…to all who provided reports for our annual congregational meeting on January 27th! If you did not receive a copy of the reports and would like one, please contact Tamara in the church office.
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…to all who provided reports for our annual congregational meeting on January 27th! If you did not receive a copy of the reports and would like one, please contact Tamara in the church office.
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According to the Red Cross, “An AED, or automated external defibrillator, is used to help those experiencing sudden cardiac arrest. It's a sophisticated, yet easy-to-use, medical device that can analyze the heart's rhythm and, if necessary, deliver an electrical shock, or defibrillation, to help the heart re-establish an effective rhythm.” You can read all about it at the Red Cross website, and locate a local training site if you’d like to be certified. Our AED device is located on the wall next to the restrooms.
We are starting our stewardship season. As we look at the needs and hopes of the congregation in order to build an appropriate spending plan for 2019, it is helpful for the session to have information about your 2019 planned giving (especially if the giving is a change from the previous year). Pledge cards are available in the pew racks. You may put your pledge card in the offering plate, or mail it in to the church office. We will dedicate our pledges during worship on Sunday, November 18th.
What has been happening lately with the session and its task force?
The Session and its task force discerned that we would like to become a more multi-use facility, remodeling as needed to host other non-profit offices, a daycare, or even another congregation. All this would be done in partnership with our Presbytery. We have met with the Presbytery Executive Board and a few other potential partners. The next step is to assess the feasibility for this type of development given our zoning and location. This step will be conducted by the Presbytery. It is that time of year when we recruit new leadership for the session and deacons. Any member is eligible to serve. If you are interested, or know someone who you think would make a great elder or deacon, please speak with Don I. or Don H., Sr. We will hold a short congregational meeting on September 30th following worship to elect these new officers.
Thank you for your financial support of the church and its ministry. Thanks to contributions like yours, we are able to support high quality worship & music, tend to our building and grounds, and give substantial amounts each year to missions near and far. Thank you!
The session wanted to let you know a few of the things that are happening this year at the church.
 What has been happing lately with the session and its task force?
The session is considering what steps to take to help our giving more adequately match our expenses. Expenses are currently outpacing giving by twice what we had anticipated when we built the 2018 budget. We still have adequate financial reserves for at least a year, but the session is considering that other steps we can take to bring our finances back into balance. The task force is doing three things. First, we are surveying the congregation to find out what is most important to you in a future church program and building. We will have conversations at the potluck on July 9th to finish these discussions. Second, we are connecting with our fellow local Presbyterian churches to see if there are ways that our visions for mission overlap. Are there ways we could share mission and ministry together? Third, we are preparing for a longer conversation on July 8th with Presbytery officials about future uses of this property. At their request, an independent appraisal is being conducted. And we are meeting with people who have been instrumental in helping other churches creatively look at new uses for existing property. At the request of the session and task force, we invite you to join us in seven weeks of prayer. We began with week one on Mother’s Day, and, because of Pastor Amy’s absence, are just now entering into week two. Please hold the work of the session and task force in your prayers. A guide to prayer will be included in each week’s bulletin. If you would like a copy emailed to you, please let Tamara in the church office know and she can make sure you receive a copy. It is that time of year when we recruit new leadership for the session and deacons. Any member is eligible to serve. If you are interested, or know someone who you think would make a great elder or deacon, please speak with Don I. or Don H., Sr. Once we have the nominees in place, we will hold a short congregational meeting to elect these new officers.
June is the month when we elect new church officers – Ruling Elders and Deacons. As Presbyterians, we believe that God calls us to serve, and that call often is delivered by friends and colleagues who see gifts in us that can be shared with the congregation through this ministry. So, if you look around and see someone you think God may be calling to serve, please let the Nominating Committee elders (Don H., Sr., and Don I.) know! We look forward to seeing who God is calling to serve for the coming year.
Both the session and its task force are hard at work! The session, as usual, is focused on the health and outreach of this congregation; worship, prayer together, educational opportunities, mission in the community and other opportunities to share the love of Christ. A healthy church is a church that is able to nurture and support those who come and see what we are all about. A healthy church is also an inviting church – so this is your reminder to continue to invite friends, neighbors, and others God puts on your heart. The task force has been charged with the task of looking at the long-term future of our congregation and its sustainability. While we only recently have begun to dip into reserves to support our budget, we do not have unlimited reserves. The session is interested in creative options that both help sustain this congregation’s ministry, and also bless our community of Edmonds. You have heard some of the wild and wonderful ideas being proposed. The task force’s job is to see what is realistic and to craft an approach toward this potentially exciting future together.
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February 2019
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