State of the Church Address, Part 2

This is the second part of the "State of the Church Address" given by Pastor Jim Poinsett at the Annual Meeting. Click here for Part 1.

Upon my arrival, I set out three priorities to complete this task [of helping to guide the process of creating a vision for the future ministry of the St.Mark Presbyterian Church] The first, to provide meaningful, spirit-filled worship, in order to help unify us as a church family. Worship attendance has stayed consistent, if not strong, in the time I have been here, which is not a given during times of pastoral transition. I’m grateful and  appreciate all the work of Pastor Susan, Bud Clark, Marsha Medley, Mark Reynoso, and the Worship Committee in making this possible.

The second priority is to meet the spiritual needs of the congregation. I continue to appreciate the warm arms of concern that continually envelope those in need, thanks to the work of Pastor Gary and Pastor Susan, the Deacons, and Stephen Ministers. I also want to express my gratitude to Ellen Hynes and Katie Sternhagen and the Children’s Ministry and Youth Ministry Committees for their work in nurturing the spiritual formation of our children and youth. And I’m so pleased that we have such a wide array of Adult Spiritual Formation opportunities thanks to the work of our Adult Christian Ed Committee, and so many opportunities for sharing our lives with one another due to the work of our Fellowship Committee.

The third priority, and perhaps the bulk of my work, is to guide the elders in faithful decision making that will put the pieces in place for this church to flourish and an installed pastor succeed in the next season of ministry for St. Mark.

Thanks to the work of the Stewardship Committee, we were able to put together a very successful Stewardship Campaign this fall, receiving over $756,000 in pledges for 2016. Because of your faithful generosity to the life and ministry of this church we were able to increase the average pledge amount to its highest level in the past eight years. Again, strong financial support is not a given during times of pastoral transition, and I think this speaks to this congregation’s commitment to ministry here.

In October, this church faced a budget deficit of nearly $60,000. But through your generosity and the hard work of the committees and staff, we were able to reduce that deficit to $6,000 by year’s end. And, I’m proud that we have presented the congregation with a balanced budget for 2016, though that balanced budget came with some sacrifice. Many program areas, such as the Deacons and Fellowship Committee, received cuts. Our mission giving was cut in half. And much of the staff received no increase in pay.

Church budgets and Stewardship campaigns are not sexy. Creating a balanced budget with limited resources is not fun. But the 2016 budget is an important move in the right direction to provide financial stability for this church. I am grateful for all the hard work done by the Church Support Committee.

The final piece of this third priority was the creation of the Mission Study Team (MST), which includes: J. Boehme, D. Brown, B. Lienemann, K. Michel, J. Northrip, J. Steward, S. Yoder. Creating the Mission Study is the first step in creating a vision for ministry at St. Mark and also the first step in calling an installed pastor.

Over the next several months, the MST will be engaging the congregation in conversations about our identity, our desire and opportunities for growth, and who God is calling St. Mark to be in its next season of ministry. This Mission Study will help the church gain clarity about its core values; recognize the cultural changes taking place in the world and how it affects our current and future possibilities for growth; and identify our hopes and dreams for the future. Once the Mission Study is complete, we can start to develop a strategic plan for the church and identify what gifts are needed in a future pastor.

In the coming weeks and months, I encourage all of you to participate in this process; engage in the congregational conversations and surveys; provide honest, direct, constructive feedback; and, most of all, keep them in your prayers. The Mission Study, this vision process for the future, is the work of the congregation and the Mission Study Team. I am not here to tell you what to do or what you should do as a congregation. I am here to help you to ask the right questions, and provide guidance as we enter the future together.

I am also committed to transparency during this Mission Study and visioning process. Opportunities for congregational participation in town hall style meetings, surveys, small groups and similar functions will be well publicized. You are able to follow the progre ss of the Mission Study Team on our website (http://www.discoverstmark.org/about-us/discerning-god-at-work/), as information becomes available. And, of course, you are always welcome to speak with me about any concerns or questions you may have.

Part 3 will be published on Feb. 12

The Reverend James K. Poinsett, Interim Pastor