This was the year when we found out what it could be like if we had an Assistant Minister. Because our student intern, Rosemary Lloyd, was here 30 hours each week, and because her gifts as a minister are already in full bloom (from pastoral care to preaching to stewardship, you name it).
I believe the congregation has rarely been better or more completely served than it was this year. Rosemary was an important part of that, and so were every member of the staff, all of our committees, our Lay Leaders, and our choir. Our church school, thanks to Barbara O’Neil and this year’s cadre of volunteer teachers, is at an all-time high. In short, we were really solid this year, and you will be astonished by the depth and breadth of what we accomplished as you read the pages of this Annual Report.
For my part, I want to focus on three things: adult programs, the ninth-grade “Minister’s Class,” and where I think we are as a congregation.
We offered a wide variety of adult programs this year. With Rosemary’s help, I launched a Social Hour on Wednesday’s at 5 o’clock in the Stearns Room – a no-agenda opportunity for parishoners to converse with each other and their ministers over a glass of sherry or juice. We hosted ten of these from mid-September to mid-November. They were variously attended by as many as twenty and as few as eight people, and a good time was had by all. The year featured four adult study groups with well over 100 people taking part. Over 60 people read and discussed Elaine Pagels’ bestseller, Beyond Belief in the fall, and almost as many read Marcus Borg’s Reading the Bible Again for the First Time in the spring. They year also included a one-session review of Dan Brown’s book, The Da Vinci Code attended by 80 avid readers, and three drop-in sessions for parents of teenagers.
There were 14 ninth-graders in the “Minister’s Class” this year, which began meeting with me in January every other week for dinner and conversation. These evenings are a mix of socializing and serious talk – about images of God, who Jesus was, other world religions, ethical dilemmas, how to take good care of your relationships, and the writing of your own personal credo. During November and December, before calling the group together, I meet with each of the kids individually in his or her home, after school. This year’s class was an exceptional group.
My church year began with three memorial services in the first two weeks and three weddings in the first month. I also baptized eight babies and young children this year. So the basic functions of the church are intact! In December, 29 people joined the church. And on Christmas Eve, we added a second evening service for the first time, thus offering three services in all. The sanctuary was full each time.
Where are we as a congregation? Healthy, engaged, spiritually diverse, generous and eager to expand on and deepen what we learned this year. We need to reach out to our newer members in ways that will help us get to know each other. We started three new small groups this spring and could easily start two or three more next fall. But for now – take a break: summer is almost here!
Respectfully submitted,
The Rev. Roger Paine, Senior Minister