"Exploration and Discernment Continue"
We're more than 3/4 of the way through the year of exploration of mission and ministry together under one roof that the still separate congregations of Christ Presbyterian and United Community Churches covenanted together to have. What's next? What's happening? After December 31st, what will take place?
The Combined Board of the Presbyterian Session & United Community Council wants to keep all the church members informed of what progress we've made and where we are in the decision making process as we discern God's will for us in Cortland County. Our desire to get things settled needs to wait for God's perfect timing, the "fullness of time." One of the dimensions to the decision-making is that the United Community Church members have been at this discernment process for over 5 years now... but Christ Presbyterian has only been exploring this for the past year.
On Sunday Oct. 26th, Reformation Sunday, elder Ralph Hesse, Jr. from Christ Presbyterian and Council member Pat Mooney will give a joint presentation to help update congregational members on where we are... a sort of visible flow-chart.
On Sunday Nov. 9th, denominational representatives Rev. Richard Cowles (UCC Susquehanna Assn.), Rev. Tom Hast (American Baptist-Iroquois Assn.) and Rev. Cheryl Ann Elfond (Susquehanna Valley Presbytery) will meet with the combined Board to talk about specific "merger" questions.
On Sunday Nov. 16th, the United Community Church members are invited to a special information sharing and discussion at 12:15 PM at 19 Church Street - the old church building now owned by McNeil.
On Sunday Nov. 23rd, part of the Worship time will be set aside for "Congregational Conversations" about our future together.
Since we are still 2 separate legal and ecclesiastical organizations, we will again need to have separate fall stewardship campaigns for the upcoming year 2009. We are anticipating extending the present covenant "Terms of Agreement" between the two congregations into 2009 to give us additional time for discernment and structural & organizational concerns and arrangements to be handled.
Pastor - Rev. Dr. Janet Adair Hansen