FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF PETALUMA ANNUAL REPORT 2019
CONTENT
Pastor John
3
Adult Christian Education
6
Budget & Finance
9
Bookkeeper & OďŹƒce Coordinator
12
Congregational Life
14
Facilities
17
Mission
22
Outreach
24
Personnel
26
Student & Family Ministries
27
Sunday School Coordinator
29
Worship
33
Music Director
36
Deacons
38
Nominating Committee
41
Session & Statistical Report
43
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Paying Attention to God JOHN CHASE, PASTOR My dear friends,
The eminent Jewish scholar, Abraham Joshua Heschel, once wrote about being present in the world in a way which is called, kavanah, a word that literally means to straighten or to direct. As a theological term it means to be ever facing toward God, to being attentive to God’s presence in the midst of everything we do. As I look back on 2019, I am so grateful for the many ways in which we taught and reminded one another to engage in kavanah, paying attention to God’s presence.
Our hard-working Elders and Deacons did a tremendous job this year, alongside so many other church and community volunteers, and this excellent work is now recorded and celebrated in the pages of this Annual Report.
Once again, I can’t say enough about the ways you cared for one another and those in our local community. You prayed, delivered meals, crafted and mailed cards. You made calls, sewed pillowcases, hung Christmas greens, and showed up in hospital rooms with flowers and smiles. You shared your musical gifts, pruned roses and shrubs, and harvested vegetables. You shared your lives over cups of coffee, and broke bread with friends and strangers who became friends. In the worship you led, the friendship pads you collected, the Bible studies you taught, the burgers you grilled, the lawns you mowed, and sinks you scrubbed, you are tireless. In all that you do, in the gifts you shared, you have made God’s presence visible in the world.
I was thrilled this year that we completed the remodel and then rental of the Agape Apartment. Pastor Inose, who shepherds the Fijian congregation that worships on our campus Sunday afternoons now lives there with his son. Many, many volunteers worked hard to transform this empty dilapidating space into a bright, clean warm, and 3
welcoming home. Revenue from the rental has provided a significant financial boost to our annual budget.
Our wonderful student ministry staff and volunteers continued to make our Children’s Worship Center a warm and welcoming place for children and grownups to encounter Jesus through Godly Play and the stories of the Bible. We hosted another Gaelic Heritage celebration. Linda Dragoo represented our congregation by speaking at Petaluma’s Interfaith Thanksgiving service, and we hosted Petaluma’s fourth annual Community Carol Sing.
In October we opened our doors and welcomed evacuees who had fled their homes during the Kincade Fire. It was an incredible display of hospitality, reminding me of Jesus’ words in Matthew 25, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” We payed attention, and God was clearly present.
This year we laughed together, and we also cried together. Many of us faced physical, emotional and/or relational struggles. God was present as we held one another in our grief and said goodbye to some dear friends who died or moved away. Your commitment to one another in your joys and sorrows is a visible reflection of Christ’s sacrificial love and presence.
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On a more personal note, Tara and I are now in our seventh year in Petaluma. Our ministry of presence in the community here has deepened our relationships with friends at The Wild Goat Bistro, as well as our new other favorite restaurant, Pearl, down on 1st Street (tell Annette that Tara and John sent you). Tara is simply amazing. Her grace and love for people astounds me, and I absolutely could not do what I do without her support. I am truly a better person and pastor because of her. Also this year, my Useless Pastors group met in Missoula, Montana for our 10th annual retreat. I love these guys.
It is a blessing to be a part of this congregation. One of my goals as your pastor is to help you, the people I serve, to deepen your Christian faith. Ultimately, this is really the work of the Holy Spirit. My human task is to create opportunities by which that Spirit might open us up – as individuals and as a congregation – to God’s presence and leading.
I’d be remiss if I did not thank not only our wonderful staff, but you as well, the members of this congregation I have come to love, the faithful members of Session, Deacons, and all with whom I count it a privilege to minister. May we continue to turn toward God and be transformed by Christ’s presence. I can’t wait to see where God leads us into in 2020.
I hope you will take the time to read through this Annual Report and see the impact First Presbyterian Church is having on the community around us.
In all seasons of life, to God be the glory, now and always.
Your pastor, servant leader and friend,
John Chase
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Adult Christian Education LONNA MULKEY, ELDER 2019 Commission Members: Jim Donnelly, Linda Dragoo, Wayne Roberts, Lonna Mulkey and Pastor John Chase (ex-oďŹƒcio)
The mission of the Adult Christian Education Commission (ACE) is to provide opportunities for members to develop and deepen their relationship with and become followers of Jesus Christ. ACE facilitates, encourages, and oversees small groups and retreats and maintains the Church Library of resource materials for both individual and small group study.
Our four active small groups have studied a variety of topics, some using the Bible and some using other resources. The camaraderie, companionship, and confidentiality that exists in our small groups is an incredibly meaningful part of our time together. All groups welcome more participants. ACE is ready and willing to help start new groups.
The Adult Bible Class meets on Sundays after the morning worship service in the Fireside Room. Larry Hebert leads this small study group. The class usually starts with past week experiences and things of congregational interest. The Women with Spirit is a small group facilitated by Cretia Horn. These women meet in various homes on Tuesday evenings. The group occasionally plans outings and events and meals together.
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The Ladies’ Bible Study meets on Wednesday morning in the Valley Orchard’s Library Room. This group is facilitated by Linda Dragoo.
The Men’s Bible Study, led by Jim Donnelly, meets on Thursday afternoons in the Fireside Room.
In addition to our four small groups, Pastor John led a Wednesday night book studie. The studies included a soup and bread supper. The most recent study was of Barbara Brown Taylor’s book An Altar in the World.
In addition, ACE supported the Women’s Retreat a Westminster Woods and has been exploring issues around Race following a presentation at Presbytery— Race Matters. We are exploring the possibility of a joint study with the Presbyterian Church of Novato.
You are invited to take time to visit The Church Library in the Fireside Room. There are resources you can use for your own study to grow deeper in your faith. You might even find a book you would like to use for a new group study.
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“For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.� Matthew 18:20
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Budget & Finance SHAWN DOOLEY, ELDER Commission members: Shawn Dooley, (Chair), Dan Ellecamp (Treasurer), Eric Goodrich, Dan Mulkey, Pastor John Chase (ex-oďŹƒcio) Sta: Roger Johnson (Bookkeeper).
General fund 2019 experience and 2020 budget: The table below presents the line by line detail of the general fund budget and actual experience for 2019. The Budget and Finance Commission recommended a 2020 budget to Session, which Session approved. The budget will be presented to the congregation at the January 2020 Annual Meeting.
Actual pledge giving came in below budget, while non-pledge was above budget, leading to a nearly equal budget vs. actual on giving. On the expense side, BFC commends the commissions for managing expenditures.
We continued to pay down the mortgage principal associated with the reconstruction of the sanctuary in 2003 as part of the loan renewal with the Synod. The principle balance is now below $80,000!
Ray Swain Building Fund (RSBF): Giving to the RSBF in 2019 totaled $26,982, which helped fund mortgage payments.
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Accomplishments/actions during the year: • Bookkeeper Roger Johnson continued to maintain high standards of accounting.
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Shawn Dooley completed the annual financial review.
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Over the last few years we have had great participation in per capita giving, This year was no exception in that 100% of our members, who actually participate in church activities, paid their per capita in 2019.
•
Eric Goodrich continued to organize and manage a dedicated and faithful counting team.
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Conducted a detailed analysis of pledge giving during the year.
•
Completed and delivered employee performance review for Bookkeeper.
•
Reviewed the BFC Policy and Procedure manual.
BFC wishes to again acknowledge our wonderful Banking Team members who week in and week out enter the data and make the deposits at the bank: Dianne Trumpy, Mike Glose, Mark Hale, Lonna Mulkey, Karyl Crook, Michelle Carroll, Gil Dias, Amy Dooley, Dan Mulkey, Shawn Dooley, Eric Goodrich, Earl Spurgeon, Donna Wall, Nelda Roberts, Dan Ellecamp, and Mark Sturges under Eric Goodrich’s leadership.
Respectfully prepared and submitted,
Shawn Dooley, Chair
2019 Budget and Finance Commission
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First Presbyterian Church of Petaluma General Fund Income
2019 Budget
2020 Actual
Budget
115,315
107,992
125,000
18,000
25,055
18,000
Plate Offering
2,000
1,956
2,000
Other Offering
0
322
0
135,315
135,324
145,000
27,224
53,079
50,695
162,539
188,403
195,695
Pastor
84,435
84,665
88,842
Personnel (non ordained)
56,803
55,987
59,863
Facilities
32,325
37,064
35,543
Office
2,800
2,702
3,050
Per Capita (PCUSA)
4,274
4,274
4,274
Mission Pledge (PCUSA)
1,000
1,000
1,000
250
204
250
0
110
0
181,888
186,006
192,822
Worship
1,800
1,054
1,800
Congregational Life
1,250
956
1,250
Student & Family Ministries
1,000
35
500
845
460
870
1,450
1,936
1,500
Adult Ministry
500
60
500
Stewardship
200
46
200
Total Ministries
7,045
4,547
6,620
Miscellaneous
0
0
0
Total Expense
188,933
190,553
199,442
Excess (Deficit)
-26,394
-2,150
-3,747
Pledge Offering Non-pledge Offering
Total Offering Other Total Income
Expense Overhead
Budget & Finance Session Total Overhead Ministries
Outreach Missions Local
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The Office ROGER JOHNSON, BOOKKEEPER & OFFICE COORDINATOR As the bookkeeper for the congregation I primarily pay bills and employees, record offerings and donations, and report on them to Session and the Budget & Finance Commission. The only major impact on the bookkeeping function will be an upgrade to the desktop computers we use in the office due to Microsoft’s decision to discontinue support of Windows 7. This upgrade also necessitates changing the contribution and membership databases. Beginning in 2020, we will be using an online product called ChurchTrac, which will give us more flexibility to access data remotely and to communicate with members.
As Office Coordinator my work varies in terms of load and timing. Each week it is important to communicate with those who will be participating in worship as Worship Leader, Discovery Time presenter, audio and video, and ushers. In addition to producing the Sunday Worship bulletin and announcements each week, I also edit the Exchange — our online eLetter for event announcements, birthday sharing, sermon recordings, and sharing of a message from the pastor. Often these are completed on Friday — hopefully they are timely enough for planning your Sundays and contain something that will peak your interest. It is a little disappointing that some of our members don’t receive the Exchange and that the open rates, although better than national average, still hovers at around 35%. If you aren’t receiving it, you should. Let the office know and we will sign you up.
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Steve Crook continues to be a constant help by folding bulletins, distributing materials for worship and working to make the oďŹƒce run smoothly. Thanks Steve for your hard work and the Friday morning donuts! We did distribute a new Church Directory in the 1st quarter of 2019. I don’t expect that we will be issuing a new directory until 2021.
I look forward to continuing to support Pastor John and Congregation in the day to day functions of the church.
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Congregational Life ELIZABETH HALE, ELDER Commission Members: Elizabeth Hale (chair), Carol Goodrich, Cretia Horn, Pastor John Chase (ex-officio) Role and Accomplishments of the Congregational Life Commission included:
Hosting All-Church Events — Gaelic Heritage Sunday, Kick-off Sunday BBQMission Faire, and Thanksgiving Luncheon.
Young At Heart — Lovingly prepare lunches that provide fellowship opportunities followed by educational programs, guest speakers, or entertainment. In 2019, we learned about the creative housing solutions offered by SHARE Sonoma County from Amy Appleton; the importance of fall prevention from Daniella Bonovitch of Home Instead Senior Care; practiced strength building yoga poses 14
and stretches with Stephanie Lawrence; traveled with Bob Heyman and Diane Trumpy, Jack and Joyce Schipper, and Dan and Lonna Mulkey, learning more about their lives as they shared their far away adventures. Finished the year with Larry Hebert’s reading of the Christmas story and a carol sing led by Homer Johnstone and Pam Sommer.
Internal Church Communications — The Exchange, the weekly eLetter distributed to members and friends of FPCP.
Community Resources — Community Agencies that offer opportunities and services for Congregational needs in life. Agencies include but are not limited to: Petaluma People Services Center, Hope Counseling, COTS, Home Instead, Mentor Me Petaluma, Petaluma Village Network, Hospice, Habitat for Humanity, and PEP Housing.
Membership Roles — Review membership, transfers, departures, and deaths.
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FPCP 2019 WORD FIND PUZZLE
S T F I G G N I H C T A M Y Z V P X M B K D
R G C Y P A Y Z S R O T S A P S S E L E S U
V E G G I E T A B L E X G F H G S Y N P Y E
T S N O C A E D L B H N M V C K E C K A B P
R I O H C L L E B P I R F A L G O O O G P I
T O M A T O E S L L Y K D A U M E R P A R P
Z E D S T A R S O R V L W Y M S E S A P E H
E T L P M I B R R D O S D U D T I D I E G A
P M L B H F A X W T R U N O N U N O L A A N
Q A I O M C U H Q E K I N E G B I O Y P T Y
E D A T N E A F M A O O C G Q T A W O A I N
C O N I Y G S I O N B N U B A R H R U R R H
C H I L D R E N S W O R S H I P C E N T E R
I W N V S H E S E I G H Z U N C R T G M H F
N P O O Z U B V T P A G V L O O E S A E C V
Session Discovery Time Deacons Worship Ensemble Epiphany Bell Choir Coffee Westminster Woods Veggie Table Young At Heart Children’s Worship Center Hope Counseling Godly Play Pumpkins Useless Pastors Tomatoes Agape Apartment Gigi EvacuaJon Center Longest Night
G B U L I E V A O N I E R L N F Y N T N I G
N A A M I S U V D C I H S N I F A I H T L W
L K R J P C S P S E S G S F O E R M E G E H
L V G D A K A E E O D I H R K E P T A I A I
A U Q V E N I R S W J Z D T O O T S R U G J
Q G E V H N E N Z S J U C Y V W L E T I E P
H O P E C O U N S E L I N G Q Z J W G I H L
Communion Matching Gi<s Alzheimers Walk Gaelic Heritage Caroling Stars Handpan Koinonia Prayer Chain Garden 16
Facilities STEVE CROOK, ELDER Mission Statement To create and manage an ongoing framework for maintaining and improving our church facilities for both the short and long term. Continue to evaluate, explore and develop facility revenue generating opportunities.
Facilities Commission Members Steve Crook (Chair), Pastor John Chase (exoďŹ&#x192;cio), At-Large Members - Karyl Crook, Dan Ellecamp, Chris Olson, Mike Roberts, Wayne Roberts, Mark Sturges and Jack Schipper.
The Facilities Commission met four times in 2019 and was able to accomplish the following projects with a limited budget but an awesome group of church member volunteers.
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2019 Project Achievements Updated the Facilities Commission Elder Manual.
Continued and expanded the ongoing rental use of the church campus with Hope Counseling, Bethel Fijian Congregation, California Redwood Chorale, Pacific Empire Chorus, Petaluma (Junior College) Chorus and the Agape House Apartment.
Worked with Hope Counseling to facilitate a new three-year lease agreement.
Updated and restructured the rental usage terms for current tenants and one-time users.
Thanks to Mark and Debby Sturges, Chris Olson, John Chase and others who helped complete the renovation of the Agape House Apartment.
Rented the Agape House Apartment on June 1, 2019.
The proceeds from rentals and a few onetime uses generated income in 2019 in excess of $38,000; these monies went into the General Fund of the church. This is an increase in revenue of approximately $12,000 over the previous year.
Approved several Facility Use Requests throughout the year to hold various functions on the church grounds, some of which were church sponsored events.
The Fireside Room is completely remodeled except for the installation of the stained glass over the fireplace.
Completed and upgraded the churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s outdated irrigation system which now services our garden project, lawns and shrubbery. This project has saved the church several hundred dollars. In this coming year it is anticipated the cost savings will exceed $1,000. 18
Repaired riding lawnmower, pressure washer, along with various other pieces of equipment.
The Mow Team of Dan Ellecamp, Gil Dias, Dan Mulkey, Keith Lew, Wayne Roberts, Jack Schipper, Andrew Schipper, Mark Sturges and Troy West kept the lawns edged and mowed throughout the year. Thank you!
Held two all campus "Work Days" in which various projects around the campus were completed such as cleaning, weeding, painting, trimming, & hauling away debris. These work days were well attended by church folks who volunteered their time & talents to maintain our beautiful campus.
Performed the following miscellaneous projects:
Supervised the church custodian
Repaired sanctuary thermostats Painted outside restroom doors
Painted walkway hand rails and step warning strips
Reattached overhead beams to kitchen lattice structure
Installed New Parking signs in the main parking lot
Sanded and stained front church benches
Repaired/replaced broken lawn sprinkler heads.
Major cleanup behind Koinonia Hall, Fireside and Discovery Rooms
Replaced garbage disposal in kitchen sink
Touched up sanctuary blue wall Disposed of old couches from the Agape house
Repaired and replaced exterior walk way lights
Used the leaf blower to clean walk ways
Disposed of fluorescent lights
Assisted in setting up and taking down tables for various church events
Hauled church debris to the dump
Disposed of used batteries
Ordered/procured janitorial and church supplies on a monthly basis
Replaced lightbulbs
Repaired doors in Sanctuary, Agape and Hope
Installed door handles and locks – Sanctuary, Fireside Room and Agape House
Repaired book shelves
Repaired fences
Unclogged sewer, sinks and toilets
Repaired Toilets
Cleaned and repaired gutter downspouts
Cleaned kitchen grease trap
Changed sanctuary, office and Hope’s furnace filters
Annual fire extinguisher review
Pumped water out of the sanctuary ducting
Met with neighbors regarding fence replacement
Worked with Recology Recycling representative
Performed various general handyman jobs.
Reset walkway timers
Installed under-counter light over the kitchen sink
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2020 Facilities Commission Goals Clean and re-stripe the church’s parking lots.
Evaluate the Discovery Room to determine the feasibility of a possible remodel.
Install the stained glass above the fireplace in the Fireside room.
Replace the damaged window in the church office.
Re-establish the rose garden in the front of the church.
Install a support beam at the vegetable garden end of Koinonia Hall.
Re-organize the back two church offices to create a new meeting room.
Paint the interior of the church office.
De-clutter the basement of the Agape House.
Power wash the exterior of the sanctuary and paint where needed. Continue developing a strong volunteer team to help maintain our wonderful, yet aging facility with limited funds & manpower.
The Facilities Commission welcomes input to any physical plant issues as well as volunteers to help accomplish them. Please feel free to contact any member of the Facilities Commission.
Blessings,
Steve Crook I Facilities Commission Elder
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We are a Christ-centered community, committed to encountering God through— • Scripture, prayer, sacrament and song • Welcoming all • Breaking bread together • Caring for creation • Serving the community • Offering our lives as a witness to God’s love and justice in the world (FPCP Mission Statement adopted by Session April 25, 2019)
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Mission Commission JACK SCHIPPER, COMMISSION MEMBER There were several activities that were supported by the Mission Commission in 2019.
Veggie Table Sales â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Thanks to the hard work of members, especially Jack Schipper, the Community Garden produced leafy greens, squash, tomatoes, and other organic vegetables, which were available for distribution after worship each Sunday in the summer and fall. Total proceeds in 2019 were $646, which will be distributed to help feed people in our community and Presbytery.
Matching Gifts Program â&#x20AC;&#x201C; In its fifth year, this Advent program matches donations members make to local agencies (and this year, to Kincade Fire Relief). Session allocated $1,500 for matching gifts for 2019. Because contributions were less than $1,500 by members we were able to overmatch their donations as follows (match amounts was a percentage of the total giving):
Agency Member Gifts Matching Gift Hope Counseling Christmas Cheer COTS Food for Thought Mentor Me Community Matters Salvation Army Toys for Tots Totals
1,025.00 200.00 75.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 1,550.00
1,007.26
75.81
84.68
56.45
56.45
56.45
56.45
56.45
1,450.00
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Cents-Ability Donations – Session has authorized that plate donations received on the third Sunday of each month be designated for Cents-Ability, the Redwood Presbytery’s Hunger Task Force Food Program. In 2019, we received $485 through plate donations and an additional $275.63 through direct contributions via the Jar in the Narthex – a total of $761.63 for Food for people in our Presbytery.
The Fellowship of the Least Coin – Session authorized participation in the Fellowship of the Least Coin. Individuals or groups may join by committing to pray for peace, justice, and reconciliation among families and communities worldwide. Each time a woman prays she sets aside the least coin of her local currency as a symbol of the prayer. Women’s national groups collect coins and send them to central Fellowship of the Least Coin Fund. The prayers offered and the least coins collected support projects for women and children around the world.
We participated in fund raising for Pedal 4 Protein and the Alzheimer’s Association Walk this past year. Our congregation supported participants financially through member contributions.
We also sponsored a special concert in our Sanctuary of the Klezmer Jubilee Ensemble to raise funds for Doctors Without Borders. The afternoon included music, food, dancing instructions, a raffle and information on how DWB goes into war-torn areas to help the vulnerable and injured. Over $3,300 was raised. Plans are currently in the works to host another concert in 2020 to provide DWB funds for their work in war-torn Yemen.
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Outreach JANE SHELLY, ELDER The Outreach Commission found its â&#x20AC;&#x153;sweet spotâ&#x20AC;? over the past several years and 2019 was a reflection of that. We decided to maintain the current list of projects without adding more; to do what we do better rather than doing more.
Gaelic Heritage Sunday
We celebrated the Gaelic roots of our Presbyterian Church for the third year in a row in the spring. This time, we asked the Morris Dancers to teach us a few dances. Because there had been a lot of rain and the grass was too slippery, we quickly moved the sanctuary chairs into a circle and had the dancing in doors. It was a hit! We had a wonderful time learning a couple of dances and having some wonderful baked goods! Thanks to all our bakers!
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Commission Faire This is a Session-wide project that Outreach takes the lead on. Many thanks to those who cooked and brought food! The tables reflected the good work of the deacons and the commissions and gave us opportunities to work in the community
Community Christmas Carol Sing This was our fourth annual â&#x20AC;&#x201C; this year, we bought banners that we will be able to use again next year, which Steve installed in the corner of Walnut Park. Many thanks to Roger for the beautiful posters and the song booklets. Thanks to Mark Hale for organizing the food and drink. Thanks to Phoebe for the Facebook posts and the lighting. And a special thank you to Dan Weidlich for setting up the sound system and helping Mark with the transportation of the libations.
Additionally, this year we completed the brochure, maintained the website and the Facebook page â&#x20AC;&#x201C; thank you to Phoebe for all your social media work!
As I come to the end of my term on Session, I want to say a special thank you to Pastor John, the members who have served with me on the Commission and you, the congregation, for supporting all our eďŹ&#x20AC;orts! I will continue organizing the Community Christmas Carol Singalong.
With gratitude,
Jane
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Personnel Commission MARK STURGES, ELDER During 2019 the Personnel commission added Eric Goodrich to our team which also includes continuing members Lonna Mulkey and Mike Glose and Mark Sturges. We successfully facilitated the annual personnel reviews for all FPCP staff and Pastor John.
Our commission decided to change the annual review dates to begin in January, rather than in April to insure that all future reviews will be concluded by March. We also decided to review and simplify the annual review process during our 2020 personnel review cycle.
Finally and most importantly, we recommended a 6% pay increase for all of current staff members, effective January 1, 2020.
Best regards,
Mark R. Sturges
Chairman, FPCP Personnel Commission
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Student & Family Ministries DIANE OLSON, ELDER Commission members: Diane Olson (chair), Grete Hansen (Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Worship Center Coordinator), Mike Roberts, Susan Lehman, John Chase (ex-oďŹ&#x192;cio).
We continue to be blessed with the outstanding work of Grete Hansen as she provides creative opportunities for our children to grow closer to God. Attendance in the Worship Center and nursery fluctuated somewhat during the year, but we had good attendance during our Godly Play weeks during both Lent and Advent. And our dedicated team of nursery volunteers continues to provide loving care for our youngest visitors in the beautiful nursery.
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Godly Play We experienced some setbacks this year with the departure of Paige Juneau and Kate Glose from our volunteer team. But Grete Hansen, Mike Roberts and Lonna Mulkey filled the gaps with their cheerful roles as storytellers and Grete, Susan Lehman and I were able to handle the doorkeeper role. We were also able to purchase additional Godly Play story sets for this third year of using this outstanding curriculum. The lessons provide our children with hands-on lessons from the Bible and allow them to truly experience God’s love. It is heartwarming to watch them sing and sign the songs each week, then recreate the Bible stories during the reflection time. The beautiful props help them commit the stories to memory and retell them in their own words.
COTS T&T Drive This year we again collected donations of personal bath items for COTS clients. The generous donations of our congregation and a local dentist allowed us to provide approximately 30 sets of bath towels and washcloths, as well as 50 tubes of toothpaste and a large bag of soaps, shampoos and other toiletry items. Everyone at COTS was very grateful for this wonderful community outpouring of support for their residents.
Other Successes Our children continued to learn about gardening and harvesting in our wonderful church garden throughout the year. The children planted, watered and then harvested the bounty of their efforts, sharing the vegetables on the community garden table to raise funds for local charities. This continues to be a favorite part of the children’s worship experience.
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Children in Worship GRETE HANSEN, SUNDAY SCHOOL COORDINATOR 2019 was a wonderful year for the children of First Presbyterian Church. Because so much of what we do with the children is visual, I figured I’d go ahead and show you some of the ways we encountered God this year.
Before I do, I’d like to give a great big thanks to our faithful volunteer storytellers, doorkeepers, nursery supervisors, and everyone who committed to traveling with the children on their spiritual journey.
I’m looking forward to 2020, and have no doubt that it will be another fantastic year for our Student & Family Ministries
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Epiphany Sunday—
Learning about three wise men
October 2019—Our church became an evacuation center during the fires and some of our children showed what it means to have the heart of a servant.
Easter!
Palm Sunday— Experiencing one of our new Godly Play stories
Always something new to discover during Discovery Time
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Adventâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;
Making wreaths to complement the new FPCP Family Advent Devotional
December 2019â&#x20AC;&#x201D;
Delivering more than 20 towel and toiletry bundles to COTS
Palm Sunday Procession of the Palms
Welcome to the nursery!
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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.â&#x20AC;? 1 Corinthians 12:27
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Worship The Holy Spirit is the true leader of our worship, but it helps to have a wonderful team of folks behind the scenes listening, and following where the Spirit leads. This year that group included Carol Goodrich, Tara Chase, Jenny Smith, Jane Shelly, and Pastor John.
Together we pooled our wisdom and creativity to craft worship opportunities in which you might encounter Jesus. We worshiped on Sunday mornings, and special holy days like Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Easter, Pentecost, Gaelic Heritage, World Communion, All Saints, Longest Night, and Christmas Eve. We could not have done it without our AVL team, the Worship Ensemble, Choir, Bell Choir, soloists, quartets, trios, ushers, greeters, Worship and Discovery Time leaders. Thank you!
We give thanks to those who hung stars and banners and constructed art installations. Thanks to those who prepared Communion bread and juice, put out friendship pads, straightened chairs, and provided rose buds to celebrate the birth of a child.
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Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like again to give a special thanks to Carol Goodrich for her many year of service, adorning the sanctuary with visual elements of worship: paraments, flowers, banners, candles, wreathes and garlands. Thank you, Carol!
Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re incredible blessed by the leadership of our Music Director, Jane Shelly, who shepherds our many musicians, and sometimes challenges us to venture out and try something new. Thank you, Jane!
We cannot say enough about our talented accompanist, Jenny Smith. Beyond sharing her musical gifts with us on Sunday morning, Jenny is behind the piano for memorial services, concerts, and special services. Thank you Jenny!
What we do as a Commission would mean nothing if it werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t for all of you, those named and those unnamed, who serve and worship alongside us. What a joy it is to worship Jesus together, giving thanks for his faithfulness, and for the many gifts he has given us. Thank you for joining us in turning our eyes toward him!
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Worship the Lord with gladness; come into his presence with singing. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name. Psalm 100:2, 4
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Make a Joyful Noise JANE SHELLY, MUSIC DIRECTOR Got Sausage? An Ode to the Music Ministry.
Let’s face it, this is a small congregation. But I am here to tell you that this is a congregation with heart and drive and an overwhelming love for the Lord.
This is not about me (oh sure, I am paid staff and I do bring certain credentials with me) – I could never do this job single handedly – let me tell you how the “sausage” is made.
You know those Study Leaves that Pastor John goes on? Well, at least twice in the year, those “leaves” are made up with planning the next six months of sermons – he comes home and presents me with scriptures and sermon themes that he is planning on. Then, it is up to me to find anthems that, as much as possible, reflect the scripture and themes. Thanks to Diane Trumpy, I have a Google sheet of all the pieces in our library and a place where I can track when we sang them last.
I order the anthems and present them to the choir and Jenny. We work several weeks ahead, polishing and learning anthems. And what about those choir members? I may pick the anthems but they are the ones who come to rehearsals and learn and sing so beautifully. Take a look at the choir members – every one of them serves in some additional capacity – Amy marks the bell parts, Homer organizes the Men’s quartet, Andy and Todd compose pieces for us to sing, Dan, Amy, Andy and Shawn also play in the Worship Ensemble. And then many choir members also serve in the Deacons and Session…..
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Oh, and let’s not forget Jenny!! I am going to embarrass her by saying that she has hardly an inkling of how incredibly talented she is…she supports all our efforts…But Homer has recently asserted that the highest level of musicianship you will hear in a service are in Jenny’s preludes and postludes. If you have never zeroed in on her playing at that time, you owe it to yourselves to do so….. I would also add to how, when playing a hymn on the organ, she will change the stops (timbre) on each verse….
Oh, and then there is YOU the congregation – you are willing to learn new hymns and praise songs and you sing with gusto!! I love it when we drop off the accompaniment on the last verse of a song and I hear you singing – that is my favorite thing…(among many other favorite things!) AND thanks to your generosity, we have bought Jenny a new piano bench – check it out if you haven’t seen it – and we have a new piano technician who, thanks to you will be able give our dear piano the TLC it deserves.
Going back to how the sausage is made, the AV staff needs recognition – with Roger, they set up the slides before Sunday. Then, they come to church at 8:30, make sure the wording of the slides matches what the Worship Ensemble is singing and do a sound check so all the mics are working – Dan Weidlich is a vital member of that team – he knows more about it than I do – that’s for sure.
Thanks to all the members of this dear congregation, we have a Music Ministry that is thriving and I am grateful to have the opportunity to serve you and the Lord in this way!
The choir rehearses Wednesday evenings from 7:00-8:30 and Sunday mornings 9:00—9:30. We have an “open door” policy – you can come in short term or long term – whatever works for you! Bell choir rehearses on Sunday mornings after church, we perform 4 or 5 times in the year. Contact Jane if you are interested. 37
Deacons JOYCE SHIPPER, DEACON MODERATOR The Deacons are active in so many areas of the church and are so eďŹ&#x20AC;ective that you may not realize how much they do. During 2019 we coordinated three memorial services. In addition, we purchased 4 light-weight round tables for Koinonia Hall. Please not that Visitation has been renamed Connections. The 2019 Deacons believed this name better suits what this team provides to our church family. The deacons are responsible for the following:
Communion: Susan Lehman, at all designated services, recruited and instructed servers and saw that it all took place smoothly in coordination with Pastor John. Communion is generally served on the first Sunday of every month, in addition to Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving Sunday, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (when it falls on a Sunday).
Prayer Chain: Phoebe Antonio led this ministry during 2019. There were 121 prayer requests and ebirthday cards sent as well as other emails to provide members with prayer opportunities, check on address changes and follow up with requests.
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Transportation: Andy Schipper coordinated 4 rides in 2019. There is more information under Visitation/ Connections for rides. Rides were coordinated for church as well as other activities and appointments.
Kitchen: Amy Dooley and Troy West worked to keep the kitchen clean and tidy, often cleaned out the refrigerator and freezer, cleaned the coffee pots and kept our supplies well stocked.
Visitation/Connections: Pam Sommer and her team including Cretia Horn, Carol Goodrich and Doreen Dias during 2019 and they accomplished the following:
Calls – 61, Visits – 17, Rides – 64, Conversations – 26, Cards – 161, Christmas cards – 30, $50 gift cards – 2, Lilies delivered – 6 , Christmas cards delivered with Poinsettias – 20
Benevolence: Joyce Schipper oversaw our benevolence ministry, helping provide basic areas of service and financial assistance for those in need. $10$50 gift cards were given to the office to share with those in need. Deacons also provide gift cards to Hope Counseling for clients in need.
Support Services: Joyce Schipper took charge of this position which includes the medical supply lending closet, meals to families and helping provide for other needs as they arise. 10 meals were delivered in 2019.
Treasurer: Michelle Carroll kept our finances up to date.
Moderator/Secretary: Joyce Schipper filled these positions during 2019. She planned and facilitated Deacons’ meetings, distributed the minutes, coordinated the memorial services with the deacons’ team and families, attended session meetings and offered support as needs arose for our congregation.
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â&#x20AC;&#x153;And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.â&#x20AC;? Hebrews 10:24
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Nominating Committee DIANE OLSON AND STEVE CROOK, ELDERS The Nominating Committee represents the congregation in selecting candidates for the offices of elder and deacon, as well as at-large members on this committee. FPCP members then vote on the candidates in the fall.
The 2019
Nominating Committee consisted of:
Elder representatives:
Diane Olson and Steve Crook (co-chairs) Deacon representative: Nelda Roberts Members at Large: Marcille Roth Mark Hale Wayne Roberts Pastor John Chase (ex-officio)
Our goal as a committee revolves around prayerfully considering open positions on Session and Deacons to nominate a diverse, capable and energetic cross-section of the congregation. We do this through being ever more purposeful in consulting with a wide variety of members, seeking input, and taking time to listen.
Our major effort this year was to identify candidates to serve as Session Elders, Deacons and Nominating Committee members in 2020.
In November we presented two officer candidates to the congregation: Ledra Brady (Elder), and Irene Rowley (Deacon). At the Annual Congregational Meeting in January 2020, we will be presenting Dan and Vicotoria Ellecamp as Deacon candidates for 2020.
These excellent candidates are all recommended by the committee and elected by the members of the congregation to serve alongside our other officers in the following positions:
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ELDERS
Class of 2020
Shawn Dooley (Budget & Finance) Mark Sturges (Personnel)
Class of 2021
Ledra Brady (Mission)
Class of 2021
DEACONS
Class of 2020
Susan Lehman (moderator)
Irene Rowley
NOMINATING COMMITTEE
2020 Members at Large
To be decided
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Session & Statistical Report JASON DOOLEY, CLERK OF SESSION
Session Meetings
Statistical Information
January 17 February 21 March (no mtng) April 25 May 17 (no mtng) June 20
Membership — 12/31/18
July (no mtng)
August 15
September 22
October 22
November 21
December 12
Congregational Meetings
January 20
February 10
November 24
Those preaching the Word of
God during worship in 2019
Rev. John Chase: January 6, 13, 20, 27; February 3, 10, 17, 24; March 3, 10, 17, 24, March 31; April 14, 18, 21, 28; May 5, 19, 26; June 2, 9, 23, June 30; July 7, 14, 21, 28; August 4, 11, 18, 25; September 1, 8, 15, 22, 29; October 6, 13, 27; November 3, 17, 24; December 1, 8, 15, 22, 24
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Additions:
Confirmation of Faith
Reaffirmation of Faith
Certificate of Transfer
Total
0
0
0
0
Subtractions:
Deceased
Certificate of Transfer
Removal of Membership
Total
2
0
0
2
Membership — 12/31/19
122
Infant/Child Baptisms
Teen/Adult Baptisms
0
0
Holy Communion was served times:
Weddings
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1
Rev. Linda Powers: April 7, May 12, June 16
Linda Dragoo: October 20, December 29
Rev. Nancy Martin Vincent: November 10
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Go now in peace, Never be afraid. God will go with you, Each hour of every day. Go now in faith, Steadfast, strong and true, Know he will guide you In all you do.
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF PETALUMA 939 B STREET, PETALUMA, CA I 707.762.8269 I WWW.PETALUMAFIRST.COM