December 4 gathering notes

The group decided to keep trying Leslie Rodriguez but to plow ahead with plans for a Latin dance fund-raiser, possibly in late January.  Carrie, Claudia, Sandra, and possibly Ada will plan, starting with trying to recruit dance instructors.  The group talked about around $10 as a fee, with maybe half an hour of instruction twice and in between half an hour of free dancing.  Arranging a sound system/DJ will also be key, and then promotion, which everyone will be involved in.  The end of January is a target time, depending on instructors’ availability and the church calendar.

The list of possible people for the April Estoreño Presbytery women’s retreat visit has shrunken, which means – in the short run – less money may need to be raised.  Nevertheless, it remains important to raise funds in general, both for benevolence and future visits.  This is all the more so because of the church’s current financial situation.  Intended for a mix of partnership expenditures with Estoreño Presbytery and visits, through its budget the church allocated $4,000 to Guatemala mission in 2016.  With the current situation, that amount could be anywhere between nothing and $4,000.  There is about $1,200 left in Guatemala accounts, which has been consolidated to the account that can carry over to next year (so the money doesn’t disappear at midnight December 31).

Church money has paid for plane tickets for Ben Langley and Shannon Bostrom to fly to Guatemala for the Guatemala Mission Network gathering in late January 2017 and early February and also for registration for the gathering for those two and two Estoreño Presbytery representatives, probably Ramiro and Raul Contreras.  The Connection may ask Ben and Shannon, out of their own money, to give the presbytery reps on site some money to compensate them for their travel to and from the gathering.

The presbytery has received $1,500 sent by CHPC, via the personal bank account of the treasurer, Ramiro.  Ramiro sent a de facto receipt for the $250 going to presbytery’s Presbyterian Women’s organization, with a photo of two women receiving a check.  The presbytery also apparently decided to spend some of the remaining $1,250 on building improvements to many of the presbytery’s congregation’s building.  How much will be left for involvement of Estoreño Presbyterians in the theological education program for indigenous Presbyterian church leaders is unclear.  Ramiro has promised to send a detailed accounting of how the money is being spent.

Perry also reported that a regular Estoreño Presbytery Executive Committee meeting would take place on Monday, December 5.  Organization of the Q’eqchi’ Presbyterian synod apparently waits some sort of legal/organizational clearances from the national church.

A different fund-raising idea – on top of the Leslie Rodriguez concert and family film night – that was discussed was a night or two at El Tarasco Mexican restaurant in St. Matthews when the Guatemala partnership funds would receive a cut – maybe 10% - of sales for the night for people who came in saying they were coming to eat there partly to support the Crescent Guatemala partnership.  This would probably have to be on a slow night, would probably only apply to eat-in orders, and might or might not include the option of volunteering standing outside the entrance promoting it to unsuspecting non-CHPC folks.  Stephanie and Perry agreed to follow with El Tarasco.  Soni agreed to try to reach Leslie by phone.  Fund-raising via St. Joe’s parking cars will likely present itself also, but not until August 2017.

The group also discussed different possible communication vehicles.  Doug and Perry tend to communicate with folks in Guatemala via FB message.  Perry tends to communicate with CHPC folks via e-mail or sometimes FB message.  Sandra suggested we communicate via text, possibly using the group text app GroupMe.

Perry and Stephanie agreed to send Sandra phone numbers of Estoreño PW leaders to call about what time of day (morning, lunchtime, afternoon, or evening) the retreat/women’s assembly might start and might end, as well as to try to find out themselves by FB message.  Perry also agreed to check with the Welches about possibly accompanying the April visitors from Guatemala City and back via bus (with us paying all of their expenses, of course) and to check with Ramiro about possibly driving them.

The group prayed among other things for Doug’s health and for traveling mercies for Claudia.

In addition to the Latin dance subcommittee meeting between now and then, the group set as their next whole-group meeting – to which all are welcome – after worship on Martin Luther King’s Day weekend, Sunday, January 22, in the Gathering Room.

-Perry