Update on Calvary Staff

September 01, 2021

In the last couple of weeks, some important changes with staff have occurred that we want to ensure you are aware of as we move into the fall.

Lori Grohskopf, Calvary’s Facilities & Operations Manager, determined she needs to reduce her hours and focus primarily on the building, facility, and community contracts/vendors portion of her position, letting go of her office & administrative duties. This change allows her to work less hours and work with more flexibility from home. Working 16 hours a week, Lori will continue to coordinate all matters related to our facility and building, including all of our contracts with Calvary’s vendors and our building usage partners. Lori excels in this arena, creating incredible income opportunities for Calvary as she collaborates with our community. Lori will also continue to maintain the all-church calendar (including scheduling and room set-ups/reservations), manage Calvary’s custodian, set-up and security personnel, church hostess, and be the staff liaison for Resource Management and technology needs.

Because Lori was working 35 hours a week, we needed to find someone who could work 20 hours a week focusing on the office and administrative duties of Lori’s job. In announcing this change to staff, David Farwig stepped forward voicing his interest in this position. While initially an “outside of the box” idea, as we explored this option with David and the pastoral staff, it seemed like an arrangement that would benefit Calvary greatly during such a quick transition as David already knows our congregation and office systems, knows the pastors, is highly organized and efficient, and has a heart for the people of Calvary and our community. Additionally, this position would benefit David as he is in a season of life where he needs to be rooted in one place for employment rather than traveling to supplement his Calvary employment with other opportunities.

As of September 1, David holds two positions at Calvary. He is working 20 hours a week as our Director of Music and 20 hours a week as our Office & Administrative Coordinator. In his Office & Administrative Coordinator role, David will manage all aspects of the Calvary office, serve as administrative assistant to staff, and coordinate special events and projects at Calvary. He will adjust his duties as Director of Music slightly to accommodate the 10 hour reduction in that position. To ensure extra support in this area, Organist Denise Lanning’s hours will increase from 6 hours a week to 10 hours a week, allowing her to attend worship planning with David and be more involved in the “behind-the-scenes” of Calvary’s music ministry.

One of the keys to this working well is understanding when David will be primarily functioning as Calvary’s Director of Music and when he will be primarily functioning as our Office & Administrative Coordinator. This is not an exact science, of course, but as you look at the office schedule below, you will see how David anticipates dividing his week, even as he will be checking Calvary’s voicemail and email regularly each day that he is working. David does have some travel for other employment that he has already committed to for Fall 2021- Spring 2022, but in subsequent years, the combined 40 hours a week he will be working at Calvary will allow him to not have to travel for supplemental income. And of course, we are very fortunate that Lori Grohskopf is readily available to help train David and check messages as needed when he is gone.

As our staff and congregation get acclimated to this new division of duties in the office, in addition to reviewing the Office Staff Schedule please also review the Chart of Responsibilities for Office & Administrative Coordinator and Facilities & Operations Manager to help you know who to go to for what. While we anticipate this dual role arrangement for David working well for our staff, volunteers, and congregation, we will have an intentional evaluation period in three months to ensure this arrangement is working to the benefit of all. Every change requires adaptation on the part of all involved, and Calvary, we thank you in advance for your flexible spirit and patience as we adjust to this new staff dynamic and this new season of ministry. If you have any questions, you may contact me or Mick Davey, Chair of Staff Relations.

Peace,

Pastor Anne with Staff Relations (Mick Davey, chair; Linda Fischer, Nancy Johnson, Tom Madden, & Ken Pinkham)

Office Staff Schedule

Office Open Tuesdays & Wednesdays, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.; staffed in three volunteer shifts daily

• Facilities & Operations Manager – works 16 hours a week, primarily from home but at Calvary for vendor/community contract meetings and as needed

• Accountant – works 12 hours a week, including approx. 8 hours on Wednesdays in the office (no change has occurred with this position)

Office & Administrative Coordinator

• Monday – 3 hours, usually 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. (home or church office)

• Tuesday – 8 hours, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (church office)

• Wednesday – 8 hours, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (church office)

• Thursday – 1 hour, usually 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. (home or church office)

• David’s hours as Director of Music will include:

  • Monday – 3 hours (home or church office)

  • Thursday – 9 hours (including four hours in the evening at church)

  • Friday – 3 hours (home)

  • Sunday – 5 hours (church)