Underwood Memorial Baptist Church

Ministry Council Meeting Highlights

These meeting highlights do not constitute official meeting minutes. Please get in touch with the church office to request copies of the meeting minutes.

September 2023

The Ministry Council met on September 20. We discussed strategies for growing the church, including greater fellowship, new ministry opportunities, and more regular recognition of the good work the church is doing. After discussion, the decision was made to put the development project on hold. In preparation for the 2024 budget process, the possibility of Pastor Jason moving to ¾ time was discussed, and that conversation is ongoing. Several building and maintenance needs were discussed, and some were approved.

August 2023

The Ministry Council met on August 17 and spoke honestly about the recent church departures and concerns about the redevelopment project. These conversations are ongoing. In addition, we discussed the need for a volunteer for the Pastoral Relations Committee to work with pastor Jason. We will begin the budget process when we meet in September.

July 2023

The Ministry Council held an enthusiastic meeting on Wednesday, July 19. We welcomed new members Pam and Mark Weisser. We talked about the great things happening at church and discussed strategies for growth. We talked about plans for mission moments and new fellowship opportunities. Decisions were made to purchase a new office copier and transfer funds from the endowment fund to cover cash flow.

June 2023

The Ministry Council hosted a congregational meeting on June 11. A small change to the bylaws was made to clarify that ordained, non-paid congregation members could serve as moderator. The following positions were approved unanimously: Rev. Stephen Hawkins as Moderator, Pam Weisser as Outreach/Missions, and Rev. Mark Weisser as PRC. The congregation received a report from the Oikos team and voted unanimously to move forward with the next steps on the proposal. The Ministry Council did not meet in June.

May 2023

The Ministry Council made plans for the congregational meeting after service on Sunday, June 11, where they will look to add some new members into open positions. The positions being sought are Staff, Missions, Worship & Outreach. Steve Weber is planning to host a chess night in Fellowship Hall weekly throughout the summer for area youth. The men’s group at FBC West Allis is planning a tailgate party in the Underwood parking lot before the Brewers game on Thursday, August 3.

March 2023

Pastor Jason shared the good news of six new people officially joining the church in the coming weeks. Eric Olsen shared some building issues, including adding a new power line to the kitchen and entering a new, more affordable contract for elevator maintenance. Pastor Jason shared about the community festival happening at Underwood on April 22.

February 2023

The Ministry Council was joined by Carol Weber who is volunteering to help create and execute a communication strategy for the church. Carol will be joining the MC as a non-voting member moving forward. The MC empowered Pastor Jason and the staff to negotiate and schedule future building rental contracts.

January 2023

The Ministry Council approved a budget for 2023 to be voted on by the congregation. Two Chefs will purchase and install more refrigeration and freezer equipment. Their rent will be increased $25/month to cover the increased utility cost.