SUPPLEMENTAL REPORTS AUGUST 24, 2013

Transcription

1 SUPPLEMENTAL REPORTS AUGUST 24, 2013

2 PRESBYTERY OF SHENANDOAH A Community of Christ Worship Nurture Mission Report of the Acting General Presbyter Rev. Dr. Randy Webb Dear Partners; S d This Report to the Presbytery appears on a page of our new presbytery letterhead. (It may not appear in full color, but you'll get the idea.) We were running out of old letterhead so it was a good time to replace it with a design that might help us remember our mission and our connection with each other. The new letterhead lifts up our vision statement of who we are, and whose we are: A COMMUNITY OF CHRIST. This is our all-important starting place: being in Christ, together; belonging to Him and to each other. An earlier version of this letterhead left out COMMUNITY and focused on what we are doing together: Worship, Nurture and Mission. That was not necessarily wrong, but it was incomplete and therefore not as helpful as it could be. Christ calls us first to a new way of being in relationship with Him and with others, then to live that out in all that we do. STRENGTHENING OUR COMMUNITY It is essential to our mission to strengthen the relationships in our community. Our mission to witness to the love of God in Jesus Christ must be demonstrated in the quality of relationships we share with one another, not just by what we do together, but by how we are together. We believe that God has called us as Shenandoah Presbytery to be a "covenant body." The worship, nurture of church leaders and members, and mission that we undertake together gets its energy from who we are together in the body of Christ. Becoming the community we are called to be helps us fulfill our mission because it is the way we will live into the Sixth Great End of the Church, to be "an exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world." That exhibition will only be as genuine as the relationships we share S North Main Street Harrisonburg, VA Phone: Fax: shenpres@shenpres.org Website:

3 express genuine kingdom living. The ways we relate to each other, care for each other, tolerate each other, forgive each other, and recognize the Christ in each other, are opportunities for us to demonstrate loving relationships that exhibit the Kingdom to the world. This kind of community does not just happen. It has to be intentionally built. It is the Spirit of God that does the building, but we have to be willing participants by making it a priority in our scheduling and planning, investing ourselves in the process, and encouraging each other not to give up. In our churches and in our presbytery the kind of welcoming community that is an "exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven in the world" has to be built prayerfully, in face to face relationships that are caring and respectful, and that reach beyond the membership of the church, into the communities where we serve. It also needs to become a top priority for all who are involved in presbytery leadership to foster these kinds of relationships with and among the churches in our presbytery. FACING ISSUES IN COMMUNITY Everyone has been concerned about our financial situation lately. What difference might it make in facing these issues together, if the relational bonds between us were stronger? The first thing we would need to acknowledge is that "one size does not fit all." We have a tremendous diversity of churches: different sizes, different histories, located in different communities with different socio-economic realities. What is easy for some, may be very difficult for others. Our congregations also have different "personalities" and are experiencing varying degrees of "health and vitality" in their congregational life. A healthy community acknowledges and respects those differences while still encouraging each other. Our great diversity makes it difficult to identify what might be considered appropriate support for our common ministry from each of our churches. The amount a church is giving "per member" is one way of trying to evaluate how each of us is doing, but even that is not absolute. Size of membership is obviously a relevant factor but not the only factor in trying to analyze or request an equitable commitment of support for the ministries of the presbytery. The presbytery's current "financial crisis" can be attributed to one primary cause: lower than anticipated receipts from congregations. Of course this begs the question "Why has the giving from congregations dropped so drastically?" There are several answers to this question. First, we know that about 12 of our churches are in the midst of or still recovering from some significant turmoil such as a church fire, congregational conflict or division, and other similarly traumatic events. We understand why their giving is not what it might be, and we should be supporting these churches with prayer and in other ways as well. Second, it is important to note that giving to our common ministry has not diminished from every congregation. Of our 108 churches, 54 responded by accepting 100% or more of what they were asked to give to the presbytery. Each of these churches has been thanked for their support. Another 15 churches came very close to the full amount they were asked to give, and in many of those cases what they gave represented an S-2

4 increase over previous years. It is appropriate at this point to recognize and publicly thank those churches who are giving the highest amounts per member to support the ministries of the presbytery: Churches giving the highest per member to the Presbytery Church Membership Giving Per Member Amount Given Trinity $17, Piedmont $ 5, Cooks Creek $17, Nineveh $ 4, Cedar Creek $ Front Royal $11, Timber Ridge $10, Mt. Horeb $10, Pines Chapel $ 8, Opequon $30, Gerrardstown $ 3, Covenant $27, There are also churches where we are not sure what is happening. The presbytery in general seems to have lost touch with our churches, which is to say we are a weakened community. We know that six congregations with the biggest difference between their asking and their acceptance account for a shortfall of $70,895. But we don't exactly know why. Are they in some kind of turmoil that we do not know about? Is it all simply because of the economy? Are they upset by something? Do they see the presbytery as "them" instead of a part of "us"? Three of the four questions above have to do in some way with our relationship as a Community of Christ. We must invest more in strengthening the relational bonds that connect us, because the issues we seek to address, and the mission we have been given, are intimately connected to who we are. I think this is what the writer of I John was saying when he wrote to encourage others to share in their fellowship, because "truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ." From the context of that Community of Christ, he writes to encourage others "so that our joy may be complete." I John 1:3-4 May God grant also to us the complete joy of being in fellowship with one another and with our God and Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. Rev. Dr. Randy Webb, Acting General Presbyter S-3

5 NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE Supplemental Report That Presbytery approve the following to serve: Church Development Class of 2015 Ruling Elder Paul Dana of Tinkling Spring (to fill a vacancy) Resource Committee Class of 2014 Teaching Elder Carrie Evans (to fill a vacancy) Class of 2015 Teaching Elder Tim Arnold (to fill a vacancy) S-4

6 RECOMMENDATION: COMMITTEE ON MINISTRY Supplemental Report That Presbytery approve the following commission to install the Rev. Jon Heeringa as pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Harrisonburg, Virginia, on Saturday, October 5, 2013, 10:30 a.m.: Teaching Elders Olivia Haney, Presbytery Moderator Kyle Key John Leggett, Convener Randy Webb Ruling Elders Lila Gardner, Harrisonburg First Bill von Seldeneck, Covenant TO BE ANNOUNCED In addition, Presbytery is requested to invite Kirk Sexton and Lou Nyiri, teaching elders from the Presbytery of Grand Canyon and Presbytery of Carlisle, to sit with the commission and share in this service by preaching and charging the congregation. Presbytery is requested to invite Carol Miller, commissioned ruling elder to the Buffalo Gap Church, to sit with the commission and share in this service. Draft Jon Heeringa s Service of Installation Order of Worship Prelude/Processional Presentation (1) Call to Worship (2) Sing (2 songs likely contemporary) Prayer of Confession/Assurance of Pardon (3) Gloria Patri Prayer of Illumination (4) Scripture Reading(s) (5) Sermon Rev. Kirk Sexton Hymn of Response Scripture and Statement on Ordination/Installation (6) Reaffirmation of Baptismal Covenant Rev. Randy Webb Constitutional Questions Rev. Olivia Haney Prayer of Installation Lila Gardner Declaration of Installation (Carol Miller) Charge to the New Pastor Rev. Dr. Kyle Key Presentation of Symbols (8 possibly family members) Charge to Congregation Rev. Louis Nyiri The Eucharist (9/10 maybe John Leggett and?) Invitation Offering Great Prayer of Thanksgiving Words of Institution Communion Prayer after Communion Closing Song or Hymn Charge/Benediction Rev. Jon Heeringa Postlude/Recessional S-5

7 Biographical Statement Nancy Smith THIS REPLACES PAGE 16 OF THE HANDBOOK I was born on October 15, 1947 to Paul and Jeanne Warnick of Westernport, Md. Five years later, on February 22, 1952 my brother Steve was born. We were surrounded by loving parents, grandparents, great grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Family was central to our identity. We all lived in the same neighborhood and most of us went to the same church. Further, we attended the same schools and participated in the same events. We were definitely a small town family but with a capitol F. Few of us left what we called the Tri-Towns, some are still there today. But when I met Steve Smith, my future husband, our fate was sealed. As a married couple, we were destined to leave the our area soon after college and medical school, because Steve was commissioned by the Army to go to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, in Washington DC. Three babies later, with internship and residency behind us, we were sent to El Paso, Texas and William Beaumont Army Medical Center. We went from the greenery of the east to the dessert and mountain ranges of the west. Our boys, Brian, Derek and Adam were adaptable and we spent five years exploring our new surroundings, even venturing out to Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and California. When we left the Army, we moved to Edmond, Oklahoma, a suburb of Oklahoma City, where we raised our boys. We were indeed living in an upwardly mobile community, where faith and life in the church was at it s heart. It was through a woman I met on the boys swim team that we were introduced to the Edmond Presbyterian Church, a large intergenerational church with opportunities for everyone. The spiritual formation groups were the impetus for my sense of call many years later. In 1993, I went to Austin Presbyterian Seminary, graduating in I was ordained in 1998 and became the pastor for Westlake Presbyterian Church in Bethany, Oklahoma. During my pastorate at Westlake, my father died and Steve and I divorced. It was a difficult time for everyone. A year later, I resigned from my pastorate at Westlake and later sold my home and went to San Francisco Theological Seminary to join a newly created degreed program in Spiritual Formation. Upon my return to Oklahoma City, I joined Frontier Hospice as their bereavement coordinator. While at Frontier, my brother died tragically. My mother, his children and I were devastated. Later, I moved to McKinney to join a start-up for Compassionate Care Hospice. A year and half later, the hospice folded so I left Texas moving back east to West Virginia, to regroup, discern and heal. Our boys are grown and married to wonderful women, who have blessed us with five grandchildren, Kai, Barret, Isabella, Gabrielle and Violet, living in Oklahoma, Texas and Utah. They are a source of unending delight. Family is still family with a capitol F reaching well beyond the boundaries of genetics, geography, time and space. S-6

8 Brief Statement of Faith Nancy A Smith THIS REPLACES PAGE 17 OF THE HANDBOOK I can remember the presence of God as early as grade school, though I lacked the concept of a Triune God. God was Jesus, the One who loves you because as the song goes, "the Bible tells us so," but more than that, as a child, Jesus was in the room, the one I turned to when I needed a friend. The Triune God is Creator, Redeemer, Reconciler, Sustainer and Comforter. God is Love, God is Savior, God is the Spirit, the Great "I AM," that lives within and among us, yet watches over us, along with all the saints that have gone before us. One cannot refer to one person of the Trinity without speaking of the other two, they are one in the same, one God in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We come to the church as seekers, desiring to belong to something bigger than ourselves. The proclamation of the Word and our participation in the Sacraments, and our prayer are fundamental to growing into the fullness of God. In the hearing of the Word, we are challenged to move out of our comfort zones to become more like Christ, both personally and corporately. Our Baptismal vows remind us that we belong to God and we are family together. In the bread and the cup we hear, "I am the vine and you are the branches, if you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit, but apart from me you can do nothing." Christ has bound us to himself, so that we can die and rise again along with him, free of sin and empowered to continue his work in this world and the next. The Word proclaimed, the Holy Sacraments and our daily prayer are the most potent reminder of the power God s love for his people. Do this. he says, in remembrance of me. As Christian's we are to bear witness to the presence of God in church and the world. In the world, God can be seen and heard in the course of everyday events, at home, at work and when we play. Yet often, we see and hear their voices most clearly in the midst of disaster or violence, in human suffering, grief, in birth and in life altering events, each standing alongside God's own testimony found in the pages of scripture, planting faith, hope and love for those whom God has called us to serve. God's Word is always translated into action. It can be said that we often search for the meaning of love just below the surface of every created thing. For me, a source of unending delight has been to seek out God's work in everything! That search for God has been a source of comfort and strength in good and bad times, leaving me with a sense of wonder for how much God continues to love his people. To that end, I am, we are, challenged as disciples to grow ever deeper into our relationship with God, so that we are prepared to go wherever there is need just because we know and love God in the person of Jesus Christ. For he alone is, "the way the truth and the life." He is lived out through us, God's covenant people, his hands and feet, his body, to help bring in God s reign on earth and in heaven, one God now and forever. S-7

9 Balance December 31, 2009 $360, Less : Deficit for 2010 $18, Balance December 31, 2010 $342, Less : Deficit for 2011 $28, Balance December 31, 2011 $313, Less: Deficit for 2012* $88, Balance December 31, 2012 $225, Less: Reserve Balance Requirement and Search Committee allocation $147, Reserve Available for 2013 $78, Expected Income for 2013 based on 2012 income $628, Total potentially available for 2013 $706, Budget Approved for 2013 $775, Projected budget reduction needed for 2013 $68, Less: Resource Center Savings $18, Adjusted budget reduction needed for 2013 $50, Add- Presbyter Salary Difference $10, $61, The equity or reserve floor of $125,000 may not specifically address any significant Capital Improvement in the coming years if there is a need to make any. An evaluation would be helpful to determine if there would be any necessary over and beyond what is budgeted annually S-8

10 2013 BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS adjusted 2013 adjustment 2013 Budget amount Budget Occupancy: Major Office Repair 2,700 2,700 - Bldg & Grounds Maintenance 8, ,295 Office Expense: - Supplies, Paper, Drinks 6,050 1,500 4,550 Bank Service Charges 1,200 (850) 2,050 Equip Rental & Maintenance 17,000 3,500 13,500 Computer & Equip Purchases 3,000 1,543 1,457 Audit 5,500 5,500 - Church Development 64,500 23,000 41,500 Committee on Ministry: - Oversight - Ministers & Congregations 1, Commission Emergency Fund 2,500 1,300 1,200 Sessional Records Oper Expense Churches in Transition - Operating Exp Examination Committee - Expense Pastoral Care & Wellness 4,800 3,000 1,800 Overall Committee 3,400 2,000 1,400 Communications Committee - Operating Expenses (92) Dues & Contribution Communications Conf/Training 1,100 1, Partnership Committee: - Travel - Ethiopian Network Meets - US Office & Personnel 1, ,000 Strong Ministers Program Disaster Response Team Leadership Team Operating Expense 1,400 1, * General Assembly Expenses (carryover 2 yrs) 5,000 5,000 - WVCouncil of Churches VA Council of Churches WWM Operating Expenses Annual Mission Conference Preparation for Ministry 1, ,100 Funds Administration Expense Representation Committee Central Valley Mission Community 2,250 2,250 - Mission Community Budget Reserve Acqu - Materials & Equip 1, ,021 Audio-Visual Maint & Repair Catalog Revision for Computer 200 (100) 300 Operating Expenses Subscriptions Promotions Resource Center Operating Cost Total Savings 61,323 S-9