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Nancy and I have wholly enjoyed our 26 months months as partners with you in starting and shaping our congregation. We have particularly enjoyed partnering with Jennifer and the leaders. Some have said that Community Church would not exist "without Jennifer and Gene." Frankly, Jennifer and I have worked hard these two years, as have some others. But praise God that we are maturing well so that all here can be relaxed about that time when neither Jennifer nor Gene will continue in their original leadership roles and Community Church will go right ahead in its ministries. I informed the outgoing council at its last meeting that Nancy and I will be glad to see our annual contract renewed by the new council you elect today, if that is their will. But we do wish to depart by July 2000. Two days later a friend, not a regular worshipper with us, approached me and said: "Gene, I hear you’re leaving." (Did I detect glee and relief in his declaration!) Now l4 or l5 months is not tomorrow and we have many goals to push for. (1) I would hope to advise the new council on how to plan the calling of my replacement. We need a year for this. It should begin no later than this June with the council convening focus groups in which the congregation can renew its sense of purpose and mission so as to contribute to an honest profile of who we are and the kind of pastoral leadership which we seek. This profile will be of great help to interested applicants. The council should appoint a search committee of 7-l0 members representative of our diverse congregation. This committee should be empowered to conduct a world search for the best group of qualified candidates, bringing to the council and congregation no later than a year from today their first choice. Given that so many of you travel, you can be very helpful in identifying good candidates, or checking out those who identify themselves to our search committee. 2) Worship planning is a main duty weekly for me. I thank the congregation for affirming the style and content of the worship I design. I have been greatly helped by the worship committee ably chaired by Kevin Wilkey and by Mary Vittachi who pulls together many loose strands for each Sunday. We have a great privilege of worshipping God in the glorious APEX. I do wonder why so many of our regular attendees presume upon this privilege by arriving very tardy for the worship hour. Let us seek better discipline so as to respond to our opportunity to give a dedicated hour to God here.
3) I would like the congregation to grow in its stewardship so that by mid-2000 we are giving enough to pay our bills regularly. Our present willingness to run a deficit through most of the year and at the end depend upon a few one-off special gifts to close the gap is not mature stewardship. In fact for a congregation as savvy in the real costs of running a home, a business, and for some an economy, the management of church finances should be a breeze if we put our attention to the task. I would advise the new council to ask directly themselves and then each Serving Member to reconsider a pledge for the new budget year beginning April l. The amount of each pledge is secondary; what is important is that each of us declare formally via pledge that we can be counted upon in the year ahead so that a responsible church program can be undertaken. 4) In recent weeks the lifestyle of Gene and Nancy has changed. We have a new apartment which we greatly like and it costs you one third less than the former place. And we have a new church office. Nancy now has the home computer more to herself. And I have to dress for work more than I used to. But these changes are to our good as a maturing church. We are a very distinctive congregation, perhaps in some ways nearly unique among the l00 or more English-language international churches of Hong Kong. Let us honor and rejoice in who we are, what we have and our understanding and faithfulness of the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ who has brought us this far and will lead us yet more.
Pastor Gene Preston
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The Rev. Gene R.Preston14th Floor, Blk 36, Lower Baguio Villa Tel : 25516161 Fax: 25512114E-mail : gpreston@netvigator.com |
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