From the President, October, 2010
I was struck by Bob Kiefer’s topic in the pulpit on Sunday, August 29, “We Need Not Do Nothing While We Are In This Waiting Period.” I actually jotted down some thoughts while he was talking because I wanted to share more with you! In this case, I want you to understand my philosophy during this “bonus” year of interim ministry. It is simple. We are moving full steam ahead!
- The Membership Committee taking on the topic of the Responsibilities of Membership, as this has been a topic of conversation since I joined the church five years ago. I encourage all of you to participate in this discussion.
- The Stewardship Committee is working on a plan to incorporate this concept year round, and the plan is not just about money!
- We will be working on our mission and coven
- The councils and the council chairs are working hard to ensure that our policies and procedures are accurate and up to date.
- We will be discussing bylaws and clarifying how we best govern ourselves.
- The Board is already talking about the Canvass process.
This is just a small portion of the activity that is happening at TJMC. I encourage you to take the time to participate in this work and the ensuing conversations. I believe that the work we accomplish now will allow us to really hit the ground running when our new settled minister joins us in the fall.
Kudos from the Board: Many, many thanks to Rev. Dr. Janet Newman for her generous offer to return a portion of her benefits to the church. This has allowed the Board to reinstate the RE Assistant to twenty hours per week starting Wednesday, September 15. This is truly a blessing for the church!
A special recognition goes out to the Leadership Development Committee. In case you missed it, the Leadership Development Committee planned and implemented “Framing Our Future” on Saturday, September 11. I know I learned a lot about the history of TJMC and had a wonderful opportunity to talk to a small group of people about our hopes for the future. I look forward to the report that the Leadership Development Committee will present compiling our hope and dreams. This will give us a blueprint as we move forward together as a church community.
Many thanks to all for your ongoing support and contributions to Thomas Jefferson Memorial Church.
In peace, Donna Baker
President, Board of Trustees