Dear First Pres,

      This coming Sunday is an important time in the life of our church.  The Congregational Meeting (starting at 9:00 a.m.) will offer the chance for me, and the rest of our church’s Session, to talk a bit about where we are and where we’re going as a church.  The framework for the first part of our conversation will be the 2014 budget, which represents a 5% increase in planned spending from 2013.  We’ll be discussing what that increase represents.  The framework for the rest of our meeting will be a dialogue that starts with individual thinking and then expands into small group and large group discussion.  I’m very excited about this part of our meeting because it gives all of us a chance to work together at moving forward in our mission.  I really hope you will make it a priority to come ready to participate.

     Don’t forget that we’ll have breakfast at 8:15 (the cooks told me there will be food ready to serve at 8) in the Fellowship Hall.  I hope you’ll come and enjoy some fellowship around the tables and talk together about all the blessings that God has given us.  In fact, I hope you’ll come on Sunday with one of your First Pres highlights from 2013.  The congregational meeting will start at 9, and our worship service will start at 10:30.

     I know there may be some of you that usually avoid church on the day of this annual tradition.  Would you consider changing your mind this year?  I’m convinced that effective leadership is something we can only do together.  I invite you to come and help your church be the mission community that Christ calls us to be.

See ya at breakfast,

Jeremy

P.S. Two additional thoughts: (1) there will be stuff going on for kids during the meeting, and (2) our meeting will be much more effective if you have already read through the 2013 Annual Report.  Click here to view the report on our website.