Accomplishments
Teach
Worship
Supplemental
Worship Book
Rolls
and
Visitation
What can
we do now?
Stainglass windows
Choir
Rotary
Ministerium
Previously I was the solo pastor of Curwensville Presbyterian Church, overseeing a secretary, sexton, volunteer youth director, and music director. I plan worship services two to three months in advance so that the organists, pianist, choir director, liturgists, and children's message give can prepare. This also enables topics and texts to be placed in our bi-monthly newsletter.
I regularly teach an adult Sunday school class, an adult Sunday night Bible study, a men's early Tuesday morning Bible study, lead devotions for the monthly ecumenical men's breakfast, and occasionally teach the youth. I’ve taught in-depth Bible studies on Amos, Micah, Hosea, Ephesians, James, and 1 Peter, and led discussion classes on Wm. Paul Young’s The Shack, and David T. Lamb’s God Behaving Badly.
I've brought back the worship style and flow as recommended by the Book of Order with "Proclaiming the Word" coming in the middle instead of the end of the service. I also reinstituted lay involvement in worship, overcoming resistance that the "minister does a better job" and "he doesn't need help," by inisting that it reinforces our understanding of the priesthood of all believers and that worship is the work of the people.
I also created "Joyful Noise," a supplemental worship book, which includes some contemporary praise and worship songs, along with beloved old hymns and camp-meeting songs that the congregation loves and which are not included in the 1990 Presbyterian Hymnal. For example, we included "Like a River Glorious," "Victory in Jesus," "The Old Rugged Cross," "Rock of Ages," "Trust and Obey," along with "Shine, Jesus, Shine," "In Remembrance of Me," "The Servant Song," "I Will Glory in My Redeemer," "Christ Beside Me," "We Believe in God the Father," "Sent Forth by God's Blessings," "Go Now in Peace," and "Shalom, My Friends, Shalom." We obtained the appropriate copyright permissions, and created two versions: a congregational version with just words and melody, and a choir version with full harmonies.
The Session had not properly maintained accurate rolls of the church, nor visited members had for years. We therefore parred the rolls down to those who were homebound, away in school, or active, which drastically reduced the membership of the congregtion. Although inactive members expressed appreciation for being contacted and visited, it only encouraged a few to return, with most saying they have plans to become active again, just not yet. In the meantime, the congregation is getting older and dwindling, and I officiate over more funerals than baptisms and marriages combined.
We have also lost members to larger congregations that had more programming for young families, and to churches only sing contemporary songs, using keyboards, drums, and guitars.
Besides reactivating lapsed members, another big challenge has been to redirect energy spent in mourning the way it used to be to active services and ministry in the here and now. We have to recognize that the congregation is older and has less energy.
I was also able to oversee the final phase of our multi-year stainglass window restoration project. The congregation spent over $84,000 to have all the stainglass windows removed, refurbished, releaded, and returned. The front half of the windows were finished and installed before a large wedding, and then two months later, the rest were installed.
Veronica and I sing in the church choir. For Christmas 2012, I borrowed Tom Fettke & Camp Kirkland's "Canticle of Christmas," from Norcross Presbyterian Church (GA), which Veronica and I sang in 1992. With some help from Clarion College students, we gave two well received concerts. Unfortunately, the choir director had to move to Pittsburgh to look for work.
Since moving to Curwensville, I joined the Rotary Club, and have moved from being a sustaining member, to a vice president, to president elect.
I am involved in the local ministerium, composed of ministers from the
Roman Catholic Church, the Missionary Alliance Church, the Methodist
Church, and three Baptist Churches. We give money out to those who
live in our area to help with food and heating bills, and occassional
other emergency aid. For the 2012–
Super
Vacation
Bible School
In 2013, I used my artistic talents to create the props for the community Super Vacation Bible School. I asked for materials to be donated, and cut styrofoam board out, traced the designs provided by Group, and painted everything.
The previous year, I took formal and candid photographs. Walmart wanted to see the release form from the professional photographer for the formal shots!
The Super Vacation Bible School is the work of five different congregations: Baptist, Presbyterian, and Christian Missionary Alliance. In 2013, we average 120 children.
The program was held outside, on the grounds of First Baptist Church. Previously, a member of First Baptist was the Director and did everything, without any control over the cost. Whatever was spent was divided evenly between the five participating congregations, regardless of their size. Cost for the program had steadily risen each year so that in 2012, each congregation had to pay over $900 each.
When we started planning for the 2013 program, I informed the group that the Presbyterians would not contribute more than $800, regardless of the cost. After I was reprimanded for not operating on faith and spending money on the evangelism of our local children, each of the congregation's own church boards liked the idea.
This year, instead of having one person plan and organize everything we formed a committee, and carefully considered how to cut costs. The biggest contention was the last night's fellowship dinner, where historically much money was spent for caterers to provide food. For the Presbyterians involved, the dinner should be considered secondary. Teaching was more important than a fancy meal afterwards. So this year we compromised and had each church bring different parts of the meal, and no caterer was hired, but the programming for the last night was still cut in half. The end result of compromise and working together was that this year each congregation's cost was only $400!