Our Elders and our Deacons gathered last weekend for our annual Officers’ Retreat at Massanetta Springs. It was a wonderful weekend as we learned together, prayed together, shared stories with one another, and grew in faith.
We began our time on Friday evening with an exercise that divided the group into teams, with each team on a variation of a scavenger hunt. Teams were given numerous passages from our Book of Order, Directory of Worship, and Book of Confessions with blanks and they had to locate the passages and fill in the blanks. The books that make up our Constitution are rich with the history and theology of the Reformed tradition, along with the beliefs and practices that distinguish us as Presbyterians.
As we reviewed our responses on Saturday morning, there were lots of questions, and the questions led to wonderful, thoughtful conversations about why we do things the way we do. We learned especially how important the Bible is to us: reading it, studying it, and seeking understanding with God’s help through the Holy Spirit.
After lunch the Board of Deacons and the Session went off to separate room so each group could meet. On the Session’s agenda was passing the Budget for 2008. We are in the process of changing and updating much of our financial reporting with our new Financial Administrator, Lisa Faust. We also made the decision to hire an outside Accounting firm to review our reports and practices, something we have not done in quite a few years.
We also agreed to restore a practice our church had not that long ago, one that many other churches use with great success: designating one night a month as Ministry Team Meeting Night. We want to improve communication about our Teams, as we all work within this Body of Christ. Making the Meeting Night work will require some schedule adjustments from most of us, including me, but churches that follow this practice all find it well worth the effort.
We ended our time on Sunday morning with a worship service. What made it truly special was that everyone was involved, from Call to Worship through the Benediction. When it came time for the Lord’s Supper, we took a common cup and a loaf of bread and passed it around the circle, each person served, each person serving. We were gathered in a meeting room in the beautiful setting of Massanetta Springs, but we were also spiritually gathered in that Upper Room.
I find it such a joy to work with our leadership groups. Our Elders and our Deacons work hard and work faithfully serving God and this church. I encourage you to learn more about their work, pray for them, support them, and thank them, remembering that we are all called to the work of “promoting the Body’s growth in building itself up in love.”
Grace & peace,
Pastor Skip
