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Click on the link below for the July 5, 2020 Service

Sermon, July 5, 2020, Link

 Worship Service, Sunday, July 5, 2020

      WE GATHER IN THE LORD’S NAME

PRELUDE                Rev. Dr. Burns Stanfield 

“I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free” 

CALL TO WORSHIP            Rev. Joseph Chu
One: Come to me, Jesus says. All who are weary,

      All: Come to me.

One: And you, who carry heavy loads,
      All: Come to me.
One: For I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
All: Let us draw near to Jesus, whose yoke is easy and whose burden is light. 

PRAYER OF THE DAY                        Rev. Chu

O Lord our God, we give you thanks
for the grace that is at work in us
through the gift of our baptism—
the sign of your threefold name,
the communion of your faithful people,
the promise of your glorious realm.
By the power of your Holy Spirit,
poured out upon us in baptism,
let your grace and peace grow in us,
until we gather at your heavenly throne
to give you thanks and praise forever;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

HYMN             Ruling Elder William McConnell

“Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise”

CONFESSION AND PARDON       Ruling Elder   Luci Duckson-Bramble

Written by the Rev. Rosemary C. Mitchell, 6-10-2020

PRAYER OF CONFESSION
One: Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord.
Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.                                                     (Psalm 130:1–2)

All: When I fall on my knees,
with my face to the rising sun,
O Lord, have mercy on me.

One: O God, we make this confession in your presence
and in the presence of those whom we have sinned against.
We confess that we have broken your community by what we have done, and by what we have left undone.
Through long years of neglect and denial
we have perpetuated brokenness through our inaction.
We say, “I wasn’t there” or “I wasn’t alive then” or “You cannot blame me.”

All: When I fall on my knees,
with my face to the rising sun,
O Lord, have mercy on me.

One: We confess that we have benefited from a broken community
without acknowledging our own complicity.
We claim that the acts of past generations have nothing to do with us. We say, “That was then,”
yet we stand on the shoulders of those who went before,
those who made excuses for inaction, enforced separation,
and participated in death.

All: When I fall on my knees,
with my face to the rising sun,
O Lord, have mercy on me.

One: We confess that we have reinforced a broken community.
Even as we celebrate that we are created in your image,
our inherent racism denies that Black and Brown people are created in your image. Because we have consistently violated the sacred bonds of your covenant, O God, we now confess and reject the sin of systemic racism.  We have sinned against you and your children.

All: When I fall on my knees,
with my face to the rising sun,
O Lord, have mercy on me.

One: We confess that we have perpetuated a broken community,
when your covenant, O God is with all people.
We have perpetuated a broken covenant by our silence,
our fearfulness, and our helplessness as we enjoy our privilege.
This day we say the names of those we have sinned against:
Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Trayvon Martin,
and far too many others, whose names we say in the silence of our own hearts.

All: When I fall on my knees,
with my face to the rising sun,
O Lord, have mercy on me.

One: We give you thanks and praise, O God, that you do not hold our sin against us. We pray for your forgiveness. We pray for the forgiveness of those whom we have wronged generation after generation even up to this day.  Through your gift of Jesus Christ, we declare today that we reject the sin of racism and will commit our lives to ending evil.  We will live as you would have us live:
as people baptized into a covenant community of grace and love.

All: You have shown us what is good.
And what do you, O Lord, require of us?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with you
all the days of our lives.  (Micah 6:8, paraphrased)
When I fall on my knees,
with my face to the rising sun,
O Lord, have mercy on me. 

MOMENT FOR SILENT CONFESSION

ASSURANCE OF PARDON

One: God’s compassion is over all of creation; God’s mercy covers us and gives us new life.

All: Thanks be to God! In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.

GLORIA
                Gloria, gloria, in excelsis Deo!
                Gloria, gloria, alleluia, alleluia!

THE WORD

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION         Rev. Cindy  Kohlmann

             Risen Christ,
             you show us the path of life;
             in your presence there is fullness of joy.
             Speak to us now
             as the Scripture is read and proclaimed,
              that we may know your presence
              and be filled with gladness in our hearts. Amen.

SCRIPTURE READING
              Psalm 145:8–20, New Revised Standard Version
              One: The Word of the Lord.
                        All: Thanks be to God. 

SERMON                                     Rev. Kohlmann

(Full written sermon below)

HYMN                                     “This Is My Song”
Presbyterian Peacemaking Program Virtual Choir

LIFE OF THE CHURCH

PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION      

   Rev. Dr. Amaury Tañon-Santos   

O God, we come before you seeking answers,
we come before you seeking what the faithful way forward is.
O Lord, I ask that you reveal to us a true and tried method,
you know that all methods we have tried to make this world we live in
a just and welcoming and equitable world continue to fall short.
I pray that you grant us wisdom,
I pray that you grant us fortitude.
The work to dismantle the structures that perpetuate rejection,
discrimination, and oppression require commitment.
We come before you seeking healing,
we come before you wanting that our whole beings be made whole.
At the same time,
it is more for the people who are intentionally
and structurally left out of quality health and social services.
Perhaps, O God, we should pray that you
inspire the church in the ways and means we already have at hand
to restore the dignity and integrity of all of your creation.
We bring before you all of the concerns that take space
in the minds and hearts and spirits of
every single person that my voice reaches.
We know you pay attention to every voice,
that voice that comes out,
and perhaps even more,
that voice we keep within.
In your mercy, hear us,
but also remind us that your church has everything it needs
to heal the sick,
raise the dead,
cleanse those with skin diseases,
and throw out demons.
Remind us that your church is your co-worker in the work
of restoring the dignity of your creation.
Remind us, O Jesus, once again.
And at whose invitation, we are bold to pray, saying:    

THE LORD’S PRAYER            Many Languages
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory, forever.
Amen. 

INVITATION TO OFFERING     Rev. T.J. DeMarco

           I appeal to you, brothers and sisters,
           to present yourselves as a living sacrifice,
           holy and acceptable to God.
           Let us offer our lives to the Lord.

   DOXOLOGY
    Praise God, from whom all blessings flow.
    Praise God, all creatures high and low. Alleluia, alleluia!
    Praise God in Jesus fully known: Creator, Word, and Spirit one.
    Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

THE EUCHARIST                Revs. Kohlmann and DeMarco

INVITATION TO THE LORD’STABLE

                     This is the joyful feast of the people of God.

                     They will come from east and west,
                      and from north and south,
                      and sit at table in the kingdom of God.
                      Our Savior invites those who are drawn to him
                      To share the feast which he has prepared.

GREAT THANKSGIVING
One: The Lord be with you.
         All: And with your Spirit.
One: Lift up your hearts;
         All: We lift them up unto the Lord.
One: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
         All: It is right to give our thanks and praise.

Let us pray,
It is truly right and our greatest joy
to give you thanks and praise,
O Lord our God, creator and ruler of the universe.
In your wisdom, you made all things
and sustain them by your power.
You formed us in your image,
setting us in this world to love and to serve you,
and to live in peace with your whole creation.
When we rebelled against you
refusing to trust and obey,
you did not reject us,
but still claimed us as your own.
You sent prophets to call us back to your way.
Then in the fullness of time,
out of your great love for the world,
you sent your only Son to be one of us,
to redeem us and heal our brokenness.
Therefore we praise you,
joining our voices with choirs of angels,
with prophets, apostles, and martyrs,
and with all the faithful of every time and place,
who forever sing to the glory of your name:
        All: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts.
        Heaven and earth are full of your Glory,
        Glory be to you O Lord most high
The Lord Jesus, on the night that he was betrayed,
took bread broke it and after giving thanks gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take, eat.
This is my body, broken for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.
In the same way he took the cup, saying:
Take this all of you and drink.
This is the cup of my blood.
It will be shed for you and for all
so that sins may be forgiven.
Do this in remembrance of me.

Let us pray… who forever sing to the glory of your name;
         All: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of your Glory,
Glory be to you O Lord most high
The Lord Jesus, on the night that he was betrayed…
Let us proclaim the mystery of faith.
          All: Christ has died.
         Christ has risen.
         Christ will come again. 

SHARING OF THE ELEMENTS

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
All: Holy Spirit, you have filled us with your life.
Christ our Savior, you have embraced us in your love.
God our Mother, you have fed with your grace.
Now send us out into your beloved world
to share your life, your love, your grace with all.
Blessing and honor and glory to you,
holy, holy, holy Lord. Amen. 

THE BLESSING                                        Rev. Kohlmann

And so go out, to live faithfully, to love truly, and to be, in word and deed, ambassadors of the love of Christ.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you, now and always. Amen.

Sermon

Based on Psalm 145:8-19

Preached by the Rev. Cindy Kohlmann

The description of who God is in this Psalm is one that I know that I have returned to on more than one occasion. “The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” I keep that description of who God is close to me, especially in the days when I feel like I need a little more mercy and steadfast love. In the days when I’m sure that my actions or my words do more to merit God’s anger than God’s grace.

These words that describe the One who has called us, the One that we know through Jesus, these words are comforting to us. But as I read them, I think that perhaps they are meant to also be challenging to us.

After all, we know, we believe, we profess that we, humankind, has been created in God’s image. Each one of us bears that divine mark in the very depths of who we are. Our God, who has breathed breath into our lungs, put that fingerprint on our souls. 

So if these words describe who God is, aren’t they also describing, at least in part, who we are meant to be? If this is who God is, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, then isn’t that part of who God is imprinted upon us? Upon our deepest selves?

It is not enough to give thanks for God’s mercy and love. We are also meant to live into that image which is woven into who we are.

So what would it mean for us, as followers of Jesus Christ, to claim these words as part of the divine image that lives in us? What would it mean for us to begin to apply these words to our lives? To our words? To our actions?

Instead of simply finding comfort in the fact that the One who is Creator of heaven and earth is merciful and gracious and slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, what if we could begin to say that of one another? 

Across this body of Christ that spans the earth, what if we could begin to say of one another: we do indeed know they are Christians by their love, the steadfast love that endures forever, that is the very image of the love God has for the world.

I think you might see where I’m going with this. This whole Psalm is a psalm of praise for who God is and how God acts and how God cares for God’s creation. This whole psalm is leading us to raise our voices in gratitude and thanksgiving, in awe for God’s majesty, for God’s provision, for God’s care.

But if the divine image of God that is a thumbprint on our hearts and souls, if that is meant to help us live in a way that reflects that image, then I would say the words of the psalm giving praise for all of God’s works are also meant as a call to us.

We are the hands and feet of Christ. We are the body of Christ here on earth.We are the ones who are told to love God with all of who we are and to love our neighbors as ourselves. We are the ones tasked with bringing God’s kindom where all are fully welcome, here on earth.

And so these words in this psalm extolling God’s creation, praising God’s majesty, are also words that call us, the church, the body of Christ, to action.

“All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your faithful shall bless you. They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom, tell of your power to make known to all people your mighty deeds and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations.”

Now, my friends, as followers of Jesus, we long for the day when God’s kingdom will be fully established here on earth, and in fact, in just a little while, we will pray together with languages from across this world for that very thing. Thy will be done, thy kingdom come, on earth. We know, we know that in order for this beautiful kindom where glory reigns eternal, in order for this beautiful place where all are gathered in, in order for that to come to pass, we, we are the ones who are to be at work.

Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Pray therefore to the Lord of the harvest to send workers into the harvest field.” Who do you think Jesus meant? Us! We are the workers meant to do God’s will and establish God’s beloved, eternal, never-ending kindom here on earth.

It’s not to be some far-off thing, it’s not supposed to be something we only see when we die, because God created this world and called it not just good, but very good. God created this world so that people may have abundant life here and now.

The fact that that abundant life is out of reach for millions across this planet is not God’s design. No. That is our work. And because that is our work, because that is the way we divide this beautiful planet, because of the way we decide who gets what, because that has been our work, because we are the ones who have put these systems and structures into place, that press so many down while lifting just a few up, because that is what we have done for generations, it is also
our work to undo that.

“Is not this the fast I choose,” the prophet Isaiah speaks in God’s voice. “Is not this the fast I choose, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to break every yoke?” That is meant to be here and now, on this earth, in this world, in our very flesh and bone.

It’s not a heavenly prize, it is an earthly promise.

And so the words of the rest of this psalm call us as followers of Jesus Christ, call us as bearers of the divine image, call us as breathers of the Spirit that empowers and sends us out; the words of this psalm tell us what it is we are to do.

“The Lord is faithful in all God’s words, gracious in all God’s deeds. The Lord upholds all who are falling, raises up all who are bowed down.”

Well, let’s apply this. The followers of the Lord, you, me, the body of Christ, we are faithful in all our words and gracious in all our deeds. The body of Christ, the followers of Jesus uphold all who are falling and raise up all who are bowed down.

Can we say that? Can we say that with truth in our hearts? Can we say that and know in our bones that to the best of our ability, with our every breath, that we have been committed to this?

Not many of us, and I include myself in that. Not many of us can say that.

For we turn on the news or walk out into our streets and we see the evidence of people who have fallen down, and who society and the church have turned away from. We see evidence each and every day of people who have been pushed aside as if they are worth less, and never invited back “in.” Never given space to live and thrive as God intends.

Our health crisis, the global pandemic we find ourselves in, is just the most recent case in point. Hundreds of thousands have died, for lack of access to appropriate medical care, for lack of access to appropriate protection for those who have sought to offer care. People in communities and neighborhoods here in the United States have died because their neighborhood hospitals are under-equipped, because they live in poorer areas. Areas where Black, Indigenous,
People of Color live. That don’t have the same funding as the shiny, metropolitan hospitals.

The current crisis we find ourselves in tells us, shows us, that we cannot claim the words of this psalm as true in the body of Christ. We have not upheld those who are falling, we have not raised up those who are bowed down, we have not handed out food to all who are hungry. Instead, we hold it back. We pretend that some are more worthy than others, even though God never, never intended that
in creation.

What would it look like if we, as the church, took these words in this psalm as a challenge? Took these words in this psalm as a clear picture of who we are called to be as followers of Jesus Christ in the world today. What if we took this psalm and paired it with the parables from Matthew 25 to help us understand what it means to love our neighbors as ourselves, as people who love our
Almighty God with all of our heart and soul and mind and strength. 

This psalm is called a Psalm of Praise but I offer it to you today as a call to action. Yes, it is praise for who God is, how God interacts with us and God’s beautiful creation, it is praise of what God intends this world to be, but for us, followers of Jesus Christ, it is a call to action. We are the ones being called out in this psalm to put our hands to the plow, to put our feet on the ground, to follow where Jesus has led. We are being called out to be faithful, in tangible
ways, to be faithful in ways that begin to change the world.

In our Matthew 25 foci, to build congregational vitality, dismantle structural racism, and eradicate systemic poverty, don’t you hear the words of the psalm calling out that this is what our good God intends? Don’t you hear in the words of this psalm that God’s kindom is a place where all have enough, where all are fed, all have clean water to drink, all have appropriate clothing to wear, all have
access to healthcare and education, all are welcome. No one is a stranger, no one is imprisoned, no one is forgotten or marginalized or pressed down. 

My friends, this is indeed a matter of life and death. For our neighbors who have already died from COVID-19, and for those who fear this illness because they know that death is the most likely outcome, what does it mean for us to be gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love?

My friends, this is a matter of life and death because we have heard the names, we have said them ourselves, of those who have died because God’s kindom is not fully established here on this earth, and all people are not raised up. No, instead too many of our siblings are pressed down literally, with knees on their necks and in their backs. 

We know this is a matter of life and death for the millions who are food insecure here in the United States as well as around the world. 

If we are to be faithful, if we are to live into the image of God that is stamped on the very center of who we are, if we are to indeed be followers of Jesus Christ, living into his great commission to teach people to obey all he has commanded us, if these are the things we long for, then this psalm calls us to put our actions behind our words, to put our money where our mouth is, to not be silent anymore.

As followers of Jesus Christ, this is who we are supposed to be. Just in all our ways, kind in all our doings, near to all who call out, and fulfilling the desires for life, full life, abundant life, freedom, full freedom with no strings attached, and joy, joy, peace, hope, for all. This is who we are called to be. By God’s grace, may we be courageous. May we be called out.
Amen.

Participants (in order of appearance)

Edited by Benjamin Chicka, Communications Coordinator, Presbytery of Boston
The Rev. Dr. Burns Stanfield, Pastor of Fourth Presbyterian Church,

South Boston, Presbytery of Boston
The Rev. Joseph Chu, Stated Clerk for the Eastern Korean American Presbytery
Ruling Elder William McConnell, Mission Engagement Advisor, Central Region, Presbyterian Mission Agency
Ruling Elder Luci Duckson-Bramble, Presbytery of Long Island
The Rev. Cindy Kohlmann, Resource Presbyter, Presbyteries of Boston and Northern New England, Co-Moderator of the 223rd General Assembly
The Rev. Dr. Amaury Tañon-Santos, Synod Networker, Synod of the Northeast
The Rev. T.J. DeMarco, Stated Clerk for the Presbyteries of Boston and Northern New England, Pastor of Woodbury Presbyterian Church, RI
The Lord’s Prayer:
Cantonese Chinese, Samson Tso
Cebuano Visayan (Philippines), Gideon and Rachel Alegado
Kiswahili, Josephine Mutuota
Malagasy, Herilala Razafinime
Spanish, Vilmarie Cintrón-Olivieri
Afrikaans, Rothea Kornelius
Taiwanese, Lihwen Lin
Korean, Kyungmoon Yoon
Indonesian, Jelty Ochotan
Portuguese, Paulo Lima 

Thank you to the Rev. Rosemary C. Mitchell for supplying the Prayer of Confession and to the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program for their hymn project, “This Is My Song.”

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Click on this link to view the June 28, 2020, Sermon,"An Unexpected Guest Along the Way" MaryRobinson is the guest speaker

Click on the link below to view the sermon “Not So Bad Father’s Day Sermon”:

Rev. Matt Litchfield Sermon June 21, 2020

Guest Minister Rev. Colin Kerr, Pastor of Parkside Church, Charleston SC

Click on link link below to view the sermon “What is the Christian Story?”

Worship Service June 14, 2020

Sunday Worship, June 7, 2020

Guest Speaker: Landon Hammett - Master of Divinity, Union Presbyterian Seminary, Charlotte, NC

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Worship Service, June 7, 2020

Pentecost Sunday Worship Service, May 31, 2020

Guest Minister:  Rev. Dr. Mike Fitze,    Palmetto Presbyterian Church

Click on the next line link to view the Worship Service:

Worship Service, Sunday, May 31, 2020

Click on the link below to view the May 24th Sermon

 Rev. Cameron Smith's Sermon May 24,2020

Click on the link below to view the May 17th Sermon:

Rev. Matt Litchfield , May 17, 2020

Click on the link below to view the May 10th Sermon: 

Guest Minister - Rev. Art Gatewood May 10, 2020 Service

Click on the link below for Dr Chip's Sermon:  

Worship Service, Sunday, April 26, 2020

Click on Link Below for Easter Service

Easter Worship Service, 2020

Click on the link below for Palm Sunday Service:

Palm Sunday Meditation, 2020

A Children's Sermon From Dr. Chip March 31, 2020

A Children’s Story

 “ Let the children come to me,....for it is to such as these
that the kingdom of heaven belongs.”
Matthew 19:14

      For once, I can say I know exactly how Jesus feels. The happiest moment of my Sunday mornings is when I greet the children.  
     “Good morning. I’m glad to see everybody. Liam and Ellie, how are you? Sayge and Aydin, are you well? Brielle, Bryce, Jason, it is good to see you. Christian, I’m glad you are here.And of course the Righteous Brothers, Jacob and Nathan!”  
     I want to tell you one of my favorite stories. It’s about a little girl who lived with her Mommy and Daddy in an old wooden house at the end of a lane. One night, a thunderstorm broke over the house. The wind howled, a tree limb beat against the window and thunder shook the roof. The little girl woke up terrified and screamed out in panic. Her Mother heard her and rushed into
the room, gathered the little girl in her arms and said, “ it’s alright. It’s going to be alright.” The little girl knew she was safe and the storm soon passed.  
     I like that story because I think that is what God is like.  He is like a Mother who surrounds us with her love and comfort. When I am afraid, I can think about God and I can hear him say, “It’s alright, it’s going to be alright.”  
Prayer:

     Fold hands, bend heads, close eyes and  say what I say:
     Dear God...thank you for loving us...and  for not letting us be afraid… Amen

Pastor's Devotion, March 26, 2020

A NEW KIND OF LOVE

“Owe no one anything except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law” Romans 13:8

     I come from a long line of “huggers.” When we see someone we care for, we instinctively touch, cheek kiss, back slap, shoulder hug, or handshake. In our family reunion pictures, you will find us bunched up with arms around those next to us.
     Now we must find other ways to express our caring. Yes, we reach out with telephone calls, emails, Facebook posts, etc, but the most important thing we can do is stay well. The pandemic makes us caregivers to everyone we are close to. If I expose myself to the virus, I expose everyone I love. I must remind myself that if I come in contact with an individual, I am actually in contact with everyone that person has touched for the previous fourteen days.
     I am also a caregiver to those professional caregivers who are spending their days swathed in gowns, masks, and gloves surrounded by the virus. The most loving thing I can do for them is show my gratitude for their sacrifice by staying well.
     Paul’s words to the Romans remind us of the primacy of the love we bear each other in Christ. It is the begin all, end all, of our faith. I believe we are being called to learn a new kind of love in these days. We are all caregivers for Christ.
Dr. Chip

Pastor's Devotion, Sunday, March 22, 2020

     “The Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea  into dry land; and the waters were divided.” Genesis 14:21  
      Those who look for natural explanations for Biblical miracles point to this verse  as proof that God intervenes in history without disrupting the laws of nature that he himself created. The miracle is in the timing. That’s fine, but it leaves me with a curious  image.
       I see in my imagination the Israelites slogging through the wet sand and eyeing the eastern sky. I hear one whisper nervously to his neighbor, “Reckon how long that wind is going to blow?” That’s always the question in a crisis, isn’t it? How long will we
be safe?
       In the Bible, the mention of wind or breath is almost always a metaphor for the Spirit of God. When Jesus says, “ the wind blows where it will..so it is with the Spirit …” The same Greek word is used for wind and Spirit . We should read the Red Sea story to  
say that the hovering Spirit of God is opening a way for Israel into the future that God has proposed.
        Reckon how long the wind is going to blow? The Exodus story teaches us that the empowering breath of God will never stop accompanying us on our journey.  
       Some days now I feel a little wet sand between my toes and catch myself  looking fearfully at the eastern sky, but I will keep on walking...and so will you...and  
the wind will keep blowing…and God will accomplish his purpose.
       Prayer: O God, whose breath surrounds us day by day, help us to walk by faith and not by sight - trusting you to be with us to accomplish your purposes.               

 

FROM YOUR PASTOR
HERE WE GO!

At its meeting on Sunday, February 16, the Session passed the following motion, “That the Session instruct the Nomination Committee to recruit five people to act as a Pulpit Nominating Committee for the purpose of seeking an installed pastor.”

After much prayer and deliberation, the Session believes it is time to step out in faith and return our church to the position of having its own installed pastor. There are several steps involved in the process OF which you will want to be aware.

· When the Nominating Committee has recruited a slate of five people, a congregational meeting will be called to elect a Pulpit Nominating Committee. Those five names will be placed in nomination and the floor will be opened for further nominations. When the nominations cease, five will be elected.

· Before starting their search, the PNC will hold several congregational gatherings to ask the congregation what talents and abilities they want in a pastor. Presbytery will send representatives to help with this process. With the congregation’s advice and consent, the PNC will create a profile of the person they are seeking.

· Once the PNC is elected, the Session has no further input into their activities. A PNC is a congregational committee and reports only to the congregation at a formally called congregational meeting. Their activities and deliberations are to remain secret during their search.

· When the search is complete and they are ready to present a name, a congregational meeting will be called and the PNC will present a name to be voted on.
The decision to seek an installed pastor now is an act of faith. It shows our confidence that God has a future for this church in the days and years ahead. We are stepping out into the unknown believing that God will guide our journey.

Dr. Chip

                            Easter

                                              

         Pentecost at YPPC