Conklin Pres News

 February Newsletter                         

Dear friends,

This may be the most difficult annual report I have ever written. 2009 was a challenging year for us as a congregation. I was extremely grateful for the time away offered by the grant from the Lilly Endowment but the realities of our situation here weigh heavy on me every day. The challenges are manifold and together they seem overwhelming. However we know as Christians that with God all things are possible. We know, too, that this congregation has been through more difficult times in its past and God has been faithful as we have worked hard and worked together to bring about the changes we needed in order to thrive and grow once again.

As you are all keenly aware, we lost wonderful members in this congregation at both sites to death and defection. Losing quality leadership and genuinely loving people is a blow to any congregation but to lose so many in one year is devastating to us emotionally. I was always told that when a church loses a good leader that it takes a generation to recoup that loss. I pray that the next generation will step up to the plate and bring their gifts to the table to bring Glory to our Lord as the previous generations have done.

We continue to struggle financially. I cannot explain this. We are a congregation with much to offer. We do above and beyond in almost every other category except giving. Our giving per member is among the lowest in the Presbytery and the denomination. We have fallen behind in our giving to the Building Fund to pay off our mortgage. It is not a question of whether the mortgage is too much for us to handle: better financial minds than mine tell us it is very doable. As with the general fund a small percentage of the membership is carrying the load. If everyone did their part, to the best of their abilities, neither the building fund nor the general fund would be under any strain at all.

I will acknowledge that the church suffered a blow when the arbitrator in our adjudication with Chianis and Anderson awarded them a partial payment of their final bill (with the onerous interest rate!) And it came at a time when the building fund was starting to catch up to where it needed to be! But we can’t let this discourage us from meeting all of our responsibilities in a timely manner. Those of you who were around forty years ago know that what we are facing now pales in comparison with what you faced in the 70’s. Your testimony to us is that God will provide if we are faithful and seek to do His will with our lives. I trust God will carry us through the next three years and we will do more and more for His glory and honor.

We also are taking immediate steps to reduce the expenses of the church. I will be working with our staff and our leadership to reduce costs by 10% overall. There are things we can control and we need to control them. We cannot “drink wine on a beer budget.”

Please do not be misled, there is much positive that is already happening here. The new members we have received in the past year are an amazing group of people who bring with them a new energy and vitality. Their gifts and abilities are greatly needed by us and I am very grateful God led them through our doors and into our life together.

This month we began our newest worship service, “The Second Sunday Celebration.” This casual and contemporary service drew a nice congregation in spite of the fact that we didn’t do a lot of “PR” for it. While we had some of the first time effort bumps in the road, we can see where this may become one of the most popular worship opportunities we offer. The response was overwhelming. God is doing some good stuff!

In February we will begin the Financial Peace University program. This highly recommended class comes to us as an opportunity to help us to be better stewards of the gifts God has given to us financially. If there is one common theme that I have heard time and again from many of you it is the inability to make ends meet. Financial Planner, Dave Ramsey, uses his expertise, the Scriptures and a lot of humor to help us see how to live below our means. These slots are filling up fast. We may be able to order more kits but we will need to know of your interest as soon as possible.

At the Broad Ave. Chapel and when we receive final approval from the Town of Conklin, we will officially open our new clothing depository in the South parking lot. I am excited about this opportunity since its blessings are several. It allows us the opportunity to do some “hands on” mission work right on a regular basis. Secondly it will earn some extra money. The BA-N site will defray costs for that facility and the Conklin one will help us pay our mortgage. In reality their most important function is to provide clothing for those most in need and those in developing countries. For instance, St. Pauly’s Textiles (who own the sheds) will provide bundled clothing for the people in Haiti in the amounts and at the times when it is appropriate and helpful to the relief efforts there. They receive payment for the services they render and save relief agencies from well meaning, yet overwhelming supplies of unsorted clothing that often times goes to the dump rather than the people.

Steve Chastain and I are working closely to move the Acts 16:5 experience forward. This is not a one size fits all program or a how to prescription. It is a tool developed by a successful Pastor to help the leadership of this Church discern how we can become a better Church. When Stan Ott was here he looked closely at our congregation and said we are years ahead of 99% of the churches he works with. While I appreciate his vote of confidence, I do know that we need to continue to change in order to get to the new level of growth in this congregation. There is no such thing as the status quo in the church - you are either moving forward or you are falling behind.

In light of that program, too, Steve C. and I are working on our vision of what we need to do, to be the kind of leadership this congregation needs to face the future with faith and faithfulness. This multi-faceted approach will be reviewed with the Session and its committees and you will hear more about it in the year ahead.

I also need to say that I feel as if I am the most blessed person by being surrounded by the best people. This year Debby and I will celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. I don’t even want to think about where I would be without her. My church staff family has been blessed with a great deal of stability with Wayne sharing his gifts for 23 years and Dottie Jean following with over 21 years of service! Karla has been a stable influence in the office for more than 10 years and in our programs Carol Fuller and Lori Haughton giving us faithful service for more years than either wants to admit. I don’t want you to think that the brevity of service diminishes the positive impact Steve Chastain has made on my life and the life of this church. It may only be a little over a year he has been with us but I don’t want to think about having this responsibility without his assistance!

I do wish Jesus promised us a walk through the roses as our Christian pilgrimage. He did promise to walk with us and to hold us up as we endeavor to do His work in the world. I count on that promise and I know His Word is true! Difficulties and challenges are always opportunities in His hands. I look forward to sharing the opportunities in the year ahead with my brothers and sisters in the Conklin Presbyterian Church!

With much love in Christ,