Attendees: Doug Jehl, Lisa Alexander, Jessica Petersen, Ann Tyson, Rick Alfonso, Stacey Fannon, Elizabeth Benton, Jane Stromseth

The February minutes were accepted. Move to accept minutes: Lisa Alexander; second by Doug Jehl

Old Business: None
   


Upcoming Events:

Upcoming Events:

●Spring Break mission trip: Jessica was able to find a second chaperone. Six youth were planning to attend the trip.

●Easter Sunday: Stacey volunteered to lead the cookie decorating activity. Jessica and the youth planned to hide the eggs.

●Confirmation:Some questions/discussion around gifts for confirmands. Some proposed a study Bible. We discussed the idea of offering several Bibles to the confirmands and asking them to choose the one that they think they will value/use the most. At our next meeting we will discuss the confirmation ceremony. We would like to include pictures/brief bio of the confirmands in the bulletin. We would like to host a confirmation dinner event Saturday, May 10. Jessica agreed to send out an email regarding the dinner.

●Earth Day:The Green Committee is planning to host the Earth Day events April 20 or 27. They are planning/hoping to get WUCC considered wildlife grounds/habitat certification. This will also be bike to church day. Lisa Alexander offered to provide lesson plans to teachers to incorporate Earth Day into the church school sessions.

●Teacher Recognition: We discussed combining teacher recognition and youth Sunday June 8.

New Business:

We have been asked to brainstorm some ways that we as BCE can support the church-wide initiative to increase/bolster membership. We listed some possible ideas:

●Moving rooms/making space for classrooms—this could help visitors get a “good impression” of our church school program.

●Possibly opening Carpenter’s House for older children.

●Offer/draft an informative brochure about our church mission and beliefs (One already exists, but we could modify it specifically for school related information). We could include various classes that take place at WUCC.

●The Resource Person could work with visitors/greet visitors and help them feel welcome

●Give teachers guidelines/helpful instruction on how to greet visitors in a way that is very welcoming/informative. Perhaps assign one teacher per class to be the “greeter.” This greeter could then work with Janet Moyer to get/keep record of names for a follow up conversation.

●Consider bringing children and families together through service projects as a way of helping the community and allowing families to work together and build relationships.

●Work on the website to attract new members.

●See if the Westmoreland Children’s Center will allow us to post flyers downstairs when we have special events at church (or other means of communicating with the parents of school children)

●Offer a vacation Bible school/backyard Bible club during the summer

●Keep having picnics and other festivities outside on the church grounds to be visible by the community

●Offer adult Bible studies/regular meetings on a weekly basis

●Offer youth Bible studies to keep youth involved after confirmation

Continuing Business:

●Need church school teachers for the next sessions

●Children’s Church will be held April 6

Next Meeting:

●Study topics for the retreat