April 22, 2022

Dear First Pres Members & Friends,

Happy Easter! However you experienced Easter this year, we hope that you felt Christ’s resurrection presence in your life.

First Pres is full of Alleluias these days. The church building is open and bustling seven days a week as people of all ages come through the doors for food, worship, activities, and fellowship. We look forward to sharing some of what Session has been focusing on below. Before we do that, however, an invitation:

Please join us on May 1 and May 8 to hear the Rev. Dr. Thomas Long in the pulpit. Named one of the Top 10 Preachers in America, Dr. Long is a giant in his field and has influenced generations of pastors. We are delighted that he agreed to preach at First Pres (and while we’d be honored to have him as our new Head of Staff, he is happily retired!).

Session Updates:

Holy Week – Session gave thanks for a moving three days of worship at First Pres. If you attended the 9am service on Easter, you may have seen a gentleman in tattered clothing make his way up the center aisle and kneel as the choir sang. This entirely unexpected moment felt like a strange and profoundly beautiful blessing to many of us, and we hope it was to you. We were also grateful for the church members who surrounded this gentleman with warmth and hospitality following the service. We also felt grateful to Sandor Kadar for bringing in the Gratz Boys Choir to lead us in worship on Maundy Thursday. Finally, please join us in thanking Franny and Franny Abbott for sharing their stunning property with us for the Easter Sunrise Service. It was an unforgettable Holy Week.

For questions or comments about worship, please contact Elder Tracy Burke at doctdburke@gmail.com.

Matthew 25 and Operation Easter Basket – The Matthew 25 goal of raising $25,000 for our neighbors experiencing homelessness was successfully achieved again this year with the help of many generous members of our congregation. 92 gifts were collected by members of our church and community totaling $27,333. $12,500 will be divided among our partner agencies: the West Chester Food Cupboard, Friends Association, and Kennett Area Community Services. Each of these organizations focus on meeting the needs of families dealing with housing or food insecurity. Another $12,500 will used by our ministry staff to quickly provide direct assistance in cases where critical family needs cannot by met by other agencies or resources. The final $2,333 will be invested in our Mission Endowment Fund so that these gifts might grow and sustain our community long into the future.

As part of this year’s campaign the congregation put together 100 Easter baskets for neighbors in need: 40 food baskets for Migrant Ministry, and another 80 with gifts and toys for children served by the Salvation Army and West Chester Food Cupboard. Many thanks to the 25 people who worked together to assemble the baskets. We look forward to making this an annual tradition!

For questions about Matthew 25 or Operation Easter Basket, please contact Elders Anna Bentley (annagbentley@gmail.com) or Tricia Minicozzi (trisha.lynn04@gmail.com). 

Nominating Committee – The tradition at First Pres has been to have a ruling Elder chair the Nominating Committee. Recognizing the time involved in leading an important committee on top of existing duties, this year Session decided to try a different approach and asked Ann Dickey and Barb Snyder to co-chair the 2022 Nominating Committee. This will ensure that the chairs have the capacity to do the job well and will provide fresh perspectives to the Structure Evaluation Committee as they consider how we might update our existing leadership models. Barb and Ann have enthusiastically agreed to take on the role of co-chairs. We are excited to have Ann bring her experience as a pastor working with Nominating Committees complementing Barb’s deep knowledge of the people and history of this congregation. Both are eager to continue fostering the sense of ministry that this committee has nurtured the past few years. We plan to have at least one Session member serve on the committee as well. Following last year’s approach, they will be starting their work discerning for next year’s officers soon and will be reaching out for suggestions from the congregation.

For questions about Nominating Committee, please contact outgoing chair Elizabeth Guman (ecguman@gmail.com). 

Session Covenant – At the Monday meeting, our Elders continued to discuss and affirm the Session Covenant that was adopted in January. This week’s discussion focused on “building and maintaining a culture of trust” and specifically the tenet “leading by example.” We confirmed the need for open communication, transparency, and other behaviors that instill trust. The purpose of the Covenant and its nine tenets is to help guide the Session and all of us at First Pres in our daily walk with Christ and with each other.

For questions about how Session is developing during the transition time, please reach out to Elder Doug Sherman (doug.sherman@comcast.net). 

Session is deeply grateful for your continued enthusiasm and engagement during this season of transition. While we are eagerly anticipating having the next Head of Staff, we recognize that regardless of who is in the pulpit, this is a deeply faithful and loving congregation which we have the joy of serving.

In Christ,

Pete Galloway

Clerk of Session

PGalloway@wcupa.edu

Caroline Cupp

Executive Pastor

ccupp@firstpreswc.com