Our congregation is part of the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Synod of Alaska- Northwest, and Northwest Coast Presbytery. Each year we are assessed an amount per member (per capita) to support the operations of each of these governing bodies, including salaries, meeting expenses, and travel expenses. The 2022 per capita assessment is $49.73, and is divided in this way: NWC Presbytery ($40.50), Synod ($0.25), and General Assembly ($8.98). If you are able to pay for your per capita, that keeps this expense out of our general budget. Please put “per capita” in the memo line on your check, or place the amount in your per capita envelope when you send that in to the church. Thank-you!
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Our congregation is part of the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Synod of Alaska- Northwest, and Northwest Coast Presbytery. Each year we are assessed an amount per member (per capita) to support the operations of each of these governing bodies, including salaries, meeting expenses, and travel expenses. The 2021 per capita assessment is $49.73, and is divided in this way: NWC Presbytery ($40.50), Synod ($0.25), and General Assembly ($8.98). If you are able to pay for your per capita, that keeps this expense out of our general budget. Please put “per capita” in the memo line on your check, or place the amount in your per capita envelope when you send that in to the church. Thank-you!
Our congregation is part of the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Synod of Alaska- Northwest, and Northwest Coast Presbytery. Each year we are assessed an amount per member (per capita) to support the operations of each of these governing bodies, including salaries, meeting expenses, and travel expenses. The 2020 per capita assessment is $49.70, and is divided in this way: NWC Presbytery ($40.50), Synod ($0.25), and General Assembly ($8.95). If you are able to pay for your per capita, that keeps this expense out of our general budget. Please put “per capita” in the memo line on your check, or place the amount in your per capita envelope when you send that in to the church. Thank-you!
Our congregation is part of the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Synod of Alaska- Northwest, and Northwest Coast Presbytery. Each year we are assessed an amount per member (per capita) to support the operations of each of these governing bodies, including salaries, meeting expenses, and travel expenses. The 2020 per capita assessment is $49.70, and is divided in this way: NWC Presbytery ($40.50), Synod ($0.25), and General Assembly ($8.95). If you are able to pay for your per capita, that keeps this expense out of our general budget. Please put “per capita” in the memo line on your check, or place the amount in your per capita envelope when you send that in to the church. Thank-you!
At last we have a meeting scheduled in early December with the Presbytery, the architect, and Pastor Amy to go over options. Once again, please keep us in your prayers and look for an update soon.
 The Session has voted to participate in the Presbytery’s Vital Congregations Initiative! This is a national initiative to help congregations become more vital in the seven marks of vitality. Pastor Amy is the Presbytery coordinator for the initiative, so we will have lots of support in this process. The initiative lasts two years. In the first year we will celebrate all the signs of vitality that we find in our congregation and its ministry. In the second year we will seek to become more vital in one of the other areas. Already it is clear to the session that we do some things well. Look for more information about the initiative and how you can participate in January.
Reserve Saturday, October 26, 9-3:30 for VERGE 2.0: Leading Vital Congregations. An energizing lineup of speakers and workshops will catalyze your spiritual leadership as you enter 2020 with renewed hope in the Gospel and energy for God’s mission in the world! VERGE 2.0: Leading Vital Congregations : Saturday October 26, 2019, 9:00am-3:30pm. Lunch is included. Calvin Presbyterian Church, 18826 3rd Ave NW, Shoreline, WA Workshops to focus on Vital Congregations Initiative, Emotional Intelligence for Spiritual Leaders, Improv for Church Leaders, and more! Register at: https://www.northwestcoast.org/verge2   “I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” Isaiah 43:19
Wednesday, May 29th, 15 people gathered together in the Fellowship Hall for an architectural design charrette. Five of the participants were from Edmonds Pres: Gay Hawkins, Nancy Evans, Margaret Kulkin, Linda Reynolds and me. The participants were from the original task force that studied the space requirements for the ministries of our church early on in the process. The other stake holders included: Presbytery of Northwest Coast (office and meeting space), the Samaritan Center counseling service (office and meeting space), our church, and a future preschool. Representatives from the amazing bilingual preschool, Pepitas, hosted at Lake Forest Park Presbyterian church, volunteered their time as consultants for this project so that whatever space we design would meet the needs for a similar niche preschool here. The meeting was really a “charrette.” What is a charrette? It is, according to the dictionary, “a meeting in which all stakeholders in a project attempt to resolve conflicts and map solutions.” And that’s what we did! The architect brought with him the start of a design that reflected what each stakeholder was required to do in their particular form of ministry, and how these needs might all fit together into a remodeled building. Many of our needs overlap, and a large common multi-use space was one of the clear features of the plan. Our architect began his presentation with the words, “I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited for a project.” And his excitement was clearly reflected in each of the four stakeholders. After the architect presented his initial design, we picked it apart. Where is the childcare room? What about storage? Would the parking be adequate? Is that the janitor’s closet? How many people could the meeting room seat? What about the seating in the sanctuary? How would access to the outdoor spaces work? The architect took notes of the concerns raised, and the suggestions for improvement. And at the end of the meeting we left the building even more excited by this redevelopment than we had been before. The other side of this exciting change includes the need for patience, flexibility, faith, and perseverance. While the design will allow for us to continue to worship in this space while new spaces are being built, it will still be disruptive. We will need to be adaptable, to learn to share our spaces with even more people, and to be willing to try new ways of being with each other. What is next? In conjunction with the other stakeholders we will be developing a plan for ministry on this site, explaining the hopes and dreams for each area of ministry and how the redeveloped building fits those desires. Funding sources will need to be explored and confirmed, and a time-line developed so that we know what is next and when we need to be prepared for the changes. I left the meeting feeling hopeful. While a cathedral takes 500 years to build, and the Israelites wandered 40 years in the desert, we may see the “promised land” in a much shorter time frame. Several wise folks in the group said, from their own experience, take the time estimates and double them. In which case we are looking not at 3 years but at 6, and that gives us plenty of time to get ready to live fully into this new thing that God has in mind for us. Please hold this continuing process in your prayers, as we prepare for the God’s new thing among us – do you perceive it? In Christ, Pastor Amy  Selected members from the session and last year’s Property Task Force met with the architect for the building remodel during March. The next step is a joint meeting with all four stakeholders and the architect to review preliminary plans.
The others who are in this remodel with us are Northwest Coast Presbytery (office space), Samaritan Center of Puget Sound (counseling office space for several therapists) and representatives from an existing preschool that are helping us to design appropriate space for a possible new preschool program here. Look for updates in April about the preliminary design! Change is coming – and we ARE ready for it! It is an exciting time to be part of this church community.  Date: Saturday, May 11, 2019 | 9:00AM– 12:00PM. Facilitated By: Rev. Denise Easter, Rev. Dianna Kunce & Rev. Wendy Taylor Location: North Creek Presbyterian Church, Mill Creek Cost: $25 (include snacks & materials) “Following Jesus means getting his ways and means into our everyday lives…this takes place only as we pray our following of him. The practice of prayer is the primary way that Jesus’ way comes to permeate our entire lives.” – Eugene Peterson How are we “supposed” to pray? How can we draw on Jesus’ prayer life for instruction and inspiration? What does it mean to “abide” and “discern”? At this spring retreat, you can expect to refresh your spirit and renew your desire to grow in relationship with Jesus through prayer. |
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