The Session met on Sunday October 15th and continued our work on preparing for the future of this congregation. Here’s an update and summary of what we have been doing since this project began.
We have asked the question, “What are the unique gifts that Edmonds Presbyterian Church brings to our members and the wider Edmonds community?” Thanks to your survey responses and a number of individual conversations, we have affirmed these gifts given to us by God:
In light of our current realities, which are not unique to our church, we need realize that numbers are declining in worship and giving is declining proportionally. In light of those facts, the session is looking at decreasing expenses (moving Pastor Amy to ¾ time was part of that process) and finding new sources of revenue. Fortunately, faithful giving over the years has blessed us with more than adequate reserves for this ‘rainy day,’ and we are in no danger of being forced to close due to finances. Therefore, we should be good stewards of the time God has given us to choose the best option for this congregation as it looks toward 2025.
So what is next? One possibility is partnering with another organization to develop our property in such a way that both blesses our community and provides a place for us to continue to worship God and enjoy fellowship together. We know that our property, held in trust by our denomination, is an asset that can be tapped as it once was to add the extension to our current building, when a row of housing lots was sold on the 98th street side of the property. The session is exploring a variety of ideas, determining what ones may be the most viable, and will report to you our top selection(s) in the coming months. We do value your input and insights, and will not make any final decisions until after we have shared our proposals with the congregation, and the congregation has had an opportunity to contribute to this discussion.
Meanwhile, it is time for us to get on with the work of being the church as we trust in God’s good plan for our future. That’s living our lives in hope. We have hope in our God’s goodness, hope in God’s plans for our future, and hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the author of the book of Hebrews reminds us: “We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul.” (Hebrews 6:19).
From the members of the Session,
Elders Gay Hawkins, Don Hollingworth Sr., Don Ide, Linda Reynolds, Ruth Roberts, and Dick Sellevold. Pastor Amy Delaney, Moderator
We have asked the question, “What are the unique gifts that Edmonds Presbyterian Church brings to our members and the wider Edmonds community?” Thanks to your survey responses and a number of individual conversations, we have affirmed these gifts given to us by God:
- A gift of hospitality – of welcome and care for our church community and those beyond our walls. The ministry of the Deacons extends this care to those who can no longer join us in the building.
- A gift of music – of worship and praise that is life-giving and honoring to God. We are blessed to be led in worship by our choir, musicians, and choir director!
- A gift of mission – we are a mission-giving church. We give of our time and resources to further the compassionate care of those locally and around the world, care that shows in a concrete way the love of God through Jesus Christ.
- A gift of inclusion of all ages – we love to care for people, no matter their age. Currently we are sad that are missing the youngest ages in our worship and church life, but are ready to extend a welcome when that opportunity arises.
In light of our current realities, which are not unique to our church, we need realize that numbers are declining in worship and giving is declining proportionally. In light of those facts, the session is looking at decreasing expenses (moving Pastor Amy to ¾ time was part of that process) and finding new sources of revenue. Fortunately, faithful giving over the years has blessed us with more than adequate reserves for this ‘rainy day,’ and we are in no danger of being forced to close due to finances. Therefore, we should be good stewards of the time God has given us to choose the best option for this congregation as it looks toward 2025.
So what is next? One possibility is partnering with another organization to develop our property in such a way that both blesses our community and provides a place for us to continue to worship God and enjoy fellowship together. We know that our property, held in trust by our denomination, is an asset that can be tapped as it once was to add the extension to our current building, when a row of housing lots was sold on the 98th street side of the property. The session is exploring a variety of ideas, determining what ones may be the most viable, and will report to you our top selection(s) in the coming months. We do value your input and insights, and will not make any final decisions until after we have shared our proposals with the congregation, and the congregation has had an opportunity to contribute to this discussion.
Meanwhile, it is time for us to get on with the work of being the church as we trust in God’s good plan for our future. That’s living our lives in hope. We have hope in our God’s goodness, hope in God’s plans for our future, and hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the author of the book of Hebrews reminds us: “We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul.” (Hebrews 6:19).
From the members of the Session,
Elders Gay Hawkins, Don Hollingworth Sr., Don Ide, Linda Reynolds, Ruth Roberts, and Dick Sellevold. Pastor Amy Delaney, Moderator
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