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May 31, 2023
Dear Grace Commons family,
Summer is upon us, and Carrie and I are looking forward to our last summer with you, our adopted Grace Commons family. Many of you have thanked us for our ministry here over the past two years, and we are deeply grateful for your thoughtfulness and encouragement.
In my April Leadership Update, I shared with you that my last day as your Transitional Pastor will be July 31, 2023. Since then I have received many questions about what I will be doing next, so before I dive into the latest Grace Commons news, let me share how God is leading Carrie and me.
I was asked by our denominational leadership to consider serving another congregation as a Transitional Pastor. Since then three churches have contacted me to enter into a discernment process with them. During this same time frame, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship reached out to me and offered me a position to serve as the West Coast Regional Planned Gift Officer to replace a retiring gift officer. As Carrie and I wrestled in prayer about where God is calling us, we felt a deep sense of peace that I should accept the job opportunity with InterVarsity. Unlike a church pastoral position, returning to InterVarsity to finish my career allows us to return to our home in Spokane, WA, to be near our son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren. I can’t wait to be able to spend Saturday mornings on the soccer fields of Spokane, watching our grandchildren and hanging out with our son and daughter-in-law.
Looking ahead, we have a lot to accomplish in my remaining two months as your Transitional Pastor, and I invite each of you to lean into our mission here in Boulder County which is to build a flourishing church that makes disciples of Jesus Christ.
1603 Walnut Update
As I shared in worship on Sunday, the world in which we live is always changing. Today the world is unlike any time the church has ever known, but the gospel message has not changed. My prayer is that every one of us move forward in unity as the people of God in this new world, not retreat from it into a fictional state of yesteryear. Since we live in a new world, this also means that we need to be ready to answer a new set of questions. Most of those questions will be taken up after you install a new pastor, but one question must be answered this summer to lay the foundation for your future ministry. We need to resolve and unify around a viable long term financial plan.
The 1603 Walnut Street project is one major part of Sessions' strategy to incarnate the Gospel into this new world. We just received a letter from the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority with the bad news that our project was not awarded the tax credit financing in this round. Our Boulder Vision Project team and Trustees knew this was a risk. They have been managing this risk by researching alternative ways to finance the project and developing different financial models. This Sunday, June 4, during the Congregational Forum at 11am in Oerter Hall, Trustee leadership will present the results of their analysis. Elders and Trustees will also present the approved budget for Ministry Year 2024 and provide an up-to-date detailed financial report on MY23. This will be the final opportunity to have your questions answered before our Congregational Meeting on June 11 which will take place immediately following our worship service in the Sanctuary. Your elders are inviting you to enter into a season of prayer between now and June 11 as we will face a pivotal moment together. We need God to guide us clearly.
I invite you to watch this short video featuring Lindsay Waymire and Trustee, Warner Andrews and review our frequently updated FAQ's.
In summary, Session is calling a congregational meeting for June 11, 2023 after the 9:30am worship service. Childcare will be provided. All covenant partners are urged to attend for two important votes. We will be voting on a new class of church officers who will begin their terms this summer after training and orientation, and we will be voting on a motion to empower the Trustees to proceed with the property known as 1603 Walnut Street utilizing the best available financing. The exact wording of the motion will be sent out by email prior to the meeting after Session approves the motion at their June 8, 2023 regular meeting. Our Trustee, Elder and Deacon nominating team (T.E.D.) has nominated 16 officers. The photos and bios of the incoming class of officers (listed below) will be included in the June 8 weekly email.
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