Year in Review 2003-2004

Report of the Moderator 

Report of the Minister

2003 Budget Results and Proposed Budget for 2004

Digest of 160th Annual Meeting of January 20, 2003

Report of the Moderator  Published 16-May-2004

I could not have asked for a better year to be Moderator.  Working through the Church's boards and committees, with wonderful support from the entire congregation. we have accomplished a great deal over the past year: (a) a successful, all-church visioning process, (b) a very positive stewardship campaign and (c) the presentation of the 2004 annual budget that expands spiritual programming, most visibly with the addition of Sam Schaal and Carrie Kreps.  The addition of Carrie and Sam will allow for more meaningful expansion of Christian educational opportunities for all members as they plan new ministries fir young adults and families and more meaningful inclusion of youth in the life of the church.

With Steve Peay's thoughtful planning, leadership and facilitation, the members of the Church began a disciplined education of our strengths, weaknesses and opportunities as we searched for new ways for us to "be church" in the Wednesday evening meetings during Lent in 2003 and ending with the Visioning Meeting on September 28.  This was particularly exciting because the "Visions" that were adopted were not the result of deliberation of a small long-range planning committee, but rather were the clear thoughtful messages of the Church membership as a whole.  As I considered members of the Planning Committee, I made it a point to appoint "champions" for the four planning imperatives.  I look forward with real excitement to the report of the Planning Committee when it is presented in June.

Under the dedicated guidance of Marc Blazich, the Stewardship Committee was able to articulate why we all need to support the church financially and by service.  The campaign empowered all of us to work for the common good by reminding us that all we have comes from God and that our covenant demands that we we return to God a portion of His gifts.  I believe that now we understand that we are making an excellent investment when we give to the Church.  There has been a positive change in "tone" in the budgeting for the Church over the past year.  We adopted, unanimously, a 2004 budget that continued teo priorities from 2003: the transfer of an additional $50,000 from operations to fund long-term needs of maintaining the wonderful building and grounds that we enjoy and continued benevolence giving at 10% of our income and 100% of special benevolence offerings.

Working in concert with Steve Peay, as new staff was hired this year, we were able to build on the infrastructure work of the past, particularly, detailed job descriptions to help us to identify the qualities we wanted to see in candidates.  Cindy Payette began her new position as administrator (and with Rani Gusho's wonderful help, Cindy's transition into the day-to-day operations of the Church has been seamless).  I also want to take this opportunity to thank the many members of the Church who volunteered their time to meet program needs, particularly in the area of youth ministries.

From mid-October through December, we worked on the personnel budget for the Church.  Our guiding principle was to create a staffing budget that would allow us to begin to implement the strategic planning goals that came out of the visioning process, and particularly the September 28 all-church meeting.  We knew that we needed to create a budget thta would allow us to hire Sam Schaal as Associate for Pastoral Care and Spiritual Formation, which we did in December.  In order strengthen youth ministries, we hoped to hire an Associate Minister for Families and Youth in mid 2004.  We have now accomplished that through hiring Carrie Kreps, someone who is well known and respected by the congregation from her exemplary work as an intern.

Finally, a word about our sheepdog: we are truly blessed to have Steve Peay as out Senior Minister.  He brings the rare combination of strong intellect, wonderful people and planning skills and, most importantly, an ability to bring a sense of love, wisdom, and compassion to his calling.  Frankly, we would not have had the year we have had without Steve, and we ask Steve to continue to keep watch on us as a flock.

Steve Fisher, Moderator

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Annual Report of the Minister for 2003  Published 18-January 2004

"Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he." (Proverbs 29:18 KJV)

Not long ago I wrote a report on our visioning process and used this verse from Proverbs.  The first part of the verse is often quoted, but I think we don't catch the real meaning of it.  The word "vision" there is better translated 'prophesy' - as it is in the Revised Standard Version - and what it's trying to get across to us is the need to be in touch with what God wants us to be.  Those who are actively listening to what God wants and trying to follow in that way experience true happiness.  To lose the vision, to be out o touch, is to 'perish', to stop being, what we're intended to be.  This past year has been a year devoted to developing and refining a vision of who we are and what we wish to become as a Church - as we end 2003 and begin 2004 I believe that we are moving forward with a vision.

......

Last year I offered these goals and said that I hoped you come to you this year with the list "crossed off." Here's where we stand:

Short Term:

• Develop and implement an effective marketing/outreach program for FCC - Implemented and in progress.
• Develop and implement a balanced program of adult education/spiritual formation, in cooperation with staff. - Implemented and in progress.
• Develop and implement a comprehensive program for planned giving/endowment.- In progress, implementation in the near future.
• Develop and implement a stewardship education and 'renewal' program - including a revised budget process (Fall 2003). - Implemented and in progress, though the budget process will still need to be tweaked!

The Long Term goals on staff nurture and development, education and improvement of congregational worship, development of internship and lay ministry programs, and various writing projects are all in progress and should bear fruit in the near future.

My personal goals for the coming year are to continue to "push" those items that are "in progress" and to use as much as possible the principle of "Natural Church Growth" to completing those goals.

........

Reverend Steven A. Peay, Ph.D., Minister

Budget 2004 

Church Clerk's Report

Membership

as of Dec. 31, 2002                            975

Members deceased                               22
Members transferred                               8
Members deleted                                  56
Total removed -                                    86

New Members Received

Covenant Class                           13
New Member Class                    33

Total received                                       46

Total Membership
     as of December 31, 2001              935

Baptisms                                              32
Weddings                                              6
Funerals and Memorial Services
    Members                                         19
    Non-Members                                   0

Minutes of the 160th Annual Meeting on January 19, 2003

Respectfully submitted,
Sally Boyle