The Board will hold its Annual Meeting of the congregation on Sunday, June 27, 2021. At this meeting, we will be presenting reports of our financial status. We will also be considering a budget, leadership for the coming year, and by-laws that are being developed. We look froward to having as many people present as possible that day! We welcome congregational support and input! In an effort to be more inclusive, we will be holding this meeting via Zoom at 1pm. Zoom Meeting ID: 7349714245.

This date is in keeping with a proposal that had previously been considered by the congregation to change our fiscal year from the calendar year to a July 1-June 30 one. Such a change would affect financial reporting and terms of office.

For the past year, the Board has engaged in the practice of discernment to inform us as we move forward in our process of transition. You may recall that at our 2020 Annual Meeting, we embarked on this transition with a vote to suspend our by-laws.

During this time, we have been working with a bookkeeper and with staff of NEW Center, an agency that offers consulting services to non-profit organizations. With their help, we are developing financial policies, and they are helping us organize our financial records to provide transparency and accountability. Future plans include hiring a bookkeeping service.

Throughout this period discernment, the Board has made several observations.

First, our on-line worship has extended the reach of our congregation beyond the regular attendees and our shut-ins. When we met on Pentecost Sunday for the first in-person worship in 14 months, two people were present who had found us on Zoom. Although they had never previously been to the church to worship, both enthusiastically participated in leadership of the service that day.

Second, while we in the congregation were seldom in our church building during the pandemic, our doors were opened wide, through our homelessness ministries, to more people than ever before. We were able to provide a food pantry as well as clothing and coordination to accommodate housing needs.

Third, people in the community recognizing the essential nature of our homelessness ministries were supporting us financially.

As the Board recognizes the ways we have widened our reach through worship and through our ministry in the community, we acknowledge the importance of extending our reach by expanding our leadership pool to include participants in our ministries, recipients of our services and other community partners. We want to invite them as companions in faith to join us on our journey of faith.

At our Annual Meeting, we will be presenting reports of our financial status. We will also be considering a budget, leadership for the coming year, and by-laws that are being developed.

We look froward to having as many people present as possible that day! We welcome congregational support and input!

Blessings—
Rosalie Karunas, for the Board