Afternoon Reports

From Committee Chairs -

* Growth - Mark Jurewicz
~devotional literature editors - Lenten and Advent Devotional literature written by our own members
~brochures - ways to enhance worship, planting churches, analyze church's growth, technology
~youth - task team members needed; Sunday school material / VBS
~stewardship services - gathering materials about giving, will planning, planned giving - help needed

* Mission & Outreach - Laura Hamby
~thanks for generosity - in spite of economic situation, more giving this year than years past
~ways to be involved in missions - task teams; learn more from the Missionary Society; QR codes available that take you directly to mission info; make care packages during Annual Meeting
~last and best thing - we have great missions, with lots of variety; our missionaries aren't just people doing a work, they're our friends!

* Vitality - Barbara Erlendson
~Barbara introduces the concept of vitality using musical terms
~help churches refresh and renew themselves with various ministries
~help ministers refresh themselves through the Minister's Convocation
~our goal - to be there for whatever our churches need

* The Congregationalist Magazine
~Larry Sommers, editor, will be retiring next year
~magazine is doing well, but more revenue is needed (magazine is as $ efficient as possible)
~confident that a careful search process for a great editor will happen
~significant improvements - 40 pages (from 32); larger type, looser layouts; redesigned subscription request sheet (the "tip-on") - even clearer to explain that the magazine is not free to produce
~magazine is asking for design suggestions from attendees at the Annual Meeting
~3 possible redesigns for the magazine - stop by and let them know what you think about the format

* Congregational Foundation - Carolyn Sundquist
~the purpose of the CF is to raise money to support the programs of the NACCC
~2013 results: over $500,000 was contributed through 11 different funds
~value of the investments as of 31 March 2014: $3.4 million
~2 funds that directly support local churches: the John Richard fund, for artistic expression; and the Providence Fund, which helps small churches attend the Annual Meeting (5 churches sent this year)
~Fund Development Corporation gave a comprehensive report on the NACCC & Foundation that helped us see our strengths and weaknesses in fund-raising
~As a result of the report, they will fill the Director of Development and Communications position, paid for out of Foundation funds