(July 17, 2023)
Join us in welcoming Rev. Bob Gross! He joins us as our interim pastor while we complete the search for a settled minister. Rev. Bob Gross has experience in the interim pastor role and we look forward to having him lead us in worship, in faith, and in service. We are especially grateful, in advance, of his willingness to guide us in the many tasks associated with the search for our next pastor.
(July 16, 2023) The last six months went fast! On Sunday, it was time for the church to bid a fond (and sad!) farewell to Rev. Jim McKenzie and his wife Karen. They will certainly be missed by everyone. Much was accomplished during this time together. We will pray for them both in their next adventure and trust that God has great plans for them as they continue to demonstrate what it means to live your love for Jesus.
The next chapter promises continued excitement. Rev. Bob Gross will lead us through the search for our new settled mininster and our “Reach Higher” capital campaign which will kick off on July 31, 2023.
(June 15, 2023) Carol Rollin was appointed to the Executive Council as the Christian Education liaison to fulfill the term of Sandi Van Sistine who has decided to step away from this role at this time. The Council thanks Sandi for her dedicated service to the church. She has contributed greatly in leading our Christian Education effort and also in a million other ways! Carol Rollin has agreed to step up to head our Christian Education effort and attended her first Council meeting in June.
(February 1, 2023) Interim Pastor Jim McKenzie will begin his interim ministry with us on Wednesday, February 1st. The Council and the Pastor have agreed on a six month convenant during which time he will lead the church and help us transition into a search for a settled pastor. You’ll get a chance to meet him on Sunday, February 5 as he will be leading his first worship service here at First United Church of Christ. Don’t miss it! Watch for his introductory message in the February TowerNews.
(January 19, 2023)
News from the Council Meeting: President Tina Truttmann announced she appointed Lori Wirtz to the Executive Council in the role of Vice President which became vacant when she moved to the position of president. The council confirmed that appointment and thanked Lori Wirtz for her willingness to serve. Additionally, a potential agreement with an Interim pastor was reviewed and approved so that it can be sent to the Interim pastor for consideration.
(January 1, 2023)
The following announcment was made in church on 1/1/23 and sent to members on 1/2/2023:
Dear Members and Friends,
I have the unenviable job of informing you that Pastor Adam has submitted his resignation effective December 31, 2022. The job of a pastor is demanding. The steps Pastor Adam needs to go through for himself and his family related to his legal and personal healing process can not be compromised by church responsibilities. I can not stress how important this opportunity is for him to go through this process successfully for long term health. The council will be wworking with the Music & Worship Ministry Team to fill in at our services until we have an interim pastor in place, with the assistance of our UCC Conference staff.
Prayers and support are needed for Pastor Adam and his family. Also, please pray for and support for our church community as we navigate the road ahead.
Don’t panic I am with you. There’s no need to fear for I’m your God. I’ll hold you steady. Keep a firm grip on you. (Isaiah 41:10)
Yours in Christ,
Tina Truttmann, Council President
(November 13, 2022) The congregation held its annual budget meeting on November 13th and members voted to postpone the 2023 budget adoption until January 29, 2023 when the income numbers are more certain. A summary report of the survey results was presented by President Tina Truttmann. Members who would like the full report can request it by sending an email to council@firstgb.org. The Council is grateful for such an engaged congregation and the thoughtful consideration of all the items brought before them.
(November 4, 2022) The information packet for the upcoming Fall budget meeting has been distributed to all members. If you didn’t receive one, you can find the packet here. Please don’t hesitate to contact any member of the church council prior to the meeting on Sunday if you have any questions. The meeting will include consideration of the 2023 budget as well as a report on the church satisfaction survey.
(October 22, 2022) The Executive Council has received the results of the recent church survey. Thank you to everyone who responded! There were 177 surveys sent via email. Of those, 117 were opened and 72 were completed. Sixty were never opened. Additionally, 24 paper copies of the survey were distributed and 22 of them were returned. That means the response rate was approximately 49%. It’s clear that we have engaged, passionate members and friends and we value each and every one of you.
The Executive Committee of the Church Council and the Pastor Parish Relations Committee had a joint meeting to begin the process of evaluating the results. We’ll share more when we have more to share with you. Thank you for your patience while we take the time to give the feedback the attention it deserves.
We also ask for your prayers so that we might review the results with discernment, analyze the trends with wisdom, and consider action steps that would be helpful for moving our church forward in continuous pursuit of our vision and mission.
(October 17, 2022) Did you know that you can offer feedback to the Executive Council via email at council@firstgb.org or in person at a monthly council meeting? A new item has been added to the meeting agendas that allows you the opportunity to make a comment at the start of every council meeting. (Note: please keep comments to two minutes or less in the interest of time. Sometimes the Council has a very long agenda.) Council meetings are usually the third Thursday of each month at 5:30 p.m. Always check the calendar before coming just to make sure the date wasn’t changed.
Do feel free to use either method of communicating with the Council. They are always interested in hearing your thoughts!
To register your child for our Praise School program, please sign up on our Google form here.
To reigster your child to assist with worship duties, please sign up on our Google form here.
Praise School currently is two weeks of the month with occasional extra Sundays. Check the calendar here to make sure of the schedule. You can let us know if you’ll be attending individual sessions by using the RSVP feature on the calendar. (Knowing how many children are attending helps us make sure we have enough supplies for everyone!)