Our Annual Meeting is coming up on Sunday, September 27, from 12:30-2:00PM. Due to the pandemic and current restrictions on in-person gatherings, this year’s meeting will be held via Zoom. A link and instructions will be sent prior to the meeting.

As in previous years, all church members are expected to attend, and all regular attenders are very welcome and encouraged to attend as well. We look forward to a great time of discussion and participation around the business matters of the church.

During the meeting we will be asking members to vote on the proposed Annual Budget for 2020-2021 and to vote on two Church Council nominees. This email has information about the Church Council nomination process, bios for the current nominees, and details about the proposed Annual Budget.

Church Council Nominees
Last July, we asked the membership for suggestions for possible Church Council members and received several recommendations. Based on suggestions from the congregation and church staff, the Council began putting together a list of potential nominees and interviewed several people. Some of the characteristics we were looking for in a new council member included a love for Jesus, a heart for the gospel, servant leadership, and life experiences that differed from the current members. 

After much prayer and many conversations, the Church Council has unanimously nominated Dave Monk as a returning member of the Council and Kim Foster to serve a second term. They have both accepted the formal invitation that was extended to them and, if voted in, will serve a two-year term. We are sharing Dave and Kim’s brief bios at the end of this letter. Please take a moment to read through them, and email the Church Council at council@solanochurch.org in advance of the annual meeting if you have any questions about the nominees.

Scott Chan will be stepping down from the Council after serving the last two years. He has been an integral part of our team, particularly during our budget discussions, and has provided invaluable insights as to Solano’s organization and structure. We as a Council are grateful for his work and fellowship with us. 

2020-2021 Annual Budget
The total proposed budget for 2020-2021 represents a 2.5% increase over the current year. Based on our resources, ministry initiatives, and changed needs, we feel God is leading us in proposing this level of ministry and staffing. Some highlights include more communications staffing, expanded missions support, and melding the El Cerrito campus into the main budget.

Please see the Budget Process Overview document containing a summary of the SCC budget process, this year’s budget highlights, and some historical perspective on our budget and giving.

Please see the Budget Detail document containing the detailed Proposed Budget for 2020-2021 and a comparison to the approved 2019-2020 budget.

We are happy to report that our income from tithes and offerings has been stable this past year. Thank you for your faithful support despite these challenging times! We would like to finish strong this year and ask that you please give generously in the last two weeks of the month. Contributions on or before September 30 will go towards our 2019-2020 year.

Click these links to download the documents:
Budget Process Overview
Budget Detail

Please review the summary information and the detailed Proposed Budget and send any questions you have to the Council prior to the Annual Meeting via email at council@solanochurch.org. All questions and feedback are welcome.

On behalf of the Church Council, thank you for taking the time to read through this information. We look forward to our upcoming meeting on September 27th.

In His service,

Solano’s Church Council

Scott Chan, Kim Foster, Andrew Hoffman, Jason Lau, Eddie Navarro, Sara Rader, & Paul Sluis
 

Bios for Nominees

Kim Foster

Kim and her husband Jason began attending Solano in May of 2010 when they moved to the area as missionaries to work for an urban youth mission organization. They have been members and supported missionaries of Solano since September 2010 and with the abrupt closing of the organization in April, due to COVID-19, they are seeking God in their next steps. Kim has a degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from Cal State Stanislaus and a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies from Multnomah, and will complete her MDiv Spring 2021.  Kim worked in Accounting for 10 years before becoming a missionary with the EFCA (our denomination).  During her 5 years with the EFCA, she worked for 3 years in the National Office in the accounting department.  Kim’s spiritual gifts are teaching, shepherding, hospitality, encouragement and prayer, and she has served in several capacities at Solano. She has attended, co-lead and started Home Groups over the past 10 years. She was on the Women's Ministry Team for 3 years before accepting the Women's Ministry Coordinator role for 2 years. She was on High School staff for the 2012/2013 school year and is currently on the Prayer Team.  Kim, Jason and their two kids, Stephanie (9) & Patrick (6), live in Alameda.
 

Dave Monk
Dave Monk has been a long time member of Solano Community Church and served on the Church Council previously. He is originally from the Silicon Valley, moved to Berkeley to attend Cal, and has been in the East Bay ever since - he now lives in Albany. He studied architecture and structural engineering before transitioning into the IT field. He owns a technology consulting company in Berkeley. Dave grew up in church and came to faith as a child, growing significantly in his high school and post-college years. Dave started attending Solano Church in 2004 because he was invited to its very first meeting, and God answered his prayers about being part of a church plant in the East Bay. He has been involved in many areas of ministry at Solano over the years and he joined the Leadership Team in 2006. Most recently he has been involved with the Connect Team and Facilities Team. God has used the SCC community significantly to show his grace in his transformative work in Dave's life.  He is excited about the momentum we have as a church in several areas like community service, Sunday worship, becoming an anti-racist church, home groups, and a vision for gospel-centric transformation in the lives of our community.  Dave has three children: Clara (22), John (19), and Matthew (16) and he is engaged to Eunice.