March 2008
Dear Members and Friends,
Some of you may not have been notified that Rev. James Todd resigned as interim pastor in late January. The letter reprinted below explains the circumstances.
The newly elected standing committees, Pastoral Search Committee, and Church Council have met for the first time in February. These committees represent you and carry on the church’s work between Congregational Meetings. Please talk to the members of these committees and make your opinions known. The Church Council meets at 7:00 pm on the fourth Wednesday of every month in the Trinity House. Everyone is invited to attend and participate in discussions. Only elected members may vote, however.
Hopefully, the April newsletter will include a greeting from a new interim pastor. The search committee is in the process of reviewing the profiles of four candidates for the position. Interviews will be scheduled shortly.
We are grateful to Rev. Martin Gibbs who has been leading us in worship since January 27th . Rev Gibbs has other commitments after March 2nd and Rev. Toni Smith has agreed to fill in through Easter Sunday. Rev. Smith has served our church previously as interim associate pastor. I am sure that members who know her are as excited as I am that she will be returning, if only for a brief time.
Peace,
Walt Zilahy, Moderator
Here is the text of the letter sent Feb. 4th, 2008:
Dear Members and Friends,
Because of Jim Todd’s sudden resignation, the timing of our next newsletter, and your need to know, I felt that it was important to write to you now.
(This paragraph has been deleted from this published version for privacy reasons. If you are a member, please click here to view the entire letter.)
With the help of our UCC Regional Minister Rev. Mike Penn-Strah, we engaged Rev. Martin Gibbs to fill in for the month of February. We are hopeful that a new interim pastor can be in place as early as March.
Many positive and exciting things are happening in our congregation and the future looks bright. The confirmation program, which had been disorganized and moving slowly, is now being led by Nancy Soneson. She has ordered new books for the confirmands and mentors and has strong plans for a revitalized program. In December, members were asked to increase their pledges, and the response was heartening. Pledges were increased by more than $16,000. The Transition Task Force, with input from the congregation, presented a new mission statement at the Annual Meeting and it was approved. The Lewis House has new windows and doors. New siding will be going up this week. At the 308th (wow!) Annual Meeting the congregation approved the 2008 budget, a slate of officers, standing committee members, and a Pastoral Search Committee. The Pastoral Search Committee will be meeting with Rev. Mike Penn-Strah on February 12th to consider candidates for our interim pastor position and to discuss the process for selection of a settled pastor. All church officers and standing committee members have been invited to a leadership training and planning retreat in Chester on March 1st. Anyone in the congregation wishing to attend this session should contact John Anderson.
If you have not been attending worship or church activities recently, please consider becoming more active. We are experiencing a new beginning and revitalization. You can help us thrive by participating. The Pastoral Search Committee welcomes input and participation from the entire congregation so that we all can feel that we had a part in finding our new settled pastor.
Please use our website http://www.haddamcongchurch.org to keep informed. If you have not yet registered, please do so. When registered, you will have access to “members only” information and receive emails informing you of cancellations, deaths, and emergencies.
Peace,
Walt Zilahy, Moderator