State of the Church Address, Part I

State of the Church

January 31, 2016

St. Mark Presbyterian Church

There are some things you can always count on in a Presbyterian Church. One of those things is the annual meeting -- sometime during late January or early February, every PCUSA congregation has one. There’s always an annual report. Congregations voice their support for the terms of call of the installed pastors. And there’s a celebration of all the blessings that God has given the congregation in

the previous years.

Before entering the ministry, my previous work experience was in politics. I’m still a bit of a political junkie. I’ve always been captivated by the President’s State of the Union address, and the various State of State addresses given by governors. I’ve always thought that church pastors should give a State of the Church address to the congregation, and I’ve always done so where I have served.

I’m delighted to report that the state of St. Mark Presbyterian Church in Ballwin, MO is good. In the four months that I have been here, I have found St. Mark to be a healthy, vibrant congregation with committed leadership.

It has been a pleasure getting to know and work with such a fine, talented staff. I have been impressed with the wonderful leadership of the church, the elders and deacons, and all those who serve on the various committees. I am grateful for all the ways that you have welcomed me here: the coffee dates, the lunches, being in your homes for dinners, interacting with the small groups, the games of golf, and the drop in visits in my office. I truly feel blessed to be called to this place and to serve among you.

By most conventional measures, St. Mark finds itself on solid footing, especially in light of many other PC(USA) congregations. Our membership stands at 676, the average PC(USA) church has 175 members. Our Christian Education enrollment is around 200, the national average is 99. Last year our congregational giving was more than $850,000, while the PC(USA) average is about $244,000. We’re in pretty good shape, comparatively.

But there are some long term trends that are bit concerning. According to the PC(USA) website (http://apps.pcusa.org/tenyeartrends/report/7083/), in the period 2003-2013, church membership at St. Mark dropped from over 1200 to around 700. Congregational giving fell from $1.1 million to just over $850,000. It is important to note, these trends happen to mirror trends in PC(USA) churches around the country, so we’re not alone.

For those of you who know your KJV of the Bible, you may be familiar with Proverbs 29:18: “where there is no vision, the people perish . . .” Upon the departure of Pastor Steve in early 2015, the church elders recognized the wisdom of this proverb. They intentionally set out to use this season in the life of St. Mark to develop a vision for ministry, which will put the pieces in place for this church flourish in its next 50 years of ministry and beyond.

In St. Mark’s Ministry Information Form, called a MIF, which is essentially a job description for the church, the elders wrote: “Knowing that [churches] have lost [their] influential role in communities . . . we are challenged by questions of how to share the hope and encouragement of the Christian faith . . . we look to the Interim Pastor to help us understand the changes in the world around, and to explore how we can develop new ways to reach out in love . . . and help us to develop a vision statement and strategic plan for our future ministry.” So that is my task while I am here with you: to help guide the process of creating a vision for the future ministry of the St. Mark Presbyterian Church.

Part 2 of this will appear tomorrow February 6

The Reverend James K. Poinsett, Interim Pastor