1-24-2012

Dear Friends,

Yesterday I posted an update and a plea concerning the urgent situation at Community Presbyterian Church. I spoke with DOZENS of people during the day, on the phone, via text message, via email, Facebook, Twitter and Google+.

That’s the beauty of social media.

It seems that I answered virtually the same questions over and over, and it solidified the fact that there is SO MUCH MISINFORMATION out there. Let me address a few questions:

I was told the Youth Budget isn’t being CUT, it’s being REORGANIZED – is that true? 

The budget eliminates the full-time Youth Director position whose salary comes from our General Fund, and leaves in place special Youth Fund. I have not been able to determine what that fund will be for, who will use it, how much is in there, or any other information regarding it. (update: It’s $10,000, which has essentially been spent on salary, severance, insurance and unemployment for the former youth director)

Let’s, however, not mince words. If there isn’t a Youth Director there when a kid needs them, then the program has been cut.

If you look into the Youth Room at 12:30pm on Sunday on your way to lunch and see 4 kids and assume the program doesn’t need a full-time Director, then you have no idea where ministry takes place. I would invite you back when there are 25 kids talking about their friend that just overdosed and died. Join the conversations on Facebook when the kids are about to pop a hydrocodone, and they stop and talk to Ken instead. Hang out at any of the “party-alternative” events we have. Ministry is a way of life. It chose Ken. Believe me, I would much rather have him back on his career path as the Vice President of Redbox or Netflix and our airline miles and retirement account growing each month.

The Youth Program was meant to be self-sustaining. Didn’t you raise enough money to keep the program?

NO AMOUNT OF FUNDRAISING IMPACTS THE SALARY. The salary comes from the General Fund – not the special fund. In fact, no special giving can impact the salary of the Youth Director, which comes from the General Fund.  So if you write “YOUTH” on your check it does not help the situation we’re in now. Does that surprise you? Me too. This means that no amount of effort on our part could have saved the salary of the Youth Director. HOWEVER, Session has the power to change the budget so that the Youth Director is PAID FROM THE SPECIAL FUND, which means it would work the way we all thought it worked in the first place.

Why are we only hearing about this now?

Good question. A very good question. We heard about it a few days before Ken’s mom passed away on January 5th. Before that, not a single word from the Finance Committee, or the Session that there was an issue. It’s a serious deficit,  why only find out when Session believes it is too late to do anything else?

Geez, you talk a lot on Facebook. Is that the right place to say all this?

First, let me say, I’m a social media consultant and director of technology and marketing by trade. My mom tells her friends I get paid to be on Facebook. That’s not inaccurate, actually – a little simplified, of course – but accurate. I get paid to tell people how to leverage conversations happening in a new and scary place – online. I’ve written books, whitepapers, blogs and articles on social media. I’ve presented around the world at conferences. I work with Fortune 50 corporations, small companies, non-profits, political candidates, newspapers and other businesses every day to teach them how to have conversations online through Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, Google+ and hundreds of other mediums. The telephone was a scary thing too, at some point.

Second, I’m not complaining in a vacuum here. I’m trying to educate and inform. I’m trying to bring light to a dark situation.  I’m using a new medium with vast capabilities to expand on issues and ideas, and problem solve and rally people to a cause we all care about. No one disagrees that kids aren’t important – the question is, how do we solve this? The traditional methods of communication haven’t worked. What this does is present an opportunity for someone with an opposing view, or more information, or different information a way to clarify their points of view, too. I welcome that.The vast majority get that, but some villagers have only wanted to wave their torches at me. That’s OK too. I’m an educator, I’ll keep educating.

 Isn’t it a done deal? Doesn’t Session have absolute power?

Nope. The Congregation can choose to NOT RATIFY the budget and send it back to Session. Given their unwillingness to listen and take advantage of the help that was offered at last Sunday’s Town Hall Meeting, that doesn’t seem like an option they will pursue with much enthusiasm. They’ve made their decision.

However, my belief is that they haven’t acted in accordance with our Presbyterian Book of Order, and I intend to file a complaint with our Presbytery and have the decision reviewed by a panel of impartial Presbyterian committee members.

So, you see, no amount of fundraising could have helped. Special giving couldn’t have helped. The only thing that could have helped is for our Session to lead us through a stewardship campaign and increase giving overall – which is exactly what should have happened. If we prop up youth, but not our church overall, that’s not responsible – we’re in a bigger mess than just our Youth Program being cut. I agree with Session on that point.

What I don’t agree with is the process by which it happened, the lack of communication, and the disregard for our congregation. Some members of our Session are abusing their power for the sake of expedition, and I personally have heard one member say, “No one else cares what we do. No one else knows what we do. We do what we want.” I don’t think that’s true.  I also don’t think its true of MANY members. I believe they’ve been given skewed financial information, and it seemed the only solution to some given the facts as presented. My point is these are good people that didn’t have all the facts, and didn’t have  TAKE the time to make the decision with enough resources. I believe that an impartial review will bear that out. In the meantime, come to the meeting Sunday and let your voice be heard. Sign the petition below. However you feel – be part of the process.

//Chelle