A Word From the Pastor | Church Council

From the Pastors, Pentecost

A Word from the Pastors

Church Council

Your elected servant-leaders gathered for a Zoom meeting on Monday, May 10, 2021. Some notes from the April meeting:

  • Ben Shipanga issued a summary financial report. 2021 Budget Income for January – April was

$59,273.63 and Budget Expenses were $61,098.96. The small deficit is not a great concern  and reflects April expenditures for a high water bill, an installment commercial insurance payment, and our partnership support of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod of the ELCA. The lack of building rental income during these COVID times has been balanced by some reduction in utility, program, and supply expenditures. Ben also reported that the most recent total for the online Scholarship fundraising event (“An Evening with the Bishop, Rev. Patricia Davenport, and our Church Musician, Dennis Fortune”) is $544.86.

  • Property. There are a number of tasks that we want to attend to:  (1) Moving furniture back into that large classroom that received asbestos floor replacement, ceiling heating leak repair, and a new coat of paint; (2) Care of the floor and return of equipment and utensils into closets and shelves following the other heating leak restoration and repair; (3) Completion of downstairs ceiling tile replacement and clearing the construction materials left on the stage. The Council also decided to not accept a $775 proposal to add mulch to the churchyard at this time.
  • ELCA “Open Door” grants. Our national denomination is encouraging congregations to think creatively of intentional ways to reach out to others, perhaps in the local community or the online community, in the post-pandemic days of renewal and revitalization. Small grants of $1,500 to $2,500 are available to those who receive approval for proposals, and proposals are due May 19.
  • Video equipment. Estimates of equipment and connection costs are still being received and considered. Like many congregations, St. Peter’s is evolving through this pandemic into technological ways to have “hybrid” worship that will include both physical, in-person gathering and digital, online worship.
  • In-Person Worship. There seems to a rather sudden loosening of guidelines and regulations by governments – as if the COVID-19 pandemic is just about over in Philadelphia, in Pennsylvania, in our nation. But is it? Our Church Council is continuing to be cautious, continuing to value safety, respect, and concern for each other. We do not have a current target date for in-person worship.

2022 ELCA Youth Gathering

Thirty homemade cheesecakes (Thanks, Katrina and Veronica!) on May 8 equates to $600 raised toward the estimated $16,000 needed for our Youth and a few Adult volunteers to attend the summer of 2022 national youth gathering of thousands of kids in Minneapolis, brought together in the name, spirit, and mission of Jesus Christ. Watch for future ways to help them prepare.

 

Preachers

This Sunday, May 16 – it’s the Seventh Sunday of Easter, by the way – our Zoom preacher will be Sister Ramona Cecille Daily. Ramona shared a brief meditation on Good Friday when we gathered online for “The Seven Last Words of Jesus”. Tune in to get some Jesus!

On Sunday, May 23 – the birthday of the Christian faith, the Day of Pentecost – our Zoom preacher will be Pastor David Maddox II. About once each month, David has been available and willing to offer God’s fresh, new, and living Word to us. Even if you are not going to be visible to the rest of the gathered believers that Sunday, we invite you to wear red, yellow, orange, or bright pink clothing to remind you of the glowing, spirited, unlimited, “on fire” transformation of that very first community of gathered believers 50 days after Jesus’ Easter victory. And, as we did last year, we’ll also invite you to have a candle present to safely light.

 

Because HE died, you are Easter-alive! Stay safe. Stay sane. Stay in the Spirit. Know of our love for you. 

                                          Pastor Neil & Pastor Gwen