November 20, 2025 | Deacon Meeting Minutes
Attendance:
John Genskow, Chuck Falch, Erika Zank, Aaron Libner, Bruce Winkler, Tonya Ida, Gail Graese, Pastor Mark Schulz, Stan Norman, Mark Oldenberg, Denny Denk, Adam Urberg, Pastor Ethan Luhman, Pastor David Forke, Sue Gumz (recording secretary), and James Martin (Zoom).
John Genskow opened the meeting at 6:30 pm
Bruce Winkler gave the opening prayer and devotion on Philip sharing the Good News.
Staff Introductions: Sue Gumz
She has worked at Peace for 27 years. Her title has changed many times but has always been at the front desk. Key duties include involvement with the official acts of Peace (weddings, baptisms, funerals, membership), facility management (HVAC, security system, calendaring, building maintenance), worship bulletins/volunteers, and missions with a primary focus on the Casas trips to Juarez, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic.
September Meeting Minutes:
Minutes were approved via email.
Pastoral Report:
Chuck Falch made a motion to approve the pastoral report. Seconded by Bruce Winkler. Motion carried.
Financial Report:
Aaron Libner made a motion to approve the October financial report. Seconded by Denny Denk. Motion carried.
Committee Updates:
• Operations/Building – Chuck Falch
HVAC in the refuge has been looked at and the roof (ceiling) in classroom 4.
• Policy – Bruce Winkler
- The constitution/bylaws were approved by the District Board.
- Policy manual was completely reviewed. Mostly grammar changes.
- Change summary will be updated and voted on in January.
• Personnel – Denny Denk
- Employee Status Revisions – Part-time vs casual employees (casual employees less than 20 hours and/or limited term employees don’t need to go through the Board, just the personnel committee). Moved two employees from casual to part-time.
- Personnel and staff relationship – We don’t want family members reporting to each other. (Employee Handbook change).
- Board authorization may be needed in the future as we update safety practices in youth and children’s ministry. Anna and Caleb will be a large part of that. The policy currently in the policy manual may likely be moved to the employee handbook.
• Finance – Gail Graese
- Nothing to add
• Mission – Erika Zank
- Snacks from Peace were given to the teachers at Longfellow during conferences. Peace will start publishing how much we give to missions into the bulletin board. Food pantry at Peace was discussed. It was suggested that Peace become a sharing spot for Feed My People on this side of town. More discussion to follow.
Follow-Up Items
• Audit Committee Update – Mark Oldenberg
- The committee has had two meetings. The committee recommended that we audit our “Agreed Upon Procedures.” CliftonLarsonAllen will be conducting our audit. The cost is $15,000. The next audit meeting will be in December. The expected completion date is the end of January 2026.
• Status of Mortgage payoff and Endowment Fund balance – Tonya Ida
- Mortgage satisfaction has come in. Mortgage was paid off on Oct. 27, 2025. As of today, $43,387 went to fund our Endowment fund. We have reached both our goals.
• Security Team Update – Pastor Ethan
- The team initially met last January. Met in September, and then again in November.
- Training for staff will take place for Emergency Action Plan for active shooter scenario. First project will be to get the inside locks on doors keyed and rekeyed as needed. An additional suggestion was to move the nursery into the children’s wing.
New Items
• 2026 Housing Allowances – Tonya Ida
- A motion was made by Gail Graese to accept the housing allowances brought forward. Chuck Falch seconded. Motion carried.
• 2025 HSA Contributions – Tonya Ida
- $4,000 was in the budget, but that cost is now up to $4,500 due to change in staff hours. Aaron Libner made a motion to approve the $4,500 contribution to Peace’s employee health savings account. Erika Zank seconded. Motion carried.
• Staff Positions – Worship Intern and Vicar – Pastor Ethan Luhman
- We will be hiring a worship intern for 6 hours a week. We will be losing Lynette and have already lost Austin Franzwa and Heather Krause. Pastor Ethan was hoping to have Abbi Meyer lead more in both spaces. This will be a trial run.
- Vicar – looking to help train someone and to also help within our district vacancies after Pastor Mark Schulz retires. This person would likely start in July or August.
• Attractional vis-à-vis Developmental Church Life – Pastor Mark
- Completed “What’s our DNA”. Majority of the board agreed that we were an attractional church.
• Visioning Process Proposal – Pastor Ethan Luhman
- Looked at Pursuing Lesser Goals handout from Run Free.
- Board would like to reconvene at a special meeting on Tuesday, December 9, at 5 pm to continue to discuss this exclusively with action taken.
Additional Items
We will have Caleb Haack and Anna Reineke come back and talk with the Deacons now that they have a year under their belt.
Mark Oldenberg closed the meeting in prayer.
Aaron Libner made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Stan Norman seconded. Motion carried. The meeting ended at 8:53 pm.
