Thursday, February 23, 2023
Good morning everyone:
For the first time I can remember I received an email this past week from someone who began by saying ‘(I am) a fan and connoisseur of annual meetings…’. I admit I had to stop there. I have never had anyone tell me they were a fan of annual meetings, let alone a connoisseur! This person went on to tell the true story of an annual meeting interrupted by all the toilets in the building overflowing and interrupting the flow of the meeting. However, after that catastrophe the meeting went smoother than before. Now, I know this person well, and I know that he knows that annual meetings are not always fun, sometimes they are difficult. He was trying to make me laugh by sharing the story. I have to admit that what made me laugh was his first statement ‘being a fan and connoisseur of annual meetings’. Yes that made me laugh and I love him for it.
I invite all of you to participate in the annual meeting this Sunday at 11:15 following the worship service. It will be both in person and via ZOOM. Please use the ZOOM invite below . The key to an effective annual meeting is preparation. And I have to say we are prepared. The convenors of committees and teams have done their job. The clerks have organized the meeting well. All the necessary motions are included in a PowerPoint presentation that will guide us through the meeting. The greatest challenge for the annual meeting will be the deficit from 2022 and the projected deficit for 2023. There are a number of reasons for the deficit, most related to COVID. For example income prior to COVID from our parking lot was $70,000. In 2022 the income was only $10,000.
What lies ahead is effective management of the deficit in the short term and increasing revenue streams in the long term. Already the session and staff are looking at building revenue streams through the following – increasing parking to levels before COVID, marketing unused space within the building for long term tenants, promoting the newly renovated chapel for community use and even the possibility of inviting a certified day care operator to use the space here at St. Andrew’s. Already the operational council is looking at many of these options.
So with that in mind, I feel confident about the meeting on Sunday and encourage not only your presence, but also your participation. What makes St. Andrew’s great is the people of St. Andrew’s and with the Presbyterian Church in Canada this is the opportunity for the people to speak. As your minister I look forward to hearing what you have to say.
On another note, this Sunday is the first Sunday in Lent. Like last year we will be using symbols during Lent to help us in our journey towards the cross and then on towards the celebration of Easter. The overall theme for Lent this year is the justice movement in the pages of the Old and New Testaments; from what is referred to as an ‘unlimited retaliation’ as a form of justice to ‘unlimited love’ as a form of justice. We will journey with the prophets of old and then focus on Jesus who invites us into relationships marked by ‘unlimited love’. It is a hard journey, but one with incredible rewards. Unlimited love can set us free. I invite you all to participate the in services during Lent to join in on this journey
Take good care all of you
Marty
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Kitchener is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Annual Congregational Meeting for St. Andrew's 2023
Time: Feb 26, 2023 11:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
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Meeting ID: 881 5491 3080
Passcode: 603556
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