State of the Church

On the first Sunday in November (Nov. 1), “All Saints Day,” we will remember and give thanks for members of the church who have died in the past year and entered “the Church Triumphant.” This year the list is longer than usual: Virginia Quick,Nekoda McCauley, Phil Southerland, Bill DeLoache, Ella Gowan, Whitie Wright,Hazel Helms, Donna Ware, Vivian Hoppe, Jane Mattson, John Pellett, Ann Watson,Al Hoppe, Bob Christie and Bette Beacham.

As we hear their names read in the service, we will remember with gratitude the ways by which our own lives have been blessed and brightened by theirs, and we will give thanks for the eternal hope that is ours in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Following a time of remembrance, we will come to the Lord’s Table to celebrate our eternal fellowship in “the communion of the saints.”  For many of us this isone of the most moving services of the year.

As a way of recognizing our personal losses this year and the financial challenges we face as a country and congregation, the Stewardship Committee has adopted the theme—“For a Time Such As This.”  The Presbyterian Women who studied the book of Esther several years ago will recognize that the phrase comes from that book.It comes from a far more dire and challenging time, when Israel’s very existence was threatened by the Persians.

Fortunately, we do not live under such grave danger. Yet the challenges we face socially, politically,  personally, and spiritually are daunting indeed. We have adopted the theme to remind ourselves that in “A Time Such As This” each of us called and challenged to respond generously with gifts of time, talent, and income.  With the passing of a great generation of leaders in church, we are called to respond to the challenges of “a time such as this” with renewed commitment.

Thanks to the hard work of staff members who have assumed additional responsibilities, and the careful, prudent spending of committees in the church, we appear to be on track to make our budget for 2009of $1,000,000.  We expect to be able to pay all of our bills and benevolent intentions by the end of the year.  With your generous support we can and will.

The budget the session will adopt for 2010 will be very similar to that of this year. We expect to have small increases in several areas, especially in the area of staff salaries, but no dramatic changes.  We hope this will be seen as are flection of fiscal sanity and prudence, not as a lowering of expectations and a failure to challenge ourselves to demonstrate in our own lives the generosity to which God calls us.

The painful cuts of some $300,000 from the budget last year got us on a sound financial footing once again.  Now we face the challenge of embracing the new opportunities before us. “For A Time Such As This” all of us who love this church and are blessed by its life and ministry are called to new expressions of commitment and generosity.