A lot is happening around Covenant. Our worship attendance is up, our stewardship pledge statistics are up, our building debt is down, and there is an upbeat mood on campus about how Covenant is moving forward. We have much to be thankful for.
2011 Reflections
Many attended the Service of Wholeness and Reconciliation on Dec. 4 and were blessed with a powerful, emotional service dedicated to asking for God’s forgiveness and release from our past sins. Before the service, Rev. Paul Parsons suggested that Session invite those named as wronged during our Town Hall meetings. Many of the 20 individuals invited did attend the service. James Lee shared a “Join in the Dance” picture as a visual marker of the Healing and Reconciliation Service. Afterward, Rev. Paul said he felt the service will stand as a “marker” in the life of Covenant; he believed it was “a Holy Spirit-initiated encounter”’ and he “sat in wonderment through the event, recognizing how life in the Kingdom of God is first and foremost meant to be in community working together.”
Budget Update
Covenant’s 2012 stewardship campaign is going well. Twelve weeks into the campaign (Jan. 12), we have received 416 pledges for a pledge total of nearly $2 million. Our average pledge is $4,781, which is 11 percent more than the average pledge at the same time last year. If you haven’t pledged yet, please give prayerful consideration for doing so.
Based on a total revenue projection from the Finance Committee, Session approved a projected balanced 2012 operating budget of $2.97 million. The budget is similar to last year with two notable exceptions: a 14 percent increase in the budget for Missions and a two percent across-the-board cost-of-living adjustment for all staff employed one year or longer.
The Fellowship and Education Building (FEB) continues to be both a source of great pride and anxiety. It is a wonderful resource for many programs and activities, but it carries a large debt making interest expense a substantial portion of our total budget. I am pleased to report that we reduced the debt by nearly $800,000 during 2011, ending the year at $8.15 million. While we still have pledges outstanding, we need to decrease the debt to $7.3 million by August. At that time, all the funding must be converted to permanent financing.
Pastor Nominating Committee
Many people have asked about the status of our pastor search. A Session committee comprised of Jeff Horn, Laura Tuma and Clark Weatherby was charged to take the information you provided at Town Hall meetings to write a Covenant identity statement. Session will use this to create a vision to guide us in the near future. Early in 2012, we expect to respond to Amendment 10-A, elect a Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC), and complete Mission Study and a Church Information Form, which are needed to begin the senior pastor search.
Bylaws
Session approved a committee to write bylaws and other necessary materials in response to the passage of the new Form of Government (nFoG). This committee (Fred Clement, Joy Durrant, Marv Hackert, Tom Sedberry and Judith Thorburn) drafted a set of bylaws. Session is reviewing the draft and will share it with members in early February. The congregation will review the bylaws and pass comments to the clerk. Session will then approve a final draft of the bylaws, which the congregation will vote on at the next congregational meeting on Feb. 26, the first Sunday of Lent. At this meeting, you will review the Annual Report, vote on bylaws, elect officers for the new classes of elders and deacons, and elect the at-large members of the next Congregational Nominating Committee (CNC).
Finally, Session authorized moving forward on a self-funded columbarium project to be located under the stairs in the first floor courtyard of FEB. We will make 84 niches available; each niche can hold up to two sets of interred cremains. Further details will be coming soon.
Part of our identity statement reads: “Covenant is firmly rooted in Austin, a city that celebrates diversity while refusing to be torn apart by differences. We are a uniquely Austin church, and we stand united around Christ in the midst of the division in our denomination.”
There is much activity at Covenant Presbyterian Church, and we can all look forward to what God has in mind for us and this church in 2012.