INFORMATION & REPORTS FROM:

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1 INFORMATION & REPORTS FROM: Pastor 1, 2 Worship Committee SJPM Committee Board of Deacons Evangelism Committee Christian Ed Committee Personnel Committee Clerk of Session Building & Grounds Congregational Meeting Minutes Audit Committee Treasurer s Report Financial Statements 2013 Year in Pictures Pastor s Report Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1 (NRSV) As we enter into this anniversary year we give thanks for all the saints who launched Celebration of Life Presbyterian Church forty years ago, out of a conviction about God s future that they could not see but could only hope for. Like many of our ancestors in the faith they launched out on an adventure without really knowing where it would take them. They stepped forward in faith, without any guarantees of success, without any proof of what lay ahead. And we are still indebted to them for their courage. The transitions begun in 2012 carried over into 2013 as our good friends Paulette, Gayle, Kent and Joe all moved to other parts of the country to begin adventures in new places. We sent them off with love and prayer but the bonds of affection that connected us still remain. We grieved over the loss of beloved friends Ann and Maggie and we still miss their presence among us. Nationally it was a year of momentous change surrounding the issue of marriage equality as state after state voted to extend that right to all loving couples, as the Supreme Court handed down two important decisions regarding the rights of married couples and as a couple of federal judges struck down state statutes that limit marriage to heterosexual couples as unconstitutional. Marriage equality is now the law in areas that represent 40% of the U.S. population and that figure is sure to increase in the year ahead. The General Assembly of the PCUSA will meet in June of For the year ended December 31, 2013 from Shelly 2014 and will take up the question of permitting pastors to officiate at same gender weddings in places where it is legal to do so. Here in Arizona the presbyteries of Grand Canyon and de Cristo voted to approve a plan to combine staffing resources as a cost cutting measure in the face of shrinking mission funds throughout the church. We pray for the Rev. William Bradley Munroe who will begin work in February as the Executive for both presbyteries. At Celebration of Life we have much to be thankful for. Thanks to all those who helped with the huge project of purchasing new carpeting for the sanctuary, nursery and classrooms and those who devoted time and effort to be at the church while the installation was taking place. Our carpeting project also included the purchase and installation of a hearing loop which should assist those with hearing aids to receive better sound quality through our sound system. Also thanks to Marlin and Loren for installing insulation and new wallboard in my office to make it more energy efficient. Thanks to all those who marched in the Martin Luther King Day parade in Mesa in January and in the Pride Parade in Phoenix in April. These are two events that provide us with an opportunity to demonstrate our presence in the community as well as our commitment to social justice. We still sometimes hear from visitors that they first became aware of us at the Pride Parade, but the most frequent response we (continued on page 2)

2 Page 2 Celebration of Life 2013 Annual Report Pastor s Report (continued from page 1) hear is that they found us online. So a major project of the Evangelism committee this past year has been an overhaul and redesign of our website. A lot of work has gone into this and many people have helped. We hope the new site will be up and running soon. Thanks to the deacons for a couple of special projects this year the second annual October yard sale (soon to become an annual tradition?) and the Spaghetti Dinner and Bunco Party in November. Both events raised funds to support the deacons emergency assistance fund and the Christmas project to the homeless community. Our mission to that community continues to be a huge focus of the Social Justice, Peacemaking and Mission Committee and many people deserve thanks for donating items, for working on the sorting and packing days, and especially for the huge effort each Christmas to provide food boxes and Christmas gifts for families in need. Every year I am stunned at the generosity of this congregation. Worship Committee Report God is seeking people to worship in spirit and in truth. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship God in spirit and truth, for God seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship God must do so in spirit and truth. John 4:23-24 As a group, the committee seeks to provide a worship experience that helps us all worship in spirit and truth. The committee met monthly to plan services for Sunday morning in addition to planning special services for Ash Wednesday (held at Desert Heritage Church), Maundy Thursday, Thanksgiving (also at Desert Heritage), Christmas Eve, and New Year s Eve. The worship service consists of many components appropriate music, the spoken word, visual symbols and dance. The committee wants to thank all those who participated, especially our guests. We extend special thanks to those who enhanced our worship with Special Music, and we also thank those who participated in our occasional choir. Worship continues to be the center of our life together. In addition to regular Sunday worship we observed special services on Ash Wednesday, Gifts of Women Sunday, Palm Sunday, Good Friday, Easter, Earth Day, More Light Sunday, Pentecost, All Saints Sunday, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and New Year s Eve. This year for the second year in a row we had a combined Thanksgiving service with our neighbors from Desert Heritage Church here in Mesa. As we look ahead to 2014 we do so in the faith that God has yet more light to impart to the world through the guests, friends, members and officers of COL. We do so with thanksgiving for all who have gone before us and for their dedication and generosity. We do so trusting that God isn t finished with us yet and has more for us to do. We pray that there will be many reasons to celebrate 40 years in this place. Thank you once again for the privilege of serving you. I am truly grateful to all of you for your hard work and your commitment to being a place of welcome for all God s children. from Misty, chairperson It is the responsibility of the committee to provide worship leaders for each Sunday service, and this year we had a few new individuals assume this important role. Whether you were a new worship leader or a well-seasoned one, we thank you for helping lead worship each Sunday. We would also like to thank all those who participate behind the scenes by hanging banners, arranging chairs, picking up after services, and decorating the sanctuary. All of these activities are an important part of the overall worship experience. Last, but certainly not least, I want to thank all of the committee members. Your hard work, dedication and creativity are what make for a meaningful service each and every Sunday. Anyone wishing to add input or suggestions to improve our worship service is welcome to attend any of our monthly meetings.

3 Celebration of Life 2013 Annual Report Page 3 Social Justice, Peacemaking, & Mission Report from Marlin, chairperson Early in 2013, members of the Social Justice, Peacemaking & Mission (SJPM) Committee traveled to Douglas, Arizona, and Agua Prieta, Mexico, to visit the Café Justo facilities. The trip turned out to have a much wider scope than anticipated. Mark Adams and the staff of Frontera de Cristo, a Presbyterian border ministry, had a very interesting and moving day planned out for us. The day included biblical reflections at the wall, a visit to the Migrant Resource Center, lunch and a tour of a DouglaPrieta Community Garden (click here and here) as well as a fascinating visit to the Café Justo roaster. Members of our congregation visited and worshiped with Guadalupe Presbyterian Church to stress our continuing partnership and support their missions. We continue to support the Guadalupe Food Pantry with contributions of non-perishable foods. Our church youth also contributed the proceeds from their Souper Bowl lunch to the Pantry. The church continued to provide hygiene kits for the Mental Health Guild Homeless Outreach Project. Thanks to the dedicated volunteers and all of the many donations by our congregation and others, we packed over 1,500 hygiene kits in We also provided Christmas food boxes and gifts for 13 families who were adopted by the caring folks of our Board of Deacons Report The Board of Deacons worked hard this year to address the needs and concerns of the congregation. The Board consisted of Melinda (moderator), Joe (secretary), Judy, Elaine, Tabb and Sharon. The Board divided the congregation into flocks and it is each deacon s responsibility to keep in touch with their flock. The deacons are also responsible for organizing refreshments and serving as greeters. We send out birthday cards and other cards for different occasions. We visit members in assisted living facilities and in hospitals and provide rides to those who can no longer drive. Meals were provided on several occasions. The Board also administers the Deacons Assistance Fund to aid members of the congregation in times of financial hardship or emergencies. The deacons meet once a month to discuss member needs and to find out how we can serve the congregation as well as bottled water in the warmer months and blankets in the colder months. All of this was provided to the homeless mentally ill through the Project for Assistance in Transitioning from Homelessness (PATH) team of Southwest Behavior Health. Moments for Mission presented throughout the year included an Earth Day talk on environmental issues, Mental Health First Aid, and a talk by Genie and Hector Zavaleta from the Guadalupe Church on immigration issues. Leslie Vogel provided a sermon for us in July and told us about her mission calling to Guatemala. During 2013, the congregation participated in the Mesa Prayer Walk, Mesa MLK Parade, Phoenix Pride Parade, Souper Bowl, Heifer Project, CROP Walk, the Guadalupe Food Pantry, and the One Great Hour of Sharing, Peacemaking, Christmas Joy, and Cents- Ability offerings. Contributions through the SJPM committee included the Mental Health Guild; More Light Presbyterians; Presbyterian Health, Education, and Welfare Association (PHEWA); Presbyterian Peace Fellowship; Presbyterians for Earth Care; food gift cards from Safeway for people needing help; and, Salt River Project s Earthwise renewable energy program. from Melinda, moderator congregation for the month. We organized several potlucks and a fall festival Spaghetti dinner and Bunco party. We also organized the church yard sale in October many thanks to Elaine for once again taking on that project. The monies raised were split between the Deacons Assistance Fund and the Homeless Mentally Ill Christmas Project. The deacons also provide lunch and served as greeters at Ann s memorial service, David s memorial service and Maggie s memorial service. The Board of Deacons lost a valuable member this year Joe moved to Santa Fe in July. Judy has served as temporary secretary for the remainder of the year. We thank Joe for his service. The rest of the board is continuing on and we look forward to serving the congregation in 2014.

4 Page 4 Celebration of Life 2013 Annual Report Evangelism Committee Report The 2013 Evangelism Committee members are Melinda, Linda, Susan, Misty, Chris, Kent, and Shelly. Special thanks to Kent who continued to serve on the committee by and phone from New Mexico for the second half of the year. Redesign of the COL website was a major project for the committee; the design and layout was submitted to the vendor toward the end of the year. The home page includes a welcome video by Shelly and four main menus entitled About Us, Worship & Stewardship, Inclusivity & Social Justice, and Celebrate & Serve which contains links to information about committees, groups and activities people can become involved in almost immediately. Submenus will appear as users hover over each of the main menus. The home page will list our Sunday schedule and a map link; it will also include tabs or links for Newsletters and Newsletter Sign-Up, Newcomers Info, our Calendar and Contact Us. Lastly, there will also be a Member Login feature. from Linda, chairperson printed in the January 2014 newsletter (click here). A new banner was created by the committee. Newlydesigned ads were placed in the East Valley Tribune for Christmas and for a three month period in Echo. To evaluate the success of our advertising, a column was added to the Guest Book in which visitors register asking how they found us. Members and friends marched in the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade in Mesa for the 5th year in a row and in the Pride Parade in Phoenix for the 6th year in a row. This year new T-shirts and ball caps were premiered at Pride. With the increased use of online media and social networking tools, the committee authored a Social Media policy which was approved by the Session and Christian Education Committee Report The Christian Education Committee continues its work of providing spiritually meaningful programs for both the youth and adults of the church. Over the past year, we have held weekly Sunday School classes for youth ranging in age from Pre-K through high school, staffed a nursery on a weekly basis, and offered a variety of studies for adults. The Sunday school class continues to be taught by Melinda and Susan. The class accommodates schoolaged children and they use the One Room Sunday School series which easily adapts to different reading levels. The children of Celebration of Life participate in activities and projects big and small. Over the past year they have helped with the packing of the hygiene kits, paraded with palm fronds on Palm Sunday, helped with Church Clean-Up Day, hosted the 2013 Souper Bowl of Caring, made donations to the Heifer Project, and helped raise funds for the Guadalupe Food Bank. The older youth helped prepare an Easter from LaRae, chairperson egg hunt for the younger children, and both age groups decorated the Christmas tree and helped prepare luminarias for the Christmas Eve worship service. BJ, Elaine, and Bridgette helped in the nursery and provided weekly art and learning activities. Shelly ordered a special wooden nativity play set for the nursery that the little one s enjoyed playing with and learning from around Christmas. It is our goal to create fun and educational programs for our children and help attract more families to Celebration of Life. We welcome anyone interested in joining our committee or assisting in any way. We would like to thank Susan and Melinda for their continued service to the Sunday School Program. We also thank our pastor, Shelly, and Ken for their leadership in the area of adult education, and BJ, Elaine, and Bridgette for helping to coordinate the nursery during 2013.

5 Celebration of Life 2013 Annual Report Page 5 Personnel Committee Report We are very fortunate to have a pastor as caring, conscientious, and energetic as Shelly. She begins her ninth year with us and continues to provide stimulating sermons, guidance with the running of the church, and all of our pastoral needs. She faithfully participates in all activities of the church. With her guidance, our church has grown in social activism and spiritually and continues to attract people to our worship. Shelly has been a tremendous asset to our congregation. Our office manager, Liz, has been a strong addition to our staff. Liz has fit right in, seeing that our worship Clerk s Report Celebration of Life started 2013 with 51 active members. During the year one member passed away. As of December 31 st our active membership was made up of 34 females and 16 males for a total of 50 active members. The rolls also include 9 baptized children (i.e. members baptized children who have not yet made profession of faith), for a total of 59 adherents. Building & Grounds Committee Report Our major property improvement for 2013 was new carpeting throughout the building. Carpet tile was chosen so that a small area can easily be replaced if it becomes damaged or soiled. It also allowed for a very striking pattern in the sanctuary, immediately drawing one s attention to the chancel area (thanks, Kent). At the same time we installed an audio induction loop to aid persons with hearing difficulties. The induction loop allows persons with newer hearing aids to hear clearly without distracting background noise. Our tenants, On the Way Ministries, Adolescent Substance Abuse Program (ASAP), and Learning from Marlin, chairperson materials are ready, mailings are prepared and distributed, and all of the other tasks that we ask her to do are completed efficiently. We are very grateful for her service. Lastly, we re grateful for all the people who volunteer so much of their time to see that our church runs smoothly and that our worship is meaningful and fulfilling. Many people our deacons, clerk of session, treasurer, pianist, guitar & drum accompanist, all the people serving on various committees and many others work long hours to make our church a friendly, welcoming, comforting place. Thank you all. from Margaret, clerk of session At year end, the 5 officers serving on the Board of Deacons were all female. The Session was made up of 4 females and 1 male. Average Sunday worship attendance was 37. Seventyseven people attended worship Christmas Eve. from Marlin, chairperson Effective Sobriety Skills (Project LESS) provide additional revenue for our congregation. Unfortunately, On the Way Ministries cut back their presence from every Sunday afternoon to two afternoons a month. This was partly offset by our new tenant, Project LESS, who meets some Tuesday evenings and reserves the nursery for occasional interviews. ASAP meets on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights. We re fortunate to have members of the congregation who devote countless hours helping maintain our building and property. Thanks to Misty (and Berta) for cleaning our church and making it ready for every function. Thanks to Loren, Susan, Eric, and Melinda for all the work that they ve done. Thanks to Fred for trimming trees, cutting grass and generally keeping the grounds looking so good. And thanks to everyone who participated in our annual cleanup and helped in so many other ways. It s wonderful working with such generous people.

6 Page 6 Celebration of Life 2013 Annual Report Minutes from the Annual and Special Meeting of the Congregation From the Annual Meeting Held January 27 from Kent, clerk of session The annual meeting of the congregation was held in the sanctuary after worship. The Rev. Michelle Moe, moderator, called the meeting to order with prayer at 11:35 a.m. A quorum was established. The congregation reviewed the annual reports submitted by the pastor, the board of deacons, and the session. It was moved, seconded, and carried to receive the reports as submitted. The minutes of the congregational meetings held on January 22, September 9, and November 25, 2012 were reviewed. The financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2012 were reviewed. Designated Account beginning balances, receipts, expenditures, and ending balances were reviewed, as well as end-of-year bank and investment balances. It was moved, seconded, and carried to suspend the congregational meeting and convene a meeting of the corporation. MEETING OF THE CORPORATION 1. It was noted that the members of the church make up the corporation and the session typically serves as its trustees. It was moved, seconded, and carried to elect the session as the trustees of the corporation. 2. It was also moved, seconded, and carried to elect Kent as secretary and Misty as treasurer. 3. The report from the Audit Committee for the year ended December 31, 2011 was reviewed. 4. The annual financial audit for the year ended December 31, 2012 is scheduled for February 23; the Audit Committee will again be made up of Shirley, Beverly, and Kent. There being no further business of the corporation, it was moved, seconded, and carried to adjourn the meeting of the corporation and reconvene the meeting of the congregation. The moderator asked if there were any other items of business or concern. Questions about the timeline for installing new carpet in the sanctuary and about Café Justo prices were raised. There being no further business, it was moved, seconded and carried to adjourn the congregational meeting with prayer at 12:01 p.m. From the Meeting Held December 1 The meeting was called to order with prayer by Rev. Shelly Moe, moderator, at 11:35 a.m. A quorum was established. The budget approved by Session was presented. Questions and comments followed. The motion to receive the budget seconded and carried. Elder Linda presented the Nominating Committee s slate of candidates to serve on session: Beverly and Elly, Class of 2015; Suzie, Larry, and Holly, Class of 2016; moved, seconded, and carried. The slate of candidates nominated to serve on the Board of Deacons were: Tabb and Margaret, Class of 2016; moved, seconded, from Margaret, clerk of session and carried. Nominations were taken from the floor for the 2014 Nominating Committee members-at-large. Peggy and Isabella agreed to be nominated; moved, seconded, and carried. Other business discussed included the 2014 per capita, the possible re-structuring of committee chairman assignments which can now include non-session members, and On the Way Ministries request to use the church on the 1 st and 3 rd Sundays of the month. At 11:35 a.m. it was moved, seconded, and carried to adjourn the meeting with prayer.

7 Celebration of Life 2013 Annual Report Page Audit Committee Report from Kent, audit committee liaison The session-appointed Financial Audit Committee (made up of Shirley, Beverly, and Kent) met with COL treasurer Misty on Saturday, February 23, 2013 to review the church s financial records for the year ended December 31, In performing its audit, the committee: 1. Verified that the 2011 ending bank, money market, and New Covenant fund balances as reported to the session were properly carried forward as 2012 beginning balances. 2. Tested a sampling of expenditure accounts to verify the legitimacy of the expenses incurred and that the amounts reported on the year-end financial statements were accurate. 3. Tested the counting sheets for three non-consecutive months and compared the totals received to what was deposited in the bank and reported to the session. The results of the test work listed above are exemplary: 1. The balances were properly reported and carried forward. 2. The sampling of expenditure accounts (specifically, Christian Education, Building & Grounds, and Administration) resulted in no errors, omissions, or misstatements. 3. The counting sheets for February, May, and October matched the revenue reported for the month and deposited with the bank. The committee found one instance where a packing slip had been used in lieu of an itemized invoice, and that the total charge as indicated on the packing slip was split among three different expenditure categories without documenting the calculation of the split. The committee recommends that itemized invoices accompany all packing slips, and that when an amount is split among two or more budget lines, the rationale for determining those amounts be documented. The committee is pleased that the deficiency reported in 2012 regarding how to properly record a COLwritten check donated back to COL as Unpledged Offering instead of a reduction in expense was not detected in this audit. A major part of many audits across the U.S. over the past years includes a test for fraud. The session should know that the scope of the audit committee s work cannot detect every instance in which fraud could occur; in fact, it is the session s responsibility to ensure that any opportunity for fraud to occur is mitigated to the fullest extent possible. However, the committee is pleased to report that no evidence of fraud was detected in the tests and reviews it performed as part of this audit. Treasurer s Report Revenue received during 2013 totaled $84, and expenses totaled $102, In addition, $9, was received and disbursed through our Designated Accounts for special funds such as Christmas Joy, Cents-ability, Heifer Project, One Great Hour of Sharing, Peacemaking, and Disaster Relief. from Misty, treasurer facilities, so the importance of making a pledge cannot be overemphasized. Thank you to all who made such a pledge in 2013, and thank you in advance for your 2014 pledge! Our Session has to try to budget for each year and use guides such as pledges for determining how to best meet our worship community s needs and manage its

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10 Page 10 Celebration of Life 2013 Annual Report 2013 Designated Accounts Summary

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12 Celebration of Life Presbyterian Church 2530 S Alma School Rd Mesa, Arizona Celebration of Life Presbyterian Church USA (480) (480) fax Newsletter items due the 4th Friday of each month. Celebration of Life has been called by God to be a congregation that welcomes and fully values all persons. Our diversity is a gift of God and essential to our witness to the Gospel. Mission Statement At Celebration of Life Presbyterian Church we acknowledge God as our creator and conscience, Jesus Christ as our redeemer and model, and the Holy Spirit as our strength and inspiration. As the Body of Christ, we carry on His mission today in the spirit of peace and love, embracing each person as a member of God's family. We strive to live out our understanding of the Scriptures through providing creative worship, fostering spiritual growth, enabling healing, promoting justice, and reaching out to people in need. Visit Us on the Web... And on Facebook groups/ /#!/pages/ Celebration-of-Life-Presbyterian- Church-PCUSA/