FRLC Board Meeting Minutes

Wednesday, January 6, 2021

2:00 pm MST/3:00 pm CST/1:00 pm PST/4:00 pm EST

            Present: Bohdan, Otto, Roger, Melanie, Paul, Karen, Guest Jane Clark

Check In & Prayer: Melanie opened in prayer.

Discussion: Bohdan invited our guest to lead the meeting at this point. Jane shared the documents she had prepared regarding the results of our strategic planning meeting and the outline for an action plan based on those results. She demonstrated how it might would using goal one and will continue to work with us to flesh out the rest of the plan,

Both the Center of Addiction and Faith and the FRLC are non-profit organizations. In addition, there are four registration processes we need to complete to become eligible for federal grants. New funding is anticipated for mental health, substance abuse prevention and recovery efforts. Jane will work with Ed to help both the Center and the Fellowship to become prepared to apply for this funding

Discussion of concern about complexity of applying for and reporting for federal grants, the role her organization plays in helping small organizations such as rural communities and minority groups to apply for and manage federal grants. She assures us they will walk us through the process and it’s requirements. The action plan serves as a guide to keep the organization on track to fulfill required activities. There is typically a quarterly reporting process. They have a data team that will do that data entry while teaching your staff how to do that—capacity building. Ed has been working with Michael Chiapperino in developing the Center. He may be a resource for us as will. Jane will work with both the CAF and FRLC on parallel but separate processes, with the CAF as the umbrella agency and the FRLC the model. We aim to develop it as a model that can be scaled and replicated. She also offered to make suggestions regarding Action Plan items and bring them back to us.

Regarding goal 1.1a developing a brief introductory video that can be used in seminary digital newsletters–Roger has been in touch w Cheryl Peterson re putting a video together and using it at Trinity Seminary as a trial balloon. She connected him with Dr. Brad Binau, who attended the first Conference and is teaching a course at Trinity on ministry and addiction. Roger will be a guest presenter during the course via Zoom. He requests us to each film a short video on our phones and text it to him. Simply say “My name is Pastor (your first name)  and I’m a recovering alcoholic/addict/Alanon/etc. and a member of the FRLC—and text the clips to Roger. Ed would like to use the video on the CAF website and app also.

Following Jane’s departure, the Board affirmed her work and the direction we are going. We agreed to meet with her in two weeks, on January 20.

 Coordinator’s report: Otto has a pastors group that meets monthly and are open to others joining them. We need to set up a contact person to vet new people and share the meeting information with them. TheSunday night Zoom open recovery meeting for mainline Christians has a lot of clergy coming. Attendance is averaging about nine people per week. He restated the RMEC (Episcopal Recovery Ministries) interest in doing a joint FRLC/RMEC Zoom meeting. Bohdan restated his willingness to follow up with this once he receives contact information from Ed. Ed has recorded eight interviews for the new podcast, including a couple of u. He will be sending an invitation to the rest of you with a link to sign up for a time to be interviewed. The next CAF Webinar is coming up on 1/21 at 11”00 am Central Time. Al Sharp will be speaking on the need to and process of changing from a punitive approach to addiction. There is a new Faith Partners training for congregational addiction ministry beginning tomorrow. Otto is involved in this. He reports that there are now ten addiction ministry congregational teams in Lincoln, Nebraska, with seven more launching tomorrow.

Approval of Minutes from Previous Meeting approved

            Treasurer’s report: there was no report this month. I believe Louise sent an email with the balance of the FRLC at the beginning of the month.  

Next meeting: January 20

2:00 pm MST/3:00 pm CST/1:00 pm PST/4:00 pm EST