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REFORMATION LUTHERAN CHURCH, MEDIA, PA12016 ANNUAL REPORTS
TABLE OF CONTENTSAgenda .3Listing of Council Members .4Minutes of the Annual Meeting on January 25, 2016 . 5Congregational Statistics and Pastoral Acts .8Reports of StaffPastor Wayne Matthias-Long . 10Pastor Alina Gayeuski .11Director of Music .11Parish Nurse . 12Report of the President .12Ministry ReportsCommunity Action .13Ecology . 14Education . 14Financial Management .17Hospitality . 18Marketing and Growth .18Property . 19Worship and Music .19David Leibig Memorial Fund . 19Youth . 20Other ReportsEndowment Fund .21O.W.L.s . 22Nursery School . 22Stay & Play . 24Boy Scout Troop 430 .25Action Related to Mission Investment Fund Mortgage,Always in Mission Campaign, Building Fund, andWilliam & Beatrice Moser Bequests .26REFORMATION LUTHERAN CHURCH, MEDIA, PA22016 ANNUAL REPORTS
Reformation Evangelical Lutheran Church102 W. Rose Tree Rd., Media, PennsylvaniaANNUAL CONGREGATION MEETINGJANUARY 29, 201712:30 P.M.AGENDA1. Call to Order and Confirmation of Quorum2. Opening Prayer3. Approval of Minutes of January 31, 2016, Annual Meeting4. Ministry Review and Opportunities5. Update on Always in Mission campaign, Mortgage, Building Fundand Moser Bequest6. Report of the Treasurer7. Endowment Fund Review8. New BusinessAdoption of 2017 BudgetElection of Council MembersElection of Nominating Committee Members9. Prayer and AdjournmentREFORMATION LUTHERAN CHURCH, MEDIA, PA32016 ANNUAL REPORTS
Reformation Evangelical Lutheran Church102 W. Rose Tree Rd., Media, Pennsylvania2016 - 2017 OFFICERS OF THE CONGREGATIONPresident . Dick HugheyVice President .Kate FernandezSecretary . Andrew MarcusTreasurer . Tom Conroy2016 - 2017 CONGREGATION COUNCILMember. Term expires at the end of May ofAlexis Bingeman† . 2017Ron Bingeman* . 2017John Chesters . 2017Matthew Gane† . 2017Andrew Marcus . 2017Emily Black . 2017Keith Bocian* . 2018Karen Chorney* . 2018Kate Fernandez . 2018Richard Hughey a . 2018Marian Filtz* . 2019Kristin Gress* . 2019Uli Neubert . 2019Walter Woerheide . 2019Pastor Wayne A. Matthias-Long . ex officioPastor Alina S. Gayeuski . ex officio* currently serving second full three-year term† currently serving second 1-year term (youth)ª appointed to fill unexpired term by Council on 3/8/16REFORMATION LUTHERAN CHURCH, MEDIA, PA42016 ANNUAL REPORTS
Reformation Evangelical Lutheran Church102 W. Rose Tree Rd., Media, PennsylvaniaM INUTESAnnual Congregational MeetingJanuary 31, 2016At 12:45 pm President Marian Filtz called the meeting to order and declared a quorum. She thanked theHospitality Ministry for the excellent lunch they provided. Pastor Alina opened the meeting with prayer.A motion was made and seconded to accept the minutes of the January 25, 2015, Annual Meetingminutes. The minutes were amended to note that the 2015 budget included an 11,000 challengeto the congregation. The minutes were accepted as amended.Pastor Alina Gayeuski and Pastor Wayne Matthias-Long highlighted their written reports. They made noteof the upcoming 6 word Lent devotional that the church would be putting together and invited all members toparticipate. They also made a general invitation for congregational members to update their contact informationand email addresses with the church office to facilitate the electronic communications of the church.President Marian Filtz presented all the other reports included in our annual report booklets by having each tablecreate a 6 word summary theme of an assigned ministry which they shared orally with the group. Following theMinistry summaries she presented the staff with the Christmas gifts given by the congregation.John Chesters gave a brief invitation to all members to participate in Interfaith Initiatives that will be formingin the upcoming year, particularly those offered in conjunction with the Interfaith Center.The Mission Campaign was highlighted by President Marian Filtz. She noted that “Where one stands dependson where one sits.” The Always in Mission (AIM) results were something to take joy in as the message to“prayerfully consider” different aspects of the mission resonated strongly throughout both the AIM campaignand the annual Stewardship Campaign. It was noted that we met our promised synod benevolence contributionas well as made up for a previously missed year .John Pritchard, chair of the Financial Management Ministry, summarized our current mortgage status. Hestated that the mortgage is currently around 865,000 and that our current building fund is around 380,000. Henoted that the financial management ministry will be considering several options on how to address the church’smortgage in 2016. Some options being considered include: Holding the course and continuing to pay the mortgage according to our current schedule. Refinancing the current mortgage to lower the interest rates. Pay down the principal of the mortgage.He noted that there are other possibilities being explored as well including variations and combinations of eachof these three stated options. The Financial Management Ministry will present recommendations to the churchcouncil when they have concluded their explorations.Treasurer’s ReportTom Conroy highlighted his report and the 2015 finances. The year ended with our contributions having a 5,830 surplus and our expenses being 17,776 underbudget. He noted that after adjustments were made for surplus treatments, 14,308 was transferred into asurplus/deficit account to be used at a later time. He noted that our Building Fund ended the year with a total of 339,926.11 in the final reserve. Thisdemonstrated the congregation’s commitment to the church and to meeting the challenge that was a partof the 2015 budget.REFORMATION LUTHERAN CHURCH, MEDIA, PA52016 ANNUAL REPORTS
He also made point to highlight the list of the Holiday Offering Fund recipients from 2015 whichhighlighted Reformation’s unquantifiable generosity of spirit.A motion was made and seconded to accept the Treasurer’s report. The motion carried.Stewardship Campaign & Always In Mission (AIM) CampaignTom Conroy highlighted the results of both campaigns and how they impacted the proposed 2016 Budget. The Stewardship Campaign showed a 6% increase in pledged giving from 2015 to 2016. The 2016 Budget has now reached a record mark of over 600,000 for the first time in Reformationshistory ( 609, 755). AIM campaign currently has 379,312 pledged over a 3 year period. 32,242 was budgeted for 2 new partial year positions that may be created during 2016 including:o Director of Faith & Life Connectionso CustodianA motion was made and seconded to adopt the 2016 Budget as recommended by Council. Themotion carried.Old Business: NoneNew Business:Report of the Nominating Committee as presented by the nominating committee chair Bill Grauer Eric Lucas and Kathy Schmick will be ending their terms on May 31, 2016. Both were offered thanksfor their service. 6 total positions to fill on Council.o 4 positions are being filled by current council members renewing their terms including: AlexisBingeman, Matt Gane, Marian Filtz, and Kristin Gresso 2 positions are being filled by new council members including: Uli Neubert and WaltWoerheideA motion was made and seconded to close the nominations for Council. The motion carried.Election by unanimous consent. The 4 members of the 2016 Nominating committee presented include: Katie Cotter, Eric Lucas, ConnieRichardson, and Rhonda Mirarchi.A motion was made and seconded to close the nominations for the Nominating Committee. Themotion carried. Election by unanimous consent.A motion was made and seconded to add John Pritchard to the Endowment Committee. Themotion carried.A motion was made and seconded to adjourn the meeting. The motion carried.Pastor Wayne closed the meeting with prayer.Respectfully submitted,Keith BocianSecretaryREFORMATION LUTHERAN CHURCH, MEDIA, PA62016 ANNUAL REPORTS
M INUTESSpecial Congregational MeetingJanuary 1, 2017A. President Dick Hughey called the meeting to order and pronounced a quorum in attendance of greater than35 voting members of the congregation. A voting member, as defined by the by-laws, is a confirmedmember of the church who has received communion and made a contribution of record in the current orprevious year.B. Dick presented the tellers: Deb Felton, Gary Kamin, Les Bryant, John Pritchard, Dave Helms, and JohnBerberich. The tellers are responsible for distributing, collecting, and counting the ballots for the resolution.C. Dick presented Pastor Arden Krych as the deputy appointed by the synod. Pastor Krych spoke for a fewminutes about his fond memories of his time at Reformation as bridge pastor and his amazement at thestrong attendance for a special meeting on New Year’s Day.D. Dick then presented the following resolution: RESOLVED, that Reformation Evangelical Lutheran Church,Media, PA, call Deacon Beth Ann Barkhau as part-time Director of Faith Engagement for a three-year termeffective January 15, 2017.E. Dick discussed the background to the position; he recounted the plans for an Outreach Coordinator and aConnections Coordinator from the Always in Mission Campaign. Parts of these positions along with theDirector of Lay Ministry position, were combined into the job description for the Director of FaithEngagement.F. He highlighted Deacon Beth’s strong credentials in a variety of different areas, making her more thanqualified for the position. Her interest in the position presented a unique opportunity for Reformation.G. Because Deacon Beth is a Minister of Word and Service in the ELCA (formerly a Rostered Lay Leader), aCall Committee needed to be formed. This committee consisted of Dick, Kate Fernandez (Council VicePresident), Andrew Marcus (Council Secretary), Tom Conroy (Treasurer), and Pastors Wayne and Alina.The committee recommended Deacon Beth to Council, who approved the committee’s recommendation.The congregation would now need to approve the call by a 2/3 majority.H. Tom Conroy discussed the financials surrounding Deacon Beth’s call. He noted that we were in our thirdconsecutive year of a budget surplus (partly due to staff openings that had not been filled, but partly due toincreased giving from the congregation). Tom noted that he would endorse Deacon Beth’s call even if weweren’t in such a good financial position, but because we are, he endorsed her in the strongest possibleterms.I.No questions were asked during the Q & A portion of the meeting.J. Ballots were distributed and collected. The final tally, of 89 votes cast, was 82 yes, 3 no, and 4 abstentions,easily clearing the 2/3 majority required for approval. Deacon Beth accepted the results of the vote.K. Pastor Wayne thanked the congregation for their time and their support.L. Pastor Krych delivered a prayer to close the meeting.M. Dick Hughey entertained a motion to adjourn the meeting. The motion was seconded and passed.Respectfully submitted,Andrew MarcusSecretaryREFORMATION LUTHERAN CHURCH, MEDIA, PA72016 ANNUAL REPORTS
CONGREGATIONAL STATISTICS & PASTORAL ACTSMEMBERSHIP 2011-2016BaptizedConfirmedVoting MembersAverage Sunday Worship AttendanceMembers ion of FaithOtherMembers 84600200610434110094105BAPTISMSMay 15, 2016May 15, 2016May 15, 2016July 31, 2016August 28, 2016Shae Lynn HoranTate Martin HoranMichael David Horan, Jr.Torbjorn Hans SchererBryson Alan LesserDEATHSJanuary 18, 2016January 21, 2016February 13, 2016February 14, 2016March 5, 2016June 5, 2016August 17, 2016November 12, 2016The Rev. Edward TreichelAnn SpielmanNeil GilmourJohn O’BrienSonia FantauFlorence BrooksBill BiancoThe Rev. Daniel ShookReformation also ministered to families by providing funeral services for non-members:April 10, 2016 Carol AntalOctober 29, 2016 Millie GamlinREFORMATION LUTHERAN CHURCH, MEDIA, PA82016 ANNUAL REPORTS
Reformation also ministered to families by providing funeral services for Elwyn residents:February 20, 2016 Karlene DonahueApril 26, 2016 Edward BurrJune 8, 2016 Shirley TalleyAugust 16, 2016 Joann FeysaSeptember 7, 2016 Kevin SmithOctober 4, 2016 Leonard KodanDecember 6, 2016 Carol StehleyRECEIVED INTO MEMBERSHIPDecember 18, 2016 Jamie Anderson and Joseph Smith, Jr. (and children Adelaide and Anderson)Terrie Lynn BryanElizabeth and Scott Kilpatrick (and children Hudson and Piper)Judy WhalenCONFIRMATIONOctober 23, 2016 Olivia Rose BiordiLindsay Ann GamlinMiranda Grace PolitoJoseph Timothy ReitanoWilliam Hall SkarbekJohn Patrick WaltersFIRST COMMUNIONMarch 20, 2016 Abigail Rose CiarmellaKatelyn Grace SnyderScott Donald SnyderLuke Thomas MerinoAnderson Joseph SmithMarch 27, 2016 Kaylee Lillian TroutmanREFORMATION LUTHERAN CHURCH, MEDIA, PA92016 ANNUAL REPORTS
she continues to serve with excellence. Parish NursePat Woerheide, Director of Music Valerie Rozek,and Children’s Choir Director Liz Hazlett continueto provide outstanding service and ministry. Wordsare inadequate to express the deep appreciation andgratitude I feel for the privilege of serving inpartnership with Pastor Alina Gayeuski whoseministry is a tremendous blessing to us all.REPORT OFPASTOR WAYNE MATTHIAS-LONG“And this shall be a SIGN to you . . .” the angelsaid to the shepherds, announcing the good news ofthe birth of Jesus the Messiah. (Luke 2:12)SIGNS of GOOD NEWS – that’s you! Members ofReformation are individually and collectively signsof the good news of God’s love for this world inJesus Christ as we Invite our Neighbors, Serve AllPeople, and Build a Living Faith.We bid farewell and godspeed to Bill Lafty inSeptember with gratitude for his ministry among us.As 2016 drew to a close and 2017 dawned werejoiced that our staff team has been brought to fullstrength with the hiring of Erik Flaten as Director ofMusic for the late service and the calling of DeaconBeth Barkhau as Director of Faith Engagement.Perhaps the most prominent sign among us in 2016 isthe long-anticipated new church sign which wasinstalled at the intersection of Rose Tree Road andProvidence Road. That sign will help us share goodnews with the world around us. Our heartfelt thanks goto Warren and the late Jean Given for their generouscontribution which made possible the sign as well asRon Bingeman and Dick Hughey whose steadfastefforts made it possible to accomplish this project.This staff team, together with the outstanding leadership team, the mighty mass of volunteers, and thewhole company of the congregation, make it possiblefor Reformation to be a powerful sign and force forGod’s work of healing and hope in this world.I am grateful for the outstanding leadershipprovided by Marian Filtz, whose term as presidentconcluded in May, and for that of Dick Hughey,whose term as president began in June. OurTreasurer Tom Conroy continues to work tirelesslyto assure that our finances are in good order.The signs of God’s Good News among us are fartoo numerous to discuss in detail here. You willfind many of them described in the reports of theMinistry Teams which follow.But I would be remiss if I did not mention theoverwhelming generosity of this congregation whichis certainly one of the signs of good news among us.Reformation members share abundantly their Godgiven gifts of time, talent, and treasure. I give thanksto God constantly for the powerful witness of yourgenerosity which is shown in so many ways as westrive to serve all people. As our stewardship themereminded us, God is always faithful and, by the graceof God, we seek to respond to God’s faithfulness bybeing always faithful.Reformation received a very significant bequestfrom 1517 Society members William and BeatriceMoser in the amount of nearly 866,000. Thistransformational gift along with the generoussupport of the Always in Mission Campaign makesit possible for Reformation to move forward withstrength and vigor as a sign of God’s love for thisworld. Thanks be to God for the powerful witnessof this gift!October 31, 2017, will be the 500th Anniversary ofthe Reformation which began when Martin Luthernailed 95 Theses on the church door in Wittenberg,Germany. There will be many opportunities toreflect on, commemorate, and learn from thatseminal event in the history of the ChristianChurch. This is an occasion both to look back andto look forward as the logo “Reformation 500 ”suggests. The legacy we haveinherited from those who camebefore us helps sustain us as weface the challenges and opportunities of our day tobe Always Reforming and Always Faithful.One of the many signs of good news among us isour partnership with the Pangani Lutheran Parish.In August Jennifer Breen, John Chesters, andConnie Richardson travelled to visit the NortheastDiocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church inTanzania and our partners in the Pangani LutheranParish. Their eyewitness testimony to us upon theirreturn was inspiring and informative. We thankthem for being such outstanding ambassadors.It is a joy and a blessing for me to be part of theoutstanding staff team at Reformation. Anna Guyjoined the staff in January 2016 as AdministrativeAssistant for Communications and has served verywell in that position. Christine Corson,Administrative Assistant for Finance, celebrated herfirst anniversary of employment here in July andREFORMATION LUTHERAN CHURCH, MEDIA, PAYours in Christ,Pastor Wayne Matthias-Long102016 ANNUAL REPORTS
REPORT OF PASTOR ALINA GAYEUSKI Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God,serve one another with whatever gift each of youhas received. Whoever speaks must do so as onespeaking the very words of God; whoever servesmust do so with the strength that God supplies, sothat God may be glorified in all things throughJesus Christ. To him belong the glory and thepower forever and ever. Amen– 1 Peter 4:10-11And between all of these things, meals were served,clothes were collected, lessons were taught, hopewas shared, lives were blessed, and in all thingsGod was praised. What a joyous year we shared!And there is certainly much excitement to seewhere God will lead us next!At Reformation, 2016 was another year filled withincredible opportunities to see God at work in thisplace and through all of us here. Our mission toinvite, serve, and build has been evident in so manyways throughout these past twelve months and itamazing to look back over this time and catchglimpses of the wonder of God at work even now.On a personal note, I want to thank you all again forsharing in my joy this past year. You surroundedDan and me with much love and light as wecelebrated our marriage. Your well-wishes, gifts,and recipes are most certainly things that we willcherish as we give thanks to God for being able toshare this part of our life together with all of you.Here are just a few some of the places where I sawthat: Our year started with our Sermon on the Stepsfeaturing a special Epiphany Bingo! game. During Lent the artwork of John AugustSwanson led us on a journey to the cross andthe empty tomb. After Easter, we collected 113 care kits and 8backpacks that were distributed to the homelessin Philadelphia through the synod’s HelpingHands Day. Our Vacation Bible School students completed240 water bottle care kits that were distributedto the people served at the Life Center in UpperDarby. Once again our Appalachia Service Project(ASP) team worked to make much neededrepairs on two homes in Bland County, VA. Our Eco Ministry team completed our butterflywaystation with a bird bath given and dedicatedin memory of Bill Bianco. In celebration of St. Francis’ love for God’screatures, we had a Blessing of the Animalsservice and were surrounded by a chorus offurry friends as we gave thanks to God for thecompanionship of these animals. In the fall six of our young members affirmedthe promises made at their baptisms and sharedwith us a profound message about living livesin faithful response to God’s beautiful gift offorgiveness. After Thanksgiving our new sign was installedat the corner of our property and is truly shininga light in this world.Blessings!Pastor Alina GayeuskiREFORMATION LUTHERAN CHURCH, MEDIA, PABishop Nicholas’ visit once again filled thechancel, overflowing with gifts for severalorganizations throughout our area that work toserve those in need.REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF MUSICThe end of 2016 marks my second full year asDirector of Music for the traditional service atReformation. My primary responsibilities areleading rehearsals for and directing the Chancelchoir as well as playing the organ or piano for the8:30 Sunday morning service and any other specialservices at Reformation. The Chancel Choir ismade up this year of 8 choir members and 3 ChoralScholars from West Chester University. TheScholars are Jared Stufft, Sara Munson, and ZoeJones. This is their first year with the Chancelchoir. I was unable to recruit a tenor so that will bea priority in 2017. Scholars are again a welcomedaddition to the choir and available for solo work atspecial services, especially during Lent. This year,we are fortunate to have a flute soloist, SaraMunson. A new search effort will begin shortly ifthe current Scholars do not wish to continue foranother year. Recruiting choir members from thecongregation is also a priority.Another successful Patriotic Concert was hosted atReformation on June 28, 2016. Many members ofReformation and volunteers from the Mediacommunity participated in a combined choir, undermy direction, that performed patriotic choralanthems during the event. Joe Smith and hisDixieland band also entertained everyone withfavorite selections and his signature enthusiasm.112016 ANNUAL REPORTS
Planning will begin soon for the 2017 PatrioticConcert. My other responsibilities are maintenance of theorgan and pianos in the sanctuary and choir room.There are no known issues with any of theinstruments at this time. The choral library is keptin good order and music is purchased to keepcurrent with what is new in traditional churchmusic. I am available for weddings and funeralsand supplied music for both during the past year. Ihave worked closely with both Pastors during theyear and maintain a very good relationship witheach of them. I feel fortunate to have such goodpastoral leadership. Thank you for the opportunity to be your organistand choir director for the 8:30 service. It is a joyfor me to use my talents to lead the congregation aswe praise the Lord through music. Soli Deo GloriaValerie Rozek REPORT OF THE PARISH NURSEI am honored to continue to serve ReformationEvangelical Lutheran Church in the Parish NurseMinistry. While reflecting on 2016, I rememberedthe words of Paul in 1 Corinthians, Chapter 12where he states there is one body of the church butmany parts. In Verse 28 he states ”God appointedthose having gifts of healing, those able to helpothers” and in verse 26”If one part suffers, everypart suffers with it” I am humbled to have God andthe Membership use me and all of you to lightenthe suffering of our church members. As a Certified Faith Community Nurse and aRegistered Nurse, I serve our membership with thetools of health assessment, education and advocacy.These tools promote the recognition of the healinggrace available to everyone through Jesus Christ.This healing grace enters our bodies and our souls,and helps us as mortal human beings walk throughlife. This ministry would be impossible without thegenerous support of the Pastors and congregation.I am very grateful for this wonderful work providedby church members to our members andcommunity. Thank you everyone, for your time,effort and support of the Parish Nurse ministry asbakers, drivers, crafters, and visitors.Respectfully submitted,Patricia Woerheide RN, BSN, FCNI thank God and you as members of thiscongregation for support and volunteer work so thatwe could accomplish these healing activities: REPORT OF THE PRESIDENTI am proud to be a member of ReformationLutheran Church. The reports contained in this2016 summary provide an excellent review of whatwas made possible this year with the support of somany. To be involved with an organization that isHome and hospital visiting was provided asneeded.Phone advocacy was provided as needed.REFORMATION LUTHERAN CHURCH, MEDIA, PAEmergency care during church activities wasprovided with the help of members trained inCPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation).Maintenance of AED’s (automated electronicdefibrillator) and education in the use of themwas provided.Newsletter articles on health topics wereprovided monthlyEmergency transportation was provided withthe use of member volunteers.Meal preparation in crisis situations wasprovided whenever needed.Communion was faithfully delivered tohomebound members monthly.Friendly visiting was provided to homebound.Individual Prayer was provided monthly in eachservice.Eighty-four Prayer shawls were made byvolunteers, 112 were delivered to members togive comfort in illness, bereavement, and joy innew births and marriage. This includes 20shawls given to members of Second TimeAround Grandparents at Thanksgiving.Soft warm hats were knitted or crocheted byvolunteers for chemotherapy patients at ChesterCozier Hospital, and hats and scarves weremade for the homeless in shelters.Two blood drives were hosted by RELC,resulting in the collection of 47 blood donationswith the direction and support of Kirk Simmet.Christmas Caroling was provided byenthusiastic volunteers to the homeboundmembers. Cookie packages and ChristmasCards were given out to these members. Thesewere provided by our church school studentsand the generous bakers through the JeanRoberts Cookie Drive.122016 ANNUAL REPORTS
committed to truly living its mission statement isinspiring. The outreach that was accomplished thisyear is a result of your willingness to give, to sharea talent, to follow a passion. What we have done asa faith community cannot be duplicated by anindividual acting alone.families, and the elderly who are served by variousorganizations: Silver Springs/Martin LutherSchool, Chester Eastside Ministries, Aid ForFriends, Chester County Migrant Ministries, andLutheran Settlement House. This year’s responsewas again overwhelming. Thanks to all whodonated and/or helped with the distribution of thegifts to the agencies. An excerpt from the thankyou letter from the Lutheran Settlement House: “ your congregants have made a direct impact on thelife of moms and families at Jane Addams Place.”All that you do helps others who need help somuch. Thanks.We are witnessing the dreams of our “Always inMission” c
May 15, 2016 Shae Lynn Horan May 15, 2016 Tate Martin Horan May 15, 2016 Michael David Horan, Jr. July 31, 2016 Torbjorn Hans Scherer August 28, 2016 Bryson Alan Lesser DEATHS January 18, 2016 The Rev. Edward Treichel January 21, 2016 Ann Spielman February 13, 2016 Neil Gilmour February 14, 2016 John O'Brien March 5, 2016 Sonia Fantau
