Christian Ed – Sunday School started 10/9 – 4-5 kids in attendance.  

Personnel Committee – The Personnel committee met and will review the 2023 salary recommendations at the next council meeting.  

Worship and Music Committee – The Worship and Music Committee met on Monday November 14th. To be discussed at Council but it was agreed that we continue with one Service at 10:00 AM for the foreseeable future. We will plan to decorate the trees and the Sanctuary on the Sunday the 27th immediately following service. Envelopes will be available to order Poinsettias at a cost of $15.00 each. We will check to make sure we have candles for the Advent Wreath and for both services on Christmas Eve. We discussed Ushers and Communion and Altar Guild will provide a member to serve as Communion Assistant. The next meeting is on 12-12-2022 @ 10:30 AM.

Finance – October donations were fair. The $15,147 total is the fifth lowest October in the last ten years, trailing an outstanding 2021 ($23,223) by $8,076 and a very good 2020 ($20,441) by $5,295. October expenses ($18,532) were higher than 2021 by $1,526 and higher than 2020 by $1,699. October operations generated a $3,385 deficit. The year-to-date deficit increased to $46,879 the highest at the end of ten months not only in the last ten years, but in the last 20 years by more than $16,500. At the end of ten months, 83.33% of the year, 80.5% of the budget was spent. Most categories that exceeded 80.5% were highly seasonal. As in prior years the percent expended is several percent lower than the completed portion of the year. Donations through October recorded in Shepherd's Staff agree in total and by fund with the financial records. No pass-through funds are overdrawn. Seven on-line donations totaling $863 were received by the last counters report date (10/31/22). There were no Thrivent donations (YTD there have been 3 Thrivent donations totaling $222). The balance sheet remains strong. There is no long-term debt. Total assets have decreased by $47,131 since 12/31/21. The decrease is due to the operational deficit and resurfacing the parking lot. It should be noted that the exceptional deficit stems from reduced donations. Compared to October of 2014 with a slightly lower year-to-date expense, donations are nearly $20,000 less and the deficit nearly $23,000 higher. Without phenomenal donations during the next six weeks, Lord of Life will end 2022 with a substantial operational deficit.  

Property – The new water cooler has been received and is in storage. Work will begin in November with the removal of the old water cooler. Stephens Plumbing and Heating completed the fall HVAC equipment check on November 3rd. During the check one of the Sanctuary thermostats failed and has been replaced. Repair of the rotted potions of the cross along 75th Street along with bringing the cross back into plumb has been completed. The gutters have been cleaned by Pastor Adam with the aid of a local individual as a community service project. Pastor Adam has completed a sample cleaning of the carpet and it looks to be practical to complete the cleaning ourselves saving approximately $1,500 over commercial cleaning. Pastor is arranging the cleaning with a local person as a community service project. Work on the audio/visual system in the Sanctuary continues. To date the new ethernet line from the office to the Sanctuary has been completed along with a power outlet at the new A/V desk location at the north side of the Sanctuary. Remaining work includes moving the A/V desk to its new location and running the camera feeds to the desk. When completed we will have cameras located in the northeast and southeast corners of the Sanctuary.

Children and Hunger –The committee had their first meeting on November 13th after 10:00 service. It was led by Committee Chairpersons Bob &Ellsy Eggert. We agreed this year to have eight bins instead of twelve as we have done in the past for the Mt Carmel Christmas Turkey Dinner drive for local families in need. Bob & Ellsy will be providing the bins. We will have a list of food needed for the dinners and will be passing the list around at service starting Sunday, Nov 27th thru Sunday, December 11th then on Saturday, December 17th at 9:30 we will all meet in the West Room to assemble the bins and get them prepared for delivery to Mt Carmel that afternoon. Volunteers will be needed on Saturday, December 17th to help assemble the bins, we will have a signup sheet in the Narthex.