore, structure the first four months as a contract and look at options for 2014, with the intention of moving to a salaried position.
• Funding commitments are only firm until the next vestry (February 2014).
• Need for clarification of the “Messy Church” program.
• Review and discuss funding with the Diocese for this new ministry.
• Mechanism for a donation to youth ministry – send to St. Catherine’s for the Deanery Account
• Timeline for hiring to be clarified.

M/S/C that Regional Council enthusiastically approves the job description as presented with feedback noted.

M/S/C that a group, headed by Lynn McNaughton and Laurel Dykstra, meets with representatives from the Diocese to discuss the best process of moving forward with funding.

ACTION:  By April 25

100 word description of youth and family ministry in their location.

2. Ministry Team 

Lynne McNaughton noted that the book study on A Fair Country by John Ralston Saul began on April 11 morning and evening session on preparing to be an active participant in General Synod.


The Spiritual Development Committee conducted a survey and results are being compiled.

On May 4 Training led by Laurel Dykstra and Lynne McNaughton. The information has already been  circulated in the Deanery for posting in church bulletins.

Planning is underway for the Joint Service (Deanery and Lutheran) to be held on May 26 at St. Catherine’s at 10:30 am.

For the Truth and Reconciliation Commission work, Laurel reported that she will be in each worshipping community in the region with representatives of the Indian Residential School Survival Society and other people active in reconciliation work.  They will participate in the liturgy and Sunday School, and show a film after the service. The program begins at the end of April and ends mid-June. A Walk for Reconciliation is being held on September 22

Upcoming meetings:

Ministry Team Day on May 16
Ministry Team Day on May 30

3. Neighbourhood Engagement Team

Lynne McNaughton presented the report on behalf of Patrick Blaney. The Neighbourhood Engagement Team is moving forward with collecting items for one year for the North Shore Youth Safe House as follows: St Agnes - body wash; St Clement - deodorant; St. Catherine = socks; St. John - toothpaste & toothbrushes and  St. Martin – shampoo.

ACTION: Patrick Blaney to engage the Lutheran churches in this project.

Stephen Muir reported on a District of North Vancouver meeting to which churches and schools were invited to hear about developing a policy for public assembly lands. Mayor Walton was in attendance and very supportive of the contribution of the 25 churches in the District. There is a limited amount of public assembly land and the District is interested in preserving it. They recognized that churches provide useful social benefits for the community. The District understands the needs of owners with aging building and the need for flexibility of use and partnerships going forward. Further details will be forthcoming.

4. Lynn Valley Working Group

Lynne McNaughton stated that the group met to brainstorm the needs in the Lynn Valley community. The group would like to invite regional representatives who live in Lynn Valley to join the working group.

ACTION:  Jim Berger to invite a representative of Mount Olivet Lutheran Church to the next Regional Council meeting.


5. Edgemont/Capilano Working Group

Jim Berger advised that Gloria Dei and St. Catherine’s representatives are meeting to discuss, explore and review options. There is an intention to include Highlands United in the discussion.

Laurie Dye advised that the purchaser of St. Clare in the Cove was The Bridge Church that was formerly located at Delbrook Baptist Church which is now up for sale.   A discussion of this property was referred to the Edgemont/Capilano Working Group for review.

6. Eco/Social Justice Working Group

a. Discussion about the statement of support for Idle No More was withdrawn pending further consideration of suggestions on wording revisions that had been submitted by St. John’s.

ACTION:  Alison Watt will forward the revised wording to the Social Justice Group for consideration and will bring the statement to the next Regional Council meeting.

b. Alison Watt presented a Statement of Support for the Social Housing Coalition.

M/S/C that Regional Council table the statement of support for the Social Housing Coalition until the next meeting to allow for more time for discussion.

c. Alison Watt presented a funding request from the Eco/Social Justice Group for a grant of $200-$500 from the Regional Council in order to carry out the business of this group (purchase books, print posters for events, contract for A/V equipment etc.)

ACTION: This item was postponed to the next Regional Council meeting as the end of the meeting time was drawing to a close.

7. New Business

Replacement of North Vancouver Diocesan Council Representative
Lynne McNaughton raised the issue of selection of a new North Vancouver Diocesan Council Representative as Patrick Donahoe has recently taken a job on Vancouver Island.  Discussion ensued on the process for the selection of a lay Deanery representative prior to Synod. The recommendation is to have a nomination form like the one used for the Regional Council chair process.

ACTION:  Alison Watt will ask Patrick Donahoe to provide a paragraph on the role for circulation in the Deanery. Clergy are to advise their respective Parish Councils that we are looking for a Deanery representative and that names are to be submitted for considerationat the next Regional Council meeting. Stephen Muir to provide a nomination form.

The meeting closed with prayer and adjourned at 9:15 pm

Next meeting - Thursday, May 9 at St. John’s, 220 West 8

Deadline for agenda items - Thursday, May 2

IMPORTANT DATES COMING UP – provide dates of events and meetings to Mike Nelson and Stephen Muir

May 4, 2013 – Sexual Misconduct Policy Training at St. Catherine’s 9 am to noon for all people working with vulnerable individuals - children, youth, elderly.  This includes all Church school teachers, Youth group leaders and volunteers, Pastoral care members etc.

May 26, 2013 – Deanery Worship at St. Catherine’s at 10:30 am

September 17-22 - Truth and Reconciliation sessions

September 22 – Walk for Reconciliation

October 19, 2013 - Regional Session on Discerning Gifts