Friends,

We’ve talked before about how Zoom technology is helping us further our mission as a congregation in so many ways, from our adult education programs, to providing a telephone link to the 11 a.m. Traditional worship service for people who can’t access Facebook Live, to small group meetings (read another article about this, below).

In the past two weeks, two new groups of leaders are off and running in their work thanks to Zoom. The first group is our Associate Pastor Nominating Committee, which you may remember we elected (via Zoom!) at a Congregational Meeting on March 29.

The members of the “APNC” elected Elder Kristen Benway as Chair, along with Deacon Rich Gorton as Recording Secretary (keeping minutes and records) and Blaine Sheppard as Corresponding Secretary (the liaison with candidates). Now the APNC is hard at work, meeting weekly and preparing for their first major task: to write the position description, known as a “Mission Information Form” or “MIF” in the Presbyterian Church (USA).

Once that is written and the Session and Lehigh Presbytery have approved it, they can begin accepting applications and referrals for candidates. So please keep the APNC in your prayers as they go about this vitally important work. They will report directly to the congregation as appropriate to keep you informed of their progress.

And second, the Board of Trustees have begun their work, as well. At a congregational meeting last fall, we decided to reinstate a Board of Trustees to which the Session could delegate the direct responsibilities for stewarding our church property, endowments and invested funds, and other financial and administrative matters.

The Trustees have just elected Lisa Titus as their President, along with Mark Swank as Vice President and Susan Mowrer-Benda as Secretary. The Board of Trustees is picking up work that the Session has been covering for the last two years, so this first year (and particularly the next couple of months) will be a time of some transition as the Property Committee moves from the Session to the Trustees, and the Finance Committee becomes a joint committee between the Session and Trustees. But doing this will actually allow a greater focus on both the strategic and programmatic mission of the church (Session) and the management of our resources for that mission (Trustees).

So please keep both groups of leaders in your prayers during this exciting time, as well!

Grace and Peace,

JC

Since then, our members - and friends -have been attending adult education studies, committee and team meetings, women’s and men’s K groups (right, a women's K group gathering) , Hospitality Time, Sunday School, Choir Time, and Midday Reflections with our pastors through Zoom. 

The Discipleship Committee is continuing our popular "Constructive Conversations" series with the second in a three-part series by Mary Lou Hatcher, which began last week on Zoom.

You are welcome to join, even if you did not attend the first session last week.

READ MORE!

Earth Day: 50 years

Today is the 50th anniversary of the first celebration of Earth Day in 1970.

As an actionable step to be good stewards of the earth entrusted to us by God - even while staying home: we remind you of the two collections we are doing, for plastics and new/gently used shoes. Stash them away and we'll get them when we're together again!