ANNUAL REPORT TIME -

Ughhh...writing the annual report is always a work keeping everything in perspective.
What can I say this year? Our membership is rapidly aging and declining, our attendance is down (due to rapidly aging membership and kids/families involved in sports that have meets & tournaments on weekends and Sundays!) and we have less money to keep doing all we do and support many missions. I will not be meeting Presbytery minimum this year.
In the end, I have mentioned the above, with the exception of my not meeting minimum, but lifted up all the wonderful things and the sharing of gifts that has blessed our life together. And indeed, God has blessed us with only 2 deaths, 3 confirmed into membership and a family who is worshipping with us fairly regularly.
We gave away all our mission money!!! Helped countless school children with back packs and school supplies and items for Christmas, local families with clothing and food, medical mission in Honduras, Bridge of Hope school in Liberia and tuition for 1 1/2 students, and all the Presbytery missions, plus Christmas Joy, One Great Hour of Sharing, and Peacemaking Offerings. We served over 65 kids at Vacation Bible School.
I will be thankful if we come through this year as we did last year - few deaths and making the budget by the skin of our teeth - which hopefully, they will approve my dental insurance.
All in all, I feel very blessed to be here, even though I am frustrated at times. I pray that I continue to serve well, ably, with a loving heart and wisdom. I pray that this church will come to life some more.
So, what started as a chore, writing the annual report, became a blessing for which I give thanks to God and an encouragement to us all, to keep on keeping on for the sake of Christ our Lord and for the good of the realm of God.