Moderator Report March 2025

 

Moderator Report

March 2025

 

One fourth of 2025 is in the books. That went by fast! We are observing Lent, gearing up for Palms Sunday, Resurrection Sunday, and Red River Presbytery.

Seek Justice. Love Mercy. Walk Humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

Our standing committees have not met, but we have had activity in these functional areas.

Missions.

NTR. Note place in bulletin and announced.

Worship.

We should learn Whosoever Will. It would be a good selection for our Presbytery worship.

Education

NTR

Building and Grounds.

There is an assortment of B&G items in the B&G Mailbox that has been there for a while.

Food for thought.

·         We should make a few minor repairs in the sanctuary before Presbytery (does not have to be the long-term solution).

·         Pastor turnover might be a good time to replace the desk and workstation. The next pastor will also need a CPU & monitor or notebook. The office printer is over 15 years old and is surely due for replacement but it has given us a good run.  I would advise budgeting for these things for the FY 26 budget and then discussing what is needed with the next pastor.

Fellowship

We had a small but enjoyable fellowship meal on 2 February 2025. We need to decide what to do with fellowship meals going forward.

Other

May is Membership Month. Let’s coordinate to invite those who attend regularly or with more than the twice a year frequency to join the congregation. I am not talking about Tom making an announcement several times and hoping for the best. Let’s plan this work and work our plan.

Pastor Turnover. CIF Goal is 1 April; 2025. What you want in your next pastor goal is 1 May 2025. These are not dates to turn in the forms but to get the nuts and bolts established.

Sometime after Spring Presbytery, we (the session) should send a letter to the BOM and Committee on Clergy, Theology, and Social Concerns requesting to dissolve the pastoral relationship with me and approve one in which I am designated as Stated Supply. This keeps us in line with not searching for a pastor while such a relationship already exists. This would go to Presbytery in September for approval.

Since the last time you called a pastor, the Standing Rules of Red River Presbytery have been updated to require the Board of Missions to have a liaison during your search and for the BOM to review the pastoral contract. Note:  The rules do not say approve. The BOM does not have approval authority of who the church calls, but they are the committee assigned to recommend the minister receiving the call to Presbytery.

Therefore, I have enclosed a copy of a contract we reviewed at this month’s BOM meeting. I redacted only the pastor's name.

I suggest that each session member drafts their own verbiage before meeting collectively to arrive at a corporate synopsis. I would also suggest that the session have a “Define who we are” meeting following the scheduled session meeting.

I am on the BOM and can be your liason.

Annual Report. Submitted.

Minutes. Submitted.

Finances.

QR Code Link to Online Giving. Are we there yet? This item was moved to the report section of the agenda.

Projects in Search of a Champion.  

Dates for Planning Purposes.

Unfinished Business.

 

 

Moderator Report for September 2020

 Moderator Report

September 2020

 

This has been a year for flexibility, but our mission has not changed.  We need to concurrently see what missions might be effective now and what we need to set our sights on for next year.

I previously recommended that we combine Walk A Block and Love Ambush #2 but I don’t think we will have the people dedicated to the walking task.  We still have a chance to make connections while people are out on 31 October 2020.

I recommend that we have a Love Ambush #2 (Logistics Only Version).  This would entail ordering about $250 worth of Christian pencils, cross necklaces, Jesus Loves You items and various other reminders of who God is and who we are—people called to love one another.  We also have wristbands, gospels, and videos.  We could put these out the last two weeks of October and let the congregation take what they might give away at their doors or as they walk with their kids around the town.  Leftovers could be consolidated for use in Chewy Tuesdays bags in 2021.

I don’t want to do something just because we have done something for over a decade.  I want to do something because we can still make Face-to-Face connections and talk about God’s love and his call to follow Jesus.

Recommendation #1.  That we order $250 worth of give away items for the congregation to use on 31 October 2020.

Following Kathy Stegall’s Backpack Ministry Report, I recommend that we authorize the Treasurer to issue a check to Kendra Walker for the balance of this year’s budgeted amount for the specific purpose of purchasing school supplies at off-season prices to better prepare us for 2021.

Recommendation #2.  That the Treasurer issue a check to Kendra Walker for the balance remaining of the 2020 backpack funds.  The budgeted amount was $1500.

Worship

Attendance is maintaining at 60+.  The computer is operating with some glitches on music transfer.

Broadcast set up in the front of the sanctuary seems to be acceptable to the congregation.

We have a few new faces and want to make sure we get to know them.

I will send out a draft liturgist list for 2021 soon.

Education

Nothing was prepared for Sunday school classes to move up. No recognition was given.  Agenda item to see if we even want to attempt this in the future.

This was my idea but if nobody is interested, I won’t press it.

Building and Grounds.

The AC units for the kitchen and fellowship hall are not working.  The AC repair for the office/foyer area still requires some finalized action.  I think some makeshift repair was done absent the OEM part.  Larry Walker is following up.

The eastern Kitchen sink leaks but is not causing significant problems.

The ice machine has been cleaned.  Dishwashers cleaned. The filter on the RO unit was replaced.  Water producing as usual again.

Onsite ministry & fellowship

F4, Feed the Players, and 5^th Quarters have resumed.  We had our first fellowship meal of the year.

Other

Martha – Still in the black.  Spreadsheet on request.

Doors – Still unlocked on a recurring basis. Back doors included in this group now.

COVID-19 – Cases are still emerging in town and nearby but to date, nothing seems to warrant a change of local procedure or operations.  Pressing on until further notice