Moderator's Report

 “The human mind plans the way, but the Lord directs the steps.” (Proverbs 16:9, NRSV.) 

It has been a very busy year for St. Mark and for me professionally. The church continued to gather regularly for worship, prayer, education, mission, and fellowship. We met around God’s Word in several new and unique ways in 2024. This included weekly Sunday school classes, various Bible studies, midweek learning opportunities, and the weekly online St. Mark Spark. The church should never stagnate, and I am pleased at the various ways we’ve built upon our solid foundation over the past year. 

The church continues to host many special events for members and guests. I love seeing so many neighbors at the Jerusalem Festival, Bunny Breakfast, Fall Festival, and Santa Brunch. It’s also wonderful to join in service opportunities like the Rise Against Hunger event. Many of the people who participate will never attend a Sunday service, but the church continues to grow as we love and serve our neighbors both near and far. I know we will find new and creative ways to engage our community in 2025.

I served the Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy as vice-moderator for much of this past year. This included moderating the monthly gathering planning meeting where we organized every presbytery meeting. I am also working with the Vision Team on helping the organization with a sustainability plan. Over the past couple of months, I’ve moderated the Mound Ridge Task Force. This group convenes every four years to work on a ministry partner agreement. This has taken a good deal of time, but I am hopeful it is a benefit to the camp, the presbytery, and the member churches. In November, the presbytery ordained me as the moderator at a service at St. Mark. This one-year position is a cross between the organization’s president and speaker of the house. It requires a substantial amount of time to accomplish the work, but I am thankful for this unique opportunity to serve. 

I also served as a presbytery delegate to the Presbyterian Church (USA) General Assembly in Salt Lake City, Utah during the summer. I worked on the Financial Resources Committee where we discussed the denomination’s unifying budget work, equitable clergy compensation, special offerings and many other issues. It was a long two weeks, but it is an honor to participate in this important work. 

Much of my work from this past year centered on looking ahead to 2025. We are excited about our upcoming Capital Campaign Program kickoff on April 27. The church has not had a major fundraiser in over ten years, and there are many exciting projects in the works. I am thankful for the effort of many volunteers on the committee, and we look forward to sharing the improvements with the congregation soon. This past year had many uplifting highs and several crushing lows. Through it all, we continue to lift up Jesus as Lord and seek to follow God’s call in our individual lives and in our corporate life together. I am thankful to share this journey with you all.

 In Hope and Confidence, Pastor Dave