Jody's Journal

January 18, 2007

Dear Family and Friends of the Kirk,

This coming week we have several members representing the Kirk on mission trips. We have a group going to New Orleans to help with the cleanup and reconstruction of homes in the area. I’m very grateful too for their ministry to those who are still suffering from Katrina. Virginia Anthony and Hal Jordan are heading to Guatemala to meet with church leaders there. Our goal is to explore a long term partnership with Presbyterian brothers and sisters there. I like the fact that we have two trips going away at one time- one domestic and one international. We need not forget those in need who are closer to home, but we also need to remember that we are connected by Christ to Christians everywhere.

Please remember to pray for those going on these trips and the people they will meet. You can also support them by reading of their experiences and hearing their stories. This is not only their trip, it is also OUR trip as they go as representatives of the Kirk.

The Long Range Planning Committee is meeting almost weekly now as we make preparations for conversations with the Session and in the congregation. We will be seeking to discern God’s vision for the Kirk through those conversations. There will be some key congregational events where we will be asking you to be a part of that conversation. Stay tuned.

The Session is meeting Sunday night for the first time this year. On the following Friday and Saturday they will meet again for a retreat. We are blessed to have very committed people serving who love the church. One of the difficult issues we will be dealing with over the next month is the development of the budget. The good news is that we stayed within our budget for 2006. Committees were good stewards of their funds. The challenge will be for 2007. Our pledges rose only slightly and some expenses will rise faster. For example, the medical dues for pastors increased this year. Preliminary information indicates that we will be looking for significant cuts in the “asking” budget which comes from our committees. One of the pressures for our budget continues to be almost $235,000 we spend annually for the mortgage. That represents about 25% of our budget and is not available for mission or ministry. The Stewardship and Finance Committee will be working with the Session to develop a balanced budget. Please pray for God to give us guidance as we seek to develop a faithful budget. Our goal is to present the budget to the congregation as information at the Annual meeting on February 11th.

Having shared the challenging news of the budget, I’m glad to say that the other areas of church life seem to be healthy and growing thanks to the work of so many. These are exciting times for us. Thanks for being a part of it.

Grace and Peace,

Jody